On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents’ lifetimes, and for many generations before us. WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE! WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need organizers in every major city to work with us and get out the protest! I know you’re all tired from all of the work you’ve done for this great election year, but I’m asking for one more push! Let the country hear our voices together. Let them see that we are a strong, adamant, and powerful community that deserves equal rights, and CAN’T BE DEFEATED!

Send this post to everyone! We have one week and must react to the pro-hate votes cast against us! Let’s help our LGBTQ friends, families, neighbors, and each other to IMPACT this country with a demand for our basic human rights! Join the cause, join the voice, and JOIN THE IMPACT!

You can look up your city and protest location here.

(Via Lindsay @ Female Impersonator.)

I also quite like this protest suggestion from Thomas, blogging at Feministe:

Today is a day of both triumphs and disasters. When we went to bed last night, We were not saved, if maybe a little more than We had been the day before. And this morning We are more broken than We were when We went to bed. But today as yesterday, We fail, and We fall short, and We do the wrong thing, and our country is broken. So I’m not celebrating. And that the ways We fail often benefit me personally isn’t a comfort — it’s a rebuke of my complicity. Every day I benefit from it I cheat people who’ve never wronged me; who I’ve never met.

I’m going downstairs now to the drugstore near my office, and I’m going to get some black electrical tape, and I’m going to wear it over my wedding band, and I’m going to tell people that what happened is wrong. I need to do whatever I can to fix this, so that when my kids are old enough to ask, I have a better answer than “No We Can’t.”

Alas, the Mr. and I don’t have wedding bands (we bought a minivan for traveling with the doggies instead), but perhaps we’ll don rings of black tape anyway. I invite y’all to do the same, whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, hetero, married or single.

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Tagged: prop 8 proposition 8 action alerts protest glbt marriage rights human rights constitution marriage 2008 election join the impact november 15

Here’s the exact quote; early accounts of the press conference on the internets only had partial transcripts:

With respect to the dog. This is a major issue. I think it’s generated more interest on our web site than just about anything. We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, on the other hand our preference would be to get a shelter dog. But obviously a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we’re going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.

Also irksome is the reporter’s phrasing of the question: “everyone wants to know what kind of dog are you going to buy for the girls?” Because purchasing a sentient being as if it’s a microwave or couch is the only way to bring an animal into your home, dontchaknow?

Idiot man-child Chris Matthews echoed this sentiment even after playing Obama’s response just now. Dolt.

Finally, “hypoallergenic” as it relates to dogs should really be in scare quotes; as both Elaine and the Wiki entry I link to below note, there’s no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog. However, there are a number of steps that those living with animals and allergies can take to minimize the misery. Shane has asthma, and we manage with five dogs and a cat. (Likewise, my mother has asthma, and has lived with dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and turtles…though not all at the same time!)

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During President-elect Obama’s first press conference this afternoon, he was asked about that puppy he promised daughters Malia and Sasha:

“With respect to the dog, this is a major issue. We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. Number 2. is that we would prefer a shelter dog, but as you know a lot of them are mutts, like me, so we’ll have to balance those issues.”

Here, Obama buys into the myth that young and/or purebred dogs are not available for adoption; that they can only be purchased from breeders. A quick perusal through animal adoption sites such as Petfinder puts this misconception to bed, as Elaine points out.

In addition to Obama’s prejudices regarding shelter dogs (i.e., all are old mutts), I’m also disturbed by his apparent willingness to flipflop on this issue if need be, despite Mrs. Obama’s promise that the family will adopt, rather than purchase a dog. (No doubt due to several high-profile campaigns encouraging them to do just this, including a letter from PETA and a petition drive from Best Friends.) Doubly so when Obama has a history of changing course when it’s politically expedient. If he can’t keep such an “inconsequential,” simple promise such as this, I don’t have much faith that he’ll, say, appoint justices who respect my bodily autonomy.

While the matter of adopting vs. purchasing the family “pet” may seem trivial, the epidemic of companion animal overpopulation and the resulting murder of 3 to 4 million cats and dogs annually is anything but. The Obamas are in the unique position to set an excellent, progressive example; and yet, President-elect Obama has already begun backtracking, hemming and hawing – at such an early date, and seemingly in response to misinformation regarding animal adoption.

I hope Best Friends continues hounding (pun intended) him on the issue.

On a personal note, I discovered and adopted every one of my five dogs through Petfinder; Ralphie is a purebred dachshund, while Peedee and Rennie are “purebred” rat terriers/toy fox terriers (scare quotes because the breed is really one step removed from “mutt” anyhow, which is a positive for me – I lurve mutts!), and Kaylee and Jayne are some type of rat terrier/Jack Russell terrier mix. Some were young (Peedee was seven months old, while Rennie was roughly a year old); others, older (Kaylee was estimated to be between six and eight years of age at the time we adopted her). There’s a huge variety out there, and as the friggin’ President of the USA, I think Obama can manage to find and adopt a suitable, hypoallergenic dog from a shelter or rescue group.

Here, I’ll even volunteer to aid them in their search! (If only because I love pouring over the animal listings on Petfinder.)

Let’s start with this list of hypoallergenic dog breeds from Wiki: Airedale Terrier, Barbet (dog), Basenji, Bedlington Terrier, Bergamasco, Bichon Frisé, Bolognese, Border Terrier, Bouvier des Flandres, Cairn Terrier, Chinese Crested, Coton de Tulear, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Fox Terrier (Wire), Greyhound, Havanese, Irish Water Spaniel, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lagotto Romagnolo, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Poodles of all sizes and Poodle hybrids, Portuguese Water Dog, Puli, Samoyed, Schnauzers of all sizes, Scottish Terrier, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier.

Using this list as a guide, I searched for several breeds on Petfinder and came up with a number of options for the Obamas to consider. Here are three young pups, located along the East Coast, that meet their criteria:

1. KoKo, a baby greyhound available through Greyhound Angels Adoption in Pennsauken, NJ: “Three month old brindle female. She is being sent into adoption because she will be too small to race. Arriving from Kansas on November 23, 2008.”

2. Bruiser, a one-year-old Maltese/Bichon Frise mix available for adoption through Metropolitan Maltese Rescue in New York, NY: “Meet Bruiser. He is an approx 12 month old male Maltese/Bichon Mix puppy and weighs 14 pounds. Bruiser is a VERY active puppy who loves to play fetch! He has not met a person he does not like and gets along with other small dogs. Bruiser is missing his hind foot which most likely happened at birth but you would NEVER know it as he runs faster than most dogs with 4 paws, takes walks and of course loves to play fetch. Everyone he meets does not even notice he is missing his foot and of course neither does Bruiser!!”

3. Saylor, an 11-week-old poodle pup available for adoption through A Forever-Home Rescue Foundation in Chantilly, VA: “Sydney’s pups came to us with their mom from a puppy mill in West Virginia. There are four girls and one boy. Saylor, pictured here, is still available.”

Clearly, if you have very specific criteria when adopting a dog, it may take a little longer (and you may have to travel a bit further) to find the exact dog that’s right for you and your family. But the “perfect” dog is out there – and since it’s We Humans who have created the “pet” overpopulation problem, it is Our Responsibility to help alleviate it, rather than contributing further by “breeding and buying while shelter dogs are dying.”

Watching the pundits guffaw over the “puppy question” during their coverage of the press conference, I can only hope that the Obamas take this issue seriously. For the 6 to 8 million companion animals abandoned by their “owners” every year, it’s a dead serious matter.

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Tagged: 2008 elections indecision ’08 barack obama press conference animals animal rights animal welfare animal adoption dog canine puppy petfinder shelter dog mutt hypoallergenic dog

Besides, it’s over, people! What’s the point of all this hate when it’s fucking over!?

I guess misogyny is a Jeanie Kingmaker that’s harder to cram back in the bottle once you’ve encouraged it to run free for the past 21 months, eh?

Oh, and McCain campaign: fuck off. Palin may be as dumb as a box of rocks, but your boss is the one who chose her. What does that say about his intelligence (not to mention, concern for country), hmmmm? And you don’t think his angry outbursts qualify as diva-like temper tantrums? Oh wait, of course not. Silly me, he has a penis, and thus a license to act like one. My bad.

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Tagged: 2008 elections indecision ’08 elections sarah palin john mccain obamabots misogyny sexism flickr

He wasn’t my candidate, but I’m relieved that today, the Wednesday-morning quarterbacks are discussing how President-elect Barack Obama triumphed over Senator McCain – if only because the other alternative is too terrifying to consider.

I hope that Barack Obama’s victory over John McCain will begin to heal the deep racial divisions that still exist in this country.

But I fear that rewarding a campaign based at least in part on rank, naked misogyny will only encourage it to grow, fester and spread.

I want to believe that an Obama administration will respect and fight for the civil and human rights of all: people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, people of disability, people of all faiths – and particularly those of none. Non-human animals and the environment. Global citizens, not just American citizens.

But I’m fucking terrified that he’ll throw us all under the bus, in the name of “populism” and “reaching across the aisle.” All those “special interest groups” President Obama has called upon to converge as one – does he expect us to sacrifice our well-being for “the greater good”?

Because I won’t. A condescending pat on the head simply won’t do. Goodbye to all that shit.

And yet, blub. This is history, in the making. On more than one level, I’m so very proud to be an American today.

On other levels…not so much.

I don’t know what to think or feel or be this morning.

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Tagged: 2008 elections barack obama youtube acceptance speech chicago grant park video democracy human rights misogyny feminism racism

Mr. Bitch and I headed out to the polling place around 10:45. Anticipating at least an hour’s wait, I brought a copy of the latest Bitch magazine. We even parked a ways down the street from the courthouse, since we didn’t want to cruise around looking for a spot, and wanted to save the good parking for elderly and handicapped voters anyhow.

Alas, although the small room allocated for elections was crowded, there was no line to speak of. The whole process took all of 15 minutes, start to finish. The hardest part was penciling in my write-ins with a marker. (Ugh!)

Clinton County has paper ballots that you feed into a scanner; as it registers your ballot, it shows you what number voter you are. This bitch was voter #782 at her polling place. That sounds like a low number, but not so much when you consider that our county is only home to 18,979 people, including kids under 18. Given that there’s only one polling place for the entire county, and residents of different areas received different ballots, it’s possible that I was only voter #782 in my area. Either way, I hope the number reflects a high voter turnout this year.

Anyway, I prepared for a long wait – downed a bowl of pasta for lunch before leaving, brought some reading material, crated Miss Kaylee, the nervous pee-er – so now it looks like I have the afternoon free. I’ve been experiencing waves of nausea (zomg, what if McCain wins!?) and sadness (someone close to me passed away last night) all day, so methinks I’ll take the dogs for a walk (which means three rounds of walks, since I have five dogs and can only handle two at a time). It’s a gorgeous day out, and tomorrow a cold front’s supposed to come through and bring the first snow fall of the season. Better take advantage of the warm weather while I can. Plus, distractions – I needs ‘em.

For those voting in Missouri: if you plan on writing in a candidate, you can find Missouri state regulations on write-in candidates here. I double-checked ‘em on a whim before leaving; the write-in regulations, though a little stricter than I initially thought, didn’t affect any of my choices. (McKinney/Clemente, if you’re wondering, did file the necessary paperwork to be considered viable write-in candidates.) I mostly voted a Democratic ticket, though I did vote for one libertarian candidate and wrote in two candidates, one Dem, one Green.

And yes, I voted my conscience.

I’m not sorry.

(Crossposted to.)

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Tagged: kansas missouri ks mo kcmo kcks election vote 2008 elections ballot democrat republican clinton county i voted get out the vote bitch bitch magazine democracy participate flickr blogging

(Crossposted.)

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Tagged: 2008 elections indecision ’08 elections vote youtube videos november 4

Anyway, my picks below. Since I did most of my research for the primary, I’ll mostly link back to what I wrote in August in order to explain my choices. At the end of this post I’ve also gathered links to various progressive scorecards and endorsements, so you can research your candidates and be your own decider person.

President and Vice President

x John McCain / Sarah Palin (R)
x Barack Obama / Joe Biden (D)
x Bob Barr / Wayne A. Root (Lib)
x Chuck Baldwin / Darrell Castle (Cst)
x Ralph Nader / Matt Gonzalez (Ind)

Though I’d rather vote my conscience as opposed to voting for the lesser of two evils, I’m still waffling. Every time CNN runs the AC360 segment on Supreme Court nominations, I freak a bit and start leaning towards Obama. Then I remember that he initially supported Roberts, and balk.

Ultimately, I suspect I won’t know how I’ll vote until I’m actually in the voting booth. I dislike the Dem ticket for a variety of reasons, some of which involve Obama’s policy positions (his flip-flopping on progressive issues such as FISA, offshore drilling, voter disenfranchisement in Michigan and Florida; his weakness on reproductive rights, including his support for restrictions on late-term abortions; his extension of Bush’s faith-based initiatives, etc.) , others which are more global and have little-to-nothing to do with the actual candidate(s) (i.e., the corrupt, anti-democratic nature of the two-party system; the rank misogyny that permeates the Democratic party).

Yet, the prospect of a McCain/Palin administration scares the red sauce outta me.

I plan on voting for the Green party by penciling in McKinney/Clemente, though I could still be scared toward the Obama/Biden ticket.

For Governor

x Kenny Hulshof (R)
x Jay Nixon (D)
x Andrew Finkenstadt (Lib)
x Gregory E. Thompson (Cst)

Jay Nixon, even though I’m not a big fan.

In August, I noted Nixon’s previous anti-choice platforms, as well as his “overzealous” stance on crime (including his wish to – ahem! – “Impose capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers.” (!)), and concluded:

Come November, a vote for Nixon isn’t so much a vote for Nixon as a vote against the Republican nominee. I hate playing that game, but as Shark-Fu notes, a Dem Governor would have the power to veto the bullshit anti-woman measures that have been winding their way through the MO legislature as of late. (Two words: Matt Blunt.)

I wish Nixon had a solid liberal/progressive challenger in the primaries, but…not so much. So methinks I’ll vote for Nixon once, and rail against him if he proves to be a “moderate” Democrat (as they so euphemistically refer to themselves nowadays!).

I’d really love to vote for Carroll, but he’s giving me nothing. Protest vote, maybe? I don’t think there’s much chance Carroll will win – Nixon may as well be running unchallenged – so there can’t be any harm in voting for the unknown. Famous last words, eh?

I should also note that the Libertarian candidate doesn’t provide a socially liberal escape hatch come November. He’s better than Nixon on crime, but is also a misogynist godbag.

I actually did “protest vote” for Carroll in the primaries; he lost handily. Given my lack of options, I don’t have much of a choice but to vote for the least of several evils. Blecht.

For Lieutenant Governor

x Peter Kinder (R)
x Sam Page (D)
x Teddy Fleck (Lib)
x James C. Rensing (Cst)

Sam Page, who was my primary pick!:

On the Missouri State Legislative Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test, Sam Page supports the statement that “Abortions should always be legal,” with no additional restrictions. Under “Other or expanded principles,” he penciled in “Abortion should be rare, safe & legal.” A Hillary Clinton-esque answer provokes smiles from this crabby feminist. He also does well (IMHO) on the questions involving government spending, taxes, campaign contributions, elections, education, the environment, gun issues, health care and employment; and so-so on crime (e.g., is pro-death penalty and anti-medicinal marijuana; but supports increased funding for rehab and education).

For Secretary of State

x Mitch Hubbard (R)
x Robin Carnahan (D)
x Wes Upchurch (Lib)
x Denise C. Neely (Cst)

Robin Carnahan. *shrug*

For Attorney General

x Mike Gibbons (R)
x Chris Koster (D)

During the primaries, I voted Jeff Harris for AG; you can see how that went.

Of Chris Koster, I said:

Chris Koster was elected to the MO Senate in 2005…as a Republican. On August 1, 2007, he switched to the Democratic Party.

Both Dems and Repubs alike are calling this a case of “political opportunism”. Though I can appreciate Koster’s positions on some issues – he’s pro-stem cell research, has plenty of labor endorsements, and singles out worker’s rights and environmental protection as key issues on his campaign website – ain’t no way I’m going to vote for a new (as in, barely a year) Republican covert to the Democratic Party in the Democratic primary. A “moderate Republican”, as Koster seem to envision himself, as no place on the Democratic ticket.

Plus, his Democratic “pro-choice” credentials are less than inspiring.

So, it looks like I’m writing in Stephen Colbert or somesuch nonsense. Fuck, maybe I’ll just pencil in Jeff Harris, who I still *heart* with a vengeance.

For State Treasurer

x Brad Lager (R)
x Clint Zweifel (D)
x Rodney D. Farthing (Cst)

Clint Zweifel, who was my primary pick.

For U.S. Representative, District 6

x Sam Graves (R)
x Kay Barnes (D)
x Dave Browning (Lib)

Kay Barnes, if only because Sam Graves is a fucknut whom I loathe with every fiber of my being.

For State Representative, District 5

x Jim Guest (R)
x Mike Waltemath (D)
x Robert Christophel (Lib)

Um, actually, I think I’m going to vote for the libertarian candidate (who, incidentally, is the only third-party candidate running for state rep in my district). It’s not so much that I’m impressed by Robert Christophel’s credentials or policy positions, as I am repulsed by the Democratic candidate’s response to Project Vote Smart’s Missouri State Legislative Election 2006 National Political Awareness Test.

For example, in regard to abortion issues, Mike Waltemath checked the following:

X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
X f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.

He didn’t support the statements that “Abortions should always be legal” or “Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.”

Though reproductive rights – you know, the matter of my very personhood – is a litmus test for this baby-hating feminist, his responses to some other statements are alarming as well. Waltemath “Support[s] increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil)” but does not “Support funding for open space preservation” and would not “Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.”

Pass.

Jim Guest sucks as well, so I guess I’m stuck with the only other option, who isn’t bloody likely to win anyhow.

For County Commissioner, District 2

x Larry C. King (D)

Ummm…do I have a choice?

For Sheriff

x Zephry M. Bingham (R)
x K. Porter Hensen (D)

The Dem incumbent, I guess.

For Assessor

x Jerry Howard D)

Stephen Colbert for Clinton County MO Assessor ’08!?

For Public Administrator

x Nancy (Stalder) Wingate (D)

Yawn.

For Coroner

x Kathleen Little (R)
x Sheldon L. Kenslow (D)

The Dem, I guess. I can’t find much info on either candidate.

Missouri Supreme Court Judge

Shall Judge Patricia Breckenridge of the Missouri Supreme Court be reinstated in office?

Though Patricia Breckenridge was appointed to the MO Supreme Court by Matt Blunt, he wasn’t happy about the choice. Blunt considered her the least liberal of the three choices handed to him by the Appellate Judicial Commission; subsequently, conservative groups charged the AJC “with secrecy and liberal bias.” So, while Breckenridge is a Blunt appointee, that shouldn’t necessarily be held against her.

A Missouri Bar survey of Breckenridge gave her a favorable rating, and noted:

Judge Breckenridge has a strong commitment to community service, including serving as co-chair of the Missouri Gender Fairness Implementation Committee, a member of the Missouri Task Force on Gender and Justice, and she was a Council of State Governments’ Toll Fellow. She is the past president and a former board member of Mattie Rhodes Center. She is a former board member of the University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cabot West Side Clinic and Home Health Advisory Board in Nevada.

Her professional memberships and activities include being a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges, the National Association of Women Judges, the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, and the American Bar Association.

On The Missouri Bar’s 2008 Appellate Court Evaluation Survey, attorneys who responded to survey questions rated Judge Breckenridge greater than 4.0 on a scale of 5.0 in all nine categories.

Judge Breckenridge’s highest rankings were for treating parties equally regardless of race, sex or economic status and being courteous toward attorneys.

The committee also reviewed a sample of opinions authored by Judge Breckenridge since her appointment to the Missouri Supreme Court in 2007. Judge Breckenridge’s opinions are well-reasoned and organized, clearly written, and closely adhere to precedent as well as to constitutional and statutory law.

The Appellate Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee recommends that Judge Patricia Breckenridge BE RETAINED.

I can’t find anything which might make me disagree.

Constitutional Amendment No. 1

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to add a statement that English shall be the language of all governmental meetings at which any public business is discussed, decided, or public policy is formulated whether conducted in person or by communication equipment including conference calls, video conferences, or Internet chat or message board?

No. What do I look like, a xenophobe?

Constitutional Amendment No. 4

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to change provisions relating to the financing of stormwater control projects by:

* limiting availability of grants and loans to public water and sewer districts only;
* removing the cap on available funding and existing restrictions on disbursements;
* requiring loan repayments to be used only for stormwater control projects?

It is estimated the cost to state governmental entities is $0 to $236,000 annually. It is estimated state governmental entities will save approximately $7,500 for each bond issuance. It is estimated local governmental entities participating in this program may experience savings, however the amount is unknown.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the state Constitution would need to be amended in order to change the financing of stormwater control projects. Does the state Constitution seriously deal with sewage issues? Like, for reals?

I don’t have much of an idea what this amendment entails, but I’m voting no, simply because water runoff seems too insignificant a reason to tinker with the gorram state constitution.

Proposition A

Shall Missouri law be amended to:

* repeal the current individual maximum loss limit for gambling;
* prohibit any future loss limits;
* require identification to enter the gambling area only if necessary to establish that an individual is at least 21 years old;
* restrict the number of casinos to those already built or being built;
* increase the casino gambling tax from 20% to 21%;
* create a new specific education fund from gambling tax proceeds generated as a result of this measure called the “Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Fund”; and
* require annual audits of this new fund?

State governmental entities will receive an estimated $105.1 to $130.0 million annually for elementary and secondary education, and $5.0 to $7.0 million annually for higher education, early childhood development, veterans, and other programs. Local governmental entities receiving gambling boat tax and fee revenues will receive an estimated $18.1 to $19.0 million annually.

No. While limiting the number of new casinos in the state seems like a sound idea on its face, this will in effect create an industry monopoly. Plus, the elimination of a cap on individual losses is troubling. Although this proposition has received praise from teacher’s groups, is this really how we want to fund education in Missouri – by taking advantage of addicts with gambling problems?

Proposition B

Shall Missouri law be amended to enable the elderly and Missourians with disabilities to continue living independently in their homes by creating the Missouri Quality Homecare Council to ensure the availability of quality home care services under the Medicaid program by recruiting, training, and stabilizing the home care workforce?

The exact cost of this proposal to state governmental entities is unknown, but is estimated to exceed $510,560 annually. Additional costs for training are possible. Matching federal funds, if available, could reduce state costs. It is estimated there would be no costs or savings to local governmental entities.

No. Honestly, I couldn’t find much information about this proposition beyond the pro and con talking points. There already appears to be a similar program in MO which matches healthcare workers with those in need, so Prop B may simply create another layer of bureaucracy. Either way, I can’t vote for something I don’t fully understand.

Proposition C

Shall Missouri law be amended to require investor-owned electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydropower with the renewable energy sources equaling at least 2% of retail sales by 2011 increasing incrementally to at least 15% by 2021, including at least 2% from solar energy; and restricting to no more than 1% any rate increase to consumers for this renewable energy?

The estimated direct cost to state governmental entities is $395,183. It is estimated there are no direct costs or savings to local governmental entities. However, indirect costs may be incurred by state and local governmental entities if the proposal results in increased electricity retail rates.

UCS, NWF, Audubon and Save Our Environment.org have been emailing me nonstop in support of Proposition C. The League of Women Voters of Missouri, Missouri Votes Conservation, and the Sierra Club also support the measure.

It will “require investor-owned utility companies (AmerenUE, Kansas City Power & Light, Empire District, and Aquila) to buy or produce part of their electricity from eligible renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass and hydropower. The requirement increases in steps from 2% of electric retail sales by 2011 to 15% by 2021, including at least 2% from solar energy.” Under Proposition C, Missouri will become the 27th state to enact a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES).

Fuck yeah, I’m voting for Proposition C.

Additional Resources

Scorecards & Endorsements

AFL-CIO – Working Families VOte 2008

www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – ACLU Congressional Scorecard

action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?page=voteList

Darfur Scorecard

www.darfurscores.org/

Environmental Defense Fund – Green Energy Voter Guide, 2008

www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=28228

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – Congressional Scorecard

www.hrc.org/11424.htm

Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) – 2008 Humane Scorecard: The 110th Congress in Review

www.fund.org/pdfs/2008_humane_scorecard.pdf

Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) – 2008 Voter Guide

www.fund.org/voter_guide/

League of Conservation Voters (LCV) – 2008 National Environmental Scorecard

www.lcv.org/scorecard/

League of Conservation Voters (LCV) – Candid Answers ’08: Voter Guide for the Environment

lcv.candidanswers.org/

NARAL – Elections 2008 / Pro-Choice Voter Guides

www.prochoiceamerica.org/elections/elections2008/

National Organization of Women – NOW PAC

www.nowpacs.org/

Planned Parenthood Action Center

www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/

RH Reality Check – 2008 Election and Reproductive Health

www.rhrealitycheck.org/election-2008

Secular Coalition for America – U.S. Congressional Scorecards

www.secular.org/scorecard/

The Sierra Club – Election 2008

www.sierraclub.org/politics/

Wikipedia – List of Barack Obama presidential campaign endorsements, 2008

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Barack_Obama_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2008

Wikipedia – List of John McCain presidential campaign endorsements, 2008

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_John_McCain_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2008

Election Protection

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Voting Rights (main)

www.aclu.org/votingrights/index.html

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Know Your Voting Rights, State by State

www.aclu.org/votingrights/gen/36695res20080909.html

CNN Election Center 2008

www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/voter.hotline/

Election Protection

www.866ourvote.org/

Go Vote

www.govote.org/

Just Vote ’08

www.justvote08.org/

Our Vote Live

www.ourvotelive.org/

People for the American Way (PFAW) – The Right to Vote

site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_vote_landing

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Tagged: kansas missouri ks mo kcmo kcks election vote 2008 elections ballot democrat republican clinton county proposition resources endorsements scorecards congress president green party link roundup

You can personalize the video and send your friends and family (and yourself) a copy here.

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Tagged: 2008 elections politics video moveon.org john mccain barack obama rock the vote

Firstly, I’m not a “girl.”

Nor am I bait, a prop, or an object to be used for your political ends.

It’s nice to know, though, in a historic election year that nearly saw the first viable female presidential candidate, and did bring the second female VP candidate on a major party ticket – well, it’s nice to know what I’m really good for: fucking. It’s all about the lady bits, am I right?

And yes, I realize that the ad was produced by four girls women; that doesn’t make it any less sexist. Because, um, women can be sexist, too.

This sort of misogyny – emanating from the left, and directed at all women, be they conservatives (Palin), Republicans, Democrats (Clinton & the so-called PUMAs), or progressives (non-Obamabots, i.e., me) – is one of many reasons why I won’t be voting for Obama on November 4.

Or renewing my Bust subscription.

This election cycle cannot be over fast enough.

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Tagged: 2008 elections politics barack obama john mccain sarah palin sexism misogyny political ads bust

Racial Slur on Receipt Shocks Family

Last Edited: Wednesday, 22 Oct 2008, 9:53 AM CDT

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. — A shoe return deeply offended a family, got a worker fired, and the Justice Department involved.

College student Keith Slater, 22, came to Oak Park Mall on Friday night with his mother and sister. He bought a pair of $80 shoes. But, quickly found a better deal.

So, he went back to the original store, Journeys, and returned his first pair. When he looked at the receipt, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Amazed and just shocked,” said Keith Slater, the man’s father.

Rather than the man’s name, it reads “dumb n*****.”

As in, the cashier entered “dumb nigger” in the “GUEST” field. Yeah.

The other incident – which apparently is so ho-hum that I can’t find it on the local Fox affiliate’s website – involves a string of vandalized Obama/Biden signs along Ward Parkway (for those not in the know, Ward Parkway is an upscale, mansion-lined boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, along the Kansas border). Rather than the predictable slurs, such as “Barack Hussein Obama” or “Osama Obama” (or “dumb nigger”), the vandals spray-painted “USSR” across the signs.

So…I guess we’ve moved on from racism and xenophobia to ’50s-era McCarthyism and xenophobia? Um, yay progress?

Well, at least a Kansan has yet to slaughter a black bear cub and staple Obama signs to her forehead. Nope, that was North Carolina.

There’s your small-town, “real America” American values right there, Ms. Palin.

Sigh.

**sob**

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Tagged: kansas missouri ks mo kcmo kcks kansas city ward parkway 2008 elections barack obama racism xenophobia racial slurs animal rights animal welfare animals