LocoFocoRampant

May Day Without Emigrants Photo Essay

2006-05-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

May Day Without Emigrants 012
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

An American family breaks bread together.

May Day Without Emigrants Photo Essay

2006-05-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

May Day Without Emigrants 006
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

A prayer for all Americans and immigrants.

May Day Without Emigrants 005

2006-05-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

May Day Without Emigrants 005
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

The event was sponsored by Grupo Latino and Manos a Manos

May Day Without Emigrants Photo Essay

2006-05-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

May Day Without Emigrants 002
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

450-500 people rallied at the Teamster's Hall in Springfield.

Heart of the Westside Residents Deserve Better

2006-04-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

HOW Meeting 001
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Heart of the Westside Neighborhood Association residents are up in arms at the lack of enforcement action by the city and feel ignored by the local media. At issue is the use of the Christian Foundation, 2112 W. Division as an illegal homeless shelter. From their minutes dated March 16, 2006:

Price Brown, president of the Foundation was notified by letter dated Dec.28, 2005, that the city denied the request for a permit for an emergency shelter in the building; the letter stated the illegal use should cease immediately. The Christian Foundation filed an appeal and continued to house homeless men in the building. The appeal hearing was held Mar. 7, and the board denied the appeal. The city then gave the foundation 30 days to remove the men from the building or appeal their decision in Greene County Circuit Court.

The foundation has not appealled in ciruit court. The neighborhood group is disappointed that the deadline passed without enforcement by the city. The residents are now considering other options, such as suing the City.

An interview with a close neighbor of the Foundation reveals the use of 2 other buildings adjacent to the Foundations thrift store for illegal homeless shelter and “yard sale” style marketing of donated items. This homeowner observed what amounted to an outdoor market of used articles that went on for months on end. Additionally, a semi truck trailer can be seen parked on residential use property.

Residents deserve better from the City and the Foundation. Both entities should respect their neighbors: The Foundation needs to become a better neighbor and refrain from activities that blight the neighborhood, like ongoing “yard sale” style marketing, and illegal property uses. The City needs to follow through on enforcement immediately—these citizens acted in good faith that the City would, and are sorely disappointed at the foot dragging of city enforcement officials. It’s now two weeks past the 30 days given to the Foundation to comply. Let’s not make it two months----or years.

"The Leaders We Are Waiting For Are Us"

2006-04-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Carole Holden attendee, John Edwards event
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Senator John Edwards addressed a crowd at Juanita K. Hammons Hall Wednesday, April 19. He continued his theme of “Two Americas” expounded during the 2004 Presidential campaign, and called young people to action in saying “The leaders we are waiting for are us.”

Edwards pointed out the need both nationally and internationally for Americans to step up to the plate and lead on the issue of poverty. In the U.S. 37 million people live in poverty, while throughout the world, 3 billion people exist on $2 per day. Katrina exposed the vulnerability of the poor; most people who could not evacuate lacked the means to do so. In any adversity, “the poor always get hurt the worst, they live on the razor’s edge.” Edwards is hopeful though. “Americans have a hunger to be inspired.”

Edwards pointed out that the Katrina disaster brought out the best in Americans while the governments stumbled as an indicator of what can be accomplished with inspiration. He believes the American public wants a return to a sense of national community, and categorically rejects the notion that one’s success or failure is entirely the credit or blame of the individual. “I never could got there by myself, “ said Edwards.

Edwards put forward some ideas to address our national poverty problems. He pointed out that 50 million Americans work in the service sector of our economy with wide variances in pay from place to place. He used the hospitality industry as an example; those who can be a part of a union get living wages and benefits, while those who cannot earn $6 per hour without benefits. Edwards proposed a simple sign up process for individuals to join a union, instead of complicated processes used today. Edwards would also like to see a crackdown on predatory lending practices, raising the national minimum wage, matching funds for struggling families to build savings accounts, reform of the Earned Income Tax Credit and access to college for qualified students without burdening young people with student loan debt.

Senator Edwards said all these issues and more are part of a bigger issue. We got “lots of politicians, but few leaders’ and a “huge void in moral leadership.”

He closed with “The leaders we are waiting for are us.”

Volunteer Call: Minimum Wage Petition

2006-04-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

A group of about 40 people assembled to learn more about the minimum wage initiative Wednesday, April 12, at National Avenue Christian Church, 1515 S National. Rev. Roger Ray exhorted the group to help with the campaign by collecting signatures. Kay Mills (Mo Pro-Vote) and Clark Brown (SEIU) added information about how to gather signatures and outlined goals of the effort.
People interested in circulating this petition can join in the effort by meeting at National Avenue on Saturday mornings through the deadline date of May 6, 2006. Contact Kay Mills at kmills_724@yahoo.com for dates, times and petition forms.

Here's what Rev. Ray has to say about this issue:
From the April 6, 2006 newsletter National Ave-News

A good working definition of the minimum wage is, I'd like to pay you less, but if I did, they would put me in jail. And another very real definition of a peasant is someone who has to do very hard labor, but who is still too poor to have a decent life. Put the two together in the USA of 2006 and what you get is the intentional creation of a peasant class in this democracy which came into exisence, in large part, to escape the tyrannical class oppression of Europe. Let me use my "pastor" voice to say this clearly, the creation of a class of poor people in America who cannot earn enough to havc a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat is a sin, it is evil, plain and simple.
There are a lot of things we could do as a society to lift the burden of poverty off of the growing millions who are employed but just not able to make it. I wish that our legislature would cap the interest rates these Payday and Car Title loan places could charge (some charge in excess of 1000% apr!!!). I wish that we had universal health care which would provide at least very basic health care for everyone(our legislature just cut another 5,000 children off of health care services). I wish that college education was made available to everyone who had the capacity to earn a college education (tuition rates are rising again this year, making education less and less avaiable to the poor, making it more likely that they will reamain poor).
But, there is nothing more basic to addressing povery thatn raising the salaries of those who labor at the very bottom of the pay scale. About seven million Americans work for minimum wage which is presently $5.15/hour. This has not been increased for the past nine years! How can this be? How can we fail to give even cost of living increases to the people who earn minimum wage in this country, a nation which is blessed with such abundance? How can decent people sit back and silenty accept the obvious abusive creaton of a peasant class all around us, cooking our food and caring for our elderly?
There is a movement in Missouri to get an increase in the minimum wage on our November ballot. The proposed increase is modest, probably too modest, but it is a start in the right direction. The proposal is to raise the minimum wage in Missouri to $6.50. Of course, no one could really live on that salary either, but raising the minimum wage usually pushes most other lower salaries up with it. It is not a solution to poverty, but it is one positive step and we can help to make it happen.
It will take 25,000 voters' signatures on petitions to get this measure on the November ballot and the signatures must be collected by mid-May. To help with this I'm asking anyone who is willing to help collect signatures...
As often as the question is asked, "Why doesn't someone do something?," isn't this a good time for all of us someones to do something? Please help.

Jim Talent and Medicare Part Dupe

2006-04-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Jim Talent 001crop
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Jim Talent held a press event at exclusive “The Gardens” retirement center in Springfield, April 10, 2006. What he said, and left unsaid, was unsatisfactory.

Talent claimed ignorance on a part of Medicare Part D that’s disturbing to anyone entering into these contracts. When asked a question about the ability of insurance companies to drop insurance coverage for drugs in their plans while requiring patients to stay in the program until the open dates each November, he claimed that would entail an “extraordinary circumstance” that would allow a patient to change to a different plan. Talent claimed he didn’t know for sure, and he would “get back to you” on that issue. I found his answer to this duplicitous. Anyone who has listened to the analysis and commentary on Medicare Part D knows this isn’t true. The customer has no ability to change plans until the November open dates roll around, while the companies can change what drugs are covered at will at any time. He was party to passage of the bill and should have known how this would affect his constituents. His answer is disturbing in either event: he either voted for the bill with this glaring fault, or willfully danced around the issue.

Even more disturbing was Talents desire to make statements about his fellow Senators “Off the record.” I attended the event with camera and steno pad in hand for this blog, and was listening to Talent speak with some attendees, He suddenly stopped, looked directly at me, and said “This is off the record, right?” I replied to him that “You’re never off the record, Senator, you know that.” Talent said he wouldn’t say it then, but did comment that the subject was about what other Senators had to say about the program.

Makes you wonder, what is he telling constituents about his colleagues in the Senate he doesn’t want reported publicly?

HCR No 13 Not So Lucky

2006-03-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

Church-State
Originally uploaded by asmodeus.

Missourians should be aware of this resolution. It is not binding law, but gives one a view of the assembly's views. Many of us are repelled by the establishment of a "majority" religious point of view. Rep. Sater of SWMO is the grandstander for the motion. Bad luck for the Republicans, the obvious political ploy may be backfiring.

Like many things, you find the devil in the detail. What I find disturbing is replacing rule of law religious protection, with "respect."

"Whereas, as citizens of this great nation, we the majority also wish to exercise our
constitutional right to acknowledge our Creator and give thanks for the many gifts provided by
Him; and

Whereas, as elected officials we should protect the majority's right to express their
religious beliefs while showing respect for those who object;"

In First Amendment issues I would rather have rule of law than "respect." The former usually begats the latter.

"SECOND REGULAR SESSION House Concurrent Resolution No. 13

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
4572L.02I
Whereas, our forefathers of this great nation of the United States recognized a
Christian God and used the principles afforded to us by Him as the founding principles of our 2
nation; and 3
4
Whereas, as citizens of this great nation, we the majority also wish to exercise our 5
constitutional right to acknowledge our Creator and give thanks for the many gifts provided by 6
Him; and 7
8
Whereas, as elected officials we should protect the majority's right to express their 9
religious beliefs while showing respect for those who object; and 10
11
Whereas, we wish to continue the wisdom imparted in the Constitution of the 12
United States of America by the founding fathers; and 13
14
Whereas, we as elected officials recognize that a Greater Power exists above and 15
beyond the institutions of mankind: 16
17
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the members of the House of 18
Representatives of the Ninety-third General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate 19
concurring therein, that we stand with the majority of our constituents and exercise the common 20
sense that voluntary prayer in public schools and religious displays on public property are not 21
a coalition of church and state, but rather the justified recognition of the positive role that 22
Christianity has played in this great nation of ours, the United States of America. 23

City Promises

2006-03-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

City Promises
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

The King is Dead. Long Live the King!

2006-02-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

Reqium For Public Input 00 crop2
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Recent events culminated in praise from the Springfield News Leader on burying Public Input, and raising it to new life.

On the same day that the NewsLeader covered the burial, they ran an online poll asking:

"Do you think city administrators and elected officials listen to public comment on local issues?"

The results were not good news to city leaders;

Total Votes: 760 Yes 17.1% No 82.9%

This bodes ill for real citizen participation in civic affairs, at least with the current administration. Thankfully, there is another form of public input coming in 2007--city elections. In this form of Public Input, the citizens cannot be ignored.

(Ed note: I've chosen to republish the Our View piece in it's entirety since the NewsLeader charges for access to past articles beyond a certain time. It's ironic a paper that consistently harps on free speech and public access to information puts commercial barriers in the way of the public. Thankfully, archiving such information is allowable as "fair use.")

From the NewsLeader:

Published February 20, 2006

OUR VIEW »

Neighborhoods best advocates for needed improvements

Residents of Springfield's Grant Beach and Woodland Heights subdivisions remain angry at the City Council for closing the Broadway Avenue railroad crossing.

Give them credit, though, for coming up with creative ways to express their anger.

Last week, they staged a mock funeral. "Public Input" was eulogized and laid to rest at the site where Broadway is now interrupted. "Neighbors question the purpose of spending time and energy providing input when they know it will be ignored," Robert Brantley said during the eulogy.

But they don't question it so much that they will retreat into the shadows. By the end of the funeral, Public Input had been reborn with a pledge that the two neighborhoods will keep working together to improve north-south routes through their area.

We hope they will. The biggest challenge facing them and the city is the inadequacy of the antiquated Grant Avenue underpass. Trucks regularly get stuck there, snarling traffic and blocking any emergency crews seeking to get from one side of the tracks to the other.

This needs to be fixed, and the best advocates for improvements will continue to be these two neighborhoods. Long live their public input.

Republicans Seek to Deny Voting Rights for 170,000 Missourians

2006-02-08T04:48:00.000-08:00

Your Vote IS Your Voice
Originally uploaded by D.James.

Under the guise of "election reform," Republican legislator Delbert Scott sponsored a bill to limit access to the polls for 170,000 prospective voters. The bill also contains language to strike at voter registration activists, exit pollsters, and eliminate pay for voter registration workers. Overall, the bill looks to be a naked attempt to eliminate tools used primarily by Democratic and liberal organizations.

From the Springfield News-Leader:
Election officials in the Ozarks are waiting and watching as Missouri lawmakers consider a proposal to require photo identification for all voters.
"The devil will be in the details," said Greene County Clerk Richard Struckoff on Tuesday while he perused the bill, which runs to dozens of pages of provisions that would replace the current voter identification rules in the state.
"We really need to investigate this," he said. "One side says it's a barrier, others say it's not that much of a barrier, that most people have ID and it's necessary to prevent fraud."
The bill was filed Monday by Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry, who said, "The core of the whole issue is to restore voter confidence in Missouri's elections."
Only six other states require photo identification to vote.
The level of fraud the bill is intended to prevent appears low here.
Scott's bill would also expand the size of the buffer zone around polling places from 25 to 50 feet for people who are demonstrating or taking opinion polls, require registration of anyone involved in a voter registration drive, and prohibit payment for signing up new voters.
Mike Seitz, a spokesman for Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, said 170,000 people in Missouri don't have a photo ID, and 20 percent of those are seniors. Carnahan, he said, wants election reform that would "make it harder to cheat and easier to vote." The legislation, he said, needs to be implemented in a way that doesn't "get in the way of anyone's right to vote."
Scott's bill would still allow casting provisional ballots — votes that are counted only if the voter is later proven to be eligible — if the voter was unable to obtain photo ID because of physical or mental disabilities or because the voter had a religious belief opposing photo identification.

170,000 Missourians don't have state identification--and requiring a photo id (fee required), while seemingly an innocent enough requirement, would be an indirect poll tax. The bill contains language requiring the state to issue a free identification for such voters--but that won't help for thousands of voters who discover the need on election day. Provisional voting would still be allowed--by Federal law. Under provisional voting, only federal election races are counted, eliminating state and local ballots for these voters.

Other provisions in the bill are indeed the "devil in the details" that Struckhoff cites. In the 2004 election, thousands of voters were registered by paid canvassers through efforts like ACT (America Coming Together). The bill would eliminate this kind of effort, and put barriers in front of volunteers before they could help someone get registered to vote. It also doubles the distance requirement from the election polls for exit pollsters, electioneering, and demonstrators.
In an interview on KSMU, Struckhoff, expressed his doubts of need for the bill and said "We should take a good hard look at how this is working out in other states," beore implementing it here.
Indeed.
Scott's bill is a naked partisan power play with Missourians caught in the middle. It's quite hypocritical for the Republicans to espouse democracy for Iraq, while limiting access to the polls at home.

“Don’t Let Laws Fall Silent”

2006-01-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Jan 23 Drury Speaker Avidan Cover
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Drury Convocation Series: Judge Warren White Speaker
Paradigms Lost: The Global War on Terror and the Departure from the Rule of Law.

Avidan Cover, who was involved in a Supreme Court case involving an “enemy combatant” held in Guantanamo Bay, spoke at Drury January 26, 2006. His speech brought out the controversy of the classification of “enemy combatant” and its implications on the Geneva Convention, Universal Human Rights, and the practice of denying rights by creation of this new “classification.”

In creating a new “classification” that has no recognition in the international community, and holding these prisoners outside of the United States, we are denying the fundamental and universal human rights of these prisoners. In essence, they are become non-persons.

Case in point: Torture. Expressly forbidden by international treaties galore, including the Geneva Convention, we are now embroiled in a debate over its use. Cover points out that “all you get with torture is pain.” It endangers our own troops, and is a short term tactic with a losing strategy in the long run. Cover faults the Administration for turning away from out commonly held values that distinguish us from our enemies. Instead, the Executive branch is construing the laws to suit the short term expedient and ignoring laws that get in the way.

Cover argues that this is a paradigm shift from the former acceptance of universal human rights, to a new paradigm in which rights can be stripped through the means of classifications of behaviors. He has a valid and terrifying point.

Now protesters, people engaging in free speech, may be subject to a new classification; Disrupter.

I see this as another slide on a slippery slope. In the study of political science, one discovers that the most efficient of governments is also one of the most undesirable. Dictatorships can be the most efficient, with the executive branch controlling the country, legislatures and courts little more than rubber stamps endorsing policy handed down to them. Are we headed this way? Would 1930’s Germans recognize this pattern? I think they would.

State Rep Candidate Robert Brantley defined what I call the “Slippery Slope of Repression of Rights”:

Exhibitionist of Free Speech to Disrupter.
Disrupter to Dissident.
Dissident to Insurgent.
Insurgent to Terrorist?

Alarmist? Perhaps. For me, better to take alarm at a threat to free speech, and answer Cover’s call to action, and not “let laws fall silent.”

City Seeks Justification of Preplanned Outcome

2005-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hear no evil
Originally uploaded by mike721.

Business as usual. No apparently doesn’t mean “No” when that’s not what VBC’s in Springfield want to hear. It’s appalling and unethical to use the self-selected “input” of an editorial appeal to make this decision. The News-Leader knows better, but did it anyway. Their self-selective surveys are not more revealing than a bona fide election.

Those that want the crime lab will be much more motivated to call, or write, or blog in favor of the proposal. The “no” voices will once again be ignored, just as they were ignored concerning Broadway Av closure, the fraternity rezoning approval after the fact, and City Utilities coal vs alternative energy debate.

The News-Leader says “A lot of voters said their main objection was the early childhood education proposal.” For the record, I voted “Yes” to this proposal because I supported the early child care proposal, not the crime lab proposition.

It would set a horrendous precendent to overturn an election based on the kind of input suggested.

When a woman says "No" and a man persists, it's rape. So is this.

News-Leader Editorial
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051230/OPINIONS01/512300326/1091

Letters From Laurel: News from New Orleans

2005-12-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

New Orleans - Katrina
Originally uploaded by martinaryee.

I found this in my email last week. It's a moving piece, that sadly reflects upon the state of our society today. We should all be aware that we are all at risk of Mother Nature's fury, or human folly, as the recent dam break reminds us. One's world can disappear much faster than it takes to build.

There is little I can add to this work, other than to say that other dispatches are available at http://o2collective.org/.

hello all-

I feel a pressing need to communicate something of the experience I
am having here, even as I know I can only capture a glimpse of what it is to be here. I want to say something you have not heard, to offer
some deep insight into the complexity of the situation here, but I
don't even know where to begin.

I am in a surreal and deeply inspiring hell- New Orleans is a
post-apocalyptic wonderland where utter devastation is everywhere and all relationships of culture, race, society and politics are richly counter-intuitive, nuanced and have gone from backward before to upsidedown now. I am floored. No account of what is occurring here can be given without a brief review of the stunning reality on the ground. The scale and scope of the destruction is really not possible to grasp if you have not driven the streets here.

There are over a hundred thousand cars that will never drive again
that have yet to be moved- they are in all manner of disarray- on curbs, upside down, in front lawns and perhaps most eerily-parked right
where they were left when their drivers suddenly fled more than 3 months ago.

There are currently 1.3 million households from the Gulf Coast still
residing elsewhere. Bodies are still found every day. Vast areas sit festering, powerlines strewn across streets, trees sliced right through
houses, two story homes crushed to the height of their front door.

Tens of thousands of homes are filled with rotting furniture, warped
floors and swollen drywall. Our bus and van arrived with 22 people at the brand new Common Ground Community Center just opened in the Upper 9th Ward district of New Orleans. We parked the bus behind a locked gate and set to helping establish this church complex as a housing, feeding and staging center for the growing network of CG volunteers arriving and leaving daily from all over the country. The organizing
phenomenon that is the Common Ground Collective is an incredible
sight to see. Common Ground was born the week following the hurricane, by a group of courageous locals and their regional activist allies
who initially armed themselves to defend black neighborhoods from
roving white vigilantes who were shooting at young black men. Out of that warzone atmosphere has grown an organic crisis response
team that has diversified and grown extremely quickly into a
sophisticated organization with over a half dozen semi-permanent locations and 30-some programs ranging from health care clinics, distribution centers, a pirate radio station, legal advocacy teams, and now house gutting crews.

I have spent the last two days working with one of these crews on a
house in the Lower 9th Ward. We've been working on the home of a 77 year old woman named Mable who has lived in her neighborhood all
of her life, and in this house for 25 years. We are working in a crew
of a half dozen folks, outfitted in Tyvek suits, industrial respirators, boot covers, work gloves etc- removing furniture and appliances, pulling down drywall, and piling it all in a trash heap in the street out front.

Yesterday we finished gutting her entire house, and today we returned
to spray a bleach solution on everything that remains and scrub it with brushes to kill the ubiquitous black mold. Black mold and bleach. Nasty and toxic. But the satisfaction comes in realizing that the house is structurally sound, and she will be able to return, if the government allows her. She is healthy, articulate and a prominent community figure. She has begun to give speeches to the community praising Common Ground and has offered us the use of her house for a year.

The overt and entrenched racism of local, state and federal
government is outrageous, maddening and impossible to overstate. There are literally neighborhoods side by side with the same level of damage
and the white ones are being cleaned, power is back and they are
being given trailers to live in on their lot while they rebuild. Next door, literally, in the black areas it looks like it did the day the water receded- no lights, no clean up, no people. There is a systematic
effort to rid this city of its majority black residents- and the extraordinarily blatant manner the government is able to get away with it on a daily basis is bitterly heinous. They are working to pass a law to make it illegal to gut houses or help residents repair their homes in areas the city deems condemned and will use imminent domain to give
pennies on the dollar to homeowners and forcibly give title of their
property to developers.

Everything is in upheaval and in addition to the weight of futility
in the face of the massive scale of damage is the nervous uncertainty that hangs over the future of this city. Competing models of
recovery are articulating themselves as they accelerate towards a
possible head-on collision that could be very, very ugly. Is it a national model of neighbor helping neighbor, local groups funded and
empowered to respond to the needs and wishes of residents? Or is it a
top-down, corporate profit driven decree imposed on an already suffering and oppressed people through economic apartheid and
brutal state violence? Both visions are actively evolving, and I
choose not to be a pessimist even if the signs are not good.

Adding absurdity to insanity is the juxtaposition of areas like the
French Quarter and Downtown to the outlying areas. Businesses and restaurants in these areas are largely open and a crew of us have been
partying in smoky bars in the french quarters each night since we've
been here. I am sleep deprived, contaminated inside and out and a little strung out- but there is a real way in which it is all quite
normal feeling. There is an electricity in the air- like we have been
waiting for this, like it is just the beginning.

Bill McKibben said of the situation, in the context of global
warming, that "New Orleans does not look like the America we know-but it looks very much like the world we will inhabit for the rest of our lives"... I am afraid he is spot-on. As 9-11 was a watershed moment in
global history, signaling a permanent change in our relationship to our government and the direction of our collective future, so too is this
the end and the start of an era of historical proportions. What
happens here relates to our national identity, to the possibility of healing the deep wounds of racism and class inequality in our lives, and to the role of the federal government in empowering or oppressing its citizens.

I have seen countless convoys of military police, police officers
from LA, New York and else where, corporate mercenaries on contract from Blackwater and on and on and on, but I have yet to see a single
FEMA official in the city of New Orleans. Halliburton is being paid
$3000 a house on a no bid contract to put tarps on leaky roofs, while the homeless and destitute owners and residents of those homes are
shunned. . . I could go on like that for a long while, telling tales
that outrage and frustrate, but depression and anger are not what I want to convey- because truly that is not the way it feels to be
here.

This city is vibrant, and its people are amazing. Our daily
interactions are poignant and intimate- there is a raw humanity on display here that is heartening and affirming. I am tearing up right now just thinking of the passionate people I have met since I've been here- it inspires the desire to drop everything else and stay indefinitely-which many have done.

This is only the beginning- I am just barely starting to wrap my
comprehension around the dynamics of this strange and unique place-a place that feels viscerally familiar and completely foreign all at once, all the time. It is oddly comfortable and intensely challenging to be here. Stay tuned and I will try to write more soon.

Tomorrow is a rally and march for the Right to Return movement and
then I think we will go south to Houma for a day or two.

. . .huge love to y'all. . . . .
.solidarity,,,,,Laurel

Calhoun to King

2005-12-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Calhoun to King, originals from National Archives
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Every time I receive or send mail from my home, I am reminded of a great inequity and injustice perpetrated on my fellow citizens of this Nation. It is a small thing, but grates daily upon my conscience. As a pearl is formed from a minor irritation, so has grown this proposal in answer.

I would like to see the name of my street changed from Calhoun St to King St.

Many of the streets neighboring us are named after Senators, Webster, Douglas, Hamilton, and Calhoun, for example. Other streets in this locale name famous generals, Fremont, Grant, and Lyon, for example. Calhoun doesn’t fit, and is not fitting to be so honored.

John C. Calhoun was the primary proponent of Nullification during the debate leading up to the Civil War—the idea that States may ignore Federal laws. His most famous, or in my view, infamous, speech was “Slavery a Positive Good.” His political philosophy is repugnant in my nostrils. Calhoun believed that no civilization exists without the subjugation of a working class. That taken as a whole, the Southern slave was better off than a Northern factory hand, in that the slave was cared for even in old age, while the factory hand was tossed aside to the poor house when working days were done. As a student of history it daily festers and affronts me. It is a constant reminder of an evil that blighted our land.

I would see it replaced by the hopes and vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. In contrast to Calhoun, King envisions a Nation united in freedom and equality, not “civilization” the domain of a privileged few at the top of the economic ladder.

As our Nation puts the blemish of slavery behind us, we should honor those that bring us hope and inspiration to be a greater Nation of freedom and equality for all, and shun those that would not.

Back to the Fusion

2005-12-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

IMG_5226
Originally uploaded by jazzyjess.

Before the sweeping electoral changes in the turn of the Twentieth Century, political parties were varied and often in a constant state of flux. Many of the changes in electoral politics were positive and made the process more inclusive, like women’s suffrage. Some didn’t work out, like Prohibition. Another change may be the root of an unexpected consequence, the removal of “fusion voting.” Among other factors, it weakened minor party participation and stifles political debate and involvement. Today, the American voter’s interests are held hostage to the ideologies of only two major parties.

Fusion voting was the practice of smaller parties endorsing a candidate that is also running on another ticket. It allowed for these smaller parties to have a real say in elections, especially in narrowly won races. A candidate who would win by a few points would be foolish to turn his back on a constituency that gave him the edge to win.

The dominant parties saw that practice as a threat to their “winner take all” philosophy. Make no mistake: spoils and privileges change hands every time one party wins out over the other. Both major parties have a strong interest in keeping it that way, and don’t want to share power, and in many instances, even pay attention to the views of minor parties.

And that keeps minor parties just that: Minor.

It’s my opinion that neither political party as they stand today represent the majority of the population’s opinions. It now a game of “who can get the mostest to the polls the furstest,” to badly paraphrase Nathan Beford Forrest. We see a lot of wedge issues that mean very little to the day to day responsibility of government being played like Aces in a hand of poker, when the real job of government is to govern for the greater good of all the people. Sadly, I don’t feel that’s uppermost in the minds of many elected “leaders.”

Fusion voting can be an effective vehicle to put power back into the hands of the people. A major problem in minor party formation is the understandable reluctance of voters to “throw their vote away” in a protest vote. With Fusion voting, the voters could clearly say to the major party candidate that “Hey, I’m voting for you under protest, and you better listen, or next time I won’t.” Voters could vote their preferred ticket and know they cannot be ignored—another election is just around the corner!

The Greens could form an effective, viable party, not enslaved to the Democrats. The Libertarians share values with both major parties, but often find themselves hostage to the Republicans. Minor parties would become viable again, and perhaps bring our political system out of the tailspin of pandering to special interests and wedge issue posturing that has co-opted our government.

Missouri has a law on the books that precludes any candidate from running under more than one parties’ banner. There is also a strong argument to be made that this practice is unconstitutional on the face of it. We need to eliminate that statute.

Denying any political party the right to endorse any particular candidate is denying a right to free speech.

Axe Grinding and Rabble Rousers

2005-12-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

King James' Bane
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

An oft heard refrain in city governments and in government in general, is how little average people are engaged in civics. Zoning meetings can be quite dull, often the only speakers to an individual motion is the person who initiated it. Public forums are lauded a success when a handful of people show up. News photographers often must strategically place their shots to make it look like someone even cares.

What I find disturbing is the recent trend in Springfield’s Various Boards and Committees (VBC’s) to belittle citizen involvement as people with “an axe to grind,” or a group characterized as “rabble rousers.” It seems whenever opposition springs up to a certain position or policy these tags come out. No doubt, that’s probably what King Charles I of England thought of Cromwell and Parliament back in the day.

Railroaded: Who's Next?

2005-12-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

Evening Train
Originally uploaded by markcveitch.

During the discussion leading up to the Broadway closure, Springfield City Council rejected the motion to table made by Mary Collette, and seconded by Denny Whayne. This procedural change would have added the closure consideration to the overall planning looking at the railway changes. Examining the plan, it’s clear that businesses and residents are going to be sacrificed for the Jordan Valley Phase III project.

Two primary areas are in the way: Commercial Street businesses, and businesses and residents now located in the upper reaches of the Jordan Valley park’s footprint.

Commercial Street developers hope to find more parking space to accommodate more visitors with the proposed redevelopment plans. Currently, there are several old trackways north of Commercial Street.

Photo: Old tracks that lie just north of Commercial Street businesses: note Springfield City Police cars parked on the track right of way.

A glance at the railway plans dashed that hope. The plan calls for re-laying that trackage, which will place trains only a few yards from the back doors of businesses on the north side of Commercial Street.

Photo: Map of affected Commercial Street businesses on display at Dec 5th public input meeting.

The other area is in the footprint of the proposed Jordan Valley Park expansion. Several businesses will be dislocated, and some will find it difficult to find suitable new locations. For example, McCoy’s Iron and Metal, a metal recycling yard, relies on rail transport for steel scrap. Transplanting this business may lead to it’s demise.

Homeowners along Franklin Av and north of Phelps Street are even more vulnerable. Many are older, smaller homes owned by families for decades. Their “fair market value” will be nowhere near what it would cost today to build new homes.

During the railway planning public meeting, I asked City Manager Tom Finnie if business and residences were going to be subject to eminent domain buyouts. He indicated that this method is not being pursued. According to Finnie, the City is only acquiring those properties the owners offer for sale to the City. We’ll see how long this policy lasts as the Phase III project moves forward.

Jordan Valley Phase III map available at http://www.rrstudy.com/index_flash.html . This site also contains new railway maps in .pdf format.

Train Photo from Flickr: Evening Train Originally uploaded by markcveitch.

All others taken by author also on Flickr.

Gubernatorial Candidate Stumps in Springfield

2005-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

State Attorney General Jay Nixon spoke to an overflow crowd at Avanzare Thursday night during a fundraising event. Nearly twice as many people showed than expected when the event was booked. Several local Democratic candidates were also on hand.

Photo: Michael Noell and Jay Nixon

Nixon spoke of Matt Blunt’s disappointing first year in office. He’s ”not your father’s Republican, he’s a neo-con, a conservatives conservative.” Nixon berated Blunt for breaking an election eve promise to not cut Medicaid, and pointed out that 337,000 Missourians are now adversely in their health care under Matt Blunt’s first year of office.

"The Republicans are asking the wrong question. They’re asking 'How can we cut Medicaid,' when they should be asking 'How can we maximize our resources to help as many people as we can'." Nixon declared that Missouri is losing $353 million to other states in lost Federal matching money for various health care programs.

Photo: Nixon addresses area Democrats

After his speech, Nixon mixed with well-wishers and addressed individual concerns and questions. Nixon confirmed that the Missouri Ethics Commission referred a second campaign finance ethics violation charged against Matt Blunt to the Attorney General’s office.

Photo: Nixon briefed by Dudley and Kay Martin

Welcome To Florida!

2005-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

Chopper
Originally uploaded by nogoodreason.

An email from a friend turned out to be a warning from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence that Florida’s legislature passed a “Shoot First” gun law. The law allows people who feel threatened by someone to shoot before making an attempt to flee or otherwise avoid violence. The Brady group is launching a campaign to increase awareness of this “wild west” attitude endorsed by a sitting legislature.

http://www.shootfirstlaw.org/

The word is getting out all over the country and the world, with tourists eyeballing the new law with trepidation.

But wait, it gets even better. The NRA is looking to export this horrendous policy to all fifty states. Missourians can look forward to more bellicosity from the gun lobby soon.

First, concealed carry—defeated at Missouri’s polls but endorsed by the Radical Republican legislature, and now “Shoot First.” Deadly force shouldn’t be the first recourse a reasonable and responsible citizen turns to.

Case in point: One Sunday morning, I awoke to the sound of my back door opening and closing. A quick check of my family member’s bedrooms showed I was the only one up. Thinking the door accidentally left open, I went to check on it, but picked up my baton on the way “just in case.”

As it turned out, a confused traveler was the intruder. He left in a hurry upon finding he’d picked the wrong door, thinking our home his sister’s, and apologized for the error. No force was needed, not even my baton.

If I used deadly force as a first resort, as allowed under this type of law, a simple mistake could have cost him his life, and cost me my conscience.

The NRA is really getting out of touch with rationality and mainstream America. Check out their “Black List” of people, businesses, and groups at http://www.nrablacklist.com/ .

Photo from Flickr: Chopper Originally uploaded by nogoodreason.

Residents Left With Few Options

2005-12-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Originally uploaded by MatthewBradley.

Last night, City Council brushed aside citizen concerns in opposition to two different issues.

Roundtree residents expressed their opposition to rezoning after the fact when a fraternity opened up on National Av. These residents spoke on the issue last week in opposition to the rezoning, which was NOT recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Council approved the illegal refurbishment, with Mayor Carlson saying the developer acted in "good faith." Personally, I don't see how a well-known, experienced real estate developer could NOT be aware of zoning restrictions of any property he owned. At least Councilman Jones spoke up about legitimatizing the usage after a developer obviously ignored zoning rules. It just begs for more of the same.

Northside residents in both Grant Beach and Woodland Heights were also brushed aside in the name of "public safety." That storyline is prominent on this blog, at www.137th.com , and the Springfield News-Leader, so I won't dwell on it here. We do owe a debt of gratitude to Councillors Denny Whayne and Mary Collette for their support.

When elected officials ignore the citizenry, citizens often feel either alienated, or compelled to escalate their protestations. These active neighborhood organizations do a lot of good for their respective neighborhoods. When they're turned away from the table by our city government, individuals will either walk away, or look to the few options left, like civil disobedience.

They know their vote doesn't count-at least to those now in office.

Photo from Flickr: Originally uploaded by MatthewBradley.

Some rights reserved http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Democrats Who Care and Share

2005-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Ward 9 Committeman and Committewoman Dudley and Kay Martin, with Committedog Beau, look on.

Dudley and Kay Martin really know how to celebrate Christmas. About 75 Boys and Girls Club children and their families were invited to sup hot spiced cider and enjoy the Christmas parade at the Martin’s place on Walnut St.

Delighted kids scramble for goodies as the Norrs look on.

No Springfield parade would be complete without the Central High School Kilties!

Blinders

2005-12-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

filthy lucre
Originally uploaded by shannonmary.

Money in politics. Blinders.

How else can one explain what is going on in this State, and this Country?

On the one hand, we have 40 million people without health insurance. Survey after survey of public opinion cites health care as a primary concern for Missourians and America.

Yet our elected "leaders" do nothing about it except to line the purses of their contributers, or worse, cut people off of state-sponsored health care in the name of Mammon.

What God do they worship?

Photo from Flickr: filthy lucre Originally uploaded by shannonmary.

Churches Cross the Line in Springfield

2005-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

HA!
Originally uploaded by carriemouse.

Every day, television viewers in this area are treated to the stern visage of Reverend Agee of Cornerstone Church inviting churchgoers to join with him to “Take America Back” –a thinly veiled call to action for the intrusion of religion in politics. Other nationally prominent religious leaders are even less circumspect in their advocacy of right-leaning policy and partisanship.

Twice I’ve pulled my daughter out of churches she attended when they actively advocated political positions I strongly disagreed with. I was shocked and appalled when she came home from Central Assembly one Sunday. Her Sunday school teacher told the 8-10 years old class that all Democrats were going to hell. In the second instance, children riding the Cherry Street Baptist Church bus brought home trading cards depicting war planes, tanks, soldiers and sought-after terrorists.

My daughter is interested in religion, and I encourage her to explore religion and philosophy at her own pace, so that she may make her own decisions on what to believe. But when churches depart from spiritual teachings I must draw the line.

They have no business in political indoctrination, or in war mongering. The realm of religion is spiritual, not earthly.

The saddest part is, in spite of the years she’s attended church, not one invited her to be baptized.

Photo from Flickr: HA! Originally uploaded by carriemouse.

Town Hall Residents: "NO!"

2005-12-07T06:52:00.001-08:00

dec 6 meeting 010
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Local residents argued for a "NO" vote on the Broadway closure issue in City Council. The issue re-emerged recently after languishing in legislative limbo for over a year.
In the earlier episode, strong opposition resulted in tabling the closure proposal. The closing is now persued with renewed vigor by BNSF and City Manager Tom Finnie.
Residents want more options examined in finding a long term solution to the Broadway crossing and the 80+ year old underpasses at Grant, Lyon and Washington. They asked city and state leaders to step up to the plate and lead.

At the request of City Councilman Denny Whayne, the City produced a lovely banner depicting an artist's rendition of how Grant Av's underpass might look after the addition of a proposed third track (see story from Dec 5, 2005 "Railroad Plans Unveiled.)

Residents were not placated by the banner when, on closer examination, it shows no real improvement for vehicular traffic or pedestrians. The Southbound lanes would remain the same, a left turn lane to enter Commercial St, and a narrow one-lane for through traffic. Through traffic would still be forced to "thread the needle" between the support columns and the abutment. The problemmatic 11"6" height for northbound drivers remains the same. No additional walkway is provided for the west side of the street. It was also noted by residents that the new facade on the railway overpass is already in the plans for the third track.

BNSF representative Roger Howard spoke and stuck to his guns in citing safety as a primary reason for the Broadway closure. When questioned on regulations governing railways, we learned that the railway inspects bridges more often than the once-a-year required by the Federal Railroad Administration, but that these records are not open to the public. When asked if BNSF would release inspection records for Washington, Lyon and Grant Av, he dodged the subject.

Railroad Plans Unveiled

2005-12-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

65 people were on hand for the open forum looking at proposed candidates for new railroad crossings on the East side of Springfield and the Jordan Valley West Meadows project. There was also information available concerning the rail lines parallel to Commercial St. Local resident Robert Brantley spoke to KY3, saying “The people make the City, the people that live there. If the people are taken care of, then the City is taken care of.”

The meeting was opened by a short overview, with one-on-one dialogue following the presentation. Area residents had the opportunity to address their questions with one of the designer’s representatives, or write questions on 3X5 cards for further research. Photo below is an overview of the rail lines plan.

Three different plans were presented for the spur entering Jordan Valley. (Only one is pictured here.)

Some details of the West Meadows project are shown here. Another pdf file is available at http://www.rrstudy.com/ giving more detail on land the park will encompass.

This photo shows the addition of several tracks for train shunting immediately behind several blocks of Commercial St. Some observers were disappointed to see this expansion of railway usage. Area business owners want more parking available north of this business district for future redevelopment of Commercial St.

Of special interest to 137th District residents is the plan to add another track on the antiquidated bridges north of Commercial St. The Broadway closing is in part justified by BNSF and City Manager Tom Finnie by the heavier traffic soon to be run on these tracks. Note the annotation of bridge expansion on Grant Av rail overpass.

Local residents can air their opinions on these plans and on the proposed Broadway Av closure December 6, 2005. A Neighborhood Town Hall meeting is sponsored by City Councilman Denny Whayne at 7:00 pm, Woodland Heights Presbyterian Church. (Atlantic & Grant)

Photos from Flickr, originally uploaded by locofocomoto. Click on photos to view.

Burning Bridges

2005-12-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

In today's News-Leader, Wendell Kerr said "If someone is in this country illegally, he/she has no legal rights. Deliberate breaking of laws is a criminal offense as well as sin. " http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051205/OPINIONS03/512050308/1006

buergbrennen
Originally uploaded by luxpim.

Equating the breaking of a law to a sin is dangerous to a civil society. "Jim Crow" laws set forth many unjust conditions on select members of society. In light of this interpretation, the use of civil disobedience to change unjust laws would be a sin. When we mix religious and temporal affairs, we corrupt both.

The larger issue is one of human justice and human rights. Should one's accident of birth mean a condemnation to poverty and subjugation? Because one is born in Mexico, or Guatemala, or Algeria, or Somalia, does that forever condemn you to living in that condition? Are you barred the option of our ancestors, to leave the old behind and seek a new life for yourself and your children?

In the face of current U.S. immigration laws, many find that if they don't break the law, they are condemned to these fates.

God Bless America, and God help those who seek to better their lives.

Photo from Flickr, Uploaded on May 28, 2005by luxpim

Bigfoot at Alien Staff Meeting

2005-12-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Bigfoot at Alien Staff Meeting
Originally uploaded by hua bing chong ji.

Caption/Comments on this Flickr art said

"Bigfoot attending Alien Staff Meeting at the secret Mothership hanger located 5 miles below Mount Shasta, California.

Management often required Bigfoot to attend meetings to "birddog" various issues. He felt that he really had no input or influence on anything that was discussed. When asked about risks and opportunities from the "Bigfoot perspective" he would just grunt."

I just wonder if the "public input" sessions the Various Boards and Committees (VBC's) that purport to collect public input from the citizens of Springfield are much different. It doesn't seem like it to me. The thing I hear most when talking to my Ward's constituents when discussing the VBC's is "Our opinion doesn't matter, they'll do what they damn well please." It's proven true in recent issues affecting the Northside of town lately.

It seems to me that many of the sessions have preplanned outcomes. Witness Donna Bergan's experience with the CU commission to look at the power plant issue recently. In various meetings with other concerned citizens, she testified that the most common source of information for that body was from or related to the coal fired plant industry, and few or none from alternative points of view. The very fact that she was picked for the body was a surprise to her: she had little to no experience with these issues and other candidates that were qualified were passed over, such as Paul Redfearn.

Hopefully, Dec. 5th's meeting * for public input concerning railroad crossings in Springfield will be different, but I'm not holding my breath.

Preplanned outcomes are a good way to keep a plan on track, but makes a mockery of real citizen participation.

* December 5, 20056:00 PM in the Bill Foster North Room of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce 202 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway
Photo from Flickr: Uploaded 12 Nov '05, 5.24pm PST by hua bing chong ji.

railroad overpass, Delmas Avenue, San Jose, August 21, 2005

2005-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

railroad overpass, Delmas Avenue, San Jose, August 21, 2005
Originally uploaded by Michael Patrick.

What we need at Grant Av: Taller bridge.

entering Willow Glen, Bird Avenue, San Jose, August 21, 2005

2005-12-03T07:55:00.001-08:00

entering Willow Glen, Bird Avenue, San Jose, August 21, 2005
Originally uploaded by Michael Patrick.

What we could have.

Grant Av Underpass

2005-12-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

richard 11-28-05 001
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Fatiqued concrete pillar, several show signs of cracking and exposed rebar.

Railroad underpass Lyon Av wood trestles

2005-12-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

Railroad underpass Lyon Av wood trestles
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Note plywood splints on several beams underneath railroad tracks.

Railroad underpass Washington Av South approach

2005-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

Railroad underpass Washington Av South approach
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Another eyesore, dilapated and fissured with water seeps.

What Northside Residents Have Today

2005-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Too Tall Truck
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

An eyesore and hazard....

Money Muzzles Media

2005-12-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

muzzled dog 2
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Fired Up! is celebrating their new status as bona fide journalists, exempting them from political reporting. I celebrate with them. Regulating bloggers would lead to the destruction of one of the few venues left for real free speech.

Case in point: “Blunt thrown in the wash with Delay”. Joplin Independent broke the story online. It caught the attention of local political operatives Richard Napieralski, Robert Brantley, and Steven Reed. The story was reposted at Missouri Leadership and Greene County Missouri Democrats, and finally caught the attention of the Springfield News-Leader, but not until some arm-twisting by Reed.

The free speech issue would never have been addressed by the traditional media without these advertising-independent online sources giving it “legs.” Once it was printed in the News-Leader, it gained more attention on Fired Up! and on national blogspots.

In fact, one of the reasons I started this blog is because the News-Leader too-often won’t print letters to the editor responding to the Radical Right’s rants. It’s also provided background information on local issues for area commentators.

Free speech is not free if it’s fettered by money.

Photo by Flickr contributer Martin Krzywinski
Original story:
http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/ma-earth1130278480/blunt%20thrown

http://www.joplinindependent.com/

http://www.missourileadership.com/

http://greenecountydemocrats.org/

http://www.firedupmissouri.com/

Attention Roy Blunt Shoppers.....

2005-12-01T09:22:00.001-08:00

Money money money money
Originally uploaded by skettalee.

Bet Roy's donors don't know that their donations are helping him and his cronies live high on the hog. Here's what is in his October 2005 Quarterly FEC report:

$3935 Tickets to Springfield Cardinals games
$5914 Food and Beverages, mostly in Wash. DC area swanky restaurants
$720 paid to Gandel Liquors for Booze
$850 paid to Pacific Cigar Company
$1901 paid to Justice Jewelers for "lapel pins"
$27,939 Visa Cards
==============
$41,259 -----more than a lot of SW MO families make for a whole year!

And don't forget his pals at Thompson Communications, they billed him for $81,117 in these three months.

Photo from Flickr Money money money money Originally uploaded by skettalee.

Let's Talk Safety...

2005-11-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

City Manager Tom Finnie cites safety as the primary concern in asking for the closure of Broadway Av. He asks the City Council to act now to prevent a future tragedy at that crossing. Local residents also want City Council to act now to prevent a future tragedy.

Closure of Broadway will further restrict vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. These travelers will be forced to other railway crossings to the east or west. The closest to the west is Kansas Expressway, already very busy with vehicular traffic and hazardous to pedestrian and cyclists. The first and closest crossing is Grant Av to the east. The underpass is in deplorable shape, and no longer suited to the needs of the public. Built in 1926, it now exhibits signs of stress fatigue in cracked concrete, exposed rebar, and shows multiple scars from low clearance accidents. The crossings at Lyon and Washington are even worse. Lyon has wood trestles with plywood splints on cracked beams. Washington has several water seeps that are eroding the structure from the inside out.

Despite these obvious faults, the railroad has no intention replacing or improving these crossings. They intend to load more traffic on these structures, adding a third set of tracks to replace the tracks to be vacated for the Third Phase of the Jordan Valley project.

City negotiators are handling the Broadway closure as a separate issue from the Jordan Valley project. It’s not. It’s just easier to overcome local resistance to the closing by keeping it separate. Separating local businesses uprooted by the Jordan Valley project and local residents is a classic use of “divide and conquer” strategy.

Many local residents suspect that Broadway is being used as a bargaining chip for the West Yard vacation. The only sop to the residents is a paltry $65,000 spread over seven years for “beautification” of the underpasses. To think that $65,000 will cure the ills of these underpasses is an insult to the intelligence, and viewed as a low-ball bribe by many in the neighborhood groups. If the railroad and Tom Finnie were truly concerned with safety, they would be negotiating improvements to the underpasses before loading more train traffic on them.

Once the West Yard is vacated, these improvements will be even more costly and difficult. Make no mistake, they will need to be done some time in the future. Better to do it now, while the railway has the other yard to make up trains during renovations.

Woodland Heights Residents Weigh In

2005-11-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Broadway crossing
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

City Manager Tom Finney opened the ball saying that the City needs to be "proactive on this issue," and cited safety as the reason to close this intersection. Finney said the city is often accused of being reactive, not addressing issues until an incident occurs, and the City has a chance to prevent some future accident at this location.
In opposition, Woodland Heights residents weighed in on the Broadway Av closure issue at Monday night's City Council meeting. Five residents spoke against the proposal, no one spoke in favor.

From the Springfield News-Leader, Jenny Fillmer reporting:

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051129/NEWS06/511290354

Several north Springfield residents turned out Monday to speak against a proposal to close Broadway Avenue at a rail crossing between Chase and Commercial Streets which is currently blocked several hours a day by trains.
This is the third time the council has considered the closing, which is requested by the BNSF Railway Co., citing safety concerns. The proposal has been strongly opposed by neighborhood residents living both north and south of the crossing.
If the closing is approved, BNSF would pay the city $65,000 to make improvements to the area.
"We would like to work with the neighborhoods and use that money to the best way that they see," said City Manager Tom Finnie, who supports the closure.
Zone 1 Councilman Denny Whayne has scheduled a neighborhood meeting to discuss the issue at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at Woodland Heights Presbyterian Church, 722 W. Atlantic St.
Carlson advised those at Monday's meeting that public hearing would continue at the next council meeting, a week after the neighborhood meeting.
"The rule is, you only get to speak one time," said Carlson.
Despite his warning, five neighbors of the rail crossing spoke against its closing.
"I think this would be very bad for business," said Larry Robinson, owner of American Bag Co. on Commercial Street. "We bring a lot of trucks in there."
Robert Stoviak, who has lived near the rail crossing for 49 years, called railroad claims that it was unsafe "hogwash."
"That's the safest crossing in Springfield, Missouri," he said. "Trains go over it at the most restrictive speed: 5 mph."
The council may vote on the issue Dec. 12.

As Paul Harvey would say, here's the rest of the story.

Robert Stoviak was a long time railroad employee and strongly opposed the closure. He said the railroad really wants the closure to use that section of track to store longer trains while making them up and are fearful of the liabilities they incur while using remote engines.

Stoviak also observed that Missouri has a"10 minute" rule that all railroads must comply with. Under this rule, no train can block a crossing for more than ten minutes. Stoviak challenged the statistics used by City Manager Tom Finney. "The tracks are only blocked about 10% of the time," instead of Finney's statement that the tracks are blocked 55% of a day. Stoviak observed that tracks cannot be blocked that much because of the ten minute rule.

Strident in his opposition, Stoviak said "Every time the railroads want something, they cite safety, it's bunk, and the liars outta be sued."

An important fact came to light in Larry Robinson's testimony. He refuted the implication from railroad supporters that the recent pedestrian injury was at the Broadway intersection. He personally observed the emergency response and stated it was behind his building, several hundred feet away from the intersection.

Also speaking in opposition were Mr. Watkins, David Hunter and Dudley Martin. Watkins observed that the Grant Av crossing was more dangerous than Broadway and that maintenance of the underpasses is inadequate. Hunter represented the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Assn and made a short statement that the group was opposed to the closure. Attorney Dudley Martin proposed a "Tom Finney Memorial Bridge" to span the intesection with an overpass stretching from Chase St to Division St, using new technology and materials used in a recent construction on Farm Road 148. This project could also be used as a learning practicum for Rolla's UMR and MSU's engineering departments.

Grant Beach Neighborhood residents were glaringly absent. Many of the Grant Beach leaders had conflicts in time scheduling with other neighborhood activities. Others wanted to "keep their powder dry" in anticipation of more information to be available from future meetings related to this issue. The meetings and schedule are available at their website calendar: http://www.grantbeachneighborhood.org/calendar.htm

Who Pays the Fiddler?

2005-11-28T04:39:00.000-08:00

Blind to the Light
Originally uploaded by Rod Graves.

There is little to no oversight from the Department of Transportation in establishing policy for railway bridges. Their recommendations are only advisory. The only real requirement is that the railway put a maintenance plan in effect. Inspections of the railways are done by the owners. Most maintenance plans call for at least weekly inspection of the rails, and annual inspections for bridges.

In other words, railroads are allowed to self-regulate with no outside supervision or accountability. The railroads can refuse to release records of inspections. In matters like we face here in Springfield, it comes down to a matter of negotiation between the highway authority, in this case the City, and the railroad.

Some excerpts from the Federal Railroad Administration FAQ sheet:
Q-3. The bridge that carries a railroad over my street has a vertical clearance of only 10 feet 6 inches, and my truck will not fit under the bridge. Can FRA require the railroad to raise the bridge and improve the clearance?

A. As in Question 2 above, FRA does not take jurisdiction over clearances or the condition of the highway under a railroad bridge. Improvements to clearances and the condition of the highway under the bridge are issues to be resolved between the railroad and the highway agency.

Q-7. Does FRA require or recommend that bridges be re-rated at a particular interval?

A. No. As in Q-6 above, FRA holds the track owner responsible for the adequacy of the bridges that carry its track. If the bridge design records show that the bridge is designed to carry a load at least as heavy as the loads to be operated, and if the condition of the bridge has not changed appreciably, it is probably not necessary to re-rate the bridge. However, if an inspection shows deterioration of a component of the bridge, it might be necessary to revise the rating of the bridge.

Q-9. How can I get a copy of FRA’s database of all railroad bridges in the United States?

A. FRA does not maintain a database of railroad bridges. There is no reason for FRA to do so from a safety standpoint, and it would be an unnecessary expense for both FRA and the reporting railroads. FRA guidelines call for railroads to keep an accurate inventory of their own bridges for effective maintenance management.

Q-10. Why won’t a railroad send me copies of the inspection reports on its bridges?

A. Railroad bridge inspection and evaluation is a multi-level effort. Inspectors observe, measure, and report on the condition of a bridge and its components, but a full evaluation of the safety and serviceability of the bridge requires the training and experience of a competent engineer. Inspection reports from inspectors to the engineer are an intermediate step in that process. A person who is not familiar with the terminology and reporting methods used by that particular railroad, and who is not competent by education and experience to evaluate railroad bridges, could easily draw incorrect conclusions from raw bridge inspection reports. FRA reviews those reports on a case-by-case basis, but considers them only as a part of the full inspection and evaluation process.

If the railroad gets what they want now, there is little to nothing the citizens of Springfield can do to rectify shortcomings in the conditions of the underpasses along Commercial St. Future plans for renewal of Commercial Street will be hampered. Center City Springfield will be stuck with these eyesores as long as the railroad pleases.

It's up to the City Council to address these problems in negotiation with the railroad. If the City Council spends all it's bargaining chips to get the railroad property for the Jordan Valley projects, there won't be anything left to address the low clearances, poor conditions, and unappealing appearence of the underpasses.

And guess who pays the price for it.

Too Tall Truck

2005-11-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Too Tall Truck
Originally uploaded by locofocomoto.

Luckless truck driver missed the 11'6" sign on Grant Av underpass. The underpass is scarred with many such incidents. I thought the underpass was in horrible condition, many cracks in the concrete showing it's age and stress fatigue. Then I took a photo safari to Lyon Av and Washington Av. They're even worse. Lyon Av has wooden trestles patched with plywood and a big gap in load bearing structure. Washington Av has at least 4 water seeps, complete with stalagmites, grape, and soda straw formations as you can see in caves here in the Ozarks.

See the photos for yourself at :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22977886@N00/

Train Wreck Coming To Springfield City Council

2005-11-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Train Wreck, Steam Locomotives
Originally uploaded by born1945.

Missouri's state motto,"Salus populi suprema lex esto, the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law," is being put to a test in Springfield's City Council chambers. At issue is a controversial street closure just north of Broadway and Commercial. Local residents are strongly opposed to the closure and succeeded in getting the issue tabled for over a year.

Now the issue is back on the agenda, and if the News-Leaders coverage is any indication, the railroad has regained the upper hand. Today's article quotes the BNSF press representive five times, and only one person opposed to the closure. All of the coverage is concentrated on the closure issue, and ignores related problems in the area, such as the poor condition and anitquated structure of the railroad underpasses in the area. No proposal for renovation of the underpasses gains the light of day. The only sop to the neighbors is a railroad proposal to relieve itself of responsibility for crossing maintenence with a bribe of $65,000 over the next seven years. The neighborhood groups , and ultimately the City, would then be responsible for cosmetic upkeep of the crossings thereafter.

Broadway is also the bike route crossing for the area--another issue ignored. City representatives don't seem to realize that bicycle and foot traffic in the area is often not a matter of choice for the area residents. They're not out for a Sunday stroll. They're stuck on foot or bike by necessity that will be on the rise as gas prices force more people to "shanks mare."

Area residents are increasingly frustrated with the trend of events. A school closure, giving away Grant Beach property to a non-profit agency, and the trainwreck at Broadway leave people feeling they're opinion doesn't matter.

And elected officials wonder why voter turnout there is so low.

Clouds Over Washington

2005-11-25T05:58:00.000-08:00

anti-war.march (6).washington
Originally uploaded by marysz.

The criticism from the right continues to paint peace protesters as anti-troop. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are all Americans, it is our sons and daughters over there, too. We differ in the policy of our government as prosecuted by George Bush.

"Anti-war protesters claim that while they are against the war, they support the troops. This is unbelievable when these "peace" groups actively work against our military. Protesting against the war is one thing; actively working against our military during a time of war is quite another. The left has found a new way to spit on our brave fighting men and women, " said Kathy Gonzalez, Springfield, in a News-Leader Readers Letter.

Every time the Right makes this allegation, they spit on the Constitution.

Turkey Family

2005-11-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Turkey Family
Originally uploaded by brookenovak.

Happy Thanksgiving To All Family and Friends

Where in the World is the Missouri 7th District Committee?

2005-11-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

We need a viable candidate to take out Roy Blunt. Where is this person? If not Jim Kreider, who? Matt Patterson? Craig Hosmer? Doug Brooks? Bobbie Lurie? Who?

So far, the 7th District has met only once, for an election of officers. As a member of said committee, I'm disgusted that there's been no other activity. Are we going to wait for another Marc Perkel?

I can really see DFA, DCCC, and the DNC step up for that kind of candidate--NOT!

Women and men at work on recruiting a candidate, a job the party apparatus doesn't seem to be doing, get ganged up on by other dems.

Leaves me feeling like this:

Who Can It Be Now? - Men at Work

Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more.
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right.
All I wish is to be alone;
Stay away, don't you invade my home.
Best off if you hang outside,
Don't come in - I'll only run and hide.
CHORUS:

Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?

Who can it be knocking at my door?
Make no sound, tip-toe across the floor.
If he hears, he'll knock all day,
I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay.
I've done no harm, I keep to myself;
There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health.
I like it here with my childhood friend;
Here they come, those feelings again!

CHORUS
Is it the man come to take me away?
Why do they follow me?
It's not the future that I can see,
It's just my fantasy

Oh...Who can it be now?
Oh...Who can it...
Who can it...
Yeah yeah yeah

Democratic Dissaffection

2005-11-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

I first found the term "Locofoco" in a tattered copy of a book of Abraham Lincoln's correspondence. It was an obscure reference at the time, but is now seeing a resurgence in usage by people tired of the "Republican Light" version of the Democratic Party. Here's a rather radical sampling of it's new incarnation from the Punk Rock band "Fleshies."

http://www.fleshies.net/lyrics.htm

LOCOFOCO MOTHERF#*KER
equal rights!
we want equal rights!
we're gonna tear it down!
we'll storm the armory, get all the guns
establish a new world order and then we're done
it's this kind of voice that can only be heard
when things are good, at least for the powerful
when the downturn comes
everyone turns back into a rugged individual
what'll we do when there are fights in the street
for a burger king job?
how are you gonna screw the system
when your movement's a purposeless blob?
it's time for a plan, but socialism's been done to death
maybe a kneejerk reaction could be effective
if it cuts a wide enough swath
it's pretty simple really
just remember the end of the world is nigh
and thank whoever you want that we've got the technology
to make everyone die
when i've got it in my hands
i'll be a locofoco motherf#*ker

Sound sample at:
http://www.downloadpunk.com/?webaction=website.Albumdetail&albumid=4269