DEAR FOLKS, SEE BELOW MY LETTER TO WHITEHOUSE. YOU CAN WRITE THE WHITEHOUSE ON WEBSITE / CONTACT ALSO CALL 2O2-456-1111.
08 July 2011
22 June 2011
Critique of Supreme Court [Unedited]
Dear Folks, this is the strongest and longest letter I have ever written to a
government body. I have no idea whether any of it will sink in, but
represents my greatest concern about the condition of our nation today.
government body. I have no idea whether any of it will sink in, but
represents my greatest concern about the condition of our nation today.
08 May 2011
Power Wins over Compassion and Common Sense
Dear Folks,
These are recent impressions about destructive power dominating our country: last night, I saw an ad by the oil industry, each big co. making billions and with billions of tax breaks, arguing that increased taxes on them would raise oil and gas prices. I watched Rachel Maddow wailing with John McCaine's daughter through this great gathering of gun buyers: mostly big men looking at assault weapons, and then a switch to a Pittsburg alderman taking Rachel to the street which at one time was considered the most violent street in the nation. Instead now we see literally miles of boarded up six and eight flats. In his area, five thousand houses are boarded up. All of this happening because of gun wars, with assault weapons dominating.
He says: "We are powerless because now our state legislature is totally controlled by the gun lobby."
In Newsweek, March 28-April 4, "What's Killing NPR," NPR top reporters such as Steve Inskeep and Ira Glass are arguing that its management has lost its guts, that it's not fighting for its moderate stance and caliber of programs that service the conscience and common sense of our nation. Same issue, "Obama's War on Schools, " He's still allowing The No Child Left Behind Act to stand even if "it has been deadly to pubic education."
I know several creative teachers, some here in our new system. One recently went to a conference of art teachers, 3,500 in number on West Coast. They feel that they have to be subversives in our school systems, in order to awaken the imagination and the critical thinking of their kids. Each of us are challenged to speak up.
Danger: we will drown as a democracy in a sea of money and power.
John G
These are recent impressions about destructive power dominating our country: last night, I saw an ad by the oil industry, each big co. making billions and with billions of tax breaks, arguing that increased taxes on them would raise oil and gas prices. I watched Rachel Maddow wailing with John McCaine's daughter through this great gathering of gun buyers: mostly big men looking at assault weapons, and then a switch to a Pittsburg alderman taking Rachel to the street which at one time was considered the most violent street in the nation. Instead now we see literally miles of boarded up six and eight flats. In his area, five thousand houses are boarded up. All of this happening because of gun wars, with assault weapons dominating.
He says: "We are powerless because now our state legislature is totally controlled by the gun lobby."
In Newsweek, March 28-April 4, "What's Killing NPR," NPR top reporters such as Steve Inskeep and Ira Glass are arguing that its management has lost its guts, that it's not fighting for its moderate stance and caliber of programs that service the conscience and common sense of our nation. Same issue, "Obama's War on Schools, " He's still allowing The No Child Left Behind Act to stand even if "it has been deadly to pubic education."
I know several creative teachers, some here in our new system. One recently went to a conference of art teachers, 3,500 in number on West Coast. They feel that they have to be subversives in our school systems, in order to awaken the imagination and the critical thinking of their kids. Each of us are challenged to speak up.
Danger: we will drown as a democracy in a sea of money and power.
John G
24 April 2011
The Bipartisan March to Fiscal Madness
By DAVID A. STOCKMAN, Reprinted from The New York Times, 24 April 2011
IT is obvious that the nation’s desperate fiscal condition requires higher taxes on the middle class, not just the richest 2 percent. Likewise, entitlement reform requires means-testing the giant Social Security and Medicare programs, not merely squeezing the far smaller safety net in areas like Medicaid and food stamps.Unfortunately, in proposing tax increases only for the very rich, President Obama has denied the first of these fiscal truths, while Representative Paul D. Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has contradicted the second by putting the entire burden of entitlement reform on the poor. The resulting squabble is not only deepening the fiscal stalemate, but also bringing us dangerously close to class war.
20 April 2011
Good and Bad News
Dear Folks,
As to the good news. I watched C-Span 3 this morning, featuring student awards for the value and meaning of government. First prize won by a teen girl on the importance of Obama saving the auto industry. She interviewed people, showed evidences of small towns that would have fallen completely apart if their car industry there had collapsed, and gave example after example of specific families that would have been all out of work if
agencies and related businesses had been lost. The negative is frightening indeed.
Some of you may have watched Rachel last night. Without getting into details, she reported on almost half of the states planning to restrict what ordinarily is a simple process for registering to vote: showing your id and address. In many, people will have to show their birth certificates, etc.
In several states beyond Michigan and Wisconsin, the governors have promoted legislation that enables them to take over towns that are in economic troubles. Benton Harbor in Michigan has already been taken over by the Gov. He replaces duly elected officials with a economic czar who rules the city in every respect. As Rachel points out, the party of small gov becomes the party of autocratic big gov when Republicans take over: from Reagan to Bush II and now these governors and their legislators doing these draconian things.
We must alert MoveOn.org and ethnic churches to alert their people right now, as well as democratic parent their children who will vote to be certain they have their birth certificates. I'm going to push this in every avenue I can find, including Obama's group, Organizing for America. AMERICA HAS TO WAKE UP.
As to the good news. I watched C-Span 3 this morning, featuring student awards for the value and meaning of government. First prize won by a teen girl on the importance of Obama saving the auto industry. She interviewed people, showed evidences of small towns that would have fallen completely apart if their car industry there had collapsed, and gave example after example of specific families that would have been all out of work if
agencies and related businesses had been lost. The negative is frightening indeed.
Some of you may have watched Rachel last night. Without getting into details, she reported on almost half of the states planning to restrict what ordinarily is a simple process for registering to vote: showing your id and address. In many, people will have to show their birth certificates, etc.
In several states beyond Michigan and Wisconsin, the governors have promoted legislation that enables them to take over towns that are in economic troubles. Benton Harbor in Michigan has already been taken over by the Gov. He replaces duly elected officials with a economic czar who rules the city in every respect. As Rachel points out, the party of small gov becomes the party of autocratic big gov when Republicans take over: from Reagan to Bush II and now these governors and their legislators doing these draconian things.
We must alert MoveOn.org and ethnic churches to alert their people right now, as well as democratic parent their children who will vote to be certain they have their birth certificates. I'm going to push this in every avenue I can find, including Obama's group, Organizing for America. AMERICA HAS TO WAKE UP.
29 March 2011
Libya and the Lost US Narrative
Dear Folks,
I am in support of what is happening in Libya for humanitarian reasons. However, my worry is that we might get stuck there. According to the War Act or a name like that a couple of decades ago, the president has a right to begin a war wit these provisos: he must immediately inform congress and his action as such is limited to 60 days, at which time the Congress must decide.
I have two concerns: this war could be incredibly fruitless for two reasons: there is a likelihood that Gadaffi survives and the rebels are too disorganized to set up a government in East Libya.
I have a greater concern: this war overshadows the serious loss of the correct American narrative about our fiscal concerns. The correct narrative is as follows: In 2008 thousands of perverse, greedy and ignorant traders and mortgage brokers literally destroyed the economy of our country and many others. These rich bastards gave out millions of weak mortgages and then packaged them into derivatives, producing what became a roughly 7 trillion "casino," at our expense. Further the big companies now are making big profits and paying big salaries to thousands of execs, they have offices overseas and so most of these companies including the big banks, such as the Bank of America, pay no taxes.Further, along with the these companies in finance, many such as Lockheed are deeply wedded to the military and its money-making wars Finally, we have a Republican Party, both nationally and in the states giving millions of tax breaks to potential companies that have moved into their states amd on the other hand are taxing the middle class and destroy middle class power in unions.
Instead of this narrative, the Republicans have substituted their narrative consistently of blaming and then taxing ordinary folk and destroying their unions. They have even bamboozled the Democratic Party and the White House in this regard. The narrative should be simple and constantly repeated by the latter: quick summaries of the party of the elite rich and the military industrial complex verus the needs of a middle and poor class that needs jobs and human help of every kind so that a true economy might again be realized: an economy that trickles up from folks working and spending and not a trickle down economy in which the wealth move their monies from their hands into their pockets and savings instead of creating jobs. We learned this during 8 years of Bush.
LETS ALL FIGHT TO GET THE CORRECT NARRATIVE BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- NOW AND NOT WHEN WE'RE NEAR NOVEMBER 2012.
JOHN G
I am in support of what is happening in Libya for humanitarian reasons. However, my worry is that we might get stuck there. According to the War Act or a name like that a couple of decades ago, the president has a right to begin a war wit these provisos: he must immediately inform congress and his action as such is limited to 60 days, at which time the Congress must decide.
I have two concerns: this war could be incredibly fruitless for two reasons: there is a likelihood that Gadaffi survives and the rebels are too disorganized to set up a government in East Libya.
I have a greater concern: this war overshadows the serious loss of the correct American narrative about our fiscal concerns. The correct narrative is as follows: In 2008 thousands of perverse, greedy and ignorant traders and mortgage brokers literally destroyed the economy of our country and many others. These rich bastards gave out millions of weak mortgages and then packaged them into derivatives, producing what became a roughly 7 trillion "casino," at our expense. Further the big companies now are making big profits and paying big salaries to thousands of execs, they have offices overseas and so most of these companies including the big banks, such as the Bank of America, pay no taxes.Further, along with the these companies in finance, many such as Lockheed are deeply wedded to the military and its money-making wars Finally, we have a Republican Party, both nationally and in the states giving millions of tax breaks to potential companies that have moved into their states amd on the other hand are taxing the middle class and destroy middle class power in unions.
Instead of this narrative, the Republicans have substituted their narrative consistently of blaming and then taxing ordinary folk and destroying their unions. They have even bamboozled the Democratic Party and the White House in this regard. The narrative should be simple and constantly repeated by the latter: quick summaries of the party of the elite rich and the military industrial complex verus the needs of a middle and poor class that needs jobs and human help of every kind so that a true economy might again be realized: an economy that trickles up from folks working and spending and not a trickle down economy in which the wealth move their monies from their hands into their pockets and savings instead of creating jobs. We learned this during 8 years of Bush.
LETS ALL FIGHT TO GET THE CORRECT NARRATIVE BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- NOW AND NOT WHEN WE'RE NEAR NOVEMBER 2012.
JOHN G
18 March 2011
A Wake-up Call to Democrats and Concerned American Citizens
Depressed by final verdict in Wisconsin [stripping state employees of collective bargaining rights] and encouraged by the national response: the Democratic base is wakening up a bit.
Depressed by Rep King focusing on Muslim "danger" but encouraged by the fact that he is as stupid a person you can imagine, as reported by a fellow student at Notre Dame.
Depressed by this statistic in latest NewsWeek article entitled "2405 Shot Dead Since Tucson." Encouraged by an aroused public that might eventually wipe out the NRA Power over Congress, a power comparable to the biggest corporation.
Frightened by the power of corporation in its use of money. How else do we account for all these new Republican governors and State Legislators. Somewhat encouraged that an aroused populace --encouraged by the response to Wisconsin --may awaken a sleeping political giant.
We all need to write the White House and the National Democratic Committee to develop a simple message showing over and over how the Democrats are the party for the people and the Republicans are the party for the wealthy. We must keep this narrative alive on the grassroots but also at headquarters. When we lose this narrative who are blamed: unions and ordinary workers and citizens. The reality is very clear: if we are not aroused we will experience the fatal blow that might leave us asleep for along time; that our country has become infected with a new-fascist disease.
- John G
Depressed by Rep King focusing on Muslim "danger" but encouraged by the fact that he is as stupid a person you can imagine, as reported by a fellow student at Notre Dame.
Depressed by this statistic in latest NewsWeek article entitled "2405 Shot Dead Since Tucson." Encouraged by an aroused public that might eventually wipe out the NRA Power over Congress, a power comparable to the biggest corporation.
Frightened by the power of corporation in its use of money. How else do we account for all these new Republican governors and State Legislators. Somewhat encouraged that an aroused populace --encouraged by the response to Wisconsin --may awaken a sleeping political giant.
We all need to write the White House and the National Democratic Committee to develop a simple message showing over and over how the Democrats are the party for the people and the Republicans are the party for the wealthy. We must keep this narrative alive on the grassroots but also at headquarters. When we lose this narrative who are blamed: unions and ordinary workers and citizens. The reality is very clear: if we are not aroused we will experience the fatal blow that might leave us asleep for along time; that our country has become infected with a new-fascist disease.
- John G
13 February 2011
Peacefully - Take to the Streets
Dear President Obama and Administration:
The events in Egypt and our present crisis have inspired these remarks. I am concerned about the condition of
our democracy, given now the power that is in the hands of the few who have the power of money. Will we as a people have to take to the streets in order to recover an authentic democracy or will you, Mr President and your team, begin to articulate what we would say and demand in the streets: We the people want our country back, over against a fascist-like overlay of the wealthy and a Republican party whose philosophy is to serve the few. We demand a clear and consistent statement and implementation of a philosophy that reclaims a government that is by the people and for the people. This philosophy should be driven home day after day, while clearly pointing out the danger posed by the present wealthy/Republican coalition.
Otherwise, Sir, we citizens will have to --peacefully-- take to the streets, and I, an 89 year old man, will be with them.
Sincerely,
John L. Giannini
The events in Egypt and our present crisis have inspired these remarks. I am concerned about the condition of
our democracy, given now the power that is in the hands of the few who have the power of money. Will we as a people have to take to the streets in order to recover an authentic democracy or will you, Mr President and your team, begin to articulate what we would say and demand in the streets: We the people want our country back, over against a fascist-like overlay of the wealthy and a Republican party whose philosophy is to serve the few. We demand a clear and consistent statement and implementation of a philosophy that reclaims a government that is by the people and for the people. This philosophy should be driven home day after day, while clearly pointing out the danger posed by the present wealthy/Republican coalition.
Otherwise, Sir, we citizens will have to --peacefully-- take to the streets, and I, an 89 year old man, will be with them.
Sincerely,
John L. Giannini
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