When the dust settles from the Election whirlwind...

Remember we still have many people hurting and in need from Hurricane Sandy.....don't turn your back on them, but run to them with your help.

Dear Friend, Although we have all seen extensive media coverage of Hurricane Sandy, I believe that the devastation is too massive to be conveyed through these usual sources of information.  As happened after Hurricane Katrina, there are many in the region who feel forgotten and abandoned. For that reason, we are determined to make sure that for a small number of victims, HCZ will be a clear sign that they have not been forgotten. This weekend, we were joined by Stan Druckenmiller and his wife, Fiona, and we saw destruction as far as the eye could see. Residents are without power and without a way to get the most-basic necessities. We now have a team of our full-time staff who are volunteering in the Rockaways, delivering supplies and assisting the residents there, particularly in the large public-housing buildings. Thanks to the generosity of a few donors, the HCZ staff has been able to distribute blankets, water, food and flashlights. These trips also have a symbolic purpose. We want our presence to be a reminder to the residents there that they have not been forgotten by this great city.  This is not a fundraising appeal – nor a request for volunteers. This is dangerous work, particularly because of the elevated possibility of crime due to the chaos and desperation there.  That said, I feel we are an organization that is one of the best suited to tackle the job.  I am writing to keep you updated about our work and to let you know that you are part of a team that is actively making a difference in the wake of this unprecedented disaster in the region. Thanks for your continued support and I hope that the storm has left you and your loved ones safe and warm. Sincerely, Geoff

"You People" - Remember your power on Election Day

"Common People" - PULP

Just sitting here musing on this and that and thinking about the upcoming election and what it really means to America. At least this is how I view things. America's middle class has been shrinking and that is not good, you see the middle class - common people are the backbone of this country and without a strong backbone the country will collapse.

In the past several years we have watched the rich Wall Street types run amok, un-tethered and un-punished for their misdeeds and yes for their greed. And now the Republican candidate for president rubs our nose in it by telling us that corporations are people too. And the really funny thing is that the United States Supreme Court agrees. Remember that ruling they made that overturned a Montana law that prohibited corporate spending in that state's election? A Citizen United deja vu moment all over again, the court reaffirming that corporations are people - at least as far as the First Amendment is concerned.

Hmm, maybe people but not human beings, right? Isn't it the human quality that we cherish, that warm, feeling, alive person that bleeds when cut, cries when hurt and reaches out a hand to help someone who has fallen.

And it really does frighten me to think that a person with Romney's beliefs might end up president of these United States. Because he doesn't really see the hurting people in this poor economy, he sees a different people, the corporations that need more tax breaks to survive and he sees those really rich people that run those corporations as needy as well.

Larry Womack wrote a really good article last August that appeared on The Huffington Post blog, you can read it here. In that article he wrote something I want to quote here because it is exactly how I feel on this subject:

"Real poverty is not knowing where your children's next meal is coming from. It's not being able to put shoes on their feet or take them to the doctor. It's living in constant fear of losing your job or getting sick. It's not having a car to take you to that job. It's wondering if you'll still have a hometwo months from now. It's hunger. It's cold. And, above all, it is fear. "

We have a lot of work cut out for us in this nation and turning our backs on the poor, the uneducated and the sick is not the place to start. I want a person at the helm who has at least some idea of what it is like to be one of "you people", who had to work hard to get to the top and knows that it can be done and knows that there are people who need help, hand-ups not hand-outs.

I will vote for President Obama this November, because between the two men he is the clear choice for me and what I believe. Because I want the weakest among us to be strong and if help is needed to achieve that goal that's OK with me. Because a healthier people, an educated people and a less-poor people does nothing but make this nation stronger.

Have You Heard This...?

Perhaps you missed this on your nightly news, I know I did. Guess what? The Nuclear Renaissance is back, or so says an industry panel. Jack Grobe, new executive director of Exelon Nuclear Partners says "the future of nuclear power is looking pretty good."

In addition the Nuclear Energy Institute did a survey and found that 82% of Americans believe that the U.S. should continue to develop nuclear energy to meet growing electricity demands, about the same percentage support the idea of renewing operating plant licenses and in the 80% ballpark they also believe nuclear energy is important to the nation's future energy needs.

You could knock me over with a feather when they reported that 74% surveyed believe the nuclear power plants operating in the U.S. are safe and secure. After the Fukushima accident (I would use the word disaster) they report that public support had dropped to 46%.

That was eighteen months ago and what has changed to make public support rise so dramatically? Time and distance would be my guess, certainly not any hard and true facts regarding nuclear energy. Oh, that and the fact  the nuclear energy industry is desperate to get its hands on some taxpayer money to underwrite their new SMR (small modular reactor) project in Missouri. So when the nuclear energy industry speaks to the public it is always in very glowing terms about their product, after all what could be more exciting than a Renaissance - a Nuclear Renaissance at that.

Here are a few items to consider before you don your garb and head on off to the Renaissance Faire:

• Things in and around Fukushima are still very bleak. 
• The NRC has put a hold on the re-licensing and licensing of nuclear plants until further discussion on the permanent storage of spent fuel.
• The state of the San Onofre nuclear plant in California is still in limbo, nuclear fuel is being transferred from the reactors to storage tanks.
• Massachusetts congressmen,  John Tierney and Edward Markey are proposing a Nuclear Reactor and Safety First Act, that would provide greater certainty over safety of older nuclear plants.

I grow weary sometimes here in this country where we allow big money to push us around. And I grow weary of the  apathetic Americans that care more about who referees their Monday night football than they do about the future of the planet. I guess what it really boils down to is "priorities". I mean after all you got this big-screen TV, high-def and all and you can clearly see for yourself when a bad call is made. And then remember you need reliable power to run that sucker don't you? To power the TV and the big fridge that cools your beer.

So I get it, I really do. But cut me some slack if I pass on supporting this renaissance they talk about, I just can't buy what the nuclear energy industry is trying to sell me. And maybe one of these days when they get time the other 80% of Americans will agree.