The SEIU marches for jobs for the 99%

My national union hits the streets to support the 99%. Proud to be a member  -- my local is WPEA, the Wyoming Public Employees Union. The Wyoming State Legislature will be attacking our jobs, our pay and our benefits when the session begins in February. We also will be out on the streets. Meanwhile, tell Congress that you stand with the 99% at www.seiu.org

WYDOT finds funds for local safety project

Congrats to Pete Laybourn and the members of the 180/Greeley Highway Enhancement Coalition for securing funds to address safety issues at one of the busiest intersections in Cheyenne. Southside residents on foot, bikes and wheelchairs have to negotiate this crazy intersection to get to the only grocery store in the area. In this Channel 5 news clip, Pete takes time out to thank Gov. Mead for pushing to increase funds for highways and other infrastructure needs in the face of a Republican-dominated Legislature intent on cutting such funds by up to 8 percent even when the state has a billion-dollar surplus. For full story, go to Greeley Highway Getting Safer

Watch the ball drop and support downtown businesses Dec. 31 in Cheyenne

http://www.facebook.com/events/203689459716924/?notif_t=event_invite

New Wyoming Public Media site features podcasts of home-grown and visiting performers

WPR's Grady Kirkpatrick (left) with
Teresa Jordan and Hal Cannon.

Wyoming Public Media's slick new web site features a number of excellent podcasts of interviews with Wyoming based performers -- and those with ties to Wyoming. Some of these interviews were conducted by Grady Kirkpatrick on WPR's "Morning Music." One of my favorites is one from Sept. with Hal Cannon and Teresa Jordan. Hal is founder of the Western Folklife Center in Elko, home of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Teresa is his wife and Laramie County, Wyoming, native, author of the fantastic award-winning memoir, "Riding the White Horse Home." I had the opportunity to see Hal and Teresa perform at a house concert during their September swing through the state. They know their traditional cowboy music -- and they have some great songs of their own! Other podcasts feature Miss "V" the Gypsy Cowbelle (Cora), Spencer Bohren (raised in Casper and now lives in New Orleans), Green River's Brian Ragsdale and bluegrass duo Anne and Pete Sibley of Jackson. Internationally-renowned dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones was interviewed during his fall residency at the University of Wyoming. Ira Glass, producer of NPR's "This American Life," was interviewed before his November appearance at UW. To listen, go to http://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/term/arts

Now it's time to "occupy the arts"

Holly Sidford writes on the Grantmakers for the Arts site about the new report she authored, "Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy," for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Sidford is a strategic planner, program developer and fund-raiser with 30 years experience with cultural organizations and philanthropy. Here's her intro:

Every year, approximately 11 percent of foundation giving – about $2.3 billion in 2009 – is awarded to nonprofit arts and cultural institutions. The distribution of these funds is demonstrably out of balance with our evolving cultural landscape and with the changing demographics of our communities. Current arts grantmaking disregards large segments of cultural practice, and by doing so, it disregards large segments of our society.

Food for thought for all of us who work in the arts-funding biz.

For full report: http://www.giarts.org/article/fusing-arts-culture-and-social-change

Cross-posted from the Wyomingarts blog

Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis: "She is the 1%! She is the 1%!"

Wyoming Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis speaks as Rep. Eric Cantor looks on (from Rep. Lummis's Facebook page)

Depending in which year's Congressional financial disclosure you use, Wyoming Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis is either the 25th-richest or 29th-richest member of the U.S. Congress. This, in itself, is not bad. But this status as a member in good standing of the 1% does help explain her voting patterns in support of big corporations, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (the 1%), cuts in federal programs for the 99%, drill-baby-drill, weakening of environmental regulations, anti-worker legislation, corporate personhood and all the rest. Read Greg Nickerson's excellent WyoFile article at http://wyofile.com/2011/12/wyoming-delegation-rep-cynthia-lummis-among-richest-members-of-congress/

New web resources for Occupy Wyoming and Occupy Cheyenne

Occupy Wall Street/Wyoming, USA, is a new "resource aggregation" blog. It's carrying some handy statewide news about the Occupy movement. Go to its post featuring links at http://occupywyoming.wordpress.com/occupy-groups/.

The fact that comments are hidden on the new site is a good thing. Right-wing trolls are beginning to pop up on the Occupy Cheyenne Facebook page and photo posts by members. Trolls are not impossible to banish but those who don't understand their insidious little games let them hitchhike on their status updates.

It's tough to keep calm in the face of stupid. But I try.

On the other hand, Occupiers can't be too defensive. One intriguing aspect of Occupy is that you never know who's going to show up for gatherings. A young guy at the open mic Saturday said he didn't agree with most of what had been said but he did agree that a dangerous alliance had developed between big money and elected government. I don't have a photo of his sign but the header was "I am" and then there were three checkboxes below that: Democrat, Republican, Pissed Off. There was a checkmark in the "Pissed Off" box. A life-long Dem, I am more likely these days to check off that same box.

I've been snarky with those who blast Occupy Cheyenne. A better strategy is to nod and smile and move on. I'll try to keep that in mind.

Note that there's also a new web site for Occupy Cheyenne. Check it out. It just got started so we're trying to keep up. Keep posted...

"Come Together" at Occupy Cheyenne

YouTube video by Annie Shay

While stalking the family tree, I ponder dust storms in the high mountains

Family with trophy tree, Snowy Range, Wyoming

Warm December days, still nights and lunar eclipses probably presage a cold, windy snowy Christmas. But for now, I'm enjoying the weather.

I as thinking of the weather yesterday when hiking up a snow-packed trail near Corner Mountain in the Snowy Range. Our family was in search of our Christmas tree. We don't need snowshoes because we stay on the cross-country ski trail which has been packed down by cross-country skiers and no new snow has been added the past five days.

There's good snowpack this year, thus far, despite the recent warm spell. But if it's to equal last year's record, it will have to start snowing again and keep it coming through May. Last spring and early summer flood warnings were in effect all over Wyoming. This was the second year for that after a decade of drought. That's how it goes in the West.

The snow-melt cycle may be changing, according to an article in the New York Times. Dust that originates in the Four Corners region may be increasing and that may affect what happens in the Rockies each spring. There is an entity invesitating this and you can check out some of their finding at a web site. The Colorado Dust-on-Snow (CODOS) project is part of the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies based in Silverton, Colo. There may not be a better place for snow and avalanche research than Silverton.

The NYT article was fascinating. Here's an excerpt:

In the last few years, winter dust storms on the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado have sharply increased in number, affecting the rate of melting snows into the Colorado River, a main source of water for agriculture and for the drinking supply for more than 20 million people. Of 65 so-called dust-on-snow events since 2003, when tracking began, 32 have struck in just the last three years, according to the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, a nonprofit research group based in Silverton, Colo. Dust can accelerate how fast snow melts because it absorbs heat.

“It’s not a mysterious process,” said Chris Landry, the organization’s executive director. “Anybody who has thrown coal dust on their driveway or sidewalk to melt it down knows the theory.”

Much of the dust carries a distinct chemical signature, too, heavy in iron oxides. The same rust-colored mineral that makes red-rock canyon country of Utah and Arizona can also absorb solar energy, again potentially accelerating the rate and timing of snow melt in crucial watersheds.

Looking at the CODOS study map, I notice that two of the research areas are in northern Colorado at the headwaters of the North Platte. I'm going to look into those stats to see how it affects the river that flows through half of Wyoming.

So, at the same time we're getting more snow, it's melting faster. The land dries out and we get more dust storms in Utah, Arizona and California. Visibility suffers. Asthma cases increase. Read Kirk Johnson's Dec. 10 NYT article about changing air quality in the West. 

All of this, of course, is tied in with global climate change.

As I hike the winter Rockies, I think about that all that. We're on a family outing. We have a U.S. Forest Service permit in hand that allows us to thin the tree herd. There will be a line of cars and trucks all day shuttling in and out of the Snowies with trophy trees on their roof racks. The USDA says that this tree-trimming helps to maintain a healthy forest. There are environmentalists who say it is a waste of time and energy. That may also be true. Our forests are in trouble, which is definitely true. On Sunday, we walked among beetle-killed trees. This area is not so bad compared to other parts of the Snowies, especially the west slope where campground have been closed for the culling of beetle-killed trees. 

We bagged out tree and had a great time. Dust, meanwhile, was all around us but hard to see. Hard to see, but taking its toll.  

Beautiful day for "We are the 99%" rally in Cheyenne

Union members at Occupy Cheyenne

Railroaders, electricians, state employees, teachers, construction workers, students, artists, a contingent from Occupy Fort Collins, retirees and at least one minister gathered together for the "We are the 99%" rally today in Cheyenne. That minister, Rodger McDaniel, delivered a heartfelt speech in which he urged us all to get much more involved in the political process. He was especially tough on his fellow Baby Boomers, asking us to to get back into the public arena so we don't leave a wasteland for our children and grandchildren.

Rev. Rodger McDaniel addresses Occupy Cheyenne rally

Kim Floyd was there, representing the 18,000 AFL-CIO members in Wyoming. He was adamant that we need to work together to oust the 24 Tea Party legislators that found their way into the Wyoming State Legislature during the 2010 elections. They will be back for the 2012 session, and we need to make sure that this is their last legislative outing, said Floyd.

Occupy Cheyenne protesters with Chief Washakie statue in the background

Local artist Forrest King read the newly-minted proclamation drafted by Occupy Cheyenne over the course of painstaking GA gatherings during the past month. A number of attendees spoke truth to power, telling their own stories about their involvement in Occupy Cheyenne. Erin Madson was one of them.

Occupy Cheyenne family photo on the steps of the Wyoming State Capitol

Following the Capitol steps gathering, we walked down Capitol Ave. to the Depot Plaza. We sang songs and carried signs. Activist and physician Jason Bloomberg led the procession, bearing one of Cheyenne's biggest American flags. There were 50 of us by the time we got to the Depot Plaza (rampaging wolves claimed several of our number). We did call-and-response chants across 16th Street, urging motorists to "honk if you're the 99%." Much honking ensued. Becky Orr from the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle interviewed several of us. We have fun when we gather together. We ended the day with a walk along Central Avenue back to the State Capitol steps.

Taking it to the streets at Occupy Cheyenne

It was a beautiful day filled with beautiful people.

Keep posted. You will be hearing a lot more from Occupy Cheyenne.

Laramie River station one of the nation's dirtiest power plants

The EPA may not be working very effectively when it comes to protecting our air and water. But it will be totally toothless if the all-Republican Wyoming Congressional delegation gets its way.

From WPR:

Wyoming is home to one of the nation’s dirtiest power plants, according to a new study by the Environmental Integrity Project. The report examined emissions reports from power plants around the country and found that Basin Electric’s Laramie River station is one of the top 10 emitters of arsenic, chromium, nickel and selenium. Those are all toxic heavy metals.

FMI: http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/wyoming-home-one-one-countrys-filthiest-power-plants#.TuJLpe5c63Y.email

Visiting the "Landscape as Metaphor" exhibit at Lincoln Center in Fort Collins

My son Kevin and I attended the opening of an art exhibit last night at the Lincoln Center Gallery in Fort Collins. "Specific Environments: The Landscape as Metaphor" features the work of 39 artists from throughout the U.S. They used "landscape, nature and the land" to portray new visions of the world around us.

Two Wyoming artists are in the show, which continues through January. David Jones of Laramie had a piece called "Car Dealership" that is basically a model of an abandoned structure that's attached to the gallery wall so the roof faces out. David, who attended the opening, is big on these sorts of industrial-themed installations. One of them is featured in the Wyoming Arts Council biennial show now at the Center for the Arts Gallery in Jackson. Georgia Rowswell has a handmade paper piece in the show. Georgia is from Cheyenne and you can see her work at her gallery/studio The Artful Hand or at the show at the Hynds Building downtown.

This isn't in the Fort Collins show but gives you an idea of Wyoming artist David Jones' industrial-based art installations: "Goldmines,"
acrylic and spray paint and graphite on branded panel with steel, wood, and threaded installation components, 11'x6'x1'

Juror for the "Landscape as Metaphor" show was Leanne Goebel of Pagosa Springs, Colo. The Arts Council has coaxed Leanne to be one of its jurors for its visual arts fellowships in 2012. She'll be traveling across the border to the "Click!" conference that the WAC, the UW Art Museum and the Pipeline Art Project are putting on in Pinedale March 30-April 1. More info available soon on the WAC blog.

Ran into environmental artist Lynne Hull at the exhibit. She once called Wyoming home and many of her pieces can be seen outdoors around the state. Also saw my former WAC colleague Liliane Francuz. She retired a few years ago and now has a thriving arts career in Fort Collins. She recently had a show with Florence McEwin at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

Kevin, who will be attending CSU next year, liked the video presentations by Chris Coleman and Laleh Mehran. He also admired the work by Gregory Euclide which uses natural and found objects such as sticks, rocks, lichen, moss and abandoned paint cans. I liked Amanda Small's two-story-high wall installation that used fabric, ceramics and wallpaper to portray a Norwegian fjord.

The fact that artists see the natural environment in new and interesting ways is nothing new. It's just a good thing that more and more exhibitions are featuring that work. Timely and thought-provoking.

Defying the odds, Occupy movements take to the streets in Red State Wyoming

Indie  journalist Arun Gupta has been traveling the country with videographer Michele Fawcett interviewing Occupy protesters and attending rallies. He interviewed eight Occupy Cheyenne members on Nov. 28. I was one of them. I’m included in the following story from Salon. Let me just pause here to say that the Occupy Cheyenne members I’ve met are a brave and dedicated bunch.  They care for the cause and they care for each other. They have spent countless hours demonstrating peacefully in freezing temps. They sing songs and carry signs, as the song says, and many say hurray for our side – the 99%. They have spent many hours drafting a declaration that you can read it here. I also salute those Occupy Laramie folks interviewed for this story. I know some of them, notably Nancy Sindelar, a military veteran who’s been on that same downtown street corner for a decade protesting needless wars.

Read the following story and think about where you’d like to be on Saturday, Dec. 10. I’ll be at the State Capitol at noon. Which side are you on? The 99%? Or the 1%?

We are the 99%!

Here’s the Wyoming segment of “Fear and Occupation in Red State America” on Salon:

Occupy Cheyenne supporters say fierce winds and bitter cold have prevented them from camping outside so we caught up with eight of them on a weekday at the sleek new Laramie County Public Library. Beth Buczynski, a rapid-talking freelance editor and writer, said the Occupy movement made her “hopeful for the first time in a long time” because now “there are millions of people … all speaking together.” 

In addition to standing on street corners protesting wealth and power inequalities, the group has twice presented a workshop called “how the 1 percent crashed the economy.” Buczynski said one advantage of the workshop is that “people can hear things and talk about things without having to take a public stand.” 

Leah Zegan, a coffee-shop manager who is active in a local Unitarian Universalist Church, said education was important because of the various responses to their demonstrations. 

“People would come up and talk to us about it but they knew nothing about it,” she said. “Or if they knew about the Occupy movement they had no idea something like this was happening in Cheyenne.” Or they were unsure if “it would be safe for them to come because of the way that Wyoming is.” 

Mike Shay, a father of two college-age children and anti-Vietnam War protester as a youth, takes the hostility in stride. “I’m a veteran of enough protests to realize you’re going to get flipped off. You’re going to get yelled at. We all know how to handle that as nonviolent protesters.” 

What did surprise Shay is “how much interest there has been,” plus the fact that the movement is “nonviolent, is thoughtful, and comes from an organic place. When Occupy Cheyenne appeared it was sort of out of the ground. I said … ‘This is great, now who are these people?’” 

About 100 people attended the first protest on Oct. 15, which everyone said “was a lot for Cheyenne.” As elsewhere, the economy is a core concern as the country’s economic crisis has arrived on many people’s doorsteps. 

Robert Crawford, an unemployed 44-year-old photographer, says healthcare is a big issue because “I’m a diabetic, my 7-year-old son has already had back surgery, and he has multiple health issues.” Erin Madson says she can’t find a job despite having a master’s in biology, and both she and her sister are disabled and unable to receive proper healthcare. Ed Waddell said while people in Cheyenne are “fed up and upset” about the suffering, the problem is “they don’t understand what’s happening. They don’t know what’s being done to them.” 

Blame that on the media, say occupiers. Zegan says, “People just don’t know what’s going on or they just hear about it from Fox News.” 

Larry Struempf grew up on his parents’ cattle ranch near Laramie, which is infamous as the site of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998. The 41-year-old Struempf describes his parents as “extreme GOP members.” Of his six siblings, he says, those “who went to college became liberal. The ones who didn’t remained conservative.” He says “many, many people in the community are extremely against the Occupy Movement.” The press, especially Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, portrays occupiers “as all unemployed, people who want to mooch off society, that are trying to just have the wealthy people give the poor people their money.” 

In Laramie, Struempf explains, “It’s so much easier, even if you do support [the Occupy movement], to just be quiet.” He adds, “It’s scary.  Times are hard, even though Wyoming is doing well. If you lose your job, you lose your house, you go live on the streets, and it’s not a forgiving environment.” 

A 12-year resident of Laramie, Lindy Murphy was laid off recently from the U.S. Postal Service. She says her co-workers would bad-mouth the union. 

“Nobody seemed to understand that the union was what gave them these great jobs,” she said. “They played Rush Limbaugh over the radio at the post office when we were sorting mail. When you got into the mail vehicle the radio was tuned to Rush Limbaugh. It was very much part of the culture.” 

Murphy, who owned a bar and restaurant in Texas for 18 years prior to being a mail carrier, says the post office let her go after a three-year stint as a “transitional employee” rather than make her a union member as required. 

Despite being unemployed for 10 months at the age of 56, Murphy said, “The Occupy movement is the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my lifetime and I would never believe it would happen. I have some disdain for Americans … We’re the ones who just go plunder other countries so we can have more.  And it’s like, oh, people have been paying attention!  People do know what’s going on!” She adds that she is “disappointed that more people aren’t standing up” in Laramie, but she is excited by the broader movements, including the Arab Spring. 

While Laramie’s Facebook page has just 68 members and eight occupiers joined the Christmas parade with signs encouraging people to “buy local, pay cash,” it does provide a sense of community to people who previously felt isolated. Mandi Leigh, who is earning a master’s in natural science education at the University of Wyoming, says, “It’s easier to stand up and get over your fear when you have that support and when you have community.” 

The fear is real. Nancy Sindelar, who served 21 years in the Wyoming National Guard and has been conducting a weekly peace vigil in Laramie for more than 10 years, says of the last person who tried to attack her, “I don’t want to brag, but I was still holding my flag and my sign in one hand and he was on the pavement.” A member of Veterans for Peace, Sindelar says that before the first Occupy event, held at the Laramie Peace House, she told a reporter for the Laramie Boomerang, “Absolutely do not put the address of the Peace House in the paper.” She says there have been many “vicious” comments on articles about the Occupy movement. 

The occupations in Wyoming benefit from a spillover effect from other occupations. Leigh says after participating in an Occupy Denver march of some 3,000 people, “I was really inspired, so I got involved with these guys,” in Laramie. 

Sindelar says the first Occupy event she attended with a few other people was in Casper, Wyo. “The next week it was in Cheyenne and I said, we’re Laramie, we gotta do something, so we called one here, and had it in the plaza.” 

Beth Buczynski says she happened to be in Austin, Texas, on the day the occupation began and “just completely felt that something I was waiting for was happening, so when I got back here and found an Occupy Cheyenne page I was thrilled and surprised and decided to meet these folks and do whatever I could to help out.”

Drinking Liberally on a cold Wyoming night

We occupied comfy chairs at a local bar Tuesday night. The fireplace at the center of the room roared -- baby it's cold outside. We talked about all of the burning local issues. We drank beer and wine. The tall guy from Laramie ordered a mixed drink with roots in the fifties, just like this place with its dark paneled walls and pub-style name and trappings. A few years back, it would have been filled with smoke but those days are over thanks to a few forward-thinking city leaders.

Drinking Liberally. That's the umbrella we operate under on this December night. Title of a national org that promotes the idea that Liberals should gather every so often to drink and swap stories. A few days earlier, an invitation had popped up on Facebook. There have been four of five of these locally during the past year. Last time about ten of us showed up at Shadows Brewpub downtown. We shared the big room with two big-screen TVs and a meeting of the local railroad history club and its Powerpoint presentation. I found myself sneaking peeks at images of old trains. Cheyenne was founded as a railroad supply camp, as were most of the towns along the UP lines in southern Wyoming.

Tuesday night at Poor Richard's. We discussed the issues. Dave wondered why the state Democratic Party was not more assertive. That's a question we've all asked. Thus far, we have no answers. Much talk about Republican Rep. Bob Nicholas and his arrest in Florida. He was accused of beating his mentally challenged son outside of a restaurant. The media and blogs have had a field day with the issue but Nicholas said he did nothing wrong and has no plans to step down. He's a Republican in this one-party state so he has protected status. Others spoke of the continuing defection of Cindy Hill's staff at the State Department of Education. Seven of nine of the DOE's agency directors have abandoned ship in the face of right-wing craziness. The latest to depart was Peg Brown-Clark, the had of special education. Peg is departing for another state, one that presumably takes special education seriously. I worked with her a few years ago and she's a smart and dedicated champion of at-risk kids.

Leah spoke about her campaign to support Safehouse. The local battered women's shelter keeps expanding because the need is so great. She and her artist fiance conduct domestic violence presentation each Sunday at local churches. A few of us (me included) had flyers for the "We are the 99%" rally sponsored by Occupy Cheyenne. Many of the two dozen people in the room at been to a local Occupy rally. Some planned to attend this weekend.

Service was slow so I sauntered over to the bar. A guy in his thirties asked me what the "convention" was for. I told him it wasn't a convention, just some Liberals gathered together to drink liberally. He asked me to name three phrases to describe what we were all about. So good of you to ask! But I knew what he was up to. Republicans in Wyoming think that Liberals must justify their existence in this place that seems to demand fealty to Republicanism, whatever that is. "Why would I want to do that?" I said sweetly. Then I did what most of us do. I made fun. "Over there are all of the Democrats in Wyoming." The other guy at the bar asked, "I didn't know there were so many." Ha ha. The bartender poured my wind-powered New Belgium beer and one of the barflies asked me if I supported Obama. "All the way," I said. "Just look at my bumper sticker." I pointed to the parking lot. A waitress walked up and said the only Obama sticker she would have on her car would be a big O with an X through it. She made a big X in the air with her finger. I wondered why I was even talking to these people. And I wasn't as soon as I had my beers.

"You go to the bar next time," I said to Chris, my wife, as I handed off her beer. She nodded, busily conversing with her friend, Joanne the cowboy romance novelist. I turned to talk to Jim the legislator. He was the only one of us wearing a cowboy hat. He's also the only African-American legislator in the state. His Wyoming roots go way back. His mother Liz grew up in Cheyenne and had one heck of a job getting a teaching job in the school district. She was black, you see. She went on to become a state senator.

I eventually finished my second beer and coaxed Chris toward the door. I stopped to chat with Ken the airline pilot and combat veteran. He nodded toward the crowd and asked if we should have talks or some sort of prepared programs at these gatherings. We both looked around at a room filled with people engaged in lively conversation. "I don't think so," I said, putting on my coat. He looked at me and smiled. Why ruin a good thing, right? The Powerpoints and speeches can wait.

Denver Post blogs about Colorado craft beer

Colorado is the craft-brew capital of the western world (the West, at least), with Ft. Collins the epicenter. So it’s great news that The Denver Post has started its own beer blog. Today’s very seasonal post by Jessica Fender was all about pumpkin ales: 

Be on the lookout for the last drops of Upslope’s Pumpkin Ale, a clear standout this season, and it’s not just me who thinks so. The Boulder brew won a gold metal this year at the Great American Beer Fest. It’s a pumpkin beer for people who like their ales a little less spicy and a bit more refreshing. The brewery says they sold their last pint a week ago, but you never know whether some crafty bar owner has some squirreled away. 

Gov. Matt Mead on budget: State does not need to hurry budget cuts

WY Gov. Matt Mead

Agree with Gov. Mead (and not Know Nothing Republican JAC Chairman Sen. Phil Nicholas) on this one (from Wyoming Public Radio):

Governor Matt Mead presented his budget to the Joint Appropriations Committee and re-asserted his position that the state does not need to hurry to cut budgets. 

Senate JAC Chairman Phil Nicholas has suggested cuts of five to eight percent are needed, so that the state can start setting aside money for future needs.  Governor Mead says they should decide what government services are critical and determine what money the state would need to fund those services. 

"We should decide how much government is needed based on the needs of the citizens of Wyoming, the needs of local government, and try to do a forecasting that is appropriate along with the CREG report,” Mead said. 

Nicholas says projecting future budget costs along with future revenues is probably the best way to build a budget. Nicholas says they need to proceed with the assumption that the Legislature will not agree to a tax increase. 

Artists, musicians and writers illuminate Occupy Movement

Artwork by Cristy C. Road

Great article, "Occupy Your Imagination," by Michele Elam and Jennifer DeVere Brody in the 12/5 issue of Boston Review. All about the importance of the expressive arts to the Occupy Movement:

The [Occupy] movement’s new wave of organic creative expression revives the idea of art as necessity for an engaged citizenry. This is not self-referential art for art’s sake—art that pleases only the artist. Rather, this is timely art—art of and for the times—that is self-consciously responsive to immediate social concerns. Occupy has re-established art as a unique vehicle for social analysis and collective action.

Read entire article at http://www.bostonreview.net/BR36.6/michele_elam_jennifer_devere_brody_occupy_movement_future.php

Helping Haiti’s children through portraits, music and puppetry

From Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studios in Cheyenne (via Wyomingarts blog): 

Clay Paper Scissors has a lot going on this December, and we hope to see you come by at some point this month. We'll be open during Art Design & Dine from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, and also on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Dec. 17 from 3-5 p.m. We are also open by appointment -- just call 307-631-6039 to set up a time.  

We are featuring a show of portraits by Cheyenne artist Paula Egan-Wright called Children of Haiti. These wistful and winsome portraits are being sold as a fundraiser for the new Kay Lesli school for orphans in Haiti. Clay Paper Scissors is donating part of the commission on every piece sold from this show to the project. Additionally, we will be offering some items by local artists that will make great gifts for yourself or someone on your list! We have bright and useful tote bags, beautiful functional pottery, lovely seasonal cards and jewelry for yourself or that special someone. All these items are by Wyoming artists -- most local here in Cheyenne! Support your local artists for Christmas! 

Paula Egan-Wright is offering a couple of opportunities to have your portrait -- or that of someone you love -- done! Portraits are by donation with proceeds supporting the Kay Lesli school in Haiti. Paula will be available on a first come, first serve basis on Dec. 10 from 11:15-1 p.m. and on Dec. 17 from 3-5 p.m. These portraits make unique gifts for grandparents or a special someone. Bring your children or grandchildren down to sit!  

On Dec. 10, Paula Egan-Wright and students will present a puppet show called "The Magic Orange Tree." This short show is a Haitain folktale that paints a portrait of life in Haiti, all the while touching on several contemporary issues -- superstition, the oppression of children, and the public responsibility for meeting the needs of children. The play features several Caribbean melodies and will be performed with puppets by seven dedicated students. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 and is open to the public. Donations benefiting the Kay Lesli school for orphans in Haiti will be gratefully accepted. 

On Dec. 17, 3-5 p.m., there will be an artist reception for Children of Haiti. Paula Egan-Wright will be there doing portraits for donations. These quick portraits make wonderful gifts -- anyone can sit, and all donations benefit the Kay Lesli school. In addition, the vocal trio Just Friends will sing a few syncopated melodies from the islands and some Christmas tunes to add to the ambiance. 

Occupy Cheyenne finishes declaration and plans for Dec. 10 "We are the 99%" rally

Occupy Cheyenne finished drafting its declaration today. Much work went into it -- and lots of coffee and homemade goodies. Read it at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1liMX2YbBypA86KKV5utf6DZe9k00Xg3egmIFMz1vDNc/edit. Puts a lie to the MSM's constant whining about the Occupy Movement's fuzzy focus and lack of purpose.

Join your friends and neighbors, union members and teachers, state employees and students, for the "We are the 99%" rally on Saturday, Dec. 10, noon-3 p.m. We'll start in front of the State Capitol Building on 24th Street. We'll talk a bit, hear details about the declaration, and then walk down to the Depot Plaza for a bit of sign-waving and hot chocolate.

If you're looking for some artistic assistance with your sign, drop by the Cheyenne Unitarian Universalist Church, 3005 Thomas Ave., before the march, 10 a.m.-11:45 a.m. I'm a good word guy but inept when it comes to drawing. But some local artists will be on hand to help us transform our stories and gripes and insights into pleasing placards.

For more info about the Dec. 10 events or about Occupy Cheyenne, contact Leah Zegan, 307-631-3742, or Forrest King, 307-631-6795. Also visit Occupy Cheyenne on Facebook. Reply to the invitation at http://www.facebook.com/events/263765093672372/

Art Design & Dine in Cheyenne wraps up 2011 with art, food, music and figure drawing

Art Design & Dine for Dec. 8