Poycer

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10/25/08--11:48: I did something different today (chan 1959969)

A favorite saying of my husband's goes something like, "The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing while expecting a different result." In the last two presidential elections, I supported Gore and Kerry by contributing money to their campaigns, trying to convince undecided friends, and, of course, casting my own vote. I felt good about being a loyal Democrat but was disappointed both times. This time around, with the stakes so much higher, I took my husband's advice to heart and volunteered to work the phone bank at the local Obama headquarters.




03/13/09--20:52: Proposed teacher strike ban in PA (chan 1959969)

Pennsylvania has had a long history of teacher strikes. I can remember my teachers going on strike when I was in elementary school in the early 70s. I was hazy on the details, so I started digging and found out from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers website that teachers in the Keystone state were granted the right to strike by Act 195, passed in 1970. Teacher strikes were widespread in the years immediately following the passage of Act 195, with about 30 strikes a year in PA's 500-odd school districts. Contrast that with recent years, in which only a handful of strikes have occurred.




03/28/09--19:22: Earth Hour at Casa de Poycer, with poll (chan 1959969)

I first heard of Earth Hour just this morning, in a Daily Kos diary, and I immediately decided that our family would participate. We live in a small town in a very conservative, rural area and I do my best to teach my daughter to live by the progressive principles that I believe in. At 7 years old she's already a budding environmentalist, I'm proud to say.




05/12/10--07:25: Specter-Sestak: Convince me! (chan 1959969)

There have been many stories and diaries lately about the Pennsylvania Senate primary between the long-serving Senator Arlen Specter and his challenger Joe Sestak. As a registered Democrat in PA, I will be casting my primary vote in less than a week and I'm still undecided.




10/02/10--08:07: Girl $cout$ (chan 1959969)

My diary today is a personal narrative about a dilemma I faced this week and how I resolved it.

My nine-year-old daughter Katie joined Brownies again this year. I was a Girl Scout for many years and have lots of good memories of scouting activities. As a Brownie, she gets to do lots of "try it" activities, participate in recreational outings, and spend time socializing with other girls her age.

BUT...I am seriously considering whether to allow her to stay in Girl Scouts. Last night we picked up her nut & magazine fundraiser packet. I know the troop needs money for their activities and the piddly $10 a year dues for each girl doesn't provide for much at all. I also realize that many families have a tough time paying even that $10. Some kind of fundraising is a necessity.




12/07/10--06:06: Letter to my Senators (chan 1959969)

There has been much frustration, anger, and disgust expressed on dKos since the President announced his Raw Deal last night. In order to analyze my personal feelings about the issue, I decided to do one of the things I do best, which is to write. In this case, I wrote letters to both of my senators, Casey and Specter. I'm sharing them here as inspiration for others. The cynic in me says writing to politicians won't make a difference but my idealistic side convinces me to try anyway. (I think that's why I'm a progressive, because the idealistic side always wins!)

Anyway, here's my letter. Use any or all of it, if you wish.




12/10/10--11:18: Friday Afternoon Call to Action: Whose Idea Was It? (chan 1959969)

I'm watching Senators Sanders and Landrieu speaking on the Senate floor. Bernie just asked "Whose idea was it to give tax cuts to millionaires who don't need them?" Then he asked for a million calls to the Senate asking who proposed this.




12/31/10--06:21: Pennsylvania's Looming Environmental Catastrophe (Happy Frackin' New Year!) (chan 1959969)

An environmental catastrophe is unfolding in Pennsylvania, and it's poised to sweep across the as-yet untouched parts of the state in 2011. Neighboring states are facing this problem too.

Marcellus shale drilling has caused a barrage of environmental problems. Residents in drilling areas are coping with explosive, undrinkable tap water.


Contamination of surface water.

A leaking waste water pipe from a Range Resources Marcellus shale gas well drilled in Washington County's Cross Creek Park has polluted an unnamed tributary of Cross Creek Lake, killing fish, salamanders, crayfish and aquatic insect life in approximately three-quarters of a mile of the stream.

And more...




01/03/11--20:00: PA Allows Disposal of Polluted Fracking Water in Natural Waterways (chan 1959969)

I have been following the development of Marcellus shale gas drilling and the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in my state for almost a year now and the news keeps getting worse and worse.

For a little more background, you can see the my New Year's Eve diary on the subject. For the purposes of today's diary, the main thing readers need to know is that fracking involves the injection of millions of gallons of water with additives such as benzene, toluene, and glycol ethers. The water is under very high pressure and causes fracturing of the rock, releasing natural gas trapped in the shale. Much of the fracking water remains in the ground but some of it returns to the surface, now containing even more contaminants than before. Lovely stuff like the toxic heavy metal barium and the radioactive element radium.




02/27/11--06:36: Frackity frack frack frack (chan 1959969)

I've been extremely busy these last several weeks but I was going to take time this morning to publish a diary about the NYT's investigative report about the radioactivity of water that returns to the surface after hydraulic fracking of shale gas wells, but bdemelle's fine diary already says it all.

Sadly, his diary seems to be going almost unnoticed. Please check it out and drop some recs! This is THE most urgent issue facing Pennsylvanians right now!!

There are many concerned groups and individuals doing their best to stop this industry from ravaging the Keystone State and leaving it a toxic wasteland. Like the protests in WI and so many other things going on across the country, shale gas drilling and fracking isn't getting enough MSM attention. That's slowly changing but the damage and destruction is happening even faster.



Oh, and if you happen to be in Clarion tomorrow evening and you get a chance, please introduce yourself!




03/04/11--17:45: Wisconsin or Bust! (chan 1959969)

This isn't a terribly substantive diary, just a way for me to pour out my thoughts and give my support to my husband. As I write this, he is navigating the Chicago-area traffic on his 600+ mile journey to Madison. I would have gone along but it would have required taking our 3rd-grade daughter out of school for the day. We already do that quite a bit when we travel. Besides, my job provides me many opportunities to satisfy my wanderlust. He doesn't get the chance as often.

Between Gov. "We thought of that" Walker in WI, and OH's SB 5, also known as the "Public Employees Don't Need to Eat EVERY Day" Act, I'm seeing a lot of my conservative friends start opening their eyes...maybe not all the way, but it's a start. On Facebook, any link or status update about SB 5 garners comments along the lines of "I've voted Republican all my life but never again." Even one such comment is cause for optimism, but I'm seeing lots of them.

I called my husband a little while ago and relayed the information I've seen on here -- he is sans computer and has only a basic cell phone. I told him about the different events planned for Madison tomorrowl Give 'em hell, Joe!!




03/05/11--18:33: This Week in Fracking (chan 1959969)

It's been an eventful week in the Land of the Fracked.

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection suspended a key provision of the air pollution controls for Marcellus shale drilling. That provision would have required the emissions from all the wells in an area to be regulated collectively instead of individually and would have meant stricter requirements. This change comes hard on the heels of Governor Corbett's lifting the ban on new drilling on state-owned land. That ban, ordered by former Governor Ed Rendell, had been in place for about 4 months.

The New York Times gave a huge boost to drilling opponents with the publication of a 3-part series on Marcellus shale drilling by reporter Ian Urbina. Among the revelations: the fracking waste water being "treated" at sewage treatment plants and then released into rivers just a short distance upstream from drinking water intakes. In the cases where test results could be located (documents also posted on the Times' website), the waste water contained very high levels of heavy metals and the radioactive element radium. One of these potentially contaminated drinking water supplies is in the town where I work. Senator Bob Casey and others have called for immediate water testing and water companies say they're going to comply.

In Arkansas where swarms of earthquakes have raised questions about their relationship to injection wells used for waste water disposal, the disposal of waste water in two of those injection wells has been halted, at least temporarily.

Is the tale of woe that is fracking starting to take a turn toward tighter regulation in light of greater public awareness? I earnestly hope so, but only time will tell.




04/25/11--19:45: A Progressive and Pro-labor Voice on the Radio (chan 1959969)

I'm a resident of the part of Pennsylvania famously described as "Alabama in the middle." I teach at a university and am fortunate to count many progressives and liberal thinkers among my coworkers. Off-campus, however, is another story. I've often longed for some kind of progressive media that was connected to my region and our local events. The actions of Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett, his plan to financially starve public K-12 and higher education, and his servile pandering to the shale gas industry have made it even harder lately to live in PA.

It was a red-letter day when, a few weeks ago, I discovered the Rick Smith Show on the radio. The show airs Monday-Friday 9pm-12am on WIOO 97.9 FM & 1000 AM (Carlisle/Harrisburg) and WEEO 93.9 & 1480AM (Chambersburg/Shippensburg). It is also streamed on the web, which is how I listen to it. He has a variety of guests every night: labor leaders, union reps, people from K-12 and higher education, journalists, and others. Rick's take on the situation faced by American workers and the goings-on in Harrisburg, Madison, Columbus, and Washington is unabashedly and unapologetically progressive. Occasional snippets of music -- sometimes whimsical and sometimes carrying a serious message -- add flavor to the show.

Whether or not you live in the Keystone state, I suggest you tune in (click in?)!

The Rick Smith Show Website