ELECTIONS - DOES IT MATTER WHETHER WE VOTE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN?

NOTE: This posting has been updated from a 2014 blog, posted just before that election. The content is still appropriate in 2017, although the data is still from 2014.
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The answer is simple:
The most important action anyone can take to save the planet and move the country forward is to vote.

But it is likely equally important to vote into office as many Democrats as possible (and the small handful of Independents - they usually align with Democrats). This may sound biased and extreme, but...

Over the years a far radical right is increasingly gaining control of the Republican party and creating gridlock, refusing to let beneficial policies move forward, or even to be brought up for a vote at times. Republicans who are moderate are now few or are being controlled by this radical element.

The bottom line is this (with much evidence to back this up):
1) Most Democrats in Congress have demonstrated the sincere motivation of helping all, and protecting our environment. They show that in their actions – their voting records, which are on-line*.

2) These records also show that most Republicans in Congress act in the best interests of the powerful/wealthy - and vote against the environment (with one green-leaning exception - see below).

The evidence:
The League of Conservation Voters compiles “report cards,” on environment-related voting. In 2012**:
- The majority (183) of Democrats scored 77%-100%.
Only 9 scored below 50%.
- The majority (227) of Republicans scored 0-29%.
Only one scored above 46%. That was a Senator from Maine, with 71%, and now at 69%.

As for helping the average citizen: On the 2013 vote to merely discuss extending unemployment benefits, all voting Democrats voted “Yes.” The majority of Republicans voted “No." On an actual vote to extend the benefits, a Republican majority also voted "No," and they won.

In 2013 Congress voted on the “budget extension” (really the “government shutdown”). A Republican majority would not pass a budget that included funding for Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act). All voting Democrats voted to keep the government going, but the Republicans held more elected seats - and won the shutdown.

The shutdown cost our economy billions of dollars. The alternative budget that House Republicans proposed included deep cuts to social safety nets, college student grants, infrastructure spending and more.

They have also killed minimum wage increases, and supported higher tax breaks for the wealthy. But helping those in need is what boosts the economy. Spending by the middle-class creates jobs. This is proven; and “trickle-down” by giving benefits to the wealthy instead has proven not to work. Helping low-income citizens directly allows them into (or back into) the middle-class, boosting spending and jobs.

Another strategy has been to sabotage any initiatives that may make President Obama or Democrats look good (even if it's something the Republicans previously said they want, or would benefit them), then blame the Democrats when nothing is accomplished. President Obama calls this “obstructionist tactics.”

24 states (all with Republican governors and/or legislatures) refused billions in federal support for Medicaid expansion for their lowest income citizens, resulting in many with absolutely no medical coverage; hospital closures; and predicted rising premiums for all.


WHAT'S NEEDED:
We can move the country forward greatly in upcoming elections. What we need is our 3 main decision-making offices to be led by Democrats (President, Senate, House).

What we need is a large number of Democrats (and Independents) casting their ballot in the first place. Unfortunately, records show that Democrats don't usually show up for midterm (non-presidential) elections, which is what we will have in 2018.

In midterm elections, all 435 seats in the House and a number of the 100 seats in the Senate are “up for grabs” - as are state governors' seats, attorneys general and other key offices (also best for all if filled by Democrats). So it's a big opportunity, for both sides.

To complicate things, voter “photo ID” laws (and other disenfranchsement regulations) have been put in place in many states where Republicans hold a legislative majority.  These actions are known to negatively affect low-income voters (who usually vote Democratic).

WHAT WE CAN DO:
1) VOTE. (Here are voter ID laws by state, with a map to scroll over: www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx. Or call or Google your county Board of Elections to ask.)
2) Spread the word. Maybe write op-eds for local papers, post on Facebook, etc.
3) Contact Democratic candidates' offices to volunteer, or local Democratic party offices to help. (Google "Democratic Party Office" and your state, county or city name - or call 202-863-8000 with questions.)
4) Join “Get Out The Vote” efforts (Google “Get Out The Vote 2017 or 18)” or add other words, such as your town).

- Official initiatives are on this site: www.democrats.org. Visitors to this site will also be given screens at times, asking for donations, but there's no obligation to do that; involvement is the true goal. Phone: 202-863-8000
- Also, “Move-On” offers many opportunities: front.moveon.org
- Young folks (of all ages) may like: RockTheVote.com. Phone: 202-719-9910

Other Trusted Information Resources:
1) For the facts about candidates, or about any issues: MSBNC is great, especially the Rachel Maddow Show - also posted on-line for free. Libraries have computers to use for free. Go to www.MSNBC.com. Click "Explore" for topics. Or click "Watch" for Rachel's show and others (Chris Matthews, etc.).

2) For true but humorous coverage, watch The Daily Show, late nights weekly, and Samantha Bee Full Frontal on Wednesdays. For those without cable, you can watch "re-runs" online after the fact. Stephen Colbert is on regular stations.

3) When searching other websites: To check a website's legitimacy, click on their “About” link. Organizations hiding up their funding sources may not have this "About" link. Find who funds them, and who the leaders are, and their backgrounds – which should also be included on legitimate sites.


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(*One source of on-line voting records: www.govtrack.us/congress/votes.)
(**Votes were only compiled here for Congress members who were still in office as of January 2014, at the time I did this work – and only if they voted. Historical report cards will also show a split between high-scoring Democrats and low-scoring Republicans. Source: www.lcv.org.)

WATER - - WHAT WE MUST DO - AND IT'S EASY

WATER = LIFE. There is a limited amount of water on this planet, and it's in short supply. Some major rivers no longer reach the ocean due to diversions for irrigation and city supplies - and for energy generation. What we each can do is simple - see the numbered list at the bottom of this post:


THE INSANITY:
Fracking for natural gas: In 2010, the EPA estimated the 33,000 existing wells used 70-140 billions of gallons of water/year. There are over 77,000 wells now, with many more to come. The water is polluted - mixed with chemicals, and is mostly removed from the water cycle - no longer available. Fracking chemicals have also leached into our underground fresh water aquifers.

Gasoline: It takes 3 gallons of water to produce a gallon of gas, and that water becomes polluted. We could make fuel directly from water instead. Hydrogen (made from splitting water) in a fuel cell can replace a gas engine. Tailpipe emissions from a fuel cell car are clean water vapor, going right back to the land. Electric vehicles charged using renewable power are an even better option. Hybrid cars could use batteries and fuel cells instead of batteries and gas engines.

Big agriculture accounts for over a third of water use. In our region, this is mostly for genetically modified corn and soybeans. 20% of our corn crop is shipped overseas, and 80% of the corn is for livestock and other feed, here and overseas. The fertilizers cause algae blooms in our lakes.

Bottled water is a multi-billion dollar business, and an environmental nightmare. Big corporations buy up water tables from under farms, small towns that can't fight back, and even in drought-stricken areas. It takes more water than what is contained in the bottle to make the bottle. Shipping from even short distances uses fuel unnecessarily.


SOME ANSWERS: Solar, wind, electric vehicles, hybrids with fuel cells instead of gasoline. All of this technology is already available. We can start moving to 100% renewable power and fuel today. We could have done this decades ago. Many developed countries are already heading in that direction.

Those who make money on oil and gas don't want policies to change, so they spend tons of money on political campaigns, so politicians don't change policies to benefit all. Same goes for big agriculture, and multinational food and beverage conglomerates.



EASY ACTIONS:

1) Vote with your wallet: Don't buy or drink bottled water (or pop, which is bottled water with unhealthy stuff added). Only buy energy efficient vehicles or hybrids - 40mpg or higher. Eat local foods - check labels or ask. Buy from (truly) local farm markets. Eat less meat.

2) Search for electric providers that have a high percentage of renewable power. In Ohio and the region, you can get 100% wind power at a good rate. Ask your electric provider for more renewables.

3) Elect Democrats or Independents, since the vast majority are pro-renewable power (and pro-environment, pro-equality). Just look at the League of Conservation Voters report cards for Congress (www.lcv.org).

4) Call your reps in DC. (To find them, click on the map at www.contactingthecongress.org.) The person answering just takes messages, so it's no big deal. Tell them you want them to:
- do whatever it takes policy-wise to work toward 100% renewable power.
- move any subsidies from oil and gas (currently billions of taxpayer dollars) to renewables, and energy efficiency incentives.

5) Simply be aware: Find what watershed you live in by Googling or calling your county's Soil and Water Conservation District. Find if there is a watershed coalition group and get on their mailing list. Google World Water Day (March 22) and look for events or initiatives. Know where your drinking water comes from by calling your city hall.

6) Inform others.

100% RENEWABLE POWER, OR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE?

Whether or not we build the Keystone XL Pipeline is really a crossroad decision for our entire future. Do we move toward where we will (guaranteed) be forced to end up - with 100% renewable power? Or do we spend time and taxpayer money to increase fossil fuel infrastructure?

We will run out of all fossil fuels. That is a fact. So why not plan for that now, when we can reduce childhood asthma, mercury in fish, spills in waterways, and species extinction?

We can start moving to 100% renewable power right now; and this is also a fact. Most of the technology exists, and has for quite some time. The only thing holding us back is money (really government policies, which determines how money is used). Other countries have been working toward 100% renewables (Germany, Denmark, Spain, Japan and more). The U.S. will get left behind in technology expertise and infrastructure if we don't step up.

Canada producers need the pipeline to “ease bottlenecks”. But increased output is not necessary. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, over half of the energy we generate is wasted. So, implementing energy efficiency reduces the barrels of oil, and railcars of coal required.

With subsidies, the U.S. government pours billions of our taxpayer money into fossil fuels. Keystone XL will cost taxpayers at least $1-1.8 billion in subsidies, plus tax breaks, according to PriceForOil.org. We the people can tell our government office holders, who represent us, to transfer these fossil fuel subsidies to renewable power infrastructure, and energy efficient cars and buildings.

High estimates are that a pipeline can create 48,000 jobs; but once it is built, most of those jobs go away. Building the new clean renewable infrastructure equates to many more consistent local jobs that cannot be outsourced, such as installing solar panels, making buildings efficient, and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. The expense of deploying clean power may be in the billions, but this can be billions spent on American businesses to manufacture and install, and hire more workers. Renewables and efficiency means true (local) energy independence.

Many of us have unconsciously bought into the belief that we have no control over this ingrained system. But our Constitution gives us that power. We the people vote with our pocketbooks, and with our daily decisions - and we vote in booths come November 4, 2014. Many Senate and House seats are up for grabs. The League of Conservation Voters (lcv.org) compiles scorecards for our representatives each year, to rate from 1 to 100 how they voted on environmental issues, including Keystone. We can see who is "walking the talk", so we don't have to worry about whom to believe in the TV commercials.

Plus, representatives with higher LCV voting scores (75-100) nearly always vote to support rights for the people that grow our middle class and economy, making it esier for people in adversity to spend money on goods and services: minimum wage, unemployment pay, healthcare for all. These reps also voted against shutting down the government. (Voting records are online: govtrack.us). That shutdown cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Representatives with LCV scores between 0-25 (votes against the environment) usually vote against these people's rights.

Plus, anyone can call their representatives in Congress (our lawmakers) to tell them what we want. It's easy and fast - and callers won't be requested to discuss - only to say what is desired, accept the aide's thanks for calling, and hang up. Find a House rep here (each person will have only one): www.house.gov/representatives/find. Find Senators here (usually 2 per state): www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=IL. Maybe say "I don't want us to build the Keystone XL pipeline." And "I want the US to subsidize and implement 100% clean renewable power."

There is more than one reason oil, coal and gas are called fossil fuels. They were made from ancient organisms, formed over time, so supplies will run out. We will be forced into 100% renewable power at some point; except right now, we have the chance to salvage our land, air and water; and limit extinction.

But fossil fuels are also our current legacy of fossil policies, with fossil infrastructure. We need to get on track to our ultimate future of 100% renewable power. Hedging our bets by investing in a pipeline to increase the harvest of fossil oil is just committing ourselves to a dead-end (and dangerous) infrastructure. Billions of ton of oil leaked from a pipeline in North Dakota just last year. Globally, oil spills of some type have occurred in the billions of tons nearly every year since the late '60s (see Wikipedia, "Oil Spills"). The alternatives to Keystone XL are trucks and rail, which also spill, but don't encourage a ramp-up of tar sands oil; the type of oil that needs large inputs of more fossil fuels to make it usable.

We have much better choices. It is time for us to move on to our true future; to accept the change we must make right now, without hesitation. Each time we see children boarding a school bus, we should remember the soot and toxins seeping inside and outside from diesel exhaust; and we should think about the system we are letting ourselves be locked into, even though there is absolutely no need to be.

President Obama said in his State of the Union address, "...when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did." Let's be on the right side of history, and let our children's children remember us with gratitude.

WHO IS "ALEC" AND WHY ARE THEY RUNNING OUR COUNTRY?

A little-known nonprofit has become far too influential in writing the policies that govern our lives - wages, food, fuel, medicine. We are becoming less and less a country of the people, by the people, and for the people - as our forefathers intended, fighting long wars for the right of self-government. But it's not too late, yet, to turn this around.

But first, who is running our country? This past October, as our economy lost billions while sitting for weeks in shutdown mode, the people spoke: a poll showed that a majority of both Republicans and Democrats wanted Speaker John Boehner to bring a clean budget to a vote in the House to open our government again. But the Speaker was answering to a higher power, and it wasn't the Tea Party - not completely. They were a conduit.

There is an ingrained corporate-funded policy-making infrastructure in the U.S. Big industry of every sort (oil and gas, tobacco, gun, chemical, pharmaceutical - and even education and prison) is represented as members in a right-wing state-by-state policy-influencing network called ALEC - the American Legislative Exchange Council.

ALEC also influences the media, such as Fox News, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio, explained the group to a crowd at a League of Women Voters gathering last month. ALEC writes laws, has its members introduce them, and then lobbies other legislators to pass them. ALEC brought in $9.2M in 2011, 80% of this from corporate contributors who are members. It uses these resources to influence state legislatures around the country.

According to Amy, ALEC attacks renewable energy, wage standards, product safety, and unions.. ALEC promotes cuts in funding for basics such as health care, human services, and safety. They attack regulation, promote privatization, and change state processes to ratchet down programs that help citizens.

2,000 of 7,382 state legislators are members of ALEC - that's up to one-third of legislators.

There was a temporary weakening of ALEC's powers, since they promoted "Stand Your Ground" laws. After the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Amazon, WalMart and Proctor & Gamble backed out as members. But this only caused ALEC to re-double their efforts to focus on the economy and go after workers' rights.

There are organizations networking to fight ALEC and their influence often led by the Center for Media and Democracy. Others include Common Cause (with Robert Reich as Board Director), and many others, including Bill Moyers. Bill Moyers put together a report titled the "United States of ALEC", featuring public watchdog organizations (http://billmoyers.com/segment/united-states-of-alec).

Why is policy so important? We have all of the answers to be sustainable, and have had them for decades. We could shift to much more use of clean power. Other countries are on this path, including Spain, Germany, and many others. There is truly only one main reason we continue to have mercury in our fish, climate change intensifying, a middle class disappearing, and low income conditions worsening - and that reason is money. Money influences policy and ALEC promotes that approach.

It's not too late to take our government back, and mainly all it takes is knowing who to trust, putting the right people in power, and voting, including with our daily actions such as what we buy and where we buy it. The resources from Policy Matters Ohio, www.policymattersohio.org, can be trusted (as well as similar organizations in other states, including organizations that Policy Matters Ohio lists).

Bill Moyers, another trusted resources, retired to write a book, but came back to work since the stakes are so high. MSNBC is a trusted mainstream news source. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) gives an annual "Scorecard for Environmental Voting" for each member of Congress, which can usually also be relied upon to indicate those politicians with good records for social issues.

DRINK FOR YOUR HEALTH, THE EARTH, and SOCIAL EQUITY

A very easy way to make a huge impact in being green and sustainable is simply to carry a reusable glass bottle and fill it with tap water. What appears to be a small action actually helps to reverse, over time, nearly every environmental, health and policy concern. When multiplied over a lifetime of drinking fluids, and by billions of people, the results can be overwhelming.

We all have to keep drinking to stay alive - all 317 million of us in the U.S (7.1 billion globally). According to Beverage Digest, bottled water is on its way to surpassing soda pop as our top choice. If we multiply our individual daily consumption (e.g., about 21 gallons of bottled water per person per year), Americans consumed 6.7 billion gallons of bottled water last year. These figures don't include flavored water, carbonated water, etc.

Water is "free" for us now in the U.S., although already being sold back to us in the form of bottled water - at 300-2,000 times the cost of tap water, according to Business Insider. Bottled water is not as regulated as tap water, which is sometimes simply bottled in plastic and sold back to us with fancy labels. And "almost all" plastic products have been found to leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including those labeled "BPA free", according to a 2011 study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. Aluminum bottles and cans may also be lined with plastic.

Soda pop is just bottled water with unhealthy stuff added to it. Each American consumes an average of 44 gallons of soda pop per person per year (13.9 billion gallons total). Try to find any soft drink (or food, especially in a mini-mart) that does not contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is made from corn, and is a cheaper, more sweet replacement for the white table sugar we're used to, which is also not all that healthy. Corn grown in the U.S. is 80-90% genetically modified, with the land use, environmental and health concerns that come along with big agriculture and GMOs (watch the movie King Corn). But the HFCS alone has been suspected and implicated in the rash of obesity and diabetes over the past decades as it has simultaneously increased in our foods.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman of the Ultra Wellness Center, "The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero [in the early 1970s] to more than 60 pounds per person per year. During that time period, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven-fold. Not perhaps the only cause, but a fact that cannot be ignored."

For those opting "sugar-free", this usually means aspartame. This chemical has an interesting past. Aspartame was synthesized in 1965 by a chemist for G.D. Searle & Company, a pharmaceutical company, as he was developing a test chemical for an anti-ulcer drug. He accidentally licked his finger, and the rest is history. In 1985 Monsanto bought Searle, and in 2000, the aspartame business became a standalone subsidiary: Nutrasweet. There is a long history of allegations of questionable testing for human use, attempted congressional investigations, and other shadiness, with suspicions of migraines and other brain afflictions remaining. The Splenda/sucralose history is less interesting, but there is a similar controversy over uncertain health effects, and FDA "safe" levels, which alone should give one pause.

We also like our drinks ice-cold. Coca-Cola alone has about 10 million vending machines worldwide. A typical refrigerated vending machine uses about 400 watts, which means nearly 2 tons of coal per machine, or almost 20 million tons of coal mined, shipped, and burned, just for Coca-Cola's pop machines for one year.

So, what did our great-grandparents drink, before plastic, HFCS, and aspartame? Besides milk that was delivered to their door, they also squeezed their own orange juice. Oranges can be shipped from Florida (where oranges are not really native), so that was not local and cost us some fossil fuel petroleum. But we were able, and still can, produce our own local apple juice and apple cider, as well as berry juices and local grape and berry wines. Some wineries, including in Lake and Ashtabula Counties, even grow native grapes to make our local wines - and grape juices.

Drinking tap water, right out of the faucet, and carrying it around in a glass container*, can be the best and easiest action a person can take to save money, improve health, protect biodiversity, offset climate change, support environmental justice, lessen big business's influence in our lives and legal system, and keep access to clean water our free right. Just add a little local organic juice, or make some sun tea.
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* Note: Stainless steel is another option. Glass was selected here since you can see into the bottle, dirt or contaminants are more obvious, and steel involves more intensive mining practices. If selecting stainless steel, ensure that it is high quality, to reduce the already small amount of leaching of metals, per LifeWithoutPlastic.com. Both stainless steel and glass are 100% recyclable, but reusing is best.