BlogWood: Norwood's Fair and Balanced Nattering

Dispatches from the culture war front

Imagine a country where the government decides what you can read or watch or listen to. Imagine a society that is so insular, so full of itself that it is sure that the only worthwhile ideas are its own. Iran? China? Saudi Arabia? Probably. Also the United States:

Money and goods, though, flow more rapidly into the United States than ideas and culture. As the country exports both Hollywood movies and occupying armies, it seems to be gradually closing its ears to foreign voices.

"What it takes out of our culture is understanding and humility and tolerance and perspective on the world," Mark Gill, president of Warner Independent Pictures, of the growing difficulty of selling foreign films. "What we're missing is not only the full range of emotion but also of storytelling."

Distributors say that foreign-language films have a harder time each year getting space on American screens. A recent study showed that European films produced only 1.6% of the 2002 U.S. box office take at a time when American films were garnering almost 90% of audiences in parts of Europe.

Of the literary books published in the U.S., fewer than 3% are translations — a proportion no better than in the Arab world. Leading lights, most recently Northwestern University Press, have cut back substantially; even Nobel Prize winners such as José Saramago and Imre Kertész remain obscure here.

And international performance groups are finding their U.S. appearances blocked by strict immigration and visa restrictions that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Stories about postponement of foreign theater, dance and world-music group performances have become as common as laments about the shortage of translators for Middle Eastern intelligence work, and more than 50 tours have been canceled outright. (A Berlin-based chamber group, the Artemis Quartet, had its U.S. tour canceled because the cellist, who had shoplifted a pair of tweezers 11 years before, had his visa denied, according to the New York Times.)

New regulations require that a performer petition for entry within six months before a concert, to be followed by lengthy background checks and trips to the U.S. Embassy (which can be far away ) to both interview and pick up the visas in person.

In countries such as Iran, Russia or Cuba (which was not able to send any of its 12 nominees to the Latin Grammy Awards last September, and whose 76-year-old guitarist Ibrahim Ferrer was not able to appear at the Grammys this month), the procedure often takes longer. .

"There's no question that the Homeland Security Act has limited, if not killed off, the ability to tour artists from the ever-growing list of restricted countries," says David Sefton, director of the UCLA Live performance series, which last fall postponed an appearance by a group of Belgian schoolchildren called üBONG because of visa difficulties and, in January, Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia. "Under the thinly transparent veil of national security, an awful lot of the ability to work with foreign artists has been closed down."

So, our government is hard at work defending us from children and Spaniards. I know I feel safer. I’m grateful that I wont have to stress over getting tickets to Ibrahim Ferrer’s next tour, since their will be none. And thankfully, I wont have to worry about his next CD being re-mixed and destroyed by an American label. What a glorious and simple country this is becoming!

Writers often grumble about the criminal things editors do to their prose. The federal government has recently weighed in on the same issue — literally.

It has warned publishers they may face grave legal consequences for editing manuscripts from Iran and other disfavored nations, on the ground that such tinkering amounts to trading with the enemy.

Anyone who publishes material from a country under a trade embargo is forbidden to reorder paragraphs or sentences, correct syntax or grammar, or replace "inappropriate words," according to several advisory letters from the Treasury Department in recent months.

Adding illustrations is prohibited, too. To the baffled dismay of publishers, editors and translators who have been briefed about the policy, only publication of "camera-ready copies of manuscripts" is allowed.

The Treasury letters concerned Iran. But the logic, experts said, would seem to extend to Cuba, Libya, North Korea and other nations with which most trade is banned without a government license.

Remember bin Laden?

President Bush, having diverted resources from Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama bin Laden in favor of invading Iraq and capturing Saddam Hussein, has now decided to start looking for the real bad guys again. Remember: despite Bush’s scary rhetoric leading up to the invasion of Iraq, Iraq was never a partner of Al Quaeda, Iraq never posed an imminent threat to the United States, and Osama continues to elude capture (maybe) to this day.

So while we wasted our time and considerable effort and resources in Iraq, the mastermind behind 911 was all but forgotten about by the man who swore to bring him to justice. But we got Saddam, the weakening leader of a country that was not even a threat to its closest neighbors, much less our glorious “homeland”.

Now, Bush has decided that perhaps he should start worrying about Osama again. Or maybe they are just ramping up the Osama mentions now so that the staged capture in a few months will seem a little more plausible?

President Bush has approved a plan to intensify the effort to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, senior administration and military officials say, as a combination of better intelligence, improving weather and a refocusing of resources away from Iraq has reinvigorated the hunt along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The plan will apply both new forces and new tactics to the task, said senior officials in Washington and Afghanistan who were interviewed in recent days. The group at the center of the effort is Task Force 121, the covert commando team of Special Operations forces and Central Intelligence Agency officers. The team was involved in Saddam Hussein's capture and is gradually shifting its forces to Afghanistan to step up the search for Mr. bin Laden and Mullah Muhammad Omar, the former Taliban leader.
......

With a great deal at stake strategically, symbolically and politically, Mr. Bush and his national security team have repeatedly met in recent months to refine the new approach, and it appears to have been approved in the last two months. White House officials will not say exactly when, emphasizing that the hunt for Mr. bin Laden never stopped, though clearly the effort lost momentum.

Can anyone say “understatement”?

Courts stifle hateful conservatives

WaPo:

California's Supreme Court declined Friday to immediately halt same-sex marriages and nullify more than 3,400 licenses already issued, while the mayor of a town in New York state began marrying same-sex couples.

In a suit filed in San Francisco, Attorney General Bill Lockyer petitioned the high court to order the city to stop defying a state law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, arguing that the California constitution prohibits San Francisco from declaring a state law unconstitutional without a binding appellate court decision affirming that position. The justices declined to rule and told the city and a conservative group that opposes gay marriage to file new legal briefs by March 5.

Lockyer's petition also argues that unless there is a binding statewide ruling resolving the validity of these marriages, "there will be tremendous governmental and legal confusion that could affect a wide variety of government functions and personal rights associated with public assistance, property ownership, personal debt liability, spousal and child support, inheritance when there is no will, worker's compensation benefits and tax liabilities."

In response, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said that the attorney general has made an unconvincing case for bypassing lower courts, and that the Supreme Court should be asked to rule regarding rulings in the lower courts, not in the absence of rulings. The court gave no indication when it would respond to Lockyer's petition.

Watch for e-voting fiascos on Tuesday

E-voting is fraught with problems. This Tuesday should be an interesting test, although if there are problems with teh count, we have no way to verify the problems, since there is no paper trail. Look for more vague denials and obfuscation from Diebold and other manufacturers after Tuesday.

Millions of voters in 10 states will cast ballots on Tuesday in the single biggest test so far of new touchscreen voting machines that have been billed as one of the best answers to the Florida election debacle of 2000. But many computer security experts worry that the machines could allow democracy to be hacked.

Here in Georgia, along with Maryland and California, an estimated six million people will be using machines from Diebold Election Systems, which has been the focus of the biggest controversy.

Independent studies have found flaws in Diebold's system that researchers say might allow hackers or corrupt insiders to reprogram the touchscreens or computers that tally the votes, without leaving a trace.

Without a paper record of every vote or some other way to verify voters' choices after the fact, these experts warn, elections may lose the public's trust.

"People complain about hanging chads," said Aviel D. Rubin, technical director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a co-author of the first study that found security flaws in the Diebold machines. "But if an electronic machine has malicious code in it, it's possible that all of the chads are hanging

What can you do? Vote absentee. In Florida, it's legal even if you're not actually absent on election day, and it is the only way to ensure that your vote is counted accurately.

Bin Laden rumors are nothing new, but may be true

Lots of people believe that Bin Laden is on ice, just waiting for W to decide it is an opportune moment to unveil him. This report is intriguing, and similar reports have been coming out for weeks. It is strange that a man who requires daily dialyses treatments has supposedly been able to stay alive while essentially camping with no access to modern medicine.

Pentagon and Pakistani officials on Saturday denied an Iranian state radio report that Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan "a long time ago."

The claim came as Pakistan's army hunted terror suspects in a remote tribal region along the border, believed to be a possible hiding place for the al-Qaida's leader.

The director of Iran radio's Pashtun language service, Asheq Hossein, said the report was based on two sources - one of whom later told The Associated Press he was misquoted.

The report said bin Laden had been in custody for a period of time, but that President Bush was withholding any announcement until closer to November elections.

Bush’s recovery leaves ordinary Americans behind

The GDP is up. The GDP measures just about everything, so if money is spent destroying the environment and shipping jobs overseas, and if unemployed and discouraged workers spend lots of money on anti-depressant meds, for example, the GDP goes up.

America's economy, bolstered by brisk business spending, grew at a healthy 4.1 percent annual rate in the final quarter of 2003. That was even faster than first thought and offered new evidence that the nation's economic recovery was firmly rooted going into the new year.

The latest reading on the gross domestic product -- the broadest measure of the economy's health -- was slightly better than the 4 percent pace estimated a month ago for the October-to-December quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States.
......

Looking ahead, the economic picture seems promising, analysts say. Economic growth in the current January-to-March quarter is expected to clock in at a rate of around 4.5 percent or higher, according to some analysts' projections.

For out of work Americans, though, these are still frustrating times even as the economy is in recovery mode. Job growth has been painfully slow. The economy has lost 2.2 million jobs since President Bush took office in January 2001, a sore spot as he seeks re-election. Democratic presidential contenders have seized on this to make the argument that his economic policies are not working.

The GDP is one thing. I tend to put a little more stock into reports about actual people. When asked how comfortable they are with the current economy, ordinary Americans, the same folks whose family and neighbors are being laid off, the folks who are bearing the brunt of increasing health care costs, (like the California supermarket workers) do not sound as rosy as the millionaire Wall Street economists:

U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in February as Americans, concerned about sluggish jobs growth, turned cautious about the outlook for the U.S. economy, according to a survey released on Friday.

The University of Michigan's final reading of consumer sentiment this month fell to 94.4 from January's final reading of 103.8, which was its highest level in over three years, said market sources who saw the report.

The result, however, was slightly better than market expectations of a fall to 93.5, and slightly higher than February's preliminary figure of 93.1.

And the Friday survey just confirmed another survey released earlier this week:

Consumer confidence in February took its sharpest fall in a year amid dimmer job prospects, the Conference Board (news - web sites) said Tuesday.

Its gauge of confidence slid to a four-month low of 87.3 from 96.4 in January, falling twice as much as Wall Street had forecast.

The decline was the biggest since a 14-point slide in February 2003, when war in Iraq (news - web sites) was just around the corner and terrorism fears were heightened.

Bush administration leaves children’s limbs behind

Updated below: 2/27 - 5:30PM

To be fair, Clinton didn’t do much about this problem either, but that’s no excuse for continued indifference.

Despite worldwide pressure, the U.S. continues to develop new and deadly land mine technology, and continues to deploy old-fashioned land mines around the world. Land mines tend to kill and maim civilians, especially curious and hungry children.

The Bush administration plans to announce that, in a step to lessen the dangers of land mines, it will end the use of long-lasting mines in warfare and instead concentrate on mines that go inert within hours or days, an administration official said Thursday.

The official said the policy would be announced on Friday, along with a doubling in American assistance to other countries to remove mines remaining from past conflicts. The increase will bring such aid to $70 million a year, the official said.

There will be limited exceptions in the switch to so-called inert land mines, but the official would not specify them.
......

Despite the latest steps, the administration official said, there are no plans for the United States to sign the international treaty to ban land mines, which has been in effect since 1997. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, was instrumental in getting the treaty signed.

The Problem:

What makes antipersonnel mines so abhorrent is the indiscriminate destruction they cause. Mines cannot be aimed. They lie dormant until a person or animal triggers their detonating mechanism. Antipersonnel mines cannot distinguish between the footfall of a soldier and that of a child.

Those who survive the initial blast usually require amputations, long hospital stays, and extensive rehabilitative services.

In Cambodia alone there are over 35,000 amputees injured by landmines--and they are the survivors. Many others die in the fields from loss of blood or lack of transport to get medical help. Mine deaths and injuries in the past few decades total in the hundreds of thousands.

Landmines are now a daily threat in Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Chechnya, Croatia, Iraq, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Somalia, and dozens of other countries. Mines recognize no cease-fire and long after the fighting has stopped they continue to maim or kill. Mines also render large tracts of agricultural land unusable, wreaking environmental and economic dev tation. Refugees returning to their war-ravaged countries face this life-threatening obstacle to rebuilding their lives.

Leading producers and exporters of antipersonnel mines in the past 25 years include China, Italy, the former Soviet Union, and the United States. More than 50 countries have manufactured as many as 200 million antipersonnel landmines in the last 25 years.

More than 350 different types of antipersonnel mines exist. Even if no more mines are ever laid, they will continue to maim and kill for years to come. Bold steps must be taken now to save future generations of innocent civilians. If sufficient funds are provided, deminers from the ICBL say that mine clearance to restore daily life to near normal levels may be achieved in years, not decades.

UPDATE:
Maybe I was a little unfair to Clinton. Here's some clarification:

President Bush will bar the U.S. military from using certain types of land mines after 2010 but will allow forces to continue to employ more sophisticated mines that the administration argues pose little threat to civilians, officials said yesterday.

The new policy, due to be announced today, represents a departure from the previous U.S. goal of banning all land mines designed to kill troops. That plan, established by President Bill Clinton, set a target of 2006 for giving up antipersonnel mines, depending on the success of Pentagon efforts to develop alternatives.

Bush, however, has decided to impose no limits on the use of "smart" land mines, which have timing devices to automatically defuse the explosives within hours or days, officials said.

Tribune catches up, reports looming gas shortages

TBO.com (The Tampa Tribune online wing) confirms a USA Today report (posted on BlogWood yesterday)

Snarled barge traffic on the Mississippi River is delaying some shipments of gasoline to the Port of Tampa and causing speculation that the price of gas locally could reach an all-time high.

With less fuel moving through the port, some companies are drawing on reserves and having gas trucked in from other Florida cities, including Jacksonville and Miami.

Several of Sunoco Corp.'s stations, fewer than 10 of its 70 in the area, had run out of gas by Thursday.

``That should start to improve by'' today, said company spokesman Gerald Davis, in Philadelphia.

Consumers probably won't encounter any widespread gas shortages, although some stations may continue to run out until the shipping lanes are cleared.

Thank Gearge and Dick and their shortsighted energy policy. Here’s more, from an email from MoveOn.org: (Senate contact info is good for all of Florida)

Dear MoveOn member,

The Bush-Cheney energy bill is back, and it could come up for a vote at any moment. Republicans have signaled that they'll give as little as 24 hours' notice. We've got to get out ahead of it.

Please call your Senator(s) now, at:

Senator Bob Graham
Washington, DC: 202-224-3041

Senator Bill Nelson
Washington, DC: 202-224-5274

Make sure they know you're a constituent, then urge them to:

"Please FILIBUSTER to stop the energy bill."*

Give some reasons why you're concerned -- some good ones are listed below.

The energy bill is still terrible. Here's what it does:

1. Delays clean-up in smoggy cities, which would increase asthma
attacks and other health problems, especially among children and elderly people.

2. Pollutes rivers and coastal waters by exempting oil and gas drilling
from clean-up safeguards

3. Allows energy companies to rip off consumers by repealing the
Public Utility Holding Company Act.

4. Includes billions in subsidies for big oil, nuclear, timber, and
coal companies.

5. Increases air pollution and global warming with new incentives to
burn coal for electricity without adequate pollution controls.

6. Threatens drinking water by allowing the underground injection of
diesel fuel and other chemicals during oil and gas development.

7. Weakens environmental safeguards to pave the way for more oil and
gas drilling on sensitive public lands in the Rocky Mountain West.
At least sixteen national hunting and fishing organizations oppose
these provisions.

8. Locks in American dependence on foreign oil by adding new
roadblocks to better fuel economy.

9. Tramples on states' abilities to protect their coasts from harmful
oil and gas exploration by weakening their input on federal
coastal projects.

10. Promotes nuclear proliferation by reversing long-standing U.S.
policy against reprocessing waste from commercial nuclear
reactors, and using plutonium to generate commercial energy.

Please call your Senator(s) now, at:

Senator Bob Graham
Washington, DC: 202-224-3041

Senator Bill Nelson
Washington, DC: 202-224-5274

Urge them to filibuster the energy bill.

Experts say Florida gasoline shortages coming

Bush’s fossil fuel friendly energy policy:

Motorists face gasoline shortages as well as record prices the next few weeks because of the skintight U.S. refining and distribution network.

The vulnerability of that network, combined with low inventories of both gasoline and the crude oil from which it's made, have the government and energy experts increasingly nervous that some places in the USA will run out of gas temporarily. An accident that has disrupted shipping on the Mississippi River and in the Gulf of Mexico could trigger shortages this week.

"It looks like the big bulk terminals in Florida are going to run out in the next few days," Tom Kloza, analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, said Wednesday. Big gasoline suppliers were warning their customers of imminent Florida shortages and reduced allocations, he said. The Coast Guard said it had reopened some of the channel Wednesday, but a backlog of ships remained.

Clearly, Howard is a victim of the righteous right

This week, Clear Channel fired both Bubba and Howard Stern so that Clear Channel CEO John Hogan can tell Congress that he’s being a good boy and cleaning things up. Bubba and Howard share many traits, most of them not to my liking. I’m not a fan of either, and both are borderline indefensible. Actually, Bubba is beyond the border, so I’ll concentrate on Howard.

It’s hard to jump to Howard Stern’s defense, and he’s hardly the type who needs help defending himself, but Clear Channel is so evil, and so much the mouthpiece for the Bush administration that my instincts are screaming for me to start boycotting all Clear Channel stations immediately. Then I remember that I don’t listen to that canned pap that serves as commercial radio these days, and that I avoid Clear Channel venues and concerts like the plague, so I guess a boycott of company that I already shun is rather pointless. Billmon gets to the heart of the story:

Since Stern is a disgusting sexist pig and Clear Channel a soulless cog in the GOP corporate machine, I suppose my attitude towards this fight probably should be roughly the same as Henry Kissinger's take on the Iraq-Iran War: Too bad they both can't lose. But, as hideous as he may be, Howard Stern is probably the most progressive media voice a lot of the F-You Boys are exposed to these days. Which, along with his notoriety, probably explains why Clear Channel singled him out for censorship. So one cheer for Howard.

And from Billmon’s comments section:

It's interesting, though, that Stern gets in trouble ONLY after he has turned on Bush. I'm a long-time listener, call it my guilty pleasure. Stern has always been crude, sexist, homophobic and borderline racist. Clear Channel and Viacom knew that when they signed him. He was for Gore in the 2000 election, but got behind Bush after 9/11. He strongly supported the war in Iraq, even though he confessed to knowing none of the particulars. Lately, though he's defended Howard Dean, had a friendly interview with Al Franken, and apparently declared himself to be Anybody But Bush. Clear Channel was willing to put up with him as long as he was apolitical or pro-Bush, but when he swings the other way, they decide he's suddenly too vulgar to be on their air.

The culture wars are upon us, and many on the right would like to see a return to their utopian vision of a mythical Amerika free of anything that they might be able to paint as being even vaguely offensive to anyone. People will look at today’s congressional hearings and this censorship by Clear Channel and creativity will be chilled. Artists will self-censor to avoid raising the ire of the self-appointed moralists and the noose will be tightened around our collective creative spirit.

Where is our universal health care?

TT:

Nine hours a day, five days a week, Tommy Smith watches television from a chair inside the tiny office at his father's workplace.

Since graduating LaVoy Exceptional Center in May, the blind and autistic man hasn't had any place else to go - except to work with his dad, a single parent who provides his developmentally disabled son with 24-hour care.

``This is my fault,'' Greg Smith said Wednesday. After Tommy left the public school system, ``I assumed there would be something in place.''

Smith signed up for a Medicaid waiver that put his 23- year-old son on a waiting list for services in June. Eight months later, Tommy is No. 11,783 out of 14,000.

``That's just unacceptable,'' said the 42-year-old lawn mower service manager.

But a day after Smith shared his story with WFLA, News Channel 8, Tommy had a place to go. And other families struggling with a wait that could take up to five years have hope.

An agency that serves developmentally disabled clients offered Tommy a scholarship for a daily program. He starts Friday.

This isn’t Greg Smith’s fault. It’s society’s fault. Why does a hard working parent have to rely on the kindness of strangers to have his kid cared for? Tommy was lucky enough to be featured on TV. Immediately after the TV report aired there was an outpouring of support. Soon, people will forget all about him. There are also more than 14,000 still waiting for services.

We can pay for universal health care in this country without raising taxes. We can provide health care to every single person in this country for less than we pay right now to insure only a small fraction of our population. It works in Canada. It works in Europe. We need it here. Now.

The president and Congress should immediately begin work to achieve health insurance coverage for all Americans by 2010, the National Academy of Sciences said on Wednesday.

"It is time for our nation to extend coverage to everyone," the academy's Institute of Medicine said, in a report intended to put the issue back atop the national agenda.

The report, summarizing three years of work by a panel of 15 experts, concluded, "Universal insurance coverage is an important and achievable goal for the country."

The academy is an independent, nonpartisan body chartered by Congress. It did not endorse a specific legislative proposal or estimate the cost of its recommendations. But Mary Sue Coleman, the president of the University of Michigan, who was co-chairwoman of the panel, said, "The economic cost to the country from the poorer health and premature deaths of uninsured people is in the range of $65 billion to $130 billion a year."

The report pointed out that because uninsured people received much less medical care than those with insurance, they tend to be sicker. About 18,000 people die each year as a result of not having insurance, it said.

W's world

Florida fags file for fairness

SPT:

More than 170 gay men and women sued a court clerk Wednesday, challenging the Florida law prohibiting them from obtaining marriage licenses and adding their voices to the growing nationwide crescendo on the controversial social issue.

The suit, filed in Broward County court, is believed to be the first formal legal challenge to the state law specifying that marriage licenses be issued only to parties consisting of one male and one female.

"An idea whose time has come can never be stopped," said attorney Ellis Rubin, who represents the 175 gays filing suit. "This idea's time is now."

The suit names only Broward Court Clerk Howard Forman as a defendant. He issues wedding licenses in the county, following state laws.
......

"We're people, human beings, American citizens. We pay our taxes," said James Stewart, a retired teacher from Dania Beach. "It's an old cliched line, but you know what? If we're going to pay our taxes, we deserve every right that should be granted to every American citizen."

Orlando Sentinal (via KC Star:)

Bringing the national war over same-sex marriage to Florida, a flamboyant Miami lawyer sued Broward County's clerk of the courts Wednesday for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

In an eight-page complaint, Ellis Rubin asked a judge to strike down Florida's law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and to compel the clerk to issue marriage applications to same-sex couples.

Standing with two of more than 170 gays and lesbians who joined the challenge, Rubin said the suit was "the first shot" in the war that President Bush declared Tuesday when he urged Congress to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.

"The fact that he's trying to amend the Constitution shows ... that it's all right with him to create second-class citizens," Rubin said. "It is neither all right nor constitutional."

Two of the named plaintiffs, musicians James Stewart, 61, and Wayne Ellis Clark, 54, agreed. They have lived together for ten years and were so incensed by Bush's support for an amendment, they called Rubin and asked how they could help.

"Sign up more people," Stewart said Rubin told the couple, so they did. Visiting Fort Lauderdale's gay community center and gay bars Tuesday night, they recruited more than 170 plaintiffs in two hours.

Rubin, who is known as much for his publicity stunts as for such sensational courtroom defenses as TV intoxication and nymphomania, said he had another motivation. He hopes to atone for what he considers a mistake made 27 years ago when he sued to overturn a Dade County law extending protections against discrimination to homosexuals.

The battle over that law, which was repealed and just recently reinstated, launched singer Anita Bryant's anti-gay crusade. It also prompted the Florida Legislature to prohibit any homosexual from adopting a child in Florida.

"I was wrong," Rubin said. "I've come full circle."
......

Howard Forman, Broward's clerk of courts, said he has no choice but to continue denying marriage applications to same-sex couples - but he does so reluctantly. In 1997, Forman was one of the few state senators who opposed the Florida law outlawing same-sex marriages.

"I thought it was discriminatory," he said. "And I don't believe it belongs in the U.S. Constitution now."

Greenspan wants old and poor to pay for Bush’s reckless tax cuts for the rich

NYT:

Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve's chairman, called on Congress and the Bush administration today to cut spending and rein in Social Security programs to narrow the record budget deficit and protect the "vigorous expansion" now under way in the American economy. ......

In addition to spending cuts in the overall budget, Mr. Greenspan said Congress should consider ways to reduce the costs of Social Security, including pushing up the age at which retirees could begin to receive Social Security and Medicare payments.
......

The White House anticipates a shortfall of $521 billion this year, and the administration contends that it can reduce the deficit by half over the next five years by cutting back on domestic spending not related to the military.

Uh, that $521 million does NOT include the cost of the ongoing war in Iraq. Also, those numbers are based on incredibly rosy and unrealistic forecasts like this one:

The White House backed away Wednesday from its own prediction that the economy will add 2.6 million new jobs before the end of this year, saying the forecast was the work of number-crunchers and that President Bush was not a statistician. ......

Taxpayers subsidize mall image makeover

Centro Ybor, that pile of bricks with the same shops and restaurants that can be found from Des Moines to Orlando, thinks of itself as special, and it just can’t fathom why everyone else does not just love it for its bubbly cuteness and its non-threatening inoffensiveness:

Darrin Spardello had pushed eight quarters into an Ybor City parking meter before he realized the meter's time limit was an hour.

He figured that wouldn't be enough time for him and his wife, visiting from Palm Beach, to explore the shops and restaurants of the Centro Ybor entertainment complex. So they got back in the car and drove, looking for another place to park. They circled and circled until, by chance, they spotted the sign for the Centro Ybor parking garage.

While happy with the great lunch and pleasant outdoor stroll that followed, Spardello and his wife said the parking experience was frustrating.

"It was a challenge," he said.

So Darrin, the guy who doesn’t have enough sense to check a parking meter before stuffing $2 into it, also found it challenging to use a parking garage. Sounds like a ready-made sucker to me... the perfect mark for Ybor’s safe and generic mall. But no. Centro Ybor isn’t happy with the status quo.

It's the same frustration that has dogged Centro Ybor since it opened in 2000 - not to mention Ybor City's image as crime-plagued and infested with people searching for body piercing parlors and nickel beers.

In the aftermath of recent news that Centro Ybor's developers are in default of their loans, officials are unrolling a campaign to try to overcome Ybor's image problems and bring in the crowds.

A series of newspaper advertisements beginning this week will feature "accomplished" locals, like 2003 Civitan of the Year winner Liz Kennedy, expressing enthusiasm for Centro Ybor. By March, the campaign will move to radio and perhaps television, said Centro Ybor spokeswoman Lisa Brock.

Brock won't say how much the campaign will cost, only that it is "substantially more than we typically spend."

Uh, aren’t the taxpayers paying the mortgage for this monstrosity? I think we have a right to know exactly how much is being spent on ads, who is getting the ad business, and whether the owners of Centro Ybor might just be able to pay their own damn mortgage if they weren’t spending so much on advertising.

Centro officials want residents to think of Ybor City as safe and family friendly. They want people to know that parking is available, and that yes, Centro Ybor is here to stay.

"The key is to get the word out that it's a convenient place for dining and browsing," said Jay Miller, executive vice president of Steiner Associates, one of Centro Ybor's developers. "It's going to take some time."

These guys have had four years and tons of free publicity to get their message across. They sound just like President Bush: “Trust us. We’ll do better. We’re really good and well meaning. Trust us. Past failures were someone else’s fault. Trust us...”

On its opening weekend four years ago, Centro Ybor, with more than 200,000 square feet of retail space, drew about 100,000 people who caught a movie at the Muvico, played video games at GameWorks, drank martinis at Big City Tavern or watched dinner being grilled at dish.

Centro's backers celebrated and prepared to ride the big wave.

Then Channelside, not far away near the Florida Aquarium, and International Plaza, with its upscale shopping, opened. Both were stiff competition.

Stiff competition for public handouts: International Plaza enjoys a sweetheart lease deal for the public land on which it sits, and Channelside is heavily subsidized as well. I’m confused: how it is that we have money for rich developer Welfare Daddies, but we don’t have money for universal health care?

And, Centro would have to battle a rough image that Miller said was fueled by the granting of too many liquor licenses. Over time, bars and nightclubs edged out art galleries and retail shops in Ybor.

Well, yeah, but that all happened well before Centro Ybor came on the scene. In fact, Centro Ybor was seen by many as the final nail in Ybor’s coffin. So, Centro Ybor contributed to the very decline that its developers are now blaming for its own failure. Ybor was already a reeling, binging, bullying, roofie-slipping frat boy when Centro came along. The city of Tampa had ensured that Ybor would be a wasteland of cheap generic bars and shiny drunken people by issuing all of those liquor licenses that Centro is now complaining about. At the time, Ybor was said to be booming, ‘cause all these new bars were, like, bringing in crowds and stuff. The Centro developers couldn’t wait to jump on the Ybor drunk wagon.

Almost four years after it opened, Centro Ybor, which was supposed to drive the revitalization of Ybor City, needed a $16.3-million multiyear bailout.

See above rant re.: mortgage payments.

Those who track the industry say Centro Ybor was a difficult sell from the beginning because of Ybor City's reputation.

"I think Centro Ybor was off to a great start," said Lill Hanson, a retail specialist at Grubb & Ellis/Commercial Florida. "But it's going to take more than a couple of years to change Ybor City's image."

Despite the slow change, Hanson said, Centro Ybor was the catalyst for bringing more development to the area. With nearby apartments opening up and hotels coming, it's starting to have almost a French Quarter feel, she said. And slowly, people are coming.

"The problem is just changing the impression people have of Ybor," she said. "They have to educate people. I do think (the customers) are starting to come."

Centro is looking to several key renters to draw in crowds. Among them: the Improv comedy club, GameWorks, the International Bazaar shop, M.J. Barley Hoppers and Samurai Blue restaurants, and Muvico, with its 21-and-older Premier Theaters & Bar.

Wait a minute. These are the same tired and generic shops that have been there since the beginning. Well, some names have changed, but a lot of these restaurants are truly interchangeable: bland, unimaginative, overpriced food served in a “fun” and “unique” decor...

They aren't targeting anyone in particular, Brock said.

"It's more about having people understand it's not just a place for teenagers," she said. "There are businesses and activities and things to do beyond just Seventh Avenue. It's for kids who want to shop at Urban Outfitters, for singles looking for a date place, families looking for activities and entertainment."

Translation: Centro Ybor is SAFE FOR WHITE PEOPLE! Bring your charge cards...

Miller said the bar crowd doesn't emerge until 11 p.m. - people just don't realize it.

"Everybody thinks that Friday and Saturday nights, it's just packed, and hard to park," Miller said. "If you come to Ybor at 7:30 to 8 p.m. it's very easy to get in and out."

Despite its shaky financial foundation, Centro Ybor is not closing, said general manager Irene Pierpont.

The complex has leased more than 90 percent of its retail space, and some of its restaurants do well enough to serve food until 1 a.m.

Now that’s impressive: one or two of the restaurants are managing to serve food!

"The world knows about Ybor City," Pierpont said. "The locals don't seem to support us as much. We're hoping to change that."

Hey, Irene: I’d venture a guess that locals might know just a little more about Ybor than the rest of the world. Hmm... maybe the locals see right through your cynical sugary marketing?

Pierpont admits parking can be confusing for those unfamiliar with the area, given the construction, one-way streets and parking meters that offer different times and rates. Centro officials are currently negotiating with the city to offer valet parking on Seventh Avenue.

More public space given over to a group of Welfare Daddy losers.

Her advice is: valet park or use the Centro Ybor garage on 15th Street near Seventh Avenue.

(That would be the garage that the city of Tampa built and runs at taxpayer expense for the primary benefit of... Centro Ybor)

Pierpont said a survey is being conducted on Ybor City to better understand its strengths and weakness. The results are expected to be published in March.

"It's a crucial time for us," she said.

Hanson, of Grubb & Ellis, believes Centro Ybor will bounce back.

"Because of Centro Ybor and what they (offer), Ybor City is cleaning up very quickly," she said. "It's going to take a while, but it's on its way."

More time. More taxpayer money and resources for Welfare Daddies.

Tampa PATRIOT Act forum this Thursday

TT:

T he USA Patriot Act and the balance between civil liberty and security will be the subjects of a televised forum this week sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

The law, crafted after the Sept. 11 attacks, was designed to deter and punish terrorists by expanding investigative tools for police.

Opponents worry it removes checks and balances on police - and even threatens the civil rights and freedoms of those it is intended to protect.

Scheduled panelists include Paul Perez, U.S. attorney for Florida's Middle District; Carl Whitehead, special agent in the FBI's Tampa office; retired Army Col. Michael Pheneger, treasurer of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida; and Morris ``Sandy'' Weinberg Jr., a lawyer with the firm of Zuckerman Spaeder.

The League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County and county government television will host the forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday on the 26th floor of the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.

HTV22 in Hillsborough will broadcast it live, and the forum will be replayed by WUSF Channel 16 at noon March 5.

Bush divides

NYT:

President Bush said today he supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, declaring that such a measure was the only way to protect the status of marriage between man and woman, which he called "the most fundamental institution of civilization."

In an announcement fraught with social, legal and political implications, Mr. Bush urged Congress to act on the amendment quickly and send it on to the state legislatures. Quick action is essential, he said, to bring clarity to the law and protect husband-and-wife marriages from a few "activist judges."

"The voice of the people must be heard," Mr. Bush said in a brief White House speech that Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, called an attempt to find "a wedge issue to divide the American people."

Jack Sparks:

For me, same-sex marriage has less to do with antiquated notions of whether Adam should take Steve instead of Eve. Rather, the true issue is that fully half of these unions are doomed to fail, just like any other rotten, suburban, two car, two kid, one dog nightmare. There's a mountain of printed wisdom on the damages of divorce, but the titles should all be altered to read the damages of marriage; somewhere along the way, society forgot to plug in laws, rituals, and social pressures that prevent uncompatible people from agreeing to spend the rest of their lives together, when it's blatantly obvious to their mothers, friends, and the mouthpiece of God committing the unholy act of joining them that the whole thing will be an absolute disaster some day.

All that stuff that Karl Rove is telling the press secretary for the dumbest President in the history of America to quote the boss as saying about "sacred unions" and "enduring institutions" is just patently absurd. Marriage in America is a fucking joke, so there is absolutely no reason why people shouldn't line up to marry someone of the same sex, their goldfish, or a 1978 Trans Am with a broken stereo. Take a coin out of your pocket, flip it in the air...it's the same thing.

Billmon:

... if the Rovians insist on giving battle here, on this issue, then so be it. I'm prepared to oblige them, especially if they're going to make this a struggle to keep their filthy paws -- and those of their proto-fascist supporters -- off the U.S. Constitution. The day will never come when I'll turn away from that fight. And I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who's willing to stand with me, even if it is Andrew Sullivan:

Rather than keep the Constitution out of the culture wars, this president wants to drag the very founding document into his re-election campaign. He is proposing to remove civil rights from one group of American citizens - and do so in the Constitution itself. The message could not be plainer: these citizens do not fully belong in America. Their relationships must be stigmatized in the very Constitution itself. The document that should be uniting the country will now be used to divide it, to single out a group of people for discrimination itself, and to do so for narrow electoral purposes. Not since the horrifying legacy of Constitutional racial discrimination in this country has such a goal been even thought of, let alone pursued. Those of us who supported this president in 2000, who have backed him whole-heartedly during the war, who have endured scorn from our peers as a result, who trusted that this president was indeed a uniter rather than a divider, now know the truth.

You're awfully late, Andrew. But better late than never. Welcome to the Popular Front.

Obviously, Rove thinks there are political risks and vulnerabilities in engaging on this issue. Our job as progressives is to figure out what those risks and vulnerabilities are, and exploit them as effectively as possible -- while not losing sight of the larger goal, which is to win back the country. If we're going to fight on this issue, let's fight smart. Let's fight to win.

An Immokalee worker:

"We have to fight," Hernandez said. "If we don't fight for ourselves, nobody else will."

Make no mistake: whether you’re straight or gay, married or single, this is your fight. aWol is talking about amending the constitution to explicitly brand an entire group of people as less than equal. You could be next.

Pinellas deputies extort seized property

One of the many big problems with our nation’s war on drugs is the backward policy of rewarding police departments with seized “drug assets.” The system is rife with abuse, with the cops often acting aggressively to seize property first and worry about justifying the seizures later in the rare instances when they are actually called on their actions.

A woman says deputies made a her a deal after finding a pound of marijuana in her car: If she turned over the car, she wouldn't be charged with a felony.

Pinellas sheriff's officials deny that they offered Tomeca L. Demps that choice, but her signature appears on an agreement to hand over her 1968 Buick Skylark to deputies.

Demps, 31, said she stores the car away from her home and didn't notice it missing when it was seized in a Feb. 13 drug investigation.

Four days later, deputies arrived at her home with the agreement ready for her signature, Demps said.

"They told me the best thing I could do was just sign the paper, and I wouldn't get charged with anything," she said. "What could I do? I signed."

After questions from the St. Petersburg Times Monday, the Sheriff's Office gave the car back to Demps, saying no links had been found between her and the marijuana. The car would have been given back even without the paper's questions, sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha said.

"Our legal staff did not feel this was an appropriate use of this process when it is apparent there was no action going forward against Mrs. Demps," Pasha said.

Deputies Mark Douglas and Kris Lutz made a mistake by writing in the agreement that Demps would not be charged since there were no plans to arrest her, Pasha said

"It wasn't an either or thing," Pasha said. "She would not have been arrested."

Pasha also denied that Demps signed over ownership of the car to the Sheriff's Office, though the agreement indicates she did.

Demps hired attorneys Craig Epifanio and John Trevena, who questioned whether deputies had acted properly.

"This is like a mob shakedown," said Trevena. "The document's language is clear. It appears to be extortion and official misconduct."

Robyn Blumner wrote about the drug war in yesterday’s SP Times:

The beauty of Jefferson's marketplace of ideas is that it opens our society to all voices and all arguments, presuming the most persuasive will rise to the top.

But those who promote the War on Drugs find this a dangerous concept. Drug reform makes too much sense and in recent years has been too compelling to voters. Already, seven states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana through voter initiatives (and two more states through legislation) and a recent Gallup poll shows that 74 percent of Americans are on that side of the issue.

To combat this outbreak of common sense, the drug warriors have fought back with antidemocratic and repressive methods.
......

What is really going on here? Nadelmann theorizes that for people like Istook, Attorney General John Ashcroft and drug czar John Walters, the war on drugs is less about crack and heroin than it is about marijuana. "It's about the culture clash," Nadelmann says, "It's about continuing ways to wage war against the '60s and '70s."

As Ashcroft continues to send DEA agents into California to raid legal medical marijuana dispensaries and Walters uses the public weal to campaign against drug reform initiatives on state and local ballots, it is clear that Nadelmann is right. This is not about upholding the law, but fighting a movement. The drug warriors are fiercely antagonistic toward the shift in public opinion on medical marijuana and other drug reforms; and their authoritarian impulse is to shut down the free marketplace of ideas.

Apparently, the competition is getting to be a bit too stiff.

Support the Immokalee Workers

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers are still fighting Taco Bell.

IMMOKALEE, Fla. — The early-morning fog and darkness were still two hours from lifting, but the parking lot of the La Mexicana grocery store was filled with 200 farmworkers waiting to be driven to vegetable fields so they could earn $20 to $60 for the day.

When the rundown school buses arrived, workers ran up, clenching their lunches wrapped in plastic bags. Drivers looked at each worker, deciding who could board in what is a daily ritual.

"You don't work fast enough," a driver said in Spanish, turning back one worker as he climbed the bus steps. Another worker outside the bus shouted urgently, "How many more?"

Poor working conditions, abysmal and expensive living quarters, and low pay will cause up to 100 farmworkers to board other buses tomorrow, but their destination won't be the vegetable fields and citrus groves of southwest Florida.

They will head for Kentucky and California in what has become an annual journey to protest Taco Bell, based in Irvine, Calif., and its corporate parent, Yum! Brands Inc. in Louisville.

Taco Bell is a major buyer of Florida tomatoes, and the farmworkers want the fast-food chain and Yum to pressure Florida tomato growers into improving wages and conditions in this remote agricultural spot about 120 miles northwest of Miami. The farmworkers began a boycott of Taco Bell more than two years ago.

"We earn so little here, and Taco Bell is a principal buyer of tomatoes," said Marcelino Hernandez, a former tomato picker in Immokalee, a three-stoplight town of 20,000 people where Spanish is the dominant language and roosters roam the streets.

Taco Bell recently rewrote its code of conduct for its suppliers after being pressured by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an advocacy group for the farmworkers, which is leading the boycott.

The code now explicitly states that the company won't tolerate the use of forced labor or physical intimidation of workers. The change comes after five cases of farmworker slavery by independent labor contractors that have been prosecuted in South Florida in the past six years.
......

The predominantly Mexican and Guatemalan farmworkers earn about 45 cents per 32-pound bucket of tomatoes picked, a wage they say hasn't changed in 20 years. They would like to see that raised to 75 cents to 80 cents per bucket, and they think Taco Bell could force its suppliers to increase their pay.

Vegetable and melon pickers in Collier County, where Immokalee is located, earned an average annual pay in 2002 of $13,287, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Farmworkers aren't paid while they are driven by buses to fields as far as 150 miles away to pick tomatoes, peppers and other winter vegetables. Sometimes they are taken to the fields in the back of closed cargo trucks for dark, airless rides that can last several hours on benches.
......

Ray Gilmer, a spokesman for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, which represents Florida tomato growers, said that the boycott was misguided because "Taco Bell doesn't know where its tomatoes come from."
......

The farmworker advocates say the poor pay creates an economy in which the farmworkers are taken advantage of at every turn. Because of the low pay — and because many are undocumented workers and can't obtain drivers' licenses — few farmworkers have cars and must live within several blocks of downtown Immokalee so that they can walk to the La Mexicana parking lot for their jobs.

Because they are a captive audience to the downtown housing market, some rent rundown trailers with naked light bulbs, creaky wood floors and mattresses covering every floor space for as much as $2,000 a month. To split the cost, a dozen farmworkers live in some trailers that should only accommodate three people.

"We have to fight," Hernandez said. "If we don't fight for ourselves, nobody else will."

Get Up with MorningWood

Get Up with MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

Studio line: 813-239-9663. Call or email the studio anytime!

Today on MorningWood

Thanks to Mike Bagley for dropping what he was doing and paying attention to me when I asked him for a favor earlier. He was filling in for DJ Nave on Soul Eclipse right before MorningWood today.

This week, we’re all over the map. Lots of political stuff, a downright revolutionary start, and artists like Paris, DJ Vadim, Isobel Campbell, The Cure, Johnny Cash and DJ Danger Mouse.

Listen for the start of the MorningWood theme song in the middle of each hour (don’t call after NPR news or at 4:00AM when I start my show!), and call in to win tickets to the SMLG Florda Bandango sendoff benefit concert coming up on March 6 at the State theater.

Florida Bandango at SXSW

Tampa, FL - Volunteer group to showcase local bands in Austin; Benefit concert March 6.

The SXSW Music Lovers Group (SMLG) announced the lineup today for their March 6 State Theater fundraiser. Scheduled to appear, in order of appearance: Crippled Masters; Red Tide; The band soon to be formerly known as Shotgun Wedding; Auditorium; John McNicholas; Anna O; and Rebekah Pulley. All proceeds raised will be used for the Florida Bandango Party during the South by Southwest Music conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

2004 marks the second year for the Florida Bandango Party. The idea is to showcase Tampa area talent in front of a national audience of media and music industry movers and shakers. The party will feature food, music and art from the Tampa area and SMLG expects 700 - 1,000 people to attend.

Norwood Orrick hosts MorningWood, early Tuesday mornings on WMNF 88.5FM. He and other WMNF DJs and volunteers founded SMLG in 2002 and they hosted the first ever Florida Bandago Party last year at the famous Club DeVille in the heart of Austin's downtown music district.

"Hundreds of people came out last year and heard some fantastic music," says Orrick. "It was an unqualified success. This year, we've added Florida food from Skipper's Smokehouse and a Tampa area art show curated by WMNF's JoEllen Schilke to complement our talented musicians and to help party goers to really slip into a Florida state of mind."

The March 6 State Theater show is the sendoff fundraiser for this year's party. Doors open at 7:30 and the music wont stop until 2:00AM.

The SXSW Music Lovers Group (SMLG) is a volunteer group dedicated to promoting Tampa Bay musicians by providing the opportunity for Tampa Bay bands to play for national press and recording industry executives at the world-famous South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference. SMLG is not affiliated with WMNF.

fmi: The SXSW Music Lovers Group (SMLG)

Event Information:
What - SMLG Florida Bandango fundraiser concert - Crippled Masters; Red Tide; The band soon to be formerly known as Shotgun Wedding; Auditorium; John McNicholas; Anna O; and Rebekah Pulley When - Saturday, March 6, 2004, 7:30PM
Where - State Theater, 526 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg
Price - $6.00
Tickets - 727-895-3045

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

Shameless Self-promotion:

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

The saga continues

But he’s got to make a decision soon! Please keep the calls and emails coming!

WMNF Community Radio

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

If you’d like to learn more about WMNF, call 813-239-9663 and ask for a free program guide and bumper sticker. If you’d like to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 813-238-8001 and ask for Gene Moore.

Tales from The Depot

(ed. note: "The Depot" is a (fictional?) place that is often referred to by Dell computer techs, a group of support folks who seem an awful lot like the guys in the article below. In Dell's world, your computer or your computer part have always "just left the Depot," and will reach you soon!)

As a rule, I don’t link to too much Salon.com stuff. You have to be a member or get a free “day pass” to read their stuff, so it’s a pain, but this article is just so chock full of good little tech support snippets that I couldn’t resist posting it. I’ve been a computer guy for over 10 years now, and, unfortunately, I can confirm the general truth of this tale.

Gratuitous self-serving note: the only way to avoid dealing with support departments like this one is to contract with a local computer company which handles all tech support issues in-house.

We pick up this story of a tech support phone room as the author describes several categories of tech support types:

A punter is someone who gets rid of problems by giving them to someone else. Punters tell customers that their problem is not really with their computer, but with their software, their printer, their phone lines, solar flares, whatever they can make sound believable. Then a punter will look at the piece of paper hanging above their phone and read you those four magic words. We don't support that. If you want your problem fixed, a punter will tell you, you'll have to call someone else.

It's not that Loni isn't smart. In fact, he's wickedly so. He can listen to a person having problems with the mouse and spin a plausible story as to why it is really something the person needs to be discussing with the phone company. He can take a call about a modem and convince the customer that she needs to contact her embassy. He doesn't lack intelligence, just tools. Like the rest of us, all Loni was really taught was The Mantra, and since then he's learned to wield it like a samurai with a sword.

He's not alone. Lots of the techs are punters. And many of those who aren't have adopted some other time-saving strategy to help them dispatch their calls within the allotted time. Karen is part of a growing group called givers. Like punters, they don't really solve any problems, but instead of just asking you to call someone else, givers want you to have a parting gift. They'll listen to your problem and then randomly choose a piece of hardware to send you. Of course it won't solve anything, but givers have discovered that people usually calm down and start agreeing as soon as they think you're sending them something to fix the problem. And by the time they get the new part and discover it has no effect, they'll call back and someone else will have to figure out how to deal with them. Givers are really just punters with style, and they find their tactic very satisfying. Karen and her ilk get to spend all day playing Santa.

Ted is someone I don't speak to. Ted is a formatter. Ted, and those like him, have only one solution to their customers' problems. Erase everything on the computer's hard drive and start over from scratch. While this can be effective for solving all sorts of software troubles, it's like amputating someone's leg to fix an ingrown toenail. The solution is usually worse than the problem. Most times Ted doesn't actually follow through with his plan. The entire strategy is just a bluff. Most people will balk at the proposition of losing everything and decide they can live with whatever problem they've called to complain about. At the very least they'll decide to hang up, back up their data, and call back -- at which point they'll become someone else's problem.

But some formatters are worse than Ted. They'll help customers get started with the process without ever mentioning that all the data will be lost. Then they'll ask the customer to call back when the operating system finishes reinstalling, at which point the customer usually says something to the effect of, "the last guy was helping me reinstall and the computer seems to be running now, but I can't find my letter from my dead grandmother and baby picture of little Johnnie." Punters and givers will waste your time. Formatters can do much worse.

Did Frist cry wolf? "Ricin" scare looks lame

Remember: Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, in whose office the powder was first found, just happened to be the first person to loudly and positively proclaim the powder to be ricin (even before reliable tests came back... field tests done on the scene showed mixed results, but the positive results were emphasized in news reports). Coincidentally, he is also to author of this book on bio-terror attacks. Now, I’m not suggesting that Bill Frist may have had more than a little self interest in seeing this story hyped to the max, or even that he may know a lot more than he’s letting on about the origins of the mysterious white powder that doesn’t seem to have arrived in his office via the U.S. Mail after all. After all, it is a well known fact that Republicans are the party of honesty and integrity
and surely their senior members would never stoop to pure profiteering at the expense of ordinary citizens, right?

There is a new theory emerging about the ricin scare two weeks ago.

NBC News has learned investigators are looking into the possibility that there never was any ricin attack in the first place.

A white powder, previously believed to be ricin, was discovered on a machine used to open envelopes in the Dirksen Senate office building. Dirksen and two other buildings were closed for several days.

There are several reasons for the new theory. Investigators haven't been able to determine an apparent source of the ricin, and the suspicous substances was found in very small amounts.

Since ricin comes from the castor bean, and some nontoxic parts of the plant are used to make paper, it might be possible that the tests found traces of the plant, but not ricin.

Pants on Fire-mobile Presidential Procession video

You can see a good video of the Liar Liar Pants on Fire Presidential Procession which crossed the Gandy bridge just as President Bush was flying over in Air Force One here. Thanks to Jim Quinlan for sending this to me. If anyone else has good pictures or video, please forward them and I'll put them up.

Note: If the video doesn’t stream or play correctly for you, right click the link and “Save Target As” to download to your desktop and play from your own computer.

Survey says: Bush is a liar!

AP via sfgate.com

The presidential primary season has been good for Democrats and tough on President Bush, according to a national poll released Thursday.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that the public's impression of the Democratic field has been improving as the candidates have battled for their party's nomination -- with 45 percent now viewing the field positively, compared to 31 percent a month earlier. Bush's overall favorability rating, meanwhile, still is positive at 53 percent, but that compares with 72 percent last April, shortly after the fall of Baghdad, and is the low point of his presidency.

Likewise, Bush's job-approval rating has dropped to 48 percent, the first time in his presidency that it has fallen below 50 percent, according to the poll.

"I'm a little surprised by how negative people are toward Bush personally," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew poll. He said the negative views of Bush might be linked to the high number of people who are paying attention to the failed hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Three-fourths of Americans say they are following the issue very or fairly closely.

When the pollsters asked people for a one-word description of Bush, equal shares gave positive and negative responses, a stark shift from last May, when positive answers outnumbered negative ones 2-to-1. The most frequently used negative word this time was "liar," which never came up last May. The most frequently used positive description this time was "honest," the same as last May.

Leg. drags feet: 100,000 children still left behind

You remember Kidcare, right? That’s the program that Jeb! allowed to flounder despite the availability of federal funding. Now, well over 100,000 kids are on the waiting list for insurance and the Legislature is wasting time when they should be scrambling to restore funding:

House leaders proposed giving subsidized health care to tens of thousands of children on a waiting list for Florida KidCare but tightening eligibility for the government program.

The plan, which would spend $6.5 million in state money to bring some 90,000 children into the various programs of KidCare, was presented Thursday to the House Appropriations Committee but not yet scheduled for a vote.

The legislation also would limit participation to children whose parents could not get health insurance from their employers without paying more than 7.5 percent of their family income.

It's similar to a proposal put forth by the Senate.

A vote on the proposal was postponed in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Republicans and Democrats blamed each other.

KidCare is intended for families who make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level - that was $36,800 for a family of four last year. Monthly premiums are $15 to $20, and the state and federal governments pay the rest.

If we had universal health care in this country we would not have problems like these to solve. Our for-profit medical industry is the most expensive in the world, yet millions of families are completely without coverage.

More info

More Civitas secrets revealed

Hmmm... a county board that is set up to help poor people buy houses decides to throw over $23 million to Tampa’s Welfare Daddies to better enable them to dislocate the poor. The board is packed with insiders and overflowing with conflicts of interest, but in Hillsborough County, this is business as usual.

Civitas is mostly out of the news these days, but you can bet that they will be back with another secretive plan to steal valuable land from the public while dislocating current residents.

Here’s an idea: why not pump some city and county money into the rehabbing the empty and crumbling downtown buildings such as the Floridan Hotel and the old Kress building? These and tons of other vacant downtown properties could be cut up into apartments and lofts, incorporated as condos, and offered to the working poor as a viable home ownership option.

Downtown would be infused with new energy. Nighttime activities would increase. Vibrant new communities would blossom and grow. The powerless people who we are now talking about dislocating and scattering would suddenly have just a little say in their own future, as they form condo boards and start to practice a little self-determination.

Anyway, lets do the rehab. We will then have plenty of room to relocate residents before we raze their current homes. Once people have a nice place to live that is very close to their old neighborhood, and, indeed, includes most of their old neighbors, then we can talk about fattening up Tampa’s Welfare Daddies at the public trough.

Oh, yeah... about that county board:

A government board that agreed to sell bonds that could have helped the Civitas project has members with ties to the development company.

Hillsborough County commissioners expressed concern Wednesday that members of the county's housing finance authority, appointed by commissioners, don't keep elected leaders in the loop - and may be too close to projects that involve them.

``They've been operating off on their own,'' Commissioner Jan Platt said. ``It's curious that there are so many intertwining relationships. I hope everyone has disclosed those before voting on this board.''

The housing finance authority was created in 1985 to sell tax-free bonds to generate home mortgage money for low- and moderate-income families. The money is made available through local lenders, builders and developers to first-time home buyers.

Last month, the authority gave preliminary approval to $23.4 million in bonds that would have helped Civitas and the Tampa Housing Authority replace the public housing agency's Central Park Village.

If you’re a public housing resident walking through the projects in Tampa, and you find yourself in a dimly lit and out of the way area and you notice a gang of well dressed wealthy looking white folks approaching you, don’t hesitate. Grab your wallet, yell for help, and run for your life. (apologies to Michael Moore)

Scientists: "Bush Lies"; White House: "Reality"

From NYTimes:

The Bush administration has deliberately and systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, a group of about 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, said in a statement issued today. ......

(They) accuse the administration of repeatedly censoring and suppressing reports by its own scientists, stacking advisory committees with unqualified political appointees, disbanding government panels that provide unwanted advice, and refusing to seek any independent scientific expertise in some cases.

"Other administrations have, on occasion, engaged in such practices, but not so systematically nor on so wide a front," the statement from the scientists said, adding that they believed the administration had "misrepresented scientific knowledge and misled the public about the implications of its policies."

The White House had no immediate comment on the statements.

Also today, it looks like the White House has stopped its lies regarding the 2.6 million new jobs it has up to now been claiming would be created this year. But the biggest bombshell by far in this article is buried in the middle of the piece, where White House spokesperson Scott McClellan (no, not the pretty Scott... the other one) proclaims that the White House is “interested in reality.” No word on whether or not his new found “interest” will translate to actual truth.

The White House backed away Wednesday from its own prediction that the economy will add 2.6 million new jobs before the end of this year, saying the forecast was the work of number-crunchers and that President Bush was not a statistician. ......

The administration's refusal to back its own jobs estimate brought criticism from John Kerry, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Now George Bush is saying he's going to create 2.6 million jobs this year alone - and his advisors are saying, 'What, you didn't actually believe that, did you?' Apparently George Bush is the only person left in the country who actually believes the far-fetched promises he's peddling," Kerry said in a statement.
......

Unemployment and the slow pace of job creation are political liabilities for Bush as he heads into a battle for re-election. Despite strong economic growth, the nation has lost about 2.2 million jobs since he became president.
......

Asked about the 2.6 million jobs forecast, McClellan said, "The president is interested in actual jobs being created rather than economic modeling."

He quoted Bush as saying, "I'm not a statistician. I'm not a predictor."

"We are interested in reality," McClellan said

Pants on Fire-mobile final thoughts

What a great week! Ice cream, hot dogs, and kazoos. Flags and signs and a procession. Tons of people laughing and cheering and generally supporting the notion that aWol is a thief and a liar. Thanks to all who came out or waved and laughed or just sent us some positive energy. TrueMajority.org is so impressed with the support that Pants on Fire got in Tampa that we may well be graced with other creative street theater type traveling things very soon. Stay tuned!

All BlogWood Pants on Fire-mobile related posts, including posts with pictures and links to video, can be found here.

The Pants on Fire-mobile is now wowing the crowds in Gainesville, and will head westward after that. Check PantsOnFire.net for national tour info.

"Uncle" Tom Scott seeks input from residents

Now that Civitas has been put off for a few months (the article below calls it “dead,” but expect another greedy cynical secretive grab for public funding and assets from Tampa’s Welfare Daddies soon!) County Commission Chair and Civitas booster Tom Scott has finally found the time to actually speak with the residents who will be displaced and scattered to the winds when redevelopment comes.

Jennie McNair stepped hesitantly to the microphone at a town meeting Tuesday night.

She was there in response to an invitation from County Commission Chairman Tom Scott, who came to hear what residents of the Central Park housing project want for their community, now that Civitas, a major redevelopment proposal for the neighborhood, has died.

Like many of those who attended, she said she supports some form of redevelopment of the aged and crime-ridden housing complex between Channelside and Ybor City. But she worries about who will be let back in when new houses are built.

A single mother, she has struggled with credit problems, and worries that her financial history could be used to deny her re-entry.

"Some of us are dealing with things that hinder us in life," she said. "What about the people trying to care for themselves?"

Scott didn't have a lot of answers for the 40 or so people who attended the meeting at Nick Capitano Boys & Girls Club, next to Central Park. He called the meeting to ask residents what they want, while committing himself to work on the issue.

"You deserve to live in a community where crime is not at 200 percent," Scott said. "This area can be changed. It can be redeveloped for the best."

Uh, I think Tom Scott needs to take a little remedial mathematics. Perhaps he can register for a class and try real hard, maybe even give 110 percent...

......

"You talk to people like they're dumb," said Sateesh Rogers, a member of the Uhuru movement in St. Petersburg. "There are people in this community willing to sell people out. We have a situation . . . where your nieces and nephews aren't the only ones calling you Uncle Tom."
......

Pat Frank, the only other commissioner who attended, said she had toured Central Park and heard the concerns voiced by McNair from many residents. She expressed support for redevelopment, but said the community needs to look at all the choices, not just the one submitted by Civitas.

"This is valuable land you're sitting on right now," Frank said. "That's the reason for the Civitas plan."

After the meeting, Shaka Zulu Mustapha, who said he grew up in the College Hill public housing complex, pounced on one of the supporters of redevelopment plans for Central Park proposed by Tampa Housing Authority.

"Watch where you're at when it's all over with," he said, referring to the concern of many residents that they will be displaced. "I'll look for you."

March on Florida's Capitol

Tallahassee Democrat:

Organizers of a march on the Capitol that drew some 11,000 participants four years ago hope to recapture that enthusiasm and channel it to the polls come Election Day.

A coalition that includes the Florida State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Florida AFL-CIO, the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators and a gospel radio station in Miami has planned the March on Tallahassee 2004 for March 2, the opening day of the legislative session.

The 2000 march was in opposition to Gov. Jeb Bush's One Florida plan to eliminate affirmative action in the state. Organizers hope to build on the momentum of that march by also emphasizing Election Day 2000, when a close election coupled with faulty balloting machinery forced the presidential election into highly partisan overtime.

"We are united by a common purpose - to bring about positive change for Florida families," said Anthony Viegbesie of Tallahassee, vice president of the state NAACP. "Our efforts will begin in earnest with the March on Tallahassee 2004 and will culminate with a march to the polls in November."

More Info

Pictures from Sunday's Presidential Pants on Fire-mobile Procession

I'm finally getting some pics up from Sunday. Send me whatever you have and I'll try to get it posted around my day job.

There's more...

Get Up with MorningWood

Get Up with MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

Studio line: 813-239-9663. Call anytime!

Today on MorningWood

Thanks to Kelly Kombat for filling in last week!

This week, it’s all fire, all the time, as MorningWood cools off from a very hot week with the Pants on Fire-mobile. Pants on fire sticker giveaways throughout the show this morning. Stay tuned, and call in to win whenever I give the word.

About halfway through the second hour, I’ll read an essay by Larry David on his experiences, er... under fire during Vietnam.

Pants on Fire-mobile

I don’t think we could have had a more successful week. We started with 300 people eating ice cream and humming on kazoos on Monday night, and we triumphantly finished off the week on Sunday with close to 100 cars joining in to convoy across the Gandy bridge just as our Commander in Thief flew over in Air Force One! Thanks to all who attended either or both of those events and to everyone who laughed out loud as the Pants on Fire-mobile made its nightly cruises around the bay area.

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

Shameless Self-promotion:

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

The saga continues

I want to thank everyone who has already called or emailed Randy Wynne. He has noticed and your contacts are making a big difference, but there are lots of qualified candidates. Randy still has not made a decision. So please keep the calls and emails coming. Let Randy know that it’s time for Wood in the afternoon!

WMNF Community Radio

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

If you’d like to learn more about WMNF, call 813-239-9663 and ask for a free program guide and bumper sticker. If you’d like to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 813-238-8001 and ask for Gene Moore.

Presidential Procession Update

Update: 2/16, 8AM - Bear with me. I have to pay attention to my day job and pay some bills today. Pics and other news coming very soon. I promise!
(end of update)

100 Cars. 100's of people. We were on the bridge as the Liar flew over. Lots of media (see Bay News 9 for a good report.)

Updates and pics coming here soon. Stay tuned, and forward me pics to post if you have them.

Thanks for coming out on such short notice!

This is why aWol's lies matter

The Permanent Scars of Iraq

Tribune confirms Bush's Tampa visit

Bush to visit factory, lie about economy

President Bush will visit Tampa to have ``a conversation on the economy'' Monday with employees of an aluminum door and window manufacturer.

The event is part of an effort by Bush to improve his image on economic issues, the subject of criticism from opponents, and to push his job growth plan.
......

Bush is expected in Tampa late Sunday afternoon, after appearing at the Daytona 500 race across the state. He plans to spend the night at a local hotel, then rise early Monday to visit NuAir Manufacturing on Anderson Road in Town 'N Country.

Most Americans know Bush lies

Pants on Fire Presidential Procession this Sunday! Details HERE.

Washington Post

Most Americans believe President Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in order to justify war, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey results, which also show declining support for the war in Iraq and for Bush's leadership in general, indicate the public is increasingly questioning the president's truthfulness -- a concern for Bush's political advisers as his reelection bid gets underway.

Barely half -- 52 percent -- now believe Bush is "honest and trustworthy," down seven points since late October and his worst showing since the question was first asked in March 1999. At his best, in the summer of 2002, Bush was viewed as honest by 71 percent. The survey found that while nearly seven in 10 think Bush "honestly believed" Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, 54 percent thought Bush exaggerated or lied about pre-war intelligence.

Honesty and credibility have been central to Bush's appeal since the 2000 campaign, when he benefited from disgust over President Bill Clinton's lies about the Lewinsky affair and when Bush's campaign accused Al Gore of "saying one thing and doing another." But a number of factors, including the failure to find unconventional weapons in Iraq and the administration's underestimating of its Medicare prescription drug plan's costs appear to have undermined perceptions of his credibility.

President's Visit Confirmed; Presidential Pants on Fire Procession Sunday 4PM

Update 2/13/2004, 5:00PM -
NEW 2 sided fliers with more detailed information. Please download, print, and distribute!

Update: 2/13/2004, 1:45AM -
Press Release in PDF

Fliers in PDF: DOWNLOAD AND DISTRIBUTE
(end of update)

Update: 2/13/2004, 12:30AM - Here's the plan so far: We'll meet up in the big parking lot on the Northwest corner of Gandy and Manhattan in Tampa at 3:30PM Sunday. The President is scheduled to fly in a little after 4:00PM, so we will head out of the parking lot in a large slow moving convoy and head toward the Gandy bridge at 4:00PM.

As President Bush flies over and in to Tampa, we will be spreading the truth about his lies. The slow moving procession will make for a great TV spectacle, as the Pants on Fire-mobile crests the hump of the Gandy bridge and leads a long line of cars down the other side.

Those of us who call George W Bush a liar are now in the majority. Let's get out on Sunday and drive the point home (pun intended).

Note: Times are subject to slight adjustments as the President’s actual schedule is released. Check back often and especially before leaving on Sunday.

The latest information will be posted here as soon as I get it, but if you really need to check on something, call 813-226-2550.
(end of update)
Original Post follows

Informed sources tell BlogWood that President George W. Bush will arrive in Tampa this Sunday at about 4:00PM. The only scheduled public appearance that I am aware of right now is at 9:00 Monday morning at NuAir Manufacturing Facility in Tampa, 8105 Anderson Road.

As of now, the following is planned. Come back here to BlogWood for more details.

President’s Procession

Sunday, February 15, 2004, 4:00PM

Follow the Liar Liar Pants on Fire-mobile ever so slowly from Tampa across the Gandy bridge to downtown St. Petersburg to mark the arrival of President Bush to the bay area. (Yes. The real President, not just a 12 foot high statue.) This is the easiest march you will ever take part in, since you will never have to leave your car!

We will be crossing the Gandy bridge at the same time the President is flying over (more or less... think symbolically) The Pants on Fire-mobile will lead a grand procession, maybe a mile or more of cars, over the bridge and on to downtown. Join us on Sunday!

President Bush to visit Tampa?

On Tuesday, the Tribune reported rumors that George W. Bush himself may be coming to Tampa this Sunday. No one can confirm or deny these rumors as of yet, but a protest will be planned for Sunday, probably around some kind of traffic slowdown, if Bush does indeed show up.

More details have been promised for Friday. Stay tuned!

Rich ride, poor pay

Funny thing: When HARTline’s best customers, the working poor, protest a fare increase, HARTline shrugs and mumbles something about covering rising costs. But when a group of downtown businessmen recently asked HARTline to keep a free shuttle free, for the benefit of monied tourists and South Tampa residents, the HARTline board could not act fast enough:

In a word, Jovanna Betancourt sums up a disparity that costs her 50 cents to ride a bus through her neighborhood while another circulator through downtown and Harbour Island costs riders nothing.

``Ridiculous.''

``If we can afford to pay for our buses, so can they,'' Betancourt said Tuesday. She lives near the University of South Florida and was heading home after a trip to Wal-Mart.

The downtown service has been free to riders since its implementation in 1999.

It has cost taxpayers plenty to keep the rubber-wheeled yellow cars rolling. The city and county have given annual contributions and, today, the Tampa City Council will be asked to approve $50,000 toward the trolley and other downtown bus services.

The request comes a week after HARTline's board delayed a plan to start charging for the downtown service. Until recently, federal air-quality grants have underwritten most of the trolley's costs.

That money, provided to help launch the service, has all been spent, and the bulk of the trolley's $685,000 annual budget has come from HARTline's general fund.

Some HARTline executives in January sought a 50-cent fare, expecting it would raise $30,000 to $40,000 a year.

The board agreed to start charging this spring. After that vote, Tampa Downtown Partnership Executive Director Christine Burdick and Tampa Convention Center head John Moors asked for a delay.

That led to the board's 5-4 decision last week to delay the fare.

Those who voted against the delay expressed concern about the double standard of charging in some places and not in others.

``It creates an inequity that's not appropriate,'' board member Steve Polzin said at the time. Polzin is a researcher at USF's Center for Urban Transportation Research.

Others pointed out that the regular bus routes took a nickel increase, effective in April, to keep up with rising costs.

Florida public records available to all citizens the right kind of people!

It's good to know that our public officials are doing their darnedest to keep the details of their free anytime minutes out of the hands of terrorists. (emphasis within quoted material is mine)

Public officials, ignorant of the law or paralyzed by suspicion, regularly thwart citizens exercising their constitutional right to inspect public records, a statewide audit has found.

While journalists and attorneys enjoy the benefits of Florida's open government laws, the same rights are not always granted to Florida's other residents.

During a week in January, the Herald-Tribune and 29 other Florida newspapers tested how officials responded to a routine request to inspect records. Reporters and other news media employees posing as citizens visited 234 local agencies in 62 of Florida's 67 counties.

Overall, 57 percent of the agencies audited complied with the public records law. The rest made unlawful demands or simply refused to turn over the records.

Public officials lied to, harassed and even threatened volunteers who were using a law designed to give citizens the power to watch over their government. In six counties, volunteers were erroneously told that the documents they wanted didn't exist.

One volunteer was almost arrested.

Many officials demanded to know who the volunteers represented and what they planned to do with the information -- clear violations of the open records law, which ensures anonymity when desired.

"Basically, it's not the government's business why a member of the public wants a record," said Pat Gleason, general counsel for the state's attorney general. "The desire of government to impose procedural roadblocks … directly conflicts with a citizen's right of access."

Instead of responding quickly to their constituents, many officials raised needless bureaucratic requirements, or bounced volunteers from one office to the next in a fruitless hunt for documents.

At nearly half the agencies audited, someone looking to pick up an easily accessible document during a lunch break would have walked away empty-handed.

For a state that prides itself on being a leader in open government, the results are disappointing, said state Attorney General Charlie Crist.
......

Since 1909, Florida law has guaranteed its citizens access to public records. In 1993, the right was written into the Florida Constitution, one of only a handful of states to adopt such a powerful protection for citizens.

Today's law says the public can inspect any document generated by the government, unless it carries a specific statutory exemption. That includes written communications, investigation results, financial records and personnel files.

The audit volunteers asked for documents that should have been easy for officials to retrieve: 911 call logs from sheriff's offices, city manager job reviews, county administrator e-mails and school superintendent cell phone bills.
......

At many agencies, asking for a document immediately sparked suspicion.

Roger Desjarlais, the Broward County administrator, threatened a volunteer by saying, "I can make your life very difficult."

After insisting that the volunteer give his name, Desjarlais used the Internet to identify the volunteer, find his cell phone number and call him after work hours.

In an interview after the audit, Desjarlais denied that he threatened or tried to intimidate the volunteer, who is a reporter with SNN-Channel 6 in Sarasota.

"I just told him, you have not asked me for the information in a way that legally requires me to give it to you," Desjarlais said. He refused to explain what steps he requires to turn over documents.

Desjarlais defended his actions, saying that the volunteer raised suspicion when he declined to explain who he was. Officials across the state had similar misgivings about volunteers who came into their offices.

They cited a number of arbitrary reasons for their suspicions, including the volunteers' hair length, casual dress and, in one case, "the look in his eyes."
......

Some government agencies tried to justify their suspicions by citing heightened security concerns brought on by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In a post-audit interview, Taylor County Superintendent Oscar Howard said his district was hesitant to produce his cell phone bill because the volunteer wouldn't give his name.

"He could have been a terrorist," Howard said. "We have to ensure the safety of children."

Howard couldn't explain how a terrorist might use his cell phone bill to harm children.
......

When a volunteer asked Hamilton County Superintendent Charles Blalock for a copy of his cell phone bill, Blalock demanded to know the volunteer's name.

He insisted that he would produce the bill only after he knew who the volunteer was, where he lived and why he wanted the bill.

"I'm a public official. Our records are public. But we need to know which public we are dealing with," Blalock told the volunteer.

MiniLove Ashcroft Update

Last week:

In what may be the first subpoena of its kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists.

In addition to the subpoena of Drake University, subpoenas were served this past week on four of the activists who attended a Nov. 15 forum at the school, ordering them to appear before a grand jury Tuesday, the protesters said.

Federal prosecutors refuse to comment on the subpoenas.

This week:

The Justice Department is demanding that at least six hospitals in New York City, Philadelphia and elsewhere turn over hundreds of patient medical records on certain abortions performed there.

Lawyers for the department say they need the records to defend a new law that prohibits what opponents call partial-birth abortions. A group of doctors at hospitals nationwide have challenged the law, enacted last November, arguing that it bars them from performing medically needed abortions.

The department wants to examine the medical histories for what could amount to dozens of the doctors' patients in the last three years to determine, in part, whether the procedure, known medically as intact dilation and extraction, was in fact medically necessary, government lawyers said.

But hospital administrators are balking because they say the highly unusual demand would violate the privacy rights of their patients, and the standoff has resulted in clashing interpretations from federal judges in recent days about whether the Justice Department has a right to see the files.

A federal judge in Manhattan last week allowed the subpoenas to go forward and threatened to impose penalties, and perhaps even lift a temporary ban he had imposed on the government's new abortion restrictions, if the records were not turned over.

But, also last week, the chief federal judge in Chicago threw out the subpoena against the Northwestern University Medical Center because he said it was a "significant intrusion" on the patients' privacy.

A woman's relationship with her doctor and her decision on whether to get an abortion "are issues indisputably of the most sensitive stripe," and they should remain confidential "without the fear of public disclosure," the judge, Charles P. Kocoras, wrote in a decision first reported by Crain's business journal in Chicago.

The Justice Department is considering an appeal.

The department's demands for the records are still pending against Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, all in New York City; the University of Michigan medical center in Ann Arbor; and Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. At least one undisclosed hospital also appears to have been served with a subpoena, officials said.

1984:

Scattered about London there were just three other buildings of similar appearance and size. So completely did they dwarf the surrounding architecture that from the roof of Victory Mansions you could see all four of them simultaneously. They were the homes of the four Ministries between which the entire apparatus of government was divided. The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which was responsible for economic affairs. Their names, in Newspeak: Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and Miniplenty.

The Ministry of Love was the really frightening one. There were no windows in it at all. Winston had never been inside the Ministry of Love, nor within half a kilometre of it. It was a place impossible to enter except on official business, and then only by penetrating through a maze of barbed-wire entanglements, steel doors, and hidden machine-gun nests.

Sparks flying off the page...

From Jack Sparks' The Other Side of Country:

Dean's stock has sunken so low that Ralph Nader changed his phone number and didn't leave a forwarding address. The only true question left is who has the most damaging picture of Kerry fucking a football: Edwards or Clark? Edwards is smart enough to realize that he's sitting on a pile of 2008 gold, regardless of what happens, because anybody with any sense knows that Karl Rove is going to be standing behind George W. Bush in Kabul on or about October 15th, and the two of them will be standing next to 5 members of the 101st Airborne, all with automatic rifles pointed at a knealing Osama Bin Laden and various of his cohorts. Bush will most likely be wearing a pair of night vision goggles cocked up on his helmet like a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. In that scenario, Edwards loses nothing by being the spunky VP candidate that whips up on ol' Skipping Ticker Dick, and stands loyally by while his boss gets buried by the most evil fucking human being (Rove) since Carville. "Edwards looks great for 2008," they'll chant in Gastonia.

aWol coming to Tampa! ("Not a statue this time," declares local.)

Here’s my idea: we beg. plead, and cajole PantsOnFire.net to let us keep George long enough to introduce him to his namesake.

According to this article from today’s Tribune (posted earlier today on BlogWood), aWol himself will be gracing the bay area with his presence this Sunday, February 15! (Interestingly, the print edition of the Tribune included a picture of last night’s Pants on Fire-mobile rally right next to the article about Bush and Cheney’s visits.)

Let’s make some noise. I propose a Pants on Fire-mobile procession along a major Tampa area road. Dale Mabry? Bayshore Blvd.? Wherever. The thought is to create a traffic slowdown by having tons of people caravan with the Pants on Fire-mobile at an average speed of 10 miles per hour or less.

It doesn’t have to happen at the exact time that aWol is visiting, but I think it would be most effective if we could stage the traffic slowdown to meet up with whatever static protests might develop. The procession could lead to a protest sight, for example.

Day or night, this provides great visuals, with the Pants on Fire-mobile leading a long line of slow moving vehicles to protest the arrival of the liar.

Of course, we’ll have to get permission to keep George long enough to pull off this trick. He’s scheduled to leave sometime after Saturday night, February 14.

Comments? Post away!

Pants on Fire-mobile Tampa Itinerary

NEW
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

4:00pm - Leading a "Presidential Procession" across the Gandy Bridge just as George W. himself flies over and in to Tampa for a visit. This is the first time George and teh Liar-mobile have crossed paths in the same city! Go here for details, and join us in this fun, slow procession of cars as we drive home the fact that George W. Bush is a liar.

(the rest of this week's schedule is posted below)
Tuesday, February 10

From Tish, Tuesday's volunteer driver:

George will get fired up at 2904 Tampa Street on Tuesday 2/10 at 7 pm. The Pants on Fire mobile will motor south into downtown, head west on Kennedy and turn south at Hyde Park Ave. (in front of U of T). George will blow on down to Davis Island and make the loop through the business district. From there it's back towards downtown, past the St. Pete Times Forum and through the Channelside district. We'll head back west on Kennedy, cross the river again and proceed south on Howard to the SoHo district. From SoHo we plan a promenade down Bayshore Blvd to Ballast Point and back again.

The short version:

Tampa Street
Kennedy - downtown
Hyde Park Ave. - near UT
Davis Island
Channelside Drive
South Howard - SoHo
Bayshore Blvd

(The following is an update from Tish after a recent drive)

From the Road: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

Driving the Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire mobile to the rally Monday night was a
blast. I drove George Tuesday night, too, for about 3 hours. I'm to happy to
report to you that we came upon a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance last night and
got a big thumbs up! We saw hundreds of people last night down near the St.
Pete Times Forum. Informal poll says people are with us on this one. After
riding two nights all over town (Fowler, USF, Busch, Florida, Nebraska,
Channelside, Ybor City, gridding downtown, Davis Island, SoHo, Hyde Park,
Kennedy, Bayshore Blvd., neighborhood streets, deep into East Tampa coming
out of Ybor City) we got the finger only four times. The only comments Bush
supporters could spew were, "you suck," and "F* You." Some of the more alert
responses, when we told people that Bush was a liar, were comments such as,
"no sh*t Sherlock," "Praise the Lord, who are you guys working with?,"
"thank you SO much!," "what does this mean.... oh, I see, I agree totally,"
"right on!," "Hey, look! It's Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!" It's amazing how
many regular people on the street had cell phones with cameras and digital
cameras on hand to take George's picture. Tell your friends to go to
www.blogwood.com to see the routes planned for the rest of the week.

Wednesday, February 11

From KC and Ann, Wednesday's volunteer drivers:

We can only guess at travel times but the route we plan is

from Burning Bush Base (5:30?) get on Tampa street and go South to
Columbus and take Columbus West to International Plaza

loop through International Plaza parking three times, then take Spruce
Street to 60 West. (5:30 - 6:00?)

Take Hillsborough to Safety Harbor and McMullen Booth Road South to Gulf To Bay.

Take Gulf to Bay to Clearwater Beach. ( 6:00 - 6:30?)

Loop around the restaurant & bar area of Clearwater Beach three times and
head back to Gulf to Bay (6:30 - 7:00?)

Take Gulf to Bay to Seminole Blvd. - take Seminole Blvd. South to the Largo
Mall and make three loops through parking lots (7:00 - 7:30?)

Take Seminole Blvd. South to Park Blvd. - Take Park Blvd. East to 19 -
Head south on 19 toward Central Avenue (7:30 - 8:00?)

At Central & 19 head East to Baywalk area and out onto St. Pete Pier (7:30
- 8:00?)

Will do at least three loops between mall at the end of the Pier and 2nd
street/Baywalk area (8:00 - 9:00?)

Head North on 4th street to Gandy
GandyWest to 49th Street North
49th Street North to McMullen Booth Road
McMullen Booth Road North to Tampa Road -
Tampa Road East to Hillsborough
W. Hillsborough East N. Highland Ave
N. Highland Ave South to Burning Bush Base (9:30 - 10:30)

Arrive Back At Burning Bush Base around 10:30

Thursday anf Friday, February 12-13

From Art, Thursday and Friday volunteer driver:

Dancing in the streets of Ybor and other Tampa hotspots. Look for George around Tampa tonight. Special stops promised at The Hub, on Franklin Street in downtown Tampa.

Saturday, February 14 - George's Last Day in the Tampa Area?

7:00PM: BayWalk
9:00PM: Globe Coffee Lounge

Cruising downtown St. Pete all night long.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

4:00pm - Leading a "Presidential Procession" across the Gandy Bridge just as George W. himself flies over and in to Tampa for a visit. This is the first time George and teh Liar-mobile have crossed paths in the same city! Go here for details, and join us in this fun, slow procession of cars as we drive home the fact that George W. Bush is a liar.

You know what to do...

President Expected To Drop In On Bay Area: From The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Bay area, scene of heavy campaigning by the presidential candidates in 2000, is about to start having the same experience again.

There are tentative plans for President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to visit the area in the next two weeks, Republican Party insiders said Monday.

Bush is expected to make a stop here after attending the Daytona 500 stock car race Sunday, and Cheney will attend a fundraiser in Tampa on Feb. 20, the Republicans said.
......

The Bay area is known particularly as the home of large numbers of voters who aren't committed to either party or who cross party lines when they vote. In such an evenly divided state, those voters are considered crucial.

Get up with Kelly Kombat (get your MorningWood next week!)

Kelly Kombat will be getting everyone up this morning (thanks Kelly.) You’ll have to get the details (wood? no wood?) from him. Join me next week at my regular time for another edition of MorningWood , on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday! Tune in this morning for some kick-ass political shit from Kelly.

Thanks for coming to the rally!

Live playlist

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

The saga continues

I want to thank everyone who has already called or emailed Randy Wynne. He has noticed (and he noticed the MorningWood Minithon effort) and your contacts are making a big difference, but there are lots of qualified candidates. Randy told me recently that his final decision is still a few weeks away. So please keep the calls and emails coming. Let Randy know that it’s time for Wood in the afternoon!

WMNF Community Radio

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

GWB Aflame hits Tampa with a bang

Update: 2/10/2004, 530ish: Pictures from Danny

Update: 2/10/2004 (somewhat later): The Tampa Tribune ran a picture in their print editions.

Update: 2/10/2004: Good pics and a short video here.

Update: Some pics posted. And, of course, I forgot to thank tons of people, especially Ronny and Joshua for helping with the sound. If I didn't mention you personally, get over it. Send me pics. I'll post them. (end of update)

Wow. That’s all I can say. Over 250 people showed up tonight to welcome the George Bush Pants on Fire-mobile to the Tampa area.

Over 200 people joined in on kazoos to welcome George with a stirring rendition of “Hail to the Thief.” (We ran out of kazoos. Sorry.)

Thanks to all the volunteers for doing all the important stuff while I made phone calls. Thanks to the neighborhood kids who distributed fliers and helped decorate. Much thanks to those of you who chipped in a few bucks for the cause. If you left early, you missed my pitch for contributions. Uh, I forgot to ask. It’s one of those things. Don’t worry. I’m glad you all came out in force and unity on a Monday night.

Thanks to TrueMAjority.org and TrueMajorityACTION who conceived of, assembled, paid for, and etc. the Pants on fire-mobile. And, of course, thanks to Ben and Jerry’s for providing yummy ice cream to the entiire crowd.

Remember tonight. Tell your friends. Look out for George (local schedule to be posted soon right here on BlogWood.com) and VOTE THIS NOVEMBER.

Uh, I’m a little worn out right now. I’ll fix links, post pics, and other things on Tuesday.

Send pictures if you have them. Post within comments on wmnf.net, or here on Blogwood and/or email me copies. I’ve got a smattering of pictures already. I’ll post soon.

And, just in case you’re jonesing for a little snark:

Dear Local PressTV Reporters:

You really blew this one. Over 250 people waving flags, humming on kazzoos and having a grand all-American rally. Spectacular imagery. Great interview potential. A multi ethnic crowd that included both homeless people and business owners and executives. Young people. Old people. Others who fell somewhere within the vast middle. And I haven’t even mentioned the spectacular 12 foot flaming statue. TV people, you could have run this footage for days.

Why is it that you will run pretty pictures of 10 people on Bayshore with American flags, but you refuse to cover hundreds of committed, honest, average folks who are scared shitless about the direction in which our President is taking this country? Shame on you.

If you guys decide you’d like some video or stills, email me and let me know.

Sincerely,
Norwood.

Thanks to T. Ho for the pics!

Pants on fire-mobile Rally information

TrueMajority Pig Mobile Pics and info

Pants on Fire Mobile pictures Here

Note: I’m going to fix this post so that it stays at the top. I’ll be adding updates periodically, so stop back often. Look for new (non-pants on fire related) blog entries under this one.

Printable Flier: Please download and distribute.

Event Information:

What: Welcome rally for George’s Tampa tour
When: Monday, February 9. Doors at 8:00PM
Where: 2904 N Tampa St., just North of downtown Tampa.

Contact Information:
Norwood Orrick
813-226-2550
norwood@blogwood.com

Latest press release

The rally is now starting at 8:00PM.

George will make his grand entrance at exactly 9:00PM. If you want to see George's arrival, plan to reach the rally by 8:30PM at the latest. This will give you time to park and grab some free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Once George arrives, we're almost done. Stick around and chat amongst yourselves, but the rally itself will end by 9:15 or so.

Free stuff!

We will give away lots of cool freebies as long as supplies last. Arrive early! Free hot dogs. Free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Free American flags. Free kazoos! And the event itself is free!

Kazoos? Yes. Kazoos.

We have over 200 kazoos to give away, and the plan is to serenade George with a kazoo rendition of “Hail to the Thief.” Practice your humming!

Granny D.

The famous and inspirational Granny D. will be attending our rally and registering new voters! She will be a guest on The Women’s Show on WMNF 88.5FM this Saturday, February 7 at 10:00AM.

Granny D. is in the area to take over the jobs of working women just long enough to allow them to register to vote. She is a tireless activist who is best known for having walked 3200 miles across the US to demonstrate her concern for the issue of campaign finance reform.

Pants on fire-mobile

Ok, I seem to be getting just a little ahead of myself here. “George” is actually a 12 foot high statue of our dear President. The statue is mounted on a flat-bed trailer and pulled by a big, official looking American car all decked out in American flags and such.

The statue has been designed so that George’s pants appear to be on fire, a universal symbol of the serially mendacious.

The idea is to point out, in a fun and creative way, the numerous and quite serious mistruths that the Bush administration has foisted upon this country. The statue is touring the country and will be in Tampa for about a week.

The statue was conceived, designed, and paid for by TrueMajorityACTION. Founded by Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream fame, TrueMajorityACTION intends to encourage more people to get involved in progressive politics by targeting "cultural creatives" with events like, "Liar, Liar Pants On Fire." Tampa's TrueMajority members plan to fan the flames with their message: "George has lied and his record is terrible. People need to know this, and they need to feel that they are not alone when they get fired up about learning the truth."

So, the rally is designed to draw attention to the statue, the tour, and most of all, to George W. Bush’s lies. We expect the rally to be extensively covered by local media.

Valentine's Day at The Globe

The pants on fire-mobile tour will be stopping at theGlobe Coffee Lounge, 532 1st Avenue North in Downtown St. Pete. on Saturday, February 14 at about 9:00PM.

More Tampa area tour information coming soon!

More local info
National info

Right wing Cubans force film festival move

Note: Pants on fire info just below this post. POF will be back on the top of this page on Sunday.

Well informed sources tell BlogWood that The Cuban Club has bowed to pressure form a group of conservative wingnuts and is refusing to allow the Chiapas Film Festival to go on as scheduled. The films will now be shown at the Covivant Gallery and Studio, 4906 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa. Apparently, the wing nuts are scared of the dissemination of thoughts that do not completely jibe with their extremist beliefs. Come out tonight and support independent and indigenous voices in film.

Chiapas Film Festival Gets Change Of Venue: From The Tampa Tribune

A film festival showcasing videos shot and produced by indigenous Indians from Mexico was shuffled to another location late Friday.

The ``Chiapas Media Project Film Festival: Autonomy, Globalization, Social Injustice and the Zapatista Movement'' will take place at the Covivant Gallery and Studio, 4906 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights.

The event originally was scheduled for Sociedad La Union Marti-Maceo in Ybor City, but the club canceled it. Efforts to reach club representatives were unsuccessful.

Alexandra Halkin, founder of the Chicago-based Chiapas Media Project, learned Friday that the event had been canceled and was forced to change the location.

Halkin founded the project in 1998 to provide video cameras and training to indigenous communities in the Mexican states Chiapas and Guerrero.

The film festival will screen four documentary-style films from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. today.

This is the first time the films produced by the project have been shown in Tampa.

Granny D in Tampa

Granny D is in Tampa registering new voters. Come meet Granny D at this Monday's Pants on Fire-mobile Rally!

The morning was still young Friday when Doris Haddock pulled her little red wagon in front of the Tampa General Hospital Family Care Center on Kennedy Boulevard. The 94-year-old great-grandmother from Dublin, N.H., was on a mission: Find women and register them to vote.

"There are 64-million working women in the United States," Haddock said as she walked up to the family care center door, her gray curls peeking out from a tattered straw hat, her shoulders stooped from arthritis. "Only half of them vote."

Haddock, also known as "Granny D," has brought her campaign to get working women to vote to Tampa Bay. Her 36-state walking and driving trek started last in Boston.

She arrived in Tampa on Thursday. One of her stops that day was the Mons Venus nude club.

"They're nice girls," Haddock said of the dancers. "They work all night."

Wearing a navy Mons Venus T-shirt Friday, Haddock stopped at businesses along Kennedy Boulevard. At the Tampa General family center, Haddock waited patiently with Ohio volunteer Kathleen Boston for the manager after being told by a clerk that no solicitation was allowed.

"It's not solicitation," Haddock asserted softly, her 5-foot frame barely clearing the front counter. "It's registering people to vote."

Manager Barbara Otto told Haddock she could leave a dozen registration forms, but because of patient confidentiality, she could not stay.

"Voting is the only voice we have," Haddock told her.

Thousands of children left behind

There’s money for Tampa’s wealthy white racist elite. Those ill behaved misogynists who run this city and who parade down Bayshore Blvd. each year before their obsequious breast-baring serfs have not had their government subsidies threatened by tight state and local budgets.

So the parade will go on, and the city will pick up a large part of the tab.

There’s no money for children, though. Even as Tampa’s movers and shakers pay professional makeup artists to turn them into pirates for a day, hundreds of bay area families will be trying to figure out what to do with their children. See, in order to work, these parents need affordable child care, but funding for child care just isn’t as important as, say, tax cuts for wealthy political contributors. So the children are left behind.

This would seem to mirror a national trend which indicates that the wealthy are doing just fine, but the rest of us are struggling:

The Bush tax cuts and the turnaround in the economy have been a boon to folks at the high end of the economic ladder. The Wall Street Journal ran an article on Wednesday about the resurgence of lavish spending by the investment crowd. It featured accounts of giddy highfliers getting married at the palace of Versailles, stepping up their purchases of Porsches, Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces, and exhibiting "a renewed appetite for chartered jets."

At the same time, the underclass and the middle class are increasingly facing similar predicaments: job losses, hard times and an extremely uncertain future.

The blows are coming from myriad directions. On Tuesday The Times's Milt Freudenheim wrote: "Employers have unleashed a new wave of cutbacks in company-paid health benefits for retirees, with a growing number of companies saying that retirees can retain coverage only if they are willing to bear the full cost themselves."

No child care for the working poor. No health coverage for retired workers. High unemployment, record numbers of bankruptcy filings, but don’t worry about any of that. Go out on Saturday and cheapen yourself by begging for worthless plastic baubles. Legitimize the rule of the cruel, worship at their feet, and maybe they’ll throw you a few scraps of gristle before kicking you in the head and throwing you outside into the rain.

Enjoy the parade!

Pants on fire Update

Due to popular clamoring, and a change in the President's schedule, Doors at 8:00PM, GWB will arrive promptly at 9:00PM. This is one hour earlier than previously scheduled! The event will last until approximately 9:30.

Pants on fire-mobile welcome rally: Local activists will tow a giant statue of President George W Bush with his pants aflame throughout the Tampa Bay area beginning Monday, February 9. The public is invited to gather for a free All-American campaign-style rally on Monday, February 9 at 8:00PM. Contact Norwood at 813-226-2550 or go to www.blogwood.com for more details.

Free American flags, kazoos, and hot dogs for everyone who arrives by 8:30!

Make history by becoming part of the biggest and bestest ever Tampa Presidential Kazoo Band as we welcome George with a stirring rendition of "Hail to the Thief"! (For your own safety, as well as the safety of those around you, we recommend waiting at least 15 minutes after consuming a hot dog before you blow into your kazoo.)

Join in the fun as we honor our President Select and show him off to the local media. Call or email or check the web for more info, or just come on by:

2904 N Tampa St, 33602

Volunteers still needed! Call 813-226-2550 or email Norwood (just hit "reply") to volunteer to help at this event!

Republicans show fiscal restraint true colors

Republicans hate student activity fees, ‘cause sometimes they are used for evil purposes, such as staging rock and roll shows or other morally questionable events. See, if all the funds were used for ideologically correct activities, then there would be no need for this meddling micro management of money.

Every Florida public classroom would have to display an American flag under a bill a state Senate panel unanimously approved Wednesday.

Under current law, schools, colleges and universities are required to fly the U.S. flag and the Florida flag on their grounds.

The bill (SB 612) approved by the Senate Education Committee would expand that to more than 200,000 classrooms.

Public K-12 schools would have to either buy the flags or arrange donations. But at the state's 28 community colleges and 11 state universities, the funds would come out of students' activity and service fees, which normally are left to the discretion of student governments to spend.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey.

Fasano went on to point out that this is just an interim measure, something to fill the gap until all classrooms can be fitted with telescreens and efficiently monitored by the thought police.

Palm Beach prints

Unfortunately, not in time for November’s election, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

The touch-screen voting machines that were expected to rid Palm Beach of ballot controversies could eventually be equipped with printing machines to allow voters to double-check their selections.

Palm Beach County Commissioners unanimously agreed on Tuesday to buy the ballot printers when the state certifies the equipment.

The anticipated $3.2 million expenditure doesn't guarantee printers will be in place for the November presidential election. But it ensures the commission will no longer be a defendant in a lawsuit by U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, to force use of the printers in Palm Beach County.

After the 2000 election debacle, where 37 days of recounts ultimately awarded George W. Bush the presidency, Florida replaced punch-card ballots and other low-tech voting methods with computer touchscreens and optical-scan machines.

Officials hoped to avoid the problems of 2000, when some voters claimed they weren't allowed to cast ballots because they were mistaken for convicted felons, were omitted from voter rolls, didn't provide identification even though it wasn't necessary or didn't understand English.

Other voters, notably in Palm Beach County, said a confusing ballot design, dubbed the butterfly ballot, led them to vote for the wrong candidate.

Although the new voting machines solved most concerns, new questions arose about whether they could be trusted to tally votes without a paper record of results. Critics say the machines are susceptible to errors and fraud and that a paper trail is needed in case a re-count is required.

The new printers will allow voters to check printed versions of their ballots against the screens. If a voter notices a discrepancy, changes can be made before the ballot is cast.

The printers have been embraced most enthusiastically by Democrats and groups still angry about 2000.

Committee to Defeat Bush Chairwoman Ruth Pleva said she favors a paper trail to prevent Republicans from stealing the 2004 election.

``I can't help but think that if all else fails, they will use the vulnerability of the machines to win the election,'' Pleva said.

Lots more on e-voting.

Here come the brides...

I’m one of those who feel that our government has no business sticking it’s nose into marriage. Leave it to the religious institutions to define and defend. However, since our government is very much intertwined in the sanctioning of marriage, and since it has seen fit to offer many benefits to married individuals, there’s absolutely no excuse to try and define marriage in such a way that excludes many people and deprives them of benefits that legally married individuals enjoy.

So, good for Massachusetts:

The highest court in Massachusetts declared today that the state legislature may not offer "civil union" instead of marriage for same-sex couples, in a ruling that guarantees that the first state-recognized same-sex marriages in U.S. history can take place beginning in mid-May.

By eliminating the possibility of a legislative alternative, the decision leaves opponents of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts with no option but an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as an opposite-sex institution only. A vote on the amendment in the legislature is expected Feb. 11. But even if it is approved, voters would have to ratify it in a referendum that cannot be held before 2006.

As a result, the state will be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples beginning on May 18, the date by which the court said its original ruling must take effect.

The Bush administration is just a little pissed:

"Today's court ruling is deeply troubling," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a press briefing when asked about the Massachusetts action. But he dodged questions about whether President Bush would now follow through on his warning in last month's State of the Union speech that he might seek a U.S. constitutional amendment to "defend the sanctity of marriage."

"We will be reviewing the decision," McClellan said. "Activist judges continue to seek to redefine marriage by court order without regard for the will of the people." Bush cautioned last month "that if judges continue to force their arbitrary will upon the people, that the only alternative to the people would be a constitutional process," McClellan said. "And that remains his view."

What this ruling says is that Massachusetts must allow same sex couples to marry and that it must be called “marriage” and not a”civil union” or some other term. Once again, separate but equal has been declared discriminatory.

Elections supervisor drops the ball on e-voting

Buddy Johnson is either misinformed or overly hopeful. The Hillsborough County Elections Supervisor said yesterday that Hillsborough’s electronic voting machines are secure and that no paper trail is needed to ensure an accurate counting of the votes.

Four years ago, Hillsborough County's presidential vote counting won national plaudits for being among the few operations in Florida that performed well amid widespread ballot and recount mismanagement.

One new elections supervisor later, the pressure is on for a repeat this year - or at least an avoidance of major embarrassment.

On Tuesday, Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson unveiled a voter registration blitz aimed at improving statistics that show 1 in 4 eligible county voters remains unregistered.

Johnson defended the security of the county's new $13 million touch-screen voting machines. He said calls by U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, for a system of paper receipts as a backup record of electronic voting are misguided.

It would take ``an unbelievable conspiracy'' to breach the security of the machines, which replaced punch-card ballots used in 2000, Johnson said.

Taxpayers would have to shell out $3 million to $4 million more to create a paper trail in Hillsborough, he said.

Still, ``if the Legislature asks us, I'll be the first to do it,'' said Johnson, a former Republican legislator and Plant City restaurateur who succeeded Pam Iorio a year ago when she resigned to run for Tampa mayor.

First, plenty of recent studies have shown that tampering with these machines in order to skew results is a relatively easy process. This is America. Our history is rife with election fraud. With stakes this high, people are going to try and cheat. They always have. E-voting makes the cheating process even easier, and very difficult to detect.

Second, even if our Elections Supervisor wrongly feels there is no need for a paper trail, voters across the country are demanding just such a system. With a paper trail actual recounts of paper ballots are doable. A voter can check the accuracy of the machine by glancing at a paper receipt before dropping said receipt into a ballot box. ATMs and gas pumps spit out receipts. What’s so hard about making a voting machine do the same?

Finally, it’s not just security that is the problem with these machines. E-voting machines are computers with Microsoft software. Every computer user knows that Microsoft software is buggy. Computers crash, programs do strange things, and touch screens get out of whack. A paper trail is the only way to double check an e-voting system and ensure the accuracy of the vote count.

Learn lots more about e-voting here.

Get Up with MorningWood

Get Up with MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

Studio line: 813-239-9663. Call anytime!

Today on MorningWood

It’s the week after marathon. That means lotsa music and just a little talk. Mostly. Then I’m gonna break that talk rule and read an essay by MorningWood favorite Ben Tripp. That’ll happen sometime around or after 5:30.

Winter Minithon

Thank you so much! The MorningWood goal was shattered. The number of calls and the amount pledged exceeded all expectations. We helped put the Minithon back on track after a few shows failed or struggled to meet their goals.

If you pledged during MorningWood and you haven’t received your free GWB cutups cd yet, call or email and let me know. Things got kinda hectic, and 1 or 2 may have been missed.

I can’t say thanks enough. WMNF could not stay on the air without your generous support. So, thanks again.

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

The saga continues

I want to thank everyone who has already called or emailed Randy Wynne. He has noticed (and he noticed the MorningWood Minithon effort) and your contacts are making a big difference, but there are lots of qualified candidates. Randy told me recently that his final decision is still a few weeks away. So please keep the calls and emails coming. Let Randy know that it’s time for Wood in the afternoon!

WMNF Community Radio

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

True e-voting stories

Real-life drama from the e-voting front! You’ll get gripping tales of voting error, fantastic frauds, and sup-par software! Act now... there’s more!

Poll workers in Alameda County noticed something strange on election night in October. As a computer counted absentee ballots in the recall race, workers were stunned to see a big surge in support for a fringe candidate named John Burton.

Concerned that their new $12.7 million Diebold electronic voting system had developed a glitch, election officials turned to a company representative who happened to be on hand.

Lucky he was there. For an unknown reason, the computerized tally program had begun to award votes for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to Burton, a socialist from Southern California.

Similar mishaps have occurred across the country since election officials embraced electronic voting in the wake of the Florida vote-counting debacle of 2000.

When Californians go to the polls next month to choose a presidential candidate, many voters will cast a virtual ballot by pressing a computer touch screen that records their votes digitally. The only tangible proof that a citizen has voted -- and how he voted -- will be fingerprints left on the machine's screen.

Electronic voting removes the risk of election officials misinterpreting hanging chads. But it raises another electoral peril: that a digital ballot box might miscount votes without anyone noticing.

As the black box replaces the ballot box, concern is growing that local officials are becoming dependent on a handful of corporations to guarantee the integrity and accuracy of elections.

Counties, including Santa Clara County, rely on these voting-equipment companies to manage the software that runs digital voting machines and counts electronic votes -- and to fix things when they go wrong on election night. The companies, however, consider such software a trade secret, making independent confirmation of contested elections difficult, if not impossible.

To guard against error and fraud, the state requires that the companies only install approved software on electronic voting machines. But in California, one of the biggest voting-equipment companies, Diebold Election Systems, provided 17 counties with uncertified software that was used in recent elections.
......

``My biggest concern is the lack of accountability,'' said David Dill, a Stanford University computer-science professor and a leading expert on electronic voting.
......

Alameda County officials still don't know why the computer program failed on election night. In fact, they only discovered the malfunction because they could compare the paper absentee ballots the software was counting to the computer's tally. The rest of the county's voters cast electronic ballots. Nor were election workers aware at the time that their touch-screen machines were running unauthorized Diebold software in violation of California law, as a state investigation later discovered.

``There was something in the software,'' said Elaine Ginnold, assistant registrar of voters for Alameda County. Alameda County officials refused to allow the Mercury News to review the software code used to test its electronic voting system, saying it was a Diebold trade secret.
......

``The counties are in over their heads,'' said Kim Alexander, founder of the California Voter Foundation, a Davis-based election watchdog group. ``People are left depending on the vendors to tell them who won the elections.''

That is especially the case on election night, when mechanical mishaps and buggy computer code could create crises only company employees could resolve.

For instance, in Riverside County during the 2000 presidential election, a computer from Sequoia began dropping touch-screen ballots from the vote tally. A Sequoia salesman who was on hand intervened and fixed the problem.

Unnoticed error

Two years later in Bernalillo County, N.M., neither local election officials nor a Sequoia representative noticed on election night that a programming error was causing a computer running Microsoft SQL server software to delete 25 percent of ballots cast by early voters. Three days later, a Democratic Party lawyer spotted a discrepancy between the number of voters who signed in at the polls and the number of digital ballots counted. Sequoia then managed to recover the lost votes.
......

Critics are alarmed that touch-screen voting systems do not create a paper record that allows for a physical recount of ballots. Rather, the machines record votes on digital memory cartridges. When the polls close, the cartridges are removed from the touch-screen machines and plugged into a computer which downloads and tabulates the voting data.
......

Until voting machines produce paper receipts, the only way a candidate can investigate questionable election results is by examining the voting systems' software code.

But there's a catch: Election companies consider such software a trade secret not open to public scrutiny -- or subject to challenge from losing candidates, as Emil Danciu found out.

Danciu ran for city council in Boca Raton, Fla., in March 2002. A popular former mayor of the seaside town in Palm Beach County, Danciu expected to win in a landslide but lost by 16 percentage points.

After some voters complained that Sequoia's touch-screen machines appeared to have recorded ballots cast for Danciu as votes for his opponents, Danciu sued to obtain the Sequoia software code.

But Palm Beach County didn't have the code. ``All of this stuff that they are asking for are all proprietary items owned by the manufacturer,'' a county attorney told the judge hearing the case. The attorney argued that even if the county did have the documents, it would be a felony to disclose ``trade secrets.''

The judge denied Danciu's request for the software code.

Hmmmm, no paper trail, miscounted votes, secret software based on flawed Microsoft products (just like your buggy home and office computers), mysterious technicians and sales people who are “fixing” machines and data during elections... but no one in America would ever actually try to steal an election or cheat to get ahead, would they?

More on e-voting problems

St. Pete Times questions Bush's "credibility"

SP Times:

Hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqis have died during a war that the Bush administration justified on the basis of the need to eliminate the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. There can be only two possible explanations for the enormous gap between the administration's dire warnings before the war and the utter lack of evidence to support those warnings now:

Either the CIA and other intelligence agencies wildly miscalculated the threat posed by Iraq - which would raise troubling questions about whether they might be similarly off base in underestimating threats elsewhere in the world . . .

. . . Or President Bush and other members of his administration purposely exaggerated, distorted or fabricated evidence against Iraq to justify their war plans - which would raise even more troubling questions about the integrity and lawfulness of our government.

Pants on fire gets noticed

Look for lots more local press coverage as the date for our big welcome rally draws near!

Mr. President? Sir, Your Pants Are On Fire!: From The Tampa Tribune

What's 12 feet tall, rides on a trailer and wears a flight suit with flaming pants? It's President Bush - ``Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire'' - in the view of Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

To spotlight what he considers the president's mendacity about the Iraq war and other subjects, Cohen spent about $30,000 to build a statue of Bush that could be towed across the nation with the help of MoveOn.org and similar political organizations.

It's coming to Tampa Feb. 8 for a week, touring the area mostly at night so people can see the special lighting built into the pants that makes them appear to be on fire.

``Bush is a serial liar, and our country is paying the price,'' Cohen said. ``But few can bring themselves to use the `l' word. So here it is, with a smile.''

The plan is to park the statue during the day in North Tampa Street's 2900 block.

More info:

BlogWood
Thursday 1/29/04 Press release:Pants on fire-mobile comes to Tampa
Monday 2/2/04 Press release: President to be welcomed with pomp and circumstance