Happy happy joy joy in WY and MT

From the New York Times ArtsBeat blog:

The “pursuit of happiness” map compared the ratio of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments to the total population. On this map, people in Wyoming and Montana apparently are bursting with joy. The high ratios in those states, however, are more of a result of their small populations than glee. 

Excuse me, NYT, but I'm feeling pretty gleeful right now, even though I am just one of a small cohort of Rocky Mountain residents. You will note that Southerners are a disgruntled and sour lot which probably leads to the superiority of its literature.

For details, go to http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/what-digital-maps-can-tell-us-about-the-american-way/

Colorado Rockies get desperate as another season tanks

This is the most ridiculous promotion I've ever seen. Rockies Faith Day? Why not call it Rockies Sucking Up to Churches Day? Or maybe New and Interesting Ways to Fill the Ball Park as the Rockies Choke Day? Maybe Rick Perry could conduct the opening prayer?

Weird.

If this is a trend, sign me up for Rockies Flying Spaghetti Monster Day.

Go to http://mlb.mlb.com/col/ticketing/faithday.jsp?partnerId=aw-5951796513581239158-1070

Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition meets Aug. 18 at IBEW hall

The monthly Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition meeting will be held on Thursday, August 18, 7 p.m., in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) hall, 810 Fremont Avenue, Cheyenne.

Guest Speaker will be Rep. Mary Throne (D-Laramie County)

One of the main items on the agenda is planning for the Democratic Party friend-raiser on Aug. 21 in Holliday Park.

Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center opens Aug. 20

The Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center opens the weekend of Aug. 19-21 at the Park County site of the former World War II Internment Camp. I was at the site most recently in June 2010. The center's building was finished but the interior was still bare. While built of modern materials, the structure duplicates the look of the tar-paper barracks than once housed more than 10,000 Japanese-Americans, most of them U.S. citizens. Reporter Don Amend wrote about his tour of the almost-complete center in the Aug. 9 Powell Tribune.

The center will open officially with a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, and the foundation is preparing for nearly 1,000 former internees, their families, friends and supporters of the center.

Longtime U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), a decorated World War II, veteran, will present the keynote address. Inouye will be introduced by former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and former Congressman Norman Mineta, who became lifelong friends as Boy Scouts while Mineta’s family was interned at the camp.

Others who will participate in the grand opening are Tom Brokaw, former news anchor and current special correspondent for NBC; Los Angeles County Superior Judge Judge Lance Ito; Irene Hirano Inouye, president of the US-Japan Council; and Dr. Melba Vasquez, president of the American Psychological Association.

Brokaw, whose book “The Greatest Generation” describes the experiences of those who fought World War II, will speak at a Pilgrimage Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.

Mineta, Ito, Hirano Inouye and Vasquez will participate in a panel discussion on various perspectives of the Japanese-American experience and its lessons for civil rights issues today during a grand opening banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Go to http://www.powelltribune.com/news/item/8608-heart-mountain-relocation-center-final-preparations

Brother Duane said "eat a peach for peace," so I did

Eat a peach, ya'll

Eat a peach for peace.

That's what Duane Allman did. In an interview shortly before his death by motorcycle in October 1971, Duane was asked in an interview what he was doing for the revolution. Replied Duane:

"There ain't no revolution, it's evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."

Eat a peach. Let the juice run down your chin.

That's what I did this morning. It was a Colorado peach from Palisade, where they grow ones almost as good as the Georgia variety. Peach State. Peachtree Street, where Margaret Mitchell stepped off a curb and was killed by a car.

When I eat a peach I think of the Allman Brothers namesake album, the last one recorded with the full original band makeup, before Duane and Barry Oakley discovered the joys of driving motorcycles in Macon, Georgia.

Eat a peach for peace.

I did a little farmers' market shopping, as I said in my previous post. The Depot Plaza was crowded with vendors and shoppers. Miller Farms out of Platteville had some good deals. I was intrigued by Miller Farms flyers announcing its fall harvest festival. From Labor Day weekend through mid-November, Miller Farms opens the gates for "harvest-your-own" days. In October, the farm has pumpkin harvesting and a haunted adventure, including a corn maze. Interesting how Front Range farms, at least those that have survived the housing development boom of the past 30 years, have gone in big for the local foods movement. Miller Farms has a big Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. It's not officially a state historic site but it does advertise that it's been around since 1949 and is "a true Colorado treasure."

In September, I am going down to Miller Farms to pick my own.

I wonder if people can shop at farmers' markets and avoid grocery stories. Some of us are having a tough time making ends meet. Grocery prices have climbed with transportation costs. Unemployment is low in Wyoming, but it's not exactly a hot market for those looking for work. Hiring is hot in the energy industry, especially in the Niobrara oil shale country of northern Colorado and southeast Wyoming. The service industry is always hiring, although jobs are barely minimum wage. The job market for professionals is static, although that's better than "awful."

I spent $30.70 at today's market and probably got enough food for the weekend. Here's what I bought:

Goat chops from Wag's Livestock in Laramie, $9.70
New potatoes from Destine Hoover's Laramie County farm, $3
15 ears of corn from LaSalle, Colo., $5
Container of Palisade peaches from Dick's Place, Cheyenne, $10
Slice of strawberry/rhubarb coffee cake from Robin's Treats, Laramie, $3

I probably should have bought steaks from Wag's but Jim Waggoner talked me into goat. I told him I'd never tried it and he replied that this was enough of a good reason to buy some. I had to agree. Jim and Sue spend their Friday afternoons and evenings at the Laramie market and then drive over the pass to Cheyenne for Saturday.

At the farmers' market work, I would have had to spend at least $100 to get through the week. Even then, I'd have to go to Albertson's for milk and other food items. I still think it's great that Community Action of Laramie County now takes credit, debit and EPT cards. And this is only second weekend for the Saturday market.

But, as the Miller Farms flyer said, "eat nutritiously, buy locally and be healthy."

Eat a peach for taste. Eat a peach for "local." Eat a peach for health.

Eat a peach for peace.

Summer Saturday notes on gardening and farmers' markets

I woke up today thinking about the Saturday farmers' market. Was I imagining this, or could I smell Hatch peppers roasting? Probably just my imagination. It may be too early in the season for those fine crops from New Mexico.

Corn is what I'm really interested in. Some corn vendors will be up from Colorado. I will be looking for other things too. Peaches from Utah and Colorado. Too far away to be considered local (grown within 150 miles) but juicy and delicious, far superior to the shipped-green varieties at the grocery story. Since my tomatoes may never come in due to hail and Cheyenne's short growing season -- I may have to buy some. I have plenty of herbs, sheltered as they are under my porch roof. But I may need to find some other ingredients for marinade for the grass-fed beef I'll also be buying.

One bit of news for shoppers at Cheyenne's Saturday market -- credit, debit and EBT cards now are accepted. Community Action of Laramie County, which runs the market, applied for and received a $1,500 grant for the service from the Wyoming Business Council. According to a story in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, the grant will pay for the cards' fees.

The Cheyenne farmers' market and the People's Farmers Market in Jackson Hole are the only two in the state taking the cards. The Cheyenne market is the only one in the state to use a grant for the service, says the WBC's Kim Porter.

Looks to me like a great public-private partnership. Taxpayer funds helping people to eat better. People in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program run by DFS can use their EBT cards to buy fruits and vegetables to supplement grocery story purchases. This part of the program may take awhile to catch on. SNAP clients may think (and rightly so) that farmers' market goods are more expensive than those at Albertson's and Safeway. It may take a new forays to the market to find the bargains. When I'm down there today, I'm going to check out the prices and see how far $50 could go. I'll take notes.

But that's only part of what a farmers' market brings to a community. Local vendors have a place to sell their wares and find new customers. Shoppers get the opportunity to find good food and even get a few tips on cooking and grilling. It enlivens downtown on sleepy Saturday mornings. Some people hang around to eat lunch at the brewpub or the Albany. The local galleries will be open. And the staffers at Ernie November know their music CDs.

In other food news -- the South Cheyenne Farmers' Market opens this weekend from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Outlaw Saloon's parking lot on South Greeley Highway. This one is free to vendors, for now, at least. It will be open through mid-October.

And don't forget the Tuesday market at the Depot Plaza. I was there this past week and the fresh food offerings were a bit sparse. Let's hope things pick up as the harvests come in. I did buy some nice cherries, though, which I shared with my work colleagues.

Speaking of colleagues... We were in Lander this week for the Wyoming Arts Council's quarterly board meeting. On Thursday evening, we ate at Cowfish. This is a Lander destination, located strategically as you enter town after those long drives from Muddy Gap or Farson. Often the first stop is the brewpub next door, but once you're eating, it's usually a fine experience. Cowfish has its own garden. The veggie d'jour was zucchini, cooked nice and crisp with herbs. The zuke is kind of a workingman's veggie -- easy to grow, easy to cook, easy to overcook. Cowfish chops theirs into thumb-size chunks (no thumbs in mine, thankfully) and probably steams them briefly. They were as good as the trout, as refreshing as the Hefe and the Rye brews from the bar.

On my way out of town the next day, I visited the Cowfish garden. Surprised there wasn't a menacing cowfish sculpture in the middle to ward off crows and other pesky critters. The restaurant's logo is the skull of a cow with the tail of a fish. There's a big metal one hanging in the front of the place and I have one on a T-shirt. I get lots of comments about the shirt and often people just see it and nod wisely, as if they remember their most recent Cowfish meal. The restaurant's garden takes up a city lot. Looks as if the Cowfishers have harvested most of the early stuff with bushy zucchini plants erupting at the far end and rows of onions in the foreground. Be well, mighty zukes. Live long and prosper. I don't need to say the "prosper" part, as they mighty zucchini is prolific.

On a final note, my garden is still struggling post-multiple hailstorms. I am going to get some tomatoes -- already harvested a few with many more on the vine but time drawing short. Lots of snow peas and beans. Summer squash waiting for tonight's barbecue. Not much, but O.K. considering our summer weather. I keep telling the tomatoes -- one more month, one more month. Not sure if they're listening.

Is Department of Ed effort to make all employees at-will the start of WY anti-public worker effort?

On Monday, the AP reported that

"the head of the Wyoming Department of Education wants all new hires to be classified as at-will employees who serve without job protections."

At-will state employees usually are in management positions. Nothing particularly wrong with that. They get bigger salaries and take bigger risks. It's much different to try to classify all of your employees as at-will. That means that anyone can be fired at any time for any reason. State employees would have no job protections once they complete the one-year probation in which you can be fired without cause, If all of us are at-will, we could conceivably be fired any time for any reason by any of our superiors.

If this sort of anti-public worker effort looks familiar, that's because it is. Think Wisconsin. Think Minnesota. Think Florida. In fact, think of all those states that were taken over by Repub Govs and Republican-dominated legislatures in 2010. Some (WI) are heavily union states. Some (FL) are so-called Right to Work states. It doesn't seem to matter. If your state got an infusion of Tea Party politicians in 2010, public workers are under the gun.

Wyoming is a so-called Right to Work state. There is a union for public employees but workers don't have to join. On Sunday in the Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Public Employees Association Director Betty Jo Beardsley noted that there are 1,600 union members throughout the state. This represents a minority of those eligible for union membership. Betty Jo did say that she's had a number of new sign-ups from the Dept. of Ed since January, which is when the wacko 2011 Wyoming State Legislature began its session. That began with a battle over tenure for teachers and their Wyoming Education Association union, with 6,500 members. Some Tea Party Republicans had some less than nice things to say about teachers and other public workers. Cooler heads prevailed and the anti-teacher bills were defeated.

Those bills will be back in the Legislature again, courtesy of right-wing anti-public education groups and other outside agitators such as the American Legislative Education Council (ALEC).

The WEA summed up its success against these Know Nothings with excellent ass-kicking videos by Ron Sniffin. Here's how Ron's vid summed it up:


The Education Legislative Session from Ronald Sniffin on Vimeo.

This time around, public workers will be the target. Cindy Hill's attempts to transform at Dept of Ed jobs to at-will status is the opening salvo.

Creative placemaking in downtown Cheyenne

Abby Rowswell

Very encouraging to see the Cheyenne Arts Council add music to the gallery walk held the second Thursday of the month in central Cheyenne. I should say "music and the written word." I was the featured writer at AD&D last month at Clay Paper Scissors. Melodic I was not. But there was some humor.


There will be two venues hosting musical performances at the August 11 art tour. 

First make your way to the Cheyenne Artists Guild at 1701 Morrie Ave (in Holliday Park) for a duet by Harpist David Shaul and Oboist Abby Rowswell. The concert will have two sets. The first from 5-6 p.m. and the second from 7-8 p.m.

Abby Rowswell recently graduated from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and French. Most recently, she played with the Beijing International Chamber Orchestra while working in China. Music is one of her many passions, including knitting, cooking, and reading good books. 

David Shaul is a Wyoming native who studied pedal harp with Suzanne McDonald. Over the years his range has expanded to include cross-strung, Celtic, Latin, and Asian harps. He has been principal harpist with symphony orchestras in Arizona and California. A virtuoso performer on both folk and pedal harp, Dave does concerts, workshops, and lectures on World harps, pan-Celtic, and Renaissance/Baroque harp music. Dave's harp styles range from Latin to European to Asian. With a Ph.D. in anthropological linguistics from U.C. Berkeley, he speaks two Native American languages.

From 6-8 p.m., enjoy the fiddling fingers of Phil ‘N' The Blanks at Deselms Fine Arts at 300 East 17th Street. 

Phil ‘N’ the Blanks is a family band from Cheyenne. Julee and Dave Kramer (Mom and Dad) have been performing together since high school so when little Phil started fiddling in the 4th grade it was only a short time before he was begging to go gigging too. Since 2005, the band has performed a mix of bluegrass, Celtic, swing and gospel music in a variety of venues throughout Colorado and Wyoming.

This month's music has been provided through the Cheyenne Arts Council

Garden hit by hail? Mine was. Get your fresh produce at the WY Fresh Market

Wyoming Fresh Market is open from 3-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Historic Depot Plaza in Cheyenne.

Here are some highlights:

• Farm-Fresh Local Produce, Meats, and Eggs
• Colorado Tree Fruits
• Gourmet Pastas from Denver
• Fresh, Local Baked Goods, Honey, and Jams
• Tortillas, Chips, and Salsas
• Live Plants, Bedding, Perennials, House Plants
• Hand-crafted, Natural Body Care Products
• Local Artisans and Crafts
• Children's Activities and Musicians to be scheduled
• Dinner on the Plaza - BBQ and more
• Info at http://www.wyomingfarmersmarkets.org/ or call Verena Booth at 307-637-8048.

WY Dems wish WI Dems success in recall

Wyoming Democratic Rep. Jim Byrd sends this message:

We should all go to this FB page and post a comment of support for the WI recall effort. Here is the link and BTW tell them you are from Wyoming in your post.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/permalink.phpstory_fbid=10150332526854134&id=629664133#!/media/set/?set=a.10150252932135669.322025.139173095668&type=1¬if_t=like

List of Wyoming legislators with ties to ALEC

Want to know where the wackiest bills will come from in the next session of the Wyoming Legislature? Look no further than the Wyoming legislators with ties to ALEC. Wondering how many of them are in New Orleans this week getting their marching orders from richy-rich right wingers the Koch Brothers, major funders of ALEC. Note that Dem Sen. John Hastert is an ALEC member. And he's a Democrat? Cross-reference these names from the Wyoming House list and the Wyoming Senate list. Lists courtesy of ALEC Exposed at the Center for Media and Democracy.


Wyoming House of Representatives

§  Rep. Peter Illoway (R-42), State Chairman 

§  Rep. Allen Jaggi (R-18)

§  Rep. Lorraine Quarberg (R-28)

§  Rep. Richard L. Cannady (R-06), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member

§  Rep. Lisa A. Shepperson (R-58), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member

§  Rep. Carl R. Loucks (R-59), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member

§  Rep. Dan Zwonitzer (R-43), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member

§  Rep. Rosie M. Berger (R-51), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member

§  Rep. Charles P. Childers (R-50), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member

§  Rep. Bryan K. Pedersen (R-07), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member

§  Rep. Tim Stubson (R-56), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member

§  Rep. Lorraine K. Quarberg (R-28), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member

§  Rep. Thomas E. Lubnau, II (R-31), ALEC International Relations Task Force Member

§  Rep. Kathy Davison (R-20), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member

§  Rep. Thomas Lockhart (R-57), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member

§  Rep. Matt Teeters (R-05), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Alternate and Education Task Force Member

§  Rep. John Eklund, Jr. (R-10), ALEC Education Task Force Member

§  Rep. Allen M. Jaggi (R-18), ALEC Education Task Force Member

§  Rep. Pete S. Illoway (R-42), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member

§  Rep. Jon A. Botten (R-30), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member

§  Rep. Clarence J. Vranish (R-49), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member

§  Rep. Sue Wallis (R-52), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate

§  Rep. Amy L. Edmonds (R-12), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate

§  Rep. Pat Childers (R-50), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Alternate

Wyoming State Senate

§  Sen. Grant Larson (R-17), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member

§  Sen. Bruce Burns (R-21), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member

§  Sen. Stan Cooper (R-14), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member

§  Sen. Curt E. Meier (R-03), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member

§  Sen. John M. Hastert (D-13), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member

§  Sen. Eli D. Bebout (R-26), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force and International Relations Task Force Member

§  Sen. Leslie Nutting (R-07), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member

§  Sen. Dan Dockstader (R-16), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member

§  Sen. James Anderson (R-02), ALEC Education Task Force Member

§  Sen. Cale Case (R-25), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Alternate and International Relations Task Force Member

§  Sen. Henry H. Coe (R-18), ALEC Education Task Force Alternate

Dammit, Janet, Jackson Hole isn't a planet but a real place with real people (and the Cheneys)

Planet

Jackson Hole (Ansel Adams photo)

Lander's Bill Sniffin knows Wyoming almost better than anyone in the state. He knows newspapers from the inside as a publisher, editor and columnist. He once ran for governor. These days, he spends much of his time traveling and writing about it.

That's why it was disappointing to read in today's syndicated column that Jackson is the perfect name for Jackson is Planet Jackson Hole, the title of the local alternative online newspaper. This distant planet is famous for only two things: the most expensive real estate in the U.S. and the residence of Dick and Lynne Cheney. You might think that the Cheneys own the richest real estate in the U.S., what with the riches the former Veep reaped from Halliburton, both before, during and after his stint in public office. But the richest spread is owned by Richard Fields of the Coastal casino company. His house and 1,750 acres is worth $175 million and it's for sale.

I went to Planet Jackson Hole to get more info. While Fields and his agent tout the hunting and fishing and scenic properties of the spread, its real value is this: it can be divided up into as many as 35 ranchettes. Now we're talking valuable valley real estate.

Planet Jackson Hole

Mr. Sniffin spends quite a bit of ink praising Lynne Cheney for her service to humanity. She recently received the Louisa Swain Foundation annual award. As far as I can tell, the foundation exists to honor Wyoming women, a worthy goal. In 2010, former First Lady and Democrat Jane Sullivan was presented the award at a ceremony in Casper. This year the award went to Mrs. Cheney.

Lynne Cheney is a strong women -- no doubt about that. But her efforts to support other women is up for debate. She's a powerful Republican who spends more of her time and effort supporting her party's reactionary agenda targeting women's rights, workers' rights, voting rights, immigrant rights, etc. She's a Rightie working hard to abrogate the rights of everyone else. That's one way to be a powerful woman.

Lynne Cheney has worked for years to kill the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She was director of the NEH from 1986-1993. Here's how the Swain award wording puts it:

"As chairman of the NEH from 1986 to 1993, she wrote and spoke about the importance of teaching children about the leaders, events and ideas that have shaped our world."

Her P.O.V. has always been colored by her conservative politics. It's telling that she wrote her many books as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. I would say that her history is the polar opposite to Howard Zinn's, but that would be giving her too much credit. Zinn actually did research. Mrs. Cheney read AEI policy papers. In her view, our founding fathers could do no wrong and American foreign policy was always noble.

Here's a sample from a Conservative Book Club review for her children's book, America: A Patriotic Primer:

America: A Patriotic Primer will help you impress upon your children what makes our country great. C, for example, is for "the Constitution that binds us together." Mrs. Cheney doesn't let multiculturalist revisionism stop her from pointing out that "the Constitution of the United States has inspired constitution-writers around the world." Likewise, under "F is for Freedom and the Flag that we fly" she includes instructions on how to fold a flag with the proper respect, and how to say the Pledge of Allegiance! H is for Heroes, I for Ideals, P for Patriotism, and V is for Valor! Those are by no means the only elements in this colorful book that will make liberals blanch. G, proclaims Mrs. Cheney, "is for God in whom we trust. Freedom to worship God as they chose brought people to America. Freedom to worship God as we choose sustains our country today." She also includes capsule profiles of America's heroes: J is for Jefferson, L is for Lincoln, M is for Madison, and W is for Washington!

The book passes the conservative litmus test. America good, rest of world bad. Conservatives good, Liberals bad. White culture good, multiculturalism bad. God-fearing Americans good, non-God-fearing Americans bad. And so on.

Tea Party people like Lynne Cheney's books. Her bugaboos are also theirs: multiculturalism, immigration, peaceniks, populists, eggheads, etc. Excerpts from her books would be (and probably are) welcome in any Texas Board of Education textbook. 

Mrs. Cheney could be a poster person for the conservatives of 2011. Except for one thing -- she publicly opposes the Defense of Marriage Act constitutional amendment. The Cheneys have a lesbian daughter and their personal knowledge of the LGBT world has caused them to rethink this aspect of the conservative agenda.

Perhaps their views also would change if they came out of their mountain redoubt and mingled with some of the Hispanic service workers at Jackson's many hotels and resorts. Jackson has been a trailblazer in bilingual services for its Spanish-speaking newcomers. The Teton County Public Library offers bilingual services and books and programming. The city and county has worked hard to find affordable housing for service workers. 

Maybe if Dick and Lynne came down from the mountain to talk to some of the 4 million tourists that come to the area each year. Might open their eyes to the hardships faced by ordinary Americans, hardships that will only get worse as the Tea Party Congress continues their assault on wages and unions and the social safety net. Dick and Lynne might learn a lot about ordinary Americans if they spent a summer as a campground host in one of the National Park Service's many fine campgrounds. Well, they're fine now but won't be once Republicans finish their dismantling of government services.

Planet Jackson Hole is a place where real people live. The Cheneys might want to take some time out to meet some of them and hear their stories. It might change their world view. Dick may be too far gone. But Lynne? She was an English major just like me. There must be some liberal arts flexibility remaining in that doctrinaire mind.

Al Simpson interview: Obama smarter than those "trying to hammer him"

Denver Post political editor Curtis Hubbard landed a great interview with former Wyoming Sen. Al Simpson. Some highlights are in today DP with the whole interview appearing on Sunday. Go to http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2011/08/05/simpson-guys-trying-to-hammer-obama-ought-to-give-it-up/35502/

Here's my favorite quote thus far:

This guy (Obama) is a little bit smarter than some of the guys who are trying to hammer him. They ought to give it up.

This one, illustrating the reason that Pres. Obama didn't publicly endorse the Simpson-Bowles commission findings, is pure Big Al:

So along came (Rep. Paul) Ryan (R-Wis.), who’s got guts, too, and Ryan knew, he’d been on the commission, and the biggest extraordinary engine that will eventually just eat up America is Medicare. And it doesn’t matter if you call it Obamacare or Elvis Presleycare or I-don’t-give-a-damn-care. It can’t work. It’s totally on autopilot, so, Ryan said, ‘Well, I know I’m going to get ripped, but I’m going for the jugular, of the mastodon in the kitchen,’ and he got ripped. That’s exactly what would have happened to Obama.

"Obamacare or Elvis Presleycare or I-don’t-give-a-damn-care." Good one, Big Al.

Sitting on the dock of the Potomac, life seems pretty good

I've been in D.C. less than 24 hours and I've seen more sunburned tourist skin than dark suits.

Congress is on vacation, you see. They are back on their home turf staging town meetings. Guys like Tea Party Slim are mad as hell at Congress for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. They are going to raise Cain at town meetings. Meanwhile, guys like me will be haranguing Congressional reps for being such babies before agreeing to raise the debt ceiling.

These town hall meetings are sure to sparkle with wit and charm.

Watching CNN yesterday in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, I noticed that the Dow fell 512 points, give or take. That's a big chunk, 512 points. Add that to the losses suffered the day before, the DJIA erased a year's gains in the blink of an eye. The wink of John Boehner's eye.

But in Dupont Circle, the citizenry still spends money. As I sat in a window seat at Kramerbooks Afterwords Cafe and Grill, I watched an unending stream of humanity quaff beer and munch on soft shell crab sandwiches. It's Friday night! Everyone be of good cheer!

A group of Boy Scouts trooped by the Kramerbooks' window. The kids looked pretty healthy. They seemed to be having a good time. In the store, people bought books. Young people partied in the bars and in the streets. They didn't appear overly worried about the fate of our nation.

Sometimes, looks can be deceiving.

UPDATE: While I was writing this, I hadn't yet seen the news that Standard & Poor's had reduced the U.S. credit rating for the first time in history. Its main reason was the recent debt ceiling fight. Thanks Sen. Enzi and Sen. Dr. Barrasso. Next time I'm thinking of putting you two in charge of our country's credit rating, I'll think twice.

UPDATE: From the New York Times:

“The U.S. government has to come to terms with the painful fact that the good old days when it could just borrow its way out of messes of its own making are finally gone,” China’s official news agency, Xinhua, said in a harshly worded commentary.

Next time we need a loan, better call Don Corleone.

Democratic Party Community Picnic & Friendraiser Aug. 21 in Cheyenne

Democratic Community Picnic & Friendraiser

Sunday, August 21, 2011 4-7 pm

Holliday Park

Fun for the Whole Family!

Good eats! Community organizing! Hijinks!

Matt Damon defends teachers

The Progressive: ALEC, Republicans Beat Up On Kids in Special Ed

To see what's coming Wyoming's way in the form of ALEC-sponsored "education" bills, read this story in The Progressive: ALEC, Republicans Beat Up On Kids in Special Ed

Wyoming Republican legislators will be traveling to the ALEC wingnut conference in August to get their marching orders for the next session. Beating up on special ed kids will be in the mix.

I am the father of two children who benefited from the very comprehensive special education programs offered in public schools in Colorado, Maryland and Wyoming. While not all teachers and administrators were easy to work with, they all had to comply with federal regulations as spelled out in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other legislation.

It's a different story in private schools. Those schools do not have to comply with IDEA. And some of those schools according to The Progressive, are fly-by-night academies who prey on parents desperate for solutions to their children with learning disabilities and/or behavior problems.

The Fix list is in, and hummingbirdminds is on it

Chris Cilliza at the Washington Post's The Fix recently put out a call for the year's best political blogs in each of the 50 states.

Making the list for Wyoming are Jeremy Pelzer's Wyoming Capitol Journal at the Casper Star-Tribune and hummingbirdminds. Thanks to Larry Kurtz at South Dakota's Interested Party for pointing this out.

Regional prog-blogs making the list are Square State in Colorado, Madville Times in S.D., and Montana Cowgirl in Montana.

Great company for this humble ink-stained electron-drenched wretch.

If you want to see candidates for future best-of lists, go to my right sidebar under WY Progressives and click away.

Rep. Cynthia Lummis votes against further cuts to the NEA

Stunned Wyoming arts advocates passed this along to me so I'm sharing it with you:

House Votes against NEA Funding Cuts; Strong Comeback for Arts Advocacy  

July 29, 2011

From: Thomas L. Birch, Legislative Counsel, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies 

The vote in the House of Representatives on July 28 demonstrated a strong victory for arts advocates intent on gaining legislative support for federal arts funding. The amendment offered by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), a freshman in Congress and a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), would have reduced 2012 appropriations for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to $125 million from the level of $135 million proposed in the bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Walberg sponsored a similar amendment last February to bring 2011 NEA funds down to $125 million. That amendment passed by a vote of 217-209. Yesterday's vote, recorded at 181-240, defeated the Walberg amendment. 

This time around, the voting patterns noticeably shifted. Even some of our champions in Congress were surprised at the size of the winning vote. In February, 22 Republicans joined all but three Democrats in voting against the arts funding cut. This week, all Democrats and 55 Republicans voted together to defeat the move to reduce the NEA funds. Conservative Republicans teamed up with moderates from their own party to carry the vote. Almost half the Republicans voting in support of the NEA's budget and against the Walberg amendment are, like Walberg, freshmen in Congress and RSC members. 

Clearly, forces combined to win that outcome. The advocacy of NASAA's members was strong and engaged. Personal contacts carried the day. Our colleagues in other arts organizations were equally involved through their grass-roots networks. Our bipartisan champions in Congress stood visibly against the proposed funding cut. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), chair of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, had pledged earlier to oppose attempts on the House floor to cut the NEA budget. He was true to his word and his Democratic colleague on the subcommittee, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), was eloquent on the floor in defense of federal arts funding. The co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus played major roles during the floor debate. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) organized floor speeches with her colleagues to speak against the Walberg amendment. Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) whipped votes against the amendment from among his Republican colleagues. 

Here are the 55 Republicans who voted to hold the line on cuts to the NEA, opposing the Walberg amendment. Each of them deserves special thanks. Please let your representatives know how much you appreciate their position in support of the NEA budget and the important role the funding plays in your state. 

Republicans voting against the Walberg amendment:  

--clip--

Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming. 

The House of Representatives plans to continue meeting through the weekend to finish work on the Interior Appropriations Bill—and to produce a plan for raising the debt ceiling—but their work is done on the arts appropriations.  

Many thanks again to all of you for your effective advocacy in turning around an important vote on the way to realizing the best possible budget for the NEA in 2012. Please take a moment to express your thanks to your own representatives who stood up in support of funding for the arts.

Thank you, Rep. Lummis. Don't get to say that very often.

Wyoming August night haiku

Dog nights of summer

So still outside my window

Distant barking dogs

Rural states will be hurt the most with arts cutbacks

Kansas

Wyoming

From today's article, "Arts outposts stung by cuts in state aid," in the New York Times:

...much of America’s artistic activity does not happen in major recital halls and theaters; instead it occurs in places like Lucas [KS], population 407, where the cultural attractions include S. P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden historic folk art site and where smaller arts organizations are highly dependent on state grants. 

This is also true in Wyoming. The big differences between Wyoming and Kansas?

Well, Wyoming has a population of 550,000 while Kansas tips the people scale at 2,853,000 -- about five times the Equality State count.

Kansas is flat while Wyoming is anything but. Wyoming is more white than Kansas -- 91 percent to 83 percent. Way above the 50-state average of 72 percent.

One other thing. Wyoming funds the arts a lot better than does Kansas.

Wyoming Arts Council budget: $2.1 million ($1.3 million from the state legislature)

Kansas Arts Commission budget: zero.

Why the difference. Well, the Know Nothings on the Radical Christian Right have a firmer hold on Kansas than on Wyoming. Yes, we have kooky Tea Party types in our legislature. This most recent legislative session told us that. But we can't hold a candle to Kansas.

As do most states, Kansas has a split personality. You have your city liberals and your rural conservatives. But worse -- the state's southern half is part of the Bible Belt. Not only are they conservative. They're bat-shit crazy as is the case with so many on the literalist Radical Christian Right. Remember the battles over evolution (science) vs. creationism in the curriculum.

No Bible Belt in Wyoming. O.K., we have the LDS influence in southwest Wyoming. The most radical Right of the 2010 GOP gubernatorial candidates was Ron Micheli from Uinta County. He's indicative of the very conservative leanings of the state's LDS population.

Here's an irony for you though. Our neighbor Utah, home of the international LDS conglomerate, has the nation's oldest state arts agency, established in 1899. Wonderful ballet and symphony and arts education programs in the Beehive State. But most of the politics is conservative, even reactionary. State firearm anyone?

Wyoming, as a rule, has a live-and-let-live attitude. Not always -- Judy Shepard, Matt's mom, could attest to that. When conflicts arise over art and the funding of art, the battle can get pretty brutal. The Grand Poobahs of the state's oil and gas industry were none too pleased recently with Chris Drury's public installation at UW. Entitled "What Goes Around Comes Around," it illustrates the link between the burning of coal and forest pine beetle infestations caused by global warming. The controversy over the work began with an incendiary piece in the Casper Star-Tribune, raged around the blogs for a day or two, and then died. Perhaps our state's leaders were away fishing in the Wind Rivers or wrapped up in Cheyenne Frontier Days. The fooferaw died out and now Drury's sculpture is drawing lots of visitors.

The biodegradable piece, part of the UW Art Museum's outdoor sculpture project, was partially funded by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund.

During these crazy times, Wyoming will not be immune from Radical Right attacks on art and arts funding. All gubment programs and all creativity will come under attack from these Know Nothings.

This leaves me with one final question: WTF is wrong with Kansas? With a little editing, this could be a book title.

House concerts catching on in Cheyenne

Casper musicians Amy Gieske and Cory McDaniel perform at a Cheyenne house concert Sunday evening. Cheyenne organizers snagged the duo on their way back to Casper from a fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity in Albany County. House concerts are nothing new but catching on in Wyoming as a grassroots way to hear live music in an intimate setting.  Photo by Linda Coatney.