Iraq War

 Iraq War

Urge

    Scourge

        Urge

            Surge

                Urge

                    Splurge.

D I R G E!

Thanksgiving 2006

Americans are truly a fortunate people to live in a country where freedoms and rights are guaranteed in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We are blessed with an overwhelming majority of good solid citizens who form the united strength that has held our country together in the past and who hold out the hope for its future. There is much Americans should be grateful for on this Thanksgiving. Hundreds of things we take for granted are still unattainable dreams for millions of people on this tiny planet. In addition to our health, our families, our friends, our prosperity, our country and our rights and freedoms we should be especially thankful for:Parents who care for and inspire their children;

Teachers who are devoted to training our youth;

Doctors, nurses and other medical workers who care for our sick;

Policemen, firemen, and other public employees who risk their lives in service to their communities;

Members of the military who protect and defend;

Religious leaders who give comfort and encouragement and who strive to instill and preserve moral and spiritual values;

Political leaders who seek serve their fellow citizens;

Public spirited individuals who donate time, energy and financial resources to the less fortunate.

Yes, there is much to be thankful for, but we do not live in an earthly paradise and we face continuing challenges. We have a responsibility to take up our God given blessings and use them to make life richer and more meaningful for ALL human beings. We live together; we must work together;

To end war, eliminate prejudice in all its forms, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and create jobs for the unemployed.

Rid the country of corruption and scandal, improve educational opportunities for all peoples.

Eliminate the pollution of our natural resources and reduce global warming.

These are but a few of the challenges that await us this Thanksgiving. The resolution of these and many other problems require our finest efforts if we are to fulfill the dreams of our founders.

Finally, let us strive to achieve peace in our world. Peace in Asia, peace in the Middle East, in Europe, in Africa, in South America, in our country, our state, our towns and cities. Peace in our families and in our hearts.

This is a large order, but a necessary one. There is no better time to start than this Thanksgiving.

Equal Rights for ALL

Wirt & King: Local politicians and the gay marriage question
By Tobin Wirt and Robert King/ Guest commentary

Joe Burns, columnist for the Upper Cape Codder newspaper, per usual was right on the mark when observing the absurdities of the Romney Administration and those who do his bidding. The Liberty Sunday gay-bashing rally in Boston that Joe wrote about (“Who Cares,” Oct. 19) for us is just another example of the blurring of lines between church and state.

Thomas Jefferson is widely quoted on civil and religious matters. In the preamble of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Jefferson proclaimed, “Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry.”

The fact is, where there is more religious freedom one finds a society withmore religion. The Romney style of civic government would seem to curtail religious freedom by narrowing the diversity of creeds (or no creeds) in civil society.

Given the recent allegations that Romney is using his Mormon connections in Utah to advance his presidential aspirations, we hope that timing will ultimately derail his hopes for the presidency. Americans seem to be reaching an end point with awareness and alarm at the religious overreach into politics. We feel Romney fooled and misrepresented his views to the voters in 2002 and postured himself a moderate on most social issues but then swiftly moved to the right when the corner office was secured and Iowa and New Hampshire became more important to his future. Bashing the Bay State on his many trips around the country does not endear him to many proud Massachusetts citizens.

Locally, our state representative, a nice guy with many supporters, does Romney’s bidding in lockstep. Rep. Jeff Perry has never met a gay-rights bill he could vote for except one. It funded elderly gays as part of a larger bill tied to funding elderly affairs. It was unanimously passed in both houses, hardly a leap of courage on his part. Perry has reassured gay groups and us personally that he is supportive but is beholden to the views of what he says is the majority of his constituents and therefore votes against any advancement of gay rights. Most troubling are Mr. Perry’s votes, which are consistently against funding programs that help teenagers deal with the ever-present difficulties they encounter in our public schools. While wanting to give Jeff the benefit of the doubt with his assurances of support, we feel his voting record speaks for itself.

A seemingly purposeful omission on Perry’s Web site under Political Philosophy, where all the perfunctory groups who are protected in this Commonwealth against job and housing discrimination are listed, there curiously is no mention of sexual orientation. When asked why, Rep. Perry claimed that he hadn’t updated the Web site since the gay marriage issue had come to the forefront. While believing him at his word, it seems odd since civil rights protections have nothing to do with the ongoing marriage question. Those protections have been on the law books since the early ’90s for sexual orientation. Why then didn’t he include sexual orientation with the others to begin with? Reason would bring one to question if he does indeed support the state-mandated protections in jobs and housing for gay citizens (let alone gay partnerships of any kind). Mr. Perry said he was thankful for having the omission pointed out and that he would “re-evaluate” his Web site after the election. However, a check of the Web site last week showed that on Oct. 2 the site was altered and the references of the aforementioned in the Political Philosophy link are gone.

Cape Cod has witnessed an odd juxtaposition of stances on gay marriage by three GOP hopefuls in elections this fall. You have Aaron Maloy, 4th Barnstable District, an openly gay man who is against gay marriage but for civil unions. You have to wonder how much this guy wanted to win when he is willing to throw his gay brothers and sisters overboard to solidify “separate but equal” status on them.

Next we have Rick Barros, running for the Cape and Islands senate seat, a decent, good man of color who also says marriage is between one man and one woman and that the people should be allowed to vote on it. In the not so distant past (in the ’70s) only one out of three Americans supported interracial marriage and it was the courts that ultimately ended that bigotry, not the voters. Mr. Barros acknowledges his engagement to soon be married and it will be an interracial marriage.

Lastly, Rep. Perry, a gracious and respectful man who speaks openly of a close gay family member, continues to do the work of the people who demonize gay people, apparently forsaking people in his district as well as those close to him. We feel he eludes accountability for this.

Mr. Perry will be asked to vote again on whether to advance the anti-gay marriage petition at the Constitutional Convention. And despite his past verbal assurances that he could probably not support this petition (which he expressed over a year ago to a small group of people of which one of us were in attendance) he has since backtracked and is on record already as voting to throw it to the populace for a vote.

We encourage all constituents to contact Mr. Perry’s office if you agree that he is wrong-headed on the matters of gay rights. Recent attempts by his office to poll citizens in his district regarding gay marriage predictably supported his anti-gay stances. We implore Upper Cape voters to speak up if you haven’t had the chance to do so thus far.

Time for Teamwork?

The Associated Press report of the semifinal basketball game between the U. S. and Greece, “Greek teamwork cramps U.S. style” in tne Cape CTimes could well apply to the Bush administration’s approach to virtually everything they have done.

“The U.S. put on a jam session for the fans … the Greeks lined up at the other end and shot free throws.” “The U.S. has dazzling skill; the Greeks are a dazzling team.” Coach Krzyzewski, for whom I have the greatest respect, said, “We learned a lot because we played a team that plays amazing basketball and plays together.”Greek guard, Papaloukas said, “… we’re not very good athletes like them, but we know how to play the game. We are very clever.”

The Times article continues, “No matter what defense Krzyzewski tried, the Greeks found open shooters beyond the 3-point arc or open lanes to the basket.”

Now we try for Bronze.

Isn’t it time the Bush administration played a little teamwork with others before we all end up playing for Bronze or worse?

Dangerous Intersection

The most recent accidents on Route 130 at the intersection with Route 6 should serve as a wake up call for action. It is encouraging there is universal agreement that the intersection is very dangerous and that the State will finally study it and hopefully change the design. But while we wait, I have to wonder just how much effort it would take and how much money it would cost to lower the speed limit in the area from 40 MPH to 30 MPH? How much to add a couple of “CAUTION DANGEROUS INTERSECTION” signs to alert drivers to the risks? How much to trim the branches off the trees that block the existing signs? How much to add curbing to the north side of 130 in the area to restrict parking and illegal passing on the right? Might not a small investment save someone from injury or catastrophe?

Further complicating the problem are the numerous directional signs located on 130 directly across from the Route 6 exits. The objective of these signs is to direct travelers to specific businesses in downtown Sandwich. Over the years the number of signs has increased and their maintenance has fallen off. I wonder if they are not a dangerous distraction, especially to those not familiar with the intersections. Wouldn’t it make sense to make the signs larger, uniform and perhaps list the businesses in alphabetical order so they could be quickly read? Let’s not be victims of the old “shoulda, coulda, woulda and the accompanying heartache.

Wakeup Global Warming is Here

FIRE AND ICE

by Robert Frost

 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Recently I saw Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, which details the changes in Earth’s atmosphere resulting from the increase in carbon dioxide levels. In the movie (and in his book with the same title,) Gore carefully details the problems our planet faces as the average temperature increases. He points out that virtually ever credible scientist accepts global warming, and man’s contribution to it, as fact. He asks if our leaders are “resisting the truth because they know that the moment they acknowledge it, they will face a moral imperative to act? ” Still President Bush resists, and says that any efforts to reduce carbon dioxide on our part, will “impact OUR economy.”

Meanwhile, the runoff from melting glaciers is raising sea level and altering thermal ocean currents that create climatic changes. Low lands will be inundated, forcing humans and animals to relocate and compete for higher elevation. In some locations higher temperatures cause wetlands, lakes and ponds to evaporate making it difficult and near impossible for life to exist. Animal species are becoming extinct at amazing levels. Unspoiled water is likely to become a more severe emergency than any oil crisis man has ever seen. Insects, viruses and diseases that for centuries existed only in the tropics are moving northward into higher populated areas raising concerns for infestations and plagues . Increased carbon dioxide is making the oceans more acidic, actually dissolving the shells of snails and most likely other shellfish. The frequency and severity of storms and wildfires are on the rise. Hotter climates directly impact agricultural production in America’s breadbasket and increase supermarket prices. And the list gets longer with every sunrise.

The message is clear, and it may be inconvenient, but how are people to be convinced?

Perhaps we simply need to stop whining about global warming and instead focus on the positive aspects of the changes. Warmer winters will allow the Cape to be a year round playground. “Snow Birds” will stay on Cape instead of driving south to Florida. These sun-chasers will save gasoline, tire tread and other travel expenses and spend that money here on Cape Cod. Fewer exhaust emissions from their cars will even help reduce the carbon dioxide level.

Warmer winters will mean less snow, less plowing and thus more money in government coffers, allowing for lower taxes. The need for heating fuel will be reduced. Coupled with the gas savings mentioned above, our dependence on Mideast oil will be reduced and terrorism eliminated.

Rising sea levels increase beach areas and more homes will have direct access to water views. Warmer winters will allow farmers to establish citrus groves. Locally grown oranges will allow children to have really fresh juice and improve their health, thus lengthening lives and reducing medical and health insurance costs.

So what if the ocean is more acidic and dissolving shells, just imagine the excitement of eating “oysters on the no shell”. Perhaps chicken and burgers will actually cook themselves on the way to your New Year’s Eve party.

We all know that where orange trees flourish, palm trees are plentiful and many folks think of these areas as a tropical paradise. Now we can have our own, real close. It’s not beyond belief to imagine that with our warm winters and higher water levels some of our harbors could become home to huge fleets of cruise ships. Vacationers will fill our stores and cash registers.

So, if you are not yet concerned about global warming, just think how warm those summer days winter days will really be.

Wicked Good English

 

I don’t know about you, but I sure feel better now that English has finally been recognized as the national language of
America.  I guess at some point in the future we will all be able to speak to one another and actually understand what each of us is saying.

 

The Bush administration should now complete the process of Englafacation.  We need to quickly determine which dialect will be adopted as the official dialect of the country.  As a native of Massachusetts, I think we should establish our real native tongue, you know the one used by those who came here from England and “Paaked their
Kars in Havvad Yadd” as the official tongue.  Once you get the hang of our “Newspeak” you too will think its wicked good. Y’all who think you have been speaking English will need to shape up or ship out!

 

Most importantly, under the new Patriot Act 23, anyone not speaking English will be assumed to be unpatriotic and a threat to the safety of
America.  These folks will have a scarlet “ESL” branded on their foreheads and quickly removed to some foreign country.  Those who wish to travel to foreign lands will have to swear to only speak English or risk being denied reentry to the country.  The CIA “thought police” will continue listening to all phone calls and assure that those deviating from the standards will be rendered to undisclosed locations.  Won’t we all feel just a wee bit safer?

 

A side benefit may be significant economic savings.  For example, schools districts will save money by eliminating foreign language classes; fewer teachers will be needed and no foreign language text books will be required as students concentrate on English.  Wow, all students will have higher MCAS scores!

 

Corporations will reduce the costs for products and services as they eliminate translators and provide instructions and warranties in English.  They will probably save big bucks because these documents will be lighter and cost less to produce and ship.

 

We will all save time and energy when we make telephone calls to corporations as we will no longer have to “push one for English.”  Even Chinese and French restaurant menus will be easier to read.  We’ll all be less stressed and require less frequent trips for psychiatric counseling.

 

President Bush feels so strongly about this issue that I fully expect him to give a pretty good contract to Halliburton to collect all foreign language books, CDs, and DVDs and burn them.  He’ll claim that the energy generated by burning the books will offset a year’s supply of mid-east oil.  Next we should expect him to remove all foreign words that are scattered in other media (requiring another little cleanup contract to stimulate the economy).

 

Have you ever noticed those foreign words stamped on our pennies and printed on currency?  Words like, “E Pluribus Unum” and Novus Ordo Seclorum?”  I wonder if they are sending the wrong message, like we really aren’t serious about the establishment of English as the national language.  Besides almost no one knows what they mean anyway.  Bet Halliburton could make a pretty penny on a contract melting all those coins and shredding those bucks.

 

And let’s not forget the little guys.  Disney could enjoy a really “Small World” after all and  Dora the Explorer can start exploring English books instead of filling those little minds with foreign words.

 

Once the rest of the world sees that we are serious, you can be sure they’ll shapeup and soon the whole world will speak the same language.  Those guys at the United Nations can stop listening to their iPods and finally pay attention when we speak.

 

Oh, what a world it will be.

High density makes for affordable housing

When it comes to zoning, people on Cape Cod think “density” is a four-letter word. Anytime anyone wants to build more than one house per acre, Cape Codders hyperventilate. But guess what the latest trend in building is in the rest of the country? “Faux urban” developments with high-density residential areas intermixed with retail and office use.

One company is building a 52-acre “town” in North Carolina that is designed to “…recall a New England Coastal town,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

More typical of this type of development is a town called Legacy, built on 75 acres outside Dallas, Texas, in the center of typical suburban sprawl. This town includes more than 1,500 apartments and town houses, 4,000 people, 80 shops and restaurants, two mid-rise office buildings and a Marriott Hotel. And the people who live there love it. Units sell for as much as $400,000.

Refusal to accept density is the main roadblock to the development of affordable housing on Cape Cod. Everyone says they want to solve this problem so our young families and working people do not have to move off Cape, but, realistically, the only way to do that is with high-density housing.

By dividing the cost of the land up among multiple units, and putting more units in one building, you can reduce the cost of each unit, so they can be sold for reasonable prices and rented at reasonable rents.

High-density has other advantages, too. It allows affordable high-tech sewage treatment systems for example, that do not load nitrogen into our bays and estuaries. Shared amenities, like pools and tennis courts, are environmentally friendly and reduce demands on town water supplies.

High-density housing has one more huge advantage: It does not generate as many students for local schools. One- and two-bedroom units, typical for high-density housing, do not have nearly as many school age kids as 3-4 bedroom single-family homes.

The main disadvantage of high-density housing according to most people is what it will do to property values. The evidence does not support this assertion. If you talk to the residents at New Seabury and Kings Way (two large, relatively high-density developments), for example, you do not find anyone complaining about property values except those would like to buy. Haven’t heard the neighbors complain either.

I used to own a home in Newton. In the 70’s they built a condo development across the street on a former parking lot at a density of about 20 units per acre. I was shocked to see that these units, smaller than my house, sold for 20% more than my house was worth. Today, both have gone way up, but my former house sells for more than the condos.

I think that towns make a bad mistake when they try to force builders to put in single-family homes at low density on undeveloped land. The towns would be much better off economically by finding suitable areas – including areas currently zoned for commercial development — and rezoning some of them for high -density development (as much as 20 units per acre). It would be good for the town economically and, at the same time, we would be providing relatively affordable housing for those who love the Cape but are unable to afford it any more.

By Jack Edmonston

Taking another shot at public financing of campaigns

Suppose you were self-employed and were a member of an association of people in the same business. One day a group comes to your association’s meeting and asks the members to vote to endorse state grants to people who wanted to open up businesses that would directly compete with each and every member of the association. How would you vote?

Sound like a “no brainer?” That’s roughly what has been going on with the idea that government should fund election campaigns. The people whose jobs are at stake – members of Congress, state legislators — have done everything they could to prevent potential competitors from getting government support for their campaigns.

Massachusetts is one of the few states that has come close to changing the system, despite broad opposition. After 6,000 volunteers gathered 150,000 signatures in 1997 and 1998 to put an initiative petition of the ballot (thus bypassing the legislature), two-thirds of Massachusetts voters cast their ballot in favor of public financing of campaigns, making Massachusetts the only state in the nation to have a comprehensive “clean elections” system.

But the legislature refused to provide the funds necessary to make the system work. In 2002, several candidates won public financing for their campaigns through the courts. As part of that process, the state Supreme Court told the legislature to fund the law or repeal it. In 2003, the legislature, to its shame, repealed the law.

But the idea is not dead yet.

Mass Voters (www.massvoters.com) is launching another campaign provide public support for candidates’ campaigns. They feel that the situation has changed in the last few years. “Within the Massachusetts Legislature there is a new openness and spirit of change,” as they put it.

So they are organizing another campaign to get clean elections passed. They are now gathering signatures for a non-binding advisory question in several legislative districts, including Cape Cod.

Here is the question that Mass Voters members are working to put on the November 2006 ballot:

“Shall the state [senator/representative] from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would provide public campaign financing for elections to the state Legislature whereby candidates who agree to strict fundraising and spending limits could receive public matching funds, with a cap on the amount of public money available per candidate?”

Will Rogers is usually credited with saying “We have the best Congress money can buy.” Anything we can do to avoid the influence of private funds on public office holders should be worth the money we spend.