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Linda's NJ Voices Blog |
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Barbara Jordan: A great American
Barbara Jordan, politician, educator, and champion of civil rights, broke down the barriers of race and gender in a distinguished list of American "firsts." She was honored by many institutions and recognized for her role in the nation's history. She would be demanding, today, that we get on with the nation's business of democracy, much as she did during Watergate and the years that followed. She was the nation's conscience; she remains its loyal daughter, democracy's daughter.
Ethics, insider trading and the U.S. Congress
Baghan PhotosDemocratic and Republican Party SymbolsTime to catch up with developments on the “inside-the-Beltway special,” or, to be precise, insider trading by members of Congress. In a blog in mid-December, “On Wall Street and inside the Beltway: Betraying the Public...
Susan G. Komen for the Cure did what?
carppingBreast cancer awareness symbolSusan G. Komen for the Cure, the well-known advocate for breast cancer awareness, research and support of women's health--and leading breast cancer charity--has cut its funding to Planned Parenthood. It has cut support for breast health screenings...
Maurice Sendak, John Paul Stevens and Stephen Colbert
mediaite.comStephen ColbertWhen comedians take on a subject, you know it’s serious. But, with Stephen Colbert, it’s also great good fun. Here he is, focusing on the Citizens United v FEC and the SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission cases--and the making...
Ravenswood: A poet of passion
Emil J. Donatello Emil J. Donatello, poet and friend, died yesterday. He was Ravenswood: Glints of light from shining crystal, Entranced in radiant rainbow colors, Reflections from the hearths warm glow, And images of you in firelight. … Entranced in...
Further on fracking.....
We need to wait on fracking and think some more about what is required for operations in safe locations, with acceptable chemicals, sound drilling practices, and, now, seismic data, and, without a doubt, plan on providing solid regulatory oversight.
On Wall Street and inside the Beltway: Betraying the public trust
Reports in the press during the last few weeks of the year have to give us considerable pause as we start the new year. But, maybe, just maybe, the 99%'s outrage--captured by OWS--will provide the impetus we need to start turning things around, to strike a better balance through changes in policy and politics, in order to restore the social contract that supports our nation.
Mercury, madness and the E.P.A.: The essential role of government
While rules may be guidelines for the unimaginative in some places, here they are an essential activity of government. Especially when it comes to the E.P.A., human health, safety and the environment. But some folks out there are behind the eight ball. They include the worst of the utilities, some segments of the Chamber of Commerce, and the GOP.
A scarlet holiday: Rutgers RAH fights hunger
Rutgers Against Hunger LogoDecember is a special month for seeing the good that people can do, but it seems especially visible this year, here in New Jersey, at least in part because of the generosity of the students, faculty and...
Seize the moment S.E.C., try a case and restore public trust
With the S.E.C. and Citigroup case, that touches on the transparency of financial markets whose gyrations have so depressed our economy and debilitated our lives, there is an overriding public interest in knowing the truth. A trial can do what no settlement can: reveal what really happened. And it just might be the first step to restoring accountability to both Wall Street and the S.E.C..
Sound science, safe water, and the public good: Wait on "fracking"
With "fracking"for natural gas, we're not talking about a minor part of the nation's energy picture. This method of extraction accounts for about a third of the U.S. gas supply, up from 14 percent in 2009, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The EPA is in the process, now, of conducting an extensive study of fracking and its effect on drinking water, with plans to release an interim report next year and a final study in 2014. The EPA will do its own testing and review scientific studies to try to determine whether drinking water is affected by fracking, and, if so, what is causing it. Let's wait for the science before any more fracking is allowed.
Occupy Wall Street: So What?
Occupy Wall Street is a movement, seizing a moment, making the most of it and not letting go. Occupy Wall Street will not be going away. It has captured the imagination, framed the dialogue, provided passion and conviction for the people’s cause. And, the question is not what will Occupy Wall Street do next, not at all. It’s about what we do now. After all, channeling, and paraphrasing, Pogo, ‘Isn’t them, us?’
Burying the sins of the high and mighty: The Port of New York and New Jersey Authority "pads" its non-union payroll and who knows about it?
NY and NJ Port Authority Website View Curious. A toll collector, illegally pocketing $2,000, gets top billing on NJ.com. But, the Port of New York and New Jersey Authority, found to be providing some 650 non-union employees thousands in undisclosed...
Happy Birthday Rutgers!
On this day is 1766 a group of men gathered to sign a charter to form what would become Queens College. It’s now Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Happy 245th Birthday Rutgers!
Six days without power: Dart for JCP&L; unabashed laurel for its linemen
“No one should be in the dark and cold, day after day, with no clue when their misery will end." And, yet, the outages continue. Sure, Irene and the snow were unexpected disasters but were we as prepared as we could have been? The utility linemen do their best but they need the support of their companies to do their jobs, to do them quickly, safely and well. The public needs to have access to reliable information. The BPU needs to get on the case—now!
Listen to the 99 percent: What Occupy Wall Street is saying to the nation
Those who say protestors are malcontents or deluded hippies with no clear message, no agenda and no leadership are wrong. And they are missing the point.
Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders, strip-searches, and the United States Supreme Court
In early October, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Florence v. the Board of Chosen Freeholders and will decide whether the strip-search of Albert W. Florence, a New Jersey resident, was unconstitutional. In choosing to hear this case, the court brings attention to what, in some counties, are routine practices but, to five former attorneys general, are violations of New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution's prohibition against unreasonable searches. How the court decides Florence will have a significant impact on this state's (and other states') criminal justice practices.
When is a deal not a deal? British Airways and false (or at least misleading) promises
Some credit card "deals" are not what they seem to be......
Preferring Perry over Christie (on college tuition)
Texas Governor Rick Perry has it right. He defends his state’s policy of granting the children of undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates to attend public colleges and universities, providing they meet specific residency and graduation requirements. Christie openly disagrees, attacking Perry and Texas policy.
The pigs are partying: Sendak is back
Maurice Sendak, an American Master, is back with a new book, after thirty years, that celebrates the antics of an orphaned pig. Sendak's monsters give kids (and their parents) thrills and chills and, as they do, they make the world a bit better, simply by providing an escape from it.
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