Political Issues
"The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun."~Ralph Nader, quoted in Linda Botts, ed., Loose Talk, 1980
Jan.24, 2010: ALERT! Supreme Court Ruling gives corporations the right to buy elections.
As if the corporations in America do not already have a huge influence on our elected politicians, now they can really put who they want in office. Their massive financial strength may squash the voting power of citizens like you and me.
Please sign petitions for a Constitutional Amendment and exercise your right as an American to retain what we hold as our inalienable rights. "We the People" will not allow corporations to own our government!
"Silence never won rights. They are not handed down from above; they are forced by pressures from below." ~Roger Baldwin
www.MoveToAmend.org
Public Citizen
Whether you are a young parent or have twenty grandchildren, you help shape our government, laws, and regulations.
Whether you work in politics or have never voted before, you help make decisions which affect our families, businesses and communities. In a representative government, the governing bodies should be just that - representative of its people. Laws and regulations should be designed to protect its citizens, not corporations and industry. We cannot expect change to begin at the top. Change begins with us - the people. You CAN make a difference!
The industrial food system in America is heavily subsidized by our government and affects the economy, our health, and our future. Find current food industry news and see how you can get involved through the Union of Concerned Scientists FEED.
August 9, 2009: Soda Tax According to ads paid for by the "Americans Against Food Taxes", this proposed tax would financially ruin the typical American family. These are nothing more than deceptive scare tactics paid for by soda manufacturers, fast food chains, beverage companies, and grocers who all have profits to lose if the bill passes. The tax is one of many proposals by members of Congress to help pay for the government healthcare system. It is only a few cents per serving, but would add up to billions of dollars per year. Read More on our Wordpress Blog...
August 3, 2009: Plastic Bag Tax The city of Seattle, Washington is following Ireland's clever and successful campaign to significantly reduce the number of plastic bags used in its city. The city council passed the plastic bag sales tax in 2008 only to be forced into a referendum vote August 18, 2009. This is the result of The American Chemistry Council's lobbying efforts. We urge citizens to do what they can to help Seattle's efforts for a cleaner Puget Sound, city, and planet. Let's follow their lead in all of our cities and towns; forcing the chemical and oil lobbies to spend a whole lot more money trying to stop us! Read More...
Update: Unfortunately, the referendum did not pass, but you can still check the link for other initiatives and info.
Plastic bags consumed this year:
Brought to you by reusablebags.com
We invite you to learn more about the Green Party of the United States; a political party that differs from Democrats and Republicans in ways you probably already agree with.
Ten Key Values are:
1.
GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their
lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will
work to increase public participation at every level of government and
to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the
people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of
political organizations which expand the process of participatory
democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.
2.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally
from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must
consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at
large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and
homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and
equal justice under the law.
3.
ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of
nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an
ecological
balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our
communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which
utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit
and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we
must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy
efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of
natural systems.
4.
NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to
society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to
demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being
naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize
the
need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless
situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and
policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward
lasting personal, community and global peace.
5.
DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic
injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we
support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions
away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the
powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system.
Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual
and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all
citizens.
6.
COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable
economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard
of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological
balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with
dignity, while paying a “living wage” which
reflects the
real value of a person’s work.
Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our “quality of life.” We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.
7.
FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUALITY
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics
and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of
domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that
respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as
equality
between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be
developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process
that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as
achieving the outcome we want.
8.
RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual,
religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of
respectful relationships across these lines.
We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.
9.
PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being
and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social
harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world
to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.
10.
FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We
seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or
“unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a
sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for
survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by
assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal
policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the
results of our actions.
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danielle@fullcirclechild.com