Santorum, Friess, the Catholic Church and the aspirin solution

Reception Feb. 22 for "New West Art at the Hynds" in downtown Cheyenne

New West Art Show at the Hynds 1602 Capitol Avenue Cheyenne. Featuring the work of 15 artists. Rachael Eastman,Don Hendricksen,Terry Kreuzer,Phillippa K. Lack, Edward Marron, Mike McIntosh, Lynn Newman, Sally Newman, Connie Norman,Do Palma, Win Ratz, Jennifer Rife, Kevin Robinett, Georgia Rowswell, Laurel Shelley-Ruess . Public reception this Wednesday February 22 from 5:30 till 7:30. FMI: 630-4077

Santorum wins GOP straw poll in Laramie County

The Wyoming Republican Party is reporting straw poll results on Facebook. Here are the results for Laramie County: Santorum 66, Romney 55, Gingrich 6.

No votes for Ron Paul in Libertarian-leaning Wyoming?

Santorum whips Romney in heavily-Mormon Wyoming?

I can only assume that Laramie County Republicans heart Santorum's anti-birth control, anti-women, anti-gay, anti-public education, anti-public worker, anti-union, anti-immigrant, anti-EPA, anti-science, anti-99%, anti-gubment, anti-nearly-everything-good-in-this-world agenda.

I'm only assuming...

Good news from WPEA: Retirement bill fails introduction in Wyoming House

The Wyoming Public Employees Association reports this today:

HB91, sponsored by Representative Pedersen, a bill to change the Retirement System to a Defined Contribution program, failed to collect the required 2/3 votes of the House members today. The final vote count was 30 ayes and 30 noes; a no vote was the correct vote as it killed the bill.

So, the bill sponsored by Laramie County Republican Bryan Pedersen, failed introduction. It would have radically changed a solvent retirement system that is the envy among other states. One can only assume that this is attempt to certain Republicans to punish us terrible public workers – a trend we’ve seen in other Republican-dominated legislatures in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. But not all Repubs voted for a change only they believe in – note that some of the no votes came from Republicans. Thanks to moderates Del McOmie, Dave Zwonitzer, Owen Petersen, Rita Cannady, Pete Illoway and others. Special thanks to all of our House Democrats. And fie on those Laramie County Republicans who voted for the bill. That includes Rep. Pedersen and my Rep., Bob Nicholas.

The bill will return during next year’s lawmaking session. By then, let’s hope that voters have booted out some of the more regressive Republicans. Not likely, but hope springs eternal among Democrats in the reddest of red states. 

  

Here are the results of the roll call via the Legisweb site. 

Ayes:  Representative(s): Berger, Blikre, Bonner, Brechtel, Brown, Buchanan, Burkhart, Edmonds, Gay, Gingery, Greene, Jaggi, Kasperik, Kroeker, Krone, Lockhart, Loucks, Lubnau, Miller, Moniz, Nicholas B, Peasley, Pedersen, Quarberg, Reeder, Semlek, Stubson, Teeters, Wallis, Zwonitzer, Dn. 

Nays:  Representative(s): Barbuto, Blake, Botten, Byrd, Campbell, Cannady, Childers, Connolly, Craft, Davison, Eklund, Esquibel, K., Freeman, Goggles, Greear, Harshman, Harvey, Hunt, Illoway, Madden, McKim, McOmie, Patton, Petersen, Petroff, Roscoe, Steward, Throne, Vranish, Zwonitzer, Dv. 

Wilderness ethics, Buddhism, and Native American mythology just some of the topics on tap for poet Gary Snyder's Jackson presentation

Gary Snyder, who's given Mother Nature a voice for decades, will be reading from his work March 13-14 in Jackson. Teton County's a bit too far for a jaunt to see Gary, but it's good to know that he's visiting our fair state, energy colony to the nation.

Here's some background on his Wyoming visit:

Get free tickets to “Page to the Podium: Gary Snyder” beginning on Wednesday, February 29 at 5 p.m. at Teton County Library or during regular hours at Alta Branch Library. Tickets are limited to one per card; available first-come, first-serve. Patrons may claim tickets for friends or a spouse but must bring a library card or card number for each ticket they wish to claim.

Snyder’s Page to the Podium event will be on Tuesday, March 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Center Theater. Snyder will give a poetry reading followed by an interview with author, Exum mountain guide, and Zen practitioner, Jack Turner. A book signing with Snyder will complete the evening. Snyder’s Page to the Podium event will be on Tuesday, March 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Center Theater. Snyder will give a poetry reading followed by an interview with author, Exum mountain guide, and Zen practitioner, Jack Turner. A book signing with Snyder will complete the evening.

Snyder’s accomplishments include 18 published collections of poetry and essays, numerous awards and fellowships, countless international interviews, keynote lectures and an endowed chair at University of California at Davis. His writing delves into themes of pollution and overpopulation, wilderness ethics, Buddhist principles, as well as Native American mythology. In 1975, Snyder won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “Turtle Island,” a meditation on the geo-mythical history of the planet. Read more about Snyder at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gary-snyder.

Also, on Wednesday, March 14, from 5:45-7 p.m. at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse, Snyder will give a poetry performance. Space for this second event will be limited, without tickets, and seating is first-come, first-serve.

Learn more about this and many other library events at www.tlcib.org.

Wyoming right-winger Foster Friess prescribes aspirin-between-the-knees for women's contraception

Teton County, Wyoming, billionaire Foster Friess, a member in good standing of the 1% and one of right-wing wacko Rick Santorum's largest funders, wants women to keep their legs -- and mouths -- shut.

Yesterday he said,

This contraceptive thing, my gosh it's such inexpensive, back in my days we used Bayer aspirin for contraception, the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly.

Says Bri Jones:

I am not willing to go back to the days when a woman did not have the choice of when and how to reproduce.  I'm not interested in shutting up. I'm embarrassed for Wyoming.  I don't want people to associate the Equality State with someone so regressive.  I don't want my home state painted as anti-woman. Help me tell a different story.

Will you pitch in $25 today to keep Foster Friess' voice from being the only one coming from Wyoming? 

We deserve a better spokesperson.  Don't let this one go unanswered.  

State budget cuts impact Wyoming's most vulnerable children and families

For the most part, Wyoming fares poorly in children's health care. It's not Alabama-bad, but statistics provided by national organizations regularly put us somewhere in the middle of the pack. This would seem to run counter to Wyoming's status as one of the few states that prospered economically during the past decade. 

The latest Wyoming Kids Count data report ranks Wyoming 28th when it comes to twelve criteria, including teen death rates, low birth weight babies, adequate prenatal care, etc. Here's a summary:

The child well-being indicators in the 2012 Wyoming Kids Count report show improvement over time for just four of the twelve indicators. Results have worsened over time across the remaining eight. Many Wyoming mothers do not receive adequate prenatal care, have difficulty finding a hospital to give birth, and they are often lacking in education about the risk factors that can negatively impact childbirth and child development. 

Whatever the topic -- health care, mental health, substance abuse, K-12 education -- Wyoming ends up ranked either in the bottom of the top tier or the top of the bottom tier. This runs counter to the idea that Wyoming can have it all -- or "do it all," as Gov. Mead said in his recent State of the State speech. We might be able to do it all, but we haven't yet.

This is why it's distressing to learn about cuts to my favorite non-profit organization. UPLIFT provides services to those families with special needs children. I've been a board member since 1998. I've also received UPLIFT services for my special needs children. More about that below. But first, here's is some background on the current budget cuts:

In 2011, thanks to UPLIFT, families of 717 children with special health care needs received support, advocacy, mentoring, and training with a positive impact on their skills in the following areas:

·         Ability to better care for their child at home

·         Ability to advocate for their child’s needs

·         Ability to access needed services

·         Reduction of family stress due to their child’s special health care needs

The most important piece of data indicated parents were better able to care for their children at home thus reducing the need for costly out-of-home place. The average annual cost for a child in out-of-home placement is $120,000.  UPLIFT support services average annual cost is only $1,500 per child.


In 2011 UPLIFT served children in 21 Wyoming Counties. UPLIFT currently maintains 5 regional offices to better serve children and families statewide. Current state budget cuts of 44% will result in the closing of offices and a significant reduction in the number of children and families that will be served.

UPLIFT is the only statewide family-run organization providing these support services and has been an active part of Wyoming communities since 1990. Over the past 5 years UPLIFT has served 3,600 children and their families. Current budget cuts will result in a loss of services to approximately 200 children annually. Without adequate funding, anticipated negative outcomes for families and communities might include increased out-of-home placement, juvenile justice involvement, school failure, and increased family stress.


If you're disturbed by these cuts, contact your state legislators and tell them to do something about it. I did. Here's my e-mail:


Dear Sen. Fred Emerich:

I was shocked to hear this week that Wyoming Department of Health budget cuts to UPLIFT will result in the closing of offices and a significant reduction in the number of children and families that receive crucial services from this non-profit organization. These cuts amount to 44 percent of the funding that UPLIFT receives from the state.

I urge you to support a bill that will restore this funding during the upcoming biennium.

Why is UPLIFT important? It’s been crucial to my family on several occasions. UPLIFT is the only organization in the state that provides one-on-one assistance to families whose children require Individualized Education Programs or IEPs. My son was diagnosed in kindergarten with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Without special help provided by an IEP, he never would have graduated and gone on to college (which he did). IEP meetings require parents to meet with a phalanx of administrators, teachers and counselors from the school. Parents are often clueless as to what they can request as far as special accommodations. UPLIFT provides family support specialists who accompany the parents during these school meetings. My wife and I received assistance from UPLIFT employees at IEP meetings at McCormick Junior High and East High School. All this was at no cost to us.


Our son is a community college grad and will attend CSU in the fall. He's doing just fine, thank you.

Eight years later, our daughter needed assistance to cope with a severe learning disability, epilepsy and Attention Deficit Disorder. UPLIFT staff assisted at IEP meetings. Later, after our daughter was treated in a mental health facility for bipolar disorder, UPLIFT provided crucial wrap-around support to help our daughter transition back to school and the community. This was paid for through the Wyoming Children’s Mental Health Waiver. This was a great thing because, without it, we never could have afforded the long-term mental health care or the transition services. These on-site support services cost much less than in-patient treatment at a mental health facility. The average annual cost for a child in out-of-home placement is $120,000.  UPLIFT support services annually average only $1,500 per child.

I am happy to report that our daughter, now 18, is a student in the music program at LCCC – and received a full scholarship. This would never have happened without crucial services provided by UPLIFT.

We read so much about Wyoming’s pioneer status and the difficulty its citizens have in receiving health care services. Here is an organization that fills a huge need in the state, one that would not be addressed without UPLIFT.

I am not just talking about families in Laramie County where UPLIFT’s main office is located. In 2011, UPLIFT served 717 children in 21 Wyoming counties through its five regional offices. In Fremont County, UPLIFT served 120 children. This county, as you know, is home to thriving communities in Lander and Riverton and Dubois. It is also home to pockets of grinding poverty, substance abuse and domestic violence, both on and off the Wind River Reservation. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that UPLIFT has saved lives in Fremont County.

Over the past five years, UPLIFT has served 3,600 children and their families. Current budget cuts will result in a loss of services to approximately 200 children annually. Without adequate funding, there will be increased out-of-home placement, juvenile justice involvement, school failure, and increased family stress.

I’ve been following the committee meetings leading up to the legislative session. I know that tough budget choices have been made – and will continue during the session. But this is one funding measure that is crucial to the well-being of Wyoming’s children. Please support Sen. Peterson’s amendment. Our families are counting on you.

Sincerely,

Michael Shay

Feel free to use any of my wording. You probably have your own story. Tell it.

In the meantime, contribute to UPLIFT here.

Not Zombie lobbyists -- just Zombies lobbying for a new Wyoming film

No, this isn't just another batch of Zombie energy company lobbyists. They are Zombies though, gathered in front of the State Capitol during the annual Legislative session. This was a flash occupation (note the upside-down "We are the 99%" sign) to promote a new movie being filmed in Wyoming. "From the Trailer to the Grave" is an all-Wyoming production, a "Redneck Zombie Romantic Comedy" with auditions this week around the state. Producer/director is Harrison Sweeney, Worland native and UW grad, last seen in good-ol'-boy roles in "Rizzoli & Isles" and a Foster's Beer commercial. He's the guy (back to camera) with the scarf snapping Zombie photos. Harrison will be talking about his film on Meg Lanker-Simons' bitchin' Friday night radio show this Friday 10 p.m.-1 a.m. on KOCA-FM, 93.5 in Laramie. 

Read it yourself: "Public employee retirement plan"

In reference to my previous post about legislation changing the retirement plan for state employees....

I've posted below the summary of the bill. On its face, it's not so bad. And hey, why should I be so concerned about a bill that doesn't affect my retirement? The bill, if passed, changes retirement for those hired beginning in the next fiscal year. I started with the state many fiscal years ago and I'm closer to retirement than not.

But the state has a great plan already. It's reasonable. It's solvent. It's managed properly by the WRS board. Its assets were not invested foolishly in credit default swaps or some other Wall Street nonsense. In fact, the board issued a public statement in 2011 that supported the current retirement set-up.

Go read it for yourself. And then ask why a change is needed.

Here's the summary from Legisweb:

SF0097-12LSO-0109 Public employee retirement plan.

This bill would modify benefits and requirements for benefits for general members of the public employees retirement plan ("big plan") hired after September 1, 2012. The new benefits would be based on a multiplier of 2% for each year of service (rather than 2.175% for the first 15 years of service and 2.25% for each year thereafter under current law). The bill would also provide that benefits would be based upon the highest 5 years, rather than 3 years, of salary. Finally, the normal retirement age would be increased from 60 to 65 (the rule of 85 would remain the same).

Republican legislators trying to pull a fast one on Wyoming state employees

Fringe elements of the Wyoming State Legislature are trying to replace the state’s very successful pension system with a defined contribution plan or 401(k). One doesn’t have to be paranoid to suspect that this is in line with the current conservative meme that public workers are blood-sucking leeches on the body politic. We have seen this approach used to deadly effect in Wisconsin and Ohio and Florida and other states with Republican majorities.

Take a gander at the talking points issued by my union, the Wyoming Public Employees Association. WPEA has joined with the Wyoming AFL-CIO to stymie this Tea Party plan to short-change Wyoming state employees.  

Here is some information that you should know regarding the controversial defined contribution bill:

• A Defined Contribution System is too RISKY and too COSTLY for Wyoming.

• The Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) is NOT broken.

• The WRS is one of the top ten best funded systems in the US.

• Ten other states have determined that defined contribution plans are not efficient or cost effective.

• The largest state retirement plan represents about 55,000 Wyoming residents:

• 48% is comprised of teachers and school district employees.

• 22% is state employees.

• 13.3% is cities, towns and county employees.

• 6.6% is University of Wyoming and community colleges.

• 8.7% is all others including special districts, private non-profits, etc.

• A private accounts system will cost taxpayers considerably more.

• Switching plans could have serious economic and state government implications now and into the future.

• Defined benefit program offers stable, predictable retirement income.

• Defined contribution only offers the ability to transfer to another job.

• Defined contributions are usually cashed in and not transferred.

• Wyoming's public pension plans do not pay out lavish amounts to retirees.

• The average Wyoming retirement pension is $16,341 per year.

Keep a close eye on the actions this session and express your view on issues by contacting your Representatives and Senators. You can reach them by going to http://legisweb.state.wy.us where you will find information on how to contract your legislators directly.

Steam beer and bubble tea on tap next week in downtown Cheyenne

Grand openings are scheduled next week for two new beverage-oriented businesses in downtown Cheyenne.

The Freedom’s Edge Brewery opens on Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Historic Tivoli Building. According to a recent article in the Casper Star-Tribune, Freedom’s Edge will open with eight beers on tap, from a stout to a pale ale. Owner Tim Moore has been a home brewer for a number of years. His favorite is his 844 “steam beer,” an ale brewed with lager yeast and named after a famous Union Pacific locomotive kept in Cheyenne. Read more: http://trib.com/business/cheyenne-s-new-brew-crew/article_21d5a27f-4e1c-5baa-bb44-616b18c7af87.html#ixzz1mVQhC7Xw

The Paramount Café, 1607 Capitol Ave., holds its grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 23, all day long. Here’s the plan:

We are having a Grand Opening celebration! We will have several local musicians playing all day long! We will have specialty drinks and door prizes! This will be an all-day event! Make sure you can swing by! Our performers include Devon Dvorak a local acoustic artist, Bret Herrick a local violinists (played at Carnegie Hall), Peat Bog Mysteries a local Bluegrass Band, and so many more! We will also have Bubble Tea! More info at http://www.facebook.com/events/245044685575977/

The Paramount had a "soft" opening in December. Never had its bubble tea but the baristas there brew some darn fine coffee. Let's hope that the hop-infused brews at Freedom's Edge are equally scintillating.

James Coppoc brings his performance poetry to Cheyenne during Poetry Out Loud competition

The 2012 Wyoming Poetry Out Loud state competition will take place March 5-6 in Cheyenne. Sixteen student competitors and their teachers are expected, the largest slate for the Wyoming competition since its inception in 2006. Out-of-state guest judge this year is James Coppoc.

Coppoc, a poet, spoken-word artist and musician from Ames, Iowa, teaches English and American Studies at Iowa State University and creative writing in the low residency M.F.A. program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. Balancing poetry, pedagogy, play writing, music and performance in his varied career, Coppoc’s publications include Manhattan Beatitude, 1997 (One Small Bird Press, 2010), Reliquary (Fractal Edge Press, 2010), and Blood, Sex & Prayer (Fractal Edge Press, 2005). Coppoc received four Pushcart Prize nominations in 2011. 

Coppoc will give a public workshop on Sunday, March 4, from 2-4 p.m. at the Laramie County Library, focusing on bringing out the musicality in poems. Anyone interested in writing and performing poetry is welcomed to attend.

The Poetry Out Loud competition begins at 7 p.m. at the Historic Atlas Theater in downtown Cheyenne. Joining Coppoc as judges are Pat Frolander, Wyoming Poet laureate from Crook County, and writer and arts educator Diane Panozzo from Tie Siding, Wyo. It’s free and open to the public. Come out and see some great poetry recitation by some talented high schoolers from around the state.

Video: James Coppoc will be the guest poet for Wyoming's Poetry Out Loud state competition March 4-6 in Cheyenne. In the spirit of POL, here he's performing Miguel Pinero's "Lower East Side Poem." 

ALEC-sponsored anti-worker legislation fails in Wyoming House

This press release comes from the Wyoming Democratic Party. We can expect more of this type of anti-worker legislation from the Tea Party wing of the Wyoming Republicans. It duplicates anti-worker legislation seen in legislatures across the country and promoted by the Koch Brothers-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Get more info on ALEC here. Here's the Wyoming Democrats press release:

A bill designed to strip collective bargaining rights from fire fighters and other public employees failed today in the Wyoming House of Representatives. The legislation, sponsored by Representative Kendall Kroeker (R-Casper) was designed to mimic attacks on public sector employees as seen east of Wyoming. 

"This legislation is looking to create a problem where none exists," asserted Rep. Stan Blake (D-Green River) when he rose in opposition on the floor of the House of Representatives. 

"Currently five fire departments collectively bargain. It is a system that has been working well for a long time," said Joe Fender, President of the Federated Fire Fighters of Wyoming. 

The legislation did not receive the required two-thirds majority for introduction; the final vote was 42 in opposition and 18 legislators in support.
The vote sends a clear message of the importance of fire fighters and public sector employees in Wyoming.

ADHD Parenting Book: Win a Copy of ''Easy to Love but Hard to Raise''

Enter now to win a free copy of "Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents, Challenging Kids, True Stories." This is an excellent volume to add to your library. How do I know? One of my "true stories" is in it. Go and enter now. Win a Copy of ''Easy to Love but Hard to Raise''

Obama for America hosts training session Feb. 22 at Laramie County Library in Cheyenne

Invitation from Bob Vernon-Kubichek, Wyoming State Director of Obama for America:

I wanted to cue you all in about a training event we will be holding Wednesday, February 22. It will start at 6:15 p.m. at the Laramie County Library in the Cottonwood room. The event is going to be an introductory training on building a strong neighborhood team in Cheyenne, and how to use some of the new campaign tools to support your work reaching out to new supporters. We had a very successful house meeting last Wednesday that Lori Brand was kind enough to host. It was a fantastic event and everyone who attended brought some serious passion and enthusiasm to the meeting.

If you are interested in helping get out of word for this event by making some phone calls, let me know and I will set you up an account and get you into the system. Its pretty straightforward and I will be happy to walk anyone through the process who needs help.

Thank you so much for everything each of you has done to help build a stronger progressive movement in Wyoming. It’s a slow uphill fight, and I know how discouraging it can be some days. But there are people counting on us to protect their pensions, support their access to healthcare that isn’t limited to the rich, and continue to rebuild the economy.  This election is going to be close. I do not enjoy that reality, but it is the simple truth. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines as the Republicans mount their assault on the poor, the weak and the marginalized in this county.

So I ask you to join me in this fight against what I believe is worse than a fundamentally flawed ideology. It is a set of ideas that represents the very worst of human nature. This election, let us send a clear message to all Republicans that the American people will not accept their “values”.

We are on the right side of history.

Thanks everyone, and I hope to see you at our event.

Here is the event link, RSVP if you are interested in joining: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/training/gppwc5

Wyoming Occupy groups invited to Colorado People's Assembly Feb. 18 in Boulder

Wyoming Occupy groups are invited to the Colorado People's Assembly on Saturday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. Gathering followed by a march and overnight occupation. “This is a chance for occupy activists in the state and the region to get together, share resources, build relationships and contacts, to learn, plan events, etc.” Attendance is limited to 342 people (per CU occupancy  limitations). More info here. Attendees should RSVP here.

Keeping tabs on the Wyoming Legislature

Remember that wacky 2011 session of the Wyoming Legislature?

Me too. What fun we had keeping tabs on ugly bills spewing from the People's House.

This year, however, will be a different story. It's a short budget session that begins Monday, with most time taken up by funding (and lack thereof). Very little time will be devoted to preventing gays and lesbians from being married in The Equality State, preventing brown people in The Equality State from getting jobs and attending school, forcing pregnant women in The Equality State to view fetus videos, and so on. You know the drill.

It's tougher to bring up wacky bills in a budget session. And there just isn't time. Republican leadership doesn't want to be derailed by a drawn-out fight over these issues -- we're already going to see fights over money. There's redistricting, too, as Republicans attempt to ensure legislative dominance through the rest of this century. Our moderate Republican Governor, who has national ambitions, does not want to look the fool. He now has a leadership role within the ranks of his Gubernatorial colleagues. He does travel in regressive Republican circles -- Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, Jan Brewer of Arizona. But WY isn't WI or SC or FL or AZ, thank goodness. Our tendencies are toward moderation. It may not seem like it sometimes, but it's true overall.

Attention must be paid. Both of our major daily newspapers will have a presence at the Capitol, as will the AP. TV stations too, although their reports tend to be sound bytes with little substance. Every so often, we get some coverage from Denver's TV conglomerates. Wyoming Public Radio has an active presence at the session. Look to WyoFile's reports on its web site and blogs. Lander's Geoff O'Gara has a WyoFile legislative blog.

Bloggers will be keeping tabs on the Lege too. We're usually not there in the hallowed halls but we tend to pay attention to certain topics. Look to my WY Progressives blogroll on the right sidebar. Rodger McDaniel at Blowing in the Wyoming Wind looks at social justice issues (he looks at one today). Meg Lanker-Simons at Cognitive Dissonance explores women's issues in her usual no-holds-barred manner. Jeran Artery at Wyoming Equality keeps tabs on LGBT issues and did a great job last year exposing some of the worst anti-gay legislation. The ACLU of Wyoming upholds the Bill of Rights in The Equality State. Equality State Policy Center's Dan Neal and Barb Rea put the hammer down on an array of issues, including open meetings and open records laws, battles over oil and gas royalties, etc. The Wyoming Outdoor Council covers environmental issues, particularly the fracking debate in Fremont County and air quality issues in Sublette County. Marguerite Herman doesn't post often at Wyoming Posts, but what she lacks in quantity she makes up for in quality.

All of these good people raise their voices in a Legislature that's dominated by energy industry lobbyists and their powerful allies in D.C. Many of our Republican legislators bring up legislation vetted by the Koch Brothers-financed American Legislative Education Council (ALEC). Those bills aimed at revamping the state's retirement and pay system can be traced directly back to ALEC. "We hate public workers" is ALEC's motto. Look up ALEC Exposed for more info.

What will I be writing about during the next month? A blogger with a hummingbird mind is not beholden to any one issue. I flit, I fly. Most of my posts concern social justice, mental health issues and the arts, not necessarily in any order. I may offer some guest bloggers, as I've done in the past. If you're curious about 2011 legislative posts, go check out the February/March 2011 archives.

Stay tuned...

On Valentine's Day, redneck zombies need loving too

Zombies live amongst us.

Zombie wannabes, anyway.

Filmmaker K. Harrison Sweeney wants you for roles in his feature film, “From the Trailer to the Grave.” The film is set in a post-apocalyptic Wyoming. It’s being billed as a “redneck zombie romantic comedy.”

So it’s “redneck zombies” that he wants.

Many of the principle roles have already been filled. But Harrison, a Worland, Wyoming, native and UW grad, says that several supporting roles will be open to Wyomingites. He will be holding auditions in Casper, Cheyenne, and Laramie during Valentine's Day week, which seems strangely appropriate.

He says that most of the roles that are available “will be for zombies and people who turn into zombies. We are looking for people from all walks of life – oil tycoons, teachers, children, roller derby dames, politicians; all are encouraged to try out.”

What about aging state workers? He doesn’t say.

As a Wyoming guy, Harrison says that it’s important to shoot his film in Wyoming. He’d like to help kickstart the state’s film industry. Many films that are set in Wyoming's great wide open (“Brokeback Mountain,” "An Unfinished Life," "Did You Hear about the Morgans?") end up being shot in Wyoming stand-ins -- British Columbia and New Mexico. He wants to change that. Wyoming seems to have better luck starring in sci-fi films. Witness "Starship Troopers," its creepy off-world scenes filmed at Hell's Half Acre, and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," partially filmed at Devils Tower because no stand-in exists for this distinctive national monument, not even in Canada. So perhaps Harrison is right on target with this alternative reality film. Who would know alternative realities better than someone who grew up in Worland?

Auditions in Casper will be held on Sunday, February 12, at the Wagon Wheel Roller Skating Rink at 305 Van Horn Ave. There will be a workshop on "Zombie Behavior & Movement" from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Auditions will then be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon. 

The Cheyenne workshop from 3-3:30 p.m. at the Atlas Theatre on Wednesday, February 15. Latecomers will not be admitted. Auditions will commence immediately thereafter from 3:30-5 p.m.

The Laramie workshop will be held later in the week (his press release didn’t specify a date) and will go from 5-5:30 p.m. at the UW College of Agriculture auditorium. Auditions will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. UPDATE: Date for Laramie event is Sunday, Feb. 19. 

Zombie wannabes cast for the film need to be available for shooting during the last three weeks of September and the first week of October.

My wife Chris and I attended the screening of Harrison’s short film, “Undead Lovers,” last August in Laramie. The short is basically a teaser for the larger film project and was filmed at the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie and at The Virginian Hotel & Bar in Medicine Bow. It features a variety of Wyoming talent, including a bevy of Naughty Pines Derby Dames and a title song by Jalan Crossland of Ten Sleep.

As is the case with most up-and-coming filmmakers, Harrison has tapped into a variety of sources to raise funding. He’s done successful online campaigns on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. He’s probably maxed out his credit card (if he has one) a la Kevin Smith and has hit up everyone in his orbit. He’s a working actor, too, getting small film and TV parts to finance his habit. His good ol’ boy persona has appeared in “Rizzoli & Isles,” in commercials for Foster’s and Prius, and is one of the voices in the Wild West video game “Red Dead Redemption." He has a small part in an upcoming Eddie Murphy film.

Get more info on Harrison and his films at www.fromthetrailertothegrave.com.

Good Mule Student Conference on Social Justice Feb. 11-12 in Laramie

"Inside Job" movie party Feb. 12 at Laramie County Library in Cheyenne

In the Academy Award winning documentary, Inside Job, director Charles Ferguson breaks down in a clear and comprehensible way how the housing and economic collapse happened—and names the politicians and Wall Street bankers who are responsible.

The Cheyenne screening of Inside Job will be held at the Laramie County Public Librasry in Cheyenne at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. It’s free and open to the public. After the film, we'll discuss how to keep the 99% movement strong in communities across the country.

Sign up at http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/attendees/index.html?event_id=126886&id=-1460962-8KUfFcx