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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gamesmistress who wrote (19181)	12/9/2003 8:59:20 AM
From: John Carragher	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793721

"Mike Barnicle in particular seemed to think you had to throw us on our backs to get our shoes on us. :-/" He does have some strange ideas.. then look at the company he keeps , Chris Matthews.

To: gamesmistress who wrote (19181)	12/9/2003 10:54:30 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793721

Act will correct misguided forest policies of the past Rep. Scott McInnis is a Republican member of the House of Representatives serving Colorado The newly enacted Healthy Forests Restoration Act is a good bet to go down in history as one of the most significant environmental and forest management reforms to be passed by Congress in the last 100 years. The legislation will dramatically reduce the large numbers of catastrophic wildfires that have ravaged Western states. In so doing, it will eliminate millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants released as smoke. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas many scientists think is the chief culprit in global warming. Swift passage of the bill, first proposed in August 2002, was ignited by the wildfire infernos that raced through huge swaths of California in October, scorching nearly 750,000 acres of land, causing 22 deaths, and destroying more than 3,600 homes. The need for this legislation is clear: America's forests and rangelands were being decimated by wildfire on an unprecedented scale long before this fall's conflagrations in California. This growing crisis stems, in large part, from well-intentioned but misguided forest management policy. For decades, land managers have moved quickly to snuff out wildland fires in all forms, including nature's own frequent, low-intensity fires, which serve to clear out forest buildups and rejuvenate ecosystems. Without these natural periodic cleansings, tree densities in many areas have been allowed to increase tenfold, accelerating insect and disease scourges that create dry, combustible timber. These methods have turned our forests and rangelands into powderkegs. Communities and lives have been lost, millions of once pristine woodland acres have been charred, and countless threatened and endangered species' habitats have been incinerated. The effects on air quality and water purity have been equally staggering. A recent scientific study found that wildfires emit incredible amounts of dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere. In 2002, wildfires are thought to have released more mercury into the air than all U.S. power plants. Significant amounts of lead and arsenic are also released each year from burned areas into streams and reservoirs, often contaminating municipal and agricultural water supplies. Federal and state land managers estimate that more than 190 million acres are at risk of large-scale wildfires - 25 times more land than the amount burned in California two months ago. With record-setting blazes occurring each year - like Southern California's Old Fire in 2003 and Oregon's Biscuit Fire in 2002 - it is clear that we are far from the end of this fiery nightmare. By employing 21st-century forest management techniques, land managers can control this destructive tide. But excessive analytical requirements coupled with confrontational administrative and judicial processes have created a maze of bureaucratic impediments that eat up time and attention that land managers could devote to this pressing problem. In one prominent case, forest managers waded through three years of bureaucratic hurdles and appeals to treat wildfire-prone areas in Colorado's Upper South Platte Watershed - Denver's largest supplier of water. While still under appeal in 2002, the huge Hayman fire wiped out large parts of the treatment area - contaminating the water supply and destroying hundreds of homes. Sadly, this case is far from unique. With thousands of lives, environmental resources and delicate ecosystems at risk to wildfire, it would be negligent - if not downright criminal - to continue to impair our land managers in this disastrous manner. I authored this bill to remove these bureaucratic impediments and allow real reform in managing the wildfire threat to homes, people and the environment. It will re-empower our land management professionals, giving them the tools needed to effectively address this crisis. For years, we've sought the right way to aid our ailing forests. Now, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act will inject the cool voice of common sense into wildfire policy and free us from a logjam of overheated rhetoric. Scott McInnis was the author of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and is chairman of the House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. His Web site is www.house.gov/mcinnis/. philly.com

To: gamesmistress who wrote (19181)	12/9/2003 2:05:55 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793721

First time they have endorsed a candidate at this stage. Big pickup for Dean. The "Bandwagon" is rolling. NH teachers union says Dean is their candidate By JOHN DiSTASO Senior Political Reporter CONCORD — The executive board of the state’s largest teachers union recommends the organization’s 14,000 members vote for Howard Dean in the Jan. 27 first-in-the-nation Presidential primary. According to sources close to NEA-New Hampshire, the decision by the 21-member board marked the first time the state union’s board endorsed in the Presidential primary. In 2000, the national union endorsed Al Gore and the New Hampshire local followed it. This year, the national union has recommended that the state chapters back anyone — except Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who has called for a trial voucher system — and has given the state chapters its blessing to make local endorsements. Gore to endorse Dean today. The Union Leader learned of the impending announcement of the board endorsement yesterday morning. Last evening, the NEA issued a news release announcing the decision and citing Dean’s opposition to the Republican-proposed “No Child Left Behind” education law, his health care plan, and his “fiscal responsibility” as Vermont’s governor. It said he “worked hard to earn” the recommendation. The board voted last Friday after a lengthy discussion, sources said. There was no word on the vote tally. The group had planned to make the announcement today but issued an official statement last night when word leaked out to various news organizations. All of the candidates were told of the board’s decision during the weekend, sources said. John Kerry’s campaign attempted to take the bite out of the endorsement with a preemptive conference call featuring five New Hampshire educators and NEA members who back the Massachusetts senator. Kathy Latchaw, a Dover teacher, noted the board decision was nothing more than a recommendation. “There are a huge number of teachers in the rank and file who would disagree with that,” Latchaw said. The teachers said Dean’s record has not always been pro-teacher. They said that as Vermont’s governor, he backed statewide funding of teachers’ pay and statewide collective bargaining. “This would have taken away local control and collective bargaining rights,” said Ellen Healy, president of the Manchester Education Association. “I couldn’t think of anything that’s more of an anathema to teachers and the idea of collective bargaining than to have the state do it,” said Salem teacher Jack Brouse. The teachers said Kerry has outworked Dean on appealing to teachers and their key issues. Dean spokesman Matthew Gardner declined to comment on the Kerry supporters. He said Dean is “thrilled” with the board endorsement, which, he said, “is testimony to Governor Dean’s long record of improving education in his state and his vision for doing the same throughout the country.” The NEA board recommendation capped a strong day for Dean. It was also reported that he will soon be endorsed by former Vice President Al Gore, and two more polls showed him with a large lead in the New Hampshire primary campaign. theunionleader.com