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Ian Wilder: ianwilder7@gmail.com<
You can also find us at:
facebook.com/iswilder
twitter.com/wilderside
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire: The Ultimate Fan Guide [Kindle] $0.99.
I
Georgiana is the subject of the movie "The Duchess" (currently on Netflix) and a relative of the young Prince and Princess of Cambridge. Get the Ultimate Fan Guide -- with plot points, history, and what happened to the historical characters -- for only 99 cents!
Green Party Peace Sign Bumper Sticker
The Green Party has continually opposed entry into war and has consistently called for the immediate return of our troops, in stark contrast to the Democratic and Republican parties.
Today we march, tomorrow we vote Green Party.
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Reflections on Occupy Wall Street, with photos, fun, and good wishes for the future. eBook, Occupy Wall Street: What Just Happened? (Only $.99 !) In the eBook, the Occupy movement is explored through original reporting, photographs, cartoons, poetry, essays, and reviews.The collection of essays and blog posts records the unfolding of Occupy into the culture from September 2011 to the present. Authors Kimberly Wilder and Ian Wilder were early supporters of Occupy, using their internet platforms to communicate the changes being created by the American Autumn.
The eBook is currently available on Amazon for Kindle; Barnes & Noble Nook ; Smashwords independent eBook seller; and a Kobo for 99 cents and anyone can read it using their Kindle/Nook Reader, smart phone, or computer.
Brian Sendrowitz http://www/beatradio.org played his new song “Hard Times for Dreamers” at the fundraiser for The Cup in Wantagh, NY. Videotaped by http://www.onthewilderside.net
Filed under: Art, local, long island, Long Island Music, music, original music, video | Tagged: beat radio, Brian Sendrowitz, hard times for dreamers, long island, Nassau County, new york, original music, the cup, wantagh | 1 Comment »
Asa Gordon
The BLACK CAUCUS OF THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES (GPBC) in a letter of protest to Attorney General, Eric Holder registered their strong objection that in this case of controversy an Assistant United States Attorney in the Department of Justice in argument before the Appellate Court has invoked odious Redemptionist-era rulings of the Supreme Court that reestablished white supremacy and overturned Reconstruction.
A position that denigrates the memory of that provision of the constitution that gave full expression to the founding principle of our nation for which that “band of brothers” of European and African descent “gave the last full measure of devotion” in the United States Civil War.
Black Caucus officials in their letter to Attorney General Eric Holder state:
This is an unconscionable position to be taken by the Department of Justice under the leadership of an Attorney General of the United States of African descent serving in the Administration of the first President of the United States of African descent.
Asa Gordon‘s Oral Argument on Democratizing the Electoral College, a major voting rights civil action endorsed by the Green Party Black Caucus in 2004, has been scheduled for oral argument in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (No. 09-5142) on Thursday, January 14, 2010. [Updated on 1/13/10: Oral arguments have been canceled. Asa Gordon thanked supporters and noted that the court will rule on documents only.] Read more »
Filed under: 3rd party, Ballot issues, election, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party | Tagged: civil rights, Green Party Black Caucus | 1 Comment »
Carl Romanelli
from Green Party Watch
Seven plead guilty in Pennsylvania corruption case
January 8th, 2010 by Gregg Jocoy
Back in 2006 Carl Romanelli sought to run as a Green Party candidate for US Senate in Pennsylvania. His ballot access petitions were challenged. He was tossed off the ballot. Later he was charged the costs of the challenger’s expenses. Pennsylvania is the only state to do this. It’s important to understand that that Romanelli was not fined, as he did nothing illegal.
Later it was revealed that some of the challenges were undertaken by state employees working on the taxpayer dollar on behalf of the Democratic nominee. Yesterday seven people pleaded guilty in this case. The story was reported at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The article includes this:
“Observers in the courtroom included Carl Romanelli, who ran in 2006 as a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate. Some of the charges in the Bonusgate case revolve around allegations that Democratic staffers worked on state time to challenge signatures on his election petitions in an attempt to knock him off the ballot and secure more votes for Democrat Bob Casey.
Yesterday’s guilty pleas were good news for third-party candidates who have a hard enough time running against majority parties when everyone plays by the rules, Mr. Romanelli said.”
Filed under: 3rd party, Ballot issues, elections, green, Green Party, News, progressive politics, third party, US Politics | Leave a Comment »
Gregg Joccoy is a green colleague who is part of the blog team at Green Party Watch. He posted a detailed post with his first hand observations of a ballot access case in South Carolina. It’s worth clicking over to his story! -KW
Personal observations of a supreme court hearing
January 8th, 2010 by Gregg Jocoy
Wednesday I attended a hearing by the South Carolina Supreme Court. The case was Tempel v Platt. George Temple, chair of the Charleston Democratic Party sued to keep Eugene Platt, the Green Party nominee for SC House District 115, off the November ballot. Platt had been nominated by the SC Green Party before the Democratic Party held it’s primary. Platt opted to run in the Democratic primary. While he won the SCGP nomination, he lost the Democratic primary…
Filed under: 3rd party, Ballot issues, Green Party, News, politics, third party, US Politics | Tagged: Eugene Platt, Green Party, Gregg Joccoy, South Carolina | Leave a Comment »
Meltdown, USA: Nuclear Drive Trumps Safety Risks and High Cost The pro-nuclear Department of Energy is set to offer this month the first of nearly $20 billion in loan guarantees to a nuclear industry that hasn’t built a plant since the 1970s or raised any money to do so in years. But although the industry is seeking to cash in on global warming concerns with $100 billion in proposed loan guarantees, environmentalists, scientists and federal investigators are warning that lax oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the nation’s aging 104 nuclear plants has led to near-meltdowns along with other health and safety failings since Three Mile Island – including what some critics say is a flawed federal health study apparently designed to conceal cancer risks near nuclear plants.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, News, politics, US Politics | Tagged: anti-nuclear, nuclear power | Leave a Comment »
In his speech Gov. Paterson named fiscal reform, ethics reform, and political reform as the most pressing problems facing New Yorkers in 2010. Unfortunately, his prescription for solving these problems is mostly unimaginative and will do very little to help the millions of New Yorkers suffering from unemployment, decaying infrastructure, lack of health care, environmental degradation, and an unresponsive and corrupt political process at the legislature. The Green Party instead offers a platform of real ethics, economic, and political reform to address the fundamental problems facing New York.
David Doonan
David Doonan, mayor of Greenwich, NY:
New York faces many of these crises due to the broken processes of its Legislature. From the pay-to-play politics endemic between lobbyists, special interest groups, and legislators, nearly guaranteed re-election of incumbents, to the power of Senate and Assembly leaders, the legislature makes a mockery of the term representative democracy. Gov. Paterson acknowledged this and we hope the Legislature follows through with his call for an immediate overhaul of campaign finance, term limits, and an ethics commission with teeth, but we remain skeptical. New Yorkers need immediate reform:
- completely banning outside sources of income for legislators,
- public financing of elections,
- proportional representation to allow new voices and choices and break up the corporate one-party monopoly, and
- strengthening of debate and discussion in committees and on the floor of the legislature so that rank-and-file legislators have real power independent of the leadership. Read more »
Filed under: 3rd party, activism, campaign finance reform, Ecology, Election 2010, energy, Environment, Green Party, health care, Healthcare, New York State Politics | Leave a Comment »
Ralph Nader
Green Party of Connecticut officials announced today that they are still pushing for Ralph Nader to enter the U.S. Senate race, despite the announcement of Senator Dodd’s retirement. Tim McKee, a Green Party spokesperson said
Thousands of people are asking Nader to run and are willing to commit to money and volunteer time if Nader seeks the Green Party nomination. On social networking sites, such Facebook and MySpace, over 2 thousand people are asking Nader to run for the Senate in just a few weeks. This is still a national race with people from all across the country saying they want to get involved.
Steve Fournier, State Co-Chair said
With Dodd out, nothing really changes. Where does a Richard Blumenthal stand on Green Party issues such Single Payer Health Care? Ending the Wars? Removing the influence of big money in politics? Only Nader and the Greens are answering those questions, not the Democrat machine.
Mike DeRosa, State Co-Chair said
Blumenthal is still in Federal Court trying to defend the state’s unconstitutional Campaign Finance Reform and would not debate the Republican and Green Party candidates for Attorney General in the last election. His stances on election reform and other issues are very weak.
McKee added
This election was never about Dodd and his corruption or the national machine of the Democrats funding Blumenthal now. Drafting Nader is a grass roots effort by thousands of people who are sick of slick party bosses. We are stepping up our efforts to get Nader to run, raise 3-5 million dollars and win the race. Local meetings for the Nader campaign will be announced next week.
Filed under: activism, Anti-War, election, Election 2010, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party, Press Release, Ralph Nader | 1 Comment »
Stacy Szymaszek
from the Poetry Project Blog
I began the week leading up to the 36th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Reading feeling nonchalant and feeling worried about how nonchalant I felt, but after we got through the first few organizational hiccups I realized the uncomfortable feeling was that of confidence. I knew this year was going to be extraordinary and indeed it was. The performances were electric (Miguel Gutierrez’s dance harnessed the off-the wall energy of the day) and the community response was enormous. I have never seen the Sanctuary so thronged with people. As the great poet Sparrow wrote to us the next day, “The new was new, and so was everything else”. And, wow, we raised over $18,000 this year, which is about $5,000 more than the customary amount. These funds, as you know, allow us to pay the rent, continue our programming and plan for the Project’s future. Thank you for every dollar you spent on admission, food, books or Membership that day.
I made some opening remarks that invoked words written by Allen Ginsberg in his introduction to Out of This World about St. Mark’s being a culture church and a place where many people have been coming for decades to tap into the great accumulation of granny wisdom about poetry, familiarity and gossip. Ah, the true meaning of New Year’s Day! We hope that 2010 holds much promise for each of us and for the state of the world. We appreciate your devotion to our celebration and thank you, again, for being part of the Poetry Project.
Yours,
Stacy Szymaszek
Corrine Fitzpatrick
FROM THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
In the five years I have been working in the office, I have never met a marathon quite like Number 36. By 3pm we had over 300 people come through the door. The official head count of 1,250 exceeds recent memory, as does the profit… over $18 grand!
Needless to say, the marathon was and never is possible without the generosity of time and spirit given to the Poetry Project by you, our community-at-large. To the 150 “acts”, 80+ volunteers, dozens of food and book donors and to the attentive and lasting crowd of hundreds, we say thank you! We love you! High-five! Big hug!
Filed under: Art, events, poetry | Leave a Comment »
Patti Smith reading at the 2010 Poetry Project Annual New Year’s Day Poetry Marathon. The event is to raise money for this vibrant arts community and venue. More info: here. Video and description from Youtube user Clairedelune:
Filed under: music, News, poetry, video | Tagged: Andrei Tarkovsky, film, Movies, new years day, NYC poetry, patti smith, Poetry Project, Russian films, St. Marks, Tarkovsky | 1 Comment »
Ralph Nader
by Ralph Nader
Those long-hoping, long-enduring members of the liberal intelligentsia are starting to break away from the least-worst mindset that muted their criticisms of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign.
They still believe that the President is far better than his Republican counterpart would have been. Some still believe that sometime, somewhere, Obama will show his liberal stripes. But they no longer believe they should stay loyally silent in the face of the escalating war in Afghanistan, the near collapse of key provisions in the health insurance legislation, the likely anemic financial regulation bill, or the obeisance to the bailed out Wall Street gamblers. Remember this Administration more easily embraces bonuses for fat cats than adequate investment in public jobs.
Of all the loyalists, among the first to stray was Bob Herbert, columnist for The New York Times. He wondered about his friends telling him that Obama treats their causes and them “as if they have nowhere to go.” Then there was the stalwart Obamaist, the brainy Gary Wills, who broke with Obama over Afghanistan in a stern essay of admonition.
Filed under: 3rd party, activism, afghanistan, Anti-War, campaign 2008, election, Election 2008, elections, health care, Healthcare, international politics, Iraq, News | Tagged: barak obama, Bob Herbert, Gary Wills, intelligentsia, liberal, Ralph Nader, The New York Times | Leave a Comment »
Tom Suozzi hedges his bets: AG or Congressman?Suozzi said that he would not rule out politics, but that it would be the state or federal next time. Suozzi sits on his million-dollar bank account the beginning of this year to see what move AG Andrew Cuomo makes.
If Cuomo seeks to primary David Paterson for Governor, then Suozzi files to run for the the attorney general seat. He re-activates the state-wide contacts that he built in his seemingly-quixotic run against Spitzer. (Newsday’s Joye Brown has predicted that this is Nassau DA Kathleen Rice‘s strategy also. An all-Nassau primary for AG? Not likely.)
Suozzi runs on an anti-corruption theme tying together his past activities. His campaign echoes the successful anti-corruption themes of Democratic AG’s Eliot Spitzer and Cuomo. Yet, Suozzi subtly reminds Democrats that if they had chose him in the 2006 gubernatorial primary, they would not have suffered the embarrassment of Spitzer’s resignation. He ties in his campaign against small taxing districts as a breeding ground for corruption. Finally, Suozzi spins his term as Nassau County Executive as a successful fight against the entrenched corruption of decades of Republican rule in Nassau County.
Would he get Cuomo and Suozzi’s endorsement? Cuomo would have to see the rest of the Democratic field before making an endorsement. As Suozzi would be the 3rd down-stater with an Italian surname (after incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli), he doesn’t bring much to the table for Cuomo. Spitzer is unpredictable. He made Suozzi his surrogate speaker for a while after winning the governorship. With his commentating spots in the media, Spitzer is looking to get back into the game. Would a Spitzer endorsement be a positive thing, is a polling question?
But what happens if Cuomo stays in the AG race? I don’t see even Suozzi trying to primary a sitting Governor from the position of having lost his County Executive race. All the other statewide seats seem to be held by strong Democratic incumbents that it would not make sense to primary.
So a federal or state race would mean that Suozzi would have to look more local. Rep. Peter King is the biggest target on LI. As a Glen Cove resident, Suozzi should already be in King’s district. Suozzi would paint King’s hard right posturing as out of touch with his district which supports more centrist rhetoric. This would be the most well-known and well-funded opponent that King has been challenged by.
Suozzi will have to master the art of supporting Obama’s right-leaning policies that are cloaked in the language of the left. Again, he will have to draw upon his experience of the right-leaning policy of opposing local taxing district while keeping his leftist credentials. But he would do well not to raise this issue in a race as local as Congressman. Taxing districts constituencies such as volunteer firefighters and teachers sway a lot of votes locally. Suozzi would do well to examine their part in his County Executive loss, and mend those fences in a Congressional run. Which would be the exact opposite strategy of a statewide race.
Filed under: democrat, democratic primary, election, Election 2010, elections, Eliot Spitzer, Governor Paterson, local, long island, Long Island Politics, New York State Politics, News, politics, rants | Tagged: andrew cuomo, congress, David Paterson, Eliot Spitzer, Glen Cove, ian wilder, Kathaleen Rice, long island, Nassau County, NY Governor, Peter King, predictions, primary, Tom DiNapoli, Tom Suozzi | Leave a Comment »
From the Poetry Project’s Annual, New Year’s Day Poetry Marathon at St. Marks Church in NYC. January 1, 2010. (Donations still accepted to support this important arts organization in difficult economic times. Go to their website at: http://www.poetryproject.org ) The Acoustic Boogaloos perform “The Crush Song”. Concept by David Kirschenbaum of Boog Literature. Music by jesse schoen. The Acoustic Boogalos are: On guitar – jesse schoen. Poetry and vocals by David Kirschenbaum; Ian Wilder and Kimberly Wilder. Thanks to poet and friend Nathaniel Siegel for using our camera to videotape! Video Editor: Kimberly Wilder. More good stuff – http://welcometoboogcity.com and http://ilovepepl.com and http://onthewilderside.com. The Crush Song celebrates our personal crushes on: Dorothy Hamill, Farrah Fawcett and Shaun Cassidy.
Other videos from the day can be found at
Filed under: events, local, long island, music, original music, poetry, video | Tagged: Boog Literature, Comedy, david kirschenbaum, Dorothy Hamill, Farrah Fawcett, Flute, guitar, humor, ian wilder, Jesse Schoen, kimberly wilder, modern classical, new years day, NYC, NYC poetry, philip glass, piano, poetry marathon, Poetry Project, Shaun Cassidy, St. Marks | Leave a Comment »
