[Summit] political discussions

Sun Oct 7 00:10:26 UTC 2012

Greg,I like your article about 38 Studios and have bookmarked your website so that I can read it at my leisure. Homer, I agree with you about Mark Binder. I can't get enthusiastic about him. I can't figure out what he stands for and what he would do if elected. I may just vote for him as a way to give Gordon Fox a much needed kick in the pants but that's not that good a reason to vote for him.
---- Greg Gerritt <gerritt at mindspring.com> wrote: 
> I keep waiting for the leaders in this state to understand that due to
> ecological collapse we are not longer going to have a growing economy, and
> that only ecological healing and economic justice is going to improve the
> economies of our communities.
> 
> http://prosperityforri.com/38-studios-and-economic-development-in-rhode-isla
> nd-2/
> 
> greg
> 
> From:  Homer Cosper <rcosper22 at gmail.com>
> Date:  Sat, 6 Oct 2012 17:18:47 -0400
> To:  Art Norwalk <art at norwalkcom.com>
> Cc:  Summit Neighborhood <summit at sna.providence.ri.us>
> Subject:  Re: [Summit] political discussions
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 1:02 PM, Art Norwalk <art at norwalkcom.com> wrote:
> > Homer --
> > 
> > I was surprised your message had not generated any responses until I realized
> > it had been sent only to me. You need to use "Reply All" not just Reply to get
> > to the whole list, where it's now copied.
> > 
> > 
> > At 11:28 AM 10/6/2012, you wrote:
> > 
> >> hello all,
> >>  
> >> For nearly five years i have received and mostly not engaged in this
> >> listserve excpet for occasionally learning who can prune a tree. The entry of
> >> Mr. Binder's campaign and the conversation it generates has inspired me to
> >> chip in.  Deciding not to engage in a political exchange is in itself a
> >> political act, it supports some kind of status quo.  So, we may as well
> >> engage.  
> >>  
> >> Gordon Fox has earned the opposition that has emerged against him. No need to
> >> recite the litany. So has the General Assembly itself. It would be a pleasure
> >> to elect a truly progressive partisan in his place. But not just another guy
> >> who thinks we have to encourage business. It could well be that if we focus
> >> on taking care of each other, instead of taking care of commerce, business
> >> will thrive out of the mutual support that we give to each other.  We need,
> >> most of all, to address the needs of people who live far below the median in
> >> our larger community.
> >>  
> >> What I have read of Mr. Binder , aside from seeming a fresh face, does not
> >> inspire me to enthusiasm.  I am truly exhausted by the never ending appeal to
> >> making Rhode Island a "business friendly" place.  Isn't it time to consider
> >> the possibliity that, after thirty years of that mantra,  we have been
> >> responding to the business community's intersts at the expense of our
> >> community and progress? All thirty years i have lived here, our obligation to
> >> improve the buiness climate is all that anyone ever really asserts.
> >>  
> >> Lets give that attitued a vacation and consider asking our government to
> >> address the collective weal for a change.   I would like to be represented by
> >> someone who--for a change--tells us all what has to be done to make our
> >> community whole. Perhaps what is wrong with Rhode Island is that, thirty five
> >> years after a commission advised the legislature to consolidate the state
> >> into one single school district, we still have not done it.  (Talk about
> >> waste!)
> >>  
> >> Perhaps what is wrong is that we have privatized most government functions
> >> and created really low paying jobs for people who perform what was formerly
> >> our government's duty, and nobody is doing the janitorial work.  Perhaps the
> >> problem is a lack of acccountability to compel the government to do its duty
> >> for the common good, and to tax us accordingly, without letting rich people
> >> off the hook, without payoff to insiders, and without a "me first" attitude.
> >> Perhaps the problem is that the more comfortable people become in their
> >> cocoons, the more they invest in insulating them from the community's
> >> problems. 
> >>  
> >> Perhaps the problem is that this group--Summit Association--cannot see beyond
> >> Rochambeau and Hope Street and cannot see all our neighbors; same for those
> >> who live in Barrington, Lincoln, Wakefield.   Toronto is a city that annexed
> >> the entire exurban frontier to create a single tax base and to generate the
> >> resources and the vision to address the needs of the whole community.  It is
> >> far too early to accomplish that in Rhode Island, but it is time to elect
> >> people who are more interested in a duty to  the community than duty to
> >> particular constituents--like business.  I could go on . . .
> >>  
> >> Mr. Binder, what would you like do aside from making it easier to do business
> >> in RI?  
> >> 
> >> On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 10:21 AM, Art Norwalk <art at norwalkcom.com> wrote:
> >> I'll add my vote for civil discussion of political issues and candidates on
> >> the main list with hope that all will abide by Jim's Rules.
> >> 
> >> IN response to an earlier comment, to my knowledge the list has never been
> >> restricted to matters directly concerning SNA; it is a neighborhood
> >> discussion forum facilitated by SNA.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> At 09:07 AM 10/6/2012, Martha Fraenkel wrote:
> >> 
> >>> I agree with Jim; political discussion with moderated tone is appropriate
> >>> for the listserv.
> >>> 
> >>> On 10/6/2012 2:50 AM, Robert Mathiesen wrote:
> >>>> I like Jim's politeness rules.
> >>>> 
> >>>> On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 12:38 AM, barfootjim <barfootjim at gmail.com> wrote: I
> >>>> agree that discussions of political issues that we have in common in this
> >>>> neighborhood should have a place in our discussions in general - on the
> >>>> main list.
> >>>> However, let's agree to a few politeness rules:
> >>>> 1) no personal attacks, name-calling, or disparaging personal remarks aimed
> >>>> at ANY individual - keep it to what they say or do, not who they are; 2) if
> >>>> you use statistics, or other facts, to bolster your point of view, identify
> >>>> where you got them from; 3) no requests for contributions; 4) if you think
> >>>> a politician's approach is wrong, try to state why, and if possible,
> >>>> suggest a better way to solve a problem 5) you are free to have an opinion
> >>>> based on nothing specific, but if it's just that, say so.
> >>>> This can be a useful tool to help us all consider the alternatives, the
> >>>> plusses and minuses, and make informed decisions.
> >>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>> Let the whole list weigh in, if it chooses, on whether political issues and
> >>>> questions are or are not appropriate for the main Summit list.  Speaking
> >>>> for myself, I think that they are appropriate, and that this bears directly
> >>>> on the kind of community we want to have in Summit. ...
> >>>> 
> ... it is a question of how we wish to be governed -- and only incidentally,
> which candidate might be more apt to govern us in the way we wish to be
> governed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> -- Art Norwalk
> Norwalk Communications, Inc.
> Advertising - Marketing - Public Relations
> Tel 401.421.4310 <tel:401.421.4310>
> 
> "How You Say It DOES Make A Difference"
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