Gay marriage referendums

Four states--Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington--are voting on legalizing marriage for same sex couples.  In Washington some heavyweights like Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks are supporting gay marriage.  The Roman Catholic Church is opposed.  In all four states the vote is expected to be close.

Opponents continue to argue that gay marriage undermines heterosexual marriage.  Interestingly, blue states that permit gay marriage, like New York and Massachusetts, have much lower divorce rates than the anti-gay red states like Alabama and Mississippi.

Same sex couple marriage is not legal in Pennsylvania, of course.  I expect Mississippi and Alabama to legalize it before the Pennsylvania legislature acts.

Thank God for Pennsylvania

It was said that people in Arkansas frequently say “Thank God for Mississippi.”  Arkansas usually ranks very low on almost any indicator of social progress.  It fares poorly on measures of infant mortality, smoking rates, obesity, and other ills.  On the other hand, it is seldom at the very bottom.  That honor often goes to Mississippi.

Voters across the nation, beset by all kinds of voter suppression laws and electoral shenanigans, can look to Pennsylvania and say, “Well, at least we aren’t the worst.  That would be Pennsylvania.”  

October 30 (that’s today) is the deadline for applying for an absentee ballots.  Today, however, because of Hurricane Sandy, many election offices were closed, including those in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.  Governor Corbett announced that the deadline for absentee ballot applications would be extended, but he didn’t say if that was for the state or for certain counties.  It is also unclear whether the county Election Boards must rule on the extension.

What wasn’t extended was the deadline for getting the absentee ballot to the Registrar.  It remains 5 p.m. on Friday, November 2.  You drop off your application tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.  The office mails out the ballot on November 1.  You get it Friday, November 2.  The deadline to return it is THAT DAY.  

This is the same state in which a judge ruled you didn’t need picture ID, but the state continued to advertise that you did.  The judge then ruled in response to a suit by ACLU that the state had to change its advertising.  His deadline was FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.

This state is way at the bottom.

"Carbon Sink"

Last year, on our drive home from California, we stopped at the University of Wyoming in Laramie to see the art museum.  The architecture of the building was amazing, and we liked the exhibits, but the museum store was closed and the woman at the desk told us the funding had been cut.

They seem to have some problems with art out there in Wyoming.  Chris Drury, an artist from England, installed a sculpture of dead pine trunks and lumps of coal   The installation, entitled “Carbon Sink,” was supposed to illustrate how global warming has led to an increase in the number of pine beetles, which are killing western forests.  You can see some photos of the sculpture at <http://www.eco-question.com/th/carbon-sink-art-installation-by-chris-drury>.  

I think it was a thought-provoking sculpture.  Others disagree.  Energy company executives and state legislators threatened to cut funds to the University if the sculpture remained, and as a consequence it was removed a year ahead of schedule by the museum director.  They might not know much about art in Wyoming, but they know what they don’t like.

Vote This Way

The “Citizens United” decision of the U.S. Supreme Court has all kinds of unanticipated consequences.  Before 2010 companies were forbidden from using corporate money to campaign for political candidates.  Now companies are free to do that.  

According to an article by Steven Greenhouse in the Oct. 27 issue of the New York Times, companies are now sending letters to their employees telling them how to vote.  Cintas and Georgia Pacific are just two of many corporations doing this, and almost all of them are telling their employees to vote for Romney.

Is this intimidation?  What do you think?

No Soliciting

Today we were canvassing on Lehigh Avenue in Palmerton when we came to a house on our list that had a “No Soliciting” sign on the door.  Sandra pointed it out, but I told her that political activity wasn’t considered soliciting--we weren’t asking for money.

The man who answered the door evidently had not gotten the word.  He immediately began yelling,”Can’t you read?  No soliciting.”  I mean, he was really mad.  

I made the mistake of saying, “We’re not soliciting--this is a political call.”  That made him even more angry.  He started screaming about calling the cops. 

I have two thoughts about this:  First, under Pennsylvania’s “Castle Doctrine,” supported by Representative Heffley, I think the guy could have shot me and then say he felt threatened.  I believe he would have not been charged.

Secondly, I wish I had had the presence of mind to say, “And don’t forget to vote for Romney.”  Darn.

Fred Reinhard and the Times News

Today I heard a rumor that Fred Reinhard, local businessman, sometimes dictates what stories the Times News must run.  Mr. Reinhard does not do that.  Over a year ago he assured me personally that he has a completely hands-off policy with regard to the Times News, and that he never dictated that paper’s policy.  I do believe him, because Mr. Reinhard is an honorable man.

Richard Trumka on Tom Smith

Richard Trumka is the AFL-CIO President.  Tom Smith is the extreme reactionary running against Sen. Casey,  attacking Casey for his record regarding the coal industry.  Mr. Trumka recently issued a statement on Tom Smith's campaign ads.  Here is Trumka's complete statement.

The claims by Republicans like Tom Smith that Senator Bob Casey has conducted a war on coal are insulting to those who do one of the toughest jobs in the world. Tom Smith doesn’t tell you that last year employment in the coal mining industry reached a 15-year high.

As a third generation coal miner, I know who does and who does not stand up for the interests of these hard working men and women – Bob Casey has been a champion of working people in western Pennsylvania.  
When we fought to protect miners’ safety and health on the job, Tom Smith was on the other side. Smith knows full well how important a safe mine is, yet the mines he owned were cited hundreds of times for safety issues. Coal mining is a dangerous job.  The threat of physical injury and black lung disease is a constant in this line of work.  Instead of making workplace safety a top priority, Republicans in Washington have failed workers by pushing to eliminate basic protections for miners, putting them at risk every day – and Tom Smith will play right along if he is elected.