My Personal Blog - SeanandRuth.us

You can find my personal blog covering non-political topics at http://seanandruth.us

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

St. Louis City = "Beta City" for STAR Community Index software platform

I'm starting to connect the dots from this SLU Press Release - Oct. 22, 2011 to the regional meetings being held for the last year to the plan developed at the United Nations called "Agenda 21." Until this release, I had not found the "International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives" (ICLEI) mentioned; but now it's clear that these regional meetings are part of Agenda 21 because the "data portal" is being mentioned at these regional meetings (see notes from Pevely, MO meeting).

With our deficit growing by billions of dollars every day, why are HUD, DOT and the EPA spending money the nation does not have, on programs that our nation does not need, that will impose government-mandated restrictions on property and behavior that most people do not want?

Press Release:

SLU's Center for Sustainability Partners with City of St. Louis
STAR partnership announcment
From left, Catherine Werner, sustainability director for the City of St. Louis, John Sondag, president of ATT Missouri, Tim Keane, executive director of the Center for Sustainability, Mayor Francis Slay and Paul Dickinson, executive chairman of the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced a research project to test a new sustainability software platform designed to help the city develop a comprehensive sustainability plan. Submitted photo
Thanks in large part to support from the Center for Sustainability at Saint Louis University, the City of St. Louis was chosen as one of only ten cities nationally to participate in the development of the STAR Community Index software platform, a tool that local governments across the globe will use to help create the sustainable cities of the future.

The developing organization, ICLEI, was founded in 1990 as the "International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives" at the United Nations' first "World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future." Since then, ICLEI has grown to represent more than 1,200 local governments across 70 countries in sustainable development initiatives like the creation of the STAR Community Index software.

The city's participation in the STAR Community Index project is being supported by the Center for Sustainability at SLU with seed funding, as well as hands-on research through the "REAL Partners" program, an initiative that provides research support from the Center's graduate students. The STAR Community Index software will help the city's sustainability efforts through the measuring and tracking of local sustainability assets and barriers, with the goal of integrating the data into a long-term sustainable development plan for the region.

According to Tim Keane, Ph.D., executive director the Center, this initiative fits perfectly with their mission and strategic objectives.

"The Center for Sustainability is seeking collaborations with sustainability thought leaders, both inside SLU and externally, that recognize we are a society in crisis. Tools like the STAR Community Index help quantify the urgency, and support actions to replenish, not deplete, our ecosystem resources," Keane said.

As part of the initiative, the City of St. Louis released the results of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory back to 2005 as a baseline to benchmark progress in reducing its carbon footprint and show how the city is utilizing technology to minimize its impact on the environment.
"It is important that we know our impact on the environment so we can measure our progress, focus where we can make the most improvement, and know which initiatives are working and which are not," said Mayor Francis Slay.

The Center for Sustainability offers a master of sustainability degree and supports inter-disciplinary research that has the potential to solve sustainability-related issues in society.
For more information about the Center's degree options or research collaboration opportunities, please visit sustainability.slu.edu or call 314-977-3608.
The Center for Sustainability was launched through the generous support of its founding donor, the Alberici Foundation.

Monday, February 25, 2013

(AGENDA 21) SLU Hosts: How to Make America's Urban Core Sustainable in the Twenty-first Century

I'm always wearied by conspiracy theorists that mistake of believing a "master plan" is behind the natural results of progressive ideas. Yet it's important for liberty-loving individuals to start following how there are a lot of people working to get "sustainable development" (Agenda 21) implemented in our area --and they are trying to get funding through Prop P on the April ballot. 

First off, I got a tip about a "Regional Sustainable Communities" meeting at Pevely City Hall last week from a concerned citizen who later attended the meeting, which are sponsored by the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD). You can read his report here. One of his observations included how a data portal is being developed that will hold all information as the Sustainable Development process unfolds and it will be hosted by St. Louis University.

Turns out, this Friday there will be a a free and open to the public Saint Louis University Public Law Review Symposium called on Saving the Cities: How to Make America's Urban Core Sustainable in the Twenty-first Century. Will the data portal be mentioned??

Friday, March 1, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Saint Louis University School of Law
William H. Kniep Courtroom
Register      Presenters       Schedule

It would be great for concerned citizens to attend this symposium to learn more. I've also heard there will be another "Regional Sustainable Communities" meeting is scheduled for March 7, 2013 at the Madison Fire Station (Illinois) starting at 6:30 p.m. Updated Meeting Flyer.

What is concerning, however, is that the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD) is suppose to be "funded through a partnership among the federal agencies of HUD, DOT and EPA." But I question that. I googled "Great Rivers Greenway," which is getting a percentage of the taxes raised through Prop. P, and I found the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development meetings listed on the Great Rivers Greenway website.

RPSD and Great Rivers Greenway are part of a partnership. This is all connected. 

If you are interested in being part of team of concerned citizens tracking what all of this is about. Contact me.

Report from Sustainable Development Meeting - Feb. 19 in Pevely, MO



These are notes submitted by a concerned citizen regarding a "Regional Sustainable Communities" meeting at Pevely City Hall last week. The meeting was part of a series of meetings sponsored by the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD) to get citizen feedback on "sustainable development" plans.
Meeting was run by members of East/West Gateway. There were around 7 of there members present. Mark Fogol (MC), Marielle Brown (Our table leader), and Kevin Triggs (note taker at our table).

There were 18 at-large attendees from Pevely, Festus, Herculaneum, and Crystal City. Also included in this number were 2 ladies (Lisa & Teresa) from St. Louis County area.

There have been 2 previous meetings on this topic at different locations and a 4th meeting will be held in 2 weeks on Tuesday night in Madison, IL. [was rescheduled for Thur., March 7, 2013 at the Madison Fire Station at 6:30 p.m.)

The team of 7, especially Mark Fogol, has given over 30 of these types of informational meetings all across the St. Louis area in the last few months.

Some of the locations were; Wentzville and Lake St. Louis, Ferguson and evirons, and east metro area.

A data portal is being developed that will hold all information as the Sustainable Development process unfolds and it will be hosted by St. Louis University.

After the last meeting (#4) drafting of the plan will begin and laid out by June of 2013. Then there will be some Sustainable Development workshops then presented during the rest of the summer and early Fall to local city and town officials to look at and talk about.

Happy Welch was present at our table and he is the Pevely Commissioner hired.

East / West Gateway hold the purse strings of money (from HUD & EPA) that will finance this endeavor. They said that they are not pushing any agenda and the choices will be made by local authority, board of alderman, or commissioner of each of the 4 towns being targeted; Festus, Crystal City, Pevely, and Herculaneum.

I would think that during the next 3-4 months a campaign to inform these local leaders about Agenda 21 would be paramount, otherwise the local leaders will be glad to take the funds from the 2 federal agencies and sign on and what the future would hold would not be good.

At our table during the discussion period that brought up the fact that she was aware that this process is from Agenda 21, ICLEI, and the United Nations. It was denied....There was a couple at the table that got up and left after the Agenda 21 discussion. They were stopped by some team members and talked with in more of a private session at the rear of the room.
Please contact me if you want to be part of team of concerned citizens learning more about "sustainable development" (Agenda 21) plans being developed for our area. 



Get to know Candidates on April Ballot - Chesterfield Township

Candidates for the April election will speak Thursday, February 28, at 7 p.m. at St. Louis County Community College at 2645 Generations Drive in Wildwood.  Room 225.

 Already confirmed are former State Senator Jane Cunningham for Monarch Fire Board, Jeff Morrell for Rockwood School District, Matt Segal for Chesterfield mayor, Bob Nation for Chesterfield mayor, and Marc Perez for Wildwood Ward 3.  Others are expected to be present and speak. We know these local positions are critical in our fight to defend our liberties.  This is our chance to really get to know the people stepping forward to be our leaders.
 

 
 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Senate Hearing on Right to Work: Make your voice hear in Jefferson City; Fill Out Hearing Form

The right to either join a union or refrain from joining a union is a basic freedom.  SB 76 and SB 134 defend that freedom.  Hearing is Tuesday, Feb. 126th. (My first post was concerning the House committee hearings. This is a different witness form.)
 
Please attend the hearing or fill out a witness form now.
Missouri First Home

Last week the hearing for HB 77 was held in the Missouri House of Representatives. This week two companion bills will receive public hearings on the other side of the Capitol.
It's always best if you can attend the hearings and visit with legislators in person, but if you can't make it, please click on the links, below, to fill out an online witness form. Not only will we deliver your printed witness form, but we will also email a link to our new Constituent's Voice page to each committee member.
The comments you fill out in the testimony section of the witness form will be displayed in an easy to access table.  If you checked the boxes to give approval, your phone number and email will be displayed with your comments, so the senator or rep can contact you.

Your help is needed!
Please either attend this hearing or, if you can't make it, fill out an online witness form which will be presented with hundreds of others at the hearing.  Include your own comments on the form.
Witness Form Links for SB 76 & SB 134 (Right to Work in Missouri)

Generic Witness Form: Click for Witness Form

Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee --  Scott Rupp, 2nd, Chairman
Date:  Tuesday, Feb 12
Time:  1:00 p.m.
Room:  SCR 1 (First floor of Missouri Capitol)
Please fill this form out now and pass this email on to as many friends as you can!
For Liberty,
Ron Calzone



More links:

Did you know that the Missouri has "Right to Work" in the state Constitution?
That's right, Article I, Section 29  says, "That employees shall have the right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing."

Learn More About The Bills:
SB 76 (Dan Brown) and SB 134 (David Sater) Establishes Right to Work in Missouri, thus codifying Art. I Sec. 29 in the statutes. Protects freedom of association.

Missouri First Principled Policy paper on right to work:
This policy paper tells the history of the Wagner Act, particularly wily FDR's use of the "Court Packing Plan" to coerce the Supreme Court into accepting this unconstitutional federal edict.
It also provides a principled answer to legitimate liberty-based concerns about Right to Work.

More Interesting Resources
Historian Tom Woods:
Forgotten Facts of American Labor History
Labor Law Timeline:
Brief History of American Labor Law

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

(video) Army admits standards will be lowered to help women "succeed"

Phyllis Schlafly wrote a great column on "Panetta's Cowardly Decision" in which she asks: "Do you believe the U.S. Army will require women to meet the same physical standards as the men?"



Phyllis got an answer. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that if "a particular standard is so high that a woman couldn't make it, the burden is now on the service to come back and explain...why is it that high? Does it really have to be that high?" Since the stated goal is "set women up for success," the answer will be "No."



Even more, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC), a mostly-civilian commission that lobbies the Congress and the Pentagon, says: "it is not about treating everyone the same. This can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially for leaders who grew up with the EO-inspired mandate to be both color and gender blind." (p. 18) So women in the military isn't about equality.

Then what is it about?!?


Online Poll - Do you support Right to Work?

The hearing this morning for Rep. Eric Burlison's HB 77 (Right to Work)  was standing room only -- unfortunately, mostly with union supporters.  The the hearing will continue Wednesday afternoon, at which time your witness form, along with hundreds of others, wil be handed the committee.

In the mean time, please help with an online poll.  You don't have to leave your email address or any personal information, just click yes or no.  Go to: http://themissouritimes.com/


-Report from Ron Calzone

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Should be rewritten to be gender neutral: "Violence Against Women Act"

This is a great point! VAWA should be renamed The Sexual And Domestic Violence Act and rewritten so that it is gender neutral.

Here's a great op-ed piece that was sent to Pelosi....

24 January 2013

Protect our vulnerable boys! Rename and rewrite VAWA so it is gender-neutral.
This is an open letter to Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, who strongly supports reinstating the gender-biased Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). For the past 18 years, VAWA has been renewed without public debate. VAWA fails to support boys and men who are victims of sexual and domestic violence. It also fails to acknowledge that women perpetrate sexual and domestic violence against children and adults.

I mailed a hard copy of this letter to Nancy Pelosi, along with a list of studies and reports supporting my statements. I sent a similar letter to Governor Maggie Hassan of NH, who also supports VAWA. For this post, I included a partial listing of the resources. I also redacted my address and information personal to my family.

As a child advocate, I feel it is my duty as a professional to demand equality, compassion and fairness in laws that have the potential to help or harm children.

January 24, 2013
Office of the Democratic Leader
H-204, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Honorable Leader Nancy Pelosi,

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a children’s rights advocate and former social worker. I have worked with children of all ages and families in various roles for 20 years. I am a registered Democrat, a strong humanitarian and community activist. I am requesting that VAWA be renamed The Sexual And Domestic Violence Act and rewritten so that it is gender neutral.

I am writing to express my dismay at how politics have infected the fields of human services in the past several years, to the point where I am seeing a chronic lack of compassion and a dangerous apathy towards the suffering of male victims of sexual and domestic violence. I have worked hard over the years to protect all people from suffering. Sexual and domestic violence are the tragic consequences of people who grew up with severe childhood trauma, whose needs have not been met to such a degree that they act-out in violence as a means to cope. I have always worked to try to heal children and families to prevent the cycles of violence from spreading. However, in my work with youth and families, over and over I come across unspoken and unwritten rules that seem to suggest that it is politically incorrect and even profane for Democrats, humanitarians and social justice advocates to speak on behalf of the rights and needs of boys and men, or to bring attention to and hold women accountable for their violent and sexually aggressive behavior towards children and adults of both sexes.

I have worked with countless boys of all ages who have suffered rape and sexual assaults by perpetrators of both sexes. Far more boys than girls are severely abused by their parents. Many of the men in the families I have worked with are victims of domestic and sexual violence. The difference between these boys and men who are victims and their female peers who are victims, is how they are treated by society, the mental health system, community crisis centers, the child protective/social service system, the legal system, the justice system and the media: While the girls and women I work with have been focused on, protected, believed, supported and empowered by these systems, the boys and men I have worked with, as a whole, have suffered systematic discrimination, sexism, mockery, disbelief and neglect by these systems. Despite the already over-abundant outreach efforts, programs, policies and services for women, there are still no serious outreach attempts to educate, protect, empower, focus on and support boys and men who suffer date rape, rape, sexual assault, genital mutilation, child abuse, domestic violence and psychological battery in their families, relationships and in society.

I don’t know where to turn with these concerns. As an author and writer, I have reached out to progressive magazines, human rights organizations, feminist organizations and other politicians. I have either received no response or an angry, dismissive response. However, what I have witnessed in my own work as a humanitarian is not isolated. I have been researching this gender bias against male victims of sexual and domestic violence and the ignoring of female perpetration of violence for several years and my findings have been shocking. There have been almost 300 quantitative random sample research studies since the 70′s that have consistently shown that men and women both report that men are the victims in 51% of domestic violence incidents involving male-female couples. There have been decades of studies showing the high incidents of rape and sexual violence against boys and men and of female-perpetrated sexual assaults. Murray Straus at the Family Research Lab in NH has an unpublished study showing that boys under 18 in the US suffer slightly more sexual abuse than girls. Also, in several studies of college-age youth, young men report being the victim of coerced sex (date rape) more often than or equal to young women! News reports of male victims of both sexes, but especially boys and men tortured by women, boys raped by mothers, boys raped by teachers, especially teenage boys raped by grown women, are kept under the radar and receive little attention other than mockery.

Yet, quantitative, random sample studies and news reports are ignored in favor of compiling crime statistics, or stats from social service/crisis centers, which only tally who actually reports abuse and crimes to law enforcement and social service agencies. It is common knowledge in the human services that boys and men are unlikely to report sexual and domestic violence to law enforcement or to the mental health system (especially when they are victimized by a woman), therefore they are grossly under-represented in crime stats. Additionally, the FBI didn’t even count male victims of rape until 2012, so boys and men were not ever factored into rape statistics compiled by the FBI. I have witnessed many times that reports to Child Protective Services of boys being sexually abused by women are not referred to the DA or to law enforcement. When women are actually caught and prosecuted for sexual and domestic violence, they receive light sentences or none at all.
Another issue I want to briefly mention is genital mutilation. Most humanitarians agree that Female Genital Mutilation is an egregious crime against girls. However, in our country, millions of boys have suffered the sexual violation and trauma of genital mutilation without any interest or concern from human rights groups. Research and victim reports are clear that Male Genital Mutilation (circumcision) causes trauma, mother-son attachment disruption and sexual and mental health problems, yet it continues without any outcry.

As a democrat, a humanitarian, a mental health counselor, a children’s rights activist, an aunt and a mother, I do not understand why there is such an outpouring of support and protection for girls and women but an indifferent, silent apathy which ignores boys and men. It is an egregious violation of human rights in my ethical opinion.

As my Leader, I am asking you to only support legislation that is gender neutral, that protects ALL victims of sexual and domestic violence and that holds ALL perpetrators equally accountable for sexual and domestic violence. I know that VAWA has been a hot button for politicians; I am asking that you only endorse VAWA if the name and the language in the act are gender-neutral. The act should be renamed, The Sexual and Domestic Violence Act, and should have equal provision for all victims, holding all perpetrators equally accountable. Law enforcement must stop targeting men for punishment, and understand that men are half of the victims and women are half of the perpetrators. It is factually incorrect and even a public safety threat to have an act like VAWA that is named to only protect half the population and target half the perpetrators.

I saw your Tweet on 1/23/13 that “No woman should be forced to suffer abuse in silence”. I don’t believe ANY person should suffer abuse in silence, including men and children. I would like your thoughts and your suggestions of how I can bring more public awareness to this problem in order to protect my clients and the people I serve. I hope that you will consider supporting ALL victims who suffer the trauma and pain of sexual and domestic violence in our country.

Sincerely,
Laurie A. Couture
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Author of Instead of Medicating and Punishing
Parenting Coach and Speaker
 

Monday, February 04, 2013

Witness form link - Right to Work Hearing Wednesday

The right to either join a union or refrain from joining a union is a basic freedom.  HB 77 defends that freedom.  Hearing is Wednesday, Feb. 6th. Did you know that the Missouri has "Right to Work" in the state Constitution?

That's right, Article I, Section 29  says, "That employees shall have the right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing."

 
Properly applied, that means even if 99% of the employees at a company choose to form the XYZ Union, the other 1% (or any individual) still has the right to choose someone else -- including themselves -- to represent them.  The Constitution declares an individual's right to either join the union or refrain from joining the union a majority of his coworkers formed.


So why is Missouri not considered a "Right to Work" state?


It's because our state legislature has thus far failed to do their duty to protect the rights of Missouri workers from an unconstitutional federal law from 1935 (The National Labor Relations Act, aka "Wagner Act").


That will change if  HB 77 (Rep. Eric Burlison) becomes law.


Commonly known as "Right to Work" or "Employment Freedom", this bill will have a public hearing in the Workforce Development and Workplace Safety Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 6th.
Although polls indicate most union members don't think anyone should be forced to join a union, their leadership will fight this bill tooth and nail!


Your help is needed!
 

Please either attend this hearing or, if you can't make it, fill out an online witness form which will be presented with hundreds of others at the hearing.  Include your own comments on the form.


Witness Form Links for HB 77 (Right to Work in Missouri)


Generic Witness Form: Click for Witness Form

Workforce Development and Workplace Safety Committee -- Bill Lant, Chair
Date:  Wednesday, Feb 6
Time:  8:00 a.m.
Room:  HR 5 (basement of Missouri Capitol)
Please fill this form out now and pass this email on to as many friends as you can!
For Liberty,
Ron Calzone



Learn More About The Bill:
HB 77 (Burlison) Establishes Right to Work in Missouri, thus codifying Art. I Sec. 29 in the statutes. Protects freedom of association.

Missouri First Principled Policy paper on right to work:
This policy paper tells the history of the Wagner Act, particularly wily FDR's use of the "Court Packing Plan" to coerce the Supreme Court into accepting this unconstitutional federal edict.
It also provides a principled answer to legitimate liberty-based concerns about Right to Work.

More Interesting Resources
Historian Tom Woods:
Forgotten Facts of American Labor History
Labor Law Timeline:
Brief History of American Labor Law

Friday, February 01, 2013

WelcomeToUSA.gov promotes welfare benefits to newly arrived immigrants

"Encouraging self-sufficiency must be a bedrock for our immigration policy, with the goal of reducing poverty, strengthening the family, and promoting our economic values. But Administration officials and their policies are working actively against this goal,"
said Sen. Sessions.

WelcomeToUSA.gov, that features a page promoting welfare benefits to newly arrived immigrants.

....
just 0.068 percent of visa applications were denied in 2011 on the grounds of being a welfare risk.

February 1, 2013

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Stephen Miller,

               Andrew Logan: 202.228.0575

 

Immigration And The Welfare State

How The Obama Administration Defies Federal Law

 

It is an explicit and unambiguous tenet in federal law that those granted entry into the U.S. must be able to support themselves financially. But the Obama Administration has aggressively defied this strict federal statute.­ What are new promises worth when existing law is unilaterally waived?

 

Last year, the Ranking Members of Budget, Finance, Judiciary, and Agriculture Committees wrote an oversight letter to Secretaries Napolitano and Clinton that said in part:

"The [Immigration and Nationality Act] specifically states: 'An alien who… is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible.' … We were thus shocked to discover that both the State Department and DHS exclude reliance on almost all governmental welfare programs when evaluating whether an alien is likely to become a public charge… Under your interpretation, an able-bodied immigrant of working age could receive the bulk of his or her income in the form of federal welfare and still not be deemed a 'public charge.'"

 

DHS even has a website, WelcomeToUSA.gov, that features a page promoting welfare benefits to newly arrived immigrants. (Some of these benefits, under law, should automatically disqualify the applicants from entry into the U.S. The page is also being updated to promote free coverage under the President's health law.) Yet DHS has completely stonewalled the Committees' oversight efforts—not replying to a single inquiry. Initial data from the State Department shows that just 0.068 percent of visa applications were denied in 2011 on the grounds of being a welfare risk. (The rate is even less—0.003 percent—when one takes into account those who are able to overcome public-charge denials in subsequent years.) In other words: Despite laws to the contrary, virtually no one is being turned away from the United States for being welfare-reliant.

 

Relatedly, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has stopped complying with efforts to learn more about his Department's efforts to enroll immigrants and non-citizens on 15 USDA-administered welfare programs. The Department has even produced and broadcast soap opera-like "radio novelas" featuring individuals who were pressured into accepting benefits despite insisting that government assistance was not needed. USDA has also entered into a partnership with Mexico to boost welfare enrollment among non-citizens. Thanks in part to such controversial tactics, food stamp usage among immigrants has quadrupled since 2001. Vilsack missed deadlines in October and December to answer questions about USDA's activities.

 

Against this backdrop, it should come as no surprise that a recent Center for Immigration Services study found that 36 percent of immigrant-headed households received at least one welfare benefit in 2010 (including public housing). The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector offered this mathematical analysis in 2007: "On average, low-skill immigrant families receive $30,160 per year in government benefits and services while paying $10,573 in taxes, creating a net fiscal deficit of $19,587 that has to be paid by higher-income taxpayers… It takes the entire net tax payments (taxes paid minus benefits received) of one college-educated family to pay for the net benefits received by one low-skill immigrant family."

 

As Ranking Member Sessions has explained, "Encouraging self-sufficiency must be a bedrock for our immigration policy, with the goal of reducing poverty, strengthening the family, and promoting our economic values. But Administration officials and their policies are working actively against this goal."

 

NOTE: To view this document as a 1-page PDF, please click here.

 

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