A Few Words...
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Some people try to tell me things are "looking good"
but I don't buy it...  
1.  We are involved in wars in four nations and contemplating
      a fifth. 
Iraq, Afghantistan, Pakistan, Libya.... and Iran. 
       The current administration has only made
token
       reductions and reshufflings of troops. 
 

2.  Our torture chambers at Guantanamo are still in business
      and we do not have
non-profit healthcare.  Rendering, torture,
     rape, and murder are
still legal and authorized by congress. 

3.  Wiretapping of American citizens, without a warrant or
      evidence
of any crime having been committed, continues.

4. Habeas Corpus is still suspended.

5.  Job losses continue and transnationals are "free" to
     destroy
economies surrounding us, thus increasing
     migration and
lowering wages here at home.  Fair
     trading practices are
dismissed as socialism or left-
     wing extremism.
 

6.  President Obama governs like a Republican and we
     have
no real options for change in the next election.
      Barack Obama has not
delivered on ANY of his campaign
     promises.   Does anyone
remember when he boldly told us
     he would end the war,
  secure single payer health care, close
     Guantanamo,
restore constitutional integrity, and end
     wiretapping
of American citizens?  He did none of these
     in his
first term and has assured us he does not intend to
    
deliver these promises.   


7.  Our "off the books" wars are mushrooming.  Besides our 
     over-extension of our military forces to enforce corporate 
     occupations abroad, various transnationals are paying
     semi-private "contractors" to exploit the people we occupy.
    
And the American taxpayer foots the bill.

8.  And while we pay through the nose for contractors, wars,
     and
 ammunition... our so-called leaders are reducing social security
     payments, cutting social services, and neglecting our railroads,
     ports, and public schools.  

8.  Speaking of schools:  37 less developed nations do a better job
     teaching than we do.  Our schools continue to decline each year, since
     clueless school boards, rather than professional educators, continue
     to choose flawed texts, select inferior curriculum, and dumb-down
     our programs and pass kids through instead of demanding excellence
     and accountability.  Time to put teachers back in charge. 

"Good" is a relative term.   Things are in bad shape.
Our infrastructure continues to decline.  Our civil rights
continue to erode.  Schools are getting worse, not better.
Our constitutional rights have been abrogated.  We are broke.
There are no jobs. The president is allowed to indulge in 
wars of choice and his criminal behavior is not challenged. 
Corporations are now considered people.  Illegal foreclosures 
continue. And the economic disaster engineered by Norquist 
and company has been endorsed and facilitated by the current 
administration.  There has been no response to corporate seizures 
of retirement funds and movements of operations overseas.

Nobody has been prosecuted for the crimes committed by Bush, 
Cheney, or Obama.  And there does not seem to be any serious
effort to enforce existing laws or constitutional mandates.  

If this is "good," I would hate to see bad.  

....And locally, PDX police have cost the taxpayers 2.1 million
dollars a year for crimes they committed.  (including illegal 
arrests, beatings, torture, and murder)  In spite of the PDX 
Police Bureau having been found guilty and fined by local, 
state, and federal authorities...  NO police officers have been 
reprimanded, removed, or forced to pay for the crimes they 
committed.  NONE!  The officers who beat James Chasse to 
death in front of witnesses are still on the job. They were not 
reprimanded.  They got raises.  And they were cited for 
meritorious service for beating him to death.  And the costs 
for this brutish behavior continue mount. But why should
officers change? They do what they choose and get away with it.
Instead of holding police accountable, our leaders blame the
mentally ill and tell us that police abuse and the costs it creates
are just "part of the job."  Most people in Portland don't buy it. 

We need reform, here and in Washington.  Our legislators in 
Portland and in Washington are not taking care of everyday
people, and it is time we demanded action.
  
tmf
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In TPA Summertime Blues Edition:
1   Waterfront Blues Festival
     Radical, Underground,
    Couonter-Cultural Legacy
2   A Few Words, Masthead,
      Letters, Meetings, Clyde List
3   Letters (turtles, health care) 
4   Tom Engelhardt: 100%Scared
     William Read, Letters (KBOO)            
5   John LaForge: Gradual
     Nuke Phaseout Too Slow
     Andrew Bacevich: Bob Gates
     Doctrine Questioned    

6   Viewpoints & Commentary

     Kucinich, Soloman, Rashad   

7   Active Community:  Bette 

     Lee: Homeless, Mural
     Project,  PDX Police Interview

8   Kathy Kelly: Gaza Flotilla

     Glick:  Let the Youth lead us
11 &14  Progressive Directory
12 & 13 Community Calendar

15  Progressive Arts & Culture
      Shannon Wheeler Interview
16  Winslow Meyers: String
      Theory, Nuclear Dangers,
      Gates Doctrine Continues
17  Progressive Chef Interview

18  Arts & Culture, Iranian
      Festival, Wheeler Interview     
19  The 100% Doctrine of Fear
20  Ground View, Glen Andresen
      Mike Klepfer,  Food Handling
21  News Bytes
22  Subversive Verse: by
      Local PDX Poets
23  More Poetry
24 Second Cover, Subscriptions,
     Classifieds, and more!

PO Box 14162 Portland, OR 97293-0162
Tel:(503)-327-8377 Fax:(503)-327-8949
E-Mail: editor@theportlandalliance.org
Web: www.theportlandalliance.org
VOLUME 31 • NUMBER 6