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Friday, February 29
Are Progressive Listserves Arbitrarily being Blocked by AT&T?
by
Caroline Vernon
on Fri 29 Feb 2008 05:20 PM CST
Are Progressive Listserves Arbitarily being Blocked by AT&T?
By Caroline Vernon
A few months back, PACG (Progressive Action for the Common Good) started experiencing problems with our members dropping off our email list. Oddly, as site administrator, I was not receiving any official bounceback notices informing me of any undelivered email with the occasional exception of a full mailbox now and again.
It wasn’t until the first of this year that I realized the extent of the problem and determined that most of our Mediacom and Yahoo users were being blocked from receiving our email. Last week I finally received a bounceback notice in my administrative inbox, with the names of almost 70 members which were”blocked for abuse”. As it turns out, many of these members had not been receiving our email for weeks and in some cases months, so I was very concerned as to why I only recently received the bounceback notice. This indicates that the data was blocked going out and coming in. I immediately contacted Mediacom and after much wrangling was told that the problem lies with AT&T as they manage the traffic for both carriers. A Mediacom representative actually told me we had been “blacklisted” but did not know why. I then contacted AT&T, following their recommended protocol and providing them with all pertinent information via email as no telephone number is available.
After 3 days, and no response from AT&T, I filed an official complaint with Congressman Braley’s Davenport office who in turn filed a complaint with the FCC. At that time, the FCC indicated they were receiving many similar complaints. The following day (yesterday) I received a response from AT&T which indicated that the block will be removed within 24 to 36 hours. A copy of their response is below.
I think it is important to mention that PACG has been advocating against telecom immunity within the FISA bill. We sent out many action alerts asking our members to contact their elected officials and even staged a funeral procession for the U.S. Constitution outside of Senator Grassley’s Davenport office. We were asking the Senator to vote against the bill that provided immunity, and to protect the Constitution. Channel 6 (KWQC) covered the event as did the Moline Dispatch. The related action alert that we sent out to our list was front and center on our website for many weeks.
As you may know, in January of this year, AT&T, Comcast, and others, announced that they would begin to take more aggressive steps to manage network traffic in order to minimize spam and safeguard against copyright infringement of video sharing, etc. Unfortunately, they seem to be inspecting for content other than what they have cited. PACG is an opt-in only email service. We do not send out spam or share video files although we may provide links to sites that do.
During the recent Hearing on Broadband Network Management, FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin stated,
“Obviously network operators can take reasonable steps to manage traffic, but they cannot arbitrarily block access.”
There is no justifiable reason to have blocked PACG for abuse as is sited in the communication below… nor is any explanation given as to why we were classified as such.
I have since received communications from other progressive organizations who have indicated that much of their email is also being blocked. Given AT&T's response below, it seems as though they are saying this may be an ongoing problem for many listserves, and they seem to be passing the buck right back to the carriers.
If any of your organizations are experiencing similar problems, I strongly recommend that you contact your Congressperson and/or Senators to file an official complaint with the FCC.
In order to track this issue more closely, I am creating a list of all organizations who are having similar problems with delivery of their email. I can be reached at carolina1961@gmail.com or 563-676-7580.
Response from AT&T:
Administrator/Customer:
Thank you for contacting the Postmaster/Abuse team at ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET.
The mail-server IP address(es) associated with your request will be
removed from the block-list within 24-36 hours from the receipt of
this letter. ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET, its affiliates, and network
services customers do NOT intentionally block legitimate mail in the
course of our anti-spam initiatives. We regret any inconvenience this
may have caused.
Network administrators at ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET closely analyze
the mail stream bound for our customers to identify sources that exhibit
the characteristics of compromised network objects or are compromised
by an offender of Acceptable Use Policies. While a certain level of
this kind of mail is to be expected in today's internet traffic, when
this occurs above generous thresholds set by ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET
system administrators, immediate and decisive action is taken to
protect our network resources.
****CUSTOMERS****
If you submitted an IP address for removal through the administrator's
webform, or requested removal by emailing abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net, the
administrator of the sending mail service or hosting provider is unaware
of the issue and the IP may be blocked again. It is imperative that the
sending service or hosting provider be made aware of the issue. Please
send this message, along with the error message to that administrator
so action may be taken to resolve the issues that caused the block. If
you forward mail from a hosting service to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET mail account, read the note on forwarded mail below.
****ADMINSTRATORS****
Please thoroughly check your IP logs before requesting removal. If you
have already been removed, please examine your logs for rogue traffic,
AUP offenders, and compromised scripts or objects. You must determine
that all traffic from the blocked IP is actually from your mail servers
to ensure your network is not compromised. Administrators who fail to
do this may experience subsequent and more resolute blocking.
Thank you for helping the ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET network combat
network abuse in all its forms.
Regards,
ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET Postmaster/Abuse Team
****FORWARDED MAIL****
If you are forwarding mail from a vanity domain, hosting service, or
any other mail account that receives a high volume of spam, you may
be indirectly contributing to the blocking of that IP. Forwarded spam
is still spam and should be filtered at the source to end the abuse of
network resources at the earliest point. Users can do this by utilizing
spam filtering tools provided by the hosting service or external
Internet Service Provider before it is forwarded to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET.
Statement of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on Broadband Network Management Hearing:
Thursday, February 28
Support Post-Election Audits for Iowa this November
by
Sam Garchik
on Thu 28 Feb 2008 01:17 PM CST
Support Post-Election Audits for Iowa this November
By Sean Flaherty, IVI
Dear Friends,
We are close to victory in the fight for paper ballot systems in Iowa, but we need your help on an equally important component of secure elections: random hand audits. Time is short, but there is still active discussion of audits this year.
Please contact Secretary of State Michael Mauro at 515-281-5204 and urge him to support legislation to require hand-count audits of the 2008 election.
Background
Voter-marked paper ballots are the foundation of a reliable voting system. But paper ballots offer security only if we use them to check the software that reads the ballots and tallies our votes. And the computer voting systems we use in elections have grave vulnerabilities. Don't take our word for it, though. Here is a sample of what software experts say about security and the need for audits:
University of Iowa professor Douglas Jones, one of the world's experts on voting technology, stated in an affidavit in Pennsylvania court this year that hand counted audits are the only defense against weaknessess found by recent security reviews: "..the only effective defenses against the weaknesses discovered by the California TTBR [top-to-bottom review] and the Ohio EVEREST studies is the defense mandated by Pennsylvania law 25 P.S. 3013.7, a recount of a random sample of the ballots cast in an election."* The Ohio and California reviews included all of the voting systems used in Iowa, including paper ballot/optical scan systems.
The Brennan Center's Task Force on Voting System Security wrote in 2006: "The value of paper ballots without the Automatic Routine Audits is highly questionable, " (p. 83). The Task Force included Professor Jones, Ron Rivest, professor of computer science of MIT and one of the founders of the field of computer security, and Howard Schmidt, former chief security officer of the Microsoft Corporation. When a team that includes Microsoft's security officer says we need hand audits to secure our elections, we should listen.
Secretary Mauro supports post-election audits; it's a matter of getting it done this year. Please be sure to thank him for his support of paper ballot systems, but let him know that an election with no check on the software counting our votes is not an option in 2008.
Thank you for all you do.
Best regards,
Sean Flaherty
Co-Chair, Iowans for Voting Integrity
* “Certification of Douglas W. Jones, Ph.D.” Submitted to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, January 23, 2008.
Wednesday, February 27
EMILY's List Training Tonight and Thursday in Des Moines
by
Sam Garchik
on Wed 27 Feb 2008 08:55 AM CST
EMILY's List Training Tonight and Thursday in Des Moines
By The Democratic Activist Women's Network
EMILY’s List
Political Opportunity Program
Presents
Democratic Pro-Choice Progressive Women
2008 Candidate & Activist Campaign Training
Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Iowa Historical Building, 600 East Locust Street, Des Moines
Thursday, February 28, 2008, 8:00am to 5:00pm
Iowa Coalitions Against Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence Training Room
515 28th Street, Des Moines
Sponsored by:
* DAWN’s List * EMILY's List * Electing Progressive Women (Iowa City) * AFSCME * Women for a Stronger America * Iowa Democratic Party *
The training will include:
* Expert campaign trainers from EMILY's List;
* Campaign planning notebooks full of helpful information for 35-45 participants;
* All meals and, if sponsorship is secured, hotel rooms for participants;
* Proven training for successful campaigns of progressive pro-choice Democratic women;
This training is designed especially to benefit:
* Democratic pro-choice progressive women first-time legislative candidates;
* Incumbent women candidates facing challenges in reelection;
* Women considering a future run for office; and
* Democratic campaign Activists;
You will expand your knowledge and capacity with:
* Building a campaign message;
* Effective fundraising methods;
* Balancing politics and life responsibilities;
* And much MORE!
To be a Sponsor for the training, or for more information, contact:
* Marti Anderson at marti421@aol.com or 515-255-2314;
* Or go the DAWN's List website at www.dawnslist.org.
Tuesday, February 26
Planned Parenthood Lobby Day is March 5th, 2008
by
Sam Garchik
on Tue 26 Feb 2008 09:44 AM CST
Planned Parenthood Lobby Day is March 5th, 2008
By Planned Parenthood of Iowa
Save the Date!
Lobby Day is March 5th, 2008
Join us as activists and staff head to the Capitol to take our Prevention First agenda to legislators.
Lobby Day includes a training session on successful citizen lobbying strategies, an overview of Planned Parenthood's mission for this year, and a group trip to the Capitol to meet with your legislators.
Lobby Day begins at 9:30a.m., includes lunch, and ends after a celebration reception at 4:30p.m.
The cost of $15.00 per person includes training materials, lunch, and the shuttle bus to and from the Capitol. The event begins at the Des Moines Botanical Center where the initial training will take place.
Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, March 5th, 2008.
If you have any questions, please contact Suzi Alexander via email or call (515) 235-0441.
"Planned Parenthood's group approach to lobbying really makes the experience fun and more comfortable for first-time citizen lobbyists." -- Debbie Gitchell, Ames
Lobby Day - March 5th
Wednesday, March 5th
9:30a.m. - 4:30p.m.
$15.00 event fee
Des Moines Botanical Center
909 Robert D Ray Dr.
Des Moines, IA 50316
Monday, February 25
Visit Iowa Farms Agritourism Conference Planned for March 15
by
Sam Garchik
on Mon 25 Feb 2008 08:56 AM CST
Visit Iowa Farms Agritourism Conference Planned for March 15
By ISU Extension
Once upon a time, most Iowans had some connection to agriculture. Today, a very small percentage of IowanÂ’s population is involved in production agriculture. However, the lure of rural culture and life remains. Agritourism brings opportunities for rural Iowans to educate, inform and entertain travelers on rural life and agriculture.
A team of service providers from across the state hopes to grow the Iowa landscape for agritourism operations. The team, which has been meeting over the year, hopes to help Iowa agritourism producers begin or expand their business and marketing efforts.
The Iowa Agritourism Working Group, supported by the Value Added Agriculture Program and other departments within Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, the Iowa Department of Agriculture, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Silos and Smokestacks, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, is planning a conference to address the importance and issues surrounding marketing agritourism operations. Value Added Agriculture Program Director Ray Hansen said this team addresses important challenges in growing this industry in Iowa.
Rural tourism activities are the third most popular activities in Iowa, and spending on rural trips accounts for a growing percentage of total Iowa tourism revenues. Our goal is to enable producers to grow this industry,” Hansen said.
The Visit Iowa Farms conference is planned for March 15 at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus in Ames. The conference agenda will focus on marketing issues and will open with comments from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. Sessions will target marketing plan development, website marketing, creating a hospitality mindset, market research, ad creation and farm signage. Producer panels are planned for question and answer sessions. Partial funding for the conference is provided by the North Central Risk Management Education Center.
For registration information, visit http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/iowafarms/home.html. For more information, contact the Value Added Agriculture Program at 515-294-9483.
Marsha Laux, program coordinator, Iowa State
University Extension, Value Added Agriculture Program, 319-796-4362,
mlaux@iastate.edu
Malinda Geisler, program coordinator, Iowa State University Extension,
Value Added Agriculture Program, 515-964-2640, malindag@iastate.edu
Christa Hartsook, communications specialist, Iowa State University
Extension, Value Added Agriculture Program, 515-294-4430,
hartc@iastate.edu
Saturday, February 23
Evening at Emma's: African American Women's Health Night
by
Sam Garchik
on Sat 23 Feb 2008 08:50 AM CST
Evening at Emma's: African American Women's Health Night
By Karen Kubby
The Emma Goldman Clinic is hosting its 3rd Annual African American Women's Health Night on Thursday, February 28, 2008 from 4 to 8pm. Free health care services will be provided that include diabetes screening, cholesterol checks, thyroid screening, annual gynecological exams, birth control information and sexually transmitted testing. Fasting is required for the diabetes and cholesterol screens. For appointments or more information call (319) 337-2111.
"The Emma Goldman Clinic feels this is the best way we can participate in and celebrate Black History Month," stated Karen Kubby, the Clinic's Executive Director. "We hope to provide a comfortable, respectful and competent atmosphere for African American women to obtain health care services. It will be a fun day as well, with food, music, massage, and door prizes available. We hope African American women will join us on February 28."
The Emma Goldman Clinic is located at 227 N. Dubuque St. in Iowa City and at <http://www.emmagoldman.com/>www.emmagoldman.com.
Friday, February 22
Increased help for Veterans, Less Help for Vulnerable Children
by
Sam Garchik
on Fri 22 Feb 2008 08:39 AM CST
Increased help for Veterans, Less Help for Vulnerable Children
By Keith Kreiman, Iowa Senate
The 2008 session of the Legislature is not running at a fast clip if speed is measured in the number of bills that have been debated in the full House and Senate.
On the other hand, there are many, many bills that are being debated in committees and that are being discussed with citizens at legislative forums and coffees throughout the state. It is not surprising that the Legislature does its best work when legislators listen to the ideas and concerns of the people they represent.
Veterans are likely to get more help this year. A bill passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor on February 14th requires that an employee returning from military service be given a position of like seniority, status and pay if not returned to their original position. Employers who violate the law will be responsible for reinstatement of the veteran, back pay, lost benefits, seniority and pension adjustments. They will also face misdemeanor charges.
The Senate also has approved a bill that will broaden the allowable expenses that can be paid using interest from the state's $5 million Veterans Trust Fund. Those expenses would include payment for prescriptions, in-home nursing care, and vision, hearing and dental care.
I have also drafted a veterans hiring preference bill similar to one that is in effect in Minnesota. That bill will be going to the Veterans Affairs Committee and, if passed, will strengthen Iowa's current law and will result in the hiring of more veterans into state jobs. It will also protect them from being fired for disabilities related to their service.
As your state senator, I enjoy letting you know of positive ideas I have heard and of good things that our state is doing. But, I also have the responsibility to tell you when I learn that the state is falling far short of its duty. Without a doubt, the state is not doing the best it can to protect abused and neglected children.
Social workers and contractors who provide services to abused and neglected children tell me that the State is investigating far fewer cases of children who are exposed to smoke from illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. Not because there are fewer of these cases, but because of a new policy at the Department of Human Services.
These workers also have told me that families with children over the age of six are unlikely to find mental health, family preservation help, or other assistance when those families are in crisis. This too is because of a change in policy at DHS. Unfortunately, few of these workers are complaining directly to higher DHS staff because they fear for their jobs.
As Iowans, we all have a duty to make sure that vulnerable children are protected and to make sure that vulnerable families are provided every opportunity to stay together and thrive. Better protection for vulnerable children and families is my top priority in the Legislature.
Thank you again for your help and advice this legislative session. Keep in touch!
This is a legislative update from Senator Keith Kreiman. Contact Senator Kreiman by calling (515) 281-3371 or sending an e-mail to keith.kreiman@legis.state.ia.us. For newsletters, photos and further information, go to www.iowasenatedemoc
rats.org/kreiman.
Thursday, February 21
Attend Listening Posts and Weigh in on Transportation Funding; February 21st, 22nd, 28th, and 29th
by
Sam Garchik
on Thu 21 Feb 2008 08:01 AM CST
Attend Listening Posts and Weigh in on Transportation Funding;
February 21st, 22nd, 28th, and 29th
By Stephanie Weisenbach, Program Coordinator, 1000 Friends of Iowa
We have an opportunity on our hands to shape the future of Iowa’s transportation system to better meet the needs of people, the environment, and the economy. Many Iowans are tired of seeing our valuable farmland and natural areas being paved over for sprawling development. People want the existing roads in their community to be in good shape. And there’s a growing demand for better choices to bike, walk, use public transit, and use passenger rail so people can have a better quality of life with less time spent behind the wheel.
How to finance our transportation system is being debated this session, and citizens need to weigh in on the kind of transportation investments we need to improve our communities.
Iowa Senator Tom Rielly, chair, and Iowa Senator Larry Noble, ranking member, of the Senate Transportation Committee have announced that they plan to hold meetings (listening posts) throughout the state that focus discussion on transportation funding STARTING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21. (See schedule of meetings at the bottom of this article)
A proposal called TIME-21 stands for "Transportation Investment Moves the Economy in the 21st Century." The proposal is to create a "TIME-21 Fund" to finance road projects and identify ways to increase revenues to put money into the fund. For more information from the Department of Transportation on TIME-21 visit: http://iowadot.gov/time21/
THE PROBLEM:
• Public transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and passenger rail would not receive, or even be eligible for, any of the proposed new $200 million per year in the TIME-21 Fund.
• Fixing our existing roads is not a required priority with the money.
• Costly new road projects for urban sprawl or highway expansion projects could absorb a significant portion of the money.
WHY WE NEED TO SOLVE IT:
• Transportation accounts for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions and is the fastest growing sector contributing to climate change.
• New road projects on the suburban fringe often lead to auto-dependent development that drives up the number of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).
• Oil is running out, and we need public policy that helps us conserve the amount of fuel we use.
• Major transit projects will fail to receive federal funding if Iowa can't supply the required match money.
THE SOLUTION:
The best way for policymakers to make a well-informed decision is to postpone consideration of TIME-21 until the 2009 session when the following three critical documents will be completed:
• Report from the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council, which will include recommendations on making balanced transportation investments.
• Studies on expanded passenger rail service to major Iowa cities including Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, and Des Moines.
• The State Transportation Plan, which will be updated later this year and will include expanded transportation choices.
Tell policymakers that if they don’t take the wisest approach to wait until next session, if they advance legislation this year, you want them to support:
• A fix-it-first approach to road funding, ensuring that our existing roads receive the necessary improvements, and new roads don’t gobble up too much money and land.
• Allow for the TIME-21 money to be used for other transportation modes in addition to roads, including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, public transit, and passenger rail.
SCHEDULE for Senator Rielly and Senator Noble’s transportation tour:
Thursday, Feb. 21
3 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
King Memorial Library
708 7th Street
Grundy Center
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Country Hills Golf Course
10280 Echo Valley Road
West Union
Friday, Feb. 22
8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Dubuque River Museum
350 East 3rd Street
Port of Dubuque
Dubuque
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
John O' Donnell Stadium
209 S. Gaines Street
Davenport
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Manatt's, Inc.
1775 Old 6 Road
Brooklyn
Thursday, Feb. 28
3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Jefferson Community Building
204 W. Harrison
(Four-way stop at Iowa 4 and Lincolnway)
Jefferson
6 p.m. - 7:30 pm
Sunrise Point Golf Course
1528 E. Lake Shore Drive
Storm Lake
Friday, Feb. 29
9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Sioux City Public Library
Gleeson Room
529 Pierce Street
Sioux City
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Visitor's Center
Glenwood Resource Center Campus
110 Main Street
Glenwood
3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Terrible's Lakeside Casino
777 Casino Drive
Osceola
For any questions about the tour, contact Senator Rielly or Senator Noble through
the Senate lounge switchboard at 515-281-3371.
Also, contact your legislators and Governor Culver:
Let Governor Culver know that Iowa's solutions for climate change and energy independence must include reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled, and passing the current version of TIME-21 in 2008 would be in conflict with that goal.
Contact information for Governor Chet Culver:
http://www.governor.iowa.gov/administration/contact/
You can look up the names of your legislators and find their contact information at:
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/
The switchboard for members of the House is (515) 281-3221; the switchboard for members of the Senate is (515) 281-3371.
Representatives on the House Transportation Committee:
Geri Huser (Chair), Jim Lykam (Vice Chair), Dave Tjepkes (Ranking Member), Rich Arnold, Paul Bell, Polly Bukta, Dennis Cohoon, Swati Dandekar, Mary Gaskill, Chuck Gipp, Dan Huseman, Mike May, Dolores Mertz, Donovan Olsen, Dan Rasmussen, Mike Reasoner, Rod Roberts, Kurt Swaim, John Whitaker, Matt Windschitl, Gary Worthan.
Senators on the Senate Transportation Commitee:
Tom Rielly (Chair), Jeff Danielson (Vice Chair), Larry Noble (Ranking Member), Daryl Beall, Dick Dearden, Tom Hancock, Bill Heckroth, Hubert Houser, Matt McCoy, John Putney, Steve Warnstadt, Brad Zaun, Mark Zieman.
Submitted by:
Stephanie Weisenbach
Program Coordinator
1000 Friends of Iowa
3850 Merle Hay Road Suite 605
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
515-288-5364
programs@1000friendsofiowa.org
www.1000friendsofiowa.org
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