Mike Malloy was reminding us last night to speak up for the Department of Peace and to check out the web site, http://dopcampaign.org -- yes! I am sure that my friend Carol Hillson will approve. She works hard on this issue and Mike's plug and reminder to contact our Senators and Reps on this one is important too. PLUS there are some great videos AND computer Wallpaper to download on the site, too.

Yesterday, I spoke for over ten minutes with Carlos at Congressmember Joe Crowley's DC office on the importance of Joe sticking up for the middle class and the working class, for a country of we the people and not a country of we the corporation. Oh did HE get an earfull. Have to send Joe a copy of Consumer Report's action list on credit cards found at http://yourwallet.org -- yes! Money for a Department of Peace and for the preservation of the Middle Class and a secure Working Class -- and NOT for killing.

Department of Peace Hugs,
Kate Anne

Interesting week -- some word, "interesting" -- with Sunday and the Long Island City Artists Open Studios event giving me the opportunity to see the art work of my neighbors, Ann Johnston Miller and Gloria Wong, whose studios are in Sunnyside Gardens. But then I took a longer walk to visit the studio of Marilee Cooper and truly her art, the latest pieces using recycled items including paint and acrylic-covered Bounty Towels, were especially awesome -- not to devalue her wonderful earlier paintings featuring figures. After taking a few more minutes to view the works of Bruce Laird, Jennifer Andrews and Michele Bonelli, I left in great spirits with my eyes open to life's possibilities. Such is one of the functiions of art. Then I got home to find that my WQIDC friend and birthday twin Frances Gizerian had died that morning, October 9th, at the age of 92. (She was the OLDER twin, I would quip.) Ah, Frances.

So I celebrate Twin's existence and visited with her family at the Lynch Funeral Home: her brother Robert, her namesake Frances, her beautiful grandniece (and fellow Piscean) Kate Elizabeth Lawrence. Twin had worked at Emerson Publishing as an editor for much of her life -- but it was before our meeting. What I remember is her bright smile and twinkling eyes and willingness to assist wherever she could, be it as treasurer of West Queens Independent Democratic Club or as volunteer registrar at a Voter Registration table. Adieu, Frances Gizerian, sweet birthday twin.

But that wasn't really the trying times of the week -- I got a call that my sister is unwell. My cousin Jean lives in my hometown and is assisting but Mary has to help herself and I question her ability to do so. Jean encourages, as I encourage from afar -- and I pray for her and ask you to keep her in your prayers. Dear God, help my sister Mary overcome her problems and break free into a brighter life. Meanwhile, my brother Gregory and I have been in touch. And God help us all, please.

Then there's my little Kat who has been a little under the weather.... Healing, little Kat. Bless YOU.

Quite an "interesting" week -- with some wonders, a goodbye, and some challenges: God bless us, everyone.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Thom Hartmann's Brunch with Bernie speaks to the Middle Class and this week's is an especially good one. You can hear it at WhiteRoseSociety.org all this weekend (repeating continuously on the Thom Hartmann page -- it's the first hour -- until the new show on Monday at noon) -- AND it may be replayed on Air America's Thom Hartmann segment this Sunday at 10 AM (or you might get a LIVE Thom, which is great too because Thom Hartmann is one of, if not THE best) BUT Bernie Sanders is the independent representative in Congress who is representing ALL of us and not just Vermont. (AND then there's this wonderful segment after Bernie on "Beyond Treason" on depleted uranium poisoning, keep listening: Joyce Riley of BeyondTreason.com. -- We should get the DVD she's talking about. Then it continues about 9/11 conspiracies AND voter fraud in the elections. And info at nocrony.com about Harriet Miers. ARGH!)

ANYWAY, below are notes, almost direct quotes that I took from Rep. Bernie Sander's comments at the beginning. You can't hear his wonderful intonation but the FACTS are good ones:

Bernie's first comments came from an IRS study analyzing US tax returns:

99% of taxpayers had incomes last year below the inflation rate. People are losing ground. The only people who did well were the top 1% and the people who really did well were the top 1/10 of that 1%.

The wealthiest 1/10 of 1% of our taxpapers earned more income than the bottom 1/3 of the taxpayers....

If we are going to engage the American people, and working people and low income people in the political process, it is absolutely imperative that we talk about issues that are relevant to their lives. To ask WHY -- with the explosion of technology with the increase in worker productivity, the averarge worker is working longer hours for lower wages. Why is it, that unless we change our economic policities, our kids and grandchildren will likely have a lower standard living than we have, and Why is it that we tolerate this growing gap between the rich and the poor?

CEOs had a 54% increase in their compensation while working people are falling further and further behind. With that increase in wealth goes the corollary of increase in power. They are thus able to hire more lobbyists in Washington -- representing oil, pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Newsweek cited Tom Delay in saying he only TALKED to those people who donated money.

The idea that we do government for all of the people rather than for large campaign contributors? [PSHAW, says Tom Delay.]


Bernie continues:

To my mind What we are seeing now is the collapse of the middle class. 5 million more people entering the ranks of poverty since Bush became president. Corporate profits are soaring. Wealthiest people never had it so good. If we don't wake up and start protecting the middle class there will not BE a middle class in this country and our kids are going to be living in poverty.

The corporate media is absolutely complicit. Sp we will learn about the young lady in Aruba and we'll learn about some terrible tragedies striking A family, but what about the tragedies striking MILLIONS of American families who can't afford to send their kids to college, people who can't find decent child care, people who are losing thier health insurance, people who are seeing their kids falling further and further and further behind? Those are the issues we should be focussing on. Not to say there aren't other important issues out there, BUT I think that unless the middle class, the working families and the lower income people in America understand the role that government plays in their lives. that it makes a difference whether you elect people who at a time when the oil companies are enjoying record breaking profits charging us 3 bucks for a gallon of gas are getting huge amounts of, billions of dollars in corporate welfare, it matters. It matters whether we give, repeal the estate tax which is a trillion dollars over 20 years to the wealthiest 2%, half of which will go to that very same 1/10 of 1% and yet we don't have enough money to take care of our veterans who are walking into VA hospitals today and are finding themselves on waiting lists or the young men and women who are going to come back from Iraq and Afghanistan and can't get the treatment they need. What you have right now is a bunch of people in control of this government who work night and day and night and day for the wealthiest people, for the large corporations, for the people who contribute to their campaign -- and they are turning their backs on the vast majority of the people in this country. We gotta get into that process and we've got to develop public policy that works for everybody and not just for the super rich.....

I, Kate Anne , add to Bernie's comments that THAT is JUSTICE. And that is how we will turn our country around. We ALL gotta get involved. Let's talk to our neighbors about THIS, and about Torture, and about Peace -- and NOT about Tom Cruise and Katie having a bun in the oven, or whatever the media is hyping, but REAL things that affect WORKING PEOPLE, and poor people, AND the MIDDLE class. We gotta get our country back. We need more Bernie Sanders in Congress and in the Senate and less of the current crony/corporate-loving politicians. The ones that are in there now better hear our message or we gotta make them HISTORY. We need campaign finance reform, and fair, verifiable and open elections (where when exit polls don't match we follow through), and a better world which will ONLY happen if WE care and WE make a positive difference. None of us can do it all, but we can do something that will make a difference and we MUST try a bit harder. Let's get educated and then educate OTHERS. Let's turn things around so we again are a country of WE THE PEOPLE and not a country just for the wealthy and for corporate America.

Proud to be a liberal / progressive / thought-full American,
Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Was listening to Laura Flanders' show and someone called in about the above. On 60 Minutes this Sunday, Andy Rooney had just come out very much against the war and for cutting the military budget so that we can pay for the thngs that matter. Wow! On CBS yet. Must try to hunt up his email address or somehow get a thank you to him.

In the meantime, check out his remarks. I googled and found them on the CBS site. These links can change, but the printable version is this but you can also SEE it as well as read it at the Information Clearing House site

Meanwhile, what about this rabbit bacteria "they" sicked on the peacemakers and the bookreaders on the Washington Mall Sept. 24th?? I didn't get the symptoms, but Colleen Primrose did. Serious stuff to follow up on.

Dear God, help me stay peaceful today and always.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne