Thursday, June 29, 2006
The BOBAUBIN.com Show!
I will be starting a new feature on BOBAUBIN.com, a weekly "Bobcast" covering news and events around the North Country! Keep your internet browsers tuned to BOBABIN.com for more information soon.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Little Time Left to Speak Out for Fair Share!
Only a couple days remain until the Senate session ends. The State Senate must act now to pass Fair Share for Healthcare.Betty Little has so far opposed Fair Share and has not signed on to the bill. Tim Merrick is challenging her for the 45th State Senate district and he is a strong supporter of Fair Share for Health Care.
Please call her and tell her that the people of the North Country want big-box retail to pay it's Fair Share. Betty Little's office numbers are: Plattsburgh Office- (518) 561-2430, Albany Office - (518) 455-2811, District Office - (518) 743-0968. If you live out side of the 45th you can call the Senate switchboard at 518-455-2800 and the switchboard operator can direct you to your Senator's office.
Once you have called please report your call at:
http://www.workingfamiliespart
Tell them Bob Aubin sent you!
Friday, June 09, 2006
Anti-Union Forces on the Attack in NY's North Country!
The Center for Union Facts has begun airing ridiculous ads attacking unions on WPTZ. The ad makes outrageous claims against all unions, accusing them of racial discrimination and fraud. With a little research I found that this group is one of many front organizations of right-wing lobbyist Rick Berman.
Berman has ties to numerous repugnant causes including attacking MADD and the Americans with Disabilities Act, encouraging pregnant woman to eat tuna that may contain mercury, and ethics violations involving former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's GOPAC.
I called the Center for UnionFacts and a representative refused to tell me who was supporting the Center. Looking around online I found other Berman projects have been funded by various corporate groups including Phillip Morris as part of a pro-tobacco campaign, and the National Restaurant Association as part of a pro-mercury poisoning campaign.
The representative told me they had no specific reason for advertising in our area and it was simply part of an overall media campaign. One possible reason for airing the ad in our area could be that the Center for UnionFacts has been revealed to be linked to Wal-Mart, an outspoken foe of unions, but Wal-Mart deny that they provide funding to the Center.
The real facts about unions are that without them many of the rights workers enjoy today wouldn't exist. As the unions of America have been declining in membership and power the rights of workers in the United States have also been on the decline. The pro-big buisness conservative philosophy has infiltrated the power structure of this nation. The progressive gains of the early 1900's have been systematically stripped away by people that work for the power elites while claiming to be for the common folk.
The Center for UnionFacts and Rick Berman's other projects serve to remind us that there are powerful forces in this nation that are only concerned about profit for the modern robber barons of America. We must stand together to fight for the rights of regular Americans, join or form unions if you can, and speak out against the wrongs of the corporate culture of corruption that has infected our government and media.
Berman has ties to numerous repugnant causes including attacking MADD and the Americans with Disabilities Act, encouraging pregnant woman to eat tuna that may contain mercury, and ethics violations involving former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's GOPAC.
I called the Center for Union
The representative told me they had no specific reason for advertising in our area and it was simply part of an overall media campaign. One possible reason for airing the ad in our area could be that the Center for Union
The real facts about unions are that without them many of the rights workers enjoy today wouldn't exist. As the unions of America have been declining in membership and power the rights of workers in the United States have also been on the decline. The pro-big buisness conservative philosophy has infiltrated the power structure of this nation. The progressive gains of the early 1900's have been systematically stripped away by people that work for the power elites while claiming to be for the common folk.
The Center for Union
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Help the People of the North Country Get a Fair Share
It is "crunch time" for the Fair Share for Health Care. We desperately need to fix our broken health care system and Fair Share is a good first step. The Working Families Party needs your help to get this critical legislation passed in the State Senate.
One of those stalling on the bill is our own incumbent Senator Little, but that is not really surprising since she also opposed the efforts to pass the New York Minimum Wage increase, and she has a 27% rating from the Drum Major Policy Institute (DMI). DMI is dedicated "to change policy by conducting research into overlooked, but important social and economic issues, by leveraging our strategic relationships to engage policymakers and opinion leaders in our work, and by offering platforms to amplify the ideas of those who are working for social and economic fairness."
We need new leadership in Albany, take a moment to check out "The People's Choice for NY State Senate," Tim Merrick and show your support for his campaign to Take Back New York.
Andy Brockway also will bring us new leadership in Albany and the rumors of Sara Rowden joining the race for Assembly are not true. She will continue to serve the people of Clinton County in the County Legislature. Andy is a strong supporter of Fair Share for Health Care.
"We've only got two more weeks before the legislative session ends, and the money we raise online will pay for more organizing as part of our final push to pass the bill.
We're close. Let's make sure we have the resources to take whatever Wal-Mart and the rest of our opponents throw at us. Please make a donation today.
To make a donation, click here -
http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/support/
Our work has gotten the Fair Share for Health Care Act further than any of the pundits predicted. You can read the article that quotes Jen in the Middletown Times Herald-Record online , but time is running out.
Through the end of the session on June 22nd, we're going to double the number of canvassers pressuring recalcitrant, fence-sitting Republican State Senators to pass the bill..."
- Steve Perez
Working Families Party Online Organizer
sperez@workingfamiliesparty.org
http://workingfamiliesparty.org/
http://wfpjournal.blogspot.com/
One of those stalling on the bill is our own incumbent Senator Little, but that is not really surprising since she also opposed the efforts to pass the New York Minimum Wage increase, and she has a 27% rating from the Drum Major Policy Institute (DMI). DMI is dedicated "to change policy by conducting research into overlooked, but important social and economic issues, by leveraging our strategic relationships to engage policymakers and opinion leaders in our work, and by offering platforms to amplify the ideas of those who are working for social and economic fairness."
We need new leadership in Albany, take a moment to check out "The People's Choice for NY State Senate," Tim Merrick and show your support for his campaign to Take Back New York.
Andy Brockway also will bring us new leadership in Albany and the rumors of Sara Rowden joining the race for Assembly are not true. She will continue to serve the people of Clinton County in the County Legislature. Andy is a strong supporter of Fair Share for Health Care.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Hope and Excitement on the Campaign Trail '06
Well, I've returned from my first political convention - not quite as contentious as the Democratic Presidential one described in H. S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, but there was some controversy at the Working Families Party State Convention.
We started with a presentations and everything was going as scheduled, until the Senate nomination came up. There was definitely a certain amount of tension in the air as the rules for debate were read. The debate was divided into Clinton, Tasini, and "No Endorsement". The meeting chair explained the voting would be a single roll-call vote, though it would be argued over later, no one seemed to mind at first.
I have been a Tasini supporter, and I may vote for him in the September primary. I also hold no illusions as to who is going to win the primary and general election for Senate. Though Hillary is certainly not with us on the war, she does often vote the way I would like. Her recent vote against Hayden for CIA chief gave me a new measure of respect for her.
I didn't really think those that spoke on behalf of Hillary Clinton made much sense, but the John Tasini supporters seemed overly pessimistic on her record in the Senate. Those that spoke on behalf of "No endorsement" for Senate made a lot of good points, and I was initially inclined to that position along with the majority of the North Country chapter. Most of the Clinton speakers stated they where anti-Iraq war but one was pro-Iraq war and implied that being anti-Iraq war was not supporting the troops. He was followed back to his seat by chants of "Bring Them Home" from around the room, some of them even at his own table.
When the vote was about to begin it was explained that under the current voting rules "No Endorsement" could not actually win the vote and those voting for "No Endorsement" would be abstaining effectively.
The "No Endorsement" supporters did not want that and the consensus was that they would be changed to two votes: "Endorsement" or "No Endorsement", and then Clinton or Tasini. "Endorsement" was clearly in the majority before the vote came to us and our group went into a conference about the vote. In the end we decided to go with Clinton because we felt it would be better for our down ticket races, and we would be voting for Hillary in the general election anyway.
It was a blowout with over 90% percent of the committee for "Endorsement" and for endorsement of Hillary. In the end though the committee endorsed a resolution against the war in Iraq, and it will be sent to Hillary with the State Chairs' signatures. I spoke in favor of the resolution, noting that Howard Dean was right when he said the War in Iraq had not made us safer back in 2004.
Eric Massa gave an excellent presentation and I am sure he will make a great addition to the Congress with our future Congressman Bob Johnson after they win in November. Mike Acuri also gave a decent speech. The Convention was very enthusiastic in supporting the effort to take back Congress.
When it came to the Attorney General vote there was some small opposition to Cuomo, but no one presented any other candidate. I've seen Denise O'Donnell is on DFA-Link but with all the local and state elections I'm involved with I haven't really been following the AG race.
Our State Committee member wanted to nominate Cuomo, but the majority of the group has disagreed with him on many candidates. We aren't even sure how he got to be the State committee representative. He is one of our co-chairs, but none of us voted on his being our state committee representative. Even so, we decided to go with his recommendation with little opposition.
If one of the other candidates had bothered to have someone distributing materials like the Tasini and Clinton people maybe things would've turned out differently, maybe not.
The acceptance speeches of Paterson and Spitzer were excellent, Elliot Spitzer will make a great Governor of New York. I told him so myself when I shook his hand at the end of the convention.
The Fair Share for Health Care Posters have been taken down now and the delegates are back home, but the energy and excitement of the convention continues. We had some points of contention, but in the end we are united in our desire to Take Back New York, and to Take Our Country Back in November.
Together, New York Can Do Better!
We started with a presentations and everything was going as scheduled, until the Senate nomination came up. There was definitely a certain amount of tension in the air as the rules for debate were read. The debate was divided into Clinton, Tasini, and "No Endorsement". The meeting chair explained the voting would be a single roll-call vote, though it would be argued over later, no one seemed to mind at first.
I have been a Tasini supporter, and I may vote for him in the September primary. I also hold no illusions as to who is going to win the primary and general election for Senate. Though Hillary is certainly not with us on the war, she does often vote the way I would like. Her recent vote against Hayden for CIA chief gave me a new measure of respect for her.
I didn't really think those that spoke on behalf of Hillary Clinton made much sense, but the John Tasini supporters seemed overly pessimistic on her record in the Senate. Those that spoke on behalf of "No endorsement" for Senate made a lot of good points, and I was initially inclined to that position along with the majority of the North Country chapter. Most of the Clinton speakers stated they where anti-Iraq war but one was pro-Iraq war and implied that being anti-Iraq war was not supporting the troops. He was followed back to his seat by chants of "Bring Them Home" from around the room, some of them even at his own table.
When the vote was about to begin it was explained that under the current voting rules "No Endorsement" could not actually win the vote and those voting for "No Endorsement" would be abstaining effectively.
The "No Endorsement" supporters did not want that and the consensus was that they would be changed to two votes: "Endorsement" or "No Endorsement", and then Clinton or Tasini. "Endorsement" was clearly in the majority before the vote came to us and our group went into a conference about the vote. In the end we decided to go with Clinton because we felt it would be better for our down ticket races, and we would be voting for Hillary in the general election anyway.
It was a blowout with over 90% percent of the committee for "Endorsement" and for endorsement of Hillary. In the end though the committee endorsed a resolution against the war in Iraq, and it will be sent to Hillary with the State Chairs' signatures. I spoke in favor of the resolution, noting that Howard Dean was right when he said the War in Iraq had not made us safer back in 2004.
Eric Massa gave an excellent presentation and I am sure he will make a great addition to the Congress with our future Congressman Bob Johnson after they win in November. Mike Acuri also gave a decent speech. The Convention was very enthusiastic in supporting the effort to take back Congress.
When it came to the Attorney General vote there was some small opposition to Cuomo, but no one presented any other candidate. I've seen Denise O'Donnell is on DFA-Link but with all the local and state elections I'm involved with I haven't really been following the AG race.
Our State Committee member wanted to nominate Cuomo, but the majority of the group has disagreed with him on many candidates. We aren't even sure how he got to be the State committee representative. He is one of our co-chairs, but none of us voted on his being our state committee representative. Even so, we decided to go with his recommendation with little opposition.
If one of the other candidates had bothered to have someone distributing materials like the Tasini and Clinton people maybe things would've turned out differently, maybe not.
The acceptance speeches of Paterson and Spitzer were excellent, Elliot Spitzer will make a great Governor of New York. I told him so myself when I shook his hand at the end of the convention.
The Fair Share for Health Care Posters have been taken down now and the delegates are back home, but the energy and excitement of the convention continues. We had some points of contention, but in the end we are united in our desire to Take Back New York, and to Take Our Country Back in November.
Together, New York Can Do Better!
Friday, June 02, 2006
It was the night before Working Families Convention...
...and all through New York
the people are ready
to throw Republicans out!
Tomorrow is the New York State Working Families Party convention in Albany. Hopefully I'll be able to meet our next Governor, Elliot Spitzer, while I'm there. If I can find access to a computer I'll post a blog from the convention. I'll also have a round-up of the whole convention when I get back to Plattsburgh.
Tim Merrick, the People's Choice for New York State Senate, will also be at the convention and I'll be asking him for his observations on the WFP Convention and the Democrat's convention in Buffalo.
Here is the agenda for the day (from WFP Blog):
Mr. Nichols declined the opportunity for exposure to the North Country, and one of the pundits in the debate portion of the show referred to him as "the Invisible Man."
It was also discussed that the Democrats would have an uphill battle against the incumbent Republican Party's candidate. We need to raise the profile of this race and show how the North Country would benefit from new leadership in the Assembly and the State Senate.
We will have a primary if we must, but before or after that primary we need to unite behind the best candidate in November. Andy will provide the independent leadership that the North Country has been lacking while also bringing ties to the rising power of the New York Democratic Party.
Help Andy bring progress and reform to Albany and provide a strong voice for the North Country with a donation.
The Andrew Brockway edition of Mountian Lake Journal will be on WCFE again on Saturday @ 7PM in case you missed it.
the people are ready
to throw Republicans out!
Tomorrow is the New York State Working Families Party convention in Albany. Hopefully I'll be able to meet our next Governor, Elliot Spitzer, while I'm there. If I can find access to a computer I'll post a blog from the convention. I'll also have a round-up of the whole convention when I get back to Plattsburgh.
Tim Merrick, the People's Choice for New York State Senate, will also be at the convention and I'll be asking him for his observations on the WFP Convention and the Democrat's convention in Buffalo.
Here is the agenda for the day (from WFP Blog):
- WFP Video: Making Things Happen (12:30 p.m.)
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Welcome (12:45 p.m.)
- State of the Party (12:50 p.m.)
- Chapter and Club Reports (12:55 p.m.)
- Call to Order (1:15 p.m.)
- Declaration Regarding Quorum
- Election of Meeting Chair
- United States Senate
- Nominations (1:45 p.m.)
- Debate (2:0 p.m.)
- Vote (2:20 p.m.)
- Take Back Congress -– New York! (3:00 p.m.)
- Address by Michael Arcuri
- Address by Eric Massa
- Iraq War Resolution (3:40 p.m.)
- Debate and Vote
- Nomination of candidates for New York State Attorney General (4:05 p.m.)
- Fair Share for Health Care (4:15 p.m.)
- Greetings From Other States (4:30 p.m.)
- The Power of Row E (4:35 p.m.)
- Nomination of candidates for New York State Comptroller, Lieutenant Governor and Governor
- Nominations, Debates, and Votes (5:05 p.m.)
- Address by David Paterson (5:15 p.m.)
- Address by Eliot Spitzer (5:30 p.m.)
Mr. Nichols declined the opportunity for exposure to the North Country, and one of the pundits in the debate portion of the show referred to him as "the Invisible Man."
It was also discussed that the Democrats would have an uphill battle against the incumbent Republican Party's candidate. We need to raise the profile of this race and show how the North Country would benefit from new leadership in the Assembly and the State Senate.
We will have a primary if we must, but before or after that primary we need to unite behind the best candidate in November. Andy will provide the independent leadership that the North Country has been lacking while also bringing ties to the rising power of the New York Democratic Party.
Help Andy bring progress and reform to Albany and provide a strong voice for the North Country with a donation.
The Andrew Brockway edition of Mountian Lake Journal will be on WCFE again on Saturday @ 7PM in case you missed it.
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