Is Karlgate Dead?

While I don't claim to read every blog (I'd be here all day if I did), the Internet seems pretty quiet on Karlgate recently. The link in this post's title is the latest post I found that even mentions Rove, and it's already a few days old.

BushCo. got a real lucky break with the London bombings. They had already tried to change the subject by appointing Roberts to the Supreme Court, but the bombings really allowed them to shore up any attention the media was paying to the brewing scandal. Plus they got to remind Americans that they should be afraid.

Darn that Tim Willard

This is why I dislike canned web designs. Nothing against Tim, of course. He's a stand-up fella (so I hear, we've never met).

All fixed with a new look

I couldn't figure out what changed in the code on my old design, so I just picked a new one! Normally, I don't care much for canned designs, but this one looks pretty good and fits the Green theme.

something's wrong

with that last post. I'll try to fix it later.

Big Win in Frederick

Although this article came out before the change, it appears that the city of Frederick has adopted Doug McNeil's charter amendments that remove the high obstacles for Joanne Ivancic to be on the ballot. Joanne is running for city alderman and her name will appear on the ballot with party affiliation. Joanne could possibly win this race, so it's very exciting.

It's important to note that Frederick has done a lot in a very short amount of time. They've revived their local, attracted a large number of people, received great media coverage (like this WaPo article), and are already running a candidate.

Solar Energy Gaining Ground in U.S.

There's a good article in today's Baltimore Sun about solar energy. Apparently, MD is the largest producer of solar panels (a good thing), but usage in the state is still relatively low (a bad thing). One reason is this:

Tom and Frances Yuhas are your everyday environmentalists. They recycle,
grow their own vegetables and drive a Honda hybrid. But they still like the
suburban comforts of central air and an outdoor pool.

So when it came time to replace their old oil furnace, the energy-conscious
couple made a natural choice. Four months ago, they outfitted their 1954
Pasadena ranch-style home with sleek new solar panels.

Now, their house on the Magothy River no longer smells of
oil fumes. Their $80-a-month electric bill has dropped almost in half. To help
make this happen, the state reimbursed $3,000 of their $30,000
installation.

A 10% tax rebate on something that costs that much is a joke. The article points out that MD is not aggressively pursuing a progressive plan to get more people to install solar energy. I would love to see both state and federal government doing more to encourage the solar energy installations. It would be even more appealing if money was put towards giving businesses & developers tax breaks for installing solar panels, since they use more energy than private individuals. Of course, that would make for strange bedfellows with the MD Green Party...one that I could get behind.

Dems in sticky position

I rarely blog on issues at the national-level, but I can't resist commenting on the latest conundrum for Senate Democrats.

Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement from the Supreme Court helps to put Senate Democrats in yet another sticky position. It's the opportunity Bush Co. has been waiting for. Bush's prospective appointee is likely to be a fanatic right-winger. If the Dems filibuster they will be called obstructionists, while if they don't, they will once again disappoint their base.

Of course, they arrived in this position of their own feeble-minded accord. The "deal" they struck earlier in the year illustrated the Dems continual downward spiral of giving up their power. They've lost seats over the past 5 years and there's little doubt that the Bush Admin. will use this opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice as a wedge to win more seats in 2006.

So, what should the Democrats do? And why should a Green care?

I'd like to say that Democrats need to have a knock-down, drag-out battle over this seat. I'd like to say that, but I suspect they won't. They're too afraid to lead.

Greens, on the other hand, would have little problem compromising on this important appointmet. While there aren't any Green senators (yet), we know that Bush's appointment, whoever it might be, will fall politically far from our own values. Alberto Gonzalez, for example, was the author of the "Torture Memo," which pushed the envolope on what constitutes legal torture.

If the Dems fail to put up a good fight, yet again disappointing their progressive base, the Greens should welcome those who are disappointed. Hey, elect Greens, fight the power and change the system! It's that simple.