The Blue State

2 Years Later and New Orleans is Still a Mess. Tomorrow Will be the 2 Year Anniversary of Katrina

Two years after hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, there are still so manypeople without homes. Robert Greenwald has a new video and message  abouthurricane Katrina, and what you can do to help.

Below is quoted from an email sent by Jamiah Adams and Paris Marron of BraveNew Foundation

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and still thereare tens of thousands of families without homes. 30,000 families are scatteredacross the country in FEMA apartments, 13,000 are in trailers, and hardly any ofthe 77,000 rental units destroyed in New Orleans have been rebuilt. To sharesome of these people?s stories, we have put together a short film, "Whenthe Saints Go Marching In."

During the making of this video, we heard the heartbreaking stories of goodpeople unable to return home. We have heard the story of the Aguilar family wholost their home to the storm and only received $4,000 in payments from theirinsurance company. We have met Mr. Washington, an 87-year-old man and formercarpenter, who owned three homes prior to the storm. He is still living in aFEMA trailer today. And we've met Julie, who could have returned to her job andnormal life, if the government had opened up the public housing units that shehad lived in prior to the storm

When the Saints go Marching in.org is a site dedicated to helping the victims of Katrina.

'Two years after Katrina and thousands are still w/o homes'

 

I don't understand how some of our politicians sleep at night, knowing theconditions others are in...and not only in New Orleans, but throughout Our Country.

You can sign a petition HERE for Senator Dodd.

We, the undersigned, urge the United States Senate to pass Senator Dodd's Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 (S1668) to assist the Gulf Coast region in rebuilding the infrastructure lost after the Katrina and Rita disasters.

Passage of this bill is an important step towards returning the Gulf Coast residents to their homes.

The signing of the petition consists of Name, email and Zip Code.

 

A Walk Down Memory Lane with Michael Chertoff

With the news that Michael Chertoff may be Bush's top choice to replaceAlbert Gonazales, I thought it would be appropriate to post this video of his(what I believe to be) incompetence. So sit back and watch the show, then askyourself "is this the guy that deserves or is qualified to be the next AttorneyGeneral  of The United States"? I'm sure if he is chosen, the petitions will start flying again (hopefully).

Tim Russert exposed the lies that came from the administration after Katrina

'Jimmy Justice' NYC Video Vigilante

A worthy story for a slow Sunday:

I saw a segment on MSNBC's Countdown about Jimmy Justice, a "regularJoe" Brooklyn resident that was fed up with the double standards of the NYCtraffic agents. I am sure this is not isolated to NYC, and I am sure we have allexperienced this type of behavior and hypocrisy in our towns and citiesUSA.

J.J. (Jimmy Justice) keeps an eye out for the traffic agents breaking lawsand video tapes the crime in progress i.e. parking their official vehicle infrot of a fire hydrant to run in and grab a cup of coffee or lunch. Trafficagents play an important role in society, and ticket individuals that break thelaw. Naturally no one wants a ticket and we tend to get angry when we do getone, but that's life and the law. Actual Police Officers get away withtheir minor crimes, and that's been the way it's been since the beginning oftime and will continue to be that way, but traffic agents are not even close torealizing that status.

Anyone who has experienced dealing with the NYC 'personality-less, I have aticket pad cockiness' of one of these agents know exactly the frustration we experience.

On August 17, 2007 'Live From Studio 1A' Dick Gregory interviewed JimmyJustice in a piece called 'Qand A With Jimmy Justice' with video HERE.

J.J. currently has 11 videos posted on his YouTube account 'JimmyJustice4753'.and you wouldn't believe some of the responses he receives. You would think thelaw breakers would be humble and friendly in order to squelch the controversyand not act like 'holier than thou'  on a video camera.

Here are a couple of examples:

NYC Board of Ed "teaches" its employees to break the law

Traffic Enforcement Agent Blocks Fire Hydrant During A Fire (She responds with "don't you think there's something wrong with filming somebody?" LOL...that's funny)

traffic cop Anderson breaks the law & has a message for NYC (This one is classic, the agent gets "back-up")

**** CAUTION: Adult Content Vulgarity Used. ****

Local NYC Contacts:

• Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of Department of Transportation

• Mayor Bloomberg

• General Feedback and Contact Page

Quick Story: One of our company delivery trucks were double parked early one morning (delivering office supplies and very light traffic) when a traffic agent approached. I was outside smoking a cigarette and before the agent stated writing, I told him the driver is going to get fired if he receives another ticket, I also mentioned the driver had a family and was going through some hard times. The agent wrote him the ticket. The good news is I was lying about the driver getting fired.

'Dragon Skin Body Armor Issue' - Round 3

Coming just after all the controversy regarding 'Dragon Skin' Body Armor forthe military, the Department of Justice is dropping Dragon Armor from their listof "acceptable protective equipment for law enforcement agents". Apparentlyit isn't being dropped for performance, but rather for paperwork reasonsaccording to Pinnacle Armor Inc. (the manufacturer of Dragon Skin)

'Justice Department Drops Dragon Skin' WASHINGTON — Department of Justice researchers have dropped Dragon Skinbody armor from their list of acceptable protective equipment for lawenforcement, the latest setback for the controversial bulletproof vests.

But officials from Pinnacle Armor Inc., which makes the vests, say the moveis a hasty reaction to paperwork confusion about the warranty length of thevests and believe it may have ties to the ongoing fight between the company andArmy researchers over Dragon Skin's effectiveness.

"This armor doesn't fail any (Justice Department) ballistics tests, butthey took it off the list anyway," Pinnacle CEO Murray Neal said."It's something that never should have happened. We just need to getthrough this issue and get this armor back on these cops." ReadOn...

 

It makes you wonder if this is a lead for the military to remove itoff of their listas well after the testing they are performing. 'TheBody Armor Issue' - Round 2 (with Videos) contains all the current links and informationto bring this issue up to speed to this recent issue (post)

Army officials testified that Dragon Skin has failed numerous tests over theyears, saying the ceramic plates fall apart after exposure to extreme heat andcold. All four services have banned use of the armor for general combat use.

According to the Justice Department, Pinnacle has not supplied enoughevidence to support "that the body armor model will maintain its ballisticperformance over its six-year declared warranty period," prompting itsexclusion from the approved vests list.

It seems to me that if the Dragon Skin is the best armor, wouldn't shelf lifecome second to protection of the soldiers and law enforcement  agents?Renegotiate the warranty, or replace the ceramic plates as needed.

Once again, take the time to go through this post 'TheBody Armor Issue' - Round 2' (With Videos) and you will have all the information upto this point. And please leave any further information in the comments sectionyou may find.

Editorial: DC lobbying money hurts democracy -- you can change it!

Now many of you may not be on-board with this, but I truly believe deep down that our country is on the edge of greatness.  You, me and every other progressive knows what needs to be done.  We need to fix our voting systems and fight voter discrimination.  We need a health policy that actually values people.  We need a Manhattan project to make us energy independent.  We need to restore our sense of community.  And the laundry list goes on and on!

Yet, none of these new century reforms can happen if we continue electing leaders that take money directly from DC lobbyists.  Candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are indebted to a bribery system that is based on the power and profit of a few, which undermines the uniquely American value of populist-driven democracy.

Even so, we are still on the edge of greatness because we are building a populist movement right here online.  It consists of hundreds of blogs and other outreach groups that connect people to -- well -- other people.  This is not a battle between the liberal and centrist wings of the party, it is a battle between the grassroots and the status-quo Democratic establishment.

If it was 1990 and we were faced with today's problems, change would be more difficult to come by.  Today, we have the power of the internet.   What an amazing resource!  Never before has the establishment felt so threatened.  To see how nervous they really are, all you had to do was watch Meet the Press yesterday, as Harold Ford tried to justify why an organization of just a few dozen Washington insiders know more about priorities than millions of concerned progressive citizens.

We are turning the page on this six-year train-wreck as we head towards January, and you can be part of it.  Remain engaged.  Volunteer or even donate a small amount of money to a campaign of your choice that does not accept direct DC lobbyist money.  Comment on forums, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, chat rooms and anywhere else on the internet where you think you can make a difference.  If you work full time, as most of us do, then put aside just fifteen minutes each day for this effort.  The great part about the internet is you do not have to live in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina to impact the vote.  Visit local Iowa forums and chat rooms, and remind people why lobbyist money pollutes our system.  Also, commenting on progressive blogs gives them a higher search rating -- which means more voters Googling a particular candidate will find the content you commented on.  Do your part.

If you are the kind of person that always complains, "Politicians are corrupt and they never look out for me," then do not sit idle on the sidelines when there is so much at stake.  You have the resources right in front of you.  Get connected, and get moving.  The next five months could determine the next eight years.  What do you want our American political system to be like in the year 2016?  It's your call.

Am I being a little over-dramatic?  Maybe.  But no apologies here.  The vehicle of change is right in front of our eyes.  It's the internet.  Use it and do your part for the next five months, or else don't complain!

(Video) Kos vs Ford on Meet the Press

Many of you already saw the program morning.  Nonetheless, are two short excerpts of the showdown on Meet the Press between netroots activist Markos Moulitsas and DLC Chairman Harold Ford:

As a blogger, I was proud to have Kos speak on behalf of the entire netroots.  Kos was clear and direct in saying that the old way of relying on the establishment types for change was not working, and the future of the Democratic Party now lies in the hands of the people.  Blogs enable that to happen because they are people-powered.

I will try to post more clips of this discussion in tonight's Blue Nightowl Clips.

Army Finally Decides to Test Potentially Superior Rifles

If you were to lay out a combat soldiers standard issue combat gear, andtold them to choose one item, I'm sure damn near 100% of them wouldchoose their rifle. So why has it taken months for  the Army to finallydecide to test three other options, that are considered by some to be a superiorweapon to the currently issued M4? I don't know either.

This story was kicking around back in April (The Blue State posted 'SoldiersIssued Inferior Rifles'), and here we are four months later with thedecision to do a "side by side test".

After months of heated debate, the Army will conduct a side-by-side testshoot next month with its standard-issued carbine to see how well it canwithstand extreme dust and sand environments.

The service yielded to critics - particularly lawmakers in Congress - whorecently ratcheted up the debate over whether the current M4carbine, manufactured by Colt Defense, is more susceptible to jamming industy conditions than other weapons used by Soldiers and special operators. Readon...

So, with the help of Senator Tom Coburn (R-OKLA.), theArmy decides to "look into" the problem, and the "winner"will be issued shortly, right?...Wrong. According to Lt. Col. Timothy Chyma( product manager for individual weapons with Program Executive Office Soldier)"The firing, collection of data and analysis of data is expected to takeapproximately five months."

The sand tests will include 10 samples ofeach weapon through which engineers will fire 6,000 rounds. Each weapon andloaded magazine will be exposed to "extreme dust" for 30 minutes thentest fired with 120 rounds, Chyma said.

"Each weapon will be wiped down and lubricated every 600 rounds with afull cleaning every 1,200 rounds," Chyma added. "The firing,collection of data and analysis of data is expected to take approximately fivemonths."

I understand you can not be too hasty while testingweapons, but I wonder if the tests will consist of three working shifts (24/7)like the shifts of the soldiers we are testing the rifles for?

Once theydecide which is the superior weapon, and if the tests prove to be one other thanthe one currently issued, our soldiers might see them in a year. That's what"approximately five months" means to our government.

Take action against Fox advertisers

  In July, Bill O'Reilly and his supporters took action against jetblue for sponsoring the Yearly Kos Convention, and in the end scared the company into dropping its spot.

If the 'fair and balanced' personalities over at Fox can scare sponsors into steering clear of a people-powered convention, then you and I can do the same to Rupert Murdoch.

The Blue State is joining alongside MoveOn.org and DailyKos to encourage every single blog reader to write an email to companies that advertise on Fox news.  All it takes is just a few minutes.  For example, try emailing Home Depot, which is a heavy advertiser on Fox.  Tell them you will boycott their company because it funds unfair and unbalanced news personalities that are hurting our country:

• Home Depot > Write to Paul Raines, Executive Vice President

I am focusing on Home Depot because they are a national company.  But I encourage all of you to call, email or write to local advertisers, since they are the most likely to change course.

If this is not a big issue to you, then don't do anything.  But if you think Fox News is hurting America and want to do something about it, then this is an effective way to take action.  Join us in this effort! 

Follow Up: 90 Day Stay of Execution for Troy Davis

Last night (7/16) on the blog Crooks & Liars, I came across the post 'ActionAlert: Tomorrow Georgia May Execute an Innocent Man'. Due to the time sensitivenature of the story, I didn't feel I had the luxury of spending much time onthis post (I'm sure Troy feels the same), so I posted C & L's post here on TheBlue State.  Thanks to Arlen (one of our regulars), for hiscomment on the post.

     

Good news: a    90 day stay on the execution was granted earlier tonight.

    Posted by: Arlen  | 2007.07.17  at 12:04 AM

I was relieved when I read the good news (probably notnearly as relieved as Tory!). But the feeling we so often get from "ok, Idid my part" wasn't enough this time. I wasn't going to take any selfpromoted pat's on the back because "I helped with the Davis case" forcopying and pasting a post from another site.

I used to be a proponent of the death penalty in myyounger radical days, but that was a long time ago. When you lookat some of the statistics, you realize what a farce it really is. In aperfect "death penalty" world, not one single innocent person couldslip through the cracks onto death row. Well there is no perfect death penaltyworld, or perfect regular world for that matter. So in my opinion, thecost of all the appeals, and the cost of EVEN one innocent life, just isn'tworth it or even right.

Troy's story is one that deserves to beheard...

The prosecutor has always said, he would acceptnothing less than "Death", for me and even when a witness came forwardduring trial and admitted perjury, she was detained and threatened, andtherefore the jury never heard her true testimony until years after myconviction and she was a Key Eye Witness, who was also related to the initialattacker that we will call Mr. C.

In the years following my conviction, my family had nomore money to help me, two of my lawyers became Judges after my conviction, anddid what they thought was a good job, yet never came to visit me unless mymother could bring them money, but we have the "Good Ole Boy" systemhere in the courts. The third lawyer the state put on came to court drunk,refused to ask the witnesses questions I wanted asked, and was later disbarred.Then the state appointed another lawyer to make sure the first lawyers did theirjob, this lawyer testified that he talked to me and my family, that was a flatlie. Read on...

I was pleased to see Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) makea statement at Troy's hearing on July 16, but I wasn't pleased not to seethis issue on Lewis's web page.

One major reason for me turning my back on the death penalty long ago; whilewatching a news magazine show (not sure which one it was now), but when theprosecuting attorney was confronted and shown new evidence on the particularcase they were covering, he was unyielding and kept saying "so and so wasfound guilty in a court of law...etc." Talk about people that refuse to bewrong! I mean, we're not talking about loosing a call in baseball here, there isno next game, this is it baby, this is the last game of the World Series, nomore seasons [PERIOD]

Just skimming through a few of the statistics at the Deathpenalty Information Center would open the eyes of any reasonable person.Anyone that would like to help can go to Amnesty Internationals Online ActionCenter for Troy HERE.There is a pre-filled form letter, just add some info and click (if you supportTroy after reading this info)

'Action Alert: Tomorrow Georgia May Execute An Innocent Man'

Posted on Crooks & Liars (and totally plagiarized...I might have the time to make an original post, but this guy sure doesn't) :

'Action Alert: Tomorrow Georgia May Execute An Innocent Man'

Though prosecutors have considered the case solvedfor nearly two decades, a chorus of eyewitnesses say the policearrested the wrong man. Now, on the eve of execution, scheduled forTuesday, they have joined his family and his lawyers in an effort toget the courts to hear new evidence they say proves he is innocent.

With no physical evidence — the murder weapon was never found —prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses whotook the stand against Mr. Davis.

But since his trial, seven of the nine have recanted or changedtheir testimony, saying they were harassed and pressed by investigatorsto lie under oath. Other witnesses have come forward identifying adifferent man as the shooter.

But because of a 1996 federal law intended to streamline the legal process in death penalty cases, courts have ruled it is too late in the appeals process to introduce new evidence and, so far, have refused to hear it. Read more…

More on this story from The Washington Post and AJC.com.

Call the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, and ask them to grant clemency to Troy Davis: 404-651-6599

(Many thanks to James Rucker from ColorOfChange.org)

I came across this late night and it needed to be posted As Soon As Possible.