Under Romney, millionaires and billionaires would get a $250,000 tax cut, while families with kids making less than $40,000 a year would, on average, actually see their taxes go up.
--Jim Messina, Campaign Manager, Obama for America
I haven't fact-checked this claim from the Obama Campaign, but I have an easy time believing it is true. Many years ago Grover Norquist outlined a basic strategy for Republican politicians: keep the taxes on lower income people uncomfortably high so they will continue to support "tax relief" for high income earners. We have to break through that smokescreen, and the Occupy movement began to do it with a focus on the 99% and the 1%. If the question is, "Would you like to see lower taxes?" then the Republican frame will win out. If the question is,"Is it fair for Warren Buffett to pay a lower tax rate than his secretary?" the Democrats will have a fighting chance of at least allowing the tax rates for the wealthiest revert to their Clinton-era levels. (They might also point out that Mitt Romney, earning about $20 million per year, is paying a lower tax rate than lots of middle income people.)
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Lakoff on the Santorum Strategy
I think I finally understand what the Republicans are up to, thanks to George Lakoff. I was having a conversation with a politically minded friend recently and we agreed that, as a strategy for getting elected president, attacking contraception is not a winning strategy. But along comes Lakoff to explain that Republicans are probably not worried about this battle, they are focused on a long-term war. Think about how much free media Rush Limbaugh has had in the last two weeks. Now imagine that all that free media HELPS CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES AT EVERY LEVEL EXCEPT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. And suppose that Mitt Romney's response is the one that conservatives generally had--right argument but he used the wrong language. It's a sobering thought. And think about all the coverage that other conservative "leaders" such as Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann etc. have received in the Republican primary. And how many Republican debates have been not on Fox but on CNN, where independents and conservative Democrats are more likely to tune in. It's why we'd better think about what Lakoff has to say and come up with some ways to respond. The first response would be to stop wishing for Rick Santorum to hang in the race into June to "weaken" Mitt Romney. Maybe a loss in Pennsylvania could help usher Rick Santorum off the stage--for good.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Super Tuesday and Beyond--some stuff to consider
The CSCC Blog has been pretty quiet lately in spite of all that's been going on, so here's some stuff to consider on Super Tuesday 2012.
If you are wondering about details and deadlines for the Pennsylvania primary (APRIL 24), a good local resource is the League of Women Voters:
http://palwv.org/lewisburg/
A couple big issues that deserve even more attention than they've been getting:
1. Development of the Marcellus Shale and the natural gas industry. The "Impact Fee" recently passed falls far short of what CSCC called for in its petition last year, especially in the very limited nature of the fee.
2. Campaign Finance, Citizens United, etc. It's clear that we will see unregulated money flooding onto the airwaves this election cycle through SuperPACs. Stephen Colbert has done a nice job of showing how absurd the systems is, but that's not going to change anything in the short term. One reason Mitt Romney continues to be seen as the strongest candidate for the Republicans in spite of his weaknesses as a candidate is the strength of the SuperPAC money supporting him.
Some suggested reading:
Walter Russell Mead argues that we need a new liberalism--the earlier versions having "died of their own success." (I think that's a nice way of saying that they were not ultimately sustainable.)
http://www.the-american-interest.com/article.cfm?piece=1183
Mead also wrote a more accessible discussion of the same ideas--a blog version called "Can the L-word be saved?":
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/12/15/can-the-l-word-be-saved/
In a nutshell, Mead is arguing that we're at a moment when a new paradigm is looking like a possibility, since neither conservatism nor liberalism is able to deliver what Americans seem to want.
In Congressional news, political newcomer Phil Scollo has put together several members of the Chris Carney team to take on Tom Marino. Of course, he will be very much an underdog (assuming he wins the D primary) in a heavily R district, no name recognition, little money, and running against an incumbent, BUT . . . it is good to see the Dems contesting the election, it is possible that more momentum could swing toward the Democrats as election day approaches, and you never know what might happen. It will be interesting to see what positions Scollo takes--if he will be a Blue Dog centrist like Carney or something else.
If you are wondering about details and deadlines for the Pennsylvania primary (APRIL 24), a good local resource is the League of Women Voters:
http://palwv.org/lewisburg/
A couple big issues that deserve even more attention than they've been getting:
1. Development of the Marcellus Shale and the natural gas industry. The "Impact Fee" recently passed falls far short of what CSCC called for in its petition last year, especially in the very limited nature of the fee.
2. Campaign Finance, Citizens United, etc. It's clear that we will see unregulated money flooding onto the airwaves this election cycle through SuperPACs. Stephen Colbert has done a nice job of showing how absurd the systems is, but that's not going to change anything in the short term. One reason Mitt Romney continues to be seen as the strongest candidate for the Republicans in spite of his weaknesses as a candidate is the strength of the SuperPAC money supporting him.
Some suggested reading:
Walter Russell Mead argues that we need a new liberalism--the earlier versions having "died of their own success." (I think that's a nice way of saying that they were not ultimately sustainable.)
http://www.the-american-interest.com/article.cfm?piece=1183
Mead also wrote a more accessible discussion of the same ideas--a blog version called "Can the L-word be saved?":
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/12/15/can-the-l-word-be-saved/
In a nutshell, Mead is arguing that we're at a moment when a new paradigm is looking like a possibility, since neither conservatism nor liberalism is able to deliver what Americans seem to want.
In Congressional news, political newcomer Phil Scollo has put together several members of the Chris Carney team to take on Tom Marino. Of course, he will be very much an underdog (assuming he wins the D primary) in a heavily R district, no name recognition, little money, and running against an incumbent, BUT . . . it is good to see the Dems contesting the election, it is possible that more momentum could swing toward the Democrats as election day approaches, and you never know what might happen. It will be interesting to see what positions Scollo takes--if he will be a Blue Dog centrist like Carney or something else.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Independet Voting
She was a very informed called. The emphasis on structural reform sounded smart and good. She said there is a PA chapter. I thought this kind of electoral reform is something CSCC can get behind. Maybe fold into a set of issues for the 2012 cycle about improving the workings of democracy. Also get after bad redistricting, camp finance, and so on.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
CSCC on WKOK "On the Mark"
This morning, I was invited to appear on the WKOK 1070AM talk show "On the Mark" on behalf of CSCC to talk about our group and the Redistricting event we are hosting this Thursday. (For more info on that, see our Events page here.) If you missed the show this morning but wanted to listen, the audio will be available for the next week at:
http://www.wkok.com/1070_WKOK/OTM.htm (Click Tuesday's "On the Mark")
After that, I have put a clip (just the CSCC portion of the show) in our archives here:
http://www.csccnow.org/audio/CSCC_On_WKOK_100411.mp3
The best part was that I had a chance to talk about CSCC, and also to share the recent quote from Elizabeth Warren (which I think is very relevant in today's climate) about why suggesting that restoring previous tax rates to wealthiest Americans isn't "class warfare" because those that succeed in the American system have used resources that we all pay for, and they have an obligation to see that the next person coming along has the same opportunities they did.
The worst part was that I completely forgot to mention the CSCC's webpage or email address. Oh well, maybe people will try to Google us and find us.
http://www.wkok.com/1070_WKOK/OTM.htm (Click Tuesday's "On the Mark")
After that, I have put a clip (just the CSCC portion of the show) in our archives here:
http://www.csccnow.org/audio/CSCC_On_WKOK_100411.mp3
The best part was that I had a chance to talk about CSCC, and also to share the recent quote from Elizabeth Warren (which I think is very relevant in today's climate) about why suggesting that restoring previous tax rates to wealthiest Americans isn't "class warfare" because those that succeed in the American system have used resources that we all pay for, and they have an obligation to see that the next person coming along has the same opportunities they did.
The worst part was that I completely forgot to mention the CSCC's webpage or email address. Oh well, maybe people will try to Google us and find us.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Rt. 15 Corridor Improvement Recap
Last night at the Union County Government Center, there was a 2nd public meeting to discuss plans for the "Rt. 15 Corridor Improvement Plan." For those of you who wanted to go but were not able to, I took some notes. Most importantly, remember this: none of this is a final plan! These are all preliminary recommendations at this point. If you have comments or feedback (in favor or opposed), they want to hear from you! Visit http://www.unioncountypa.org/residents/government/county/route15_corridor/
Bert Cassaboon, McCormack Taylor.
1. Scope: The 'corridor' being improved consists of the segment of U.S. 15 from just south of Beagle Club Rd/River Rd to just north of Wm. Penn Drive (a.k.a. the light at BZ Motors/Weis), to include both those intersections. "Corridor Planning" includes consideration of transportation issues, land use issues, and other integrated activities.
2. Feedback thus far. The most common themes they have received strong comments on thus far have been about: safety; bike/pedestrian access; the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail and how it will cross US-15; aesthetics; congestion, noise and quality-of-life. From the 'aesthetics' point of view, they have conducted structured focus groups where participants were shown photographs of roads or roadside businesses in other parts of the country and asked to rate what they liked vs. didn't like about various photos. This feedback has guided the planners' thinking on how to design aesthetically-pleasing features.
Rob Watts, McCormack Taylor.
Mr. Watts 'stepped through' different zones of the corridor to discuss the main improvements that were being recommended in the current plan:
1. Transition zones. The look and signage would be changed in multiple transition zones at the north and south ends of the corridor to cue highway drivers (particularly trucks) that they were entering a more suburban area and needed to reduce speed.
2. Median and Sidewalks. In general, the plan is to add a median strip ("refuge" for pedestrians) and sidewalks (separated from the roadway by a narrow strip of grass/trees) on either side of US-15 from at least Rt.45/Market St. up to Wm. Penn Drive. The addition of the median will eliminate most of the existing left-turn lanes at minor intersections, but their analysis suggests that this will not have a significant negative impact on access to businesses. Three major intersections (see below) will also be improved to allow U-turns.
3. At the intersection of Beagle Club Rd/River Rd, right turn lanes will be added and/or the east end of Beagle Club may be moved north to reduce accidents from people trying to drive straight across from Beagle Club to River Rd.
4. At the "Bucknell light" (intersection of Smoketown Rd/Moore Ave.), Smoketown Rd. will be moved north so that all 4 roads enter at a 90-degree angle, 4 wide crosswalks with pedestrian countdown signals will be added to make this more of a prominent "gateway" into Bucknell.
5. Just south of the Rt.45/Market St. intersection, the north end of Stein Lane will be moved south and a right-turn lane will be added to improve safety and reduce congestion from people currently veering right onto Stein at that intersection. Also, the crosswalks here will be improved (straightened, shortened, add pedestrian countdown timers).
6. At the intersection of St. Mary St., the east side of St. Mary St. will be moved south so that all 4 roads are at 90-degree angles, and the intersection will be improved for pedestrians (wider, straight crosswalks, timers).
7. At the intersections of 4th St. and 7th St., add left turn lanes on the southbound direction to reduce accidents but block left turns from the northbound direction to eliminate the "shared bidirectional left turn lanes" that are there now and often cause head-on collisions.
8. Improve the intersection at Wm. Penn Drive for pedestrians (wider, straighter crosswalks, timers).
9. Finally, note that the engineers have not recommended adding or subtracting any existing traffic signals. However, they do recommend replacing the current signals with a 'smarter' system that has been used in Carlisle and elsewhere that includes video cameras to adjust the timing of lights and allows the signals to transmit information to each other to improve the flow of traffic through the corridor. This improvement was touted as a worthwhile investment whether or not the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway ever gets built.
The format of the meeting was a Powerpoint presentation narrated by 2 of the principal engineers from McCormack Taylor, followed by an "open mixer" session in another conference room where many of the maps, plans, and artist renderings of the possible improvements were on display. The speakers emphasized that we are currently in Month #8 of a 12-month planning process, which would then be followed by the "legwork" of zoning, seeking easements, actual engineering analysis, and other steps that have not been done yet. It was implied that the improvements would not be completed until at least 2013.
Here are my notes from the 2 engineers' presentations:Bert Cassaboon, McCormack Taylor.
1. Scope: The 'corridor' being improved consists of the segment of U.S. 15 from just south of Beagle Club Rd/River Rd to just north of Wm. Penn Drive (a.k.a. the light at BZ Motors/Weis), to include both those intersections. "Corridor Planning" includes consideration of transportation issues, land use issues, and other integrated activities.
2. Feedback thus far. The most common themes they have received strong comments on thus far have been about: safety; bike/pedestrian access; the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail and how it will cross US-15; aesthetics; congestion, noise and quality-of-life. From the 'aesthetics' point of view, they have conducted structured focus groups where participants were shown photographs of roads or roadside businesses in other parts of the country and asked to rate what they liked vs. didn't like about various photos. This feedback has guided the planners' thinking on how to design aesthetically-pleasing features.
Rob Watts, McCormack Taylor.
Mr. Watts 'stepped through' different zones of the corridor to discuss the main improvements that were being recommended in the current plan:
1. Transition zones. The look and signage would be changed in multiple transition zones at the north and south ends of the corridor to cue highway drivers (particularly trucks) that they were entering a more suburban area and needed to reduce speed.
2. Median and Sidewalks. In general, the plan is to add a median strip ("refuge" for pedestrians) and sidewalks (separated from the roadway by a narrow strip of grass/trees) on either side of US-15 from at least Rt.45/Market St. up to Wm. Penn Drive. The addition of the median will eliminate most of the existing left-turn lanes at minor intersections, but their analysis suggests that this will not have a significant negative impact on access to businesses. Three major intersections (see below) will also be improved to allow U-turns.
3. At the intersection of Beagle Club Rd/River Rd, right turn lanes will be added and/or the east end of Beagle Club may be moved north to reduce accidents from people trying to drive straight across from Beagle Club to River Rd.
4. At the "Bucknell light" (intersection of Smoketown Rd/Moore Ave.), Smoketown Rd. will be moved north so that all 4 roads enter at a 90-degree angle, 4 wide crosswalks with pedestrian countdown signals will be added to make this more of a prominent "gateway" into Bucknell.
5. Just south of the Rt.45/Market St. intersection, the north end of Stein Lane will be moved south and a right-turn lane will be added to improve safety and reduce congestion from people currently veering right onto Stein at that intersection. Also, the crosswalks here will be improved (straightened, shortened, add pedestrian countdown timers).
6. At the intersection of St. Mary St., the east side of St. Mary St. will be moved south so that all 4 roads are at 90-degree angles, and the intersection will be improved for pedestrians (wider, straight crosswalks, timers).
7. At the intersections of 4th St. and 7th St., add left turn lanes on the southbound direction to reduce accidents but block left turns from the northbound direction to eliminate the "shared bidirectional left turn lanes" that are there now and often cause head-on collisions.
8. Improve the intersection at Wm. Penn Drive for pedestrians (wider, straighter crosswalks, timers).
9. Finally, note that the engineers have not recommended adding or subtracting any existing traffic signals. However, they do recommend replacing the current signals with a 'smarter' system that has been used in Carlisle and elsewhere that includes video cameras to adjust the timing of lights and allows the signals to transmit information to each other to improve the flow of traffic through the corridor. This improvement was touted as a worthwhile investment whether or not the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway ever gets built.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Random thoughts for September 2011
One of the first rules of blogging is "stick to one topic." When several weeks go by without an entry, it gets hard to live by that rule. So, let's take a chance and wander into a few different topics on my mind that might be on your mind too, either right now or in the near political future.
Most exciting moment of the political day: Elizabeth Warren's announcement that she's running for Senate in Massachusetts.
http://www.elizabethwarren.com/announcement?sc=nat_s_ad2_b&gclid=CJ75gKjCnasCFYbD7Qod7iitfQ
Am I with her? You bet. Why wouldn't we want a fighter like Elizabeth Warren in the Senate? Unlike some others we might name, she knows how to communicate with average people about difficult topics. It's not a matter of whether I'll contribute to her campaign, but how much. Think about it!
Best recent political reading (if you have a strong stomach): Confessions of a GOP Operative who Left the Cult (preserved on AlterNet). The question becomes Yes, I'm cynical, but am I cynical enough? (with apologies to David Foster Wallace). Mike Lofgren comes across as a Republican of the Eisenhower mold and suggests that Democrats should make Eisenhower's birthday a national holiday, to remind the voters how far from Eisenhower the Republicans have drifted. (I remember Susan Eisenhower, a granddaughter I believe, speaking at the Democratic Convention in 2008.) I'm not going to get an "I LIKED IKE" button, but I do think people are starting to notice the consistent craziness coming from the Republican ranks. Which brings me to commenting on the Republican debates:
Favorite Republican debate moment: It was really two moments: Jon Huntsman saying in the Reagan Library debate that it hurts their cause when candidates ignore facts and don't pay attention to science (he's not getting nominated, obviously). Then Rick Perry compared himself to Galileo (if I understood what he was saying), because Galileo was right when the Catholic Church insisted that he was wrong, just as he (Perry) is right in siding with those scientists who argue that there is no Global Warming/Climate Change against all of those people (scientists and others) who claim it exists. (Now, if Rick Santorum had just jumped in to defend the Catholic Church on this point, that would have been even better.) Governor Galileo then argued against doing anything about climate change because of what "some people" say because it would destroy the economy and cost jobs. No mention of what it might cost "if" say, that 90% chance the IPCC talks about turns out to be right! The moderator followed up by asking what scientists who dissent from the mainstream view he respects (on the assumption that if you stand against what trained scientists--perhaps 95%--of them accept, you must be able to point to other trained scientists who think they are wrong and have carefully reasoned arguments for why they are wrong). Surprise! He couldn't name any climate scientists at all, let alone some that agreed with him that we ought to do nothing until we are "certain." This was NOT as bad as Sarah Palin not being able to name a single newspaper while claiming she read "all of them" in the infamous Katie Couric interview, but it did make him look like he was in George Bush's league--not really concerning himself with what those eggheads think.
Local issues:Obviously, the biggest local story is the flooding associated with T.S. Lee and its effects. Thankfully, the forecast that the river would reach 30 feet at Lewisburg (and corresponding heights elsewhere on the West Branch) turned out to be wrong. I haven't heard an explanation for why the forecast was raised so abruptly (perhaps because of more rain anticipated?). That would be for the specialists to look into (perhaps using science). The actual crest of less than 27 feet was far less devastating, but still devastating enough for those who got water into their living quarters.
In my mind, the issue that needs attention is communication. I heard many many people say that they had no idea what the siren meant. Where are we supposed to get information when the sirens go off? Is it a storm? A nuclear disaster? A flood? Should we just guess? The school district pushes out phone calls to everyone in less than half an hour--perhaps the emergency system needs to look at ringing phones for people known to live in flood prone areas. Facebook also proved to be a method for fast communication during the flood, but not everyone is connected to that system.
If you weren't affected by the flood, consider giving some help to someone who could still use it. Many people are still dislocated from their homes, and many will not be able to return to them. Others could just use some help getting waterlogged carpets and other items out of their basements.
From what I hear, the opening of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail is still on track to open in early November. It will be interesting to see how fast it becomes a popular attraction, as I believe it will. I know I'll be using it!
I just saw that the League of Women Voters isn't planning an open candidates forum for the fall--not enough contested elections. Think about that whenever you interact with our local officials. They get very little reward (of any kind) for the work they put in on our behalf. We should appreciate them and help them when we can.
What stories are you thinking about?
Most exciting moment of the political day: Elizabeth Warren's announcement that she's running for Senate in Massachusetts.
http://www.elizabethwarren.com/announcement?sc=nat_s_ad2_b&gclid=CJ75gKjCnasCFYbD7Qod7iitfQ
Am I with her? You bet. Why wouldn't we want a fighter like Elizabeth Warren in the Senate? Unlike some others we might name, she knows how to communicate with average people about difficult topics. It's not a matter of whether I'll contribute to her campaign, but how much. Think about it!
Best recent political reading (if you have a strong stomach): Confessions of a GOP Operative who Left the Cult (preserved on AlterNet). The question becomes Yes, I'm cynical, but am I cynical enough? (with apologies to David Foster Wallace). Mike Lofgren comes across as a Republican of the Eisenhower mold and suggests that Democrats should make Eisenhower's birthday a national holiday, to remind the voters how far from Eisenhower the Republicans have drifted. (I remember Susan Eisenhower, a granddaughter I believe, speaking at the Democratic Convention in 2008.) I'm not going to get an "I LIKED IKE" button, but I do think people are starting to notice the consistent craziness coming from the Republican ranks. Which brings me to commenting on the Republican debates:
Favorite Republican debate moment: It was really two moments: Jon Huntsman saying in the Reagan Library debate that it hurts their cause when candidates ignore facts and don't pay attention to science (he's not getting nominated, obviously). Then Rick Perry compared himself to Galileo (if I understood what he was saying), because Galileo was right when the Catholic Church insisted that he was wrong, just as he (Perry) is right in siding with those scientists who argue that there is no Global Warming/Climate Change against all of those people (scientists and others) who claim it exists. (Now, if Rick Santorum had just jumped in to defend the Catholic Church on this point, that would have been even better.) Governor Galileo then argued against doing anything about climate change because of what "some people" say because it would destroy the economy and cost jobs. No mention of what it might cost "if" say, that 90% chance the IPCC talks about turns out to be right! The moderator followed up by asking what scientists who dissent from the mainstream view he respects (on the assumption that if you stand against what trained scientists--perhaps 95%--of them accept, you must be able to point to other trained scientists who think they are wrong and have carefully reasoned arguments for why they are wrong). Surprise! He couldn't name any climate scientists at all, let alone some that agreed with him that we ought to do nothing until we are "certain." This was NOT as bad as Sarah Palin not being able to name a single newspaper while claiming she read "all of them" in the infamous Katie Couric interview, but it did make him look like he was in George Bush's league--not really concerning himself with what those eggheads think.
Local issues:Obviously, the biggest local story is the flooding associated with T.S. Lee and its effects. Thankfully, the forecast that the river would reach 30 feet at Lewisburg (and corresponding heights elsewhere on the West Branch) turned out to be wrong. I haven't heard an explanation for why the forecast was raised so abruptly (perhaps because of more rain anticipated?). That would be for the specialists to look into (perhaps using science). The actual crest of less than 27 feet was far less devastating, but still devastating enough for those who got water into their living quarters.
In my mind, the issue that needs attention is communication. I heard many many people say that they had no idea what the siren meant. Where are we supposed to get information when the sirens go off? Is it a storm? A nuclear disaster? A flood? Should we just guess? The school district pushes out phone calls to everyone in less than half an hour--perhaps the emergency system needs to look at ringing phones for people known to live in flood prone areas. Facebook also proved to be a method for fast communication during the flood, but not everyone is connected to that system.
If you weren't affected by the flood, consider giving some help to someone who could still use it. Many people are still dislocated from their homes, and many will not be able to return to them. Others could just use some help getting waterlogged carpets and other items out of their basements.
From what I hear, the opening of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail is still on track to open in early November. It will be interesting to see how fast it becomes a popular attraction, as I believe it will. I know I'll be using it!
I just saw that the League of Women Voters isn't planning an open candidates forum for the fall--not enough contested elections. Think about that whenever you interact with our local officials. They get very little reward (of any kind) for the work they put in on our behalf. We should appreciate them and help them when we can.
What stories are you thinking about?
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