These departments will allow us to display articles from many sources provided by Democratic party members. They will give us information that will lead us to action on behalf of candidate campaigns, causes and critical work to advance our efforts to restore our democracy. Please contact us to submit your own ideas/comments. If you don't see a category that fits your thinking, send anyway and we'll make one. Many thanks for your contributions. BCDP.

Some of the links go to PDF files, which require Adobe Reader. Click here to download if needed.

BDCP Press Releases

MiscellaneousPolitical Information

Campaign 2008

Alerts:

Too much CO₂

Another must-read of scholar Bill McKibben's timely and urgent article about how we must act NOW to save our planet - that's right, not in 2012 or 2025. We must have the courage now to do what we need to do as well as convince others on the planet to do that same, by incentives if necessary.

Click here to read the article in pdf format. Check the links at the end of the article.

Click here to read the original article on line. Check the links within the article.

Many thanks to Victoria Bailey for submitting this important article for publication.

End Human Rights Abuses in Florida Fields

4/23/2008

Please help Tomato pickers in Florida end human rights crisis. Click here to see a request for help from Darcy Scott of TrueMajority.com to sign a petition.

4/18/2008

Sign a petition to insist that the presidential candidates demand the resignation of Condoleezza Rice for her

approval of torture and then her lies to Congress about her part in the approval process. Click here.

Sign a petition to stop use of high-tech voting machines in 2008 elections.

Did you see The New York Times Magazine?

January 6, 2008

This Sunday's cover story in the New York Times Magazine makes plain the threat: The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.

Congress is poised to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill next week -- but we'll have to convince them to act right away.

Please click the link below to sign a petition urging local, state, and federal officials to require paper ballots for our votes.

http://pol.moveon.org/paper2008/o.pl?id=11873-5768027-dMF1yn&t=3

Editorial Comment:

If the 2008 general election is decided by invalid vote counts in these voting machines, our democracy is DEAD. It is profoundly important that congress see to it that we return to paper ballots for this election. The current technology in voting machines is not up to the task of performing such a critical service for us and congress is the only entity who can prevent their use. Please, please act by signing this petition to make known your demand to require voting on paper ballots. NOW. Thanks.

Sign a petition to require that Sunday Hosts get candidate positions on Global Warming in 2008.

What are they waiting for?

In 2007, the five Sunday morning hosts (Tim Russert, Bob Schiefer, Chris Wallace, George Stephanopoulos, and Wolf Blitzer) have ask the presidential candidates almost 2,500, questions. Of those, only three (3) have been about global warming. That's right - only 3 questions about global warming.

The world’s scientific community has unequivocally determined that global warming is a man-made crisis of the highest order, threatening our economic prosperity, international security, environmental stability, and the survival of millions. It is also one of the most pressing concerns, with the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stating, “If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future.”

Click on the link below to sign a petition demanding acknowledgement of the threat of global warming and application of priority to global warming in candidate interviews throughout 2008.

www.whataretheywaitingfor.com/sign.php

A Message from your County Chair, Mitzi VanSant:

County Chair Convention Address

Given by Mitzi VanSant, Executive Committee Chair, Democratic Bastrop County Convention, 3/29/08.

We would like to welcome you to the 2008 Bastrop County Democratic Convention. For some of you this may be one of the first one or two steps you’ve ever taken in Party politics. For some others, it represents a continuation of many years of activism in support of the Democratic Party.

This year has been a very special year in political history. More than ever before, large numbers of people have felt inspired and empowered by our Democratic Party Presidential candidates. That inspiration promises a welcome change from the 8 years of imperial rule we have endured with the Republican administration of George W. Bush. Some of you may have arrived thinking this gathering is simply about nominating a candidate for the Party ticket, through the election of delegates to the state convention. I would like to suggest that it is much more than that.

We come into Party politics in a variety of ways. Some feel moved by a person or candidate. For others it is a dedication to a cause, like peace, in my case. I would like to suggest that it is those causes or ideals we share that matter here today. Whether you are inspired to work for peace and social justice, increasing respect of our environment, the welfare and education of the young--and old--in our society, whatever the cause, remember it while we are deliberating today. What is really important in this convention is that we treat each other with respect, form personal relationships that bring us closer together, and that we come out of here this afternoon united as a Party.

One of my other favorite organizations, along with the Democratic Party, is the Public Broadcasting System. I give money to them, and time and money to the Democrats. Two nights ago, after an exhausting day preparing for this convention, I flopped down on the couch to relax and get sleepy. PBS was having a fund drive and the program running was about the folksinger and songwriter Pete Seeger. One of the many songs he has immortalized in his 60 years of activism is “We Shall Overcome”, a song that I consider a hymn, more than folk song. In any case, one of the statements he made that caught my attention was this: “Participation, that’s what is going to save the human race.” I couldn’t agree with him more.

I want to thank all the people who worked so hard to make this convention happen. Yesterday there were 8 or 9 people working in the two small offices, some over 12 hours at a stretch. There were many others working on committees over the last 3 and one half weeks. I know many of us already feel a bond forged in political activism.

For the rest of you, so new to this, I hope you find a beginning connection today, and that you will come back to work with us. There are many opportunities to serve, and in a variety of ways. Once we finish here today, we will begin planning our GET OUT THE VOTE effort over the summer and into fall. We will need money for yard signs, office supplies and overhead, and other materials useful in the campaign. You’ll find Sustaining Membership forms on your chairs, along with the Agenda. But more than money, we need your help to get our Democratic candidates, all together the local, state, and national elected this fall. Please remember the causes or ideals that inspire you, along with the candidates, and work for them through your efforts today.

BDCP Press Releases:

Miscellaneous Political Information

Pertinent Quote for our times:

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Joseph Goebbels, Senior Hitler-Regime Nazi Officer - WWII

Hints:

You've probably noticed a link (Follow the Money) on the Home page in the left sidebar that takes you to a site called opensecrets.org. The site provides valuable information about who in your zip code is donating money to which political campaigns. That can help you in your organizing efforts. Go look at the site and see what you can do to improve your odds of getting the help you need from the folks inclined to values like yours.

Campaign 2008:

Former Senator Barrientos Endorses Jackson for Commissioner

February 20, 2008

Former State Senator and Bastrop native Gonzalo Barrientos formally endorsed Council Member Dock Jackson for Bastrop County Commissioner Precinct 1 on Friday, February 15^th at Jackson’s Friday Night Fish Fry Fundraiser at the Kerr Community Center. The former State Senator said “I am proud to support my friend Dock Jackson for Bastrop County Commissioner in Precinct 1. He is what Bastrop and Precinct 1 needs. He represents experience, stability and honesty”.

Jackson stated “I am honored and glad to have such a distinguished man as Senator Barrientos in my corner. He is a man I have admired for years. His public service to the state is one of excellence. He and his family are strong supporters and I am glad to have their support in my quest to be the next Precinct 1 Commissioner for Bastrop County.”

www.dockjackson.com.

SEIU Texas Endorses Larry Joe Doherty

SEIU backs Doherty, calling him the stronger candidate to defeat Michael McCaul and speak for working families

(Houston) – SEIU, the fastest growing union in North America standing up for working families, has made official its endorsement of U.S. Congressional candidate Larry Joe Doherty.

“SEIU has been a strong and effective voice for a livable wage and affordable health care,” said Doherty. “An honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work and the ability to provide health care for our families should be a goal that unites us all.”

The Service Employees International Union represents over 1.9 million working men and women. Having split off from the AFL-CIO as part of the Change to Win coalition, the SEIU is working aggressively to meet the immediate needs of working families.

“Larry Joe has been leading the charge against a Republican rubberstamp who consistently votes against Texas children,” said Maria Ester Mauricio, a custodian and member of SEIU Texas. Referring to McCaul’s four separate votes against CHIP Mauricio added, “McCaul has failed to stand up for our children and has to go. Larry is the right man to get the job done for all our families."

Other endorsements of Larry Joe include former Texas Court of Criminal Appeal Judge Morris Overstreet, Democratic Candidate for Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, former congressional candidate Richard Morrison, and the Black Austin Democrats.

Larry Joe Doherty, a former legal malpractice attorney and star of the syndicated television series Texas Justice, is running to replace Republican Congressman Michael McCaul. Last month, Doherty reported he raised over $150,000 in the 4th quarter – three times more than McCaul and five times more than his primary opponent.

Find out more at his website, www.larryjoe.com.

Freedoms:

Whatever Happened to "We the People"?

by Thom Hartmann - excerpt from Cracking the Code: How to Win Hearts, Change Minds, and Restore America's Original Vision.

A pithy question with some profound thoughts by Mr. Hartmann that we all should consider. Click here to read a pdf file of this excerpt.

Values:

This section is intended to be a showcase of unifying values from various Democratic friends, family, associates, causes, campaigns, print media - from anywhere you find inspiration.

Heartland Democrats of America

From Jane VanSant (sister of our own County Chair, Mitzi VanSant)

The nationwide membership of HDA, recognizes the need for Democrats to engage in, expand, and ultimately win the "values debate." HDA members understand that progress cannot wait for the next campaign season, because Democrats need to start changing minds now.

HDA champions strong Democratic values in Missouri and throughout America's Heartland. The era of the apologetic Democrat in middle America is being laid to rest forever - replaced by a unifying values message worthy of the hard-working people of middle America.

OUR VALUES

Opportunity- Government, in partnership with society, can create opportunity for all Americans who are willing to work. Democrats believe in helping all Americans to realize their potential.
Responsibility- Responsibility does not end at our front door. Great leaders act out of responsibility toward their communities, and it is that sense of duty that pushes Democrats to fight for the interests of working families.
Community- The measure of our community will always be whether we protect the most vulnerable among us. Democrats seek a stronger America ready to tackle great national challenges as one community.
Trust - A stable world, a secure nation and safe communities are built on trust, and trust is earned by encouraging honest, transparent government. Democrats understand that trust must be earned every day - that it is not a prize for winning elections.
Service - Public service should be selfless, not selfish. Democrats oppose those who seek power for power's sake. We place the people before the powerful, not the other way around.

Who Will Tell the People?

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: May 4, 2008

Traveling the country these past five months while writing a book, I’ve had my own opportunity to take the pulse, far from the campaign crowds. My own totally unscientific polling has left me feeling that if there is one overwhelming hunger in our country today it’s this: People want to do nation-building. They really do. But they want to do nation-building in America.

They are not only tired of nation-building in Iraq and in Afghanistan, with so little to show for it. They sense something deeper — that we’re just not that strong anymore. We’re borrowing money to shore up our banks from city-states called Dubai and Singapore. Our generals regularly tell us that Iran is subverting our efforts in Iraq, but they do nothing about it because we have no leverage — as long as our forces are pinned down in Baghdad and our economy is pinned to Middle East oil.

Our president’s latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices. I guess there was some justice in that. When you, the president, after 9/11, tell the country to go shopping instead of buckling down to break our addiction to oil, it ends with you, the president, shopping the world for discount gasoline.

We are not as powerful as we used to be because over the past three decades, the Asian values of our parents’ generation — work hard, study, save, invest, live within your means — have given way to subprime values: “You can have the American dream — a house — with no money down and no payments for two years.”

Click here to see the complete OpEd piece in pdf format and print.

Click here to see the complete OpEd piece on nytimes.com

Government Issues:

Doggett and Electronic vs. Paper Voting

"A growing number of election reform and computer security experts have rightfully raised serious concerns about the integrity of electronic voting systems. The reliability of election results should not be jeopardized by computer malfunction or other irregularities.

"You will be pleased to know that I am already a sponsor of Representative Holt's "Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act" which would mandate the use of paper ballots in federal elections. I have discussed with him on a number of occasions the challenges facing this important legislation. The Leadership will bring this measure to the Floor only when we have the votes necessary to approve it, and we are not there yet.

"I am also already a sponsor of the Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008, which would reimburse paperless jurisdictions for converting to paper ballot voting systems and conducting audits. This bill would provide an incentive to counties that want to implement a system to prevent possible problems in the November 2008 general election."

US debt tops $9 trillion for first time-Treasury

Wed Nov 7, 2007 6:07pm EST

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday publicly held U.S. debt breached $9 trillion this week for the first time ever, just five weeks after Congress had raised the statutory borrowing limit.

At the end of September, U.S. President George W. Bush signed a measure to increase the debt limit ceiling to $9.815 trillion from $8.965 trillion, allowing the government to keep issuing debt.

The increase in the debt limit is the fifth since Bush took office in January 2001. The U.S. debt stood at about $5.6 trillion at the start of his presidency.

In approving the debt limit increase, Congressional lawmakers said the $850 billion increase should be large enough to allow the government to continue borrowing into 2009, well beyond next year's presidential and congressional elections.

The Bush administration estimated the U.S. federal budget deficit for fiscal 2007 would total $163 billion. The deficit for the year ended Sept. 30 narrowed by 34.3 percent from the $248 billion gap in fiscal 2006. (Reporting by Nancy Waitz; editing by Gary Crosse)

Legislative Issues:

Lloyd Doggett on Economic Stimulus 1/29/2008

While the Bush Administration’s reaction to the economic downturn was to continue whistling “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” we were already working on a prompt response. But today’s stimulus is far less effective than it could have been and should have been because those who doubted that we needed to do anything, insisted on supporting only action that would give one of every three dollars to corporate America and would delay until this summer giving any assistance to working families.

Now there is talk about an effort to add tax cut rebates for multimillionaires -- that is hardly stimulus, unless they increase their tips to the butler or the limousine driver.

Whatever we do here, it can still be a stimulus without letting go of the pay-as-you-go rule and adding to our soaring national debt.

See Congressman Doggett make this statement at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaWZQIFHHiI

Environment:

Too much CO₂

Click here to read the article in pdf format. Check the links at the end of the article.

Click here to read the original article on line. Check the links within the article.

Many thanks to Victoria Bailey for submitting this important article for publication.

Art Expressing Environmental Issues

By: Chris Jordan, artist

Chris's work is stunning and strikes at the core of our wastefulness. Please be patient with this download, as it is chocked full of extraordinary effort to depict in art his own feelings about our challenges in the future. It is well worth the wait. www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=7

Thanks to Karen Sterling for the reference.

Bastropia.com Guest Editorial:

Get Informed about Cloned Beef and Other Food Labels

by Pati Jacobs, Co-Owner Bastrop Cattle Company, January 29, 2008

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration issued a report saying that meat from cloned animals is safe for human consumption. I don’t know how you feel about eating cloned meat – but however you feel, you should be able to make an informed choice.

That will not be possible. The FDA is strongly leaning toward recommending that nowhere on the label is the producer of this meat required to tell you that it is cloned. See full content of the editorial at Bastropia.com.

Both the Bastropia.com web host, Jennifer Warwick, and the Guest Editor, Pati Jacobs, are hard-working Bastrop County Democratic women. Ed.

A Child Addresses the UN:

Please view this link. It depicts a 13 year old girl speaking to the UN Forum on Climate Change about why the adults need to think of the children who must live with what is to come if we don’t act. It is about 6 minutes in length and quite impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9k0zJ_j8M

League of Conservation Voters

Click here to read Al Gore's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Visit www.environmenttexas.org to keep up with organizational efforts to lobby the state and federal governments in matters regarding ecological and environmental concerns. See especially a petition to prevent the sale of the Christmas Mountains, http://www.environmenttexas.org/action/preserving-texas/perry, among other causes.

Visit these links for help to make important life changes to save our planet.

Economic action for a just and sustainable planet: www.coopamerica.org
Live consciously, buy wisely, make a difference: www.newdream.org
Tips for a green home and healthy diet: www.thegreenguide.com
Calculate your impact on the planet and learn how to reduce it: www.fightglobalwarming.com
Principles of sustainable living: www.naturalstep.org

Peace and Justice:

Who Will Tell the People?

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: May 4, 2008

Click here to see the complete OpEd piece in pdf format and print.

Click here to see the complete OpEd piece on nytimes.com

Reason to Find Time to Vote

A short history lesson for anyone on the privilege of voting...

How Women Got To Vote

The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and with their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie "Iron Jawed Angels." It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry - and she was, with herself. "One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie," she said. "What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn." The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her "all over again." HBO will run the movie periodically before releasing it on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunko night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

Ed note: The attribution for this writing has been lost thanks to the selfless act of the writer in turning it over to the public domain. Wherever she is, she should know that we are all grateful for her thoughts and will spread the lesson not only to all women non-voters but to everyone who is eligible to vote. The cost of spreading suffrage was too great to ignore. Thanks to Marsha Correira for sending to us.

Labor Issues:

Sign a Petition to Help the Tomato Pickers in Florida

Notice from TrueMajority.org, Darcy Scott, Washington Director

There is a human rights crisis in Florida's fields. Farm laborers are being paid poverty wages while working long hours without overtime pay. There is even physical abuse and wage fraud by crew leaders, supervisors, and growers.¹

There is a simple solution. Workers have asked Burger King to pay just one penny more per pound for tomatoes and ensure that the increase is passed on to tomato pickers in the form of increased wages. While other fast food corporations have already agreed to this small change, Burger King has so far refused to help workers out of poverty.

Our friends at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers have been championing farm laborers' rights for years. We worked with them to take on McDonalds and Taco Bell and won.² And, this campaign has been picking up steam with recent coverage on National Public Radio and Senate hearings held by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Please sign the truemajority.org petition to help these workers. After you sign, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers will hand deliver these petitions to Burger King headquarters in Florida on Monday. And, next time you eat a burger, don't forget what a difference a penny will make.

Sign the petition today:
http://www.truemajority.org/fairfoodnation

Thanks for standing for workers rights.

¹ npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89750307
² npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4706271

Community Interests:

Citizens Advise the County Commissioners about Future Opportunity

The Citizen's Advisory Committee of the Opportunity Bastrop County study of the future of Bastrop County has completed a report that was provided to the commissioners on October 22, 2007. Click here to download a copy of the report in pdf format.

ARTS INCUBATOR IN THE WORKS

With a $67,000 grant from Bastrop Economic Development Corporation, Upstart, a Bastrop nonprofit, recently purchased two warehouses on property near the Bastrop High School. The address is 1508 Cypress, adjacent to the Upstart Media Arts Center (UMAC), where Bastrop Community Access Television is housed.

“We’re planning to turn these warehouses into a community art center,” says Carolyn Banks, Executive Director of Upstart. “We feel that art is important to the people in Bastrop County, and we’re hoping that eventually they’ll be able to come here to express themselves and create.”

Upstart has been referring to the space as an “arts incubator,” or, as Banks puts it, “a place where creative ideas are hatched.”

Banks wants the larger space to be used as classrooms and artists’ studios. She sees the smaller warehouse as what is known as a ‘black box theatre,’ where film and video screenings and dramatic productions can be held. The important thing to remember is that it will be for all the arts,” Banks says. “That means music, dance, writing, painting, pottery, film. Did I miss anything?”

Many local people, in addition to those on the board of BEDC and Bastrop City Council have supported the project even in this early stage. “Bill Chess put the real estate deal together and Kay Rogers and Joe Grady Tuck did a lot of the legal work. Gary Schiff was behind the project from the start, too. Dale Olson pitched in with the survey and Jim Bob Dooley the appraisal. Marvin Beck was our banker, although Reid Sharp and Wally Namken of First National Bank were ready to come in if they needed to,” Banks said. “It has already been a strong community effort.”

The move marks a shift in Upstart’s mission, hitherto focused on film and television production. “We’ll still do that, but we’re branching out because the city needs a place where artists can get their start and where people who love the arts can come and watch them work.”

Upstart plans to begin fundraising for the project soon, approaching foundations and businesses as well as private individuals. “It will take a lot of work,” Banks says, “but we feel it will be worth it. There’s a lot of untapped talent in this town and nearby. ”

Upstart is planning to begin clearing the debris on the lot on Sunday, October 28 at 8 a.m. “We invite anyone with a weed-eater or a chain saw to show up and give us a hand. I’ll make sure there’s coffee and something to munch on,” Banks says.

For more info call Carolyn Banks at 303.1531

New Web Portal in Bastrop County - www.bastropia.com

Bastropia.com provides News, Events, Weather, Categorized Business List, Email, ad space for small business in the county, and much, much more, including a large photo album of sites around the county. Check this new site and enjoy it's features.