The Bush administration said yesterday that the cost of rebuilding New Orleans's levees to federal standards has nearly tripled to $10 billion and that there may not be enough money to fully protect the entire region.
Of course we all knew this was coming. We all knew that this administration's incompetence, combined with their callous disregard for human life, would all but ensure that the levees in south Louisiana would not be repaired in time for the upcoming hurricane season.
Mardi Gras is on my mind this weekend. This afternoon, I tried to explain it to my friend's two-and-a-half year old. I don't think she understood. She's never seen a parade of any sort before, so my description probably didn't make much sense to her. I found some plastic beads and tried to convince her to "play Mardi Gras" with me, but she wouldn't say, "Throw me something, mister!" She did like it when I threw the beads at her, though. Maybe she absorbed something from it. Maybe not. Maybe she'll never know.
Despite the fact that I am a Kaine supporter, and worked hard for his election in November, I am not happy about this choice. It's not about Kaine. The Post's analysis of the reason behind the choice is below, but it's not entirely correct:
I sat with my stuff at my feet in the waiting area by the gate at Chicago O'Hare, waiting to board a plane for the second leg of my flight home to Louisiana. I had claimed a prime seat in the row nearest the jetway, and I had my headphones on, when a tall, thin African-American man in an airline uniform walked up to the counter and picked up the microphone.
Time to board? I lifted my headphones off to listen. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be boarding this flight in a few moments. But first, just for you - this Christmas carol," the man said in a rich tenor. And he sang:
Ceci Connolly of the Washington Post has written an article discussing the "debate" over the future of Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Charity Hospital is an institution in New Orleans. It's no one's first choice for quality of care, but it's where you can go if you can't pay, and they won't turn you away.
It was damaged by Katrina. It is closed. Patients are being cared for in tents inside the convention center, instead. Now, apparently, Charity Hospital is the subject of a "debate," presented to us thus:
Some suggest the Charity complex -- including the main "Big Charity" hospital, its sister University Hospital, research labs and offices -- should be razed. Others demand it be rebuilt. And because any public hospital here -- new or old -- would be built with federal dollars, every U.S. taxpayer has financial a stake in the fight.(sic)
Let's talk a little bit about that financial stake.
I know that the title of the diary may seem to suggest otherwise, but this is a serious question. I'm hoping for answers from the activist writers here who have done this and who understand better than I what it's meant to accomplish.
I've been thinking a lot about this - about Cindy Sheehan's planned protests all this week at the White House, about the die-ins, about getting arrested. I'm planning to go, on Friday. I don't know what I'll do when I get there.
It's a fight that crops up repeatedly on liberal blogs, and - if you're like me - in discussions with your Democratic friends and neighbors, with potential volunteers, and with voters. How much do we compromise with people and movements who don't support ideals that are important to us? To what degree do we support candidates who don't stand for the same things we do, in order to get some of what we want? There are those who say that we progressives ought to stop supporting Democrats and form a third party. There are those discourage any political activity whatsoever outside of electing Democrats, on the grounds that it is self-sabotage.
The interesting thing about this debate is - no matter what pioneers we may think we are - we are not the first progressives or radicals or leftists or liberals to engage in it.
After the flip, I've copied excerpts from an exchange of letters between Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, the early 20th century radical anarchists, on just this topic: to what extent should activists cooperate with other activists who have some goals in common, but not all?
New Orleans is a special place to my heart. I grew up in Central Louisiana, but I had relatives living in the suburbs of New Orleans and we traveled to visit them often, and often went into the city to enjoy the food, music, and good times there.
I decided to channel my fury at the injustice done the city's poorer residents, those unable to muster the resources to get out when "The Big One" finally came, into a song. I've made a rough recording of it that I want to share with you here.
This morning I attended a town hall meeting with Republican Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia's 11th District. Before the meeting there was a rally for protecting and preserving Social Security; a number of groups were there, but the primary organizer was the Campaign for America's Future who had sent out email alerts yesterday, and came prepared with lots of yellow signs and copies of a pledge to protect Social Security that they are attempting to get Congressmen to sign.
I had come prepared with my own sign, which read "Don't Piratize Social Security" and had illustrative pictures of a pirate flag and a treasure chest on it. The CAF people didn't want my sign in the rally pictures for some reason - that's okay, though; the Washington Post photographer got lots of shots of it beforehand.
I'm not sure what I expected out of today, but I guess I didn't expect to feel so bitter and angry and helpless and hurt. It didn't help any that there were crowds and crowds of smirking, laughing, chattering tourists at the metro station this morning - and I had forgotten to put money on my Smartrip card, so I had to wait in line for a good twenty or thirty minutes. And in that time the sense of delicious rebellion I had when I put on my blue underwear this morning completely evaporated. I had, also, a button: "Yes, I really do hate George Bush." An old, heavily made up woman with a coat and hat and sparkly red white and blue "W" pin saw my button, eyed it, and eyed me, and then laughed. Score yet another one for the Republicans.
Day by day I hear the voices rising
Started with a whisper like it did before
Day by day we count the dead and dying
Ship the bodies home while the networks all keep score
Some of you may have seen my diary yesterday about my plans to bring flowers and a letter of thanks to Senator Barbara Boxer's DC office.
In the end, I had a total of 88 signatures for the letter, including 3 people from Ohio and 14 from California.
Since there were some people who weren't able to get their names to me before I left, I'll be making another trip tonight. Anyone who wants to 'sign' the letter should email me at thankboxer AT myusername DOT com before 4:45 pm EST today.
Update: See [new diary http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/7/1587/90770] for the recap.
I work in downtown DC. After work today, Thursday January 6th, and again on tomorrow, Friday, January 7th, I am going to go to the nearest street vendor and buy some flowers. Then, I'm going to deliver them personally to Senator Boxer's DC office along with a note (text below). If anyone who doesn't live in DC or California would like to 'sign' this note I will be happy to add your name.
Please email me at thankboxer AT myusername DOT com with the name you wish me to add (I recommend your real first and last name and swear on my mother's grave I won't use it for any nefarious purposes) and your city and state.
I think it's important to show our thanks and I wanted to do this for myself. I thought I would offer the opportunity to people who can't physically be here.
This is a constitutional amendment that's on the South Dakota ballot this year, and I'm trying to find out as much as possible about it before I vote and send in my ballot. Any thoughts or opinions from others are welcome.
Constitutional Amendment A
Title: An amendment to Article V, Section 7 of the South Dakota Constitution, providing for the merit selection of circuit court judges.
This is the article from nytimes.com as of about midnight, MDT (2 am EDT). If anyone saved or printed an earlier version, I'd be interested to see it.
[editor's note, by furryjester]Sorry for posting the whole article; I know we don't usually do that for copyright reasons, but it looks like it's been changed and perhaps will be changed further, and that's why I did it.
Specifically, notice the funny square brackets around the first mention of the actual explosion - in paragraph nineteen! and the reference to satellite intelligence from the Bush administration.
Basically, what it looks like is the White House fed this story to the NYT but conveniently omitted to mention the big ass mushroom cloud.
Which brings up the question of what the hell is going on.
On September 11, 2001, I lived in Washington, DC, in the Woodner apartment building up sixteenth street; and on that day, I was beginning a new job a few blocks south of Dupont Circle. I took the S2 bus down to N Street and got off, and as I walked the rest of the way to the office I remember thinking how beautifully blue the sky was, and how wonderful it was to be alive and in a city I loved on such a perfect September day.
In an email exchange with a friend, I was sharing some of my frustration with how difficult it can be, not just to make a difference in the political world - but even to figure out how to go about trying, in the first place. And we hit on an issue that I think is of great importance: the disconnect between national politics as covered in the media, and local politics as practiced by, well, everyone.
Who can write the best haiku on the anti-gay marriage amendment currently being debated in the Senate? Submit your efforts and get a chance to win one of two prizes!
A John Edwards campaign pin
A bumpersticker: "Be Patriotic - Vote Bush Out"
The contest began in my diary yesterday evening. Post as many entries as you like, either here or in the previous diary entry. The deadline is today at 5pm EDT. I will pick the winners this evening.
Rules: 3 lines, with 5-7-5 syllables. Bonus points if you include season words, but it's not necessary.
