The Rising Tide Conference will be a gathering for all who wish to learn more and do more to assist New Orleans' recovery from the aftermath of the natural disasters of both Hurricane Katrina and Rita, the manmade disaster of the levee and floodwall collapses, and the incompetence of government on all levels.
I am planning on using this site to send updates on the Rising Tide conference of New Orleans bloggers discussing blogging and the Federal Flood formerly known as Hurricane Katrina. Since my laptop is off-line, I'm going to send notes here from my crackberry pager during the day.
I will probably share the address with some fellow bloggers at the conference, so not all comments are mine. Please keep that in mind.
Katrina NOLA New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Think New Orleans Louisiana FEMA levees flooding Corps of Engineers We Are Not OK wetlands news rebirth Debrisville Federal Flood 8-29 Rising Tide
The Rising Tide Conference is an annual gathering for all who wish to learn more and do more to assist New Orleans' recovery. Leveraging the power of bloggers and new media, the conference is a launch pad for organization and action. Our day-long program of speakers and presentations is tailored to inform, entertain, enrage and inspire.
That is why I decided to check out the Progresive party. This was not easy for someone who was raised as a Democrat.
ReplyDeleteI know the Progressives would welcome you with open arms.
Sometimes people ask me, "How could you turn your back on your Democratic roots?" It's a good question.
I have nothing against Democrats. As you now know, I used to be one. Most Democrats are good, hard-working, well-intentioned people. In many cases, including in mine and my wife's, it has been a family tradition to vote for Democrats. Our parents and grandparents voted for Democrats for reasons that were good and noble ... in the past.
THE CURRENT wave of favoritism and corruption is not due to something being wrong with people like us raised as Democrats, but to one group and one party's having had absolute control for too many years.
Too many officials and city appointees did not have to work hard to get where they are now. They consider public service their right, not a privilege. Without the checks and balances of another point of view, they have become arrogant, self-serving and corrupt.
Single-party rule is now just a big problem here. We need to think about reviewing laws and policies to ensure that local whistle-blowers are fully protected and that potential corruption is identified early. Let's provide anonymous counsel to those unsure if superiors are asking them to bend the law. And lets eliminate any loophole that inadvertently protects wrongdoers.
History teaches that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The current abuse of power in Somerville is not random. It is the predictable result of one-party or gourp domination. We need competition in the political arena, and we need it now.
MY WIFE'S grandfather was a member of the a Regimental Combat Team and lifelong member of a local Union.
Now, her grandmother is embarrassed by government corruption. She cannot understand how the behavior of so many public officials -- all Democrats -- can be so at odds with her beliefs and core values, which she always assumed were those of a Democrat.
You don't have to be a member of any particular political party to want honesty in government, a stronger economy, better schools, a green line and a healthy environment. These are everybody's goals.
Republicans, Porgressives, and Democrats may differ over how best to reach them, but we all want the best for New Orleans.