Category Archives: Daniel T. Smith

Screen Shot 2012-01-15 at 1.02.38 AM

A Short Preview of An Interview With Daniel and I In The Upcoming Documentary Film “The American Way” Reply

by • Daniel T. Smith, Downtown Alexandria, Local Political News, Media Studies, National News, Self-referential drivel, Smart Growth, Social Activism

A few weeks before we both moved from Alexandria, my friend Daniel T. Smith and I were interviewed for the upcoming documentary film, “The American Way.” Quoting from the movie’s official website:

The American Way, a documentary chronicling the journey of one man across the country in search of the genuine American voice, has begun shooting. Joshua Cook, who created the project, will serve as director and will be conducting the interviews. Dane Kroll will serve as cinematographer and Adam Macy will be producing the project through Temporary Productions, his production company based out of Los Angeles. In each city that they visit, the crew will interview average Americans on the state of the union, the state of political discourse and what they see and want for the future. Between destinations, the crew will both film the natural beauty of the American landscape and interview fellow travelers. The final produced film will juxtapose the words of Americans from a variety of backgrounds and iconic images of the nation with the narrative of Joshua’s quest to find the common ground and shared experience that defines America in the 21st Century.

Daniel and I spent a couple of hours with Joshua, giving him a tour of Alexandria, and then, we sat down with him for an interview at the Alexandria Riverfront Amphitheater. This is, literally, the last minute and a half of a forty-five minute interview, an interview that focused, primarily, on the ways in which the corporate consolidation of small to mid-sized media markets has affected the democratic process, the fair and accurate reporting of news, and the nature of civic engagement.

So, if we appear to be somewhat tongue-tied, blame it on the fact that we had been talking on camera nearly non-stop for 45 minutes.

Regardless, it was an honor to be able to participate, and I wish Joshua and the rest of his team the best of luck as they prepare for the festival circuit. Here’s the short preview:

And here’s a short clip of me ranting about the relationship between money and small, local elections:

What is the American Way? 2

by • Daniel T. Smith, Leftovers, Local Political News, Media Studies, Self-referential drivel

About three weeks ago, I received an e-mail from UCLA Professor Joshua Cook. He is currently embarking on a rather ambitious project: Traveling across the country and filming a documentary called The American Way. He explains on the movie’s website:

The American Way, a documentary chronicling the journey of one man across the country in search of the genuine American voice, has begun shooting. Joshua Cook, who created the project, will serve as director and will be conducting the interviews. Dane Kroll will serve as cinematographer and Adam Macy will be producing the project through Temporary Productions, his production company based out of Los Angeles. In each city that they visit, the crew will interview average Americans on the state of the union, the state of political discourse and what they see and want for the future. Between destinations, the crew will both film the natural beauty of the American landscape and interview fellow travelers. The final produced film will juxtapose the words of Americans from a variety of backgrounds and iconic images of the nation with the narrative of Joshua’s quest to find the common ground and shared experience that defines America in the 21st Century.

So, as it turned out, somehow, Joshua had read my website, and since he was traveling through Louisiana, he wanted to know if I’d be interested in interviewing with him. And since I’m obviously a big believer in shameless self-promotion and enjoy hearing myself talk about the “state of political discourse,” I readily agreed.

I’ve never been in a movie before– though I was sitting next to someone at the Democratic National Convention during an interview that aired the next morning on MSNBC and, when I was around sixteen, I walked by Richard Belzer in Times Square when the cameras were rolling during an episode of Law and Order. And oh, once, when checking into a hotel in Los Angeles, I walked right into a Ron Jeremy movie. I promise: It’s not what it sounds like.

Anyway, Joshua showed up in Alexandria only three days later, and after meeting my good friend Daniel T. Smith, he decided to interview both of us. Joshua is asking the same questions of everyone he meets. Questions like: What is the American Dream? Do you think you have a voice in corporate America? How does money influence politics? Seemingly simple questions that actually require serious contemplation.

Daniel and I took them to the Alexandria Riverfront Amphitheater for a couple of reasons: First, it offers a great panoramic view of the Red River (if you’re going to interview someone in Alexandria for a documentary, there’s no better place), and second, it is almost directly behind the now-shuttered warehouses of The Town Talk.

From the beginning, I told Joshua that I wasn’t really interested in talking about myself- honestly- and much more interested in telling the story of The Town Talk and the ways in which our community newspaper has been transformed and irreparably, fundamentally altered once it became the corporate asset of Gannett Company. The shuttered printing press warehouses are only a part of the story.

So, apologies in advance to the good men and women who work at the local paper, but trust me, it was nothing personal. If anything, both Daniel and I, in our own ways, were attempting to defend and champion the necessity of a vibrant local news media as a critical component of our democracy. I hope that comes across.

Finally, to Joshua and his crew: I did my own fact-checking. I said the paper was founded in 1896; it was actually 1883. I also implied Gannett purchased it directly from the local family that had owned it for over a century. It was actually Central Newspapers that first purchased the paper; then, Gannett bought Central Newspapers. (Just want to ensure the facts are right).

It was a real honor and privilege to participate in this project, and if it does, in fact, make it into Sundance, Joshua, I only ask for one thing in return: A seat at the premiere.

Correcting the Record 3

by • Daniel T. Smith

Despite what was reported in both the headline and the body of today’s “City Notebook” in The Town Talk, Daniel T. Smith is not and has never been a Mayoral Assistant.

That said, without a doubt, in my opinion, Daniel, a 26-year-old Rice graduate, is the single most accomplished grant writer in the City of Alexandria during the last two and a half years. I know, first-hand, that his work has resulted in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in increased investment in Alexandria.

I can only hope that the discussion about Daniel’s work on behalf of the City will be about the value he adds and that it is not some thinly-veiled, politically-motivated attempt at calling into question both the value and the integrity of a young man dedicated to serving his hometown.

Then again, only someone completely desperate and out of ammunition would ever attempt to do such a thing.

$300 Million For Icing? 3

by • Daniel T. Smith, National News, Social Activism

There are a number of reasons to be skeptical about John McCain’s proposal to offer a $300 million prize for the development of the next-next generation in efficient and environmentally friendly car batteries; OutTheOtherEar laid them down better and faster than I could. What came to mind after mentally comparing it to the gas-tax holiday gimmick was how little business sense it makes (to be fair, McCain doesn’t have a firm understanding of the economy). As great a payoff as $300 million would be, “the ingenuity and resolve of the American people” won’t be inspired to make the long-shot investment required to come up with that kind of silver lithium-ion bullet. And I don’t think a competition award counts as collateral for a bank loan.

That means that only large companies, such as Exxon-Mobil, have the resources and research momentum to compete for the award. Considering that whoever does come up with that monumental a breakthrough is looking at billions of dollars of profits and royalties anyway, McCain’s $300 million would be a thin layer of public icing on a giant consumer cake.

But at least icing is made from sugar and not pork, which is how McCain proposes to fund this game of battery bingo:

I could pay for it by canceling three pork-barrel projects that are unnecessary and unwanted.

I know that he means any three “pork” projects, but John McCain voted against a bill that would have solely funded an independent commission to investigate Katrina shortcomings because he said it “was loaded with pork-barrel projects.” Given what has been called “McCain’s Faulty Pork Radar,” it’s possible he means trading levees or coastal restoration to pay for what appears to be just another political gimmick.

Alternative Energy Presents Opportunities, Challenges for Louisiana’s Farmers 5

by • Daniel T. Smith, Social Activism

Last week, Lamar and I headed down to Marksville for this year’s annual meeting of the Louisiana Council of Farmers’ Cooperatives. The early weather was crisp as we watched the scenic transition from the charming old low-density urban core of Alexandria’s Lower 3rd Street to the gentle rural parkway that is Louisiana Highway 1 in Rapides and Avoyelles Parishes. Historic Downtown Marksville also offers a handful of classic community amenities, so before leaving town we ate at a local lunchroom bar, Rudy’s.

The meeting’s agenda was what really drew us down to the agricultural seminar: a group of five local experts were speaking on topics ranging from energy crops to carbon credits. Many young Americans have an especially strong and long-term interest in the future of this issue, and we have previously discussed the possibilities for Louisiana rural development presented by alternative energy and the new biofuels industry. We arrived to find a group of about thirty serious and attentive agricultural entrepeneurs (my fancy word for these forward-looking farmers).

Mark Zappi of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette opened with a general discussion of the future of biomass utilization. His argument, echoed throughout the day, was that the emerging bio-industry is not unlike that of petroleum: current oil refining focuses on making products like asphalt, plastics, and chemicals in addition to gasoline, so the viability of bio-industry depends upon developing ways to maximize the efficiency of not only making alternative fuels, but biotechnical products as well.

And then there are lignocellulosic bioproducts, which some researchers believe to be the future of the bio-industry. This could allow for the glue (lignin) and building blocks (cellulose) of stalks or woody biomass to be used as feedstocks, which would move the industry away from using foodstocks as energy feedstocks and limit regional food shortages (which resulted in last year’s Mexican tortilla price spike). Many experts believe we are one major or a few minor technological breakthroughs away from making the process economically viable. Others, though, such as Dr. Ed Richard below, are still convinced that biotechnology, and not cellulosic biofuels, could be key to the sustainability of bioenergy production.

Another concern for biofuel producers should be the emergence of biocrude, which can be processed in existing petroleum refineries and would enable Big Oil companies to aggressively enter the alternative fuel market.

Kelsey Short of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development next discussed a number of emerging projects in the State of Louisiana, including the location of a chicken fat biofuel plant in Geismar.

Following him was Dr. Theodore Kozman, also of ULL, who briefly introduced the group to the important energy efficiency work being done at the Louisiana Industrial Assessment Center, which offers industrial plants a free efficiency audit. Because energy prices are unlikely to go down much or at all, energy efficiency is one of the best ways a company can keep their energy costs similar to recent years.

Dr. Ed Richard (shown below) of the USDA Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma came on to describe his research in sugar cane, energy cane, sweet sorghum and others to maximize their potentials as feedstocks for biofuel production. One crop does not fit all, and it’s important to consider conversion processes and efficiency in this emerging industry.

farmer-coops-600-x-450.jpg

Lastly, Dr. Charles C. Reith of PACE Global (who formerly taught sustainable development at Tulane) came on with a fascinating talk on the future of Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Credits. The use of Renewable Energy Certificates is currently voluntary but vigorous in the United States. Dr. Reith pointed out that all three major Presidential candidates have said they would sign a law to initiate a national market for carbon trading, in which polluters would be required offset their emissions by purchasing credits from organizations whose activities reduce greenhouse gases. This model has been shown to work in American air quality markets, which reward innovation, competition, diversity, and dynamicism.

Savvy companies and organizations are already determining if their “carbon porfolio” is an asset or a liability, and what things they can do to reduce their carbon footprint, though Louisiana still lacks an infrastructure for carbon trading. There is still a great deal of uncertainty with respect to alternative energy solutions and biofuels, but as in any emerging industry (think Silicone Valley twenty years ago), intelligent risk-takers and early actors stand to gain a great deal.

It is important to remember that almost every place is predisposed to certain opportunities when it comes to renewable energy, and even though corn-based ethanol or soybean oil biodiesel will likely not save the world, local and rural economies can take advantage of the short- and medium-term economic benefits of these technologies, provided our State does not put all of its eggs, so to speak, in one basket.

“‘and you shall be upheld in more than this!’” 8

by • Daniel T. Smith, Downtown Alexandria, Smart Growth

It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes; that bed was warm, and the thermometer a long way below freezing; that he was clad but lightly in his slippers, dressing-gown, and nightcap; and that he had a cold upon him at that time. The grasp, though gentle as a woman’s hand, was not to be resisted. He rose: but finding that the Spirit made towards the window, clasped its robe in supplication.
“I am a mortal,” Scrooge remonstrated, “and liable to fall.”
“Bear but a touch of my hand there,” said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, “and you shall be upheld in more than this!”

alexandria-city-hall-christmas-1950-01.jpg

Alexandria City Hall, Christmas 1950¹

I wanted to draw attention to this picture because it is of a building I have never seen; where once stood the beautifully adorned City Hall of Alexandria’s Christmas Past now sits a squatty structure of steel strips and droopy concrete.

The cultural trends that led America to a place where it felt comfortable demolishing buildings like our old City Hall have strong roots in European history. After World War I, eccentric architectural purist Le Corbusier (Swiss-born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret), who considered decorative art and ornament on buildings as a throwback to the unjust class-bound Europe of the Nineteenth Century and unfit for a new “industrial man,” went as far as proposing in 1925 that the historic Marais district of Paris be bulldozed and replaced with a development of two dozen sixty-floor towers near large new highways. Parisians reacted to the plans with disgust.

When Hitler initiated a return to monolithic neo-classical construction in Germany–elaboratly employing swastikas instead of traditional ornamentation to complement the fascist reorganization of society–Modernist German architects who believed in Le Corbusier’s more socialist vision of development fled to the United States. Many were awarded high positions in American academic institutions. Americans were much more open to the Europeans’ ahistorical break from the past, as architecture in the U.S. was more about style than politics.² Entire downtown areas were razed in places like Worcester, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut, and what sprang up there (and continued to sprawl along much of America) looks strikingly similar to the designs of Le Corbusier:

planvoison.gif
Le Corbusier sketch for the Marsais district of Paris, c. 1920

Of course, Alexandria, Louisiana did not completely rebuild its downtown district, but the influence of the Modernist movement has been felt on American develoment from junior high schools to hospitals. Key structures from Alexandria’s past have been replaced slowly through the years, with the exception of the swath cut by Interstate 49, with a new and familiar type of American architecture. Perhaps the South felt this influence later than other areas of the nation, accelerated in the wake of the civil rights movement as communities strove to erect a “New South” unsullied by the traditions–and architecture–of the past.

I don’t mean to be pessimistic in pointing all of this out during the holiday. I am also not claiming that each building in our city should be judged merely on the criterion of its age. Christmas for many is a chance to reflect on a year at its end. With New Years Day a week away, it is an apt time to consider what should be carried on into the future and what may need to be discarded.

With some claiming and hoping that a watershed change in American culture is just around the corner, it is important to remember that history must be unflinchingly examined not only to celebrate our uniqueness but also to ruminate upon the shortcomings of the past. This is why we at Cenlamar strive to highlight interesting episodes from our past both shameful and triumphant, from the racially-motivated Lee Street Riot of 1942 to the racial integration of Brotherhood of Timber Workers union meetings in 1912. A broader appreciation of history allows sight beyond the confines of one’s own time-locked point of view, so that the cultural and emotional baggage from the past need not always erase the importance of its aesthetics and ideas for influencing the present. Only in this way can we be said to have learned from our mistakes; only with this spirit can we be able to imagine the brightest future for our communities.

¹ The above photo was taken from Alexandria Retrospective, which has a message board in addition to photo tours of historic properties in our city. I believe the photo originally came from the Louisiana History Museum. Of course, other historic photos of Alexandria can be found with the Historic Association of Central Louisiana or the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission.

² James Howard Kunstler, The Geography of Nowhere, 77.

Local Red Cross to Purchase Historic Cotton Brothers Building 2

by • Daniel T. Smith, Downtown Alexandria, Smart Growth, Today's News

The Central Louisiana Red Cross is planning to purchase and renovate the historic Cotton Brothers Bakery building as a new location for their regional headquarters and offices. The brick Art Deco structure, built in 1932 at the corner of Elliott Street and Bolton Avenue, was recently named to be among the year’s top ten most endangered state historic properties by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation.

Renovation of the structure is expected to begin around February and be finished by the end of 2008. Altogether, the property could see upwards of a million dollars of direct investment. As a crucial piece of the Bolton Avenue corridor, our hope is that it can help spur a renewed interest in Alexandria’s historic commercial districts.

alex-2-026-600-x-460.jpg

We want to wish an early Happy Thanksgiving to our regional chapter of the American Red Cross and to the Executive Director of the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission, Melinda Anderson, who has worked for many months to protect the legacy of this unique local landmark.

The announcement of this purchase agreement was (apparently) made yesterday night at a Red Cross charity drive held at the new Weiss and Goldring.

LiveBlogging the Election Returns 6

by • Daniel T. Smith, Local Political News, Media Studies, National News, Social Activism

Stay tuned as we liveblog the election returns. Please feel free to add your own comments as the results roll in. We hope to update every fifteen minutes or so.

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State, voting for statewide races is as follows (3942/3967 precincts, 11:32 PM):

Governor: Boasso (%), Campbell (13%), Georges (14%), Jindal (54%)

Lt. Governor: Beard (11%), Landrieu (56%), Kershaw (30%)

Secretary of State: Wooley (31%), Dardenne (63%)

Attorney General: Foti (32%), Caldwell (36%), Alexander (32%)*

Commissioner of Agriculture: Odom (42%), Strain (40%), Carter (13%)

Commissioner of Insurance: Donelon (51%), Crowley (36%)

CenLa races (10:40 PM; all precincts in):

Senate District 28 (149/149 Precincts): Belt (20%), LaFleur (49%), Newton (31%)

Senate District 29 (90/90 Precincts): Guillory (31%), McPherson (69%)

House District 25 (40/40 Precincts): Maxwell (41%), Beard (24%), Roy (35%)

House District 26 (32/32 Precincts): Dixon (50%), Kirk (10%), Sanders (28%), Wardsworth (11%)

House District 27 (36/36 Precincts): Farrar (38%), Hazel (62%)

Rapides Sheriff (103/103): Robinson (16%), Slocum (48%), Tanner (3%), Wagner (33%)

Remember, these are early voting and absentee numbers, which represent a snapshot of the race from two weeks ago. Our feeling is that these numbers may be skewed Republican, due to Jindal’s push to turn out early voters in order to account for the LSU game and the beginning of hunting season. Demographically, older suburban voters tend to vote earlier.

Update (8:49): With real precincts now coming in, we’re seeing the numbers for Jindal and other Republicans begin to fall. Keep an eye on the Attorney General’s race, which is at a three-way statistical dead heat at the moment.

Update (9:11): Dardenne’s website is terrible. We’re being redirected to different parishes when we try to refresh for multi-parish races. We know the series of tubes is overloaded at the moment, but this should underscore the reason that our current broadband infrastructure is incapable of meeting digital demands for the next decade.

Update (10:07): It appears that all 32 precincts for the 26th House District is in, and Herbert Dixon has won it outright with 50% of the vote. Congratulations, Herb. Chris Roy, Jr. and Lance Maxwell will be in a runoff for the 25th House District.

Update (10:18): With all precincts in, it appears Senate District 28 candidate Eric LaFleur didn’t quite get the numbers to avoid a runoff with Donald Newton. He looks in great shape, however. With only two precincts out, we can safely say that Joe McPherson will hang onto his Senate seat in District 29.

Update (10:24): There will indeed be a runoff for Rapides Parish Sheriff between Chuck Wagner and Slocum, and KALB is reporting that Chuck Hazel has won it outright for House District 27.

Update (10:50): The Attorney General’s race continues to be interesting. Alexander and Foti have been trading off to be the contender in a run-off against Caldwell. Moreover, The Times-Picayune is calling the races for Bobby Jindal and Mitch Landrieu.

Update (11:07): We are going to leave the outcome of the football game and the Attorney General race to the gods as we go downtown in Alexandria to celebrate the victories of Mitch Landrieu and Herbert Dixon. We are also thrilled that Eric LaFleur, Chris Roy, Jr. and Chuck Wagner secured a place in their respective run-offs.  It also looks that Royal Alexander squeaked by Charles Foti to challenge Buddy Caldwell in the run-off for Attorney General.

We wish our best to Louisiana’s new governor, Bobby Jindal, and we earnestly hope that throughout the next four years, Mr. Jindal will reach out to people from all walks of life to build a better Louisiana. Hopefully, during the next four years, The Times-Picayune will learn how to spell Mr. Jindal’s name.

bobbie.jpg

(More later…)

Update (11:32): Holy Smokes! Matt Flynn completes the last-second pass to win against Auburn 24-30!

Ieyoub Revelation Exposes Jindal Health Care Hypocrisy 1

by • Daniel T. Smith, Local Political News, Media Studies, Today's News

Richard Ieyoub has revealed that during his tenure as State Attorney General, then-Governor Mike Foster and then-Director of Health and Hospitals Bobby Jindal worked to block Louisiana from receiving its share of a large settlement from the tobacco industry. Acting in his capacity as legal representative of the State of Louisiana, Ieyoub sought damages in a multi-state federal lawsuit to compensate the State for health care expenses to treat illnesses caused by tobacco products: thank-you-for-smoking.jpg

In 1996, Jindal was the Republican Foster administration’s secretary of the state Department of Health and Hospitals when Ieyoub, a Democrat, filed suit against tobacco companies to recoup the state’s medical costs in treating smoking-related illnesses.

Tobacco interests used affidavits sworn out by Foster and Jindal to attempt to squash Ieyoub’s lawsuit.

The tobacco interests argued in court filings that the Foster and Jindal affidavits showed Ieyoub did not have the authority to sue on behalf of the state and DHH.

The affidavits amounted to an abbreviated list of facts, including that Foster and Jindal were not consulted on the decision to sue the tobacco companies. In January 1997, state District Judge Wilford D. Carter of Lake Charles’ 14th Judicial District ruled Ieyoub did have the authority to file suit.

Ieyoub is not the first to highlight Jindal’s questionable actions; three weeks ago, candidate Foster Campbell brought it up at the Baton Rouge Press Club Forum:

Campbell said Jindal “talks about ethics (in his ads) but he doesn’t come to debates.” He said that when Jindal was head of the state Department of Health and Hospitals he opposed the move to sue the tobacco companies, even though he knew tobacco-related illnesses were costing the state millions of dollars each year in Charity Hospital treatments.

Jindal’s statements contrast heavily with those of retired politician Mike Foster, who did considerably less to spin away his opposition to the lawsuit:

Foster said Monday in a telephone interview that he was opposed to suing the tobacco companies despite the settlement that the state received.

“I’m not a big suing fan,” he said, adding that he also opposes smoking.

Foster said he does not remember the affidavit filed in the case.

Jindal said he signed the affidavit because attorneys from both sides said that would end his involvement with the case.

He said his opinion on whether the suit should have been filed is irrelevant.

As a long-time political figure often lauded for his intellect, it is hard to believe Jindal didn’t know full well which side of the controversy his signature was supporting. One would think that a politician who claims to support preventative medicine in order to improve state health-care outcomes would jump at the opportunity to recoup state money lost in treating preventable illnesses caused by smoking or chewing tobacco products.

Assuming he did realize the consequences of his actions, it is unclear whether he felt that scoring political points against Democrat Richard Ieyoub was more important than supporting the Attorney General in ensuring that the State of Louisiana received its fair cut of the settlement. What is clear, however, is Jindal’s willingness to accept thousands of dollars for the tobacco industry in his bids to be a Congressman from Louisiana. These are the contributions that the Political Action Committees of Big Tobacco has given medical champion Bobby Jindal (via opensecrets.org):

Altria Group Inc PAC (Philip Morris)

3/24/2005

$1,000

Lorillard Tobacco Company PAC

5/10/2005

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

6/14/2006

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

7/22/2005

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

5/13/2005

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

2/28/2005

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

10/21/2004

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

10/15/2004

$1,000

R J Reynolds PAC

9/24/2004

$1,000

US Smokeless Tobacco PAC

3/24/2006

$1,000

US Smokeless Tobacco PAC

5/26/2006

$1,000

Congressman Jindal’s efforts to wiggle out of his obstructive subservience to the tobacco industry is yet another example of the point that perceptive writers have been making for months: the rhetoric of Bobby Jindal the politician is diametrically opposed to the reality of Bobby Jindal the fundraiser.

Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and IPCC 2

by • Daniel T. Smith

This morning, the Nobel Peace Prize for the year was awarded in joint fashion to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The opinion offered with the award acknowledges the importance of responsible environmental stewardship the world over. Many times the world over. The decision by the Nobel Committee inspires and can embolden all Americans, from traditional conservationists to free-spirited counter-culturalists and those of us that first heard of the IPCC in high school debate in the Nineties.

Al Gore published the book Earth in the Balance in 1992, which became the basis for An Inconvenient Truth. He became passionate about the issue of global climate change in the Sixties when he studied at Harvard under geochemist Roger Revelle.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the following in a press release:

Indications of changes in the earth’s future climate must be treated with the utmost seriousness, and with the precautionary principle uppermost in our minds. Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth’s resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world’s most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states.

Through the scientific reports it has issued over the past two decades, the IPCC has created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming. Thousands of scientists and officials from over one hundred countries have collaborated to achieve greater certainty as to the scale of the warming. Whereas in the 1980s global warming seemed to be merely an interesting hypothesis, the 1990s produced firmer evidence in its support. In the last few years, the connections have become even clearer and the consequences still more apparent.

[snip]
By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC and Al Gore, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is seeking to contribute to a sharper focus on the processes and decisions that appear to be necessary to protect the world’s future climate, and thereby to reduce the threat to the security of mankind. Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control.

Oslo, 12 October 2007

UPDATE: Thanks to Ryan from DailyKingfish for pointing out that Al Gore has been presenting slideshows on global warming since well before the publication of Earth in the Balance.

Three of Louisiana’s Top Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties Located in Alexandria 7

by • Daniel T. Smith, Local Political News, Today's News

Each year, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes the state’s ten most endangered historic properties in order to draw attention to the importance of historical preservation for our rich and varied history. The vanishing Louisiana coastline is perenially named in addition to the ten properties, given its critical importance to both our history and future. Last Sunday, the Louisiana Trust honored the City of Alexandria by identifying three local properties as being among the state’s most endangered this year.

The three local properties are the old Cotton Brothers Bakery Building, Mount Shiloh Baptist Church, and the Thompson-Hargis Mansion. The three are described in detail in a new brochure by the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission.

  • The Cotton Brothers Bakery Building

alex-2-026-600-x-460.jpg

floatingbus.jpg

This building, with its bold lines, asymmetrical composition and horizontal emphasis, is an excellent example of the Art Deco style popular in the late 1920s and 1930s. There are very few remaining examples of this style in Alexandria. The Cotton Brothers built the structure in 1932 to house their bakery. Upon relocation of the bakery in 1957, the building was expanded and made the headquarters of the Continental Southern Bus Lines, forerunner of Continental Trailways.

In February 2007, a local demolition contractor purchased the building and after failing to sell the property began demolition. Quick action by the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission succeeded in delaying the demolition while efforts are made to locate a purchaser and develop a restoration plan. That process is ongoing and the outcome is not yet certain. The fate of this magnificent structure hangs in the balance.

  • Mount Shiloh Baptist Church

img_9310-400-x-600.jpg

The Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church was organized in June 1882. The site of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria has been a meeting place for the congregation ever since. The present brick building was built in 1904 in the Renaissance Revival style. The congregation has relocated to another building and the church is listed with a local realtor. However, the congregation fully supports preservation of the church and would like to see an adaptive re-use of the building. Through grants and community support, the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission hopes to find an investor willing to preserve the cultural and architectural integrity of this important building.

  • The Thompson-Hargis Mansion

dscf1590-600-x-450.jpg

Built in 1907, the grand Thompson-Hargis Mansion in Alexandria is a fine example of Greek Revival residential architecture, a style that remained popular and fashionable well into the 20th Century. It is regarded as one of the finest homes in Alexandria, one of four within a two-block area known as “Mansion Row.”

The home was occupied by descendants of the original owners. Mr. And Mrs. B.F. Thompson, Sr., until 1993 and is still owned by the family. Unoccupied for almost 15 years, the home is threatened by severe neglect. Surrounded by deteriorating bungalows built in the early 1900s, preservation of the Thompson-Hargis Mansion would be the catalyst to revitalization of the entire Florence Avenue area.

The other properties recognized this year are Baton Rouge Magnet High School, the Bridges-McKellar House (Shreveport), Badin-Roque (Natchez), Dark Store (Natchitoches), Beauregard Parish Jail (DeRidder), Shushan Airport Terminal Complex (New Orleans), and the Vida Shaw Swing Bridge (New Iberia Parish).

The Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission presented a great slideshow in today’s City Council Economic Development Committee meeting. Their website has a number of archived photographs, such as the two below.

Not to leave anyone out, the three photos below, among many others, can be found at the Louisiana History Museum’s Picture of the Week online archive.

Alexandria Electric Railway Co. (prior to 1915).

The Bauer and Weil General Merchandise Store (circa 1880-90).

This picture was on many of Alexandria postcards up until the 1920′s (circa 1900).

The Bourgeois Blues Reply

by • Daniel T. Smith, Downtown Alexandria, Smart Growth, Social Activism

At CenLamar, we often champion a renewed focus on Alexandria’s Downtown and inner-core neighborhoods. We believe that the national trend towards the suburbanization of the city’s outlying areas represents an unhealthy and unsustainable scenario for Alexandria. As the city’s footprint expands, citizens run the double risk of stretched public services and a greater number of people living outside of city limits, taking advantage of Alexandria’s infrastructure but avoiding the city’s taxes. By looking inwards, Alexandrians can not only invigorate the city’s existing tax base, but promote the walk-ability and attractiveness of areas like the Historic Garden District and Downtown, which originally relied on other transit means before the car became king.

Government officials of the City of Alexandria have in recent years voiced their commitment to invigorating in the inner core of our city. Our leaders have already begun to explore plentiful opportunities for joint public-private investment and grants for historical preservation, transit projects, and community development covering the area from Lower 3rd and Bayou Rapides to MacArthur Drive. Given the significant investment in our city’s western suburbs, represented most visibly by Operation Fast Track to connect Versailles Boulevard to Highway 28-W, it is consensus that much should and can be done to balance development on both the inner and outer areas of Alexandria.

There exists another reason beyond fiscal responsibility and historic preservation for Alexandria to become involved in inner-core revitalization: social justice. The term justice suggests that a wrong has occurred, and though the civil rights victories of the previous generation gave everyone an equal legal opportunity to pursue the American Dream, the structural and systemic legacy of history remains. Placing blame is counterproductive. Fortunately, the City of Alexandria is currently led by a racially-balanced government and administration that know to celebrate the richest aspects of our past without forgetting its most egregious misdeeds, to focus on the present, and to use the lessons of history to prepare for a prosperous future.

Many of the most economically depressed neighborhoods in our city exist within or near our inner-core. The current poverty of these areas is related directly to the history of the way in which our city developed. Lower 3rd is, as the name suggests, located downriver of Downtown. Lower 3rd and the Sonia Quarters flank old spurs of the railroad. Old heavy industries such as the Ruston Foundry and a steel mill were built adjacent to the neighborhoods, which existed to house these industry’s workers and their families. These areas have been facing population declines since the expansion of middle-class neighborhoods across MacArthur Drive began four decades ago, when Charles Park was first planned.  Moreover, the construction of the Alexandria Mall and Jackson Street Extension diluted the economic significance of the corridors between downtown and the Garden District.

As previously discussed on CenLamar, the construction of I-49 served an increasingly suburbanized city but isolated many inner-core neighborhoods physically from Downtown Alexandria. Numerous streets were dead-ended, facilitating economic stagnation in the area. Examine the proximity of the Sonia Quarters (below) to downtown (just north) and the Ruston Foundry (due east), and the way it is completely blocked on its east side by the interstate.

Alexandria currently has the vision to make significant progress with these areas of our town. It will require examining our current traffic strategy and ways to recenter investment not only in Downtown Alexandria but along the traditional commercial corridors of Bolton Avenue and Lee Street. It will also take something I learned while working with Tibetan nonprofits in Western China: stakeholders themselves must be involved as participants and managing leaders in order to make projects successful and sustainable, because no one understands and is committed to an area more than the people who live and grew up there.

And when people don’t fit into their native home, they sometimes get the Bourgeois Blues.

Alexandria in Danger of Mischaracterization by Mainstream Media 3

by • Daniel T. Smith, Downtown Alexandria, Local Political News, Media Studies, Social Activism, Today's News • Tags:

by Daniel T. Smith

The miscarriage of prosecutorial justice and subsequent peace protest in Jena, Louisiana has now officially been crowned a major national news story. The prosecution of the Jena Six is only beginning, relatively speaking, and that it is now being featured by CNN in primetime specials this weekend speaks to its staying power. Americans interested in social justice are paying close attention to ensure that LaSalle Parish and the State of Louisiana will not over-prosecute—or convict on insufficient evidence—any of the individuals accused with injuring fellow student Justin Barker.

Friday evening on Anderson Cooper 360, guest hosted by Soledad O’Brien, Alexandria was introduced for the first time as being centrally connected to the ongoing story in Jena, Louisiana.

There is a reason that Alexandria was chosen as the place from which to stage the demonstration. There is a reason that the elected representatives of our city met with national civil rights leaders and accommodated them with logistical and moral support. There is a reason our businesses and workers and communities opened our doors to the droves of state and national visitors to Rapides Parish. Alexandria hosted tens of thousands of activists without incident. The rally this week was a testament to the inclusive and forward-thinking spirit of the City of Alexandria.

In spite of all this, Alexandria did not enter the national media spotlight in a positive light. After briefly passing over the day’s most significant update to the story—that Mychal Bell was yet again denied bail—Soledad brought up an isolated incident perpetrated by two out of town teenagers in downtown Alexandria in the same breath as neo-Nazi web postings that called for violence against the incarcerated African-American teens in Jena. When introducing the Alexandria segment, she did nothing to contextualize what was made into a sensational aspect of the story:

Nooses, dangling from the back of a pick-up truck, unmistakable symbols of hatred and racism in the Old South. Two men arrested in Alexandria, Louisiana, after repeatedly driving past groups of demonstrators who were in nearby Jena earlier in the day in support of the so-called Jena Six.

Soledad O’Brien completely failed to mention that the eighteen and sixteen year old involved in the incident are from Colfax and Dry Prong, respectively. Both towns are in Grant Parish and are a significant distance from Alexandria, considering the size of our city. And yes, Alexandria is indeed a city with a racially-balanced elected government, not a small backwards “town” from the “Old South” as it existed on Soledad’s script.

She then proceeded to interview Richard Cohen, the CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, for a general legal interpretation of hate crimes. Hate crimes and inflammatory bigotry was the day’s juiciest possible angle for the Jena Six. Cohen explained himself well, but he is a go-to guest on CNN for judicial issues and the South. He and Soledad came off as so completely unfamiliar with Central Louisiana and the background of the Jena Six that they seemed to have not been following the case for very long.

CNN also went with the citizen reporting of an auspiciously-named Alexandria native. Thursday night, Casanova Love took personal video from the Main Street A-Trans station near which Jeremiah Munson and his underage accomplice circled with yellow extension cords tied into nooses hanging from the back of their truck. Love’s impressive recording from a centerpiece of our riverfront has been successfully mediated into a sixty-nine second CNN video clip viewable after a thirty-second advertisement.

CNN’s David Mattingly also interviewed Alexandria Police Chief Daren Coutee, but only for an opinion on whether or not what the boys did on Thursday night constitutes a hate crime. They were not interested in airing any comment or making any mention of the nearly Herculean job Alexandria law enforcement performed in order to support the week’s visitors.

Alexandrians watching 360 tonight may have found themselves in the all too common position of being mischaracterized by an unfamiliar American national media. The local media earlier in the day had covered the story in a far more responsible way. This is a situation in which many of the residents of Jena now find themselves, their whole town now implicitly linked to a series of racially toned incidents in their community. Former and current residents of New Orleans have understood this for years, and many are well familiar with Anderson Cooper due to his personal diligence in distilling the complicated events that surrounded Hurricane Katrina.

To their credit, CNN did a better job on their website in a story on the incident titled “Two Arrested in Noose Incident Near Jena, Louisiana.” The online angle at least includes mention of the fact that the racial agitators arrested in Alexandria were not native to Alexandria:

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said those involved were “from around Jena” and not from the same parish as his city. <See where the incident occured>

Roy said he is looking into whether the incident was a hate crime.

A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by I-Reporter Casanova Love, 26, who said he is in the U.S. military. He’s visiting his family in Louisiana and said he witnessed the event.

After the arrests, Roy came out to address the crowd and apologized, saying he does not condone racism, Love said.

Love added, “If the police had not stepped in, I fear what might have happened.”

Love explained why he sent the photo to CNN: “People need to see this. It’s 2007, and we still have fools acting like it’s 1960.”

Roy said the matter is “not indicative” of Alexandria and that local authorities will look into it “completely, thoroughly and transparently.”

In spite of immediately following Mayor Roy’s clarification that the accused teens were not even from Rapides Parish, the picture following the link <See where the incident occurred> shows a Louisiana map with only three cities labeled: Baton Rouge, Jena, and Alexandria. The map doesn’t even have Alexandria properly placed, showing it far south of the banks of the Red River.

By failing to report their actual places of residence (which we know thanks to KALB, a local news affiliate), both cable and online CNN news leave national readers to connect the recently arrested teenagers with one location: Alexandria, Louisiana.

To be clear, those of us who has been following the Jena Six story for months are very happy that CNN has led big box media in bringing this story to the national fore. On the other hand, we know that Anderson Cooper’s people and other national media staff have been in Jena and Alexandria gathering information for weeks to prepare for this story. CNN waited to use this week’s demonstration to actually lead with Jena Six on primetime cable.

Knowing all of this, it’s all the more insulting that on the eve of a weekend of specials on the Jena Six, CNN would allow Soledad O’Brian to completely mishandle the issue on Anderson Cooper’s show. CNN and Soledad O’Brian could have emphasized the role of Alexandria’s businesses and government officials in ensuring that the march organized in part by Friends of Justice could be a peaceful and historic landmark for our region and culture.

Ultimately, CNN is right to have reported heavily on the incident in Alexandria, but a responsible media must not let two potentially violent individuals overshadow the success of thirty-thousand peaceful protesters. Indeed, spoiling such an incredible gathering of political activism was their very motive.

Alexandrians are not ignorant of the embedded racial and social injustices in our country and area, and the current leaders of our city are not ignoring their duty to do everything possible to foster an inclusive, prosperous and united community. Alexandria celebrates diversity, and is re-envisioning itself as a leader in progressive social policy and community-based planning. We are only asking that the national media not undue all of our efforts in their rush to cut a big story before the deadline.

UPDATE: CNN has rectified their error in the above map, which I had linked to in order to better get their attention. The initial incorrect map is below:

CenLa’s Essential Role in Hurricane Readiness and Recovery 2

by • Daniel T. Smith, Smart Growth

When I moved to Mid-City at the start of 2006, and now when I return to visit my brother, I’m sometimes asked with reserved uncertainty where I grew up or which high school I attended. New Orleanians can tell if you’re from out of town. But because my father’s family is from NOLA and I took my fair share of family-oriented trips down there as a kid (and not-so-family-oriented trips as an adolescent), I don’t totally stand out as being non-native.

Telling them that I grew up in Alexandria seems to explain everything. “Oh, you’re from Northern Louisiana. That makes sense.” As casually as possible, I remind them that not everything above I-10 is in the northern part of the state.

“Alexandria’s in Central Louisiana, not even ninety miles north of Lafayette.” It’s true; citizens in Rapides and other Central Louisianan parishes are proud to be from a distinct area of the state, and will readily defend CenLa as a unique place to live. That isn’t to say that we haven’t been ready to work with both Northern and Southern Louisiana on a range of social and political issues. Moreover, I firmly believe that Central and Northern Louisiana, as largely unprepared as we were, did all that was possible to assist our fellow Louisianans when natural disasters and the failure of federal levees scattered the residents of Southern Louisiana from their homes and communities.

A photo of England Airpark, from MSNBC in 2005:

katrina_docs1_hmedhmedium.jpg

Darlene Humphrey, foreground center, a nurse with the Alexandria Veterans Affairs Medical Center, tends to one of the patients evacuated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina from a hospital in New Orleans by the Missouri Air National Guard to Alexandria, La., on Sept. 1.

If Hurricanes Katrina and Rita showed us anything, they showed that our geography in the heart of Louisiana—though just outside of Southern Louisiana—pinpoints the essential role that only we can provide to the rest of the state.

metero_hurricanes_clip_image048.jpg

This map charts the paths hurricanes have taken in Louisiana between 1831 and 1975. It is from the Meteorology and Hurricanes section of America’s Wetland Resources, a valuable website with lots of useful information on coastal ecology. Though Alexandria is not completely spared from the damage that is wrought from the heavy thunderstorms a hurricane brings, it is the southernmost city in Louisiana that is outside the hurricane risk zone.

In the opinions of the editors of this blog, Alexandria is currently experiencing growing pains as it determines its place in 21st Century Louisiana. Two years after the catastrophic storms that have become a defining moment for this great state, Louisiana is still reeling from the impacts of those storms. We were reeling then from what was already not a perfect place to live. We have not yet recovered economically or environmentally; we have not recovered in terms of health, education, politics, or social justice. We have not yet recovered from the realization that the destiny of Louisiana is and always has been in our hands alone.

When I went back to Terranova’s in Mid-City last month after being away for a year, my grocer still remembered me. She let me owe her on being a couple of dollars short. “Don’t worry about it, baby. One hand washes the other,” she said in the inimitable Orleans Parish accent that even my father hasn’t completely lost.

One hand washes the other. Now is the time for Alexandria—all of CenLa really—to recognize that it owes it to Southern Louisiana to remake itself as an organizational and technological leader for state emergency preparedness. We must all strive tirelessly, hand in hand, for the future of the entire State of Louisiana.

Why We Need A Neutral Internet 3

by • Daniel T. Smith, National News, Social Activism

When Neil Young agreed to play with the Crosby, Stills and Nash super-group at Woodstock, he made clear that he did not want to be in the Woodstock movie that was being filmed. Young felt that the performing musicians could be distracted by the cameras, the implicit commercialization of which would pollute or inhibit their free artistic expression, man. These days, it is unlikely to have super-rockers—even those as socially conscious as Pearl Jam or Rage Against the Machine—ever play a show without being on film.

Though Neil Young worried that artists would sell-out or censor themselves, it has become apparent that current performing artists run the risk of being politically censored by the filmmakers themselves. Or the companies delivering that video, that is.

At a Lollapalooza show in Chicago earlier this month, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder exercised his creative political license in a performance of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” He inserted the lyrics, “George Bush! Leave this world alone!” and “George Bush! Find yourself another home!” On AT&T’s live music streaming website, Blue Room, fans discovered that those lines had been edited out.

Marc Gunther, an internet watchdog of large coorporations, characterized the back-pedaling of AT&T:

AT&T first tried to duck responsibility. They attributed the editing to a “subcontractor” and said “this was not a censorship issue—it was a mistake that is completely against our policy.”

The company also said that the content monitor who removed the anti-Bush comments was there only to deal with profanity—until a group called the Future of Music Coalition pointed out that at least 20 incidents of profanity were not edited from the webcast.

Later, AT&T told Variety that “It’s not our intent to edit political comments in webcasts…unfortunately it has happened in the past in the handful of cases.” Gee, if it’s not their intent, why has it happened? Can’t they run their our website?

Well, the blogosphere has gone nuts over this. Some people checked out the campaign contributions of AT&T’s chairman Randall Stephenson and found he was a big supporter of President Bush….

Marguerite Reardon at News.com went deeper into the past ”handful of cases” that I’ve emphasized.

But then Wired.com reported Friday that it had received an e-mail stating that Webcasts from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June had also been edited. Specifically, comments made during the John Butler Trio show when a band member remarked on the government’s lack of response during Hurricane Katrina were deleted, as were comments from the group Flaming Lips about George Bush screwing up.

MTV.com also reported Monday that Pearl Jam’s publicist was notified that a fan watching the Bonnaroo concert also claims that comments made by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine had also been edited.

AT&T originally said that it only edits Blue Room Webcasts for profanity since the site is available to all age groups. But a group calling itself the Future of Music Coalition, counted 20 instances of curse words being used during the Pearl Jam Webcast that were not censored by the content monitor.

“It’s clear AT&T has not made a mistake. They or the companies they’ve hired to monitor Webcasts have engaged in a clear and consistent pattern of silencing free speech,” Jenny Toomey, executive director of the Future of Music Coalition, said in a statement.

The Future of Music Coalition is a not-for-profit collaboration between members of the music, technology, public policy and intellectual property law communities. And the group took AT&T’s latest admission of censoring other bands as an opportunity to point out the need for new Net Neutrality laws to prevent AT&T and other phone companies from having too much control over content.

“This censorship speaks to the heart of plans by AT&T and other big telecoms to set themselves up as gatekeepers of Internet content,” Toomey continued. “If AT&T can’t be trusted to Webcast the political stage banter of a few rock bands, why would we turn the keys to the Internet over to them? Their promises to not block Internet content now ring hollow.”

I have to agree with the Future of Music Coalition. But to be honest, I am utterly shocked to discover that AT&T would be so stupid. It’s one thing to ratchet back bandwidth to degrade service of a competitor. That could be tough to prove. But when you blatantly bleep political speech, people notice and they’re going to get angry.

To be fair, Net Neutrality is not as straightforward as worries that large companies will turn internet content into the broadband equivalent of hearing Tony Soprano say “mother fudger” in basic cable syndication. One of Reardon’s readers, J.G., points out the two different aspects of Net Neutrality, using what he sees as her muddling of the issue as cause to support the actions of AT&T.

I am often startled by the lack of analytical ability revealed by the ‘writers’ on the Internet. This is an example. AT&T censoring political speech and the claims of ‘the content wants to be free’ activists are not remotely the same thing. So-called net neutrality is about control of the physical means of delivery of content via the Internet. Because it is basically an economic issue, it will be decided by those with a financial stake. Censorship by private entities is not a component of ‘net neutrality.’ The recourse for that problem would be a determination of whether broadband providers are acting in a quasi-governmental role and therefore subject to the strictures of the First Amendment. It boggles the mind that there are people who can’t grasp the difference.

The difference pointed out by J.G. is technically correct, but both types of threats to a non-neutral Internet have been demonstrated by the actions of large telecommunications companies. Indeed, “those with a financial stake” and “private entities” in this case are the same telecom, which has a history of contributing to political campaigns. This may be the first time that content meddling by an Internet provider is demonstrably political, however.

Here are a couple of other examples that concern those advocating for a free Internet.

  • As their workers striked in 2005, Canadian telecommunications giant Telus blocked subscribers access to a website sympathetic to the union showing workers crossing the picket-line.  This is an example of a telecom censoring content.
  • In 2004, DSL customers of North Carolinian company Madison River Communications were restricted from using Vonage’s VoIP (Voice over IP) service. This service competed directly with the telecom company’s landline telephone service. The FCC intervened and fined Madison River $15,000. This is a prime example of the “so-called net neutrality [which] is the about the physical means of delivery of content.”

In a Washington Post blog article on the subject, a commenter called DB left the following comment, which helps to clear the air on this subject.

Prioritizing traffic is one thing. Editing of content in transit is a completely different matter.

Large transport providers are certainly entitled to prioritize traffic as they choose — including by who’s paying them — but they cannot and should not be permitted to block “best effort” traffic, or to modify the content without forfeiting all their legal protections as common carriers. There is also an contract with their customers who are already paying for connectivity; blocking access to “non-paying” traffic defeats the value of that connection, and (IMHO) constitutes misrepresentation of the product to the consumer.

Don’t much care about Pearl Jam. I do care that we be able to exchange information without pre-selected approval.

In order to make their control over Internet infrastructure more profitable, these companies would like to create a system whereby the companies that create Internet content (Google, etc.) would have to pay extra for priority delivery (as opposed to “best effort”) of their content. This is a big reason to advocate for the public or municipal rollout of broadband infrastructure, as has been done in Lafayette, Louisiana.

As large telecommunications companies seek entry into new markets (think Time Warner or Cox Cable setting you up with both your Internet and your home phone line), it makes business sense for them to provide poorer connection speeds to small businesses competing in these markets (think Skype or Vonage) or to unpaid independent individuals creating Internet content who can’t afford to pay extra “tolls” on telecom infrastructure. Those fighting for Net Neutrality are not only protecting our right to free speech, they are defending our economic right to use a free Internet to speak loudly as we like.

Media moguls like Rupert Murdoch (News Corp, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal) have obscured the line between the creation and delivery of objective journalism. Verizon and AT&T both have been criticized for their union-busting activities. The boards and directors of media, telephony, cable, and Internet companies influence and are influenced by politicians in our country.

In light of all of this, doesn’t it make sense to keep an eye not only on content censorship but also on discrimination in the type and source of data delivery? The Internet has become the last line of defense for open information in a free society.  If we aren’t careful, its open source information will be drowned out by large coorporations, and the Internet will go the way of amateur radio, public access television, and the artistic integrity of rock and roll music.