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Friday Music Post
War
Performed by Edwin Starr
Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Lyrics after the jump.
Danny
Communications Director
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No Clean Air for You
The Washington Post reports on the Bush administration's plan to ease clean air regulations:
The Bush administration is on the verge of implementing new air quality rules that will make it easier to build power plants near national parks and wilderness areas, according to rank-and-file agency scientists and park managers who oppose the plan.
Danny
Communications Director
I Sure Hope He's Not Kiddin'
Rep. John Conyers had some choice words for Karl Rove today. From the Politico:
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”
Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”
Rep. Conyers wants Rove to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about his involvement in the imprsonmen of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. It also seems Rep. Conyers has some other matters in mind:
“We want him for so many things, it’s hard to keep track.”
Danny
Communications Director
DFA Campaign Academy (2-day training) comes to Lansing
Linked to groups: Michigan Democracy for America, Justice Caucus PAC, MidMichigan Democracy for America
Mid-Michigan DFA is pleased to offer the DFA CAMPAIGN ACADEMY, a 2-day training opportunity, in Lansing this June 7-8.
The DFA Campaign Academy mission is to focus, network, and train grassroots activists in the skills and strategies to take back our country, manage successful campaigns or run for office themselves.
Our Campaign Academy weekends are 16 hours of interactive workshops bringing hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates together for 2 days of intensive campaign training. Experienced campaign professionals lead sessions in voter contact, fundraising, communications, on-line organizing and much more to empower progressive activists with the skills to win in November and beyond.
Attendees also meet with dozens of local progressive candidates and learn about exciting job and volunteer opportunities in their area. And of course, everyone receives their own copy of DFA's 180-page Campaign Training Manual.
The fee for this event is $60 or $30 for students or people of limited income. Some scholarships are available--email for details. Help with overnight accomodations may also be available. ASK!
For more information or to register, visit http:/democracyforamerica.com/campaignacademy
(Click on Lansing, MI in the list of events)
or
DFA Academy Grads Elected Delegate
Linked to groups: Acton Area Democracy for America, Democracy For America - Metro West of Boston, Training Academy Alumni, Class of 2007
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Diary Series, Part IV: The Trauma of Silence
For the past three days, this five-part diary series has shared the experiences of Rachel, an Iraq War Veteran, and her encounters with the private military contractor, KBR. In a series of interviews, she revealed stories of unfair disparities in pay and treatment between contractors and military personnel, having to shower in what was essentially wastewater because of KBR's negligence, and her reactions to the KBR water scandal investigations upon her return to the United States.
Today's installment tells a different story, but one that is equally appalling and pertinent to the issue of how the Pentagon continues to subject the troops to mistreatment and negligence. Josh, a soldier who was also stationed at Camp Ramadi, describes his experiences with struggling to find medical help for a traumatic brain injury (TBI), induced by a roadside bomb in Iraq, and his subsequent case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
What caused your TBI?
I was serving as the gunner in the turret of a humvee when we were hit on the front driver's side by a roadside bomb which was set off by the radio. I was knocked unconscious for a couple minutes by the blast and had a concussion.
Can you describe the symptoms caused by your TBI?
With my TBI I have speech problems, balance and coordination problems, memory and concentration problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How were you treated?
I wasn't. I was "examined" by a battalion medic who was a staff sergeant. Apparently I had regained my hearing back and had no other problems. The notes said I should return if I had ringing in the ears, hearing problems, or unexplained chest pains or if my hearing worsened. Then I started back doing missions again. My commander filled out an LOD [a Line of Duty Investigation].
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A Community Forum on Challenging Concentrated Wealth and Power - May, 28
800 S. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607
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Nominations Now Open for Netroots Awards
Linked to groups: Florida DFA, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), DFA Tallahassee
We are now accepting nominations for the 2008 Netroots Awards, sponsored by the Florida Democratic Party Netroots Coalition. The purpose of our second annual awards is to recognize the best and brightest of the progressive/liberal/Democratic Netroots and blogs. Between now and Sunday, May 25, please nominate your favorites in the categories below. You can nominate one person in one category or multiple people in every category, that's up to you. In the end, we will narrow the lists down to the top people in each category and offer a final voting period to determine the winners. The final winners will be announced at the Netroots Conference at the Florida Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Weekend in Hollywood on June 14 (and then announced online). Before voting, please observe the following rules:
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Help Seniors Get the Therapy They Need
Linked to groups: PA for Democracy, Montco DFA, Philly for Change, Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup, Lower Merion Grassroots, PA Single Payer Healthcare Action Committee
Currently, Medicare payments for physical therapy are capped. The therapy caps limit outpatient rehabilitation coverage to $1,810 for combined physical therapy and speech-language pathology services and $1,810 for occupational therapy (2008 limits).
Click here to sign a letter to Senator Casey asking him to support S.450 - Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, which will repeal the outpatient therapy cap.
Given how this affects stroke survivors, accident survivors, and those with degenerative diseases, Congress has recognized the harm inherent in this policy and repeatedly put moratoriums on enforcement. The current moratorium runs through June 30, 2008.
No medical miracle is about to change the need for PT/SLP/OT services, and it's a waste of time to keep passing short-term fixes. It's a cause of great anxiety to those who need the services. And it's an offensive legal fiction that these costs do not exist, and don't need to be fully accounted for in the budget.
Click here to sign a letter to Senator Casey asking him to support S.450 - Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, which will provide the security our seniors deserve by permanently repealing the outpatient therapy cap.
Hat tip to Joy Sabl, Democracy for Pittsburgh
Kevin Shaw
Organizer, PA for Democracy
The KBR Water Scandal Reports: A Witness Weighs In
Cross-posted from www.progressivefuture.org: Yesterday, in Part II of this five-part series, I shared my friend Rachel's experiences in Iraq with having to shower in dirty, contaminated water provided to the troops by private contractor and former Halliburton subsidiary, KBR. This story followed Rachel's recollection of the grossly higher paychecks the contractors were receiving for the same work as the military personnel, a sick twist of irony if you consider how poorly the contractors were doing the jobs they are paid six-figure incomes to perform.
While the firsthand testimony of her experiences shocked and angered me, the findings of the investigations that followed truly made me disgusted:
To your knowledge, was KBR ever notified of the suspicions with the water?
I never [considered] that the water was unmonitored, however since coming home I have learned more about what went wrong. On May 13, 2005 (about a month after we moved to the camp) KBR’s Theatre Water Quality Manager authored a report regarding the water in Camp Ramadi. The then-water purification manager, Ben Carter, reportedly followed up on a complaint that there was larvae in one of the toilets. After discovering that it was true, he immediately tested for chlorine in water points, and found that none was present. He testified in January 2006 for a Senate Democratic Policy Committee Hearing that after telling site management to inform the military to chlorinate their water, he was told by the KBR site manager that the military was none of his concern. “I was ordered to concern myself only with the health and safety of KBR personnel.”
At the time of the report, this oversight was still continuing. In his testimony, Ben Carter stated that he knew the issues with the water continued at least through September 2005. The report also states: “This event should be considered a NEAR MISS as the consequences of these actions could have been VERY SEVERE resulting in mass sickness or death.”
