A journalist laments the end of JournoList – but also seems to think that privacy is possible in today’s online world. Really? This is something that most 20 year old Facebook users know: if you don’t want something to become known online, don’t ever post it online. Even among groups that trust each other, as the journalists on JournoList did, the Internet is one of the least private places I can imagine.
Category Archives: Politics
Early to bed, early to rise…should cut one’s carbon emissions
A new recommendation from the Japanese government to its citizens: go to bed earlier and get up earlier. The benefits: a 85kg reduction a year in a family’s carbon footprint.
Chicago vs. Wal-Mart: outcome still in doubt
A news story today from the Chicago Tribune detailing Wal-Mart’s latest offer to build a store in Chicago (it currently has 0 within city limits). Some of the players in the long saga:
1. Wal-Mart. Its latest offer is starting all workers at $8.75 an hour, $0.50 above current minimum wage standards in Chicago. Has been exploring several sites on the South Side for years.
2. Unions. Don’t want Wal-Mart as the company does not allow its workers to unionize. Worried about lower wages.
3. The City. Has primarily been against Wal-Mart because of the wage issue.
4. Those who want cheaper and/or accessible groceries. Several of the neighborhoods Wal-Mart has looked at might be considered “food deserts” (neighborhoods where relatively cheap, nutritious food is not available). Many other companies are not willing to move in while Wal-Mart has expressed interest.
There might be a path to resolution soon – several aldermen now seem willing to support the stories in their wards. This may be particularly timely as Wal-Mart says it would add 12,000 jobs to the city for the next five years if they could build where they want.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 6/23/10 at 11:10 PM
From the Chicago Tribune: Mayor Daley of Chicago makes “an emotional pitch” for Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart releases a list of benefits for the community, and demonstrators who support Wal-Mart add the vuvuzela to their arsenal.
Six votes per person
In the most recent election in Port Chester, NY, a federal judge allowed each local voter to cast up to 6 votes. This was a system put into place to help Latino candidates: this is a New York City suburb with a 50% Latino population (though only 25% of the local voters) that has never elected a Latino trustee. With the new system, the election results did change: a Peruvian immigrant came in fourth in the voting and will become a trustee (and the first black trustee was also elected).
It remains to be seen if this method will spread to other suburbs. There are many suburban municipalities that now have large minority populations and likely a good number that also have not elected many minority local officials.
Some relevant material from The Washington Post:
“The 2010 Census is expected to show large increases in Latino populations and lawsuits alleging discrimination are likely to increase, said Rob Richie, executive director of FairVote, a nonprofit election research and reform group.
“The country’s been changing in a lot of places, with minority growth in exurbs and commuter cities, and there will be a realization that those minorities can’t elect candidates of choice,” Richie said.
That will leave minority groups, federal prosecutors and municipalities looking for ways to keep elections from violating the federal Voting Rights Act, which protects minorities’ constitutional right to equal protection under the law.
In Port Chester, trustees had been elected two at a time every two years, with conventional at-large voting. Most voters were white, and there were always six white trustees even though Hispanics made up half the population and nearly a quarter of the voters. Judge Stephen Robinson concluded the system violated U.S. law by diluting Hispanics’ votes.”
An innovative method – and perhaps one that will continue to be in the courts in the years to come.
Lawmakers don’t like cameras in their face
Interesting look at how many federal legislators don’t like having cameras stuck in their face. Doing this often prompts angry reactions – that are then spread across the Internet and media and may require apologies from the legislators.
A response that one lawmaker has found useful – simply film them back:
“Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) said he has the answer to aggressive guerilla-style video crews, and he’s shared it with his colleagues. He films them right back using his iPhone’s Qik program, which uploads the video directly to his website.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had bloggers approach me on the street to interview me and my response is I’m always happy to visit with them; however, I always pull out my Qik camera, and I film them filming me,” he said.
“And then I notice the tone changes of the person filming me — they become much less aggressive and more polite and conversational. I’ve actually had bloggers with cameras turn 180 degrees away and leave. I used to have it on my hip, and say, ‘C’mon, it’s OK, c’mon. I’m a Texan.’ ”
Odds not good for IL and CA finances
“How ugly are the state budget problems?
Nasty enough that traders are betting that two big U.S. states, California and Illinois, are just as apt to default on their bonds as Portugal — and almost as likely as Iraq…
The going rates in the CDS market say traders believe there is an equal chance — about 1-in-4 — that California, Illinois, Portgual or Iraq will default on their obligations within five years.”
Unknown SC Senate candidate
Alvin Greene, the man who is the virtually unknown Democratic US Senate candidate in South Carolina, says he is the best candidate…and also is ready to be the Man of the Year:
“To Vic Rawl, his well-funded opponent, Greene is the possible beneficiary of a historic voter-machine malfunction or, worse, a stolen election. Greene maintains that the answer is much simpler. “I am the best candidate for the United States Senate in South Carolina,” he says, hitting his talking points, as he is apt to do. “And I am also the best person to be TIME magazine’s Man of the Year.””
The state Democratic party, among others, is looking to see how in the world he won the primary election. It’s always interesting to watch a Political Party try to figure out what to do when it doesn’t like its own candidate…
Banks to cut free checking?
Some of the major banks are looking to end free checking accounts:
“The transformation of checking accounts comes at a time when banks are bouncing back from the steepest financial losses in a generation and are facing new regulations. To accelerate that recovery and recoup losses from new banking rules, financial institutions are increasingly leaning on customers who don’t now generate enough revenue for the bank.
More than half of all checking accounts are currently unprofitable, according to a report issued last month by Celent, a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos. It costs most banks between $250 and $300 a year to maintain one of the roughly 200 million checking accounts, according to industry estimates. ”
As someone once said, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Presidential Aspirations to Celebrity Apprentice?
Perhaps all politicians aspire at some point or another to an office above theirs – or perhaps Rod Blagojevich had some special confidence/delusions. All over a seven year stretch.
$1.2 billion for walking and cycling
The Obama Administration has committed $1.2 billion to walking and cycling. Sounds like a big figure – but nothing compared to what is spent on roads/highways, cars, trucks, etc.
And how exactly does one permanently change transportation behaviors? I bet an immediate $2 federal tax on every gallon of gasoline might do the trick…
Legally Sociable 