Monday, September 21, 2009

Next Agenda Clean Energy Challenge

On Thursday, Sept 17 at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio in San Francisco, 200 incredibly innovative and brilliant people came together to launch an effort to find a solution or set of solutions that might get the US electric grid onto carbon free energy by 2020.  The proposal was to start a facilitated process that can provide clear direction to a workable solution during the next 6 months!

So what happened? First, some amazing people showed up.  Next, they engaged in a day long process that included talks and lots of breakouts with facilitation at every step of the way to be sure that good ideas, many of them would come out!  And they did.  Next Agenda shot the entire day, all aspects all angles all 200!  Video will show up at the Next Agenda website soon.

The event developed two very important areas of inquiry- technical and social.  On the technical side, there is so much going on it is almost like an avalanche of great ideas.  Two things are clear...not one answer is right and every answer is right.  So, we need a combination of use abatement, new efficiency in development and transportation and new technology for carbon capture and energy production.

On the social side, we need a movement that rivals the anti-war movement in the 1960's or the labor movement of the 1930's.  But this is much harder because by the time we see this "enemy", it will be too late.  So, Next Agenda proposes to use the web like Barack Obama did to get elected and use TV like American Idol does.  Starting when?  As soon as the video from the Presidio is ready to go.

Don't wait. Join Next Agenda now! 

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Obama Health Care Speech

As always, Obama rocked the House!  The man can speak, no doubt.  He also showed toughness, memorably staring down the Republicans as he called them on their efforts to mislead America on his positions.  All good.

The Plan itself is rock solid, but only if adopted in the form as presented.  Any tweaks and changes may make the whole thing unworkable.  This is signature too complicated legislation.  But this kind of thing has worked in the past- Medicare, Social security, every tax bill.

Lastly, what I missed (and as a Universal Single Payer Health Care advocate, I was looking for it) was whether the Plan will cover people who have no money and no insurance.  I see all kinds of options for people with jobs and money.  Just did not hear this all too important element.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A Different Take

Saw Phaedra Ellis-Lamkin, successor to Van Jones at Green for All.  She spoke at the Tides Momentum conference today and shed some light on the Van Jones affair (Van's resignation after being pressed by the idiots at Fox).

Phaedra said:
1. Don't waste any time feeling bad for Van Jones or angry at Fox.
2. Van and Obama got what they wanted.

If you read between Phaedra's lines it is easy to come to a different, more hopeful conclusion from Obama's non-reaction and Jones' quiet departure than that many of us reached over the weekend.

How about this- Obama had/has a master plan with Jones, dating way back to December-

First, bring him in TEMPORARILY to lead the way and show the way on the Green for All provisions. He single handedly won over 100% support from the Black and Hispanic Caucuses which held up the Stimulus Bill for the Green Jobs provisions.

Second, let Jones take the ire of the right wing on the Green jobs issues (a form of communism, acc Fox), deflect it from Obama.

Third, leak some crazy info on Jones to the right wingers and let them lynch our man Van, very publicly.
Then have him resign, get the left all fired up (worked!) and get the right complacent about its ability to push Obama around just before the Health Care fist fight!

Last, put Jones back in the saddle at Green for All where he is most valuable, an incredible populist progressive who can really get shit done!

Far fetched?  I would think so if I had not heard the "top line" from Phaedra.  Makes me a bit more hopeful....

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Obama is a P****!

Obama has allowed the reactionaries to kill Van Jones, perhaps the only real "get it done" progressive populist on his team.  If you missed it, Jones resigned yesterday after coming under fire for remarks about Bush, Glen Beck and others.

The resignation is just the scratch of the surface on this one!  Obama uttered not one protective word to the world about the amazing things Van Jones has accomplished in his career as a civil rights leader and environmentalist; gave him no affirming send off; did not honor this amazing individual in any way.

Even worse is that while he was in the White House they did not use him to make things happen like he did at Green for All!

Jones has proven AUDACITY.  Appears Obama does not even have HOPE.

Embarrassing, shortsighted and weak.

There is very little to say in defense of our WEAK President.  Pathetic.