Garden Champions Unite!

This is so important. If you want to attend, you'll be re-energized. If not, at least contact Marion-Polk Food Share and ask them about how you can contribute to their matching gift campaign, where their board members have pledged to match up to $24,000 in contributions, and these will also be matched in part by a national challenge campaign. (Click for full size image.)

Salem's Northeast Neighbors Association (NEN) Resumes Urban Hens Debate

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

Finally, Salem's NEN neighborhood association is going to revisit the urban hens question on April 20. About time. All the details on the NEN website including a nice map to where the NEN group meets. If you're a NEN resident and want to help reverse the wrongheaded neighborhood opposition to urban hens, please turn out.

New Yorker writes about Bookmooch.com

No matter how much we'd love to buy all the books we want from our local booksellers, like Tea Party Bookshop, it's just not possible. And there's those books that you want to find good homes for -- how can you do it? Easy -- join Bookmooch.com and become part of one of the coolest things on the Interwebs -- a book giving and receiving service that operates in a useful, intuitive way without much stress. You simply list all the books you have that you'd like to give away, and browse the many books on offer from other Bookmoochers -- for every book you give (in the US) you get a point; for every book you mooch, it costs a point (2 for international mooches). That's it -- you get to maintain a wishlist so that, when someone lists a book you've been wanting, you get an email telling you it's available. And you get a tenth of a point for each book you offer, and you get a couple points to get you started when you first join (by listing ten books you are offering).

It's as cool as can be, so check it out.

Spring Break Week Treat

Yelm Community Library read-aloud. Image by Timberland Regional Library via Flickr

Story times for adults -- which are also perfect for precocious middle school and older teens too, in my view -- is happening at the Salem Public Library next week. Most readers got that way because someone read to them, and we never lose the joy of hearing a well-read story.

This week, on the big stage in Loucks Auditorium on Tues, at 10:10 a.m., a reading of "Mr. Sumarsono" by Roxana Robinson, a deceptively simple tale in which "A family headed by a vastly hospitable mother serves dinner to an Indonesian diplomat, striving to make a good impression and changing the way her family sees her." Library opens at 10, story begins at 10:10, over by 11.

I know many of you will be at work next week, or (even better) on a Spring Break adventure, but if you're looking for something to do on Tuesday morning, or are out and about already, grab a coffee and come on down! And if you can't make it, but know someone who might enjoy this, please let them know about it. Grownup Storytime is every Tuesday at 10:10, at Salem Public Library.

Unsolicited Plug 2010-1: SolarSkyLite & Nash Built Construction

There hasn't been an Unsolicited Plug here in a while, and I realized that I had one I should share, despite my deep hatred of phony spellings like "Lite" and "Nite" and "Donut" etc.

The plug goes to SolarSkyLite.

This is also the first unsolicited plug that discusses a national product rather than a Salem-made product or service -- a solar light port kit that would probably install pretty easily and does a very nice job lighting up an otherwise dark, windowless hallway that often needed a light on during even the brightest days, just because of the way the house was laid out. I wouldn't actually know how hard it was to install, because, at least in my case, the savings on the kit (just $200 at Costco) are better used having a real pro do most home improvement projects.

And the pro I can suggest is Paul Nash of Nash Built Construction. Paul did a LOT of work here at LOVESalem HQ in 2009 by framing around the _outside_ of the house to add 2" of thick thermal insulation panels and then hang hardiplank(TM) siding. He and his helper Vince did good, solid work for weeks and helped make LOVESalem HQ much more energy-efficient and comfortable, not to mention much, much, much better looking. He does a fair amount of work in Salem so I'll consider him local even though I think he gets his mail in Sublimity.

If you install one of these SolarSkyLite jobs in 2010 you can write off 30% of the cost on your federal taxes and, I think, probably also write something off your Oregon taxes too (though I haven't checked that part out, so don't quote me). Now that Paul has done one, he could probably pop one in for you pretty quickly, and I doubt you'd regret it. We have a similar solar light port in another dark room of the house and it was terrific this winter.

A vital measure: Deny Corporate Personhood

"Additional charges may apply; Void where prohibited by law." Image via Wikipedia

The phony conservatives and Faux patriots who always whine about "judicial activism" have been delighted to remain silent about the Supreme Court's latest act of supreme self- debasement before corporate power in defining corporations as persons with free speech rights that trump election laws, thus permitting unlimited corporate spending on any election. Mussolini proudly defined his system of fascism as corporatismo, the merger of the power of the state and corporations, and the corporate servants on the court (Roberts-Alito-Scalia-Thomas-Kennedy) have given them a great victory.

That's why we must amend the Constitution to guarantee that the fictional persons (corporations) don't further snuff out the rights of real people:

Motion to Amend

We, the People of the United States of America, reject the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United, and move to amend our Constitution to:

• Firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
• Guarantee the right to vote and to participate, and to have our vote and participation count.
• Protect local communities, their economies, and democracies against illegitimate "preemption" actions by global, national, and state governments.

The must-read as we debate whether we can afford health care reform

Image via Wikipedia

Tomgram: William Astore, You Have No Say About Your Military

By William Astore
Posted on March 18, 2010, Printed on March 19, 2010
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175219/

When was the last time you saw the headline, “Cost of [Pentagon-weapons-system-of-your-choice] halved”? Probably never. Still, the thought came to mind when this recent Associated Press headline caught my eye: “Pentagon: F-35 fighter jet cost doubles.”

Here’s the story behind it: Since 2001, when an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was expected to cost an already hefty $50 million, the plane’s cost has soared into the stratosphere (despite the fact that the aircraft itself has barely left the ground). The estimated cost today is $113 million per plane. Yes, that’s per plane. This supposed future workhorse of the U.S. military is now priced like the planet’s most precious gem. It’s also 2 ½ years behind schedule. Keep in mind that the Marines, the Air Force, and the Navy are planning to buy a combined 2,450 of them for what’s now an eye-popping $323 billion. And if you think the costs are likely to stay in the $113 million range, given the history of Pentagon cost overruns, then I have a nice little national security bridge to Brooklyn I think the U.S. public might love.

In other words, if all goes well from here (an unlikely possibility), a single future weapons system is now estimated to cost the American taxpayer almost one-third of what the Obama administration’s health-care plan is expected to cost over a decade. You could even think of the Pentagon’s weapons procurement process as the health-care system of the national security state. Its costs just never stop rising. In fact, the Government Accountability Office pegs major weapons systems cost overruns since 2001 at $295 billion, another near third of the cost of the health-care bill supposedly coming to a vote this week.

And here’s what’s remarkable: You barely hear about such overruns. They’re almost never front-page headline news, even though the money’s being taken from not-so-deep taxpayer pockets. And when truly terrible news, as with the F-35, comes in, all that happens in Washington is that a few politicians mutter a little. John McCain, for example, offered this less than stirring quote on the F-35: “The taxpayers are a little tired of this. I can’t say that I can blame them”; and an irritated Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “We cannot sacrifice other important acquisitions in the DOD [Department of Defense] investment portfolio to pay for this capability.” (Bet you didn’t even know that future weapons were part of a Pentagon “investment portfolio.”) In the case of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, he’s planning to hold back $614 million in “performance bonuses” from the plane’s lead contractor Lockheed Martin. (And you thought only bankers and financial wheeler-dealers got performance bonuses!) But it’s striking that there are no tea party movements out in the streets of America demanding our money back or claiming that we’re going to be broken by this.

Here’s an American reality: the Pentagon is our true welfare state, the weapons makers our real “welfare queens,” and we never stop shoveling money their way. Somebody should raise a few tough questions about the Pentagonization of our country and its finances. Fortunately, TomDispatch has retired Lt. Col. William Astore, historian and regular contributor to this site, to take on the task. Tom

The Pentagon Church Militant and Us
The Top Five Questions We Should Ask the Pentagon
By William J. Astore

When it comes to our nation’s military affairs, ignorance is not bliss. What’s remarkable then, given the permanent state of war in which we find ourselves, is how many Americans seem content not to know. . . .

Don't Miss It!

Mark your calendars now.

If this isn't April Fool's Day come early than it's Fan-Fricking-Tastic

A sign usually noted only in passing, at high speed, while pedestrians dodge out of the way. Image via Wikipedia

Amazing news from US Department of Highways and occasionally other things, if forced, a/k/a USDOT.

Secretary LaHood has made the following announcement via his blog:

"Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

"We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

"To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:

• Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
• Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
• Go beyond minimum design standards.
• Collect data on walking and biking trips.
• Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
• Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
• Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects."

Thoughtful letter from Silverton Granger re: urban hens

Urban Hens: Much to Cluck About

By Gus Frederick

A very important part of the Silverton Grange's mission, is the promotion not only of local agriculture, but also local sustainability. Most may think that we mean these terms to apply to outside the City limits, in what would traditionally be viewed as "agricultural" land. However, town and city folk have always had a tradition of some sort of personal "agricultural," endeavor; whether a small garden plot in the back yard, or a couple of hens to provide fresh eggs.

Over the years, our society has seen an increase of available commodities, often shipped in from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This centralized approach to supplying our day to day substance has altered how we view our food and where it comes from. Post war America encouraged this, while at the same time discouraging many of the traditional approaches that rural and small town people had used to supplement their nutritional intake with local food. From the 1950s on, we saw many municipal codes change, that while often well-meaning, had the effect of stifling local sustainable practices.

We, as a Grange have consciously sought to reverse this unhealthy trend. We not only see it as a good idea to promote local nutritional sustainability, but also as essential for our future survival as a community and as a country.

So when we read the front page story in the February 24 edition of the Silverton Appeal-Tribune, about the Council voting on the "Chicken Issue," our interest was piqued. Several of our Grange members, including myself, attended the March 1 City Council Meeting to present facts in support of this proposal. I managed to get in and grab a seat and agenda from the table.

The place was packed full of supporters of the Silverton Skate Park. In fact, some of our members were turned away due to the large numbers. No where on the agenda was the "chicken" vote mentioned. At the opening portion of the meeting, when the Mayor asked for a show of hands for various issues, and he read through the agenda items, and again, "chickens" were never mentioned. In the chaos, we assumed that the chicken issue, for what ever reason, would not be addressed that
evening, so we left.

Imagine our shock and surprise when opening the paper the following week to read that yes, it was voted on and was voted down. We of course, learned too late that the "chicken Issue" promoted with such fanfare in the paper was in fact a small portion of Silverton Development Code Revision. Our bad for not researching the issue further. And the fact that the newspaper article likewise failed to mention the SDC, but
rather referred to a "Chicken Ordinance," also contributed to the confusion. But many of us thought it odd that at least some mention was not given in either the agenda or during opening comments.
After viewing the award-winning documentary video "Chicken Revolution" about the same issue in Salem, I was struck by the outright animosity shown by the Mayor and several Salem Councilors, towards this group of concerned citizens. They simply wanted to be within the law, and have three hens, (no roosters). The Salem Council shot back time and again with more hoops to jump through, more meetings, more proposals, more delays.

The irony in the Salem situation, as shown in testimony from the Salem chicken supporters, is that this issue has been addressed by many towns and cities, including Eugene, Corvallis, Portland and even Lake Oswego. Some hens allowed. No roosters. It is in fact, an easily addressed issue, that even the Salem City staff supported.

What did Salem's Council accomplish during this time? In almost two years of bureaucratic run-arounds, they managed mainly one thing: It soured a large group of people towards participatory democracy in general, and City Government in particular. I would hope that our Council would be different. More along the lines of other, more level-headed communities that have adopted logical chicken ordinances.

The bottom line is that several of us were there on March 1 to make a case for this to the Council. We apparently were swept away by the "Skater's Waltz." We feel that this issue should be revisited, and we would hereby request the opportunity to make our presentation to the Council on the matter of "urban hens," and that the Council reconsider the issue with facts that we were and remain ready to present. And this
time, address it specifically, so that we all know what is happening. Instead of hiding behind obscure revisionary development code ordinance titles.

Sincerely,

Gus Frederick
Silverton Grange No. 748
www.SilvertonGrange.com