Harnessing the Youth Vote
Wiretap
After years of neglect, the Democratic Party is finally reaching out to young voters
An
emerging generation of young, progressive Democrats is networking,
brainstorming, and organizing to fill a gap in liberal politics.
Because the Democratic Party has long failed to harness their energy,
these young people are trying – with the help of several new and extant
organizations – to channel it themselves by tapping into their own
resources and using the tools of their generation. Their goal? To help
build a stronger base and revitalize the infrastructure that has left
the party stagnant and struggling against conservative opponents.
...Long-term
investment in the party's younger base, missing until now (at least in
concentrated form), is a vital part of renovating the Democratic
strategy, they say. And a well-organized infrastructure –
nuts-and-bolts stuff like fundraising, media communication, candidate
training, voter mobilization, and grassroots activism – is imperative
to winning back not only the White House in 2004, but the House, the
Senate, and state governments (Republicans control four more
legislatures and six more governorships than Democrats do) over the
next 15 to 20 years.
(more)
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Wednesday, August 18
Harnessing the Youth Vote
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 18 Aug 2004 03:55 PM CDT
Queerer Alert
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 18 Aug 2004 10:02 AM CDT
 Queerer Alert by Cam Lindquist, 365gay.com A dash of humor with some good sharp points thrown in ...I am one to err on the side of caution nine out of ten times, but these constant terror alerts have to make you wonder if they are just blowing smoke in our faces to keep us wondering. So between this terror issue and the attack on the gay community through legislation I think it is time for us, the GLBTI & Friends community, to fight back! And of course, I have a plan. Just for a refresher, here are the government's five levels of terror alerts: * Low (Green) - low risks of terrorist attacks * Guarded (Blue) - general risk of terrorist attacks * Elevated (Yellow) - significant risks of terrorist attacks * High (Orange) - high risks of terrorist attacks * Severe (Red) - severe risk of terrorist attacks I think that the gay community, in response to attacks on us, should issue the Queerer Alerts. Alerts which will let the conservative community know what they should expect to see in their streets and on their TV's should they continue to viciously attack GLBTI American Citizens. * Low (Metallic Emerald) - low risks of queer uproar * Guarded (Slate) - general risk of queer uproar * Elevated (Sunflower) - significant risks of queer uproar * High (Rust) - high risks of queer uproar * Severe (Magenta) - severe risk of queer uproar * Extreme (Fuchsia) - extreme risk of queer uproar You may have noticed two things about our list in comparison to theirs. First, I made our list as vague as theirs. After all why should they have an advantage over the rest of us when dealing with alerts? If GW can arbitrarily increase the level because no real definition exists, so can we! ...For our clarification here within the community, here are some examples of what I see as situations that might call for levels of Queerer Alert. I am going to leave you with this list as my final thought. Because if you think my list is ridiculous, just consider where I got the idea from - Good ole GW. * Low (Metallic Emerald) - Massachusetts, home of the Democratic National Convention and currently the exclusive state (actually they are a commonwealth) that provides marital rights to gay couples, would be under low risk of queer uproar. They should expect an influx of gay people to pour revenue into their state through the tourist industry and local GLBTI people spending money at home instead of abroad. Read the whole essay here.
Fate of Iowa Values Hinges on Workers’ Comp Laws
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 18 Aug 2004 04:46 AM CDT
Fate of Iowa Values Hinges on Workers’ Comp Laws
Quad-City Times DES MOINES (AP) — A former IBP meatpacking plant worker is at the center of a high-stakes debate over how Iowa treats injured workers. The question that Jose Venegas’ workers’ compensation case raises is whether businesses should get “credit” for past disability awards to workers when calculating how much money employees should receive for a new injury. Business and GOP legislative leaders say the Venegas case allows workers to “double dip” — or get paid twice for the same injury. “Iowa has an unfair system that requires employers to pay and pay again,” said Bob Wersen, chairman of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, a Des Moines-based business group. Organized labor leaders and attorneys representing injured workers say Iowa has for decades seen each worker injury as separate, with each disability cutting a worker’s earning power and ability to get a job. Republicans tried to reverse the ruling in massive legislation that included creation of the $503 million Iowa Values Fund. Gov. Tom Vilsack’s line-item-veto response to the legislation resulted in a state Supreme Court ruling a year later that sidelined the state’s high-profile economic development fund. (more) |
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