March « 2011 « BlueBroward.org

March 31, 2011

Why Ann Murray should resign or be removed

Filed under: Opinion — Freda Stevens @ 12:16 pm

School Board Member Ann Murray is under fire for the use of the “N” word as an employee of Broward County Public Schools. What scares me the most is her blatant disregard for the people she was elected to serve. Her use of the “N” word explains why she has made nothing but false promises to Hallandale Beach High School.

Broward County is one of the most diverse counties in the country. For any elected official to have that kind of racist mentality towards African Americans is reprehensible.

Ann Murray should do the honorable thing and step down. The school board is no place for a racist.

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March 30, 2011

Senate Committee Hearing on the Nuclear Energy Crisis

Filed under: Opinion — kasha8888 @ 3:53 pm

Dear Democrats and Fellow Citizens,

Today March 30, 2011 Senator Feinstein (D-CA) chaired a Public Senate SubCommittee Hearing on the current Nuclear Energy Crisis which was aired live and video-recorded at CSPAN tv:

http://cspan.org/Events/Nuclear-Regulators-Give-Update-on-Crisis-in-Japan/10737420576-1/

This is a very important (almost 2 hour video) of Testimony by the Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Energy Commission (NRC)

Greg Jaczko, who just returned from his trip to consult with Japan’s government and Nuclear industry leaders about the crisis; Acting Assistant Energy Secretary Peter Lyons, William Levis: President and CEO of PSEG Power, Inc. which operates two nuclear power facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Dr. Ernest Moniz: Former Energy UnderSecretary for Nuclear Energy and current Professor and Researcher at MIT in Nuclear Energy Systems; and Dr. David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists Nuclear Safety Project Director.

This is the real deal: and you can easily see who speaks the unvarnished Truth and who squirms with sideways Lies…

Just a few brief comments from me:

1. Currently there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people in Japan.

2. There is NO permanent Repository (“Safe” Storage Site or Methodolgy) that exists on our Planet for Nuclear Waste, which must be “safely” stored– totally away and separate from Life on Earth for 40,000 years (Because that is the basic High School Physics facts about “Radioactive Elements”.)

3. All stored Nuclear Radioactive Waste is located “On-Site” at each Power Generation Factory: mostly in unsafe pools of water, some in dry cask storage silos made of cement and steel, and some in aluminum sheds similar to Sears do-it-yourself backyard sheds.

4. Senator Lamar Alexander (TN) who sits on the Committee needs to be retired asap… due to old-age and/or significant brain loss functioning, based on his Performance today and his Staff Report that he insisted be made an official part of the public record.

This is Significant History in the making: today…live on CSPAN tv for your viewing…

kasha8888@yahoo.com

Yes, it is very scary information about the Nuclear Energy Industry and some of our “Leaders” in Government…

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March 25, 2011

Continued education about Health & Safety Issues at Nuclear Factories

Filed under: Opinion — kasha8888 @ 11:05 am

Dear Florida Democrats,

The Japan Nuclear Crises is longterm and is relevant to ALL Nuclear Factories worldwide, including all in the USA across all states…

Here is an educational update from the Union of Concerned Scientists about the Industry-wide Nuclear Energy Crisis concerning the Health & Safety Problems that exist at ALL Nuclear Factories: ALL Nuclear Radioactive Waste is stored “On-Site” in Water Pools to keep the radioactive spent full rods from releasing deadly radioactivity to the surrounding communities and extended regional geographies. Every Nuclear Factory in the USA and worldwide stores hundreds or thousands of tons of nuclear waste “On-Site” in Water Pools that have dangerous safety design-vulnerabities… at Homestead, Florida and Hutchinson Island, Florida etc.

http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_risk/safety/safer-storage-of-spent-fuel.html

Don’t you think that Governor Rick Scott and FEMA should not remain ignorant of this “science fact”…

Concerned Scientist and Democrat,

Allen Berg

kasha8888@yahoo.com

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March 24, 2011

Rep. Markey’s letter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission etc.

Filed under: Opinion — kasha8888 @ 7:35 pm

Re: The Japan Nuclear Radioactive Factories Catastrophe and Political Action Plans for Florida Residents

Dear Democrats of Florida,

I am enclosing this “wake-up call” email about the Dangers of Nuclear Radioactive Factories in the USA and highlighting the locations of Florida Nuclear Factories, by including Massachusetts Representative Edward Markey’s recent letter to the NRC (about the Dangers of the Westinghouse “AP 1000″ Nuclear Factories), and the enclosed Expert Knowledge Resources links to the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Nuclear Information Resource Service (NIRS) which has just begun a national campaign to stop the General Electric “Mark 1″ Nuclear Factories from operating in the USA etc.

Re: The Japan Nuclear Radioactive Factories Catastrophe and Political Action Plans for Florida Residents

Having lived in Boston in the early 1970’s, I am familiar with the MIT based group: Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/

which now has grown to 250,000 worldwide members and now has its “Daily Briefings” to the media published online in Transcript Form on their website.

And I have begun to check online for immediate concerns relevant to the U.S. Nuclear Industry

And particularly possible Political Action Plans relevant to Florida residents.

Here is a brief list of links to current Expert Knowledge Sources and Situation Reports nationally and locally:

1. Nuclear Information and Resource Service ( NIRS)

http://www.nirs.org/ with the link to Rep. Edward Markey’s Letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in item 2… as a PDF Document.

2. Current Letter (March 7, 2011) from Representative Edward Markey to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission discussing the safety problems of the Westinghouse “AP 1000″ Nuclear Reactor Design before rushing to approval.

See footnote 5: The proposed sites include… Homestead, Florida (Florida Power and Light Company’s Turkey Point site) and Levy County, Florida (Progress Energy Florida, Inc.’s site)

http://markey.house.gov/docs/3-7-11.ejmtonrc.pdf

3. Florida Nuclear Reactor sites:

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/nukelist1.htm#Southeast

including Hutchinson Island: Port St. Lucie, close to West Palm Beach, Florida. Etc.

Perhaps our Century Village Democratic Party Leader and other interested friends and associates might discuss possible Political Action Plans to voice their opposition to the current Nuclear Reactors Safety Problems here in Florida, to inform Governor Rick Scott etc.

Allen Berg

New resident at Century Village, Deerfield Beach

kasha8888@yahoo.com

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March 20, 2011

When To Add an Event vs. a Blog Post on BlueBroward

Filed under: BlueBroward News,How-To — David F. Carr @ 4:53 pm

Because this is a point of confusion for some members, I wanted to clear up the difference between an event and a blog article on BlueBroward.org.

This website is best known for its event calendar, and all members are invited to post relevant events. I provide some additional features to the leaders of Democratic clubs and allied organizations, but these are mostly to make it easier for people to post recurring events.

A couple of years ago, I converted this site to run on blogging software called WordPress, which makes it easier for members to post opinion articles and carry on discussions through the website. The editor for blog posts and the editor for events use the same basic user interface, with buttons for marking text bold or italic and for adding links.

The major difference is that blog posts are displayed with the most recent posts shown first. So blog posts are shown in reverse chronological order.

Events, on the other hand, are shown are shown in the order that the events are coming up, starting with today’s date. When you add an event to the calendar, make sure you set the event date and time in the control panel below the main editing area.

In general, I’d ask you to put information about your events in the event listings. After you have a great event, come back and post a blog article with photos and commentary to show people why it’s worthwhile and important to get involved. Also use the blog to give your take on important issues like healthcare reform, tax policy, war, peace, and effective tactics for organizing. Democrats are supposed to be the party of ideas, and I invite you to share your best ideas here.

For more details:

How to Post Events to the Calendar (RSVPs Optional)
These are general instructions on posting an event. Any member can post events to the BlueBroward Calendar. There are a few extra options available for members who are registered to edit the events for a Democratic Club or other organization that holds regular meetings (see How to Post and Maintain Club Listings). But these general [...]

How to Post and Maintain Club Listings
This is an update for Democratic club presidents and other people who hold official or unofficial meetings in support of the Democratic cause on a regular basis. When an organization registers with BlueBroward, I create an event template that includes the name of the organization and boilerplate details like the regular meeting schedule and meeting [...]

How To Post to the BlueBroward Blog

Every BlueBroward member is invited to share opinions, criticisms, candidate endorsements, and tips for more effective organizing on the BlueBroward Community Blog, either regularly or occasionally. I reserve the right to edit or delete postings at my own discretion, but my goal is to encourage discussion, not to be a censor. Posting a blog is [...]

Also, as we get into the next campaign cycle:

How to Post a Campaign On BlueBroward.org
Just as any BlueBroward.org member can post events or blog entries, any BlueBroward member can post a campaign listing. When you log in, you should see Post a Campaign Listing as one of the first options on the welcome screen or “Dashboard.” Click there to display the data entry form. (The “Edit Campaigns” button on [...]

How to Share/Delegate Editing Rights for a Campaign, Club, or Organization
BlueBroward allows officers and representatives of Democratic clubs, allied groups, and campaigns to appoint multiple editors for their event listings and related information. For example, both the president and the secretary of a club could have editing rights on this system. A candidate might create a campaign profile but then allow a campaign manager to also[...]

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March 19, 2011

Updated Member Dashboard; Option for Club Officers to Add Multiple Dates

Filed under: How-To,Opinion — David F. Carr @ 5:41 pm

The next time you log in to BlueBroward, you will see an updated member “dashboard” showing all the things you can do with your BlueBroward.org account.

If you have previously published events to the site (or have editing rights through membership in a club or campaign), your event posting and editing options will be shown on the left side of the screen.

The options that apply to anyone — any BlueBroward member can post an event, a blog, or a campaign listing — are listed on the right.

In response to a request from Democratic club leaders, I’ve added the option to check off several dates and add them in one shot. When you do this, your event listings will be completed using the location and contact details set up in your club’s event template. You can then go back and add details such as the names of speakers as appropriate. An earlier incarnation of the website had this feature, and some club leaders missed it.

I have also tried to provide clear links to previously entered events so members know they can edit them rather than creating a new event. Some people seem to get confused and create duplicate entries, which I then have to go back and delete.

Member Dashboard

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March 13, 2011

PTA “Rally in Tally

Filed under: Opinion — Tags: http://www.floridapta.org/RallyFlyer2011.pdf — Susan Pignato @ 10:16 am

March 24, 2011, 11:30am-12:30pm
Location: Waller Park at the Capitol

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March 11, 2011

Potential EPA Budget Slash Putting Florida’s Water At Risk

Filed under: Opinion — NScott @ 1:32 pm

According to this article from the LA Times, the House GOP’s bill aiming to restrict the EPA’s authority of environmental regulation may have a
negative impact on water pollution levels in Florida. The article reads:

“The proposal slices the Environmental Protection Agency budget by 30% — the largest cut to any agency. It bars the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions and from implementing new water pollution limits in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and in Florida.

The bill stops the agency from enforcing new limits on toxic emissions, such as mercury, from cement plants and from updating air pollution standards on dust and other coarse particulate matter that exacerbate asthma and lung ailments. It withdraws funding for the enforcement of dredge and fill regulations that the EPA recently used to halt a big mountaintop-removal coal project in West Virginia.”

With Florida water pollution limits under the gun as well, the proposed legislation could have a dramatic impact on the Florida ecosystem. The potential health threat this legislation present s is staggering. With an increase in pollution and environmental toxins comes an increase in the number of annual children diagnosed with asthma, brain cancer, mesothelioma, and other serious health problems.

Asthma, even for adults, is one of the largest contributors to work and school absenteeism. The illness results in almost 15 million lost workdays each year. Furthermore, mesothelioma symptoms (a rare cancer that forms on the lining of the lungs) are often mistaken for symptoms of asthma. When left undiagnosed, the mesothelioma life expectancy does not generally exceed 14 months.

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