Small groups a choice or lack of information

This past Saturday the Hamilton County Democratic Club sponsored a Forum on Mortgages and Foreclosure at the Noblesville Public Library. Measuring the amount of information we presented and how those in attendance seemed helped -- we were a big success. Measuring the numbers of attendees we could have improved.

This blog isn't about the seminar nor the ever growing number of once prosperous white collar business owners and managers who now are unemployed because the "downturn". These people are even more lost than those who have lived paycheck to mouth, filtering in and out of social safety nets; suddenly out of funds these people are also suffering a reversal of attitude. Many use to believe that if you worked hard, got the proper education, community profile you would be rewarded with income for homes, travel and other good life accessories. But now they are finding themselves -- hard working professionals who tried so to do it right -- are now walking into food pantries or speaking to bankruptcy attorneys or foreclosure counselors. Having once condemned the "liberal handout programs" they are now recipients.

No this blog is about the fragmentation of our community "town crier" due to technology, FCC revisions and economics that contributes to the low turnout that so many events are experiencing today.

In my effort to publicize the Forum, I looked first to the local papers. You see many years ago when I worked for non-profits, to publicize an event I only had to send a press release to and/or purchase advertising in two or three newspapers, four television stations and a few choice radio stations. There was a requirement for broadcast to offer the Public Service Announcement, and newspapers often followed suite. This would cover the greater Indianapolis area and the publicist could trust that most citizens were exposed to the message. Newspapers were owned by more than one company and the broadcast was owned by a different concern. There were small community papers, such as the Topics, that could offer community level target marketing, if desired. But to get coverage was simple -- whether PSA, press release, news release or purchased advertisement.

Starting with changes in the mid-1990's the FCC ownership rules have increased the number and mixture of type of communication entity one corporation can own in a market, this eliminating "voice" choice. Due to technology changes -- I'm not sold they are advances but rather trades with a zero net gain -- other delivery systems started to emerge such as cable and later the Internet, and then a merging and cross pollination of many of these technologies mandating a separation between delivery systems and content. Thanks to spam and the War on Terror, it can even be a mystery how to properly address a press release so it doesn't end up in some general mailbox or fax pile. Or to submit your event information the volunteer publicist is presented with a multi-purpose web form.

In publicizing the Forum on Mortgages and Foreclosures, my first goal was to enter the information into activity and community calendars -- but which ones? Everyday there seems to be a new web site offering a bit of community news and interaction. Of course my first choice was to enter the information in the main newspaper -- both online and print calendars. After several submissions that didn't appear in the calendar, I finally called the paper. A new policy created in response of so many activities submitted, mandates that the event will only be listed in the calendar of the community where the event is being held. Therefore my event would only show up in Noblesville, though the entire Hamilton County was our target. Purchased ads run either print or online, are pricey, especially when the free and open to the public event is being sponsored by a non-profit or member organization; do people read their news in paper form or online, and if online, do they read the local paper or some national or international site in an attempt to get multiple voices?

So perhaps local broadcast is the answer, or could be until you realize the multi-delivery systems used. The former logic was that cable would be more cost effective and allow some targeting of the households, until one considers all the ways television is being delivered: cable, satellite, Internet, and direct IP such as ATT U-verse. An ad purchased on one system, say cable, won't be seen by the homes in the target area that have the other delivery systems. So to reach more homes, the goal is to get the press release or purchased ads placed with the content provider such as the local stations, which would reach all (or majority) of central Indiana households, but this is expensive. So I'm left with this question: how do low or no budget events get publicized?

Events can take a lot of man hours and resources to organize, participants and panelist volunteer to take time away from family or businesses to serve their community, and yet audiences are often small. We tell ourselves that this because there is some many events and activities to choose from, but is it? Many businesses as well as public events are minus the numbers we have seen even before the "recession" was announced a few months ago. Is it that the public has grown apathetic, or is it that the public doesn't have the defined source for information on events or activities?

Another Consitutional Challenge

Your Laptop Is Subject to Seizure at Airports (Reuters, 8/1/08)
link to article on PCWorld

I found this article as a news feed while I was checking email today. I use a computer for everything, and my "desktop" unit is really a laptop, like so many people working on projects that take them beyond their office. One has to wonder about this ruling. Is it really about the Homeland Security/TSA wanting to secure our borders or is it about the airlines wanting to further suggest travelers stop taking it with them -- luggage fee now for checked items, stronger enforcement of carry-on rules, the 3-1-1 rule -- all designed to lessen the bulk the traveler takes with him. Remember, bulk affects wait time through scanners, bulk translates to weight requiring more fuel, bulk requires larger planes for fewer passengers.

One of the major problems with such a regulation created by TSA, is that thanks to the Bush Administration, all our security and protection agencies are under one roof. Therefore, it will be a very short distance for this regulation to move from airport security to ports to community security and investigation. At what point could an Homeland Security agent walk into our homes or offices and seize our electronics "in the name of national security" with no "probable cause"? In light of the wiretapping legislation that recently passed Congress, one could assume very soon.

So what should we do now? Well, certainly someone has to challenge this regulation. However, if you don't want to be that test case, then I maybe we leave all our small electronics home. We can take paper copies, or place the files on an Internet server that can be accessed from our remote location. This will put a burden on the lodging industry to have computers available for travelers. And, what does it do the to cafe with free "WiFi"? or to the FedEx (Kinko's)Office stores? Should we now have a travel phone -- one that we can afford to loose -- instead of traveling with our expensive iPhones or Blackberries? On long flights will we and our younger traveling partners have to resort to reading printed matter or drawing or napping?

Deeper in the article it states that this is search and seizure without probable cause has been the policy, but now it is written and public. It brings to mind what Sen. Hilary Clinton said during one of the Presidential Debates "we don't know what we'll find once we enter the White House." What other policies will be uncovered? And why aren't the 'watch dog press' hopping up and down, having hours of programming about such blatant infractions of our Constitution?

Is it really too late to impeach?

Is it ever really too late to impeach an elected officer of the people? Do we really have that luxury to say, "oh, you'll be out of office soon, so you can slide on the lies or treason or other infractions that prompt the call for impeachment"? If our laws are built not only upon the legislation but the cases that test the legislation and the consistent application of those laws, then how do we ignore wrong doing or sell our obligation to the law for some political capital? How do we expect the citizens of either our country or the world to respect our laws if our elected officials do not? Whether we impeach or not, isn't this an excellent topic for a candidate to publicly state where he stands on torture, wiretapping, lies and manipulation for personal and political gain?

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has drafted 35 articles of impeachment of President Bush, which have been read twice on the floor of the House, then dismissed. They were not referred to the Judiciary Committee for consideration. Last Friday an unofficial hearing was held on the floor of the House. Follows is how democrats.com explained it in an email.

Impeachment Step 2

Tell your Representatives to co-sponsor Rep. Kucinich's 35 Articles of Impeachment:
http://democrats.com/35-articles-of-impeachment

After more than three years of grassroots pressure from true patriots like you, Congress finally took step 1 towards impeaching George W. Bush for his High Crimes by holding a "non-impeachment hearing" last Friday.

Witnesses led by Dennis Kucinich, Elliot Adams, Rocky Anderson, Bob Barr, Vincent Bugliosi, Bruce Fein, Maurice Hinchey, and Elizabeth Holtzman presented an overwhelming case for impeachment. Watch the individual videos and the wrap-up by American News Project.

Most of the Democrats who attended the hearings were excellent . If one of these is your Representative, or if you contributed to their campaigns, please call 202-224-3121 to thank them for supporting impeachment: Dennis Kucinich, Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Hank Johnson.

Chairman John Conyers insisted it was not an "impeachment hearing." But he also said, "I believe the evidence on these matters is both credible and substantial and warrant the response of the executive branch, under oath if at all possible... Let me add, we are not done yet, and we do not intend to go away until we achieve the accountability that Congress is entitled to and the American people deserve ."

And by the end of the hearing, even the see-no-evil Republican witnesses admitted Congress should consider impeachment. So what stands in the way of real impeachment hearings?

1. 228 Democrats (and 199 Republicans) who have not co-sponsored Articles of Impeachment against George Bush. Tell your Representatives to co-sponsor Rep. Kucinich's 35 Articles of Impeachment:
http://democrats.com/35-articles-of-impeachment

2. Key Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee who do not support impeachment.

a. Impeachment Hamlets: Bobby Scott, Zoe Lofgren, and Jerry Nadler believe Bush committed impeachable offfenses, but they are terrified to support impeachment. Call them to find out why they can't make up their minds:
http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Judiciary_Impeachment_Hamlets

b. AWOL Democrats: These members showed their contempt for the Constitution (and their constituents) by not even attending the July 25 hearing: Howard Berman, Rick Boucher, Artur Davis, Bill Delahunt, Luis Gutierrez, Linda Sanchez, Betty Sutton, Maxine Waters, Anthony Weiner. Call them to find out why they failed to do their jobs - and when they will support impeachment:
http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Judiciary_Impeachment_AWOL

c. Impeachment opponents: Adam Schiff, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Mel Watt believe none of Bush's High Crimes are impeachable. Call them to find out why they have betrayed their Oath of Office:
http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Judiciary_Impeachment_Opponents

3. House Democratic "Leaders" who oppose impeachment: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel, Whip Jim Clyburn, and DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen believe impeachment would hurt Democrats in November. Call them to say serious impeachment hearings will expose Republican High Crimes and help Democrats at all levels:
http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Democratic_Leaders_Should_Impeach_Bush

4. The Corporate Media

Despite six hours of in-depth hearings, there was no substantive coverage in any Corporate Media outlet. Call your favorite TV/radio talk shows and write to your favorite newspaper to demand coverage of impeachment.