Sonia Sotomayor

I have been totally disgusted with the way the media and the far right republicans have responded to President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Supreme Court Justice.
To be calling her a racist and using her remarks out of context is abhorrent to me. All of their accusations have been debunked and yet they continue with their slander.
Her life story is very impressive and I think her experiences as well as her education will serve her well on our nation's highest court. I admire anyone who can overcome the odds as she has and then serve the country.
I believe that her accusers are the racists and anti feminists. When one considers that Clarence Thomas could be named to the highest court with all of his baggage or Samuel Alito for that matter, it seems that Sonia Sotomayor should be a shoe in.
We will never become a united country as long as we have bigots like Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney speaking for the republicans. They are destroying any opportunity for unity.
I sure hope she can give it back to them in confirmation hearings and I am sure that she can do this in a way that people will respect and cheer for her.

FYI

I have moved all of my romance reviews and discussions to a new blog. http://gigisromancereviews.blogspot.com
This should make both blogs easier to follow.

Yesterday I received this email from Free The Grapes. In earlier posts I have encouraged folks to contact their state senators and representatives and urge them to Support LD1008. Please read the document below and take action. I did last night and Senator Diamond said he supports this legislation. Passage of this bill would allow consumers to buy wines of their choice directly from the wineries and not be held to buying wines only provided by distributors in Maine. So contact your legislators today! Many thanks.

May 27, 2009

We have the best chance in a decade to update Maine’s archaic direct shipping laws with reasonable, proven legislation. But we need your help today!
ACTION:1. Call Your Legislator immediately: Ask them to “support the majority report from the committee” that reviewed LD 1008 and the direct shipping issue. You can find names and phone numbers at http://www.maine.gov/legis/contact.htm 2. Please click here and use the Free the Grapes! website to personalize and automatically send your legislators a message today to Support LD 1008. 3. Forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues in Maine.
As mentioned in previous emails, two wine direct shipping bills have been introduced to the Maine state legislature. LD 1008 will significantly expand consumer choice in wine by allowing you to purchase wine directly from in-state and out-of-state wineries licensed to ship to Maine consumers. Thirty-six states have passed similar reasonable legislation (the “model direct shipping bill”), recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court and supported by state alcohol regulators, consumers, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Please let your legislators know how you feel by taking two minutes now to: 1) call your legislators, and 2) use our website to personalize a message. We have a great opportunity this week to replace an outdated, anti-consumer statute with one that is proven to satisfy consumers and regulators alike.
Thanks for all your help.
Free the Grapes!

Collins and Snowe Screw the People One More Time

An amendment offered by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would have capped interest rates that could be charged to credit card holders at 15% was defeated in the US Senate.

Senator Sanders said that one third of all credit card holders are being charged interest rates of between 20 and 41 %. I believe that is called usury or loan sharking and it proves once again that the banks own the Senate.

This amendment to the credit card bill would have been very beneficial to so many people.

Of course our Maine senators helped defeat the amendment which would have helped many people. But one must remember that they are always looking to make sure their campaign monies come in and forget helping the people. Susan Collins has received one million dollars from the finance, insurance and real estate sector of the economy so she is certainly easily influenced by the financial institutions. She has also received over $300,000.00 from lobbyists. (http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00000491&type=C&mem=)

Olympia Snowe has raised $669,000.00 from the finance, insurance and real estate sector and $244,000.00 from lobbyists. (http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?type=C&cid=N00000480&newMem=N&recs=20&cycle=2008)

This certainly influences their votes. Now admittedly they had plenty of help in defeating this particular amendment which also underscores the way the financial sector can influence the votes. I don't know about you but I am tired of being the last in line when it comes to voting on issues that affect so many individuals.

A list of the roll call votes in this issue can be found at the following site.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00191

My question is when do these politicians who are elected by the people begin to think about the people?

Christians or People Who Profess to Be Christian

Yesterday I took a daytrip to Vermont with a good friend and this morning I had coffee with another good friend. During both times the conversations eventually veered towards the political realm. Yesterday was the day that we were all waiting to see if Governor Baldacci would sign the law legalizing gay marriage and he did! Good for him. We were also talking about the immorality of the banks and credit card companies and how hard folks are having it right now.
Then I came home and found that the Christian right and the Catholic Church are going to organize for a people's veto of the Gay Marriage bill. It made me wonder just how serious these people are about their faith. They profess their belief in God and follow Jesus the Son of God or so they say. But do they really? I was brought up to believe that we worship a God who loves us unconditionally. I was also taught that Jesus surrounded himself with the poor, the needy, the lost and the sinner. He talked with the prostitutes and the adulterers, He ministered to the sick and lame and forgave all sinners. In other words He treated all people equally.
So I have a real problem with people calling themselves Christian and then doing things that go against the very things that Jesus taught.
One person called in to a local TV station and even said that being gay is a choice. I have very good friends and family members who are gay. Believe me, I do not believe that they or anyone would choose that life style when I have witnessed the discrimination, the hurt and hatred that has plagued them. This caller even said that 50% of their marriages would end in divorce and that they needed to choose wisely. Hello! The same statistic is true of heteorsexual marriages and we have sure not all learned the lesson of choosing wisely and honoring our commitments to one another.
I do think the world is changing and I am hopeful that more and more people are becoming more open to learning about and becoming more accepting of all lifestyles, religions and races. I hope if this people's referendum becomes reality that it can be soundly defeated and put the issue to rest once and for all.
For me personally I hope that my friends can now enjoy the same legal rights that I have had the privilege of and that the world can become a more tolerant place for all people. I thank the legislators and Governor Baldacci for having the courage to stand up and do the right thing by passing and signing this legislation.

Collins Does It Yet Again!

Susan Collins, again, decided to follow the party line and vote against the bankruptcy bill that would have helped some Mainers. When asked how her vote would play at home she said "I think it'll play just fine, because I view it as increasing the costs for homeowners, so it just wasn't the right approach."
Now doesn't she realize that every time a home is foreclosed upon the value of the other homes in the neighborhood decreases? Doesn't she care about the folks who have to go to bankruptcy court that if this bill passes they might be able to keep their homes by having a lower payment? Doesn't she realize that some of those folks will be homeless and that will cost us a lot more in the cost of food stamps, medical care, etc.
As Senator Dick Durbin said, "The banks own the Senate." How true, how true. A list will be published listing the senators who opposed the bill and how much money they have received in political contributions from the banking and insurance companies. It will be interesting to see just how much money Collins has received.
I also find it strange that when her office was contacted to see what her position on the bill was they could not tell me. I am sure she knew all along how she was going to vote but did not want her constituents to know ahead of time. What shoddy politics!

In an article on Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/30/cramdown-vote-banks-bough_n_193674.html) Ryan Grim wrote
"The measure is widely expected to fail, as crucial Democratic senators, whose votes are needed to overcome a filibuster, have publicly declared their opposition.Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Jon Tester have indicated they plan to vote against the amendment. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who supported the bill last time around, expressed reluctance to back it this time. The banking industry has lobbied relentlessly against the reform.On Monday night, Durbin concluded that the banks "frankly own the place."The place came (relatively) cheap.The banking and real estate industry has funneled roughly $2,000,000 into Landrieu's campaign coffers over her 12-year career, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Bayh has taken in about $3.5 million. The financial sector is Nelson's biggest backer; he's taken $1.4 million from banks and real estate interests and another $1.2 million from insurance firms. Tester has fielded roughly half a million in his two years in office.That's about nine million dollars -- far, far less than one percent of the amount taxpayers have spent to bail out the financial industry."
I will wait to see the posting that gives the figures for all the senators who voted this bill down.
Today on Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/01/in-their-own-words-why-de_n_194589.html) Grim titles his column In Their Own Words: Why Dem Senators Screwed Homeowners. He also has the quote from Susan Collins and the article is worth reading.

What's Up With the Leaders in Windham????

Have you ever tried watching the Windham Town Council on the local access channel 7? It is one of the most frustrating experiences I have had. First of all if anyone speaks at all it is almost impossible to hear them. Either the microphones are terrible or the councilors do not know how to use them. Liz Wisecup is the only one that seems to care if anyone can hear. The Town Manager can usually be heard but not always.
I have never seen a group of people who say so little about anything. I can honestly say that after watching a meeting I am never sure what anyone's position is. Either someone is late and misses a good portion of the meeting or they leave before important budget presentations. Then they are going to vote intelligently?? on the final budget? How does anything get done?
Then there is the issue of communicating with the public. I have left a very complete and very polite voice mail for Mr. Plante along with my phone number regarding an issue with Time Warner Cable that has affected approximately 200 families in the area and my call has never been returned. That was 2 months ago! I was told by the office staff that Mr. Plante was the person to speak to on this issue as he deals with the franchise.
I wrote emails to the Superintendant of Schools and a school board member and never even received acknowledgement that they received them.
I sent emails and written letters to both Senator Diamond and Representative Bryant on an issue that I was interested in and have never received the courtesy of a reply.
So what is going on? Do they not care that people have concerns that need to be addressed? Do they not care that someone has taken the time to get in touch with them? Are they so busy that they cannot respond to legitimate concerns? It really is rude behavior. I have been in a position where I had to work with town officials and the public and it was my policy to always respond as quickly as possible. I have always been supportive of local, state and national budgets and of progressive policies and initiatives that address the needs of the people. I also believe that is our obligation to be in communication with elected officials to let them know what we are thinking. I do this in spite of the perception by officials that we are ignorant and uninformed. We are informed and really do think about issues and care what is happening. Let me be clear, I am not usually a negative person but repeated incidents like those I have described can sure turn a positive person into a negative one.
This attitude seems to be pervasive among elected officials in Windham, the State of Maine and the nation. We faithfully pay our taxes, go to vote, contribute to campaigns and as soon as we do those things we are no longer considered important. When we do speak out we are treated as though we have no right to do so and are looked on as complainers.
It is time for a wakeup call to officials that they need to take the people seriously especially if they wish support for their budgets and policies.