Tulsa, OK

Agrarian Revival at the End of Cheap Oil

Maynard Kaufman

(Paper presented at Green Party national convention, Chicago
Illinois, July 13, 2008)

Let me suggest a context for our discussion of agrarian revival by
describing the two major transformations of our food system. The
second transformation will be upon us in a few years as rising prices
for energy will curtail the industrial food system, and I will
explain this in a few minutes. But first I want to describe the first
transformation which occurred during the twentieth century. This was
the time when the availability of cheap energy made the industrial
food system possible. The abundance of cheap energy gave us an
abundance of cheap food, but not without a whole lot of serious
environmental impacts. As Greens we are aware of environmental
impacts, but I want to review some of these impacts so we have some
basis for affirming the changes that will soon be upon us.

The food system in its totality is the largest industry in this
country and uses the most energy. Oil is used in tractors on the
farm, in trucks for transportation of food, in factories for the
processing of food, and to manufacture chemicals used for pesticides
and fertilizers; coal is used to generate electricity for
refrigeration, cooking, lighting in restaurants and supermarkets; and
natural gas, which is also in short supply, is used to manufacture
anhydrous ammonia which has replaced manure as nitrogen fertilizer.

These are only a few examples of how energy is used in the industrial
food system. The average family of four that buys its food uses more
energy in the food they buy than in the car they drive. The burning
of fossil fuels such as coal (for electricity), along with oil and
natural gas, has long been recognized as a source of air pollution
with acid rain. More recently we have learned to recognize the
otherwise innocent gas, carbon dioxide, as a pollutant that helps to
create the greenhouse effect which may lead to less hospitable
climate.

Other environmental impacts of the industrial food system include
soil erosion, wasteful use of water, run-off from excessive
fertilizer use, manure pollution in confined animal feeding
operations (CAFOs). Most of these costs are “externalized” into the
environment, not included in the price. Thus food is cheap in America
because many costs are externalized. The annual subsidy of 39 billion
dollars to the oil industry is not included in the price of food. And
the cost of war to secure access to oil is also externalized to be
paid by our children.

There are several reasons why we need to be aware of the problems in
the industrial food system. First, it is designed to make money and
produces food only for that reason. In his new book, The End of Food,
Paul Roberts devotes a whole chapter to how cost-cutting measures
have made food unsafe to eat. Second, the easy availability of food
has changed us from producers to consumers, and many of us have lost
the ability to raise our food. Third, the large corporations that
control this food industry have, along with other energy and retail
corporations, taken over the country. The United States is more of a
plutocracy than a democracy. Fourth, this industrial food system,
which most Americans take for granted as normal, is a unique,
abnormal bonanza made possible by cheap oil. It is not likely to
happen again, there is no substitute for the concentrated power in
oil. The industrial food system is not sustainable.

We are now moving into the discussion of the second transformation of
our food system. The first transformation was made possible by cheap
oil and facilitated by policies to promote the industrialization of
our food system. The second transformation will occur as we move
toward the end of cheap oil. Notice I am not saying the end of oil.

After the rate of oil production peaks and levels off, it will
gradually decline. But all over the world, and especially in India
and China, demand for oil is increasing. The human population is
growing. As demand exceeds supply, prices will rise, and it is the
price of oil that will drive us to a different food system. I am
suggesting that we should actively affirm this as an agrarian
revival, and not just wait in a passive way for it to happen. If we
affirm it we can plan for it — and for the recovery of democracy.

In calling for an agrarian revival I am following writers like
Wendell Berry who defined the agrarian as the opposite of, or
alternative to, the industrial. The word agrarian refers to a
cultural possibility, a possibility that has deep roots as a
recessive gene in our cultural organism. Thomas Jefferson promoted
this possibility but it was gradually over-shadowed by a culture
based on manufacturing. The end of cheap oil will re-open this debate.

What would a post-petroleum agrarian culture be like? First, it would
be focused on food. Food prices in the United States already rose by
5% in 2007, the greatest increase since 1990. In other countries
rising prices for energy are magnified in rising food process.
Climate change may be causing a decline of yields in some areas. And
as more corn is used to make ethanol in this country less corn is
exported for food, and, as more farmers switch to corn other grains
prices rise as they are in short supply. The irony is that as we try
to prop up the automobile, the hallmark of industrial transportation,
we are burning our food supply.

Rising food prices are already stimulating more people to raise their
own or seek local farmer’s markets which are popping up in every
town. There are now nearly 5,000 farmer’s markets in this country, up
from around 300 in 1970. during the energy crisis of the 1970s there
was a back-to-the-land movement that demographers subsequently
recognized as a “migration reversal.” A larger percentage of people
moved from urban to rural areas than from rural to urban areas. We
can assume this will happen again when it is clear that oil and food
prices will continue to rise. Thus another aspect of an agrarian
culture is a population that is more dispersed into rural areas with
more small towns to serve it. More small towns will be accessible by
rail. The cultural values that we cherish in cities can be accessible
in smaller cities.

In order to avoid misunderstanding, I want to be clear that those
Americans who have enough money, and there are a lot of them, will
continue to drive cars and buy food even as the price rises. We are
not yet running out of oil, but the vast majority of us will not be
able to afford to buy it, or the food that is made with inputs from
oil.

Still another aspect of an agrarian culture will be organic methods
of food production, working in harmony with nature. This actually
began in the 1970s with the first energy crisis, and as the quality
of industrial food was called into question, the demand for organic
foods has been growing in recent years by 20% per year. I became an
organic farmer in 1973 as a back-to-the-land part-time farmer, and by
1991 my involvement in the organic movement led me to organize
Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance as a state-wide group
promoting local organic food and farming. I did it then as an
environmentalist, since organic farming does not use chemical
fertilizers and pesticides. Thus it uses 30% less fossil fuel energy.
More recently it was found that organic fertilizers actually
sequester carbon in the soil and this reduces carbon emissions.

Organic farming methods will definitely be normative in the future
even as the energy-intensive Monsantos of this world oppose them and
offer their genetic engineering as a solution.

Another aspect of an agrarian food system is the long-overdue shift
back from specialized agriculture to a diversified farm structure.
When I was growing up farms were still generally small family farms
which included livestock as a source of fertilizer. The availability
of anhydrous ammonia made livestock unnecessary, and so we now have
specialization: large grain farms that are often distant from the
CAFOs that produce cheap meat. Thus manure disposal is a problem.

What I am trying to illustrate here is that transition to an energy-
conserving and more ecological food system is possible on a technical
level, but may be difficult as a political possibility. I mentioned
earlier that we are governed by a plutocracy which has virtually
replaced our democracy. Money rules. We have seen how industrial
civilization facilitated the transfer of wealth into fewer and fewer
hands. Already in 2000 the top 1% of Americans had as much disposable
income as the bottom 100 million, or 35%. We lost our democracy when
we were trained to be good consumers of what the industrial food
system produced. And as long as we had energy slaves to provide our
food, we did not worry about it. Now we face a new situation as the
spike in energy prices creates new threats and opens new political
possibilities.

Green politics could have a vital role to play in the recovery of our
democracy, but we can expect opposition from big money. Oil companies
are making record profits as prices rise; Exxon-Mobile made a profit
of 40 billion in 2007. With this fresh infusion of capital the oil
companies are likely to move into food and water. And in the more
distant future, when labor costs less than oil, we can expect a neo-
feudal arrangement where poor people work on the corporate plantation
to produce food as a commodity for others to buy. What a sad ending
this would be for the Jeffersonian dream of a nation of independent
farmers! But it is reasonable to assume that the recent power of
labor unions, although currently diminished, will generate resistance
to neo-feudalism. It is in this kind of context that an agrarian
culture with a decentralized or local food production system can help
us. Wendell Berry has emphasized that an agrarian economy is first of
all a subsistence economy, and this is what many people will choose –
and are choosing as they spade up their backyards to raise
vegetables. It will be a society with a great deal more informal
economic activity. Local community currencies will complement the
federal money system.

I see evidence that rising costs of oil will contribute to a partial
economic collapse in this country. Writers who have studied societal
collapse, such as Joseph Tainter and Dmitry Orlov, have emphasized
that collapse in a complex society means a shift to a less complex
society. I see this as a shift from an industrial to an agrarian
society. The good thing about this is that it would very likely get
us off the treadmill of economic growth and into a steady-state
society.

In the meantime, large food companies will demand more federal
subsidies in order to provide us with food as energy costs rise.
Efforts will be made to prop up the industrial mode of production
until everyone sees it as obviously counter-productive. So one of the
first political tasks is to urge the reconsideration of federal
subsidies to corporations. The de-industrialization of the food
system must eventually be a political program. In Cuba, after the
Soviet regime cut off oil supplies, there were serious food
shortages. But as they gradually de-industrialized their food system
they produced enough food without oil.

The major political task will be to make land available for a new
generation of agrarian growers. It is a daunting task at a time when
ownership of land has been concentrated in fewer hands including both
large family farms and agribusiness corporations. One of the thinkers
who has given serious consideration to a program of “re-ruralization”
is David Orr. He emphasizes that people should be able to move to the
land as “homecomers” rather than as refugees from the city. This
requires a well-planned program with an educational component. Orr
rejects conventional political agencies such as a Presidential
Commission or the land grant universities for this task because they
have become the servants of big money. He suggests that planning for
re-ruralization should begin with the many regional non-profit
organizations that are already working on a transition to a post-
petroleum society. Orr argues that this is a long-term project; he
suggests ten years of planning. It happened faster in Cuba, but
perhaps because Cuba was a more regimented state with a longer
growing season. Many religious institutions could be a part of this
process. I would like to hope that the green politics and party would
participate in this task. And, along with a new homesteading movement
in the countryside, we will need greener cities with more intensive
urban food production.

Arable land will be an increasingly precious resource, especially as
yields are reduced after the end of cheap fossil fuel inputs. One way
to make land available is to require that prime farmland be used for
food production. If large land-owners cannot use their holdings as
energy prices rise they could be required to sell either to the
government, which would redistribute it in smaller tracts, or to
smaller growers directly.

There are other ways of envisioning an agrarian culture. Paul Gilk, a
long-time Green activist and writer from Wisconsin, has just had a
book published entitled Politics is Eutopian. The word “eutopian” is
his way of characterizing an agrarian society. Drawing on the
critique of industrial civilization by Lewis Mumford as a utopian
project, Paul Gilk contrasts utopia, which is noplace, with eutopia,
a good place. A utopian society is noplace in that it is not grounded
in a natural context but exists as a man-made imposition of abstract
and conceptual mental patterns on the natural environment. A utopian
society imposes an artificial order with many rules and regulations.
It is focused on the control of nature and humans. The norm for
eutopia is the village that is rooted in the natural environment, a
real place where people raise food with organic methods and live in
harmony with nature. While such a life demands more physical
exertion, it is likely that better food and more exercise would make
us healthier.

One of Paul Gilks special concerns is the status of women as we move
into an agrarian way of life. In past agrarian societies work was
often gendered with women bearing the brunt of drudgery. If feminism
can remain strong in a post-petroleum society sexist discrimination
may be mitigated. More efficient and appropriate technology might
also be helpful.

My special concern, as a former professor of religion and
environmental studies, is that people’s values in a neo-agrarian
culture should be informed by an earth-centered spirituality. This
may take many different forms, but an example might be neo-paganism
with an emphasis on the celebration of seasonal rituals. The
word “pagan” means a country-dweller. A greater emphasis on a
cyclical structure of time, rather than linear time with its focus on
progress, may be conducive to contentment. I wrote about this in my
book, Adapting to the End of Oil: Toward an Earth-Centered
Spirituality. We have copies available.

In summary, as a Green with a concern for “future focus,” I have
argued that our society will be moving from an energy-intensive
industrial mode of food production to energy-conserving agrarian and
local food system. This will be a cultural transition, forced on us
by rising prices for energy. We should affirm and support this change
even if the price of oil goes down again in order to slow the process
of climate change. The costs of energy that drive this change are
both monetary and ecological. Agrarian revival may be a radical
economic change, but we must reduce the burning of fossil fuels or we
face a more radical and more destructive ecological change.

Sources Cited:

Paul Gilk, Green Politics is Eutopian
Dmitry Orlov, Reinventing Collapse
David Orr, Earth in Mind
Dale Allen Pfeiffer, Eating Fossil Fuels
Paul Roberts, The End of Food
Joseph Tainter, The Collapse of Complex Societies
Norman Wirzba,(ed) The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendel Berry

This paper prepared for the Rural Issues Workshop at the Green Party
Convention in Chicago on July 13, 2008

Pull the Plug on the War State

by Charley Reese

Hopefully, the next president, whoever he is, will have sense enough
to realize that an anti-missile site in Eastern Europe is not worth
rekindling the Cold War with Russia.

Though the press pays little attention to it, the Bush administration
has already practically wrecked relations with Russia by insisting on
adding the Eastern European countries to NATO and siting his
anti-missile system in the Czech Republic and in Poland. The Russians
are right that it represents a threat to their security.

President Bush’s lame excuse that the system is designed to protect
Europe from Iranian missiles is no doubt another deliberate lie. I
can’t think of any reason whatsoever for Iran to attack Europe, and
I’m sure the Iranians can’t, either. Iran hasn’t attacked anybody for
more than 100 years. They would have absolutely nothing to gain by
firing a few missiles at Europe. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Nor does it make any sense to add the small countries of Eastern
Europe to NATO. This was a war-fighting alliance set up at the end of
World War II specifically to deter and, if necessary, go to war with
the Red Army. The Soviet Union set up its own alliance, the Warsaw Pact.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia withdrew its army from Eastern
Europe and dissolved the Warsaw Pact. The United States should have
dissolved NATO. Its sole purpose vanished with the Soviet Union. It
has no enemy, unless fools in the U.S. create one. The American
politicians have used it in the Yugoslavian Civil War, and now has it
involved in the Afghanistan insurgency. Why the Europeans put up with
this nonsense is beyond me.

As for including little countries, that’s a strategic blunder. Do you
think that if the Russians one day launched nuclear missiles at the
United States that Poland and Lithuania would go to war against their
large neighbor? Will France become a nation of teetotalers?

In fact, including small countries in military alliances is worthless
posturing. All you do is allow the little country to get you into
trouble by its bad behavior. The little country is confident that its
big ally will rescue it if it goes too far in antagonizing its larger
neighbors. It’s like a spoiled brat with a bodyguard. Sixty years
after its founding, Israel is still at war with most of its neighbors
precisely because it has no incentive to make a sensible peace. Why
should it? It has its American attack dog. The only peace treaties it
has signed are with Egypt and Jordan, both of which the U.S. bribed to
make peace. Bribe or not, in both cases it’s a cold peace.

Believe it or not, we are not at war with any nation at the present.
We made war on Iraq, but that has long since become nothing but an
occupation. We are occupying or trying to occupy Afghanistan, but
other than that, we are not at war. Why then do we need military
alliances? Why do we need troops in Korea, Japan and Germany? Or, I
hasten to add, Iraq and the Persian Gulf?

President Bush’s war on terror is a false metaphor, and a dangerous
one at that. There is no terrorist army or air force. There are some
gangs of criminals. What the president did when he adopted this
specious metaphor about a war on terror was to commit the United
States to perpetual war. Ask your local warmonger how he defines
victory in the war on terror. Ask why when Iraq was very violent we
couldn’t leave, and now that it’s less violent, we can’t leave. Ask
him how he defines victory in Iraq or in Afghanistan.

We really have neither a republic nor a democracy. We have a war state
and an empire. We should pull the plug on both.

Find this article at:
http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=13200

The Epiphany of Rev. Thomas Are You Ready to Face the Facts About Israel?

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

“On October 21 (1948) the Government of Israel took a decision
that was to have a lasting and divisive effect on the rights and
status of those Arabs who lived within its borders: the official
establishment of military government in the areas where most of the
inhabitants were Arabs.”

Martin Gilbert, Israel: a History

I had given up on finding an American with a moral conscience and the
courage to go with it and was on the verge of retiring my keyboard
when I met the Rev. Thomas L. Are.

Rev. Are is a Presbyterian pastor who used to tell his Atlanta,
Georgia, congregation: “I am a Zionist.” Like most Americans, Rev. Are
had been seduced by Israeli propaganda and helped to spread the
propaganda among his congregation.

Around 1990 Rev. Are had an awakening for which he credits the
Christian Canon of St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem and author Marc
Ellis, co-editor of the book, Beyond Occupation.

Realizing that his ignorance of the situation on the ground had made
him complicit in great crimes, Rev. Are wrote a book hoping to save
others from his mistake and perhaps in part to make amends, Israeli
Peace Palestinian Justice, published in Canada in 1994.

Rev. Are researched his subject and wrote a brave book. Keep in mind
that 1994 was long prior to Walt and Mearsheimer’s recent book, which
exposed the power of the Israel Lobby and its ability to control the
explanation Americans receive about the “Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Rev. Are begins with an account of Israel’s opening attack on the
Palestinians, an event which took place before most Americans alive
today were born. He quotes the distinguished British historian, Arnold
J. Toynbee: “The treatment of the Palestinian Arabs in 1947 (and 1948)
was as morally indefensible as the slaughter of six million Jews by
the Nazis. Though nor comparable in quantity to the crimes of the
Nazis, it was comparable in quality.”

Golda Meir, considered by Israelis as a great leader and by others as
one of history’s great killers, disputed the facts: “It was not as
though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine and we came and
threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist.”

Golda Meir’s apology for Israel’s great crimes is so counter-factual
that it blows the mind. Palestinian refugee camps still exist outside
Palestine filled with Palestinians and their descendants whose towns,
villages, homes and lands were seized by the Israelis in 1948. Rev.
Are provides the reader with Na’im Ateek’s description of what
happened to him, an 11-year old, when the Jews came to take Beisan on
May 12, 1948. Entire Palestinian communities simply disappeared.

In 1949 the United Nations counted 711,000 Palestinian refugees.
[United Nations General Assembly Appendix 4, No. 15 ]

In 2005 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency estimated 4.25
million Palestinians and their descendants were refugees from their
homeland.

The Israeli policy of evicting non-Jews has continued for six decades.
On June 19, 2008, the Laity Committee in the Holy Land reported in
Window Into Palestine that the Israeli Ministry of Interior is taking
away the residency rights of Jerusalem Christians who have been
reclassified as “visitors in their own city.”

On December 10, 2007, MK Ephraim Sneh boasted in the Jerusalem Post
that Israel had achieved “a true Zionist victory” over the UN
partition plan “which sought to establish two nations in the land of
Israel.” The partition plan had assigned Israel 56 percent of
Palestine, leaving the inhabitants with only 44 percent. But Israel
had altered this over time. Sneb proudly declared: “When we complete
the permanent agreement, we will hold 78 percent of the land while the
Palestinians will control 22 percent.”

Sneb could have added that the 22 percent is essentially a collection
of unconnected ghettos cut off from one another and from roads, water,
medical care, and jobs.

Rev. Are documents that the abuse of Palestinians’ human rights is
official Israeli policy. Killings, torture, and beatings are routine.
On May 17, 1990, the Washington Post reported that Save the Children
“documented indiscriminate beating, tear-gassing and shooting of
children at home or just outside the house playing in the street, who
were sitting in the classroom or going to the store for groceries.”

On January 19, 1988, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, later
Prime Minister, announced the policy of “punitive beating” of
Palestinians. The Israelis described the purpose of punitive beating:
“Our task is to recreate a barrier and once again put the fear of
death into the Arabs of the area.”

According to Save the Children, beatings of children and women are
common. Rev. Are, citing the report in the Washington Post, writes:
“Save the Children concluded that one-third of beaten children were
under ten years old, and one-fifth under the age of five. Nearly a
third of the children beaten suffered broken bones.”

On February 8, 1988, Newsweek magazine quoted an Israeli soldier: ” We
got orders to knock on every door, enter and take out all the males.
The younger ones we lined up with their faces against the wall, and
soldiers beat them with billy clubs. This was no private initiative,
these were orders from our company commander. . . . After one soldier
finished beating a detainee, another soldier called him `you Nazi,’
and the first man shot back: `You bleeding heart.’ When one soldier
tried to stop another from beating an Arab for no reason, a fist fight
broke out.”

These were the old days before conscience was eliminated from the
ranks of the Israeli military.

In the London Sunday Times, June 19, 1977, Ralph Schoenman, executive
director of the Bertrand Russell Foundation, wrote: “Israeli
interrogators routinely ill-treat and torture Arab prisoners.
Prisoners are hooded or blindfolded and are hung by their wrists for
long periods. Most are struck in the genitals or in other ways
sexually abused. Most are sexually assaulted. Others are administered
electric shock.”

Amnesty International concluded that “there is no country in the world
in which the use of official and sustained torture is as well
established and documented as in the case of Israel.”

Even the pro-Israeli Washington Post reported: “Upon arrest, a
detainee undergoes a period of starvation, deprivation of sleep by
organized methods and prolonged periods during which the prisoner is
made to stand with his hands cuffed and raised, a filthy sack covering
the head. Prisoners are dragged on the ground, beaten with objects,
kicked, stripped and placed under ice-cold showers.”

Sounds like Abu Gharib. There are news reports that Israeli torture
experts participated in the torture of the detainees assembled by the
American military as part of the Bush Regime’s propaganda onslaught to
convince Americans that Iraq was overflowing with al Qaeda terrorists.
On July 23, 2008, Antiwar.com posted an Iraqi news report that the
Iraqi government had released a total of 109,087 Iraqis that the
Americans had “detained.” Obviously, these “terrorist detainees” had
been used for the needs of Bush Regime propaganda. No one will ever
know how many of them were abused by Israeli torturers imported by the
CIA.

Rev. Are’s book makes sensible suggestions for resolving the conflict
that Israel began. However, the problem is that Israeli governments
believe only in force. The policy of the Israeli government has always
been to beat, kill, and brutalize Palestinians into submission and
flight. Anyone who doubts this can read the book of Israel’s finest
historian Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006).

Americans are a gullible and naive people. They have been complicit
for 60 years in crimes that in Arnold Toynbee’s words “are comparable
in quality” to the crimes of Nazi Germany. As Toynbee was writing
decades ago, the accumulated Israeli crimes might now be comparable
also in quantity.

The US routinely vetoes United Nations condemnations of Israel for its
brutal crimes against the Palestinians. Insouciant American taxpayers
have been bled for a half century to provide the Israelis with
superior military weapons with which Israelis assault their neighbors,
all the while convincing America–essentially a captive nation–that
Israel is the victim.

John F. Mahoney wrote: “Thomas Are reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
an active pastor who comes to the unsettling realization that he and
his people have been fed a terrible lie that is killing and torturing
thousands of innocent men, women and children. Not without ample
research and prayer does such a pastor, in turn, risk unsettling his
congregation. The Reverend Are has done his homework and, I suspect,
has prayed often and long during the writing of this courageous book.”

Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran theologian and pastor who was executed for
his active participation in the German Resistance against Nazism.

Professor Benjamin M. Weir, San Francisco Theological Seminary, wrote:
” This book will make the reader squirm. It asks you to lend your
voice in behalf of the voiceless.”

Americans who can no longer think for themselves and who are terrified
of disapproval by their peer group are incapable of lending their
voices to anyone except those who control the world of propaganda in
which they live.

The ignorance and unconcern of Americans is a great frustration to my
friends in the Israeli peace movement. Without outside support those
Israelis, who believe in good will and do not share their government’s
belief in Lenin’s doctrine that violence is the only effective force
in history, are deprived, by America’s support for their government’s
policy of violence, of any peaceful resolution of a conflict began in
1947 by Israeli aggression against unsuspecting Palestinian villages.

Rev. Are wrote his book with the hope that the pen is mightier than
the sword and that facts can crowd out propaganda and create a
framework for a just resolution of the Palestinian issue. In his
concluding chapter, “What Christians Can Do,” Rev. Are writes: “We
cannot allow others to dictate our thinking on any subject, especially
on anything as important as Christian faithfulness, which is tested by
an attitude towards seeking justice for the oppressed. It’s a
Christian’s duty to know.”

Duty, of course, has costs. Rev. Are writes: “Speak up for the
Palestinians and you will make enemies. Yet, as Christians, we must be
willing to raise issues that until now we have chosen to dodge.”

More than a decade later, President Jimmy Carter, a true friend of
Israel, tried again to awaken Americans’ moral conscience with his
book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.
Carter was instantly demonized by the Israel Lobby.

Sixty years of efforts by good and humane people to hold Israel
accountable have so far failed, but they are more important today than
ever before. Israel has its captive American nation on the verge of
attacking Iran, the consequences of which could be catastrophic for
all concerned. The alleged purpose of the attack is to eliminate
nonexistent Iranian nuclear weapons. The real reason is to eliminate
all support for Hamas and Hezbollah so that Israel can seize the
entire West Bank and southern Lebanon. The Bush regime is eager to do
Israel’s bidding, and the media and evangelical “christian” churches
have been preparing the American people for the event.

It is paradoxical that Israel is demonstrating that veracity lies not
in the Christian belief in good will but in Lenin’s doctrine that
violence is the effective force in history and that the evangelical
Christian Zionist churches agree.

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the
Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street
Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He
is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions. He can be reached at:
paulcraigroberts@yahoo.com

The primary elections in Oklahoma for county, state, and congressional offices will be held Tuesday, July 29.  These elections decide whom we may vote for in November.

If you are registered to vote, you do not need your voter registration card to vote.  If you have moved without re-registering, go to your old polling place.  You may vote early at your county’s Election Board office on the Friday, Saturday, or Monday before the election.  No reason is needed or asked.

Not Sure Where You Vote?

Find Out Here!!!

This year, all the seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and half the seats in the State Senate are on the ballot.  Majority control of the State Senate will be decided in November, with membership currently split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

There are races in each Congressional district and one   U.S. Senate seat.  In addition, three Justices of the Supreme Court, two Judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and five Judges of the Court of Civil Appeals will be on the November general election ballot and three state questions will be decided.  Plus, numerous county offices will be up for grabs.

OKLAHOMA STATE ELECTION BOARD
Room B-6, State Capitol Building
PO Box 53156
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152

Telephone 405-521-2391
Fax 405-521-6457

IMPORTANT DATES!

Political affiliation changes
closed until September 1

Voter registration for July 29
Primary Election is closed

Last day to request absentee ballot
for July 29 Primary Election:

Wednesday, July 23

Last day to register to vote in
August 26 Runoff Primary Election:

Friday, August 1

Sign Up for Green Traveler and Save

Fed up with high fuel prices? Now you can access a free carpool match program when you visit the Green Traveler Web site at www.green-traveler.org. The Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) and its Green Traveler program is available to residents of Creek, Osage, Rogers, Wagoner and Tulsa counties and allows you to match your travel and commuting needs with other citizens. By carpooling just twice a week, the average commuter can save more than $2,000 a year in fuel and car maintenance!

The system is easy to use. You can activate your account easily by using your e-mail address and setting up a password. You’ll be able to select your carpool matches from employees traveling to various office locations.

Bottled Water – What’s the Problem?

Americans spend an estimated $15 billion every year for bottled water.

Summertime finds more and more people drinking bottled water, primarily for convenience. In case you needed any more facts to drive you over the edge to using plastic refillable water bottled instead of those purchased from the store, read on.

• Bottled water purchased in stores, even when bought in bulk, ranges from 120 to 7,500 times the cost of water that runs out of your tap at home.

• Bottled water is not necessarily any cleaner or purer than tap water. Bottling of this water is not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, rather the Food and Drug Administration is in charge of regulations, which are minimal.

• An estimated 25 percent of companies that bottle water for sale are using municipal water supplies, including brands Dasani and Aquafina. Some of them do not alter the water in any way, others simply remove the chlorine disinfectant from the water. Companies are not required to place the source of the water on the product label.

• Bottled water, once opened, can grow bacteria within three days if it does not include chlorine or another type of disinfectant.

Bottled water stored for some time may have contaminants in it. Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles contained phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner.

• The following contaminants are not regulated within the bottled water industry: arsenic, heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria, E. coli and other parasites and pathogens, and synthetic organic chemicals such as “phthalates”. The EPA sets strict limits for these contaminants in municipal water; levels are reported to consumers every year in an Annual Water Quality Report.

As if concerns with the water itself don’t convince you, check out this information about the plastic bottle that the water comes in:

• In 2006, the equivalent of 2 billion half-liter bottles of water were shipped to U.S. ports, creating thousands of tons of global warming pollution and other air pollution. In New York City alone, the transportation of bottled water from western Europe released an estimated 3,800 tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere.

• In California, 18 million gallons of bottled water were shipped in from Fiji in 2006, producing about 2,500 tons of global warming pollution.

• While the bottles come from far away, most of them end up close to home – in a landfill. Most bottled water comes in recyclable PET plastic bottles, but only about 13 percent of the bottles we use get recycled.

• In 2005, 2 million tons of plastic water bottles ended up clogging landfills instead of getting recycled.

And there’s more to be concerned about than just the waste of the bottles and the pollution. Here are some facts on the natural resources that are required just to produce those bottled.

An estimated 30-plus billion plastic water bottles were bought in 2006:

• This production required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil –  enough to fuel more than one million vehicles for a year.(Note: This was erroneously reported by the New York Times as 1.5 million, and the error is repeated in many places.)
• Produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (a naturally occuring gas that contributes to the creation of ground level ozone – air pollution.)
• Used three times the amount of water in the bottle.

Adding in transportation, the energy used comes to over 50 million barrels of oil, enough to run 3 million cars for a year.

If you want to carry water with you, use a reusable container filled with tap water. But don’t reuse single-use water bottles. This can expose you to bacterial build-up and carcinogens leached from the plastic.

Facts provided by the Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org.

Get Involved with PlaniTulsa

Citizen involvement from all areas of Tulsa will ensure success of PlaniTulsa, the process currently under way to update the city’s comprehensive plan. A diverse citizen team of advisers and partners met this week, preparing to invite friends, neighbors and business associates to join in planning the next 30 years of Tulsa’s future.

“This is a moment that will change the city of Tulsa,” Mayor Kathy Taylor said as she addressed the citizen team. “This plan is born of the citizens of Tulsa, from all parts of Tulsa.”

Opportunities for all Tulsans to get involved will begin with large, citywide workshops this fall, followed by small area workshops in early 2009. By spring 2009, several development scenarios will have emerged, leading to a draft vision in the summer of 2009 and a preliminary plan by fall 2009.

This week a research consultant reported survey results from a 1,000-resident demographic sampling. These show that Tulsans are enthusiastic and ready to be involved.

Strong consensus-high priorities among survey participants include streets, public education, economic opportunities and jobs, clean air and water, public safety and health care. Other high priorities included renewable energy sources, keeping young adults in Tulsa, support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, affordable housing and racial harmony.

Those polled expressed optimism that if participation is high in PlaniTulsa and the City of Tulsa implements the plan fairly, it will change Tulsa for the better. More information about PlaniTulsa is available at www.planitulsa.org.

Community Basketball Game

Who’s tougher: the Tulsa Fire Department or the Tulsa Police Department?

Find out this weekend at a community basketball game sponsored by the North Tulsa Summer Fun Days program. The TFD will compete against the TPD in a game of hoops at the Tulsa Job Corps (just north of Independence St. on Lewis). The Youth Services of Tulsa Warriors will also challenge the Tulsa Job Corps Cougars.

The audience is invited to participate in half-time contests and win prizes. Food and games will be provided, and this event is totally free and open to families and children of all ages.

The Summer Fun Days are part of the North Tulsa Safe Summer initiative, a program designed to provide North Tulsa families with safe, free, and positive activities in their own communities.

Event: North Tulsa Summer Fun Days’ Community Basketball Game
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2008
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Tulsa Job Corps, 1133 N. Lewis

Sponsors include the Tulsa Area United Way, the Tulsa Fatherhood Coalition, Youth Services of Tulsa, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, the YWCA of Tulsa, the Community Service Council, Families of Murdered Children, the Tulsa Dream Center, Tulsa Healthy Start, and the Tulsa Job Corps.

By Jason Miller
July 14, 2008

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?” – Nietzsche

Experiencing decreasing levels of the comfort that ensures our loyalty to the criminal enterprise of American Capitalism, we “average” US Americans comprising the poor, working class, and
rapidly shrinking middle class still revel in our relatively meaningless social freedoms (we can say “fuck you” to George Bush but can’t even get our “elected representatives” to impeach him for his Nuremberg class war crimes) as the economic manacles and shackles of wage slavery clamp ever tighter about our wrists and ankles.

In pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, we sell our souls for a relative handful of economic crumbs from the table of the US power elite and their express permission to do whatever we please (as long as we stay within “free speech zones,” don’t threaten public officials, commit no acts that impede the sacred cow of commerce, “just say no” to drugs, pay our taxes that fund a massive military apparatus (that has slaughtered millions) and prop up the Zionist squatters in Palestine, look the other way as amoral corporations rape the Earth and torture billions of non-human animals each year, ignore the abject criminality of corporados, Wall Streeters, and those we have “elected,” and act as cogs in the machineries of capitalism to avoid exercising our right to sleep under a bridge).

No doubt about it. We have made our Faustian bargain and are “the murderers of all murderers.” Collectively speaking, we US Americans savagely shoved a 12 gauge into the face of God as He stood, mouth agape, stunned at the depth of the depravity and barbarism of our capitalistic ways. We then unceremoniously splattered His brains across the sky that once served as His canvas at sunrise and sunset.

By liquefying God’s gray matter we ensured the extinction of cumbersome and antiquated moral principles that impeded American Capitalism’s expansion, profit, and growth. Without ridiculous
impediments such as justice, compassion, love, the Golden Rule, or truth, souless capitalists found a truly free market in which they could rape, pillage and plunder with impunity, even garnering admiration from the masses for their cunning ruthlessness. To top it off, being the connivers we are, we proudly display God’s colossal decaying corpse (an incarnation more  hideous than anything yet to spring forth from Rob Zombie’s imagination) as our “proof” to the
world that we are a Christian nation.
And we “comfort ourselves” by wallowing in the fetid sewage that flows freely from our idiot boxes, enslaving our minds to the Bernays-inspired propaganda that ensures our fealty to a system that is murdering the planet and rotting our souls. Reality television provides us with the twisted wreckage and bloody corpses of a horrific car wreck, piquing our morbid curiosity and distracting us from the prick of conscience or any thought of doing something really stupid, like perhaps ending our rape of the Earth. Kens and Barbies, “sage” analysts, establishmentized minorities, and “populists” pulling down six figures or better (all of whom enunciate, dress, and smile to sickeningly unnatural perfection, mind you), deliver the “news” and affirm the “rightness of our Whiteness.” Television is truly a balm to our diseased souls.

TV is so powerful that we don’t even need to be watching it for its “healing powers” to impact us. As the conflagration fueled by American Capitalism’s insatiable lust for profit consumes the
planet, we US Americans preoccupy ourselves with our selfish, narrow pursuits and indifferently banter back and forth about the inanities we worship on television. Will the Patriots win another Super Bowl this year? Who is going to win American Idol? What sycophant will give good enough fellatio to become Trump’s apprentice? McMurder for dinner tonight, honey?

“Who will wipe this blood off us?” Since we took God out with a shotgun instead of a blade, we made Lady Macbeth (with her ‘damn spot’) look like a candy-striper. But what did we care? We’d been awash in sanguinary fluid since our ancestors started eradicating the “primitives” who inhabited Turtle Island. Besides, the high priests of American Capitalism and our false idol,  Mammon, are more than happy to absolve us of any sin we commit in our pursuit of money, profit, property, or consumer goods.

As for festivals of atonement, no one does it better. While it may be ridiculously hollow and devoid of meaning, we give plenty of lip-service to our love and respect for our murder victim. And when we set aside a special day for God, we go all out!

Take Easter for instance. That is the one Sunday of the year when most of us put on our “Sunday best” and grace Him with our presence at His house of worship.

On Thanksgiving, we display our gratitude for His help in stealing the “Injun’s land” by stuffing our faces with over 40 million turkeys that have been brutally tortured and murdered in our
nightmarish factory farming system.

Christmas is the real stunner though. We celebrate His birth by showering ourselves with gifts. December 25th is a disgustingly selfish greed-fest fueled by the runaway consumerism that is capitalism’s life-blood and the environment’s death sentence. How delightfully ironic is it that we honor God by rewarding ourselves and accelerating the demise of the planet? After all, we hailed Him as our Creator and then blew out His brains.

Was “not the greatness of this deed too great for us?” Let’s get serious. We’re Americans. We are the “can do,” “git ‘er done” nation. American Exceptionalism always rises to the occasion, even
if the task involves executing a divine being.

And we need “not become gods simply to appear worthy of” having killed God.

As Americans, we already are gods.

For those of you with the chutzpah to challenge that assertion, remember that we have a larger pile of money, bigger guns, more mean-spiritedness, better technology, shrewder business people, and a much larger arsenal of nuclear weapons than any nation on the planet. Any questions?

Jason Miller is Cyrano’s Journal’s Associate Editor.

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m45722&hd=&size=1&l=e

From The Urban Tulsa Weekly…

Scholarship program could be what the Dr. ordered

B Y   J O S H U A    H A L L

One of the most hotly debated measures during Oklahoma’s 2008 legislative session was Senate Bill 1537- colloquially referred to as “Nick’s Law”-which would have required insurance companies doing business in Oklahoma to cover autism. Though the bill made it through the Senate, it did not make it out of committee in the House.

Autism is a brain-development disorder that affects approximately 6,000 Oklahoma children. It manifests itself as pattern of symptoms of which the primary characteristics are problems with communication, limited interests, and repetitive behavior. While autism is not curable, early intervention and treatment of the type that would be mandated under this bill have been shown to be important to the long-term life prospects of autistic children.

For proponents of an autism mandate, the existence of these clear benefits to autistic children makes the case for an autism mandate self-evident. But there is a potential downside to health-care mandates such as an autism mandate: They can drive up insurance costs and end up pricing peopleout of the market. The costs of autism coverage have to be borne by someone, and it is folly to think that the full incidence of any mandate will fall entirely on insurance company profits.

Some of the cost increase will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher premiums.  This is not the real cost of the mandate, however, as this is just a transfer of resources. The real cost of the mandate will come from those individuals who are priced out of the market as a result of the higher premiums. Thus the size and impact of any proposed autism mandate is an important issue, and a primary reason for careful study.

Another, more innovative, solution comes to mind after reading a May 30 story in The Oklahoman headlined “What Promise Does Ohio Hold for Autistic Boy From Oklahoma?” It seems that an Oklahoma family decided to respond to the failed passage of “Nick’s Law” by selling their home and moving to Ohio.

Why would they undertake such a drastic move? Because Ohio has a school voucher program for autistic children. In Ohio, parents of autistic children can choose to have their children educated through their local school district or through private special education programs. For those who choose an alternative school, up to $20,000 of taxpayer money follows the child.

While an autism scholarship program for Oklahoma would not address all the financial issues surrounding autism treatment, it would have several appealing qualities.

First, unlike a mandate, it does not harm others by crowding out private insurance.

Second, a tax-credit scholarship program would focus attention on the issue of early diagnosis and treatment. (Thanks to a provision in Oklahoma’s constitution known as the Blaine Amendment, such a program in Oklahoma would likely need to be funded through a charitable tax credit rather than a voucher.)

Third, a scholarship program provides needed flexibility for parents to seek and craft the best treatment solution for their child. Given the fact that autism is a bundle of symptoms of varying severity, the flexibility that choice allows seems especially important.

Fourth, any tax revenue lost because of charitable donations to an autism scholarship program would be, at least in part, offset by the fact that students using the scholarships would no longer be enrolled in the public schools.

Economics teaches us there are very few “free lunches”when it comes to public policy, which often involves trading off the benefits received by one group against the costs imposed on another.Nick’s Law, for example, raised concern and uncertainty among policymakers about who might be harmed by rising insurance costs.

A tax credit for donations to scholarship programs geared to autistic children, however, might be close to a free lunch for the reasons described. Though it’s no panacea, it is a simple and elegant solution that would help a large number of families.

Joshua Hall (Ph.D.,West Virginia University) is an assistant professor of economics at Beloit College.
For more information on school choice for special needs children, visit Choice Remarks
(okschoolchoice.blogspot.com).

Tulsa Autism Foundation

August 2, 2008     Bounce Back to School     10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Hop back into the swing of things at TAF’s Bounce Back to School event at Bounce U Kids get to bounce and play while parents pick up information to help get organized and prepared for the upcoming school year. This event is limited to 60 children, so please register early.

BounceU slide

Savvy Moms Back-to-School Sale & Charity Raffle

Saturday, August 02, 2008 - Tuesday, August 05, 2008                                                          (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM)

Savvy Moms are hosting a Back-to-School Sale & Charity Raffle August 2-5 from 10am-7pm
at The Rose Bowl Events Center, 7419 E. 11th St. in Tulsa. Raffle Tickets are $2/each or $5/3. Winners will be awarded thousands of dollars in prizes including the Grand Prize which is a Mommy’s Day Off Basket filled with over $375.00 in prizes donated by local businesses
such Merry Maids, Hollywood Theaters, For Ladies Only and Tot Spot and Red Lobster. All proceeds will be matched by the Schusterman Foundation and go to P.A.S.S. to buy school supplies for more than 20,000 elementary school children in Tulsa & Union Public Schools. For
more information, contact Krysta Cole at 734-6231, email krysta@savvymomssale.com or log-on to savvymomssale.com.

Contact:

Krysta Cole                                                                                                                                  Savvy Moms Sale, LLC
Phone: 734-6231

Free Back-to-School Medical Mission

Wednesday, August 06, 2008    (8:00 AM - 8:00 PM)

New Heights Church hosts a free Back-to-School Medical Mission Wednesday, August 6 from 8am-8pm at the school, 106 N. Main in Owasso. A Mobile Dental Unit from the Oklahoma
Dental Foundation will offer dentistry during the day. Pediatric Eye Associates & Family Eye Care will provide vision screening for students who need glasses but are unable to afford them. In the
evening, Good Samaritan Health Systems van will offer required vaccinations. (Please bring the required paperwork with you.) New Heights is also providing students with haircuts and school supplies while they last. For more information, contact Pastor Hamm at 918-274-1725.
Contact:

Pastor Hamm                                                                                                                               New Heights Church
Phone: 918-274-1725

Free Back-to-School Haircuts & School Supplies

Monday, August 11, 2008    (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

On August 11 from 10am-4pm, Bixby Beauty College will provide free back-to-school haircuts and school supplies (all on a first-come basis) to school-aged children grades pre-K through 12th-grade, plus refreshments. The school is located at 8510 E. 131st St. South, in Bixby. For more information, contact Cassandra Spears at 918-369-5757.

Contact:

Cassandra Spears                                                                                                                       Bixby Beauty College
Phone: 369-5757

Yes, we all wish they would go away. Arm yourself with information: this time of year these insects attack in full force.

150 species of mosquitoes are found in the United States. (There are more than 2,500 different species in the world!) All mosquitoes must have water in which to complete their life cycle. They lay their eggs in places that periodically hold water, sewage effluent ponds, irrigated pastures, rain water ponds, etc. Larvae hatch from the eggs within 24 to 48 hours and then live in water for at least seven days before becoming an adult mosquito.

Only the adult females bite humans and other animals. The male mosquitoes feed only on plant juices. Female mosquitoes feed on man, domesticated animals, birds, all types of wild animals, as well as snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads.

The length of life of the adult mosquito depends on temperature, humidity, sex of the mosquito and time of year. Most males live a very short time, about a week; and females may live about a month.

So, how do we get rid of them? Here are some tips that will help you control the number of these insects around your home.

1.  Eliminate all standing water – areas where water stands for days after a rain.

• Small containers, including drip trays under plant pots, discarded or broken plant containers or dishes can harbor mosquito larvae. Empty them when water stands longer than a few days.

• Even bird baths can be breeding places for mosquitoes. Change the water weekly.

• Leaves that accumulate in your gutter can collect water, and serve as perfect moist places for mosquitoes to lay their larvae. Keep your gutters free of leaves during mosquito season.

• Old tires thrown into a brush pile or corner can collect water. Find another use for them, or dispose of them properly.

• Fill in low-lying areas of your yard where water pools and stands.

• Cover your trash cans and drill holes in the bottom so that water can drain out.

• Drain plastic wading pools every few days.

2.  Keep grass mowed and shrubs trimmed around your home. Mosquitoes hide in vegetation.

3. Protect yourself. Peak biting times are dawn, dusk and early evening. Stay inside when possible, or wear loose, light-colored clothing (long-sleeved shirts and long pants) if you go out. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35 percent DEET. In comparison to DEET based products, plant oil-based repellents are generally effective for a shorter time (usually less than about two hours).

4. Finally, put up bat houses to encourage bats to live in your area. Oklahoma bats are insect eaters. They have voracious appetites and eat more than half their body weight in mosquitoes and other insects in a single evening – some as many as 1,000 creatures per hour! There are 22 different species of bats found in Oklahoma, and three of them are listed as Endangered Species. More than 45 species of bats live in the United States.

Like birds, bats prefer a source of shelter and they’ll often hang out in old trees and large shrubs. Bats nest in abandoned buildings, hollow trees, under a building’s eves, in loose tree bark, and in bat houses. Bats also enjoy water features, such as ponds, where insects may congregate. Planting night-blooming flowers will help attract bats.

North Tulsa Summer Fun Days

Have a burger, take a dip in the pool, or show off your dance moves this Saturday at Springdale Park.

Springdale Park & Recreation Center is hosting a Swim Bash and “So You Think You Can Dance?” contest July 19 with free food, games, and entertainment.

The event is totally free and open to families and children of all ages.

The Summer Fun Days are part of the North Tulsa Safe Summer initiative, a program designed to provide North Tulsa families with safe, free, and positive activities in their own communities.

Event: North Tulsa Summer Fun Days’ Swim Bash and
“So You Think You Can Dance?” Contest
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008
Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
Location: Springdale Park & Recreation Center, 2223 E. Pine St.

Additional activities in the Safe Summer series include:

July 26: Community Basketball Game (Tulsa Police vs. Tulsa Fire)

August 2: Movie Matinee and a Back-To-School Bash

Sponsors for these special events include the Tulsa Area United Way, the Tulsa Fatherhood Coalition, Youth Services of Tulsa, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, the YWCA of Tulsa, Tulsa Healthy Start, and the Tulsa Job Corps.

Next Streets Meeting At Rudisill Library

The next streets town hall meeting will be held Monday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave. All Tulsans are welcome to attend this meeting and give their comments on street improvements. The location was selected to be near residents in Council District 1.

Tonight’s meeting is the last in a series of meetings held nearly every week since June 3. At the meeting, City officials will present information about Tulsa’s street needs and possible ways that those needs can be met. A street improvements funding package is under preparation for Tulsa voters to consider in a Nov. 4 election.

The City Council will consider the package during its Thursday evening Council meetings, and discuss details of the package at Tuesday morning committee meetings and Streets Subcommittee meetings. Council meeting schedules are available online.

North Tulsa Summer Fun Days

Have a burger, take a dip in the pool, or show off your dance moves this Saturday at Springdale Park.

Springdale Park & Recreation Center is hosting a Swim Bash and “So You Think You Can Dance?” contest July 19 with free food, games, and entertainment.

The event is totally free and open to families and children of all ages.

The Summer Fun Days are part of the North Tulsa Safe Summer initiative, a program designed to provide North Tulsa families with safe, free, and positive activities in their own communities.

Event: North Tulsa Summer Fun Days’ Swim Bash and
“So You Think You Can Dance?” Contest
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008
Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
Location: Springdale Park & Recreation Center, 2223 E. Pine St.

Additional activities in the Safe Summer series include:

July 26: Community Basketball Game (Tulsa Police vs. Tulsa Fire)

August 2: Movie Matinee and a Back-To-School Bash

Sponsors for these special events include the Tulsa Area United Way, the Tulsa Fatherhood Coalition, Youth Services of Tulsa, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, the YWCA of Tulsa, Tulsa Healthy Start, and the Tulsa Job Corps.

Next Streets Meeting At Rudisill Library

The next streets town hall meeting will be held Monday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave. All Tulsans are welcome to attend this meeting and give their comments on street improvements. The location was selected to be near residents in Council District 1.

Tonight’s meeting is the last in a series of meetings held nearly every week since June 3. At the meeting, City officials will present information about Tulsa’s street needs and possible ways that those needs can be met. A street improvements funding package is under preparation for Tulsa voters to consider in a Nov. 4 election.

The City Council will consider the package during its Thursday evening Council meetings, and discuss details of the package at Tuesday morning committee meetings and Streets Subcommittee meetings. Council meeting schedules are available online.

Ride to Work Day Set for July 16

Your morning commute might seem different on July 16. Instead of being surrounded by big gas-guzzling SUVs, you might see a few more vehicles of the two-wheeled sort.

Mayor Taylor has officially proclaimed July 16 as Ride to Work Day, which is part of a national event that encourages commuters to ride their motorcycles and scooters to work.

This event increases driver awareness and helps make the road safer for bikers of all kinds.

It also demonstrates the benefits that come from riding motorcycles or scooters: studies show that commuting motorcyclists reach their destinations in less time than those using automobiles and take up less space on roads and in parking situations.

Switching from four wheels to two is also great for the environment. If every work day were Ride to Work Day, an estimated 15,000,000 gallons would be saved each year.

Ride to Work Day participants are invited to spend time with other commuters at a riders’ breakfast. Riders will meet at the Savoy Restaurant, 6033 S. Sheridan Road, from 6 to 10 a.m. on July 16.

Read more at http://twowheelok.com/

Bike to Work Day, July 18

Want to save money, get fit, and help the environment? You can do all three at once by participating in Tulsa’s Bike to Work Day, Friday, July 18.

This event, organized by the Indian Nations Council of Government (INCOG) and sponsored by the City of Tulsa, Green-Traveler, and the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge, aims to raise awareness of biking commuters.

Channel 6 will host a live remote from River’s Edge at 19th & Riverside to publicize the event and promote bicycle safety on the road.

Ride to Work Day participants are invited to join other like-minded commuters for a light breakfast at River’s Edge from 7 to 9 a.m on the 18th. Fruit, breakfast items, and juice will be served.

Riders can share biking tips and learn new ways to go green and save money all summer long. Participants can also enter their names in a drawing for their choice of a $100 gas card or a $100 gift certificate to a local bike shop.

Need more incentives? Check out these great cycling benefits from the League of American Bicyclists:

Get a better body! Most weeks, seven out of 10 of us fail to get the minimum recommended 30 minutes of activity per day—partly because many of us have to fight traffic to get to the gym. The result: More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, and rates of obesity related diseases such as diabetes are soaring. Ride your bike to work, and you no longer need to make time to exercise. Rack up just three hours of riding time a week, and you can slash your risk of heart disease and stroke in half. Plus, you’ll lose the gut and lovehandles—no diet required. Consult your doctor whenever starting any new physical activity.

Save more money! The average annual price of keeping an automobile running: at least $3,000. The cost of riding a bike for a year: less than $300. The joy of saving more than two grand this year: priceless.

Clear the air! The number of communities that will fall out of compliance with the Clean Air Act is expected to triple within a decade. Motorized vehicles are responsible for 70 percent of the carbon monoxide, 45 percent of the nitrogen dioxide, and 34 percent of the hydrocarbons people produce. Riding a bike is a simple way to improve the environment.

Read more at www.bikeleague.org.

By SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer

The Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice is celebrating its 50th
anniversary this year by recognizing that its mission of denouncing
bigotry and encouraging respect of all people is as needed now as it
was when the organization was founded.
“All you have to do is open the newspaper or turn on the television
and you see examples every day,” said Nancy Day, executive director.
Jim Langdon, who started a two-year term as board president of OCCJ
in January, said the organization is unique in its purpose.

“OCCJ is the only organization in Oklahoma with the singular mission
of fighting bias, bigotry and racism in our society,” he said.
The organization is honoring its anniversary with a film festival
beginning Thursday. It will feature three Oscar-winning films with
the theme of justice. OCCJ also will host a community march Oct. 5
OCCJ began as a regional affiliate of The National Conference of
Christians and Jews. That organization renamed itself The National
Conference for Community and Justice, but the Oklahoma organization
established itself as a separate nonprofit group in 2005. It is now
affiliated with the National Federation for Just Communities.
Day, who has been with the organization 28 years, said the changes
haven’t affected the group’s goals.
“Even though our name has changed, the work we do today and the
mission of our organization very much resembles the mission of the
(national) founders in 1927, as well as our start in Tulsa in 1958,”
she said. Day plans for OCCJ to increase its advocacy role, which it began in
earnest recently.
In the past legislative session, OCCJ opposed a bill that would have
made English the state’s official language and the Religious
Viewpoints Anti-Discrimination Act, which would have allowed students
to “express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and
other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on
the religious content of their submissions.

”
The latter measure would have created more problems than it solved,
Day said. “It was so much more complex than it appeared and was particularly
dangerous because of its benign name,” she said.
OCCJ also denounced state Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, for her
anti-gay comments in January, when she said homosexuality is “the
biggest threat that our nation has, even more so than terrorism or
Islam.”
Another goal of OCCJ is creating an endowment to ensure its programs
continue. The group is always looking for more donors and members,
Day said.
“It’s going to take everyone joining with us to make sure Tulsa and
Oklahoma are the best we can be,” she said.
Langdon said the organization also is working on increasing awareness
of its programs and its mission. Events celebrating the 50th
anniversary are meant to remind people of OCCJ’s continued relevance
in society, he said.
The group also has plans to re-establish an office in Oklahoma City
in 2009. City leaders have expressed interest in supporting the
office, which would be free-standing and not a satellite of the Tulsa
location, Langdon said.
OCCJ continues to play an important role in promoting diversity and
acceptance in society, he said.
“If we all just work to celebrate our differences and the diversity
that we share, clearly, this world would be a better place,” he said.

———————————————————-
Shannon Muchmore 581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
———————————————————-
UNITY THROUGH FILM — OCCJ FESTIVAL
All events are at Circle Cinema, 12 S. Lewis Ave. Films include: “The
Lunch Date,” “Freeheld,” and “A Time for Justice.”
Thursday: 6 p.m. wine reception; 7 p.m. films; 8:30 p.m. speech by
filmmaker Grace Guggenheim. Tickets: $50.
Friday: 7 p.m. films. Tickets: $10.
Saturday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. films. Tickets: Free for students; $5
adults.
Sunday: 2 p.m. films. Tickets: $10.
———————————————————-
OCCJ programs
Anytown, Oklahoma: An annual weeklong human relations summer camp for
teenagers throughout Oklahoma.
Teen Trialogue: A series of interfaith discussions among Christian,
Jewish and Muslim high school students.
The Common Ground Project: A steering committee that discusses
ongoing issues concerning religion, public schools and the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Interfaith Trialogue: An annual series that brings together speakers
of various faiths.
Operation Understanding: An annual interfaith tour for middle and
high school students that includes tours of houses of worship and
teachings about various faith traditions.
Different and the Same: A series of videotapes for elementary
teachers to help children recognize, understand and prevent prejudice.

Kudos for Mayor Taylor from the Oklahoma City Newspaper

Tulsa’s Mayor received high praise from the editor of Oklahoma City’s Daily Oklahoman. Editor Ed Kelley said he likes “what Kathy Taylor is saying about the Tulsa Public Schools.” In a video editorial on the Oklahoman’s website, Newsok.com, Kelley praised Mayor Taylor for putting the focus on the growing problem of dropouts in Tulsa.He credited the Mayor with finding 300 mentors in Tulsa to help reach at-risk kids. Kelley said “school districts don’t like to talk about dropouts, because it puts the spotlight on their failure.” He credited Mayor Taylor’s “Mentoring to the Max” program with finding 300 mentors to help reach at-risk kids in Tulsa.

Kelley ended his presentation by urging Oklahoma City’s Mayor Mick Cornett to follow Mayor Taylor’s lead and create a similar program to reach troubled students in the Oklahoma City School District.

Mentoring can make a wonderful difference in a child’s life. It only takes one hour a week of mentoring to change a child’s life forever. To find out how you can become a mentor, call 2-1-1, today. Mentoring can take place in one of our local schools or during out-of-school time through one of more than 40 mentoring programs in the city. To register online, e-mail Monroe Nichols. Please include your name and phone number.

Deputy Mayor Tom Baker Retires After 40 Years of Public Service

Deputy Mayor Tom Baker, who has an exemplary 40-year career of service to the citizens of Tulsa, retired from the City of Tulsa as of Monday, June 30.

Baker began his career with the Tulsa Fire Department as a cadet and worked his way through the ranks to become Fire Chief, a post he held for 16 years. Upon retirement from the Fire Department, Baker made a successful bid for a City Council seat which he held for four years. Baker joined Mayor Kathy Taylor’s administrative team as Deputy Mayor following her inuguration in April 2006..

“Tom Baker is the ultimate definition of public service,” said Taylor. “When I was elected mayor, his experience, institutional knowledge and friendship was invaluable to me throughout the transition and he helped launch our administration.”

During his tenure with the Administration he worked to implement performance standards throughout city departments while overseeing several administrative programs and initiatives. His experience in emergency first response prompted the Mayor to tap Baker to serve as lead facilitator to review the analysis and renewal of the emergency medical services contract. He currently serves in a statewide capacity on the State Fire Marshal’s Commission.

Baker said he credits his lifetime commitment to public service to values learned from his family. His mother, Alene Baker served the north Tulsa community in the State Legislature.

“Tom Baker’s service has left a permanent and positive impact on this city,” said Taylor. “His dedication is unmatched and his lifetime mentorship to firefighters and city employees is unprecedented. His is a legacy that simply cannot be replaced.”

Tulsa on Cover of Preservation Magazine

Tulsa and its art deco architecture are featured in the cover story of the July/August issue of Preservation magazine, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The article declares Tulsa “one of the nation’s premier centers of art deco … in the classy company of Miami Beach, New York and Los Angeles.”

Recognition in Preservation magazine serves as the perfect enticement for preservation enthusiasts and architecture buffs to come to Tulsa for the 2008 National Preservation Conference Oct. 21-25. An estimated 2,500 visitors are expected to visit our city and admire buildings that residents sometimes take for granted – Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Tulsa Union Depot, the Philcade, and many others.

The article, “Tulsa’s Deco Gems,” can be found in its entirety online. Copies of the magazine are available for $5 at Steve’s Sundries. Subscriptions to Preservation magazine, which also include membership in the National Trust for Historic Preservation are available online.

What About Pesticides?

Did you know that there are natural methods of pest control? Many plants produce certain chemicals that repel other species, and many insects are actually good at controlling other insects we regard as pests. One way to BeGreen is to stop using manmade pesticides.

Pesticides, chemicals used to kill or control pests that we consider undesirable, have been used since the 1950s. In fact, pesticide use has increased more than 50-fold in the years since. Most of today’s pesticides are 10 to 100 times more toxic than those used in the 1950s.

These manmade chemicals have many benefits: they save lives, increase food supplies, increase profits for farmers and work fast.

However, there are some serious problems associated with their use: pest organisms quickly become genetically resistant to widely used pesticides; some insecticides also kill natural predators that help to control the pest populations; pesticides move around on water and wind and may last indefinitely, polluting the environment, and harming wildlife.

But most worrisome, pesticides can threaten human health. Scientists are concerned that pesticides may be responsible for genetic mutations, birth defects, nervous system and behavioral disorders and effects on the immune and endocrine systems. Pesticide residue in food causes 4,000 to 20,000 cases of cancer per year in the U.S. (according to studies conducted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.)

So what can we do to control those pests in the garden and inside our homes? Try an alternative to manmade chemicals. Here are a few tips:

• Plant marigolds, citronella and geranium species that repel pests adjacent to the plants you want to protect.
• Use biological controls, like ladybugs for aphids on plants and vegetables. Check out your local plant nursery or farm supply store for more suggestions.
• Insecticidal soaps kill insects by washing away their protective coating. You can find these at most home and garden supply stores or you can make your own. Mix 5 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent into one gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle and use it every 10 days. To be effective, the soap must come in contact with the insects.
• Spray insects with hot water (which kills them.) Pour boiling water over an ant nest to kill the ants.
• Use mousetraps, flypaper and roach motels to combat indoor pests. Bay leaves placed near cracks will discourage roaches.
• Try a variety of homemade concoctions that repel insects. Try boric acid and pepper sprinkled in the back of cupboards and along the inside of crawlspace walls for crawling insects. Cedar chips and herbal sachets (especially lavender) deter moths in closets and drawers.
• To repel fleas and ticks, scatter pine needles, fennel, rye or rosemary on pets beds or feed your pet garlic tablets.

• 

North Tulsa Summer Fun Days Scheduled through July

The YWCA of Tulsa is hosting a “Carnival City” in July with free snacks, games, entertainment, and parades. Sonic will provide free burgers, corn dogs, and hot dogs.Kids can play fun carnival games, ride ponies, and slide down a giant 30-foot slide. Other fun activities include a Velcro wall, sumo wrestling suits, and a Surf and Slide water ride, plus clowns and a motorcycle and car club parade.

Next Streets Meeting at Hardesty Library

The next streets Town Hall meeting will be held Monday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. All Tulsans are welcome to attend this special meeting and give their comments on street improvements. The location was selected to be near residents in Council Districts 8 and 2.

All of the streets Town Hall meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. A full schedule of the streets Town Hall meetings can be found under the “Read More” link below.

At the July 14 town hall meeting, City officials will present information about Tulsa’s street needs and possible ways that those needs can be met. A street improvements’ funding package is under preparation for Tulsa voters to consider in an upcoming election.

The City Council will consider the package during its Thursday evening Council meetings, and discuss details of the package at Tuesday morning committee meetings and Streets Subcommittee meetings. Council meeting schedules are available online.

Tulsa Hosts Professional Bull Riders, July 18-20

Professional Bull Riders are coming to the Tulsa Convention Center on July 18-20, for three action-packed days of thrilling rides and breathtaking performances, featuring the world’s best professionals. This year, the show will draw 900 competitors from around the globe - including 100 Oklahoma contestants - cheered on by 15,000 on-the-spot viewers. Tickets for the 2008 performance are already on sale through www.tickets.com. In 2009, the competition will take place in the BOK Center.