Progressive Democrat Newsletter Issue 266

After last week's push to get green energy info on the states I cover to my readers, I am going back to a somewhat lazier approach of writing less and linking more. I'd rather do that than take too long of a break from blogging, but it has been harder to keep up with the newsletter these days. I am hoping things calm down and I can go back to writing more, but if nothing else I can keep highlighting good information, news and links for you all. Let me know if you like this format better or if you prefer I go back to writing more. One of the main things I have dropped for now is updating events sections for local areas since it was time consuming and I am not sure how many people were going to those events. Instead I have left the link to the websites where I found the events and am letting people click through to the source. Same with updating extensive news links in the local sections. Instead I am leaving the links to blogs and only highlighting a handful of key stories. Again, let me know what approach you like better.

Daily Kos had a recent article reviewing the basics of global warming that is worth a read. The time when this should be necessary is long past...and yet we still have global warming deniers with right wing agendas who make it necessary for people to write things like this: Intro to Basic Science of Global Warming

Give it a read...and if you want more, please read the following:

The Latest Scientific Position on Global Warming

National Academy of Sciences to Global Warming Deniers: "DELAY MUST NOT BE AN OPTION!"

And if you want pretty pictures graphing the actual data, please go here: Reviewing the Blatantly Obvious: A Reminder that Global Warming is all about Scientific Data

Turning to marriage equality, this week Argentina joined the nations who have shown themselves more enlightened and egalitarian than the United States when it approved same-sex marriages. Currently the nations that have legalized same-sex marriage are: Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Argentina. Meanwhile, the United States maintains a backward attitude towards homosexuality that is reminiscent of most of Africa and the Middle East. Personally, I don't see why the US is so reluctant to emulate the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Iceland! I should note, interestingly enough, these nations, all of which are capitalist democracies with generally strong economies, also have forms of socialized medicine that provide far better healthcare than we get in the US at a cheaper price. I do not get why American conservatives want America to be a backwards nation.

And here is President Obama slamming Republican Obstructionism:



Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Building of Renewable Energy Outstrips Fossil Fuel in 2009

Illegal Logging Declines since 2002

NYC Endorsement Roundup

New York Focus: Green Power Switch

Court slaps down BloomKlein on school closings...I cannot understand how Bloomberg thinks closing schools will solve any problems. All it will do is make the remaining schools even MORE over crowded. It makes as little sense as closing hospitals, which does nothing but overburden the surviving hospitals, driving them under.

Bloomberg broke his MTA promises...not surprising. Bloomberg is not known for keeping his promises to lowly citizens like us

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Manhattan, NY Focus

Bronx Focus: June 29 Democracy for New York Fundraiser/Meet and Greet for Charlie Ramos, jr. for State Senate:



Bronx, NY Focus

Suffolk County, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

New York 19th District Focus: Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

California Focus: Green Power Switch

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

California 11th District Focus: San Joaquin, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Texas Focus: The ad that got the Texas GOP in a Tizzy

Texas Focus: Green Power Switch

A stark comparison between Democrats and Repubs in Texas: Texas GOP and Democratic Platform Comparison

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Dallas County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

Texas 10th District Focus: Turn TX-10 Blue

Texas 21st District Focus: Turn TX-21 Blue

TEXAS FOCUS

Virginia Focus: Watch Congressman Tom Perriello's first campaign ad: "New Jobs"

Virginia Focus: Green Power Switch

VA-4: A Progressive Democrat for Southside Virginia:



Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA Foucus

Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania County, VA Focus

Hanover County, VA Focus

VIRGINIA FOCUS

Washington Conservation Voters Names Democrat Sharon Nelson (D-34) 2010 “Legislator of the Year”

Washington State Focus: State Supreme Court grants review of Goldmark v. McKenna

Washington State Focus: Green Power Switch

Lillian Kaufer endorsed by Democracy for Snohomish County for State Senate (D) 44th District

Progressive Candidates in Washington State

WASHINGTON STATE FOCUS

Minnesota Focus: Green Power Switch

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak Endorses Staunton for District 41A:



Progressive Candidates in Minnesota

MINNESOTA FOCUS

FLorida Focus: Alex Sink in Dead Heat for Florida Gov

Florida Focus: April Griffin for Hillsborough County School Board District 6

Florida Focus: Green Power Switch

Broward County, FL Focus

Orange County, FL Focus

Pinellas County, FL Focus

FLORIDA FOCUS

Pennsylvania Republican Tom Corbett: Cruel Republican Distortion About The Unemployed...Jeez, you'd think after Republican policies under Bush CREATED this damned recession Republicans would at least show some sympathy. But I guess they just hate working class and middle class Americans.

Pennsylvania Focus: Green Power Switch

Progressive Candidates in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Focus: Lois Herr for Congress

Lancaster Co. PA Focus

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

New Jersey Focus: Green Power Switch

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Green Power Switch

Here's something that we need: The Good Jobs Chicago Coalition...and here is video of the Good Jobs Chicago Coalition taking on Wal-Mart:



ILLINOIS FOCUS

Michigan Focus: Green Power Switch

Another Right Wing Lie Disproven: Noncitizen Voting is Nonexistent, Say Michigan Election Officials...this one was pretty obviously not true. It is astonishing how many right wing extremists believe it.

Progressive Candidates in Michigan

MICHIGAN FOCUS

Wisconsin Focus: Democrat Russ Feingold Just Says "NO" to Oil Drilling in the Great Lakes

Wisconsin Focus: Green Power Switch

FAIR Wisconsin 2010 Endorsements

WISCONSIN FOCUS

Colorado Republicans run into some problems: Plagiarism scandal hits GOP's McInnis. After that scandal hit: CO-Gov: Colorado GOP looking for a replacement?

Colorado Focus: Green Power Switch

Crisanta Duran, Democrat for State Representative in House District 5 in Denver, Colorado:



Progressive Candidates in Colorado

Boulder County, CO Focus

Larimer County, CO Focus

Douglas County, CO Focus

COLORADO FOCUS

Georgia Focus: Green Power Switch

Atlanta, GA Focus

Fayette County, GA Focus

Coweta County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Arizona policeman challenges new state immigration law

Synopsis of the DOJ's Arguments in United States v. Arizona Hotlist

Arizona Focus: Green Power Switch

Arizona Focus: Despite what Conservatives say, Immigrants lower crime rates...this removes one major conservative talking point...and it seems to come from a conservative source!

Progressive Candidates in Arizona

ARIZONA FOCUS

North Carolina Focus: Green Power Switch

North Carolina Focus: NC-5 District Focus (Stokes County, Statesville, Surrey County, Iredell County, Watauga County, Yadkin County)

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

I don't currently have a horse in the Dem primary here, but this is a race to watch: KS Politician With a Snowball's Chance in Hell of Winning (KS-4)

KANSAS FOCUS

Nevada Focus: Green Power Switch

Elliot Anderson for Nevada Assembly

NEVADA FOCUS

This is an important race: IA-05: Steve King has got to go...and I'm the guy to beat him!...Steve King is one of the most vile racist Republicans around and getting rid of him should be a top priority.

Iowa Focus: Green Power Switch

Tell Republican Chuck Grassley to support Iowans -- not his big business donors!

IOWA FOCUS

Tennessee Focus: Green Power Switch

TENNESSEE FOCUS