Archive
October 20th, 2005
The Poverty Blog Project
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 10/20/2005 - 10:01(Originally published at Greater Democracy)
How will we fight poverty in America? Senator Edwards is going around the country in his Opportunity Rocks college tour. He is speaking to students about the need to raise people’s awareness of poverty in America so that we can address this problem.
He speaks about how Hurricane Katrina has shown the ugly face of poverty to people who have too long believed that poverty isn’t a problem. He has speaks about the need to keep this in people’s minds, to keep the attention from shifting back to other things.
He spoke about Robert Kennedy’s visit to Appalachia and how that helped get people to focus on poverty. As he spoke about this, I thought about the Freedom Riders. I have been talking about how we need a new generation of Freedom Riders with a new generation of tools.
Freedom Riders of the New WPA
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 10/20/2005 - 00:01(Originally posted at Greater Democracy)
I did not want to go hear a warmed over former presidential candidate keeping his options alive for 2008, but I got an invitation to blog John Edwards’ visit to Yale and I thought I really should go. Fortunately, it wasn’t leftover politics that John Edwards was serving.
I am on all the mailing lists. DNC, DFA, Emily’s List, DCCC, Kerry, Edwards, Clark, Bayh, Meetup, Moveon; the list goes on and on. So generally, I glance at these requests but pay them little mind. That was my initial reaction to the Edwards message from MoveOn.
The question popped up on one mailing list I was on asking if anyone was going. I sent an email saying that I had heard Senator Edwards speak and annual Jefferson Jackson Bailey Dinner and was fairly disappointed. I told people that I wasn’t planning on going.
But then a friend sent me an email about blogging the event. I enjoy blogging political events, so I made arrangements to go.
At Yale, I ran into a few old friends from the Dean campaign. I did my same rant with each of them. If Senator Edwards does the standard leftover politics, I will be disappointed, but not surprised. I sure hope, however, that he will really talk about a new generation of Freedom Riders. One person commented that she had come, hoping to get re-invigorated.
October 19th
Speeding State Reps.
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 10/19/2005 - 22:44Driving home this evening at about 9:30 on the Merritt, I was riding along in the right hand lane. In front of me, the car was doing about 53 and I was looking into the left hand lane for my opportunity to pull out and pass. In the left hand lane, a car was doing about 60. My chance to pull out and pass would come soon.
Then a vehicle comes barreling up the left hand lane and flashes his lights at the car doing 60. It pulls ahead of the car in front of me and the vehicle that flashed its lights is gone down the road.
I dislike aggressive driving like that, and if this had been more egregious and my wife was with me, she might have called 911 and reported the vehicle.
Opportunity Rocks
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 10/19/2005 - 11:50I've been fighting yet another stomach bug and I'm way behind on my writing. I have at least half dozen blog posts in draft mode that I need to write and post.
The queue is likely to get a little longer. This evening, I will be going to hear Senator Edwards talk. It is part of his nation wide tour, Opportunity Rocks college tour. Tonight, he is at Yale.
October 18th
Your Walmart Dollars at Work
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 10/18/2005 - 12:04Chris Cillizza in his Washington Post Blog reports that two days after Tom Delay was indicted, Walmart PAC donated $5,000 to Delay.
Hat tip to Craggie for pointing this out.
