Voting Integrity Forum

Yesterday's Voting Integrity Forum was successful and informative beyond my wildest expectations. About 100 people came out on a rainy, muggy Monday night to hear a series of riveting talks and panel discussion on electronic voting.

The overwhelming conclusion is that electronic voting is extremely vulnerable to error, fraud, hacking, trojan horses, viruses, etc. Some fascinating facts:

• Mercer Co. PA's touch-screen machines malfunctioned and wiped out votes last November. These machines were decertified, leaving Mercer and two other counties with the same system having to scramble to re-deploy their old lever machines. In other words, if an electronic system in one county fails, all other counties using the same system have to scrap theirs too. Article:
• Touch-screen systems, besides being extremely vulnerable to error and fraud, are expensive and only last about 5 years
• Scanners, or bar code readers would be the safest, cost much less than touch screens and last two to four times as long. They could be made relatively safe with a precinct based, voter verifiable, dual paper receipt system.
• Old lever machines will last 150 years and are the most reliable of all. And contrary to current urban legend, replacement parts are still available
• Sticking with the old lever system does not incur a federal penalty. It simply means giving up federal subsidies, which are intended to reimburse for the cost of new machines, but in fact reimburse for only about one half the initial cost, and provide no funds five years later when the machines need replacement.

Speakers included:
Rebecca Mercuri, PhD in computer science.Her statement on electronic voting:
Teresa Hommel, computer professional and election intergity activist. Her online demonstration of electronic voting:

Green 365

I invite Greens and progressives to "Green 365:"
Pledge to do at least one thing every day to promote peace, sustainability, or any of the 10 key Green values. Blog you daily efforts here or on your own blog or journal. Commit to doing this as long as the occupation of Iraq continues.
It doesn't have to be any major thing, of course, but try to do something every day, and document it to yorself. Share it whenever you think it appropriate, or whenever you come up with a unique idea.
My contribution today was a letter to John McCain, a person whom I do not admire, but who has a position of some power (link on title above).

Mercenaries in Iraq = anti-recruitment in US

This short article about the use of mercenary soldiers in Iraq provides some good ammunition for anyone working on anti-recruitment efforts.

If high school grads had information about mercenaries fighting in Iraq, they would be much less likely to volunteer.

The Future of Food (June 16)

THE FUTURE OF FOOD (90 minute video) offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.
Pebble Hill Interfaith Church, Doylestown, Thursday, June 16, 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Burning Bridges video at Pennridge HS 6/23

The international Institute for Restorative Practices has produced a documentary, "Burning Bridges," about the arson of historic Mood's covered bridge, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA, and a restorative conference we facilitated. The six young men who burned down the bridge met with representatives from the community affected by the crime. This arson was a major news event in southeastern Pennsylvania, where covered bridges are beloved landmarks.

Community members and the men's families were able to communicate their feelings and how they had been affected, the men to apologize and express remorse. The group then discussed how the men could repair the harm they had caused.

Attendance at the conference was voluntary. However, the judge in the case viewed a tape of the conference and took what he saw into consideration when sentencing the young men, saying that he had seen "genuine concern in apologies as well as understanding of the impact of what they had done and the hurt it had caused." He also ordered that the tape be shown in the community.

The documentary is being shown to the community, who can ask questions and comment, as another step in the healing process and to inform them about restorative conferencing, a constructive way to address conflict. Everyone is welcome to attend.

IIRP president Ted Wachtel will be present, as will the co-facilitators of the conference, IIRP director of training Bob Costello and IIRP training coordinator John Bailie.

Screening details:
Thursday, June 23, 2005, 7 p.m.
Pennridge High School Lower House Auditorium
1400 North Fifth Street, Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Free admission
Executive Producer: Ted Wachtel
Producer/Director: Laura Mirsky
Cinematographer/Editor: Steve Grieger

Rollin' Blackout Blues (read, listen)

This is on the LOCAL page because it is from two local artists, Josh Wachtel and Alexei Panshin.

http://www.radiofreeearth.com/Images/Contents.jpg

Organize Locally ! ! !

Contact Greens in your neighborhood.

Warminster Day

Come and see a solar house and two hybrid cars: Honda Civic & Toyota Prius. Grant applications and advice for solar installations will be available.

The House that Bush Bombed

From "This is the House that Jack Built"

Beyond Electoral Politics- BCGP meeting 6/5/05

At our monthly meeting last night Larry Menkes spoke about working effectively toward sustainability inside a political entity, but outside of elected office.
About 2 years ago Larry was asked to participate in the newly formed Warminster Township Energy Advisory Committee. There he has been able to advance a number of environmental programs under the banner of "cost savings" and "fiscal responsibility." He's showing the township how to save a bunch of money by installling fluorescent bulbs and LED traffic lights and purchasing hybrid vehicles. Larry does this not simply out of idealism. He describes his motives as "enlightened self-interest:" he wants to keep his local taxes as low as possible.
For many of us, working outside electoral politics is preferable to the boredom/anxiety of elected office. Until our species reaches a moment in social evolutionn where cooperation becomes more important than competition (Green value #7), most of us will probably be more effective working behind the scenes. Although both strategies are valid, educatiors are more important than agitators right now.
Fewer people have been more influential in this millennium than Carl Rove and Paul Wolfowitz. Neither, to my knowledge, have held elected office. There are many other examples of influential non-officeholders, most of them-- unfortunately-- bad ones. Ralph Nader is one good example. Nader did most of his work outside electoral politics, and ran for office only when he saw that public interest groups were completely losing access to elected decision makers because of the rising influence of corporate money.

Larry's advice for local action is to start at home. Replace all of your incandescent bulbs with fluorescents and immediately save over 75% on your lighting bill. You will also save on air-conditioning since fluorescents produce much less heat. Another inexpensive and important first step is to tighten up your house. Insulate of seal off any places where there is too much air transfer from inside to outside-- where hot air escapes in the winter or enters in the summer.
When you finish at home, find out if your township or borough has an EAC (Energy Advisory Committee). If they do not, then suggest they start one. Use Warminster Township as a model. To find out if your township has an EAC: http://www.greentreks.org/eacnetwork/eaclist.asp

10 Key Green Vallues

Universal Green values are: 1) grassroots politics 2) ecological wisdom 3) social and economic justice 4) non-violence 5) decentralization 6) support of local economy 7) feminism (co-operation rather than competition) 8) diversity 9) individual & personal responsibility 10) future focus (seven generations out)

Impeachment

Ralph Nader and Kevin Zeese have called for impeachment procedings against George Bush to begin. There is some support for this among Democrats like John Conyers, and perhaps some republicans.
In any case it is time to move on impeachment. We will discuss this at our meeting on Sunday, June 5 at Pebble Hill Church. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with a showing of the 47 minute testimony of George Galloway in the US Senate two weeks ago. The business meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Welcome All

This blog is intended to help people in the southeastern Pennsylvania area to communicate and organize around issues of Green values and sustainability.

The ten key Green values are:

1) Grass roots politics
2) Environmental wisdom
3) Social and economic justice
4) Non-violence
5) De-centralization
6) Support of local economies
7) Feminism: promoting cooperation above competition
8) Diversity
9) Individual and social responsibility
10) Future focus (Seven generations out)