Rural and Progressive

I've moved!

2012-02-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Please bookmark or subscribe to my blog at its new address: http://ruralandprogressive.org/

SB 269: Georgia's rivers and streams for sale to the lowest bidder

2012-02-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

New post up at my new address: http://ruralandprogressive.org/

Breast cancer survivors for Planned Parenthood

2012-02-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

Last year in January while I was recovering from a lumpectomy and waiting to start radiation (because early detection saves lives and contributes to better outcomes), a group of friends wanted to make a donation in honor of a young friend (32 at the time) who had just lost both breasts to cancer (she has the BRCA gene). We got the comfort food and flowers to her, but wanted to really do our homework on which organization to donate to in her honor.

Several of us checked Charity Navigator and Charity Watch (Guide Star is also good) to learn what percentage of funds are used for admin costs, research, providing screenings and other preventive care, and education (we agreed on the National Breast Cancer Foundation).

At the same time, Steven Colbert gave a Tip of the Hat to Susan G. Komen and their use of at least $1M of donor dollars a year to sue mom and pop groups working to support cancer research and cancer patients. That’s a lot of money spent to essentially bully small efforts to help sick people be healthy.

Fast forward almost 13 months later, and Komen has caved to pressure from anti-choice advocates and Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida. Yesterday the GOP primary candidates were competing with coverage of Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood.

Komen’s funding has been used to provide breast exams to women who rely on Planned Parenthood for healthcare services. These women are often poor, underinsured or uninsured, and do not have access to a family doctor or gynecologist for regular care.

Now Komen, an organization established to honor a breast cancer victim, has said it won’t help fund preventive care services like breast exams (and cervical cancer screenings, which is one of the most difficult cancers to identify because the cancer is usually advanced before the patient suspects a problem).

There is no evidence that Planned Parenthood misappropriated the funds for abortion or other services. What is known is that Komen Vice-President Karen Handel, who served as the Secretary of State for Georgia before resigning to launch a failed bid for the GOP nomination for governor here, campaigned long and hard against state funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings which went to Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately what she couldn’t accomplish in Georgia she has now managed on a national level.

And, because it bears repeating by women who grew up while the battle was waged for safe and legal access to abortions, or came to adulthood not long after the dust began to settle, the issue isn’t whether abortion is good, moral, a form of birth control, etc. Really desperate women who want to end a pregnancy will find a way to do that regardless of whether it is safe or legal. We endanger lives without access to safe and legal abortion.

This defunding is a result of politics driven by such socially, politically, and religiously conservative officials that they will strip away access to preventive health care for poor women. If the lost funds aren’t made up to Planned Parenthood, how many women will not find the cancer soon enough? How many young children will suffer, and perhaps be left without a mother who makes pancakes from scratch on Sunday morning before going to church?

I donated to Planned Parenthood last night. I am remiss in not giving them even a small donation in the past.

Later today I am stuffing all my Komen Race for the Cure t-shirts and the return address labels they have sent me into an envelope and sending them back to:

Nancy Brinker
CEO, Susan G. Komen
5005 LBJ Freeeway
Suite 250
Dallas, TX 75244

I support access to preventive health care and good health information for all Americans. Especially for the mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, aunts, and godmothers, now more than ever.

Funeral party tonight!

2012-01-30T13:37:00.001-05:00

When I fell into the "no new coal plant world", I was fortunate to meet Bobby and Jane McLendon, who led with fearless determination, the fight to stop Longleaf, a 1200MW proposed coal plant in Early County. They had plenty of good help in the trenches from a few brave souls, organizations like the Sierra Club and the Flint Riverkeeper, and attorneys at GreenLaw. It was clear to me and the other novice coal plant opponents in Washington County that we could learn a lot from the McLendons, who are humble, unassuming, and determined to do what is right and best.

Bobby once called after we captured an orange flag on Plant Washington and told me I was his hero. That was high praise coming from someone who led, and won, the longest active fight in our country against a proposed coal plant. They spent 11 years of their lives standing up in a small community, which, if you ask anyone fighting Plant Washington (or Plant Ben Hill), is no easy thing to do.

Tonight some of us are sending Longleaf off with a funeral party. It won't be a wake to honor the fine proposal Longleaf was, because it wasn't fine. Instead it will be a celebration of what two people began 11 years ago because it was the right thing to do. It is an honor to be invited to stand among real heroes.

WEMC Board Member supports forensic audit

2012-01-27T08:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday following the Washington EMC (WEMC) monthly board meeting my district rep, Billy Helton, was nice enough to spend a good bit of time talking with me despite his need to return to work. Billy has been on the board since October 2010, and he worked hard to defeat an incumbent who had been there for decades. He will readily say that he is still learning, as I am too.

Billy is very concerned about the money that has been spent on Plant Washington by WEMC, which totals about $1M. Understandably, he wants to make the most of the money spent, and worries that abandoning the project will result in wasted money.

A worthless permit

One option he raised is getting the permit and selling it. That permit won't be worth the additional money required to get it, if it can be had at all. LS Energy cancelled a coal plant in Southwest Georgia just last month in part because there is a surplus of power and the cost of construction and emission controls would not be profitable.Power suppliers across Georgia, and the Southeast, already have surplus that they can't sell with consumers reducing use now. And as Cobb EMC demonstrated with their RFP in December, there are ample options among supplier offerings. Trying to sell a coal permit in Georgia now would be about as easy as selling bottled water to a drowning man.

And the attorney fees

And the cost to get the permit? Those of us who have sat on the hard benches in the Administrative Courtroom in Atlanta will contest, P4G has a deep bench of expensive lawyers from King and Spalding when they are in court. The cost? Based on going rates for "Big Name" firms, we conservatively and confidently estimate that each lawyer is billing AT LEAST $500 PER HOUR to sit in the room. They haven't had fewer than three attorneys there when I have attended. That doesn't include the billable hours prepping for court and other P4G work. I could do a lot of good work with $15K per hour. And like the P4G attorneys, I would be willing to put in a lot of billable hours.

And the cost per EMC member

With Cobb EMC no longer propping up Plant Washington, the math looks like this (and note to Dapper Dean: if P4G can announce a $2.1B coal plant without a pro forma estimate, plant opponents can use real numbers like customer base, and do our own math. And please don't use that "naive or just intellectually dishonest" stuff on us. We are neither and the truth validates our points). When Plant Washington was announced four years ago, the customer base among the nine participating EMCs was 741,000. Fast forward to this week, and the customer base for Plant Washington with the four remaining co-ops has been reduced by 77 percent to 167,000 customer meters.

The math looks like this: Washington EMC has spent $1M of owner dollars on Plant Washington. That equates to $67 per customer so far. With just four remaining co-ops participating in a $2.1M project, the cost per member skyrockets to $12,575 PER MEMBER. I don't know about other folks, but I don't think I can squeeze that kind of money out of my household budget to support Plant Washington. Suddenly the assurances of affordable power don't hold water.

We can put an end to the madness

WEMC owner members need to contact their board rep and tell them that it is in the best interests of the co-op to stop now. Let's give them some encouragement to change course for the better.

Helton: I support a forensic audit

While I may be the one shouting the loudest and the most often, I am not the only one speaking up, or talking with friends and family about the sad state of governance and transparency with the co-op. Billy appreciates the lack of confidence that many members have in how things have been handled.

With that in mind, he agreed that a forensic audit could be a helpful way to provide information to the owner members and also serve as a way to begin to repair the broken relationship. I added that there should be a committee, with members making up the majority of the group, selected to handle the selection of a firm to conduct the audit, and then report back to the Board and members when it is completed. He agrees there too.

This could be a huge step forward for our co-op. The members want to have confidence in the decisions that are made. Those decisions impact each and every one of us where we work and live every day.

WEMC owner members need to tell the Board that instead of being disappointed if they leave Power4Georgians and Dapper Dean's water sucking, money burning, toxin spewing dirty old coal plant, we will congratulate them for recognizing that a lot has changed and been revealed in four years. We need to do that now.

And while we're at it, let's all thank Billy for wanting to make our co-op the best possible by restoring some confidence in fiscal operations and decisions.

Not a WEMC member? You can help too.

If you aren't a WEMC member, contact them anyway. The changes at Cobb EMC and other co-ops were augmented by members who asked for help across the state. We all need clean air and water and affordable power, and operating in a silo doesn't make sense.

WEMC Board and Senior Staff

Mike McDonald, District 1.....706–465–9414
Jeff Larksen, District 2...........706–444–7556
Joe Taylor, District 3..............478–452–7817
Bill Helton, District 4..............478-348-3078
Mildred Jackson, District 5.....478–552–9438
Chair Mike McCoy, District 6..478–552–0895
Ken Vickers, District 7............478–864–2459
Washington EMC office.........478.552.2577

Email:

Frank Askew, CEO f.askew@washingtonemc.com

Chair Mike McCoy, mmccoy@washemc.net

Wendy Sellers, CFO w.sellers@washingtonemc.com

There would have been more, but I ran out.

2012-01-27T07:59:00.002-05:00

The Friday Photo

A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.

Work was interrupted for a short celebration this week
Dapper Dean's coal plant lost its sugar daddy on Tuesday
This week's work has been powered by passion

Is Washington EMC "winging it" on Plant Washington finances?

2012-01-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

My electric co-op requires that owner members fill out a form to ask permission to attend part of the Washington EMC's (WEMC) monthly board meeting. Yes, owner members must fill out a form, have it reviewed, and be approved to attend the board meeting for the co-op we own. We are allowed in just long enough to raise whatever concerns we have specified in our request, and absolutely nothing more than that. Earlier today fellow co-op owners Larry Warthen and Lyle Lansdell joined me and Mark Hackett, a Cobb EMC member and electric energy expert, for a presentation on pro forma estimates and how that pertains to Plant Washington (because we learned two weeks ago today that there never has been a pro forma estimate for the $2.1B Plant Washington.

Hackett did a good job of explaining in layman's terms what a pro forma estimate is, why it is important, and how it can be used for making good decisions. His Power Point not only explains why a pro forma estimate is critical for a project as large and expensive as Plant Washington, but he also included charts which demonstrate that there is, and will be, sufficient power available for my EMC without this plant.

Following the presentation only one board member, Billy Helton (who happens to be my district rep) asked a question about power generation and supply which showed he was really thinking through the information that was presented. When CEO Frank Askew asked if any of us had a question, I asked how much the co-op has budgeted for 2012 expenses for this $2.1+B project which has no pro forma estimate and just lost the funding from the largest co-op in the project. It seemed germane to the the discussion.

Askew said that my question wasn't specific to the form I had filled out 10 days ago. Since we were talking about budgeting and decisions relying on owner member dollars, I thought it was appropriate. Call me crazy. The money comes from the members so I feel like I have a vested interest in what they decide.

As the board left the building I approached Mike McCoy, the Chair. He said that WEMC doesn't even have a P4G budget for 2012 and in fact the four remaining co-ops will meet soon to discuss that. It made my head swim. We are almost one month into the year on a project which even by conservative figures is well over the announced $2.1B dollars to build, and still lacks a pro forma estimate.

Since the money decisions seem to be made by moving some numbers around on the back of an envelope, maybe they ought to consider this: when Plant Washington was announced four years ago, the customer base among the nine Power4Georgians co-op participants was 741,000. Four years later, with just four co-ops clinging to this project, the customer base is 167,000. That's a reduction of 77 percent in customer load. In a state where there is a surplus of readily available and affordable power.

Hmmm. They have spent $1M of our money, have no budget for 2012, and the largest co-op just took their marbles and left based on the fact that Plant Washington isn't a sound financial project to continue pursuing.

So, although I am repeating a question that has been asked often in the last four years, "What does the WEMC Board and senior staff know about new coal plants that companies abandoning coal don't know?" Owner members deserve an answer. Now.

Cobb EMC just left Plant Washington at the alter

2012-01-25T00:17:00.000-05:00

The Cobb EMC Board of Directors voted to call off the wedding with Plant Washington Tuesday after a four year engagement which involved a swollen budget, court actions, 35 indictments, and in the end, a realization that this marriage was a bad idea from the beginning.

Cobb EMC owner members have demonstrated that it is possible to regain control of a co-op, and Tuesday's decision in favor of better fiscal action reflects that. Washington EMC members are urged to call their board member and the office on Wednesday and tell them, "NOT ANOTHER DOLLAR ON PLANT WASHINGTON! GET OUT NOW!"

The timing is uncanny. Last week I filled out the "permission form" so I can attend the board meeting of the co-op where I am an owner. That's kind of like asking your first grader if you can see the report card because you are the parent. I asked to attend (the board doesn't believe in members attending the regular meetings and participating in the co-op we own) the meeting by filling out a form and explaining exactly why I wanted to be there.

Fortunately the CEO and Board agreed I could be there, along with two other co-op members and an energy expert, who happens to be a Cobb EMC member. Tomorrow Mark Hackett, who is one of the nicest people anyone could ever wish to meet, will share information about pro forma cost and revenue estimates on projects like a coal plant.

That's especially handy because a V-P at Cobb EMC told the Marietta Daily Journal less than two weeks ago that there is no pro forma estimate for Plant Washington. Should the WEMC Board have any lingering doubts about the financial soundness of Plant Washington, or their legal obligation to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities on the members' behalf, if they listen with open minds and hearts they will see that there is no future in Dean Alford's no-bid Plant Washington.

So, to all the people who have spoken out against Plant Washington, and taken great risks in doing that, your bravery and moral fiber have helped bring us where we are today. For those who know this project is wrong for our community but haven't spoken out yet, there is a huge and important opportunity for you today.

Call the Washington EMC office at 478.552.2577 and tell them to VOTE TO QUIT PLANT WASHINGTON on Thursday, January 26. This plant will impact all citizens in the area and it is absolutely appropriate for anyone to call. If you are an EMC member call your Board Representative too and speak up.

There have never been any good reasons for Plant Washington to be pursued. There are no good reasons for Washington EMC and the citizens of Washington to worry about another dime being spent on it. STOP PLANT WASHINGTON NOW. SPEAK UP. DO WHAT IS RIGHT. This is the time. Don't worry about what you could have done or wish you had done. Do it now. Today.

Mike McDonald, District 1.......706–465–9414
Jeff Larksen, District 2...........706–444–7556
Joe Taylor, District 3..............478–452–7817
Bill Helton, District 4..............478-348-3078
Mildred Jackson, District 5.....478–552–9438
Chair Mike McCoy, District 6..478–552–0895
Ken Vickers, District 7............478–864–2459Washington EMC office.........478.552.2577

Better told with pictures

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-05:00

Lost time, found time

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Friday Photo

A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.

When I was a stay at home mom years ago I sewed a lot

I made play clothes anda few "nice" dresses for my daughters

When we finishedrestoring our simple farmhouse

I worked on curtains,chair cushions, quilted duvets, and dust ruffles

I stopped sewing when Ibegan working outside the house

Ididn't really miss it much

No time between work,dance classes and homework,
groceries, and laundry

Last year in March, on awarm early spring day

on what should have beenthe last few days of
radiation treatment for breast cancer

the computer on theequipment crashed

It was the worst day ofhaving cancer

Sunburned fromradiation,
too exhausted to even think
of anything that wouldhave given me respite

I decided to startsewing again

This weekend I will trysomething new
using cast off and thrift store sweaters

I have learned how tofelt them

cashmere, wool,angora

cabled, patterned, plain

I hope by Sunday nightto have a new scarf

and make others withscavenged finds

I sobbed outside thewaiting room while my car was serviced that day

but I finally realized

that I will never havethe time back

so now I want to use itwell

and not just passthrough so much of it

They never fail to disappoint

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Georgia General Assembly never fails to entertain the taxpayers with both proposed legislation and their behavior as well while they are in Atlanta. Two (or three, depending on how you count them) of the highlights of this year's General Assembly session, so far, are H.B. 464 and H.B. 1130.

Representative Kip Smith (R-Columbus) managed to get himself stopped for poor driving last week in Atlanta. While he was busy failing a breathalizer test (initial reading was .091, the second was .99, and the third .100, when the legal limit is .08), he made sure to mention he is a member of the General Assembly. Fortunately that didn't impress the officer who stopped him. Smith was booked with two charges of DUI and ignoring a red light.

Republicans aren't the only ones who have done this, but Smith is a co-sponsor of H.R. 464, which would require Georgians who receive welfare to submit to random drug tests. Smith underwent a random drug test the night of January 12 in Buckhead, and he failed. He is a recipient of taxpayer funds, and yet his legislation doesn't require him to tow the same line. Rep. Scott Holcomb, (D-Atlanta) volleyed back with H.R. 677, which would make lawmakers who fail a drug test subject to removal. Unfortunately Holcomb's bill most likely won't muster adequate support, and Smith's bill won't die because of his poor decisions.

In the top 10 (so far) of bills filed this session, H.R. 1130 is absolutely stunning. This bill, filed by Representatives Kevin Cooke (R-Carrollton), Josh Clark (R-Buford), Delvis Dutton (R-Glennville), Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville) ,and Christian Coomer(R-Cartersville), would repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and allow state legislators to elect Georgia's U.S. Senators. This amendment, passed in 1913, finally took the power to elect Senators away from state legislators and put it in the hands of the citizens.

The U.S. Senate operates like a country club. Their staffers are notorious for refusing to attend meetings on the other side of the Capitol in the House offices. They have the luxury of standing for election every six years, allowing them ample time to stoke their campaign coffers and influence other state elections.If they can carry a large enough percentage of urban populations across the state, they can write off rural (rural generally gets the short end of the deal from our current Senators now) because they are elected statewide. It is a matter of managing the urban areas and letting rural ice the cake.

H.R. 1130 turns the electoral process on its head, stripping rights out of the hands of citizens and giving it to an already privileged group of white men under the Gold Dome. Surely if this gains any traction people of both parties, plus the Tea Party, will see if for what it is. This type of legislation is grandstanding and shouldn't be tolerated by Speaker Ralston and party leaders.

No more rhymin' with the bitches

2012-01-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

The materialism, violence, and blatant sexism that pervade so much of rap music are an assault against all women. The degrading way that women are referred to as a bitch or a ho doesn't pose as "art" when the images and words are repeated over and over again in demeaning tones.

If any number of reports hold true, this week a respected and successful musician and producer has sworn off any more bitches in his music. Since the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, proud father Jay-Z, has decided that calling a female a bitch just for the sake of using the word isn't o.k. In fact, he reportedly goes even further with this, “I never realized while on the fast track that I'd give riddance to the word bitch/To leave her innocence intact/No man will degrade her, or call her name/Forever young you may pass/Blue Ivy Carter, my angel."

If having a daughter brought this about, then congratulations are due to the father for quickly realizing that he doesn't want anyone calling his daughter a bitch (why he didn't give the word up out of respect for his wife or mother is another question). It is odd how a pink bow on the front door can change the way you speak (or rap). How many dads figure out that a lot of those doors will never open for their daughter?
Better pay? Women still earn about 77 cents to every dollar a man earns. Chances of leading a Fortune 500 company? The numbers are down to 12 women in that role because three left their posts in the last year and were replaced by men.

Women have made some significant gains in political leadership, but the United States Senate has 100 members and only 17 are women. In the House of Representatives 16.8% of the 435 seats belong to women.
Last year Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta, deceased) wanted legislation passed which would require rape victims to be called accusers. If rape were predominantly a crime committed against men, would any man in the Georgia General Assembly supported a bill requiring that they be referred to as accusers? Semantics? I don't think so.

Like all new parents, I suspect that while Jay-Z and Beyonce know they can provide for Blue Ivy, they worry about the world that she will grow up in beyond their guarded home. If her father knows it shouldn't be a world where women are casually and routinely called bitches, I hope he can also do something about women also being considered a ho. That's another verse to be sung.

I hear the Fat Lady warming up off stage

2012-01-16T22:02:00.001-05:00

Four years ago this month I was invited to a meeting with other community leaders to hear our Washington EMC Board and Chamber of Commerce leaders introduce Dean Alford, the spokesperson for Power4Georgians (P4G). Dapper Dean, as we have so fondly come to call him since watching him operate, told a stunned group about Plant Washington, which was presented to us as a "done deal." Alford did add that he expected some environmental groups to oppose the plant, but that would be dealt with summarily and they would move on with this project.

Four years later, Dwight Brown, the former Cobb EMC CEO who organized P4G, has been indicted on 35 counts which include racketeering, theft, making false statements (in layman's terms, lying) and intimidating witnesses. Cobb EMC members are taking back their co-op by electing new board members who are committed to operating with the members' best interest at the forefront of their decisions. Along the way Brown funneled millions of Cobb EMC co-op dollars into Allied Energy Services, lead by Alford, which tidily secured a no bid contract for the coal plant. Later this month Dapper Dean is scheduled to make a presentation to the Cobb EMC Board in what should be a last ditch effort to keep his project on Cobb EMC's financial life support.

Cobb EMC Vice-President Sam Kelly told the Marietta Daily Journal last Thursday what so many people have suspected for a long time: there is no pro forma plan for Plant Washington. All we've heard up until now is essentially this is a good investment "because we said it is good." Can you imagine telling a bank that they should loan money "because I said it is good"?

Alford is quoted in the same article saying that Cobb's recent request for power proposals is "no big deal." Well Dean, it is a big deal. And we also know that Plant Washington isn't a "done deal." And that's a big deal too. I know it, you know, and now everyone else knows it.

For a long time I wanted to believe that Washington EMC, Chamber of Commerce, appointed officials, and elected leaders had been hoodwinked into a bad deal. Now that we know without a doubt that there never was a pro forma cost estimate the questions get even tougher.

Did they blindly agree to this project (in which case we all need to think about how much confidence we can have in them about anything else) or did they simply not tell us the truth when they answered our questions? It was a big deal then. It is an even bigger deal now.

The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, but I can hear her warming up off stage. It sounds like she is rehearsing a funeral dirge for Plant Washington.

"Shed a little light"

2012-01-16T09:57:00.002-05:00

This song, written by James Taylor, with its simple but poignant lyrics, delivered without fancy production work, is a wonderful tribute to Dr. King. On days when the vitriol and ugliness are tipping the scales, taking a minute to listen to it helps to clear the mental clutter. It reminds me that there are reasons to shut out the hate and greed and continue the work that Dr. King and so many others taught us is fundamental to communities both small and large.

Remember these?

2012-01-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

The Friday Photo

A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.

I wonder if people squeeze into this tiny phone box,
shut the door, and use their cell phone.

NYU Law School, 2nd floor

Brilliant sun

2012-01-06T11:33:00.001-05:00

The Friday Photo

A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.

A brilliant sun so far away on
a frigid January afternoon

A New Year and a New Adventure

2012-01-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

Four years ago my eyes were opened wide to how fragile and vulnerable the world around me really is when a coal fired power plant was planned about eight miles from my front door. The benefits have included trying new things like paddling, fishing, looking for slave graves deep in the woods on a hot afternoon with church elders (I was lucky and walked behind my boss who spotted a large rattlesnake obscured by overgrowth. And yes, it was a large snake and he killed it with a stick).

These adventures have allowed me to see the world around me, and especially the world outside the confines of my house and car, with a new perspective. It has changed the food I buy, what I like to eat (fighting coal taught me to like egg salad sandwiches), who my friends are (and aren't), expanded my news resources, and made me a pretty decent social media user.

In an effort to dial back the work a little, I am posting a photo here every Friday, called The Friday Photo. The photo will be something that caught my eye, maybe the first time I saw it, or the 20th time. I hope it will encourage others to look at the world around them with fresh eyes occasionally, or better yet, a world you haven't ventured into before.

A gift and a story rooted in timeless teachings

2011-12-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

My daily world doesn't include young teens anymore, but I am fortunate to know a young man in Sandersville who I consider to be my friend. Cody is a voracious reader and loves animals so for several years I gave him a subscription to National Geographic Kids for Christmas. A couple of years ago I switched to a young adult type literary bi-monthly which didn't take off like wildfire with him (and Cody was very gracious when he told me it wasn't the right fit for him).

This year I thought about a new magazine subscription until I ordered an anniversary edition DVD of "To Kill a Mockingbird" for my daughter's birthday. I checked and found out that Cody had not seen the movie or read the book, so today he unwrapped copies of both.

Harper Lee's story of deep racial prejudice (as well as economic and social injustices) holds just a true today as it did when it was published in 1960, in September 2011, and today. But perhaps what makes Lee's novel an appropriate Christmas gift, is that it teaches a timeless lesson of kindness and respect for all people, regardless of the color of their skin, how much money they make, where they go to church, or how far they got in school. In fact, it seems to be grounded in many of the teachings of the man whose birth is celebrated by millions around the world today.

Because it is the season (my killer eggnog recipe)

2011-12-17T16:07:00.001-05:00

I was never a fan of eggnog until visiting Sandersville over the holidays before I married my husband. We were invited to have eggnog with a neighbor on New Year's Eve and the sweet whipped version that was served made me a quick convert. I have made this with Kahlua instead of bourbon and it works nicely for a coffee/chocolate variety. I tried a chocolate eggnog once but it wasn't worth the effort. My husband has pasteurized the eggs when we were serving it to someone whose immune system was perhaps weakened by illness.

New York Times Cookbook Eggnog

12 eggs separated

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup bourbon

1 cup cognac

½ teaspoon salt

3 pints heavy cream

Grated nutmeg (optional in my opinion))

In electric mixer beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add bourbon and cognac while beating at low speed. Chill several hours (in a hurry? an hour works find but overnight is o.k. too)

Add salt to egg whites and beat until almost stiff or until beaten whites form a peak that bends slightly. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the yolk mixture into the whipped cream, then fold in the egg whites. Don't mix it in too hard or it will lose some of the fluffiness (directions call to chill mixture one hour, but I don’t).

Serve in small cups along with a spoon. Top with nutmeg if desired.

¼ recipe serves six people who really love eggnog

2 people (or one who REALLY needs some eggnog) 2 eggs, 1/8 cup each of sugar, bourbon, cognac, 1 cup whipping cream, pinch of salt

Co-op members expect more than a pat on the head

2011-12-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

Washington EMC co-op members may have been pleasantly surprised when they found dividend checks in the mail this week. The checks come two weeks before Christmas, and while it isn't a large check (just under $35.00) I am glad to have the extra cash before the holidays.

But the check didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy, despite its unexpected arrival in the mailbox. It kind of feels icky, like the Board knows the members are really unhappy, and we aren't going to tolerate the way things have been done in the past. Did they send us a dividend just before Christmas to take the edge off member unhappiness with the Board's interaction with members? Is the check a pat on the head like the Grinch gave Cindy Lou Who when he gave her a glass of water and sent her back to bed so he could continue to steal every bit of Christmas from her house?

Just simple coincidence to arrive 12 days before Santa gets here? How would we know? Board meeting minutes and financials aren't readily available to the members, so we don't know if the Board felt the hot breath of the members on their necks and decided to distract us with a little money just before Christmas.

The members are not easily fooled or placated. Our eyes are wide open.We turned a corner at the October Member Meeting and the Board knows it too. WEMC leaders can embrace better governance now and lead the way among EMCs in Georgia, or they can dig in their heels and hide behind a closed door. The choice is theirs. And Santa is watching to see who is being good.

Longleaf fight brought tears to my eyes this morning

2011-12-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

The longest active fight to stop a proposed coal plant came to a close today with a huge victory for the health of Georgia's citizens and our fragile natural resources. As soon as I realized what the call was about (we had no idea why we were asked to participate) my eyes welled with tears. Stopping this 1200MW proposed coal plant is a HUGE VICTORY for grassroots organizers across the country.

Bobby and Jane McClendon have taken lots of grief from their neighbors in Early County while opposing Longleaf, but they remained steadfast in their determination to stop a coal plant that would ruin the air they breathe, the water they drink, the fish swimming nearby, and the health of their friends and family (now and future generations). With the help of Colleen Kiernan at the Sierra Club, Erin Glynn with the Beyond Coal Campaign, Justine Thompson at GreenLaw, and a very long list of other organizations, individual citizens, attorneys, experts, and funders (remember, no one on the coal plant opposition side of the equation is billing $750+ per hour for legal work to stop these nightmare plants, philanthropic groups play a vital role in this work).

What does this mean for Plant Washington? It should serve as notice to the leaders of P4G, my local EMC Board, co-op members, AND the citizens who are fighting Plant Washington that in fact coal can be stopped in Georgia, despite the high priced lawyers and experts, and millions of shareholder dollars that are sunk into a project like this.

In one day's work this summer individuals shut down the phone system at LS Energy, the developer of Longleaf, with calls opposing the plant. That day was one of many spent during the past 11 years developing opposition to this pollution spewing plant. The grit and determination, skilled work and strategy, and long hours (and funding) have resulted in a victory that serves as a model for work against Plant Washington. I hope it is the last proposed coal plant that must be defeated in our country.

That sounds ambitious, but with Georgia being one of the few states still issuing new coal plant permits (never mind that our rivers are already full of mercury, we don't have enough water to power new plants, our air quality is declining, and the health of our state's citizens is impacted negatively in both the long term and short term pictures), we still have work to do.

With the news today about Longleaf, I've rolled my sleeves up a little more. If you want to make a difference right now in the work that I am doing via FACE, please consider joining or making a contribution here. I love a good fight, and I am in this one to win.

Let's call the EPD what it really is

2011-12-09T14:31:00.003-05:00

When I started learning about coal and the impact a coal plant would have on my community, someone with many years of experience in environmental work referred to the Environmental Protection Division as the "Environmental Permitting Division." As a novice, I thought that was pretty clever. It isn't now, unfortunately.

Almost two months ago in this blog I asked if ANY state agency/department in the state is protecting our health. There are no searchable news releases from the Georgia Department of Community Health concerning the impact of coal plants on the state's citizens (there are from other health organizations such as the American Lung Association). That begs the question of why, with high asthma rates among children, and high cardiopulmonary disease rates in adults, DCH isn't at the front line on coal plant emissions in the state (both existing and proposed).

It is for sure we can't count on the Environmental "Protection" Division to protect our health by reducing pollutants spewing into the air or dumping into our waterways. Based on his support of adding new coal plants in the state, Gov. Deal isn't an advocate for our health. He allowed Allen Barnes to continue as Director of EPD after the state's largest fish kill occurred on his watch, followed by the EPD's overdue admission that it hadn't properly monitored the company responsible for the dumping that killed the fish. Another fish kill happened on Brier Creek, and another was reported in Commission Creek. And yet Deal was happy to allow the E"P"D leader to continue.

Allen Barnes has left his job at E"P"D and his replacement, Jud Turner, a lobbyist, opened the door for a warm welcome from environmentalists by saying just after his appointment was announced, that he will “adopt the policies of his predecessor in trying to keep economic development coming into the state while regulating its impact on the environment.”

My comments submitted to the E"P"D during the last air permit hearing on Plant Washington included this:

The EPD’s mission is:

protects and restores Georgia’s environment. We take the lead in ensuring clean air, water and land. With our partners, we pursue a sustainable environment that provides a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy communities.

Your vision statement includes:

Georgia’s environment is healthy and sustainable. Natural resources are protected and managed to meet the needs of current and future generations.

Your principles include:

EPD serves the public by implementing state laws, rules, and policies to protect human health and the environment.

EPD applies and enforces environmental laws and standards in a consistent, fair, and timely manner.

EPD is proactive and results-oriented, and helps develop new approaches to meet Georgia’s environmental challenges.

Georgians have a right to and a responsibility for a healthy environment and the conservation of our natural resources.

Georgia’s environment consists of diverse ecosystems of interrelated and interdependent components, including people, plants, animals and their habitats, as well as air, water, and land.

Environmental stewardship, protection of human health, and economic vitality are compatible and mutually beneficial goals.

Several concerned citizens joined me that night and said the E"P"D's job is to protect the natural resources in our state and the health of the people who live here. Economic vitality is mentioned in the last part of the department's vision, but it seems that the Department has narrowed its work to solely focus on the economic vitality of a few private companies and their shareholders.

While I was out of the office earlier this week (and mulling over any number of topics for an update to this blog) the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer was working on an editorial which was quickly picked up and circulated today by the very people (environmentalists) that Turner should be courting. Tom Crawford thought it was worth quoting in full (and I agree):

Jud Turner, Gov. Nathan Deal’s choice to head the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, will officially succeed EPD Director Allen Barnes in the new year. At Wednesday’s meeting of the state Natural Resources Board, Turner pledged, as reported by Morris News Service, to “adopt the policies of his predecessor in trying to keep economic development coming into the state while regulating its impact on the environment.”

The reaction of Georgia’s environmental community was almost certainly less than enthusiastic. And that skepticism might ultimately have less to do with Turner’s qualifications and values (or with those of his predecessor) than with the years-old conflict inherent in the agency he has been tapped to lead.

Barnes, who has led the EPD for slightly more than two years after succeeding Columbus native Carol Couch, acknowledged his conflicts with environmentalists but said part of the office’s responsibility is “to find that balance between a sustainable economy and a sustainable environment.” Turner echoed the observation: “There is a balance, as Allen has talked about, between economic sustainability and environmental sustainability.”

Of course such a balance is essential, in Georgia and everywhere else. So what’s the problem?

The problem is that while both economic development and environmental protection are critical, an agency officially titled the Environmental Protection Division should be primarily — perhaps exclusively — concerned with the latter.
The fact that Georgia’s top-ranking environmental watchdog is expected to concern himself/herself with economics, beyond the obvious responsibility of managing the department’s budget, goes to the chronic structural dysfunction of this part of state government. And that structural problem goes all the way back to the Carter administration. (That’s Jimmy Carter the governor, not Carter the later president.)

As part of a well-intentioned and efficiency-minded reorganization of state government, EPD was placed under the Department of Natural Resources, largely an economic development agency. As the decades have gone by, the tension between industrial and environmental interests — a familiar tension, but in Georgia one that plays out under the same bureaucratic roof — has made the merger look more and more like a shotgun wedding.

Environmental protectors should be protecting the environment … period. Surely there are ample forces in Georgia government to effect that balance to which the current and future EPD directors alluded. (Rest assured that in the Georgia General Assembly, business interests will be devoutly represented.)

Turner, like Barnes before him, would have a tough enough job just protecting Georgia’s precious and beautifully diverse environment. Having to worry about economic growth as well shouldn’t be part of his mission. But until Georgia leaders rethink the role and importance of environmental protection, EPD is destined to remain a second-tier bureaucracy.

In this time of budget crunching and nickel squeezing, will the Governor's next spending reduction suggestion be to simply roll the E"P"D into the state's Department of Economic Development and let them pursue and permit more companies to degrade and poison our environment? At the current pace, it would be in keeping with the state's safeguarding of our natural resources and our health.

Simple is Plenty for Me

2011-11-23T17:11:00.000-05:00

I was just 14 years old when this aired on Saturday Night Live, but I have never forgotten it. It reminds me, especially having flown just two weeks ago, of a much simpler time when people eagerly waited for their friends and family at the gate where people came up the jetway.

Our lives are so complex now with 24 hour news, tiny computers that are also phones, cameras, telegraph equipment (think txt mssg), video cameras, and shopping centers (Ebay), plus laptop computers, and cars that respond to our voices. In 1975 sales of the microwave exceeded gas ranges for the first time. Children don't know that pancakes start with eggs, flour, and buttermilk in liquid form, or that French toast didn't originate as French toast sticks.

Tomorrow families across our country, and those serving our country here and in every corner of the Earth, will come together to share a meal and be thankful. Thanksgiving isn't about presents, shiny ribbon, or battery operated toys. It is meant to give all of us a day to pause and reflect.

Some of us will not set as many places at the table as last year, but hopefully we will feel the warmth and love of those who aren't with us. Others may be painfully aware of having much less in their checkbooks than they did last year, and dread the constant onslaught of "buy this" that has already begun without mercy. Whether spoken or not, some of us will know that while all the seats are filled at the table, next year they may not be.

I hope that tomorrow each of us will find a reason to smile at some point during the day. Some smiles may come from the deep satisfaction of seeing a newborn nestled in the crook of a great-grandparent's arm. Children will smile when they think no one has seen them pinching a taste of melted marshmallow from the sweet potatoes. A young cook will smile with relief that the meal is more than just edible, it is actually good.

I don't have a cooking assignment tomorrow (mine is for Friday night's meal with 22 people). Instead, tomorrow I will cover two large tables with heavy brown paper. Then I will put out brand new crayons (a total of 96) within easy reach of each chair. I know my family well enough to be sure that just about everyone, including the great grandparents, will at the least play tic-tac-toe with one of the younger children. Linen tablecloths and ironed napkins just don't feel right this year.

A year ago on the day before Thanksgiving, I had a follow up mammogram because something didn't look right. Last week I was told there is no indication that the early stage cancer I had removed from my left breast in late December has returned. So simple is a good fit for me this year: a simple thankfulness that I am well, and that the people I know and love are well. And that is reason enough to smile. And to be thankful.

New Leadership Signals Trouble Ahead for Plant Washington

2011-11-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

My friends at SACE have summed up the release of the air permit for Plant Washington and the new direction expected to be chosen by newly elected Cobb EMC directors. Read their blog here.

The glass won't even be half full

2011-11-08T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Georgia Water Coalition released a list of the state's 12 dirtiest or threatened rivers over the weekend, and my little community has the embarrassing distinction of being on it (at number 6) due to the foolish pursuit of a coal fired power plant that will suck 16 million gallons of water a day out of either the Oconee River (which is always critically low), or 15 wells in the recharge area of the Ogeechee River. Now home owners and farmers will have to compete with a coal plant for sufficient water for daily use.

Wondering what the Oconee looks like during a stage 4 drought? You could walk across it and not get your feet wet (photo from the state of Georgia, 2007). Since Plant Washington was announced in January 2008, the developers, Power4Georgians, have admitted that the river levels were too low to supply the plant during one summer and they would have relied entirely on the ground water supplies.

Let me make this clear: I know and love many good people in Atlanta and other metropolitan cities in Georgia who have serious water shortage issues. I know they need water for their families and communities just like the rural folks do.

The difference is, when the only source of water you have for your home or farm is a well, you treat it with incredible respect and conservation. Losing your water trumps everything else on your day's agenda. The solution isn't as easy as calling the city utility department and finding out that it is something simple like flushing the lines. Not having water demands immediate attention, and it can also mean considerable costs.

The people who depend on wells in the area around the proposed plant site understand better than anyone else that the threat to our wells is real. If we lose our water permanently due to the draw down (and a USGS staffer with no skin in the game said it will happen sooner rather than later if the plant is built), everything we have invested in our homes and farms will be dried up, literally.

Even if there was a work around for the water that has sustained families here for hundred of years, P4G hasn't stood behind their promises in writing to make sure we have water if the plant impacts us. That confirms what we have known all along: our water supplies can't sustain the additional demand of 16 million gallons per day from the Oconee or local wells. Period.

Hate SpewMaster Sponsors and Higher Math

2011-10-31T13:32:00.002-04:00

Not being a Neal Boortz fan, and preferring to not be incensed all the time by listening to him or reading what he spews on the internet, I wasn't totally surprised when I read today via Blog for Democracy that Boortz tweeted earlier today: "If you haven't been charged with sexual harassment ... your 'nads haven't dropped yet."

Since it has been a while since I had looked at the Spewmaster's web site, I went there to see which companies have paid links there. In the upper right hand column there is an advertisement FOR A WOMEN'S SELF DEFENSE CLASS!

I need to puzzle over the math here but I am pretty sure that calculus or any other method won't get the math right on this one: Neal Boortz thinks that unless a male has sexually harassed a women he isn't a man. Companies like Ackerman Security and Chinese Shailon Center in Atlanta, who are sponsoring the workshop, are in the business of helping protect women from attacks. And yet they spend money to sponsor Boortz.

I just spoke with a very nice woman at Ackerman who is following up on this and seemed to be just as upset as I am. She said someone would call me back.

In the mean time, if I were an Ackerman customer, I would cancel my contract with them and urge anyone I know, especially women, to do the same. The math just doesn't add up.

Every taxpayer in Georgia should be furious with the DNR's latest stunt

2011-10-13T11:41:00.015-04:00

Yesterday the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) used $35K of taxpayer dollars to restock the Ogeechee River after a massive 38K+ fish kill late in May. They have identified King Finishing, a private company, as the source for the pollution.

Dead fish in the Ogeechee, May 2011

But it gets even worse-the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) inspected King Finishing and never discovered that they were dumping fire retardant chemicals into the river without a permit, for 5 years! EPD leaders, once they realized they were clearly caught with their pants down, set up a consent agreement (which isn't a fine or penalty, but rather money for a supplemental environmental project) for King Finishing to spend $1M on some unidentified project, which may in fact not even be connected to the damage done at the river.

To add to the insult to all Georgians, but particularly people fishing and swimming in the river, selling supplies to boaters and outdoors sportsmen, and wildlife supporters, King Finishing could have been fined $91M! But if the EPD inspected and failed to find the unpermitted dumping, how can it then turn around and punish the polluter to the full extent possible?

To further indicate just how bad oversight is across state departments, a recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on factory farms revealed that the Agriculture Department isn't inspecting factory farms in the state and the EPD isn't finding the resulting pollution in rivers, streams, and lakes. Bert Langley with the EPD was quoted in the AJC, "We get very few complaints, which is typically our window into whether there are gross problems occurring,”

The AJC quoted Justine Thompson, Executive Director of GreenLaw, about the method, or lack thereof, of oversight: “If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? If a farm is not inspected or looked at, does it have a violation?” Thompson said. “They are not inspecting these places. To unequivocally make a proclamation that places they’ve never seen are in compliance is inconceivable.”

Clearly the Emperor has no clothes, and doesn't have the sense to figure out where or how to get some.

Why isn't the Department of Public Health speaking up for us?

2011-10-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

As has been evidenced this year, citizens can't count on the state's Environmental Protection Division to lead in protecting our natural resources or health from pollution. In the past few days our state Attorney General has filed two briefs opposing rules which will significantly reduce toxins in the air we breath and the water we count on for so many things.

So, I wonder, why isn't the Department of Public Health (DPH) speaking out in favor of tighter pollution regulations and oversight? The DPH web site says,"DPH is the lead department entrusted by the people of the state of Georgia with the ultimate responsibility for the health of the communities and the entire population."

Even their own data reflect high rates of birth defects (mercury is a neurotoxin), cancer, heart and lung disease, and stroke, all of which can result from exposure to dirty air. Can they not figure out that coal plants are pumping TONS of hazardous pollutants into the air each year? Have they not noticed because the policy makers are in Atlanta at 2 Peachtree Street? They don't see the coal stacks from their back yard or wipe coal ash dust from their front porch rocking chairs each day.

Is there ANY state agency in Georgia that is really invested in protecting our health, our air, and our water, from the pollution and health effects that have been documented for decades?

Just wondering.

A College and a Home

2011-10-05T17:09:00.000-04:00

This weekend as the air is chilled with the early taste of fall, students, faculty, and alumni will come together to celebrate the many things that make Guilford College uniquely enduring, and endearing, College and "home."

Many many years ago it was a location for the Underground Railroad. Before the Civil War Guilford was a leader in educating both girls and boys. The College stood firm in support of social, racial, ethnic, religious differences, justice, and equality, many years before the phrase "politically correct" was ever spoken.

This weekend alums will return to campus and marvel at how young the students look. We will roam the hallways and classrooms of buildings we once planned our days around. We will do a double take when a woman says she lives in a dorm that was all male (mostly) when we were on campus.

For some of us it will have been many years since we were on campus. Others were there in the Spring for class reunions. Some alums back on campus this weekend drive past the College daily on their way to work. A few lucky ones have the privilege of working there. No matter how long it has been since we last were there, Guilford leaves an indelible mark on each student lucky enough to call it "my College."

The values and the principals the College has stood on so firmly were woven into our time there and remain with us daily. There is a kinship among Guilfordians that I have never seen experienced among alums from other schools. We are forever connected to the College and to each other.

There will be new faces, and familiar faces worn with time. The older buildings will stretch wide to welcome us down their hallways again. We will marvel at how the campus is the same and yet so much better. Perhaps it is all crisper in our eyes now because we know what we took away with us left us connected to one another, and will always bring us back.

This isn't a Single Game Elimination Contest.

2011-10-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

The challenger to the EMC Board Chair didn't win last Saturday, which was surprising to many of us. I think Gene Renfroe ran a top notch campaign (positive, no personal hits on his opponent in the media). Even though he hadn't taken any position on Plant Washington, he was firm on improving relationships with members and treating us with respect. But, the long entrenched Chair (37 years is too long for anyone to serve on a board, but that is a reform issue for another day) got people to the EMC voting booths who probably will never go to another meeting again. So, we all learned a lot and we will let that inform and shape the work to be done.

Two things struck me about the Board and the CEO, Frank Askew. And right here and now I need to say what I have always told people, and I mean it: Frank Askew is a nice guy. He is as personable and friendly as anyone could ask for as far as a CEO who represents the co-op's members. And I don't begrudge him being paid well. His job comes with great responsibilities and he should be compensated for his education, experience, and time.

As the dust began to settle on Saturday, about 40 people stayed for the Q&A session with the Board of Directors, AND some of them actually asked pointed questions and pushed back on some of the answers we were given. Several people spoke up about the decision to build Plant Washington, the water and pollution issues that will result, the expense to members and taxpayers, and Board governance.

When I asked about open meetings, bylaw changes, and other governance and transparency issues, I made it clear that I was asking the Board, not Askew, as the Board currently sets those policies (the Board can amend the bylaws at will except pertaining to elections, yet another issue for another day. See page 43 in the bylaws). And the look on their faces? Well, they've never sat before the members to answer questions, and they just sat in silence.

Then they kind of fell over each other saying that it isn't hard to come to a meeting, and they are fine with members being there, and maybe we really didn't have to have a specific topic or reason to "be on the agenda" as members kept pointing out from their seats. Maybe they need to read their own policy, #116 again.

Will the Board really open the doors to members? Probably not right now. As we left the meeting my representative, Billy Helton, who stood up for this much needed Q&A session, told me if I want to come to the October Board meeting I should. I will. And others should too.

Members understand that things such as personnel issues must be handled in executive session. The members expect the linemen and office staff who work for us to be treated fairly and respectfully, paid a competitive salary, and be required to work safely. These people are our friends, our family, our neighbors. We know who keeps the lights on, repairs our dish washer, and notices when something doesn't look "right" if they come by our homes often.

I learned a lot Saturday, and sure, I wish it had all gone my way. If Plant Washington went away tomorrow would I still be interested in better co-op governance and operations? Yes, there is plenty of work to do. I left the meeting with the strong voices of like-minded people cheering me on.

Driving Co-op Reform

2011-09-29T17:58:00.001-04:00

This morning's scan of the news included three articles on Cobb EMC. I couldn't have started the day any better.

The Cherokee Tribune reported that the current Chair, Larry Chadwick (serving since 1982) and the Vice-Chair, Sarah Brown (elected in 1979) will not pursue re-election. The Atlanta Journal Constitution includes an article on the "New Day" at Cobb EMC, which will include open board meetings, quarterly reports, a member advisory committee, a new logo, and bills for service coming from the co-op, not the beleaguered for-profit Cobb Energy. The Marietta Daily Journal, which has faithfully stayed on top of this complex and long lived issue, included the recent release of Chip Nelson's salary as the new EMC CEO.

I had no idea that today would be the first time I could tell fellow Washington EMC co-op members that if Cobb can begin to operate in a transparent manner that better serves the members, surely we can do the same here.

A lot of ground work has been laid for the Annual Meeting this Saturday. Some people are coming because of the opposition to the Board Chair, who has been on the board for 37 years. Others are coming with questions that deserve answers. Some are coming for both. Maybe the bonus will be that members who come because of the door prizes stay for the question and answer session with the Board, and see there are other benefits to membership besides a chance at a nice door prize.

Waiting for Saturday

2011-09-28T16:59:00.001-04:00

When I decided to fight a coal fired power plant 3.5 years ago, I didn't know much about energy production and my knowledge of efficiency and conservation was pretty pedestrian. And I was clueless about the poor condition of our rivers and streams.

What I didn't know at the time, was that there were also some serious problems with the governance at my electric co-op, Washington EMC. It became very clear at the first Annual Meeting in October 2008 that the Board of Directors had no interest in member concerns and questions.

This Saturday is the fourth meeting I will attend since the plant was announced. In the past three years the Board and CEO have refused to recognize members, told us the EPD would answer our questions (which it can't do when the questions concern the governance and decisions made by the Board and CEO) and tried to hide behind a CEO who has said very plainly he doesn't like speaking in front of large groups.

Hello? He works for the 15,304 metered customers who are MEMBERS of the company paying him. Surely once a year he can manage to answer our questions. We aren't interested in shouting, but we are entitled to being treated politely AND having our questions answered where all members can hear the questions and the answer.

In May two FACE members and I met with the CEO Frank Askew, CFO Wendy Sellier, EMC attorney Skip Wommack, the Board Chair Mike McCoy (who has served for 37 years without opposition until this year, but term limits is another issue), and Billy Helton, who lives in and represents the district where the plant would be located.

We agreed that we disagree on the plant, asked some questions, and were still disappointed in the lack of research and business planning they could use to support their insistence on this $2.1+ B project. We did get them to agree to a Q&A after the door prizes are drawn at the end of the business meeting (which is the reason most people attend. If the prizes were drawn first the room would be empty in 5 New York minutes).

When I confirmed the Q&A with Askew in August, he back pedaled saying that because FACE has said that we know people are intimidated by speaking out, EMC leaders would instead speak with people one on one. I may not agree with Billy Helton's support of the plant, but ALL MEMBERS owe him their thanks for insisting that the Board honor their previous agreement.

Yesterday I posted the 990 tax return with the Board and CEO compensation figures in it. I don't want to take issue with how much Askew is PAID BY MEMBERS, but I do think that for someone making north of $209,000 a year now, he could and should have answered the questions raised by the people writing his paycheck at earlier meetings.

I, nor FACE, are endorsing or supporting a candidate in the one contested race. What the organization is doing is encouraging members to attend the meeting this Saturday (Elder Middle School on the Linton Rd in Sandersville with registration and voting beginning at 8:00, business meeting at 10:00, Q&A immediately after prizes are drawn at the end of the business meeting). FACE understands that there are many people in the community who are afraid for their jobs. or have other pressures exerted on them to support the plant. FACE and others in our community are willing and ready to ask questions and hear the answers in a public setting where all EMC members can listen and learn for themselves.

Whether you support Plant Washington or not, EMC members need to be involved in OUR co-op. There are serious issues which need to be addressed even if the plant goes away tomorrow. All of us need to step up and do our part as members to put this co-op back on track to serve the members better than we have experienced in the last 3+ years.

Simple Math

2011-09-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

Some people where I live wonder why the "doings" at Cobb EMC are so important to my fellow Washington EMC co-op members and Washington County tax payers. Cobb EMC is the lead partner in a group of EMCs who want to build a coal fired power plant about 8 miles from my house and 8 miles west of my family's timber farm.

Some of the Cobb co-op members have reviewed a just released audit which reveals stunning losses to the co-op. The Cobb EMC Owner's Association (CEOA) site includes the following on the costs of delays in liquidating Allied Utility Network and Allied Energy Services, the company which received a no-bid contract to build Plant Washington in my front yard. The CEO site includes this:

UPDATE: According to the 2011 Audit Report, Allied Utility Network ceased operations in October of last year and was dissolved – apparently with no disposition of assets. The company had never been profitable. Its only earnings had come from services provided within Cobb Energy or its affiliates. From 2002 to 2008, it had earned $20.8 million with operating expenses of $26.5 million. Cobb EMC, of course, subsidized the loss through service fees and other charges billed by Cobb Energy.The report also states that Alford’s Allied Energy Services was sold just one month ago on August 9th, for the whopping sum of $128,256. Quite a bargain for the company selected by Power4Georgians to develop two multi-billion-dollar coal plants. Perhaps that’s because it, like Allied Utility Network, had never been profitable — at least not for Cobb Energy. From its creation in 2004 through the end of 2007, it had spent $5 million to bring in revenues totaling only $704,000 — a loss of $4.3 million.Finally, we are able to see from the report that Rayder’s and the Board’s foot-dragging was costly, because subsidiaries held in the liquidating trust appear to have continued to operate at a loss, cancelling out all the gains from disposition of their assets and costing the co-op an additional three quarters of a million dollars:

2008-09 Report: Net loss of $662,367
2009-10 Report: Net gain of $1,964,044
2010-11 Report: Net loss of $2,061,824
Total: Net loss of $760,147

That's a lot of member dollars for the Board to lose while receiving thousands each year in compensation.
When Dwight Brown announced the creation of Cobb Energy in 1997, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Brown promised members, “We will not allow Cobb EMC to subsidize this new company,” he said. "We make this pledge that Cobb Electric Membership Corporation will not subsidize this other company, and this other company is created to work for you and to work for Cobb Electric Membership Corporation.”

That promise never held water. The AJC reported that the Cobb EMC Board also loaned Brown $3M, and then forgave the loan. Brown used that money to purchase shares of Cobb Energy (Brown and his wife received close to $2M in six years time until the agreement was legally shut down). Since Cobb Energy was announced, the non-profit co-op's expenses have soared and member dollars have been funneled into subsidiaries which have lost millions. The co-op has also spent an estimated $10M+ in legal costs since Cobb Energy was created. And much of that involves legal fights against the very members they are supposed to serve.

Over 3.5 years ago my EMC got in bed with Cobb EMC (and seven other co-ops, four of whom got out of the bed over 2 years). But now we are beginning to know just how deep the problems at Cobb run. All this dirty laundry should raise some serious questions for me and my fellow co-op members about our business partners.

We may be a little rural community and we really do know where folks are going without using their blinker. But that doesn't make us stupid. Understanding the management and financial problems surrounding Cobb EMC, their indicted former CEO, and their Board, doesn't require higher math skills, a degree in accounting, or an MBA. A little old fashioned country figurin' makes it pretty clear: we don't do business like Cobb EMC, and we would be better off to get out of that bed now.

Mr. President-Throw Us a Bone!

2011-09-02T19:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Mr. President-

Could you throw us a bone? Please? Citizens have waited patiently (20 years alone on tougher Clean Air Act Standards for mercury and other hazardous pollutants) to have cleaner air (and therefore cleaner water, it is a great 2 for 1 opportunity). Since tougher standards began to be discussed, I have gone through a pregnancy, delivered a baby, and raised that child to be an adult. That seems like enough time to get around to helping all of us have cleaner air to breathe.

It's hard to be patient when the rates of heart and lung disease, stroke, asthma, cancer, developmental problems in newborns and children, continue to increase as a result of dirty air. 20 years.

You can do what's right and change your mind on the smog emissions. Really, we'll forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes.

If you think making this announcement on the Friday afternoon of a long weekend will make the backlash go away, it won't. The American Lung Association has already announced it is heading back to court since it has waited two years while you have promised these things would happen.

I can't wait for November to get here, or maybe not, at this pace, to find out if your Administration is willing to stand up to the big industry lobbyists who think it is o.k. to continue to pollute our air and degrade our natural resources (The New York Times ran a column about that, "Profits Before Environment" earlier this week). One of those industry heavy weights, Chris Hobson of the Southern Company, said that mercury emissions are "hazardous" when he testified in May at the EPA's Public Hearing on the proposed Clean Air Act Standards (his company reported $2B in profits last year while spewing mercury into the air I breathe every day).

And I've tried to be hopeful, really. I think we should get out of Iraq and Afghanistan faster, but I appreciate your concern for protecting Americans and those who will be victims of harsh governments. I was in the trenches with you on health care reform. I urged John Barrow to please do what his constituents thought was best. I've been back to talk to him about the proposed Clean Air Act Standards (his staff probably recognizes my voice now). I asked John to support your efforts to increase the debt ceiling while closing loop holes for companies making billions and paying little or no taxes (you know some of those guys, like Jeffrey Immelt at GE. He's been to your office before to talk about the economy and jobs creation, right?)

So Mr. President, don't mess up in November. Make good on what millions of Americans have waited so patiently for. Tom Pierce may have said it best at the EPA hearing in May when he said, "I would urge you to turn a deaf ear to those who say they need more time to kill us."

And I won't even mention the Tar Sands Pipeline.

Katherine Helms Cummings

Administrative Problems Cut Rural Health Care Funding

2011-09-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

In June the President created a Rural Task Force which includes a long list of federal departments and offices. Last month they were on the road listening to citizen concerns. Kathleen Seblius at HHS is to be commended for making sure that some of our country's brightest health care leaders at HHS have a real understanding of the challenges rural communities face in creating and sustaining healthy communities. Some of those leaders include Mary Wakefield (North Dakota) at HRSA from Marcia Brand (West Virginia) at the Bureau of Health Professions, and Tom Morris (North Carolina) at the Office of Rural Health Policy.

All of these agencies understand and advocate for rural physicians who are frequently on the short end of re-reimbursement, treat higher numbers of Medicare and Medicaid patients, and must compete for staff against the higher salaries available in larger cities. Rural doctors don't get a discount on all the equipment they need just because they are in a smaller demographic. Just as their patients want the best care possible, doctors want to deliver it and they need the technology and equipment to do that.

When Congress returns it is imperative that it address the complete omission of rural clinics in federal quality improvement efforts and funding. The National Rural Health Association alerted members that it would be working with partners to lobby Congress to correct an administrative problem that resulted in the lack of any funding for improving the health of rural American through these programs. The money is already budgeted but due to a data collection omission at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, reports filed by rural physicians were not included.

I've heard people, including state and federal elected officials, downplay the importance of high quality health care in rural communities (it is stunning). Some of them had said they don't ever visit rural communities and just don't know much about them.(we make sure they know the welcome mat is always out). But when they go to the beach, the mountains, or visit friends and family out of town, most likely their trip takes them through a rural community. An accident, heart attack, stroke, or sudden illness isn't the time to wish there was good quality health care just down the road.

Congress needs to fix this administrative issue so rural gets the funding that is already budgeted. We want and deserve our fair share. The White House and Congress need a fuller understanding of what makes the success and sustainability of rural America critical for solving the problems our country faces. Health care is an important one.

Cobb EMC Director's Retirement Benefits Can Total $211,200. Not Bad for a Volunteer Position.

2011-09-01T18:33:00.000-04:00

For some unknown reason, after years of asking, the Cobb EMC has posted some of the financial information about Board of Director benefits. They receive:
$600 per board meeting
$500 for a committee meeting or a conference
$50.00 for a conference call
$211,200 in retirement benefits ($1,100 per month for a "volunteer" position)
health benefits
life insurance

If the full Board meets once a month, it costs the co-op $6,000. At one meeting a month that is $72,000 just in costs to pay the Directors to "manage" the co-op. If 10 Directors receive the full amount of retirement benefits they cost the co-op, which is supposed to operate as a non-profit as a service to the members, $2,112,000. Yes, over $2M!

I am willing to go out on a limb and guess that because they were supposed to hire a new CEO to begin working on March 1, 2011 (they didn't), and the CEO was re-indicted with four additional charges of witness intimidation for a grand total of 35 counts, that board met more than once in person each month.

Maybe they meet when they prepare to appear in court as required by a judge (the newspapers said where they sat when they entered the courtroom last month looked planned). It adds up to a lot of money out of co-op members' pockets (and that doesn't even include the estimated $10M+ in legal fees that the co-op has spent in a protracted court battle with the members they are supposed to be serving).

Cobb EMC members stepped up to the plate years ago to re-gain control of their co-op. They have done it at considerable personal expense (good lawyers are important when you are fighting some of the most expensive lawyers in Georgia, like former Gov Roy Barnes and King and Spalding). They have also spent days, weeks, months researching to understand just how serious the problems plaguing their co-op are.

With today's revelations on how much is now known about benefits for the Board of Directors, it looks like more fuel has been added to the fire. Members are determined to wrestle the co-op back from the people who have gotten it mired in money losing projects for over 14 years. You can find out what they are doing by visiting Take Back Cobb and Cobb EMC Owner's Association. I wish them the very best of luck in continuing the work that is necessary to do this.

The Often Awesome Army of Heroes

2011-08-30T11:51:00.000-04:00

I have been heartened by the incredible coming together of friends, family and the larger community in Greensboro, NC to support a young man stricken by ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The Often Awesome Army produced an award winning web series focusing on Tim LaFollette's spiral into the disease and how people came together to be with him and Kaylan.

A hometown friend has beautifully described his relationship to Tim and what community means to those who survive him. His blog is here along with links to learn more about Often Awesome and their work.

Rural Georgia Just Can't Help Itself

2011-08-21T13:10:00.009-04:00

I saw this via Twitter and blog post last night, did some checking around, and unfortunately it seems to be what Grace Baptist Church in Hazlehurst intended for their sign, not a photoshop effort. I agree that the intent of this sign is not just a "vote him out" message if you read the fuller version of this passage in the Bible. Wishing any child to be fatherless, or a woman to be a widow, goes beyond the bounds of civil engagement.

This church is known for controversial, and often hurtful, language on their signs based on what I have read. it reflects so poorly on all Christians, and Baptists in particular who do not share such mean-spirited and narrow views.

The church's email address bounces but the minister's does not. It is funbap@aol.com. The church didn't answer nor have voicemail when I called to confirm the email address.

I agree with Georgia Politico that the local leaders should respond to this. It reflects poorly on their community. I suppose it would be a stretch to hope that any Baptist organization might come forward and denounce this type of hate speech.

At the very least, the church should lose its non-profit status based on improper political action prohibited by 501 (C) (3) guidelines. Perhaps there is also some value into a little "look see' by the FBI or Secret Service for making threats.

A Civics Lesson

2011-08-19T15:40:00.000-04:00

Last night people from across Georgia came together to comment on an air permit for Plant Washington, a proposed coal fired power plant which would be built near Sandersville, my rural home. The opponents of the plant outnumbered the pro-plant speakers, with only 2 of the 24 supporting the plant.

Two doctors ran through a long and scary list of illnesses and diseases resulting from exposure to a coal plant. Many of these include the horribly damaging impact of coal on pregnant women and their developing babies, as well as young children. Dr. Yolanda White said that because the plant toxins settle in the lower layer of the air, children are exposed to more toxins because of their height and because they breathe faster and more often (which makes sense but I had never thought about it).

At the close of what had been a vey polite two hours, someone from Milledgeville spoke. He began by praising everyone for doing their homework and about a project that will have permanent effects on our community's health and natural resources. He thought the community had set a real example of civic engagement.

Then he cautioned us that we are bargaining badly if local leaders continue to support the
plant. Because he lives near Plant Branch he spoke from experience as an educator and
concerned citizen.

I am proud of the way students, friends and neighbors, strangers, and national leaders in protecting rural communities and their natural resources from environmental injustices worked together to make case after case on the reasons the state should not issue the permit. I hope the elected officials, business leaders, and EMC board members took our comments to heart.
It takes courage to stand up and be among the few who are willing to put their community's health and safety above profits and power (literally and figuratively). I am stand with them.

Speaking out is risky. Not speaking out can be riskier.

2011-08-10T17:18:00.000-04:00

In the middle of July between work and my mother's health crisis, someone in my community asked me if I had read the weekly column written by the owner of "The Sandersville Progress." When I got a copy my hair stood up.

The column, which appeared in the July 19 edition in my hometown, was run in all Trib Publications
(approximately 40) and is online via a Fayette County paper Tribble owns. Read the full column here.

I sent the column to some friends to make sure I wasn't just experiencing a knee jerk response. Their responses were thoughtful but in agreement; name calling and intolerance of the very things that make our country unique merited more than a letter to the editor.

With their help, I launched a petition asking Tribble to apologize for name calling and narrow-mindedness. A few folks have suggested asking advertisers to boycott the paper until an apology is issued. In the end, these small town merchants need to use what they can to promote their businesses in a tight economy.

My response is intended to encourage others to speak up and say that they also disagree with Tribble's narrow-minded bullying language. Folks in my community are used to me speaking up, and I have won friends and made enemies as a result.

I hope that you will sign the petition and share it. If you want to send a full letter please send it to me and I will get it delivered. Tribble doesn't use email, but I am willing to work a little harder to share your response if you help.

Please check back. This isn't over. If we don't speak up, the name calling and verbal bullying won't end. Ever.

Ira Gershwin said it best

2011-07-20T17:06:00.000-04:00

In this week's Sandersville Progress as a letter to the editor

Three years ago Washington County leaders got “engaged” to Cobb EMC, a non-profit co-op entangled in a web of court cases costing co-op members. The shadow of those questionable deals and bad decisions now stretches all the way to Washington County.

Perhaps our local leaders didn’t know the true extent of Cobb EMC’s problems when they signed on for Plant Washington. But now, after repeated court battles which have cost the co-op millions of dollars and forced the members to take THEIR co-op to court at their own personal expense, the writing is on the wall in big bold letters.

Dwight Brown’s legal woes are not over. On July 7, Brown was re-indicted, and charged with additional crimes. In addition to the 31 original counts of racketeering, theft, and making false statements, Brown is now charged with four counts of intimidating witnesses. The District Attorney has not ruled out the possibility of more indictments against other people.

The legal problems aren’t over for the Cobb EMC Board of Directors either. Judge Schuster has ordered the Board of Directors to appear in his courtroom on August 12. The ‘Marietta Daily Journal,” a respected newspaper in Cobb County owned by Ben Tarbutton III’s father-in-law, recently described the Cobb EMC Board of Directors as “unindicted co-conspirators.”

Did our local leaders know about the dirty dealings at Cobb EMC? We hope not.

We may have fallen in love with Cobb EMC and all the pretty promises it made to us together with Power4Georgians. Four other EMCs called off the engagement two years ago.

It’s not too late to call off this wedding. Some people will be disappointed. Feelings might be hurt. If we stop now, no one has to buy a bride’s maid dress they don’t like and will never wear again. There won’t be a mess to clean up after the raucous reception. A lot of money can be saved.

This engagement has run its course. Ira Gershwin said it best, “Let’s call the whole thing off.”

Katherine Helms Cummings

FACE Executive Director

Washington EMC member

The Sandwich Generation Speaks Up

2011-07-19T14:57:00.000-04:00

I am beginning to know first hand what the sandwich generation is all about. I am the second of four generations in my family, and my husband is the same in his. We are both dealing with aging parents, keeping the house and yard in almost respectable order, and doing the things we want to do (exercise, garden, cook, read, blog). Next week I have appointments with three doctors who have been involved in treating my cancer since the middle of December.

It could be worse; we don't worry where our next meal will come from, if the car will get us to work, or whether we can see a doctor. We have friends and siblings we can call in the middle of the night (and who will call us if we are needed).

Can I imagine how awful it would be without those things? I can try, but I don't think I can fully understand it. Knowing it first hand is scary.

With that thought, I am doing my part and telling the folks who represent me (I use that term loosely as I don't like the way they vote on most issues) to say that cutting Social Security, Veteran's benefits, along with Medicare and Medicaid aren't just decisions about money. Those are decisions about the very real issues of quality of life. I'm willing to spend a little more on taxes to make sure the senior citizens in my neighborhood don't worry about cutting pills in half, or that kids with asthma have an inhaler when they need it.

And if I can do it on my middle class income that isn't getting any bigger while costs go up, then it seems like the jumbo corporations making millions in profits could come off a little of their cash to help our too.

We have hard decisions to make in our country. We need to remember that we aren't just talking about thousands of people. We are talking about the guy whose cute kids, wearing pretty worn out clothes, beamed as they cleaned the windshield while he put gas in the tank at $3.60+ a gallon.

I'm doing my part. Are you?

2011-06-05T23:08:00.000-04:00

Come Alive

by Jonathan Meade

Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prompt

If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.

Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?

Response

I would still be doing what I am do now: work to protect my community from a coal fired power plant that will leave the water and air filthy, and the land unfit for children, gardens, and wildlife. I would do it in a way so passionate and urgent that I can't imagine what that might look like.

Perhaps it would be sharing my ideas and concerns with the young people here, as they have everything to gain from any success I may have with this work. It could be insisting that those who have turned a deaf ear try to listen once with an open mind.

I would take my grandchildren to a museum where they could shout in excitement about what they see, and touch whatever begged to be touched.

Asking questions and listening more so I would better understand what matters to people would be a priority.

I hope the small motions of life would seem rich to me, something to be appreciated for its routine and simpleness (dumping coffee grounds into the compost bucket, cooking with someone and laughing until we cried)

Telling people how thankful I am for what they have shared with me would saturate everything I do. Writing it down so they have it later would be a real way of doing that.

Above all, I hope I would tell the people I love what they have meant to me, and encourage them to share what made our relationship special with someone else.

2011-06-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

Travel
by Chris Guillebeau

If we live truly, we shall see truly. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prompt
Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?

Response

There are not so far away places on my "must see" list like San Francisco and Yosemite. There are places like the Sistine Chapel that I have seen but would like to see post-restoration and cleaning, or that I saw as a young adult and would see differently as a "mature" adult. Then there are the places that are awe inspiring like the Himalayas and Andes mountain ranges, and the Great Wall.

In some respects, the "everyday" travels are the most important, and ones which should be valued and looked for as most of us live in "everyday" mode.

With that in mind, I look for the nearby adventures like art exhibits, festivals, and new for me, paddling events (perhaps a good example of making the everyday new and fun).

One ongoing goal is to see a series of art exhibits which came about by the keen eye and collecting skills of Herb and Dorothy Vogle. I heard about them a few years ago, saw a charming documentary about them, and set about finding the 50 for 50 exhibits which are the result of their phenomenal art collection. Information on the Vogles and the exhibits is here.

With that in mind, my friend Kathleen and I celebrated out 50th birthdays with friends and family at the Georgia exhibit of 50 for 50 in April.

I'll get to some of the places on my "must see" list, but seeing, finding, and enjoying the less exotic are equally important.

2011-06-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Post-it Question by Jenny Blake

That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prompt
Identify one of your biggest challenges at the moment (i.e. I don’t feel passionate about my work) and turn it into a question (i.e How can I do work I’m passionate about?) Write it on a post-it and put it up on your bathroom mirror or the back of your front door. After 48-hours, journal what answers came up for you and be sure to evaluate them.

Response

Over three years ago a coal fired power plant was proposed in my community. I wasn't knowledgeable about energy production, and as I learned more about what the plant could do to my community, sharing what I learned with friends and neighbors became a priority.

Fortunately there are other people in my community, across Georgia, the Southeast, and country who are teaching me and the public about the very real health hazards, financial risks, environmental impacts,and economic development problems which will result.

I struggle with finding better ways to persuade people to learn more about Plant Washington, or to re-think their support. Until the plans to build this plant are abandoned, asking better questions which lead people to oppose it will remain one way I can be better engaged in this work.

2011-06-02T22:35:00.001-04:00

One Strong Belief by Buster Benson

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

The world is powered by passionate people, powerful ideas, and fearless action. What’s one strong belief you possess that isn’t shared by your closest friends or family? What inspires this belief, and what have you done to actively live it?

I had to turn this prompt over several times today but I kept circling back to the same basic thought. The hard part was determining what belief I value and actively live by which isn't shared by my closest families or friends. I am fortunate to have supportive family and friends (since the only family I "chose" was the one I married into 27 years ago).

Growing up I was taught to be polite and respectful. Sometimes that meant turning a deaf ear to something that wasn't polite or politically correct. In the last 10 years or so, I have decided that not speaking up when someone says something that causes my conscience to shout "NO"is a disservice to my values and therefore to me.

Living in a conservative rural community and speaking out, really speaking out, can be hard. Word travels fast, there is plenty of beauty shop and coffee club gossip, and memories can be long.

These comments compel me to speak up without hesitation:

the use of the N word
derogatory comments about LGBTQ people
insisting that the United States is a Christian country (and all the resulting things we should be doing based on that idea)
comments which belittle females

I'm probably forgetting some other things that prompt a quick response, because fortunately I haven't heard them in quite some time. Wouldn't it be great if my list quickly dwindled to nothing more important than whether deviled eggs should have relish in them (they shouldn't, ever)?

Day Two of a 30 Day Challenge

2011-06-01T10:04:00.001-04:00

Not fancying myself a writer, but interested in writing well, I have committed to a 30 day writing challenge based on Ralph Waldo Emerson's writing (Does anyone ever refer to him as Emerson as we do for Plato and Socrates? Are there so many other writers named Emerson that no one would know which one we refer to?).

I missed yesterday's but am so touched by what some others wrote that I may go back and "catch up" so I get the full 30 days of the project. Waldo A link to the web site is here.

Today's prompt is:

Liz Danzico – Today

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative. – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

If ‘the voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tracks,’ then it is more genuine to be present today than to recount yesterdays. How would you describe today using only one sentence? Tell today’s sentence to one other person. Repeat each day.

My writing response is: Listen with your heart and an open mind, and follow what you hear.

My battle with cancer put me in the local paper

2011-04-10T09:29:00.001-04:00

I had every intention of using this blog when the year began but instead focused on my work as the Executive Director of FACE and my own health. Fortunately the radiation treatments are over and the fatigue is subsiding, so life is returning to whatever resembles normal for me.

A poet's thoughts on three minutes of silence at the Sidwell Friends School, and a inauguration day poem

2011-01-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

This morning I began my day listening to "On Being," a program hosted by Krista Tippett. Poet Elizabeth Alexander was the guest. Her comments about what politicians say, and what they probably wish they could say, are especially timely. You can find those at about 5:47 in the program.

Alexander said that she was fortunate to attend the Sidwell Friends School in DC. One of the most valuable experiences she had there was the three minutes of silence that began each school day. She describes how she cherished those few minutes at about 11:30 here.

Alexander also reads from the poem she wrote and read at President Obama's inauguration. The entire piece is lovely (read it here), but these words in particular struck me today

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign, 
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

This year is off to a bang.

2011-01-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

I started the New Year with an incision healing under my left arm and another on my left breast after a lumpectomy. Attorneys representing the grassroots organization I now work for had told us to be prepared to spend all year in court with appeals. I wasn't dreading the new year, but I was afraid there wasn't a lot of fun stuff to look forward to doing.

Yesterday the leader of Cobb EMC, Dwight Brown, got himself served with 31 counts of racketeering, theft, and making false statements (lying). We had waited almost two years after his home and office were searched to see if anything would come out of it. Three other Cobb EMC board member homes were also searched in the spring of 2009, and the Cobb D.A. has said more indictments may be issued.

Guess who signed some of the legal documents for the power plant application? Since Plant Washington and Power4Georgians was unveiled almost three years, the pieces haven't quite fit together. I think a court trial might put the puzzle together for us and those who planned and participated in this scheme.

I end the week knowing that the three years of my life that I have invested in learning more about Plant Washington, educating the public about it, and finding partners across the state and country to support our work, have been well worth it.

Today those partners not only celebrated this huge win for us in our fight, but they cheered when I told them my path report came back with clear lymph nodes and margins.

I still have a lot of work to do this year. Last month I told my county commissioners the longest fight in our country against a proposed coal plant is happening in Early County, GA. I learn from those people every day. They have been in it for 10 years and have no intention of stopping now. I have three years behind me on Plant Washington.With some luck, hard work, and preventive healthcare, I have far more than seven good years in me.

Deal won't be an improvement over Perdue

2011-01-02T14:41:00.000-05:00

On January 10 Nathan Deal will be sworn in as Governor to lead a state with significant budget problems and rankings across many markers (education, health, transportation, to name a few) which put our state consistently at the bottom nationally. Perdue leaves us with a $1.2 billion dollar debt, which includes $60 million for three of his pet projects (recently purchased Oaky Woods, the Go Fish project, and expanded facilities at the Georgia fairgrounds).

In Perdue's place we will be saddled with Nathan Deal, who left Congress under a thick blanket of ethics complaints followed by a personal financial mess which was obscured from Republican party leaders and voters.

Deal was never recognized as a leader among Georgia's Congressional delegation. He has made his staff and transition team appointments based on people and lobbyists who have contributed to his campaigns, or in the case of his Chief of Staff, Chris Riley, have also had questions raised about their own ethics. Deal declined the money budgeted by the state for the inauguration, and instead has allow private donations of up to $50K to fund the festivities. When the confetti and streamers are cleaned up, my bet is the people who paid for the parties will be the first phone messages returned when they need something from the Governor's office.

I am afraid that Georgians are about to learn more than one hard lesson about who we have elected to lead in our state and who will profit from our lawmakers' decisions. We have large challenges ahead for our state, and I have little confidence in our elected leaders for real solutions that will benefit all Georgians.

Jac Capp at Georgia EPD offers no support for enforcing new air regulations

2011-01-01T10:54:00.003-05:00

This morning Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) included coverage of the new EPA Greenhouse Gas regulations which go into effect tomorrow (EPA regulations set for January 2, 2011.) They included comments from Air Division Director Jac Capp (the audio is not currently available and will be posted here if it is available later).

Capp said that meeting the new regulations will require additional costs for energy producers in Georgia. In the second sound bite he said that the EPD is not sufficiently funded to cover enforcement of the regulations. He never mentioned the positive impact that cleaner air will have on citizens' health or our natural resources.

At an EPD question and answer session over a year ago citizens asked how the EPD will monitor the coal ash waste and emissions from Plant Washington. At one point Capp said that they will stay on top of these issues, but he then said that because the EPD is underfunded and understaffed, that the public should call their offices if we see ash blowing in the area. It seems that the public is responsible for monitoring the toxin wastes and emissions in our neighborhoods.
Today's news coverage shows that the Air Protection Branch of the EPD is more concerned about protecting the profits of energy producers in Georgia rather than the health of citizens and our natural resources. We should tell our state legislators that the EPD must enforce these regulations, and the General Assembly should provide funding for the EPD to do this work.

Lastly, for those plant supporters who keep saying, "the EPD will protect us," it is clear from Capp's statements that we can't count on that, and the pollution naysayers need to know this.

Katherine Helms Cummings
FACE Executive Director

Shopping at home via an Atlanta florist

2010-12-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

Some friends and I wanted to send flowers to someone in Atlanta recovering from surgery. I called and asked her roommate about a good florist near them. Foxgloves and Ivy was the only place recommended.

"Hmmm," I wondered, 'Isn't that the one owned by a man whose sister lives in Sandersville who I have known for about 20 years?" I dialed them up and a young woman answered, "Foxgloves and Ivy, this is Jenna. How can I help you?"

I knew I was in good hands-Jenna is the owner's niece, and I have known her since she was about four. We talked about what would be cheerful to receive, got the message on the card just right (Jenna encouraged something clever), shared some news about Jenna's one year old daughter (Laney Jane is in the walk-run phase of mobility), and wished each other a Merry Christmas.

Once again, when getting something right for a friend really mattered, the best help possible came my way. My friend is recovering nicely, and I knew what was delivered would be perfect. Shopping in Atlanta was just like shopping at home.

Who Knew?

2010-12-12T20:53:00.000-05:00

Glascock County is just to the north east of Washington County where I live. This will give you an idea of where it is: Glascock County The county lives in the shadow of its neighbors, and is know for being very conservative and having very little racial diversity (86.5% white from 2009 data Glascock County data).

The tiny town of Gibson held its annual Winterfest and parade today. Dianna Wedincamp with Ogeechee Riverkeeper, my husband David, and I set up a display about the river and the proposed coal fired power plant and hoped for the best. We were surprised with the great response we got from people of all ages.

Very few people said they weren't interested, and many people wanted to learn more, share our flyers with their friends, and sign comments opposing water permits for Plant Washington (find out more here: FACE http://faceenvironment.org/). We met men and women who are county leaders who not only signed comments opposing the plant, but brought friends and family to our booth to sign too.

The only person who approached us who supports the plant is county commission chair Anthony Griswell. After challenging him on every point in support of the plant, he finally gave us some suggestions on how we might shape our arguments to make stronger points. We didn't change his mind, but we stood our ground.

Today was much better than we expected. It was encouraging to talk with people who know we must protect our water and air. I had sold Glascock short on having community members who are forward thinking and willing to speak up for what they think is best. I learned a lot today too.

Plant Washington Public Comments Dominated by Plant Opponents

2010-12-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

Last night Georgians from across the state told the EPD, P4G, and community leaders that Plant Washington is not supported and that water permits should not be issued. We had new people there from other Middle Georgia counties who said that based on their knowledge and experience living near other coal plants, the promises being made can't be kept.

The GA Chapter of the Sierra Club submitted 600 comments opposing the plant, and FACE submitted 400 (with more to be sent in by Friday). We also picked up some nice coverage from the Fox and ABC channels in Macon last night and GPB today.

Tomorrow I am speaking to the Washington County Board of Commissioners about closing one road near the plant and a major re-route of another. That will be interesting. Stay tuned.

The Benefits of Shopping Locally

2010-12-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

I believe in supporting local businesses whenever possible because local businesses are in many ways the backbone of rural communities.I am willing to spend a little more money if necessary to support local businesses throughout the year. Wal-Mart won't stay open late to help me get a pipe for a repair so we can have water all weekend, but the locally owned and operated ACE Hardware has waited on me when I have made that call.

J. C. Grant Company Jewelers will check my jewelry and clean it at no cost when I stop in. By "trading" with them (as my grandparents said) for decades, they know what we like, what we don't like, and help us make good decisions when we need guidance. And Mr. Grant, Sr. likes to egg me on about our political differences (how many jewelers know where their customers stand politically?).

I did my fair share of holiday shopping online, but I already knew local businesses didn't have or can't get what I was hunting. It was easy and fast, and the gifts are waiting to be wrapped. But Amazon won't ever ask me who I like in the next Lt. Governor's race. Mr. Grant already knows.