Blacknell.net

Politics, open government, and safe streets. And the constant incursion of cycling.

Month: February 2009

Bipartisanship Is *Not* What’s Important

By

On February 4, 2009

In Policy, Politics

Markos takes an asute observation by Theda Skocpol:

Obama is, sadly, much to blame for giving the Republicans so much leverage. He defined the challenge as bipartisanship not saving the U.S. economy.

And runs with it:

What have we seen the last few weeks? Democrats caving to GOP demands and inserting useless tax cut provisions to appease them. Then they vote en masse against the stimulus in the House. Meanwhile, Obama hands yet another cabinet post to yet another Republican, this one a right-wing small-government ideologue who voted to eliminate the Commerce Department he will now head just a few short years ago. Then he gives a schizophrenic acceptance speech where he thanks New Hampshire’s governor for caving to his demands for a GOP replacement for his seat, while at the same time arguing that it’s time to get past “partisanship”. Oh, then he punches Obama in the face by denying him a critical cloture vote on the Senate version of the stimulus bill.

[ . . . ]

During the Bush years, the best interests of our country took a back seat to the GOP’s failed ideology. Right now, it looks like the best interests of our country are taking a back seat to the failed ideology of “bipartisanship”.

It would be nice if, for once, people actually looked at what was best for our country.

Quite.   I recommend hitting the first link for the rest of Skocpol’s comments.  The bipartisan schtick that Obama has is one of the reasons I was skeptical of him in the primaries – I worried that he’d let it get in the way of good public policy.  As the election moved on, and right after it, I thought that maybe I was mistaken about that.   I’m not too far away from moving firmly back to my skepticism.

RIP Millard Fuller, Co-founder of Habitat for Humanity

By

On February 3, 2009

In Personal, Society

Millard Fuller, co-founder and long time hands-on manager of Habitat for Humanity, died today.  He was 74.

From its beginning in 1976, headquartered in a tiny gray frame house that doubled as Fuller’s law office, Habitat grew to a worldwide network that has provided shelter to more than 1.5 million people.

Habitat home buyers are required to work on their own houses, investing what the Fullers called “sweat equity.”

Preaching the “theology of the hammer,” Fuller built an army of volunteers that included former U.S. presidents, other world leaders and Hollywood celebrities.

One of Habitat’s highest-profile volunteers, former President Jimmy Carter, called Fuller “one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known.”

[ . . . ]

Jeff Snider, executive vice president of Habitat during the early ’90s, recalled Fuller as a man driven by his commitment to the destitute. Once, Snider said he suggested setting aside some of the money Fuller raised.

“He had one and only one response, which was, ‘The poor, Jeff, need the money now,'” he said. “So we ran the place full tilt, on the edge all the time, and it was stressful — but he was right.”

In another life, I spent a decent amount of time working with community service programs in Americus, Georgia, and I had a couple of chances to meet with Mr. Fuller.    He was one of those people you remember, and I do so fondly.   I was terribly disappointed to read, in the obituary, that he did not always live up to my expectations of him, but that doesn’t change the incredible work that Habitat for Humanity has done in the US.   Habitat is head-and-shoulders above the rest of the field as the best example of the positives that faith-based initiatives can offer.   Mr. Fuller deserves remembrance and thanks for that.

Robert Reich on Daschle’s Withdrawal:

By

On February 3, 2009

In Politics, Society

I hope he’s right:

My guess is that official Washington underestimated the public’s pique at what appeared to be the old ways of Washington. Hill staffers tell me that many offices have been inundated with telephone calls, emails, letters and faxes expressing concern (to put it mildly) about Daschle — not only his failure to pay back taxes but his relationships with major players in the health care industry and rich consulting contracts with the private sector since leaving the Senate, and even the fact that he was given a car and driver by one of them.

I have a hard time fathoming that people care that much.  But I hope so.

Virginia Cycling Safety Education in 1972

By

On February 3, 2009

In Cycling, Virginia

I present Danny and the Demoncycle for your reading pleasure (and safety education!). Authored by the VA Department of Highway Safety and circulated in elementary schools in 1972.  Click the link for a scan of the whole comic (during which you’ll see Satan Santa bring Danny the Demoncycle!)

06

China’s Labor Troubles: Yours, Too?

By

On February 2, 2009

In Policy, Society

The Times Online reports:

Bankruptcies, unemployment and social unrest are spreading more widely in China than officially reported, according to independent research that paints an ominous picture for the world economy.

The research was conducted for The Sunday Times over the last two months in three provinces vital to Chinese trade – Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. It found that the global economic crisis has scythed through exports and set off dozens of protests that are never mentioned by the state media.

Now, I’m taking that with a grain of salt – not because I particularly doubt the sources in the article, but because I’ve found that it’s so much “news” about China is passed through filters that result in the China that writers and reporters think you should see, instead of the China that is.  That said (and here is where my own filter kicks in), if things really are moving towards massive unrest in China, I think that’ll hit Western consumers just as hard as the financial mess.  All those cheaper places people have started shopping at, lately?  Direct pipeline of goods from China.  And when that pipeline gets interrupted by unrest?  Where are these stores going to turn?  As best I can tell, they don’t have any other meaningful options.

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