Does Uber Measure Up For Drivers?

Wed, Aug 17, 2016, 5:21 am  //  Dick Conoboy

A while back I wrote several articles about Uber, the gig economy's answer to replacing taxis while sucking money from the uninitiated.  You can read my previous pieces on the topic here and here.  I spoke to Uber's attempt to recruit military members with ads disguised as articles in military publications.  I also suggested to the city of Bellingham that they ought not look at Uber as part of transportation plans since Uber's practices with their drivers are exploitative.

Now, the Guardian newspaper is putting out a call to all Uber drivers to report their experience with the parent company.  Does Uber live up to its claims regarding drivers' earnings?  What is the real status of drivers, contractors or employees?  Excerpt: "Uber is facing a growing number of legal challenges to the treatment of its drivers around the world. Earlier this year in the US the company paid out $100 million to settle a class-action law suit. The case could have forced Uber to recognise its drivers as employees and entitled them to social security, unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation."

More later when the results of the Guardian inquiry are in....

How Rich or Poor Are You Relative to Others? A Global Calculator from the OECD

Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 8:40 am  //  David Camp

Via our friends at The Tyee in BC.  A fun and educational game for the whole family – input your individual family size and income data, and see where you fall in the income distribution in individual OECD countries, and how income is distributed in each country. In Slovenia, for example, an income of $3600 per month for a family of four is in the top 10%; in the US, the same income is in the bottom 40%.

All based on global economic statistics.

Really, Wyoming? Taxing the Wind?

Mon, Aug 15, 2016, 5:00 am  //  Deb Gaber

According to an article in The Los Angeles Times, the state of Wyoming has taken a renegade approach to renewable energy production.

“Not long after it became clear that the robust winds that blow down from the Rocky Mountains and across the sea of sagebrush here could produce plenty of profit in a world that wants more renewable energy, some of the more expansive minds in the Wyoming Legislature began entertaining a lofty question:

"Who owns all of that wind?

"They concluded, quickly and conveniently, that Wyoming did.

"Then, with great efficiency for a conservative state not traditionally tilted toward burdening the energy industry, they did something no other state has done, before or since: They taxed it.

"In the four years since Wyoming began taxing power generated by wind turbines, it has collected a little less than $15 million in revenue.

"No, that is not much money in a resource state rocked by the simultaneous decline in the prices of coal, oil and natural gas, a state trying to close a budget gap that could reach $500 million.

"But now, as one of the world’s largest wind farms is about to begin construction here on a project aimed at providing clean electricity to nearly a million homes in California and the Southwest — potentially transforming this fossil fuel state into a major player in renewables — some powerful state lawmakers are looking to raise those taxes.”

…"The current code requires wind farms to pay $1 per megawatt-hour produced. That has brought in about $4 million in annual revenue in the last few years. If the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project is built to its 3,000-megawatt capacity, revenue could triple even under the existing tax.”

It’s an interesting article by William Yardley. Be sure to read far enough to see who the new players in this renewable energy field are.

“Good Guy With A Gun” is a fantasy

Sat, Aug 13, 2016, 10:30 am  //  Dick Conoboy

Combat veterans speak.  The notion that a "good guy with a gun" is the antidote to a "bad guy with a gun" is pure nonsense and dangerous bravado. I have been saying what is in this article below for years even though my combat infantry training is 50 years behind me. I was a lousy marksman back then and, since I have not shot a gun in 47 years, I likely have not improved much. The reaction of many people under fire for the first time is to shit in their drawers. Perhaps that might be a more effective deterrent, the bad odor.  Excerpt: “I think there’s this fantasy world of gunplay in the movies, but it doesn’t really happen that way,” said retired Army Sgt. Rafael Noboa y Rivera. “When I heard gunfire [in Iraq], I didn’t immediately pick up my rifle and react. I first tried to ascertain where the shooting was coming from, where I was in relation to the gunfire and how far away it was. I think most untrained people are either going to freeze up, or just whip out their gun and start firing in that circumstance.”  You can read the entire article by Travis Gettys, entitled Combat veterans shoot down NRA ‘fantasy world’ of ‘good guys with guns’ here. 

Support Growing Veterans - Silent Auction at Asland Brewing

Tue, Aug 09, 2016, 4:20 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

Come join the Growing Veterans crew at Aslan Brewing Company for a silent auction, live music, and lawn games. Support our mission by enjoying a beer during the event, making a bid on one of our many auction items, or both! We look forward to spending time with you and answering questions about what we do. See you there!

When: Thu, August 11, 5pm – 9pm
Where: Aslan Brewing Company, 1330 N Forest St, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA

Auction Items Donated By:
- Yeager's Sporting Goods
- Gardens At Padden Creek
- Wings Motorcycle
- Whatcom Farmers Co-op
- Fairhaven Runners & Walkers
- Hardware Sales
- Hoagtech Hydroponics
- Work Outfitters
- Gretchens Kitchen

The Two Party System - Gack!

Sat, Jul 23, 2016, 8:31 pm  //  Tip Johnson

An astute political observer just brought this to my attention.

Clinton’s selection of unknown Kaine as running mate signals that Democrats are willing to throw the election to Republicans and Trump will likely be our next president - absent a resurgence of Sanders in a contested convention.  Why would they do that?

For one, the two parties like to switch it off every eight years.  It prevents either party from having to take responsibility for the results of their government.  One party can rail against the failures of the other in the run-up to elections, and each can alternately play whipping boy to the other. Their real job is raising campaign money and cramming down the middle class for their corporate overlords.  It takes a lot of poor to make one rich.

But what both parties fear most is insurgent domestic reform.  That’s why mainstream and especially old school Republicans dislike Trump.  It’s also why Democrats will throw the election.  There is nothing of greater value to party hack Democrats than punishing progressives, especially Bernie Sanders.  Sanders is clearly figured to become the scapegoat and will be loudly blamed for Hillary’s loss (though she will have earned it on her own).

The dynamic ensures that the agenda will continue to incrementally slide toward the industrial/military/socially conservative direction Reagan commenced and global corporatism favors.  That's what both sides offer when they laud incremental policy shifts.  Of course, it means war without end, the perfect corporate marketplace.  First planes and boats, then bombs and bullets, then waves of subsidized contractors protected by private security, puppet governments, more trade deals and profits.  What’s not to like?

That's why progressives of every stripe should hope, pray and work tirelessly for a progressive candidate miracle.  It’s the only way the agenda can be nudged toward prioritizing basic human needs and the environment.  Once started, it would be hard to roll back.  Ironically, it costs a lot less than the corporate brand, so those who favor lower taxes should be in support.

If anyone out there has not read Walter Karp’s “Indispensable Enemy” and “Politics of War”, you better get busy!  Interesting times.

Thanks, Bo!

Tip Johnson

Northwest Citizen Publisher goes punk

Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 5:13 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Well, steampunk that is.  Watch here to see Northwest Citizen publisher, John Servais, promote an upcoming Fairhaven Steampunk festival on big city television:

Tip Johnson

State Land Commissioner Political Forum tonight

Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 1:32 am  //  John Servais

Tonight - Monday, July 18, 6:30 pm - at the Bellingham City Council Chamber, will be a most informative forum of candidates for Washington Land Commissioner.  Current commissioner, Peter Goldmark, is not running for reelection.  He has been outstanding as a common sense administrator of our public lands and will have served 8 years when he retires in December.  

We have 7 candidates for this open office.  This is one of the important voting decisions we will make this year for our state government.  The top two vote getters will advance to the general election in November.  

The League of Women Voters is producing several forums this election season.  The first is tonight.  They have invited all 7 candidates and we can expect a majority to show up.  The League conducts very fair and well managed forums.  The city council chamber is a great venue for a political candidates forum.  

It will also be live streamed by BTV10 - and should be available via the COB website. 

The link for live streaming on the Internet is:

https://www.cob.org/services/education/btv/pages/live-stream.aspx

We keep permanent links to the League of Women Voters website in the right side Links column.  Of course they have this forum listed there and advance info on the other forums for later in the season on October 15, 18 and 22.  The LWV continues to be a valuable and very fair political organization for our community.