Volunteers Sought for New “Stormwater Stewards” Program
Thurston County Stormwater Utility/Stream Team Program and WSU Extension arerecruiting volunteers to train as "Stormwater Stewards." The program works with localresidents to help reduce pollution in our local waterways and Puget Sound from stormwaterrunoff.
Volunteers receive training in many aspects of on-site stormwater management includingrain gardens, water-wise plants, sloped biodetention hedgerows, pervious pavements,vegetated roofs, and more. Trained volunteers use their new expertise to work in teams toprovide guidance to homeowners who want to do their part to protect local waterways andPuget Sound.

Classes and hands-on field trainings will be held in the evenings and on weekends toaccommodate work schedules. Landscaping professionals are also encouraged to take part inthe volunteer certification program. The training dates are evenings on Thursdays, May 10,17, 31, June 7 and 21, with field days on June 10, 23, and 30.

To learn more and receive an application packet, contact WSU Extension’s Native PlantSalvage Program at Erica@nativeplantsalvage.org or 360-867-2164.

I was reminded of this group, Young, Jewish, and Proud, via JVP today.

Here's a video about their campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAV-3-AqP9M

Signed a petition this morning online through PDA to ask the super committee to save a trillion dollars by fixing Medicare Part D. The change requested would allow the Feds to negotiate drug prices with Big Pharma instead of the current model. I haven't studied this hard, but you don't have to study much to know that the ability to negotiate prices is a good idea. It's kind of free market stuff, isn't it? Doesn't the right love the power of the free market? Let's see how far this thing goes. Senator Kyl has jumped off talking about savings from attacking Medicare fraud, but the CBO guy told him point blank, this approach does not address the deficit and tax changes needed. I also responded to a request from the FCNL - Friends (quakers) Committee on National Legislation and sent the following letter to my Senator, Patty Murray:

I live in Chehalis, Wa and have been pleased to have you as my Senator.

In my lifetime I have watched the tax table leveled and it has had disastrous effects on the US economy and US politics. The well-to-do, the middle class, and the poor continue to pay their fair share. The "haves" and "have mores" as George Bush called them have had their tax burden greatly relieved and now we face a budget deficit that is a pretext for cutting essential government services that are important to the majority of Americans, but mean little or nothing to the have mores.

All day today, there will be people outside of Planned Parenthood with signs of support for this awesome organization.  If you agree, join them, or bring them food, or just honk your horn and cheer.  (Sorry my photos are so crappy)

Saturday 11 December 2010
Sisters Organize for Survival and other groups demonstrate for social justice at the Washington State Capitol Campus

There was a special legislative budget cutting session yesterday. The target of many of these cuts were social services, that the poorest and neediest depend on.

Some thoughts I have had in relation to these budget cuts:
1. We live in a time of extreme disparity in wealth between rich and poor. The gap between rich and poor has perhaps never been greater.

2. In many ways, the modern socio-economic/political system is predatory and rapacious. It is the job of government to protect people and to regulate against harmful activities (for example, like loss of jobs due to mechanization, or outsourcing overseas.)

So, what's missing? Why does the government not only fail to protect people, and to regulate against predations and other harms committed by big business, but actually go so far as to actively enable many of the present abuses?

Washington State Capitol Campus Sundial

For as long as anyone can remember Olympia has been a hotbed for activists. From being a state capitol and a college town, it’s practically baked into the cake. In recent years, the activists have grown less directed, less focused, and more destructive. Energy that could be spent on effective political activity is wasted throwing full trash cans into Plum Street. It’s one thing for a few anarchists to break a few windows and spray paint some walls, but when they organize well enough to all dress in black and make a banner, but then actually assault the reporter who was there to give them media attention, I see a symptom of our current times; a lack of education in civics. What we call an activist the Romans and Greeks called a citizen. For many who call themselves activists the examples of Gandhi and Martin Luther King give way to the examples of the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle. Most Americans today have no idea how to address their government. Many more believe that it wouldn’t be worth it if they tried, and even more believe both of these things. It is worth it, and if you’re serious you’re nearly sure to be taken seriously. The first thing to be a successful activist is to be at the meetings where policy is made. Protests, boycotts, and other acts of civil disobedience have their place, but policy is not made in the street. Our most motivated young activists land in jail because they don’t know what civics is. They see profit in making a record for assaulting police for the street credibility. What we don’t know can hurt us, and we are reaping the harvest of neglect. Gandhi and his people are admired for taking their beatings with zeal, but it was only when they gained access to the leaders that they made progress. In our community we don’t have to take beatings, and assaulting reporters and breaking property will not give you access to the leaders.

I am currently reading the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Stride Toward Freedom. The book is an account of the bus boycott of 1955-56 in Montgomery Alabama. It's a fascinating read, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. There are some interesting parallels between the situation in the South in the 1950s and the situation today in Israel/Palestine. Some of the ideas in Dr. King's account helped me to formulate this statement to the Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors in regard to the ongoing boycott of products from Israel:

Thank you to the Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors for holding fast on the boycott of products from Israel.

This boycott amounts to noncooperation with injustice. The way that the government of Israel and some Israelis are treating Palestinians is unacceptable.

The decision to boycott was correct. Israel needs to change, for the good of both Palestinians and Jews.

When our government is unaccountable to the interests of human rights (and even life itself,) a courageous and principled and strong stand like this of the co-op is truly awesome and inspiring—and necessary.

Human rights are for everyone.

Thank you again for this courageous act of noncooperation!

Sincerely,
Berd Whitlock

Thousands of Israelis protest against the war in Gaza

Roger Waters—"We Shall Overcome"

Projects Sought for United Way's 2010 Day of Caring

Thurston County nonprofit organizations can receive volunteer help for hands-on projects as part of United Way of Thurston County's 18th annual Day of Caring on September 24.

Day of Caring is an annual event where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talent and services to change our community for the better in one day.

Not only does Day of Caring have a significant impact on the needs of local nonprofits, it also enables volunteers to meet new people, work as a team and gain new experiences. Day of Caring also kicks off United Way's annual campaign which raises funds to meet local health and human service needs.

Day of Caring also coordinates with The Evergreen State College's "Community to Community Action Day", which engages incoming college freshmen in local volunteer projects during their orientation week.

United Way, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, invites agencies to submit a project through an easy online registration process. To sign up to host a project, go to www.volunteer.ws . The deadline for applications is August 1.

Projects Sought for United Way's 2010 Day of Caring

 

Thurston County nonprofit organizations can receive volunteer help for hands-on projects as part of United Way of Thurston County's 18th annual Day of Caring on September 24.

Day of Caring is an annual event where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talent and services to change our community for the better in one day.

Not only does Day of Caring have a significant impact on the needs of local nonprofits, it also enables volunteers to meet new people, work as a team and gain new experiences. Day of Caring also kicks off United Way's annual campaign which raises funds to meet local health and human service needs.

Day of Caring also coordinates with The Evergreen State College's "Community to Community Action Day", which engages incoming college freshmen in local volunteer projects during their orientation week.

United Way, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, invites agencies to submit a project through an easy online registration process. To sign up to host a project, go to www.volunteer.ws . The deadline for applications is August 1.