Hope

Pete Seeger, the father of American Folk Music, has played before on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In protest.

What a wonderful thing to see him singing this song with his grandson and with Bruce Springsteen and with a rousing chorus full of joy and hope, the great anthem of America, Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land".

Seeger has strived all his life for justice for all humanity. He is a treasure of America. An America that at one time disowned him. Through it all he's led a life of service and dignity and hope. I am so thankful that he was included at Sunday's concert and that he, at 89, showed us all the unifying power of song.

Great moments are born of great opportunity. That is the message of these days. We can do better because we must do better. We must do better. We must.

My Plan To Fix The Economy

I just sent the following to President Elect Obama's team. It's important to note that I do not address the politics of my plan. There will be lots of upset people whose only benefit would be a stable nation and economy (no big deal...) But the plan would work, I am confident of it.

"If there were a way to get the vast majority of mortgages in foreclosure to resume their monthly payments would it have an impact on the troubled economy?

There is a way to do this with prudent, responsible investment from the Federal Government in our banking institutions.

The premise is to use federal funds to create an endowment to assist both the banks and the troubled borrowers. The endowment would be invested in the banks that need capital to loan as normal. The interest generated by these deposits would be routed to the Fed to then assist homeowners in making their mortgage payments.

If we invested $400 billion dollars at 3.5% annually it would generate about $1.2 billion per month in interest. The interest would then be used to assist a troubled borrower in making their mortgage payment. If an average borrower is in need of an additional $500 to make their payments this investment could help over 2.3 million average borrowers. If a rate of return of 4.0% was possible, this investment could assist over 2.6 million average borrowers. The more money invested and the higher the rate of return the more troubled homeowners could be helped. Banks could even compete for these deposits by guaranteeing higher returns over time.

This program does not buy out a mortgage, nor does it make the homeowners entire payment. They are still making a monthly payment of what they can reasonably afford. This would just bridge the gap between what they owe and what they can pay.

This program would get the money flowing back into the bank on the front end, with both what the borrower can repay and what the program can do to cover the gap. Plus the banks receive the initial deposits to help them lend.

Over time, as property values stabilize and hopefully increase, participants would be offered refinance options to reduce their need for assistance and eventually be out of the program entirely. As assistance is reduced, the original investment could be withdrawn slowly and repaid to the Fed.

The risk to the taxpayer is small. The benefit to our economy is massive. People keep their homes, their jobs and their dignity, banks have money to lend and have vastly fewer mortgages in default."

B!

Time For Thanks

The list, in no particular order:

Freedom: so much of our liberties have been under attack both as a consequence of our enemies and as a consequence of our own government. Enough. I like my freedom and I like yours too.

Portland: I love this city so much.

Family: I don't see or talk to them enough but I value each and every one of them.

The future: My hope and optimism is as high as it's been in decades.

Heather: What can I say about her. One of the greatest souls I've ever encountered. She lights me up.

Taste buds: I love good flavors so much.

Imagination: this one cognitive tool keeps me going sometimes.

Friends: keep me on my toes.

Timbers: one love.

Blazers: another love.

B!

Dawning of A New Day

A transformative night.

A transformative candidate.

Barack Obama did something that many didn't think was possible. He lifted a majority of US citizens beyond and above the racial divide.

As I took it all in last night I was again struck by the idea that our society has come so far. I thought of Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie had to be so tough that he wouldn't fight - turned the other cheek. He took the abuse so that the other great players to come wouldn't have to. It didn't hurt that he was also one of the best baseball players to ever play the game.

I've pondered whether Obama is the Jackie Robinson of US Politics. And I've decided that he is not. Men like Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X and countless others whose sacrifices were so profound played that role. Barack Obama is more akin to Henry Aaron: able to achieve greatness because the barrier had been diminished.

But there was another player in US politics who should not be left out of this: Jesse Jackson. The moment of last night for me was not Obama's speech and it was less the anouncement of the victory. The moment for me was Jesse Jackson fighting back the cascade of tears glistening in the night light in Chicago. His lip trembling and his emotions raw. This is a man who lived the struggle and most of his past tears have been shed in sadness. Those tears last night were totally different.

That image will stay with me as we proceed through the next four years.

Fired up! Ready to go!

B!

Election Day!

Seen on my way to work today:

1 Dennis Kucinich bumper sticker
1 McCain/Palin bumper sticker
5 Obama/Biden bumper stickers

I live in Portland.

Also, On a corner of Canyon Road three people waving signs for Rep. David Wu. Upon closer inspection, it was David Wu. 7:28am.

I love living in Portland.

Springsteen for Obama

Bruce speaks about the promise of the American Dream


Bruce plays his passionate song of redemption, 'The Rising'

Politics and The Media

I've been delving into polls and blogs and news sites leading up to the election. Today I found an interview with Joe Biden with Barbara West on WFTV channel in Florida conducted on October 23rd. It's been getting a bit of buzz on the interwebs. She's conducted interviews with Obama, Biden and McCain previously. Check these out and let me know what you think of her questions and the responses to them.

Oct. 23 Joe Biden interview

Sept. 12 Barack Obama interview

Sept. 26 Joe Biden interview

Oct. 14 John McCain interview

VP Debate at the Bagdad Theater

I've mostly avoided politics on my blog (and avoided the blog for far too long, sorry). I've got some family and friends who disagree with me politically and I try to be sensitive to their views.

But enough is enough.

Sarah Palin is an insult as a candidate.

As I watched the VP debate at the Bagdad Theater in Portland I was awestruck at her refusal to answer the direct questions. Either she didn't have a clue as to the context of them or she out and out has no respect for the debate, the voters or the truth. At one point I had to pull out my John McEnroe voice and scream "ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!"

Sure, she looked pretty and used her folksy language to her benefit. But all in all she was not prepared to debate and is in no way prepared to be on a national ticket. McCain made the wrong move in choosing her and it will cost him the election.

Her rambling spewing of Republican talking points was to be expected. But even I thought she would answer the questions, albeit poorly. But she didn't even do that. Was that smart?

I used this analogy last night that she looked like someone who was coming into a job interview who was not even close to being qualified for the job. Her ramblings had that effect on me.

Biden answered questions. Gave details. Talked about specific changes and differences. And he didn't attack Palin, rather he attacked McCain. That was smart. He looked presidential.

I doubt that I am going to change anyone's votes. Those in the right wing believe in their agenda even though the agenda under Bush has been skewed full of lies, illegal conduct and downright failures on every front. But I question their concern for the country when they would support someone as unprepared as Sarah Palin on their ticket. This country is in need of real leadership and she is not the answer. Most of them know it. So I challenge them to have the guts to do what is right and either force McCain to drop Palin or choose to vote in another direction. Ron Paul is still on the ballot and he's a better conservative than either of the two on the GOP ticket. So make yourselves heard and vote Ron Paul.

Or better yet, use your heads and vote Obama/Biden.

One Vote, One Prayer

Some evangelicals are praying for rain in Denver tonight. Rain to squelch the Democratic National Convention in the open air of Invesco Field.

You've got to be kidding me.

When the rain doesn't come, what does that mean for this evangelical and their God? Seems like it might be considered an endorsement for Barack Obama, no?

One Person. One Vote.

One of my favorite things to do. Or it used to be.

There was a time when those of us in Oregon would gather at the polling place and fill out our ballots and tuck them in the big box using the secrecy sleeve. I felt a part of a community. I felt equal. I felt valuable.

Now we vote by mail.

It just doesn’t feel the same.

There are some good arguments for vote by mail; Higher participation. Time to review the pamphlets and guides. No interruption to your workday. No lines.

But there are some drawbacks too.

1) Ballots could get lost.
2) A chance for fraud of a different kind.
3) Some major scuttlebutt could come out about a candidate in the last few days after you already voted. (Remember Packwood? His story was buried until right after the election…a few days different…who knows.)

And this year there’s something of greater concern to me. The recent postage increase.

Now our valuable media is telling us that the US Postal Service will let all ballots reach their destination with improper postage. Really? Even an absentee ballot for college students in New York? You think the New York postal workers got the memo?

I may be wearing my tinfoil hat when I type this, but I am very skeptical that we won’t see a decent percentage of ballots returned. Unopened. Uncounted.

So, take no chances. Drop it off. At least then the only fraud to be concerned with is the old fashioned kind.

B!

Register, Then Vote

I’ve taken another day off today so I’ve got some modest plans of things to accomplish during the daylight.

• Laundry
• Post Office
• Finish My Taxes
• Grocery Shopping
• Re-Register To Vote As A Democrat

The first four on the list are rather tame. Just the dumb things I gotta do. But the last is rather monumental for me.

I’ve always been a political animal. I grew up in a household with a very liberal father and a slightly less-liberal mother. I attended very left-leaning schools. While much of the liberal philosophy influenced me, I had an independent streak, even at an early age. But I still registered as a Democrat and followed most of the party line until the 2000 election. Hell, I even voted for Jesse Jackson in 1988.

But after the Florida debacle that handed the White House to George W. Bush I couldn’t take the new Democratic party. I found the party to be unfocused and lacking vision. Too willing to take up every cause and therefore creating too many splinter issues, rather than focusing on the things that could win elections, influence broader policy and move the country forward. National politics is for big picture stuff. They had lost me.

So I registered as an Independent.

Now, in Oregon, if you’re an Independent you are not allowed to vote in the primaries as they follow party affiliation. Normally this doesn’t matter on the national stage as Oregon’s primary is so late in the election cycle. But this year is different. The Democratic nomination is still up for grabs. Still in play. And I actually care about who wins.

So they’ve got me back. Whether they want me or not. My father will be pleased.

My personal politics are a strange, strange hybrid of libertarian, liberal and conservative. My strong personal beliefs are in the individual and their privacy, which sounds conservative, but actually opens up the liberal aspect of my nature.

But I digress. This election is the most interesting in my lifetime. Perhaps I’m just seeing it through the lens of 8 years of idiots, bullies and war. Maybe not. There are three distinct candidates left, all of who could still earn my vote. Although John McCain is a longshot as he’d need to become the maverick that he used to be. But then I’d be concerned that he was flip-flopping. So he’s probably not going to convince me to vote for him no matter what he does. But I have not ruled it out.

But Clinton and Obama have my interest. Politically they are basically identical in their over-arching policies. Hillary bores me to sleep. Obama inspires me with his words but does he have the guts to follow through on his vision? It’s a very interesting exploration of politics, race, gender, influence and all else.

So, I’ve downloaded my voter registration card, you can find it here for the State of Oregon. Register by April 29, 2008 to vote in the primary. Washington has online registration here (but you missed their primaries if you’re not yet registered). That’s pretty cool.

As they used to say on SCTV, register, then vote.

B!

Could You Make This Sacrifice?

The case of Gabriel Allred has been a fascinating look at policy and law versus common sense and gut instinct.

A recap. Gabriel Allred is a 2-year old child. He’s been in foster care with Steve and Angela Brandt in Oregon most of his life. His biological parents both faced criminal charges and were deemed unfit, as was his maternal Grandmother here in the US. His paternal Grandmother, Cecilia Martinez, lives in Mexico.

The Department of Human Services has policy on the books that blood family is the preferred place for a child. The Brandts had started the process to adopt Gabriel. DHS thus sought out Martinez to determine if she was deemed fit and to inquire if she wished to petition for custody of Gabriel. By every account Gabriel’s life with the Brandts is one of love, affection, stability and familiarity. They behave and function like his family.

DHS decided that, by policy and law, Gabriel should live with Martinez. In Mexico. Gabriel, by law, can claim both US citizenship and Mexican citizenship. The issue of the child’s best interest thus became clouded in outcries of deportation, language and even race.

A proverbial no-win scenario.

Until Martinez did the most loving thing that she could have done. Upon visiting Oregon and entering into negotiations, she dropped her petition. It’s called a sacrifice and it could not have been easy for her. I wouldn’t blame her if she had continued to fight for custody. She had the law and policy on her side. I’m sure she would have provided the absolute best she could for Gabriel.

But even she could see that what was best for Gabriel wasn’t what was best for her.

Now, there are some unusual concessions in the agreement, so this isn’t entirely roses and puppies. But the end result is that the child’s interests trumped the law and the policy. But it took the sacrifice of a wise Grandmother to show DHS that Gabriel was the exception and not the rule.

I don’t fault DHS. Their policies are almost always proper. Even this application of policy was well intentioned. But their policy couldn’t interpret what so many of us know to be true:

Blood isn’t always the end of family. Family is often the place where you belong.

Gabriel, in the end, belonged with the Brandts.

B!

The Pencil is Mightier Than the Sword

There's a TV and movie fan movement going on to support the Writer's Guild in their strike against the studios. For $1 you can buy a box of pencils to be delivered en masse to the studio execs along with information about which show or writer you specifically support.

If you are interested in supporting this union which has produced an enormous quantity of quality entertainment, all relatively anonymously, click this link. Buy one box. Buy ten boxes.

They've amassed close to 400,000 pencils so far. You can check out the overall blog here.

B!

I'd like symptons of a Pulmonary Embolism for $400, Alex.

If, like me, your employer provides health insurance and other insurance options then it’s likely open enrollment time for you as well. Make sure to get those forms in on time.

I just completed my insurance and elective forms this morning. Upped my 401K some more. Feels good. After completing these same forms for six years I think I finally am starting to understand how it all works and what it all means. At least at my company. Copays. Out of pocket maximums. Alternative medicine. Preferred Providers. Cafeteria Plans. But it got me thinking about the insurance industry, healthcare and our recent vote in Oregon to defeat a healthcare bill funded by a cigarette tax.

If you’ve ever had a health scare you know what it means to have proper insurance coverage. About two and a half years ago I had that scare. I was about two hours into my workday and rapidly had trouble breathing – I could barely move enough air to form a complete sentence. I have had mild asthma for several years but never anything like this.

I went to my local urgent care where they did my vitals and quickly got me on an EKG. My symptoms: shortness of breath, elevated (way elevated, actually) blood pressure and rapid pulse were just chest pains short of a classic pulmonary embolism. Except my chart said I had chest pains even though I responded ‘no’ twice when asked if I had chest pains. What a typo that turned out to be.

Have you ever had an EKG? Pretty cool. Except for the part where you think you’re about to die. Not cool. They also have to shave little circles into your chest hair for the EKG pads, which creates a sort of reverse leopard effect for a guy like me. Also, not very cool.

So the Doctor evaluates things and is concerned enough that he wants me to go to the emergency room for further evaluation and maybe a chest x-ray. He also tells me that he can’t allow me to drive myself as I am at risk for dying at the wheel. Wow. So I get my first ride in an ambulance.

Now, mind you, ambulance rides on TV and in the movies look pretty cool. The lights. The gurneys. The really attractive EMTs. The perfect crisis management and hero moments. The actual thing is so much less as to be enough to cause a pulmonary embolism.

When the EMTs arrived, they checked my vitals again and unhooked the electrodes. Gurneyed me (not that easy as I was at my heaviest that day) and strolled me out through the lobby. This was the least cool part of the whole ordeal – except for the constant perception that I was going to die. Here I am – half naked with electrodes attached to my leopard spots, my pasty white skin and perfectly cultivated microbeer belly for all to see. I think I heard the theme song from Free Willy.

Once inside the ambulance they hooked the electrodes to their EKG (I was making a perfect metronome by this point, wish I’d had my guitar) and gave me a dose of nitroglycerin, which can aid in preventing a further heart issue from cropping up in transport. Now, nitro is what some people make bombs out of so the prospect of ingesting any of it, even in a dose the size of a 10-pt umlaut is odd. The pill burns a bit under the tongue but other than that it was fine. I didn’t explode.

The amenities in an ambulance are nothing like the movies. It was about as comfortable a ride as when I’d be in the bed of my Uncle’s pickup truck on a quick trip from Neskowin to Pacific City. Except that was fun. And I was twelve. Wasn’t worried about nitroglycerin and embolisms on that trip. But the ambulance itself is grey and chilly. The EMTs were professional but I certainly didn’t make a love connection with the stoic female EMT. I don’t even recall her reacting to my jokes. And I know I made some funnies.

Anyway, the visit to the emergency room was quite pleasant. When you arrive in an ambulance you don’t wait in the lobby unlike all the other times at the ER when all the people that arrived after you get admitted first. That was cool. I felt rather important. By this time my vitals had totally stabilized and they allowed me to call someone to wait with me. Of course I called my mother. The doctors actually laughed when they had run their tests and determined that I had just suffered a severe asthma attack. Y’see, my chart still said I had chest pains. Even after telling every doctor, nurse and EMT along the way that I didn’t.

I guess they knew what was best for me.

So, I was finally discharged late in the afternoon – the whole ordeal lasted about six hours. I got two new inhalers and a final bill for about $400. If I hadn’t filled out my insurance forms properly that year the whole thing would’ve cost about five times that.

So, fill out your forms. Especially the cafeteria plan – the single best way for an idiot like me to prepare and pay for healthcare expenses.

But, with all of that, we need insurance reform. The idea that tens of thousands of children in this state go without basic healthcare is criminal. The systems have too many layers and too much bureaucracy. Care is too inconvenient. Forms are too confusing. I don’t have the answers but apparently taxing cigarettes isn’t the right one. At least not for the voters of the great State of Oregon.

B!

Will The Real Cesar Chavez Blvd Please Stand Up?

Leave it to Portland’s City Council to take an uncomfortable situation, seek compromise and make everyone unhappy.

The brou-ha-ha over renaming a Portland street for Cesar Chavez has clearly been scripted in the Bizarro universe known as Portland City Hall. We’ve had an unclear process, heavy handed tactics, a Mayoral walkout, vintage political flip-flopping, accusations of racism, and an N Interstate for SW 4th Avenue bait and switch.

Can anyone tell me who’s winning?

Those who want a Cesar Chavez Blvd in Portland want it on N Interstate. They see a compromise of SW 4th as some sort of insult. Why? Because they didn’t get their way? Freaking City Hall would be located on Cesar Chavez Blvd! What could be more Portland than that? But Mayor Tom Potter will have none of it.

Of course now Chinatown businesses that have NW 4th Avenue as their turf are up in arms for similar reasons as the Interstate folks. Culturally why should they recognize a Latino labor union guy in Chinatown? The NIMBY* crowds are hard at work on this one on every front.

Is there anyone who doesn’t have heels dug in?

Perhaps there is a mature avenue, street or boulevard that could volunteer for Cesar Chavez duty. Take one for the team. Union Avenue is already taken. Maybe Division Street. That seems appropriate.

This whole thing is about power. It’s not about Cesar Chavez at all. There’s been a distinct lack of leadership in this whole affair on every front. These politicians and activists should be ashamed of themselves for distorting the very legacy of Chavez over a mostly symbolic gesture. How embarrassing.

B!

*NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard