Topic: Politics

Americans need solutions to housing crisis

By Chris Lugo | May 13, 2008 |

America faces a housing crisis that it has not seen the likes of since the great depression. Hundreds of thousands of families have lost their homes due to the mortgage crisis in the past year and more are at risk if we don’t act now. That is why the US Senate must support some version of the Foreclosure Prevention Act, which passed this past week in the US House. This legislation, which is on its way to the Senate next week has been threatened with veto by President Bush.

As usual, the President is wrong. The President has said that he would veto the legislation if it comes to his desk because he doesn’t believe that certain types of people should be rewarded for their bad decisions. What the President means is that poor people shouldn’t be protected from predatory lenders and that the government shouldn’t have any regulatory responsibilities when it comes to mortgage lenders. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Business, Issues, Opinion | No Comments

Global ghost town: Oil crisis requires new vision, global action

By Chris Lugo | April 30, 2008 |

There is a crisis happening on a global scale, and we here in the United States of America have a moral responsibility to take action to help alleviate global food prices and ensure that millions of people do not suffer the ill effects of hunger and possibly even starvation. We are all complaining about the high cost of oil these days and how it is impinging on our budget, but in the developing world this is having extreme consequences.

The stark reality is that three billion people on the planet earth live on less than $2 a day, and a good portion of that money goes specifically to the purchase of basic food grains to survive. As a result of the skyrocketing price of oil, the price of food grains has risen due to commercial production costs and transportation to as much as $800 a ton for rice which has led to food riots in the developing world.

The reasons for high oil prices are complex, and due to many factors, but we can take steps now to deal with the global oil crisis and help people in the developing world avoid a worsening food crisis. One of the principal factors in the current oil crisis is directly related to the US invasion of Iraq. The war in Iraq, which administration officials believed would lead to democracy and stability has instead resulted in civil war and prolonged military expenditures. The financial uncertainty in the marketplace regarding the instability in the middle east has driven oil prices even higher and the worsening Federal debt, greatly impacted by the hundreds of billions of unpaid dollars committed to the war effort has made the dollar less attractive to global investors, driving down the value of the dollar in relation to global currencies and discouraging investment. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion | No Comments

MCDP hosts “Meet the Candidates”

April 29, 2008 |

The Montgomery County Democratic Party Executive Committee will host a “Meet and Greet” for U.S. Senate Candidates Bob Tuke and Mike Pagent, along with local candidates for 22nd District Senate, 67th district and County Candidates. The “Meet and Greet” will run from 5:30pm -8:00pm, Friday May 16, at IAM Union Hall, 121 Union Rd. The public is invited to come to this event and meet the candidates and discuss the issues. Suggested donation is $5.00.

The Montgomery County Democratic Party meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Smith Trahern Mansion in downtown Clarksville. For additional information, call Gene Lewis 931 801-6209.

Sections: Events, News | No Comments

Crossing lines between church and state

By Christine Anne Piesyk | April 27, 2008 |

Controversy erupted last week in one South Carolina town over the posting of a politically-based query on the Church’s outdoor sign, a sign usually oriented to the more generic posting of denomination-sponsored events or church services.

Did Pastor Robert Byrd of the Jonesville Church of God step over the line in Jonesville, South Carolina, when he posted the following words outdoors on a church sign for all to see: “Obama, Osama, hmm, are they brothers?” Pastor Byrd maintained it was not intended to be racial or political and claims it was meant to foster thought about having a non-Christian, non-Christ follower, leading the country. Byrd says he doesn’t know if Obama is Muslim or not but wanted to pose the question. Quite frankly, I don’t see what spiritual direction or choice has to do with one’s ability to run the business that is the United States of America. I wasn’t a Romney fan for many reasons, but his Mormon faith was a non-issue. Funny how no one questions religious affiliation to Christian candidates such Mike Huckabee, who is now out of the race too. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion | 1 Comment »

An esteemed pastor’s politics; holding to separation of church and state

By Charles Moreland | April 27, 2008 |

The Reverend Joel Osteen is highly admired by his colleagues in the ministry. This popular preacher/pastor is a best-selling author as well as the spiritual minister to hundreds upon hundreds of people. In addition to the phenomenal growth and development of this spiritual organization, Pastor Osteen earns respect for his political views. He quietly lives his principles on politics and the church and clergy, and it is policy worth emulating by all churches. His policy on religion and politics is a dignified example.

Though he is concerned about out society, he doesn’t use the pulpit to endorse candidates for political office. Of Senator Clinton, Senator Obama and Senator McCain visited his congregation, they would be introduced but not given the opportunity to speak, and it would the same for any other dignitary or social leader. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News, Opinion, Politics, Spirituality | No Comments

‘Nation for Change’ rally draws Team Obama to Nashville

By Turner McCullough Jr. | April 22, 2008 |

Despite wind and rain, Nashville’s ‘Nation for Change’ participates in simultaneous nationwide event.

Members of the Clarksville Team Obama attended the Nashville Nation For Change Obama rally Saturday. On the plaza behind the state capitol, members of Nation for Change held a rally in support of Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Regional and local speakers addressed the supporters. Several performers were also on hand to entertain.

Rev. Jerry Jerkins of Clarksville (at left) next addressed the rally. He enthused the crowd with his message that “Senator Obama reflects that new morning has arisen! There’s a fire growing in the hearts of America!”

Randall Dunn, state coordinator of Nation For Change, kicked off the rally with a welcome message. He reminded everyone that this event was part of a simultaneous nationwide rally and thanked everyone for their continued support of the Obama campaign and the staging of this event. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Events, News, Politics | No Comments

Environmentally friendly bills stalled in Tennessee senate committees

By Beth Robinson | April 8, 2008 |

Have you attended a Tennessee senate committee hearing in Nashville? On April 2 Clarksvillian’s Faith Robinson, Nicole Donnelly, Debbie Boen and I went to several of these meetings. This was a Conservation Lobby Day and dozens of environmental supporters from around the state attended. Our main focus was to support ending mountain top removal coal mining and reenacting bottle deposits which encourage recycling.

We felt pretty helpless and uncounted in our seats watching the hearings since neither bill we supported was even voted on in committee. However, we could tell that phone calls and emails to Senators and Representatives really have an impact on what happens in session. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | 5 Comments

Ethanol: great politics, ineffective energy

April 5, 2008 |

Corn Ethanol is becoming the Iraq war of energy policy. A policy based on lies, that initially won supporters political advantage, is highly destructive to the US, and ultimately destructive to its supporters when the costly truth becomes widely known.

In 2007, 115 US plants produced 7 billion gallons of Corn Ethanol - the energy equivalent of 132 million barrels of oil using about 15% of corn production. While this sounds large, it is tiny in the context of the US economy. This is equal to only 1.6% of the energy from from oil in 2007 used in the US. But the situation is worse than this because it takes 1 unit of fossil fuel to produce 1.3 units of corn ethanol. The net energy produced was only 0.5% of the energy from from oil - while consuming 15% of the US corn crop!

Vast sums of taxpayer and consumer dollars are funding an ineffective solution to the real problems of global warming and energy independence. While the country does not sufficiently fund what can be real solutions. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion, Politics | 3 Comments