World-News

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/5074/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

The Bush administration has declared itself immune from whistleblower protections for federal workers under the Clean Water Act, according to legal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. As a result of an opinion issued by a unit within the Office of the Attorney General, federal workers will have little protection from official retaliation for reporting water pollution enforcement breakdowns, manipulations of science or cleanup failures.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090406B.shtml

We used to think the voting system was something like the traffic laws - a set of rules clear to everyone, enforced everywhere, with penalties for transgressions; we used to think, in other words, that we had a national election system. As it turns out, except for a rudimentary federal framework, US elections are shaped by a dizzying mélange of inconsistently enforced laws, conflicting court rulings, local traditions, various technology choices, and partisan trickery. Mother Jones provides a list - partial, but emblematic - of American democracy's more glaring weak spots.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090406Z.shtml

Yahoo! News

08/30/06

A U.S. student who sued school officials after he was made to censor his T-shirt that labelled President George W. Bush 'Chicken-Hawk-In-Chief' and a former alcohol and cocaine abuser won an appeal on Wednesday to wear the T-shirt to school. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Zachery Guiles, who through his parents claimed his free speech rights had been violated when school officials made him put duct tape over parts of his T-shirt that showed a Bush image surrounded by cocaine, a razor blade, a straw and a martini. Guiles, who as a seventh grader in 2004 wore the T-shirt to Williamstown Middle High School in Vermont once a week for two months after purchasing it at an anti-war rally, appealed the case after a lower court ruled in favour of the school...

http://tinyurl.com/o8rkc


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

#Die Linkspartei.PDS: Pressemitteilungen

04. September 2006

Zur heute stattfindenden Sonderkonferenz der Innenminister und der Debatte um eine Antiterror-Datei erklärt die stellvertretende Parteivorsitzende Katina Schubert:

Die strikte Trennung von Polizei und Geheimdienst dient dem Schutz der Bürgerinnen und Bürger vor unberechtigten Zugriffen des Staates und gehört zu den Lehren aus dem deutschen Faschismus. Mit der geplanten Antiterror-Datei wird dieses Trennungsgebot faktisch aufgehoben. Es droht ein riesiger Datenwust. Niemand kann mehr nachvollziehen, welche Daten über ihn wo und warum gespeichert sind. Das Grundrecht auf informationelle Selbstbestimmung wird ad absurdum geführt. Die von Bayerns Innenminister Beckstein angestoßene Debatte für die Aufnahme der Religionszugehörigkeit in eine solche Datei führt dazu, dass Menschen muslimischen Glaubens unter Generalverdacht gestellt werden. Das läuft jedem Integrationsansatz zuwider und nährt terroristische Bewegungen eher, als dass es sie bekämpft.

http://sozialisten.de/presse/presseerklaerungen/view_html?zid=33850

Strawberry Hill residents are gearing up for the second round of a fight against a phone mast being built within 500m of two primary schools, after a telecommunications giant appealed the council's refusal.

T-Mobile applied to Richmond Council, in March, for permission to install a 18m tower with six mobile phone antennae at Strawberry Hill Golf Club.

The new mast would have been in the southeast corner of Strawberry Hill Golf Club on metropolitan open land next to the railway line between Fulwell and Strawberry Hill stations.

At the time of the application Derek Newson, of Strawberry Hill Road, said this would put it about 450m from St James's RC Primary School, on Stanley Road, and 320m from Stanley Infant School, on Strathmore Road In April, the mast was refused because it would be detrimental to the appearance of the area.

But T-Mobile lodged an appeal against this decision earlier and the national planning inspectorate will now make a final decision.

© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.902267.0.phone_company_appeal_mast_refusal.php

Today OPED NEWS, the premier digest of progressive opinion and news, is featuring the controversial new TV spot of Charles Sanders, running in the Special Democratic Congressional primary in the 3rd district of Ohio on FRIDAY, September 15th.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_thepen_060903_charles_sanders__28oh_.htm

When a courageous candidate like Charles Sanders stands up to directly confront the Bush administration on their Iraq lies, with no backing down and no apologies, shall we do everything we can to support and stand with him or shall we not?

Most of all Charles needs a hundred more people today to help him make phone calls to his constituents, to get the word out that there is someone in their district who is fighting for them. All you have to do is set a password for yourself (or use your existing Blades of Grass password) and you can be helping out with this valiant campaign right now

PHONE BANK: http://www.charleswsanders.org/virtualphones2_sanders.html

You can also make a donation (if you have not done so already) to encourage Charles to run as many of these "call to action" TV spots as possible.

TV SPOT DONATIONS: http://www.charleswsanders.org/donations4a.php

And be sure to check out all these other insightful opinion pieces on Oped News, with some of the most informed and insightful commentators in the country.

TODAY'S OTHER TOP OPED NEWS ARTICLES

Traitors and Heroes/Traitors as Heroes http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_rob_kall_060827_traitors_and_heroes_2f.htm This is the beginning of a series of articles and conversations about traitors-- to the US, the constitution, humanity, freedom, democracy... It will explore who they are, who they treasonously betray for and what they get in return. You're invited to join the conversation.

Sistani Led His Followers to Elect Iraq's New Regime. Today He Walked Away http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ron_full_060903_sistani_led_his_foll.htm The Independent is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has "abandoned attempts to restrain his followers" and no longer believes he can stand in the way of the growing civil war.

Many High Bush Officials Broke Laws Against Torture http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_sherwood_060902_many_high_bush_offic.htm More than 20 high officials in the Bush Administration bear responsibility for the radical change allowing U.S. military jailers and CIA agents to torture prisoners. Former President Bill Clinton and several of his CIA aides also bear responsibility.

First Time Released Documents Expose Subservient Congress http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_sibel_ed_060902_first_time_released_.htm These letters show that oversight of Special Access Programs (SAPs) at the Department of Defense is nonexistent because no one in congress has a high enough security clearance.

Book Review, of Thom Hartmann's SCREWED http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_kall_2c_ro_060829_rob_kall_book_review.htm Hartmann has hit another grand slam homerun with his newest book, Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It

Learning from Hezbollah http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_stephen__060901_learning_from_hezbol.htm It is ultimately acts of generosity and support that win in people's hearts and minds. The United States and Israel have failed to implement this key truth in Iraq and Lebanon.

US Army Contemplates Redrawing Middle East Map to Stave-off Looming Global Meltdown http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_nafeez_m_060831_us_army_contemplates.htm The US Army is exploring plans to reconfigure national borders across the Middle East, just as a high-level US source warns of imminent convering global crises.

Heil Me! An Open Letter From Donald Rumsfeld http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne__28as_tran_060831_heil_me_21__an_open_le.htm Clarifying Rumsfeld Remarks

Fighting Burnout: An Activist's Lament http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_joan_bru_060830_fighting_burnout_3a__a.htm While I'm not exactly equating my activism with the travails of unexpected twins, there is a certain resemblance. Getting so tired that I can't put sentences together, feeling overwhelmed, having so much to do without the confidence that it's even physically possible to do it all. Actually, the more I think about it, it really is very similar.

Who Most Threatens America? http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ron_full_060831_who_most_threatens_a.htm If the Bush regime is at war with those they hold responsible for the collapse of the World Trade Towers, then it is truly a stealth war. Bush never mentions bin-Laden's name anymore, even though he began his 'hunt' in 2001 demanding his apprehension, "dead or alive."

14 Characteristics Of Fascism / We Have Them All http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_allen_l__060831_14__characteristics_.htm With the four horseman of hubris (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and Bush) in full gallop, shouting their war cry of 'Islamic fascism' and systematically misquoting and demonizing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ~ it's time for America to review the 14 characteristics of fascism and, in the process, face our own growing neocon fascist state.


From The Pen

"Ring of Fire Radio Show"
Sun Sep 3, 2006 21:42

Robert Kennedy on Dick Cheney
AUDIO: http://www.apfn.net/pogo/A007I060903am07.MP3


Source: http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=104221;show_parent=1

By Graeme Wilson,
Political Correspondent
(Filed: 04/09/2006)

Councillors have been banned from discussing local park-and-ride schemes if they own a car under an ethical watchdog created by John Prescott. There is shock at the scale of the chaos John Prescott has created

The Deputy Prime Minister is accused today of undermining local democracy and stifling free speech by imposing "draconian" rules on thousands of councillors.

A damning report reveals how local authority members are being barred from speaking or voting on subjects simply because they are perceived to have taken a position on the issue.

Even councillors who have been elected specifically to fight a particular issue have fallen foul of the rules and found themselves told they cannot speak or vote on it.

The controversy centres on the Standards Board for England, which was launched by Mr Prescott in 2001. The Deputy Prime Minister claimed that the new body would help to ensure high ethical standards in local government.

The board handles complaints about councillors' behaviour and is supported by a network of ethical standards officers, who are each paid £61,000 a year. Each authority also has its own monitoring officers who advise councillors on their conduct.

In 2003-04 the board handled more than 3,500 allegations and launched 1,105 investigations. Sanctions were imposed on more than 200 councillors who were judged to have breached the code of conduct.

The report's authors - Owen Paterson, the shadow transport minister, and Gerald Howarth, the shadow defence minister - said they were shocked by the scale of the chaos the Deputy Prime Minister had created.

There is particular concern about the board's belief that councillors should not be allowed to debate a subject if they have already made up their minds on the issue — the crime of "predetermination."

Councillors on South Cambridgeshire district council, for instance, were warned that they should not "pronounce on a park-and-ride scheme if they drove a car", says the report, A Question of Standards.

The report adds that the councillors were also told "they might be disqualified from discussing the siting of a mobile phone mast if they themselves used a mobile phone".

In another example, John Pickersgill, a member of Derwentside council in Co Durham, organised a local referendum on plans to build more wind turbines in his ward. His survey found that four out of five local people opposed the proposals.

However, when he tried to raise his findings in a council meeting on the issue, he was judged to have a "prejudicial interest" and was excluded from the room.

Despite concerns about the system, Sir Anthony Holland, the board's chairman, has defended the rules on pre-determination. "It simply means that decisions shouldn't be made if people are not willing to consider the alternatives, ie they must not have closed minds," he said earlier this year.

However, the Local Government Association, in a recent report, urged ministers "to ensure that councillors are not legally restricted from speaking out for their communities" on issues such as planning.

gwilson@telegraph.co.uk

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/04/nprescott04.xml

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Although I think this must have given everyone a good laugh for a Monday morning when John Prescott and ethics are mentioned in the same sentence, I feel this is very relevant to what we have been discussing recently re OFCOM. They surely are as biased as you can be when it comes to determining ethics and mobile phone masts!

Cheers
Sylvia


From Mast Sanity/Mast Network

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2102-2334839,00.html


Informant: Lew Rockwell

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/avnery6.html



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Avnery

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/5072/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news