Dear Thom:

Here is my solution to energy crisis: Since none of the issues that really matter will be resolved by elected represenatives whose best interest are to honor and be rewrded by the status quo and they wont legislate against their own interest then in my opinion disclosure and transparency, peer pressure and public outrage are the only options avaiable beside violent revolution.

Draft 9/12/14
Proclamation and pledge for disclosure, transparency and accountability.

Whereas the democratic process in this United States of America is being corrupted, usurped, contaminated and negated it is hereby proposed that a pledge be
delivered to all Senators ,Representatives and those running for those offices to publish and archive on their websites;

a daily log of who they communicated with in their official capacity, where and for what purposes. (limited exclusion for reasons of national security).

publish on a weekly basis on their websites a list of all monies, donations, contributions,gifts,good,services or any thing of any value receive, and who it was received from. (small contributions would be listed by amount, larger contributions by amount , occupation and location of contributor and really large contributions would would require disclosure of doner , occupation or trade, location and name).

publish a full and complete financial statement on a quarterly basis.

Senators and Representatives and prospective Senators and Representatives would be notified that they have 30 days to comply, or respond and no response will be considered a rejection of the pledge.

Since our congress persons are in the employ of the citizens of these United States
it is the right and responsibility of the citizens to demand accountability from those who receive our monies, and the responsibility of the congress and potential congress persons to provide that information freely and willingly without guile or deception.

And that the names of all those who comply and all those who do not comply will be published and continue to be published on websites, Twitter, Facebook, letters to editor, and all other media possible to notify citizens on who is beholding to the people and who is in the employ of special interests.

NOTES*
For this to be effective it needs to be launched as a campaign with a coordinated effort to use timely press releases , letters to the editor and social network activity etc. in hopes of making it go viral as the more publicity behind it the more effective it will be.
As this would not be a legal contract and would be enforced by the court of public opinion there would be no need to bog this down by making it comply with legalese nor would it take any legal action to enforce. The enforcement would be achieved thru exposure in media and peer pressure.

Tentative and partial action plan highlights:
Draft finalized pledge
Create petition, create buzz and get celebrity endorsements
Develop letters to editor and letters to congresspersons and candidates campaign
Create coalition (make media part of coalition where possible)
Develop a “info central” website, twitter account and face book page
Contact media announcing campaign and asking for coverage
Contact senators, representatives and candidates and deliver “pledge”.
Wait 30 days and publish on internet results notify media of results
Use 30 day period to hype the campaign

I agree with Windy's statements, it's our motivations political or otherwise, ...are we desparate enough? What kind of mandate or catastrophe is sufficient to compel our tremendous potential to achieve the unachievable? Obviously the pain, whether in death or destruction, or in someone's pocket book is insufficient. Our incredible incapacity to move or make a decision, even when we're on the precipice, will cause great suffering and unnecessary hardships to millions.

The question is not, "Can we accomplish 100% renewables in 35 years?" but Do we have the will? The willingness to stop the oligarchs, take back our democracy, to demand a safe, habitable and prosperous world for our children's future?

I thought this pope was awesome until he started suggesting mass Muslim immigration. Not for personal reasons. The Bible tells how massive Muslim populations will live here and kill us. "The rivers will be red with blood".

Also this pope is pushing a one world government, another end time prophecy. There is also a prophecy of this pope being the false prophet , Google "112 pope". How many times in history does mankind ignore the prophecy to our detriment

Stopgap wants irrefutable evidence that greed drives the ecomy.

Smith at the time hoped people would become religous and moral, and hence end economic problems. since this did not occur he could say the economy is mostly driven by greed

Correction to rj shundler:

Smith said greed could drive the economy forward, if people were not moral. He rejected most government laws to regulate the market because to him they rarely worked, not because 'greed is good'. He really preferred people become religous and act morally to each other .

The Pope needs to address geoengineering, or all is lost.

I would take issue with the words "next" and "nations". Specifically, if "nations" aren't already surreptitiously fighting over water, I don't imagine any one nation declaring war over water, any more than a war wwas fought in Iraq over oil.

Yes oil is important, water is important, but the decision makers in countries around the world have ways of keeping both resources flowing.

No rush.

I think Thom should bring up the FAKE news story about the 5 year old girl and the Pope, She blitzed past Secret Service and got into the Popemobile with a T shirt and a letter. AP and USA Today all said it was a pre planned and not spontaneous.

Thom should address how MSM manipulates the public sentiment with BS like this. His show had this story on and it needs to be retracted/ajusted.

The Pope says GREED, excess profits--is bad. He is smart enough to know--which business/corporations seem to be ignorant about--that profit--not EXCESS profit--is good for everyone. He knows people need jobs/income, a safe and just place to work, and income that goes beyond their bills so they can CONSUME what they make.

Workers are paid, workers buy, business profits.

It's incredibly simple. Workers must have JOBS and wages that allow the worker to spend. When we ALL share the burden and don't take more than we need, then everyone does well and business does well--what is wrong with that? It's not a redistribution of wealth, it's a SHARING of wealth and appreciation of EVERYONE WHO WORKS TO GENERATE THAT WEALTH.

The rest of us are 2/3s of any business. Can the CEO, alone, bring in the raw materials to make? With what would the CEO make? Can the CEO make, with his/her hands, the product? What would the CEO have to sell--nothing. If workers make and cannot afford to spend, then what does the CEO have? He has plenty of inventory and NO profit.

Workers/consumers are a severely UNDERVALUED and LARGE PART part of any business picture. I mean, were you all sleeping in business classes or skipping class to play golf? Money doesn't just appear because you wish it or have an idea. Others help you realize it: the government, the worker, the consumer.

Today's CEOs are part of the "Salesman mentality." It involves "short-term thinking." "Getting MY next commission." "Future, what is that?" Half of them don't even know or appreciate what they are selling. They go on to lead companies, run them poorly and recklessly, then retire or move on to destroy another company; their incompetence protected and rewarded with a golden parachute and the money piles up, but it is NEVER enough!

When the rest of us are doing our jobs and creating product for the sales staff, they get their salary AND a commission for just doing their job. What sense does it make to double reward the salesman, when those who MAKE the work they sell are pinched to pay the salesman's commission? It's called GREED and it's main mission is to destroy and that it does, handily.

Thank god, someone has come who is not affraid of the wealthy and powerful to speak for us--the 99%--the people who CREATE the wealth the greedy enjoy at our expense.

The Post-Boehner Speaker

. . . .

He too’ll be abysmally

hopelessly dismally

disabled

by the fabled

Congressional Right.

The future’s not bright.

==================

Jesus was pretty clear about our responsibilities to aid the poor, the elderly and the disabled -- those who are unable to provide for themselves. In modern nations with populations in the millions, this can only be achieved via govt. programs. Complex issue, but a significant body of proof exists showing how and why legitimate poverty relief programs not only benefit individuals, but the whole of the nation.

The US had implemented a range of regulations, policies and programs that took the country to its height of wealth and productivity from FDR to Reagan. When Reagan was first elected, launching the campaign against the poor, the overall quality of life in the US was rated at #1. By the time Obama was elected, this had already plunged to #43, and we can can no longer adequately compete in the modern world market. Today, we don't know how many are in severe poverty in the US. We no longer have an adequate means of determining poverty rates and, frankly, there has been no interest (by govt. or the general public) in doing so.

When it comes to responsibility for this, we have to consider reality. Not everyone can work (health, etc.), and there aren't jobs for all. The US shipped out a huge number of jobs since the 1980s, ended actual welfare in the 1990s. The last I heard, there are 7 jobs for every 10 people who are struggling to find one. The consequences aren't difficult to figure out.

It's easy to place the blame on Republicans, but let's be honest. It was Bill Clinton who ended welfare aid, and who took the first steps to similarly "reform" Social Security, targeting the disabled. Liberal media responded by merely maintaining a pep rally for the middle class ever since, very rarely even peeking at the consequences of our "war on the poor."

We have created a poverty crisis. Reportedly, Democrats in Congress are currently planning unprecedented cuts to disability benefits, far exceeding those made by the Clinton administration. As a result of Clinton's cuts (finally reversed by President Obama), the disabled had become the fastest-growing group of homeless people by 2000. They did very poorly on the streets.

If the general public actually had any idea of the consequences of the "war on the poor," or any understanding of who the poor are, I simply don't know if it would make any difference.

"But there's one world leader who is speaking- and acting- out against the thinking that greed can lead to justice- that greed is good." "Pope Francis."

There's another world leader who has had great opportunity to speak out in favor of social and economic justice, but has chosen instead to remain for the most part.....silent. I find this the most disappointing aspect of Obama's presidency, even more dissapointing than his support for more so called free trade.

Bernie Sanders on the other hand, has spent his entire career speaking out in favor of social and economic justice, which is why he has my total support.....he's not playing political games. He represents the people....the job he was elected to do.

I'm perplexed by today's Obama statement about Boehner. He mentioned that Boehner was willing to compromise to do the people's business. " You don't get all you want 100% of the time."

Let's be clear here......in Boehner's case...it wasn't the business of the people, not even close, he did the business of oligarchical big money. In a representative democracy he is a scoundrel/traitor, plain and simple.