A February 22nd the front page of the Houston Chronicle had an article Headlined Democratic race attracts early voters in record numbers. The article says that in Harris County alone 50,997 voters — 38,214 Democrats and 12,783 Republicans — have already been to the polls.
That means that within a week the number of early voters far exceeds the total number of early voters from four years ago. And it is not just Harris County, which has broken records. Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, and Galveston County have also registered thousands more voters then in previous elections.
Never have so many voted and never has voting been easier. Most counties promise polling places a maximum of 5 miles from wherever you might be in a given county. The Secretary of States website (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml) gives a comprehensive list of counties and who in the county to contact in order to find out your polling place.
But, the residents of Prairie View Texas and the students at Prairie View A&M University the list is of little use. Prairie View is in Waller County and there is only one polling place in the County. That one polling place which is a 7.3-mile walk from Prairie View has, according to Matt Ortega’s column on www.democrats.org, has only two voting booths in it. Waller County has a population of over 35,000 people and only 2 voting booths!
The obvious question is why would there be so few polling stations in Waller County? And why would there be not a single polling station within 7 miles of Prairie View where about half the students and a good percentage of the town are registered to vote?
I can not say for sure, but one theory, and it is a theory mentioned on the Prairie View A&M’s website not to mention a number of other places is the percentage of African American’s in Prairie View (26% according to the latest census data) this is to say nothing of the Hispanic population (23%).
Not only is the county made up of more then 50% minorities but also they are well below the average income level, the census data from 2000 shows that the average family in Prairie View mad only $22,000 per year. This compared with a National Average of $45,000.
Children everywhere are taught the importance of voting and yet for children in Prairie View it is a right, which they must still fight for.
On February 19th of this year 2000 people, 1000 students plus another 1000 friends and supporters marched the 7.3 miles to the Waller County polling station to vote. That many students voting at once tied up the polling station all night.
As a result, the Government has agreed to add several more polling stations in the Prairie View area. The problem is that the stations will be open for less then 24 hours.
So what else can be done?
To this end, I have contacted Edrea Davis, an organizor and activist in Prairie View who has promised to send me information on how to help the cause of the town residents and the students in Prairie View.
As soon as I get this information, I will post it to this blog. In the meantime, tell your friends and family what is going on in Waller County. Get them involved, spread the word, and check out future posts to see what else you can do. What is happening in Prairie View can not be tolerated!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
WHEN IS YOUR VOICE NO LONGER NECESSARY?
Within 48 hours of my blog, which urged people to write or call the super-delegates in their state and insist that they vote with the state rather then according to their own interests Obama won a decided victory in Wisconsin. Today the ABC poll puts him within a point of Clinton in Texas. Therefore, perhaps it is not surprising that I found myself in a conversation with someone who asked if my blog wasn‘t making something of a moot point. “It looks,” they said, “like Obama could win without the super-delegates so that post may have been a waste of time.”
My guess is there are many people who feel this way. Myself, I am wary of that kind of thinking. Obama is still (according to both the ABC and Rasmussen Polls) between 7 and 8 points behind in Pennsylvania and according to RealClearPolitics.com Hillary still leads in National Polls. The primary is by no means over. But even if it was, even if Obama or Clinton had enough of a lead to make it clear that the super-delegates are not going to decide the election, I still think it would be dangerous to let the, vote against their states majority with no fear on consequences.
The fact of the matter is that even if it does not come down to the super-delegates in this election, or four years from now, or even in the next twenty years it may at some point. So, our willingness to let them vote against their own constituents sets a precedent and a dangerous one.
It doesn’t make sense to wait until WE KNOW that their votes are what will decide a primary. It does not make sense to wait until an emergency. Again our involvement or lack there of on this issue will set a precedent let’s have it be one which will work for us in the future.
Super-Delegates are just one issue among many, which I feel it is important for people to make themselves heard on regardless of circumstances. If we are going to have a real and lasting effect in politics and on the political process, we must get involved and lobby for the things we believe in, even when it may seem unnecessary.
My guess is there are many people who feel this way. Myself, I am wary of that kind of thinking. Obama is still (according to both the ABC and Rasmussen Polls) between 7 and 8 points behind in Pennsylvania and according to RealClearPolitics.com Hillary still leads in National Polls. The primary is by no means over. But even if it was, even if Obama or Clinton had enough of a lead to make it clear that the super-delegates are not going to decide the election, I still think it would be dangerous to let the, vote against their states majority with no fear on consequences.
The fact of the matter is that even if it does not come down to the super-delegates in this election, or four years from now, or even in the next twenty years it may at some point. So, our willingness to let them vote against their own constituents sets a precedent and a dangerous one.
It doesn’t make sense to wait until WE KNOW that their votes are what will decide a primary. It does not make sense to wait until an emergency. Again our involvement or lack there of on this issue will set a precedent let’s have it be one which will work for us in the future.
Super-Delegates are just one issue among many, which I feel it is important for people to make themselves heard on regardless of circumstances. If we are going to have a real and lasting effect in politics and on the political process, we must get involved and lobby for the things we believe in, even when it may seem unnecessary.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Who the Super-Delegates Are and Why They Need to Hear From You!
The technical name, as given by the Democratic Party Rules, for a super-delegate is “unpledged party leader and elected official delegates”. This name goes far in explaining the position. Unlike most convention delegates, the super-delegates are not selected based on the party primaries and caucuses in each U.S State. Instead, the super-delegates are seated automatically, based solely on their status as current or former elected officeholders and party officials. They are free to support any candidate for the nomination.
This past Sunday (02/18/2008) The New York Times ran a front page article saying the Democratic Nomination may very well come down to super-delegates. The article went on to say that many of these super-delegates have ties to the Clinton Campaign or to the Clintons themselves, but that they live in states where Obama won the primary.
That means that this year a super-delegate following their own allegiance as opposed to the interests of the majority of voter’s in their state could make the difference in the election. And, as the description of super-delegates says, they are in no way obligated to vote with the majority. However, there is good reason why they should.
Many super-delegates are themselves elected officials and therefore voting against the majority in their state means, in many cases, voting against their own constituents. It is imperative that we not let this happen. It is imperative not only that we vote against politicians who hold their own allegiances above our interests, but that we let them know that we will vote against them.
The way to do this is by writing letters to your state’s super-delegates and letting them know just what a violation of your trust it would be for them to knowingly vote against what you and many others have voted for. Indeed, that using their votes to override yours undermines the very spirit of democracy.
To this end, I am posting a link to a site which lists all of the super-delegates, where they are from, and to whom they have pledged their support. These pledges are not written in stone, they can be changed, but not without incentive, not without your voice. The site also lists all delegates who have not yet pledged support to either candidate. So, find your delegate, and write them, or call them, or email them and let them know that if they vote against you then you will vote against them.
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/superdelegate-list.html
This past Sunday (02/18/2008) The New York Times ran a front page article saying the Democratic Nomination may very well come down to super-delegates. The article went on to say that many of these super-delegates have ties to the Clinton Campaign or to the Clintons themselves, but that they live in states where Obama won the primary.
That means that this year a super-delegate following their own allegiance as opposed to the interests of the majority of voter’s in their state could make the difference in the election. And, as the description of super-delegates says, they are in no way obligated to vote with the majority. However, there is good reason why they should.
Many super-delegates are themselves elected officials and therefore voting against the majority in their state means, in many cases, voting against their own constituents. It is imperative that we not let this happen. It is imperative not only that we vote against politicians who hold their own allegiances above our interests, but that we let them know that we will vote against them.
The way to do this is by writing letters to your state’s super-delegates and letting them know just what a violation of your trust it would be for them to knowingly vote against what you and many others have voted for. Indeed, that using their votes to override yours undermines the very spirit of democracy.
To this end, I am posting a link to a site which lists all of the super-delegates, where they are from, and to whom they have pledged their support. These pledges are not written in stone, they can be changed, but not without incentive, not without your voice. The site also lists all delegates who have not yet pledged support to either candidate. So, find your delegate, and write them, or call them, or email them and let them know that if they vote against you then you will vote against them.
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/superdelegate-list.html
Friday, February 15, 2008
How to Find the Meaning of Life!
When we look at or talk about politicians we often talk about them in terms of money or power. But are these qualities the ones we should be holding in such high regard? If we, ourselves, achieve fame or power or wealth will that really mean that we have lived a good life? Will it mean that when we look back we are satisfied?
Questioning whether ones life has meaning can come at any time. It can be a constant, it can be the result of a mid-life crisis, or the result of retirement, divorce, sickness, or old age.
For me, it is a question which has often crossed my mind, but a question which, until recently, I could easily put aside. I could easily find something to distract me for long enough to forget exactly what it is I was trying to distract myself from.
However, over the last few days, due at least in part to the untimely deaths of two men; Michael Maggio and the Father of a good friend, it is a question I can not so easily ignore. So I thought it might be well worth it to put down some of what I’ve come up with in terms of creating a life of meaning.
In the end it all comes down to values. What is it that you place the most value in? Is it family, or money, or success, or fame, or religion, or power, or sex?
Regardless of what it is, I think that it is important to pause, to look at your values, and then to look at how much time you spend working on the one which is most important to you. Is family the most important to you? And if it is, are you devoting as much attention to that as you are to your work? Are you putting as much or more time into a value which may rank fifth or sixth on your list as opposed to first? And if you are what can you do about it?
These are not easy questions to answer. Nor, do I expect one’s answers remain the same for an entire lifetime.
At the moment the most important thing to me is my education, but that is a means to an end. I need my education in order that I may get a job which is meaningful to me, first as a teacher in the more conventional sense and then as a politician.
The point is that I recognize where my priorities are and the path I need to follow. I recognize the need to keep myself from getting caught up in or placing a disproportionate amount of value in the superficial rather then in what is truly important to me.
That said, from now on, when we talk about politicians, rather then concentrating so much on the numbers, let’s concentrate (to the extent that it is possible) on whether what they are saying and the stances they are taking are truly important to them or have they let the desire for power and fame eclipse the fact that there are humans and Nations who will be profoundly effected (and lend support accordingly) by the promises they are making?
Let us judge first ourselves and then them by some higher standard.
Questioning whether ones life has meaning can come at any time. It can be a constant, it can be the result of a mid-life crisis, or the result of retirement, divorce, sickness, or old age.
For me, it is a question which has often crossed my mind, but a question which, until recently, I could easily put aside. I could easily find something to distract me for long enough to forget exactly what it is I was trying to distract myself from.
However, over the last few days, due at least in part to the untimely deaths of two men; Michael Maggio and the Father of a good friend, it is a question I can not so easily ignore. So I thought it might be well worth it to put down some of what I’ve come up with in terms of creating a life of meaning.
In the end it all comes down to values. What is it that you place the most value in? Is it family, or money, or success, or fame, or religion, or power, or sex?
Regardless of what it is, I think that it is important to pause, to look at your values, and then to look at how much time you spend working on the one which is most important to you. Is family the most important to you? And if it is, are you devoting as much attention to that as you are to your work? Are you putting as much or more time into a value which may rank fifth or sixth on your list as opposed to first? And if you are what can you do about it?
These are not easy questions to answer. Nor, do I expect one’s answers remain the same for an entire lifetime.
At the moment the most important thing to me is my education, but that is a means to an end. I need my education in order that I may get a job which is meaningful to me, first as a teacher in the more conventional sense and then as a politician.
The point is that I recognize where my priorities are and the path I need to follow. I recognize the need to keep myself from getting caught up in or placing a disproportionate amount of value in the superficial rather then in what is truly important to me.
That said, from now on, when we talk about politicians, rather then concentrating so much on the numbers, let’s concentrate (to the extent that it is possible) on whether what they are saying and the stances they are taking are truly important to them or have they let the desire for power and fame eclipse the fact that there are humans and Nations who will be profoundly effected (and lend support accordingly) by the promises they are making?
Let us judge first ourselves and then them by some higher standard.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Michael Maggio (March 21, 1947-February 10, 2008)
Michael Maggio was named Washington's best immigration lawyer in 2002, based on Washingtonian magazine's interviews with lawyers, judges and clients, Mr. Maggio was known over his 30-year career for championing the rights of the underclass. He also represented large corporations, nonprofit organizations and universities.
After a loved one dies we tend, in both our memories and our stories to exaggerate their best qualities and accomplishments. With Michael Maggio it is quit the opposite. The lines above are taken from an obituary published in the Washington Post. Indeed, these are not exaggerations, they are simply facts, and they fall far short of capturing what everybody who came in contact with Michael felt.
Below is a description/story of my memories of Michael, and they will, I am sure, not do him justice. But in the absence of the man himself all we have are these stories and memories.
Michael was introduced to me by my Step-Mother as Uncle Michael (he was the Uncle of her two children) and he quickly assumed that role. He was a person like one rarely meets who genuinely cared about everyone he met from the moment he met them.
The last time I saw Michael was in 2004. I was in Georgetown. My excuse for being there was that I was interviewing at Georgetown and a number of other Universities in the DC area. The real reason I was there was because I wanted to put as much distance as possible between myself and a girl I had been engaged to in NC. I was still very much in love with her and very hurt by the way she left me.
Michael met me for lunch in a little place just below campus. When we walked in, it seemed as though everybody stopped what they were doing to say hello to him. They all knew his name and he knew theirs.
We spent an hour or so talking. Or, rather, I spent much of the hour talking. He listened. And, I mean he really listened. He really cared.
Peter Jamie Maggio, Michael’s Nephew, said that Michael was always there with words of encouragement.
This is absolutely true. He saw that I was hurting, and that I was trying to get out of a bad place and into a good one. And he believed I could and he made that very clear. He barely knew me and yet he truly believed in me.
That meeting in the restaurant in Georgetown was more then three years ago. I have moved out of NC, moved to Pennsylvania, moved from interviewing at Georgetown to attending ESU, and moved worlds away from the bad state I was in.
It was more then three years ago and yet when, on Thursday, February 7th, I heard that Michael, who had been diagnosed with Cancer in May, had only a week left to live I broke down.
I stood in between the two main academic buildings on the ESU campus and I cried.
The next few days were incredibly painful for all of Michael’s friends and family, most especially for Peter Jamie Maggio, Lena Maggio (Michael’s Mother), Candace Katter (Michael’s wife), and the other friends and family who were with Michael over the last few days of his life.
On February 10th Michael Maggio died.
Upon hearing that Michael had only a week left to live I was sure that there could be no God. There would be no sense in letting a man who had given so much die in such a painful way.
After Michael's funeral today I have never been so sure that there must be a God. It would not make sense for Michael to be anywhere now except for heaven.
Below are links to the Washington Post’s Obituary and to a blogspot page devoted to Michael’s memory:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021102996.html
http://michaelamaggio.blogspot.com/
After a loved one dies we tend, in both our memories and our stories to exaggerate their best qualities and accomplishments. With Michael Maggio it is quit the opposite. The lines above are taken from an obituary published in the Washington Post. Indeed, these are not exaggerations, they are simply facts, and they fall far short of capturing what everybody who came in contact with Michael felt.
Below is a description/story of my memories of Michael, and they will, I am sure, not do him justice. But in the absence of the man himself all we have are these stories and memories.
Michael was introduced to me by my Step-Mother as Uncle Michael (he was the Uncle of her two children) and he quickly assumed that role. He was a person like one rarely meets who genuinely cared about everyone he met from the moment he met them.
The last time I saw Michael was in 2004. I was in Georgetown. My excuse for being there was that I was interviewing at Georgetown and a number of other Universities in the DC area. The real reason I was there was because I wanted to put as much distance as possible between myself and a girl I had been engaged to in NC. I was still very much in love with her and very hurt by the way she left me.
Michael met me for lunch in a little place just below campus. When we walked in, it seemed as though everybody stopped what they were doing to say hello to him. They all knew his name and he knew theirs.
We spent an hour or so talking. Or, rather, I spent much of the hour talking. He listened. And, I mean he really listened. He really cared.
Peter Jamie Maggio, Michael’s Nephew, said that Michael was always there with words of encouragement.
This is absolutely true. He saw that I was hurting, and that I was trying to get out of a bad place and into a good one. And he believed I could and he made that very clear. He barely knew me and yet he truly believed in me.
That meeting in the restaurant in Georgetown was more then three years ago. I have moved out of NC, moved to Pennsylvania, moved from interviewing at Georgetown to attending ESU, and moved worlds away from the bad state I was in.
It was more then three years ago and yet when, on Thursday, February 7th, I heard that Michael, who had been diagnosed with Cancer in May, had only a week left to live I broke down.
I stood in between the two main academic buildings on the ESU campus and I cried.
The next few days were incredibly painful for all of Michael’s friends and family, most especially for Peter Jamie Maggio, Lena Maggio (Michael’s Mother), Candace Katter (Michael’s wife), and the other friends and family who were with Michael over the last few days of his life.
On February 10th Michael Maggio died.
Upon hearing that Michael had only a week left to live I was sure that there could be no God. There would be no sense in letting a man who had given so much die in such a painful way.
After Michael's funeral today I have never been so sure that there must be a God. It would not make sense for Michael to be anywhere now except for heaven.
Below are links to the Washington Post’s Obituary and to a blogspot page devoted to Michael’s memory:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021102996.html
http://michaelamaggio.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Over the last couple of days there has been an increase in Barack Obama's popularity. But with this increase comes the question of whether there is more to him then a charming, intelligent, incredibly well spoken candidate? People want to know if there is substance behind his policies. And if there is real substance there then what is the difference between what he and Hillary are proposing? These are fair questions. Indeed they are necessary questions. So, here is one issue, which I believe is not only substantive but far more likely to pass in Congress then is Hillary’s.
HEALTH CARE: Clinton is proposing a plan which would make Health Care Mandatory for all. Obama is proposing a plan which would be affordable to all but still give individuals the right to opt out.
Hillary must be aware that Republicans will reject the idea of a mandate which puts so much power into the hands of a private industry. The only way her plan could pass is if she can get full support from Democrats in both the House and Senate and keep that support through the incredibly intense lobbying which will ensue.
Obama's plan is far more realistic. His plan guarantees affordable premiums, co-pays, and deductibles, a comprehensive benefits package, and simplified paperwork (Clinton's plan promises many of these things as well). However, a choice rather then a mandate is far more likely to carry bipartisan support. Not only does this make his Health Care Plan more likely to pass but it allows for easier compromise in the future. Both of the plans lay out very specific goals. Indeed, they both have substance. However, Obama has learned from the mistakes and roadblocks Hillary Clinton ran into when she first proposed this policy. Hillary, it seems, has not.
Clearly, one of the purposes of this blog is for me to voice my opinions on politics. However, that is not enough; I want to encourage you to give your opinions on what I am saying. Discuss, debate, ask questions...We're going to have a new President come November and the more informed we are the better a position we are in when we pull the lever to cast our vote.Another purpose of this blog is to workshop pieces: fiction, nonfiction, essays, etc. you or I might be working on.So there you have it, there's no turning back now, YOU’RE IN MY BRAIN! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
HEALTH CARE: Clinton is proposing a plan which would make Health Care Mandatory for all. Obama is proposing a plan which would be affordable to all but still give individuals the right to opt out.
Hillary must be aware that Republicans will reject the idea of a mandate which puts so much power into the hands of a private industry. The only way her plan could pass is if she can get full support from Democrats in both the House and Senate and keep that support through the incredibly intense lobbying which will ensue.
Obama's plan is far more realistic. His plan guarantees affordable premiums, co-pays, and deductibles, a comprehensive benefits package, and simplified paperwork (Clinton's plan promises many of these things as well). However, a choice rather then a mandate is far more likely to carry bipartisan support. Not only does this make his Health Care Plan more likely to pass but it allows for easier compromise in the future. Both of the plans lay out very specific goals. Indeed, they both have substance. However, Obama has learned from the mistakes and roadblocks Hillary Clinton ran into when she first proposed this policy. Hillary, it seems, has not.
Clearly, one of the purposes of this blog is for me to voice my opinions on politics. However, that is not enough; I want to encourage you to give your opinions on what I am saying. Discuss, debate, ask questions...We're going to have a new President come November and the more informed we are the better a position we are in when we pull the lever to cast our vote.Another purpose of this blog is to workshop pieces: fiction, nonfiction, essays, etc. you or I might be working on.So there you have it, there's no turning back now, YOU’RE IN MY BRAIN! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
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