Womans Group Engages in Black Voter Suppression

An advocacy group called Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote, is alleged to be engaging in voter suppression in North Carolina. The group sends robo-calls to predominantly black neighborhoods, telling the residents they aren’t able to vote in the upcoming Democratic primary. Technology meets government blog, Threat Level has some more details:

Voters began complaining to The Raleigh News & Observer last week that they were receiving the automated calls, which the paper reported were primarily going to black households. The calls play a 20-second message voiced by a man who calls himself “Lamont Williams.”

“In the next few days, you will receive a voter-registration packet in the mail,” the Williams recording said. “All you need to do is sign it, date it and return your application. Then you will be able to vote and make your voice heard. Please return the voter-registration form when it arrives. Thank you.”

The message doesn’t identify the group, but after some research, the Institute for Southern Studies traced the calls back to Woman’s Voices, Woman’s Vote. The group acknowledged the campaign, but it’s President, Page Gardner said the “Calls were an extension of a legitimate voter-registration drive that the group began in July 2007.”

But Gardner fails to elaborate on why the messages where done anonymously. If it truly was legitimate it would seem like the group would want it’s name attached. This isn’t the first state where the group has been accused of voter suppression. But it also turns out Gardner has donated $4200 to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Wired goes on to quote another man in the automated political call industry as saying “The fact that the autodial campaign was performed anonymously suggests it wasn’t an innocent mistake. In general, automated campaigns are designed to suppress voter turnout.” Don Powell went on to say “”It does happen in North Carolina, it works, or they wouldn’t bother. It’s sleazy money, and it affects people like me who would never think about doing this.”

It’s unfortunate that at a time when America was guaranteed to see either a woman or African American in the White House, it turned into a game of identity based politics. It’s understandable that women vote for Hillary, and blacks for Obama, and it’s reasonable to expect these group to be excited about their choices. But what’s disappointing is how the primary has become a fight between white woman and blacks.

Cross posted at my personal site. 

Hillary’s Energy Plan will Raise Gas Prices Too

Last week ThinkYouth had a post about how McCains energy plan will raise gas and other energy rates. This week we hear news that Clinton is endorsing McCain’s idea too, albeit with a few changes reports CNN:

Clinton, who rejected a similar idea in 2000, said her plan is different from McCain’s. She said the Republican’s proposal would cost the government up to $10 billion — money that is used to improve roads.

The senator from New York said she’d make up for the lost revenue with a “windfall profits tax” on oil companies, meaning their profits over a certain amount would be subject to a 50 percent tax.

The idea is to give consumers a gas tax Holiday during the summer months, when fuel prices typically rise. Their idea is that taking 29 cents off your gas consumption tax would lower prices, but it is more likely to increase consumption, and the increased demand will probably outweigh the 29 cent savings.
Several economists also agree with this as the Washington Post reported last week:

“You don’t want to stimulate consumption,” said Lawrence Goldstein, an economist at the Energy Policy Research Foundation. “The signal you want to send is the opposite one. Politicians should say that conservation is where people’s mindset ought to be.”

Mr. Goldstein said that instead of freezing the federal tax, the government should help lower-income populations pay for gasoline. It would be cheaper and benefit those households that need it most.

There is one place where Clinton and McCain part ways on this energy plan, Hillary plans to replace the lost tax revenue from gas, with a windfall profits tax on oil corporations. McCains plan was most likely engineered by the Shell and other energy lobbyists working on his campaign, and as such, just encourages more gas consumption.

Besides higher prices at the pump, more gas consumption will mean more air pollution, including the release of carbon gases linked to global warming. I commend the candidates for trying to find a way to fix rising gas rates, but the real alternative is to encourage mass transit use, by among other things investing in rail and buss mass transit and Amtrak.

Cheap gas, free parking, and more highways only compounds the issues of increasing energy bills, pollution, and traffic congestion. It’s time America moves out of 20th century thinking and embraces alternatives. If anything the candidates should be talking of a higher gas tax, which would fund mass transit and cleaner, renewable alternative fuels, and slowly wean America off foreign energy dependence.

Image by Flickr user Michael Domingo

A Year of Democratic Debates

Today is the anniversary of the Democratic debates first airing on television one year ago. I vividly remember all candidates on stage, slugging it out, and all fighting for airtime. Gravel was there yelling, Kucinich was there yapping, and Clinton, as the frontrunner, was being attacked by everyone on stage. And, Obama’s slow but steady increase as the Democratic frontrunner was more and more noticeable as the debates progressed.

There have been a total of 21 debates, of those, 4 were forums, and 1 was a radio debate.

With the help of YouTube, I thought I would recap the best moments of these debates we’ve come to hate so much!

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The Essentiality of Love in the World

Love is such an essential element to the lives of all human beings living all around the world. I shall articulate in this article some of the ways that, in my view, love is essential to all individuals and to the collective world. However, the word “love” has so many different definitions and translations (one of them being a description of my usual tennis score of zero), so I suppose to clarify I had better first provide a definition of its general meaning in my article: a feeling of warm personal attachment to, or a deep affection or regard for, a person (or group of persons), a pet, an idea, or an object.

In this article, I hope to answer the question, “Why is love so essential in the world?” I have seven ideas (the magic number, right?) that might perhaps shed some light on the subject. I’ll launch into it right away.

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In favor of exercising caution with Sanctions

Did you know that, during the 1990’s, the foreign policies of the United States killed hundreds of thousands of innocents just in the country of Iraq alone? You might be wondering what kind of terrible policy could have caused that measure of destruction. Well, the policy is the use of sanctions, and it can be just as harmful to other countries as all-out war would be.

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The case against Barack Obama.

Pennsylvania was famous for constructing the United States. And last Tuesday it was famous for re-constructing the Democratic Party by helping Hillary Clinton beat the unexperienced Senator from Illinois , Mr. Obama. When Senator Obama entered this race , Most normal Democrats thought this would be a long shot run and he wouldn’t make it. But unfortunately it has come to beyond our wildness dreams. His message of change and hope has sunk into progressives and completely has tied them into this rope which experience does not matter.

The reason why John McCain is also gaining ground on Clinton is because if something unfortanate that happened 15 months ago, Which was Senator Obama entering the race. He has basicly stole a Democratic victory in 2008. The reason for this is , Because Obama has distracted Hillary from going after John McCain. Instead she has to deal with the unexperienced Senator from Illinois.

Then people are going to say… “But koko you are not talking about the issues”…

Well now I will.

Barack Obama wants to hike the short term capital gains tax from 15% to 28%. Which I am against firmly, and I am not alone 65% of likely votes too. The reason why this issue is so important to me is because I invest more then $5,000 closer to about $11,000 and this will effect me personally.

Barack Obamas health care plan will leave out 15 million uninsured Americans.

And of course the experience factor. Which I have explained hundreds of times.

What Hillary’s Win Means

Hillary Clinton needed to maintain the 25 point lead polls showed her with earlier, to prove she was still competitive in the race to Denver. But her relatively lackluster showing in Pennsylvanian on Tuesday further illustrated there is virtually no possibility she’ll be able to catch up to Obama in popular vote or pledged delegate count. Exit polls even back that hypothesis, with 54 percent of respondents saying no matter what happened in Pennsylvania, Obama would win the nomination.

With only a ten point, six delegate loss, Barack Obama, showed that in a general election it would be possible for him to carry Pennsylvania. Considering the race baiting and last minute fear mongering the Clinton campaign used, Obama may have well been able to win the Keystone State. For fear of further alienating minorities the Republican party has indicated they will likely shy away from racial based attacks, which certainly was a key factor in Hillary’s win.

Her win only proved two things. She has not tarnished her reputation too much to prohibit herself from winning. Second, that she will continue fighting even win the odds look nearly impossible. This is what Al Gore needed to do in 2000, when Florida and the Supreme Court stole the presidency from him. Hillary has showed she is the attack dog Democrats needed in ‘00 and ‘04.

But after eight years of Bush’s political divisiveness and vindictiveness Americans are ready for a change from the dog fight politics has become. By the time this nearly one year election comes to end Americans will be so tired of bickering they’ll vote for the candidate they viewed as most focused on the issues. Exit polls have showed that despite her win, most Pennsylvania believed she turned the race negative. Seven months from now Americans certainly will become tired of the daily sniping.

Cross posted at my personal blog.

Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania

Hillary goes on to live another day, and Barack Obama is still unable to seal the deal.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe says, “Senator Obama couldn’t put us away.”

Energy and True Environmentalism

True environmentalism is about preserving life, human, animal, and plant. But it has been toted as more of a feel good ideal, than true action or care. It’s focus has become perverted by corporate interests promoting the ideas of enviromentalism as merely being about making this earth a better place.

Chevy’s current “From gas friendly to gas free” ad campaign is a prime example of the true goals of environmentalism being subverted. General Motor’s idea of gas friendly and gas free, means filling fuel tanks with food. While this campaign was running, the UN was warning 100 million people are at risk at starvation because of rising food prices created by cars and trucks consuming our food.

True environmentalism doesn’t have to mean everyone moves to a compound and lives off the land. But it does require a radical change from 20th century consumption, to a new 21st century economy that is also compatible with preserving the lives of humans, animals and plants. Here are a few ideas I proposed in an essay about how we should use energy in the 21st century:

“Peak oil has been reached already,” says Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulla¹. Yet few viable energy alternatives currently exist. Wind power, solar energy, and coal all hold great potential. But how will governments, engineers, and corporations implement these new technologies in a way that benefits all parties?

Currently, the United States government favors two forms of alternate energy that are still based on carbon. The first is coal, which also has the backing of corporations. Coal presents several problems including air pollution, scarred mountain tops, and polluted runoff.

The US government also favors biofuels like ethanol. Plants are renewable, so unlike coal they are a sustainable energy source. But biofuels reduce the amount of arable land available for human food consumption. According to UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the price of corn, wheat and sugar doubled in many countries last year². Biofuels also produce nearly the same amount of pollution as fossil fuels³, and actually cause a net loss in fuel⁴.

That leaves solar, nuclear, and wind energy as the only viable clean and renewable fuels. But wind and solar energy are dependent on weather. No wind, no energy, or cloudy skies and no energy. They also produce far less electricity per dollar.

The future of energy is not within new energy sources, but rather within a change of how civilization operates. This includes changes in business operations, urban planning and how ordinary citizens live.

The key to the future of society is actually in the past. For fifty years American cities have been built to ignore all modes of transportation except the car. Imagine how much fuel could be saved if we used rail based car transporters. For instance, instead of commuting 20 miles by highway, you drove onto a train, the train goes to downtown, and you exit, and then drive half a mile to your office.

Such trains would draw power from an electric third rail. The electricity would power the train, but it could also recharge electric cars. As further incentive a fourth data rail could be added, allowing those on the train to communicate with their office, while they traveled to an important meeting across town.

Developing and building high speed rail lines in dense regions like New England would also cut down on airline trips which consume huge amounts of fuel and generate pollution. Despite that trains are slower than aircraft, when factoring in security, delays, and airports distance from it’s city, high speed rail becomes viable in several parts of the United States.

Another large consumer of energy is agribusiness. Imagine living downtown, but being able to visit the farm we’re your food came from. Towering green houses could provide the solution. On the ground level of a multistory urban farm would be a grocery store where the food is truly farm fresh. Others levels would be a different type of farm, one a cattle ranch, another a slaughter house, and yet another for corn and wheat.

The transportation of food consumes much energy. Take the beef industry for example. Wheat is transported for cattle to feed on. The fattened cows are then driven to a slaughterhouse. Once they’ve been prepared the meat is transported to grocery store warehouses and even food processing centers. Then it is finally transported to the neighborhood grocery store. All this transit takes a tremendous amount of energy which could easily be saved by consolidating the food industry’s supply chain.

The Western of idea of unlimited supply confines our thinking of energy solutions. While clean energy like wind, and solar will definitely become more prominent the true solution is changing our ideas on consumption. The only solution to climate change and peak oil is if corporations and consumers will work together. If they can see more good in change, than change itself, they will embrace new energy saving technology.

References are below the fold.
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McCain’s Energy Plan Will Raise Rates

I know this a few days old, but it sure hasn’t gotten enough coverage. John McCain has proposed to create a gas tax “holiday” during the summer months. He thinks that 29 cents off your gas consumption tax would lower the prices, but it is more likely to increase consumption, and the increased demand will probably outweigh saving money from the gas the tax.

And how does Mr. I’ll Stay In Iraq for 100 years, pay for the war with all these tax cuts? Oh, I forgot destabilizing the Middle East creates lower prices at the pump.

The Washington Post talked to some economists who pretty much share the same view:

“You don’t want to stimulate consumption,” said Lawrence Goldstein, an economist at the Energy Policy Research Foundation. “The signal you want to send is the opposite one. Politicians should say that conservation is where people’s mindset ought to be.”

Mr. Goldstein said that instead of freezing the federal tax, the government should help lower-income populations pay for gasoline. It would be cheaper and benefit those households that need it most.

If anything, the gas tax should be increased. This would make heating bills decrease, because less gas would be consumed. Europe has some of the highest gas tax rates, which may acount for up to 70% of costs at the pump. Coincdently Europe also has the lowest gas consumption.

Having less consumption would also lower carbon outputs, and general pollution. Besides helping the disadvantaged pay for energy, a higher gas tax could be used to fund alternatives to excess oil consumption like mass transit, and green and renewable fuels.

McCain has several lobbyists from energy companies working on his campaign, and no doubt his lobbyists would love to see increased fuel consumption, leading to higher gas prices.

Cross posted at my personal site.

No We Cannot.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343SXT_TgO4[/youtube]

Last week Barack Obama called rural workers in Pennsylvania “bitter” and “cling to guns and religion” and take it out on immigrants because on the bad economy (above). Now with bad economic times, illegal immigrants get only about 10% of the blame. So why has not Barack Obama apologized or try to make it look like something else? (Note: I am aware Barack Obama talked about it , But he clearly did not solve it) Because if he attempts to talk about it , It will most definitely break up more support for him in states to come like Indiana and North Carolina and Clinton will steal the nomination from the non experienced Senator from Illinois.

We can only hope……….

Barack Obama is clearly another George McGovern or Michael Dukakis and will lose in a landslide to John McCain. For example Barack Obama is losing to John McCain for people who think the economy is the most important issue. But Clinton beats McCain 47% to 41%.

Barack Obama will loose in November if he is nominated.

AP Gives McCain Doughnuts, Compares Obama to Terrorist

There’s been much talk of the media being somehow biased towards Barack Obama. But yesterday the presidential candidates appeared before the nation’s press. Then the chief of the AP asked if Obama would increase troop presence in Afghanistan where “Obama bin Laden is still at large?”

Later Dean Singleton gave McCain a box of donuts and coffee. But like Saturday Night Live’s sketch of Obama getting extra special treatment by the media, a similar scene actually happened to John McCain:

McCain’s moderators, the AP’s Ron Fournier and Liz Sidoti, greeted McCain with a box of Dunkin’ Donuts. “We spend quite a bit of time with you on the back of the Straight Talk Express asking you questions, and what we’ve decided to do today was invite everyone else along on the ride,” Sidoti explained. “We even brought you your favorite treat.”

McCain opened the offering. “Oh, yes, with sprinkles!” he said.

Sidoti passed him a cup. “A little coffee with a little cream and a little sugar,” she said.

This exchange raises a larger point. The media is being biased, but it’s not to any particular candidate. One reporter will favor Clinton, another Obama, and another McCain. And for those journalists that pretend to be unbiased, they give their support to whichever candidate appears winning at moment.

Cross posted at my personal website.

The case for Kokoism!

If you’re like me, you’re downright fed up with the same old stuff from the Democratic and Republican Parties, who run under the banner of change, but who will only let us down once again with the same timid decision making! Now, there’s a party for us! In honor of Think Youth’s good friend, Koko Chassid, a new political party has been formed: The Kokoist Party!

The Kokoist Party of America is truly a party of changed policy. In fact, it changes its position on policy every ten minutes. Which other political party can say that?! Read on for more information about the Kokoist platform, as well as some exciting news about the groundwork being laid for a strong Kokoist run at the White House in 2008!

Kokoist Party Platform

1. The Kokoist Party of America believes that all men are created equal, except Ron Paul is way more awesome than anyone else!
2. The Kokoist Party of America believes in a small government. In fact, the entire federal government should be able to fit inside of a road-side hot dog stand. If it cannot, it is too large!
3. The Kokoist Party of America believes in healthcare for all, and then it doesn’t, and then it does again.
4. The Kokoist Party of America believes strongly in animal rights, such as the rights of animals to be used as subjects in bloodsports.
5. The Kokoist Party of America believes in an end to the war on drugs. We are spending resources in the pursuit of casual drug users that could be better used fighting the real threat to American society: Michael Savage haters.
6. The Kokoist Party of America believes that every child should have access to Sean Hannity’s delightful and informative radio program!
7. The Kokoist Party believes that global warming is man made, and that the men making it should get tax cuts and SUVs.

Kokoist Party in 2008

The Kokoist Party of America is pleased to announce that, despite our relatively recent formation, we have already fielded a presidential ticket to run in the 2008 general election! This is a big step in the right direction. Go below the fold for an exclusive first-look at the 2008 Kokoist ticket!

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I Am An Angry Voter

I am an angry voter. I worry that a McCain or Clinton administration will continue the same Washington politics that are destroying our nation. Like politicians getting free vacations trips to tropical destinations for signing free trade deals at the request of lobbyists.

There are many blacks like me that share this same anger, and even bitterness.  Some blue collar workers might look at some blacks as lazy, destructive people on welfare and wonder why we’re surprised Wal-Mart won’t open and bring employment opportunities in black neighborhoods. And then some blacks might look at the white male factory worker as getting what he deserves, because for past generations he had a free “white male” card.

But in the end the white father and the black father are both angry when they find it hard to place food on the table. Whether as Americans, they scrape money from the grandparents or from the federal government, the shame of not being able to provide for your own family creates anger at the system.

But the media (which is funded by corporations) and selfish politicians are seeking to divide Americans that are affected by the same failed economic policies, so that they can rake in more money and profits. They’re creating “voter outrage” of Barack Obama’s “bitter” comments.

His statement was intended to help a group of elitist California fund raisers understand what the unemployed American feels. Every election cycle presidents and senators pose against shuttered factories and promise jobs. And the January after each election cycle we see more American jobs sent to places like Asia and South America.

The Washington and corporate establishment is scared that a candidate has finally called politicians on their economic BS. The establishment is worried that blue collar America and urban America might realize our economic issues are the same. If Americans are able to look past the small differences that separate us, and exercise our right to make America a better place, corrupt politicians and companies looking at short term and selfish gains will be forced to change or leave.

Bitter is not a bad word. I am “Marked by resentment or cynicism” as the dictionary says, when it comes to politics. When watching you, your family, your community, and your country slowly dieing because of irresponsible decision making, it is no shame to be a bitter voter.

Cross posted at my personal site.

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