The Tea Party is taking its toll on the GOP

A highly recommended essay in the Daily Kos today which lays out the fact that a GOP sweep in the elections this year is hardly a done deal. Huffington Post also has a profile of Sharron Angle pointing to some inherent tensions between the establishment GOP and its loud activist faction.

The hardcore rightward drift of the GOP under the direction of Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and the rest of the Tea Party appears to be taking a very negative toll on the GOP. I would also lump in some of our own candidates in NY, like George Phillips, Carl Paladino, and Nan Hayworth in with the GOP's Tea Party faction. Let's defeat them all this November!

Let's make Election Day a National Holiday!

This is an essay I originally posted on Daily Kos back in September 2008. I still believe in this idea.

Given that California is currently circulating a new initiative petition that would make Election Day a state holiday, I would like to support continuing suggestions that Election Day be made a paid national holiday. Given both the low voting rates in this country and the desire of many who have to work on that day to instead volunteer their day toward the election, such as by serving as an election monitor in a swing state, the status quo is an impediment to democracy.A while back, Senator Debbie Stabenow proposed the national election holiday idea

In an effort to boost participation in the nation's elections, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) offered legislation that would make Election Day in November a national holiday.

Stabenow says her proposal is rooted in studies of voter participation in the world's major democracies and in a survey completed by the U.S. Census Bureau. The legislation also draws on the findings of a bipartisan commission headed by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. The commission was created to recommend election reforms after the 2000 election.

"Studies of the 21 most advanced democracies, going all the way back to 1945, show the United States rate of voter participation is one of the lowest in the world - and continues to fall," Stabenow says. "Between 1980 and 2000, voter participation in Australia, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Sweden was 80 percent or better, and participation in Israel, Great Britain and Canada was 70 percent or better. Over the same period, however, voter participation in the United States was just 50 percent."

Stabenow notes a survey done by the U.S. Census Bureau shortly after the 2000 elections that found respondents cited a schedule conflict with work or school as the number one reason for not voting.

"Declaring Election Day a national holiday would make it easier for millions of busy Americans to get to the polls," Stabenow says. "In addition, we would have more public buildings - especially schools - available as potential polling places, and we would have a larger pool of potential poll workers to staff those locations."

Studies suggest that countries that vote on non work days have voting rates about 24% higher than in the U.S.

Of course, critics will counter that businesses would lose a day of productivity. Of course, merchants certainly don't complain when holidays free up people for a day of shopping.

Perhaps, as some suggest, we can trade Columbus Day for a national Electtion Day holiday. After all, why is a discovery myth more important than the vitality of our democracy? Or, perhaps the national election day can be combined with Veterans Day. What a better way to honor veterans than to enhance the sacred act of voting.

Incidentally, here is the link to Stabenow's bill also co-sponsored by Senators Durbin, Kerry, Landrieu, and Levin.

To make a well visited blog, I have heard a good advice somewhere.

The advice was to list references to as many other blogs, as possibly.

It will induce many cross visits.

My first recommendation is:

Education Notes Online

I met one of their contributors in search for information on one great history professor, Bela Kiraly.


One of his former students, Norm Scott answered my email. Norm blogs about education, and participates in the work of the union to preserve a high quality public education.

It is one noble cause.

This weekend's Washington DC rally for progress

As reported in today's New york Times, yesterday saw a large rally in the nation's capitol to promote a message of jobs, peace, and justice, with this a very timely concern just prior to the November elections. One of our members, Vane Lashua, was here. I am hoping that he might share his reflections on this event.

In the meantime, here from another website, is a slideshow of the rally.

A Portrait of the Bush Economy

Here is a detailed picture of the mess that Barack Obama inherited and a portrait of the GOP's war on working people.

John Hall for Congress

In 2006, the Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance endorsed and supported John Hall for Congress. This year, while we have not yet officially endorsed him, many of our members are active in helping toward his re-election. This year, given the shift in the political climate, he faces a tough fight.

If you want to get involved, here is how.

Updating this site

Hello Everyone!

The Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance continues to meet locally on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays in Beacon, NY and its members continue to engage in a variety of progressive activist efforts. We have also started a roundtable discussion series, in which people can share their knowledge and expertise in leading a discussion on a topic of interest.

This, our blog, will thus be updated so as to reflect on current developments.