[Boston-editorial] When is our next webitorial meeting? +proposal on PR's

Sat Apr 16 08:35:33 PDT 2005

Our next webitorial meeting is Sunday, April 24, 4:00 pm (as if the pm 
part wasn't obvious), at the Dome Cafe. -- Matt

On Apr 16, 2005, at 11:18 AM, Pete Stidman wrote:

> Matt asks me below if we really want to not feature
> commentary, but I think my answer sorta hinges on when
> our first opportunity to work this out will be.
>
> Anybody know when the meeting is supposed to be?
>
> Another option to take care of this in the meantime is
> to discuss anything posted from an individual who
> clearly represents a group before it goes up.  Since
> it is commentary, there is less urgency, we have time
> to discuss it.
>
> -Pete
>
>
> --- Matthew Williams <mw21 at mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm sorry, Pete. I didn't think this would be
>> controversial because
>> it's clearly a commentary and I thought we were OK
>> with those. The
>> controversy was about press releases in the sense of
>> groups announcing
>> we did X or we're taking position Y in response to
>> issue Z. I certainly
>> agree we oughn't to be featuring things of the
>> latter sort until we
>> work this matter out.
>>
>> I beg to disagree on the matter of quality. While
>> it's certainly not
>> the best written thing we've ever received, it's OK
>> and it's definitely
>> better than the MGA press release. I mean, it's
>> clear what the author
>> is talking about. Still, if you feel that strongly
>> about it, you can
>> take it down. I'm not particularly attached to this
>> one.
>>
>> So, if we get future commentaries from UFE or any
>> other paid staff
>> members of other groups, do we really want to not
>> feature them until we
>> get this thing settled? May be we should just check
>> in with each other
>> first, since commentaries are often less time
>> sensitive then other
>> things.
>>
>> But press releases in the strict sense of the term,
>> yes, definitely we
>> should hold off on centering them till we come to
>> some agreement.
>>
>> -- Matt
>>
>> On Apr 15, 2005, at 1:14 AM, Pete Stidman wrote:
>>
>>> Why would you center this in the middle of a
>> debate
>>> about the last piece, especially considering that
>> the
>>> piece by this group is the one that started the
>> whole
>>> debate in the first place?  It defies logic Matt,
>>> really.
>>>
>>> To top it all off this article is even worse that
>> the
>>> MGA piece in quality.
>>>
>>> I didn't center the MGA piece, that was abundantly
>>> clear.  I din't defend it, that was also
>> abundantly
>>> clear.
>>>
>>> I'm really sick of people throwing in stuff they
>> know
>>> is going to be controversial just to see me get
>> pissed
>>> off.
>>>
>>> I feel so frustratedI with this process, I feel
>> like
>>> quitting.
>>>
>>> I'm going to be proactive here and rip both down
>>> before, once again, really shitty press releases
>> get
>>> posted to national.
>>>
>>> I think we should ban all press releases from the
>>> center column unitl this is resolved atr a
>> meeting.
>>> can people agree to this to preserve all of our
>>> sanity?  pretty please?
>>>
>>> -Pete
>>>
>>>
>>> --- Matthew Williams <mw21 at mindspring.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I featured this, adjusting the little
>>>> about-the-author thing at the end
>>>> to note that Responsible Wealth is a Boston-based
>>>> group. -- Matt
>>>>
>>>> On Apr 14, 2005, at 10:44 AM, Betsy
>> Leondar-Wright
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Tax Me More
>>>>> By Heleny Cook
>>>>>
>>>>> This Tax Day, I'm telling Congress to stop
>> giving
>>>> me tax breaks. I'm
>>>>> wealthy. I don't need them, and they're bad for
>>>> our country.
>>>>>
>>>>> As a teacher, I can't look my students in the
>> eye
>>>> and tell them
>>>>> millionaires
>>>>> should get tax cuts while schools and libraries
>>>> are hit with budget
>>>>> cuts.
>>>>>
>>>>> As a citizen, I can't face a military family and
>>>> tell them they should
>>>>> sacrifice while millionaires get tax breaks.
>>>>>
>>>>> The budgets passed by the House and Senate
>> deserve
>>>> an F for economics
>>>>> and
>>>>> ethics.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's irresponsible to dig our nation deeper into
>>>> debt to give tax
>>>>> breaks to
>>>>> millionaires.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's immoral to cut health care and child care
>> to
>>>> give tax cuts to
>>>>> millionaires.
>>>>>
>>>>> Our government is not fulfilling the promise of
>>>> equal opportunity for
>>>>> children, it is undoing it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Households with incomes above $1 million got tax
>>>> cuts averaging
>>>>> $123,600
>>>>> last year. That tax break could cover the pay of
>>>> three teachers.
>>>>>
>>>>> Tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent will cost
>>>> more than $1 trillion
>>>>> over
>>>>> the next ten years if they are made permanent.
>>>>>
>>>>> That translates into $300 million a day less for
>>>> education and public
>>>>> health
>>>>> and safety. It means $300 million a day less for
>>>> clean water, clean
>>>>> air and
>>>>> renewable energy, $300 million a day less to
>>>> invest in research, job
>>>>> training and small business development.
>>>>>
>>>>> Federal tax revenues have fallen to their lowest
>>>> level as a share of
>>>>> the
>>>>> economy since the 1950s. Medicare and Medicaid
>>>> didn't even exist in the
>>>>> 1950s.
>>>>>
>>>>> We can't build 21st century education and
>>>> healthcare on a 1950s tax
>>>>> base.
>>>>>
>>>>> We're becoming a society increasingly divided
>>>> between haves and
>>>>> have-nots.
>>>>> The rich are getting richer, the poor are
>> getting
>>>> poorer, and the
>>>>> middle
>>>>> class is one layoff or illness away from
>>>> bankruptcy.
>>>>>
>>>>> The tax system is being reshaped so that a
>> growing
>>>> share of tax revenue
>>>>> comes from workers' paychecks and a shrinking
>>>> share comes from wealthy
>>>>> investors. Already I pay a larger share of my
>>>> teaching income in taxes
>>>>> than
>>>>> I pay from the income I earn on my inherited
>>>> investments. That's wrong.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of giving tax breaks to millionaires
>> like
>>>> me, we should invest
>>>>> in
>>>>> the education and research that are essential to
>>>> our nation's progress.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of giving tax breaks to millionaires
>> like
>>>> me, we should fully
>>>>> fund
>>>>> Head Start and assure that no one is closed out
>> of
>>>> college because they
>>>>> can't afford to go.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of giving tax breaks to millionaires
>> like
>>>> me, we should invest
>>>>> in
>>>>> affordable housing and health care.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of giving tax breaks to millionaires
>> like
>>>> me, we should
>>>>> strengthen
>>>>> Social Security.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of giving tax breaks to millionaires
>> like
>>>> me, we should invest
>>>>> in
>>>>> renewable energy sources so we can reduce our
>>>> dependence on oil and
>>>>> other
>>>>> fossil fuels that damage the environment and
>> spark
>>>> international
>>>>> conflicts.
>>>>>
>>>>> Public opinion polls show that most Americans
>>>> believe it is more
>>>>> important
>>>>> to have a strong safety net and fund education,
>>>> environmental
>>>>> protection,
>>>>> health care, Social Security and other vital
>>>> services than cut taxes. A
>>>>> majority says it's more important to reduce the
>>>> deficit than to reduce
>>>>> taxes. Most Americans believe that upper-income
>>>> people pay too little
>>>>> in
>>>>> federal taxes, not too much.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's time for Congress to act on these
>> priorities.
>>>> It's time for
>>>>> Congress to
>>>>> stop robbing the poor and middle class to give
>> to
>>>> the rich. It's time
>>>>> for
>>>>> Congress to support the goal of equal
>> opportunity
>>>> instead of
>>>>> undermining it.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I paid my taxes this year, I also took
>> action
>>>> to change
>>>>> irresponsible
>>>>> tax policies. I'm supporting the Responsible Tax
>>>> Pledge sponsored by
>>>>> Responsible Wealth, a national network of
>>>> businesspeople, investors and
>>>>> other affluent Americans concerned about growing
>>>> inequality and
>>>>> working for
>>>>> more widely shared prosperity.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm donating my 2004 tax cut to organizations
>>>> fighting for fair,
>>>>> adequate
>>>>> and responsible taxes. My students deserve no
>>>> less.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Heleny Cook is a member of Responsible Wealth
>>>>> (www.responsiblewealth.org)
>>>>> and a high school English teacher in Washington,
>>>> DC. She can be
>>>>> reached at
>>>>> helenyc at comcast.net.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 628 words
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>> Betsy Leondar-Wright
>>>>> Communications Director, United for a Fair
>> Economy
>>>>> (617) 423-2148 x113
>>>>> 29 Winter Street
>>>>> Boston, MA 02108
>>>>> http://www.FairEconomy.Org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> United for a Fair Economy is an independent
>>>> national organization
>>>>> that raises awareness of the damaging
>> consequences
>>>> of concentrated
>>>>> wealth and power.
>>>>>
>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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