Final Post

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who let me interview them. I'm sorry I wasn't able to post everything - I was bombarded with info.

I had fun. Hope you did too.
Beth

News Conference for Final Simulation

Bill 274 passed in the House and was signed into law by President Millworth. This means a grand restructuring of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and several other similar agencies within the government. While across the nation some were outraged with the vote, others were proud to have witnessed what they called a new era of civil rights. Representative Simon voiced his opinions in an interview with me last week stating, “I was happy Bill 274 passed; I voted for it. Two people from my state were killed in one of the hate crimes. It didn’t speak well that the House vote was so close, but I’m glad it passed.”

The House also passed a bill to investigate alternative fuels. The discussion leading up to the vote was candidly polarized. On one side, Representative Zarkasian felt the money could be used elsewhere, suggesting the U.S. buy corn from Brazil instead of growing it here. To this, Representative Culpepper countered with, “Why should we not buy oil from Iraq but buy corn from Brazil?” As the discussion continued, it became more heated. It will be interesting to see how this bill is received in the Senate.

In the Shell Oil crisis, the UN resolution passed and gas prices have increased 10% and then leveled off. The White House credits this leveling off to investors trusting that the oil fields are protected and production will resume in the near future. But in Nigeria, the use of U.S. military troops to secure the Shell Oil fields has taken an odd turn. Human Rights groups are upset over the military’s presence for keep oil safe while refusing to aid those suffering from starvation and political unrest within the warring Nigerian population. Some have gone as far as comparing Nigeria to Rwanda 25 years ago.

The White House is responding to the damage to Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Fay. White House Advisor Frock stated, “The Millworth Administration is asking the American people to donate to the International Red Cross. Efforts will include several other countries and we will be donating and working with them in the relief efforts.”

The Robotic Land Personnel Bill (149) is a Department of Defense research project that would cost taxpayers $100 billion dollars a year for 5 years. To date, this has been a hotly debated subject. House Representative Zarkasian wants a complete dismantlement of the Department of Defense and a restructuring process to begin before discussion of any new funding projects. To some other Congressional members, this attitude is too harsh. They are working with Zarkazian on an amicable solution. In a statement from the House External Matters Committee, they suggested remote-controlled vehicles rather than robotic ones. They also wanted small pilot programs before approving such a large military project. The House also reduced the funding from $100 billion to $10 billion.

Bill 274 Passed House, Senate and the President Signed Off Too!

Today was a busy day as well. Perhaps most importantly, Bill 274, which was previously approved by the Senate, today passed in the House. The vote was extremely close and at one point a tie seemed possible. Those in favor of the sexual orientation civil rights bill were as follows: Representatives Simon, Zarkasian, Unger, Hilton, Jackson, Zahn, Yarmolinski and Gomez. I should note that Rep. Nedwick was absent from House chambers today.
The vote happily electrified the Senate, who first passed the Bill before sending it on to the House Rules Committee. Within minutes, President Millworth signed the Bill.
For many who sided with the pro-Bill movement, today was an historic day of victory. However, those opposing the Bill are extremely upset with the Bill's passage. Rep. Kilpatrick was visibly shaken after the vote, having to leave chambers for a short period of time.
I asked Speaker Villary about the her vote and the outcome. She stated she had voted against the Bill because she was worried about it protecting gay marriage. Yet in the end, she said, "it came down to protecting our citizens." She was satisfied with the overall vote.
I would like to think that having Senator Meyers on today's program might have allayed some fears surrounding the Bill. The Bill is not about gay marriage or whether it is morally correct to be a homosexual. It simply defines sexual orientation as a part of civil rights legislation.
And on the topic of gay marriage, I showed a clip from this weekend's Miss USA pageant in which a contestant answered a controversial question in an un-politically correct manner in the eyes of the judges. Now, having been in a number of beauty pageants in my much younger days, I can assure you that your love of Jesus is throughly beat in your brain as a southern belle. So I don't really see the fuss about the religion part. All girls are supposed to talk about how moral they are and their desire for world peace. Her question might have been written in a different manner or she could have answered it in a different way. Her stance for her beliefs are admirable, but seems to have cost her the crown. You decide - here's the clip:

In other news, the Senate has been discussing Bill 208 regarding the Lottery. I spoke to Senator Dixon(D) regarding the talks. She felt some members believe the Bill will be a good idea "because it will help the economy and taxes." Dixon stated the Lottery will help with taxes and it is "on a voluntary basis." She noted that there were issues involved in gambling that she would like to investigate further with other members. If possible, she would like to have some sort of program, specifically social programs for gambling addicts, be paid for with the proceeds from the Lottery. Dixon said that both sides of the issue made their points clear. Some were caught in the middle, "(they) were torn between the moral and fiscal issues." She also added that she tried to look at the issues as if she were not a United States Senator, but back home as an "average citizen." It was clear that the issues have not been completely resolved; yet a vote is definitely close. Stay tuned to find out more on the Lottery Bill (previously the Casino Bill).

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on the Cuban recovery efforts, Nigerian situation and much more. Please send in any comments so that we might share your questions on the next broadcast.

Good night -
E.E.

Hate Crimes, Bill 274 and the House

What appeared to be a copy-cat killer is now looking more like an organized hate group. Last week a bomb went off in a homosexual community in Portland, Oregon. Three men were killed in the blast and 22 people were injured.

A few days prior, in New York’s East Side, two gay men were killed execution-style in a remote alleyway near a gay neighborhood. The two men were evidently returning to an apartment after a movie. Police say the perpetrators tied their hands behind each victim, made them kneel down and shot each of them in the back of the head with a .38 caliber pistol.

In both cases, a note was left near the crime scene with words written from scripture: “The wages of sin are death.” The FBI and CIA were testing the notes to look for any connection.

These actions seem to stem from the Senate’s approval of Bill 274 (Sexual Orientation and Discrimination). It was also recently passed in the House Rules Committee and is expected to be open for a vote of the full House as early as this next week. The Bill protects homosexuals as a class, similar to the way race and gender are handled in civil rights legislation. If passed in the House, the Bill will take effect one year after passage.

As expected, there are very strong opinions on both sides of this issue. A website called StopSexualPerversion.org informs visitors that homosexuality is unnatural and should be removed from American society. The home page of this site contends that “homosexuality is a cancer that must be treated through moral reform or other drastic measures.” The site quotes scripture, reports confessions of reformed homosexuals and provides a chat room for those who want to end homosexuality in America. The website is the work of Wendel Lemly, a retired dentist, and his wife. The Lemlys are “dedicating the rest of our lives to the task of saving those homosexuals who can be saved, and exposing the evil in those who defy the laws of nature.”

And in an odd turn of events, leaders of a group called Fight Back have expressed frustration with a Cleveland, Ohio U.S. District Court decision by appealing the decision regarding “freedom of speech” for anti-homosexual websites. Traditionally, homosexual groups have used freedom of speech for their rallies and promotional literature. Now Fight Back, an organization designed to protect the rights of homosexuals, intends to turn the tables and contest the constitutionality of the site, citing their frustration and anticipating a long appeal. The leader of Fight Back, Brian Jefferies, stated the Lemlys’ anti-homosexual site “provides a gathering place for hate groups, and subtly encourages violence against homosexuals.”

The sides are not drawn as simply as pro-homosexuality and anti-homosexuality. According to recent polls, many Americans are in favor of civil unions for homosexuals. The idea of the class as a whole being protected as a civil rights group may bring more controversy. In some cases, hiring individuals based not based on sexual orientation might prove morally challenging to religious work environments. However, the same ideal holds true for persons of color or minorities. The religious right and far right conservatives are not moving their position. The far-lefters feel they have been silent for too long and will push the issue until the Bill is adopted. We are set for a volatile situation unless Congress comes up with a plan quickly. Even then (and either way), I would expect riots and some Congresspersons to lose their seat come next election.

To add a punch for the pro-Bill 274 side, just this weekend a press release from the Human Rights Campaign (an interest group supporting gay rights), publicly stated their appreciation to Senator Meyers (D) for his years of hard work on behalf of the gay and lesbian community for passing 274. The group also implored to the House to pass Bill 274, noting the public is generally in favor of protecting homosexuals from discrimination (and similar issues), and that Republicans should be reaching out to new demographics and younger voters.

I was granted a short interview with Senator Meyers last week (prior to the Human Rights Campaign announcement). He was very pleased that 274 passed the Rules Committee, stating that is was even more significant for him as he is an openly gay Senator from Michigan. He stated, “It is a great time to be an American. Ending bigotry based on sexual orientation – This is the last frontier of civil rights.” He noted Senate success would not have been possible without the bipartisan effort. He added that he has spoken with the House Speaker (Villary) and they expect to receive similar support within the House.

In the works for next week’s show – I hope to have an interview lined up with an expert on Bill 274 to discuss the current hate crime situations and discuss the possibility of the Bill’s passage. Please leave comments and questions and we may be able to have them on the air. Until then –

E.E.

Bills 156 and 136 Passed!

Representative Villary called the House to order and lengthy discussions of both bills ended satisfactorily in which both sides could agree for passage.

Bill 136, Digital Broadcast Spectrums, was revised and passed by the House last week. Representative Williams (R) spoke and referenced the President’s initial proposal and that work was made to the Bill in order to satisfy everyone involved, thus ensuring success. Other than some bickering between a few House members, the Bill seemed to be malleable enough to shape into what they felt will help both industry and increase revenue. Representative Culpepper (R) said the Bill was “a nice, free-market solution without raising taxes.”

The Bill passed unanimously (Kilpatrick was absent).

More controversial, Bill 156 (Multi-Lingual Education), was heavily worked and reworked in committees before reaching the floor for a vote. The initial Bill focused on school children learning two additional languages (other than English) for the purpose of making America “more competitive in the world marketplace.” The revised Bill (I requested a full copy) provides federal funding to schools wishing to participate in exchange for two languages being taught (one English, if not native). They feel this will provide all school children a better language base in English while offering more alternatives for native English-speakers. During floor discussion, members reiterated that this was a strictly voluntary program and one that was only available to public schools (not private). Representatives Villary and Culpepper noted they had talked with the President on the Bill, and felt he, too, would approve the Bill.

There were oppositions to the Bill before it was even openly discussed. The most wide-spread conservative objection was federalism in the form of the Republican House. Many felt the House should not put further restrictions on local government. Some, of course, recognized the Bill’s passage as another way the federal government could make an attempt at nationalization, and to some, another step toward socialism. However, several education-based organizations disagreed, wanting additional monies for foreign language instruction, especially in poorer public schools where these resources would be very welcomed.

The Conference for State and Local Governments noted the Constitution was silent on the issue of education because it was more of a state responsibility, noting they were opposed to nationalized education. “Educators end up being seduced by federal dollars and alter their missions so that they can stay on the dole. Over time, the national government has used so-called federal aid to increasingly nationalize and homogenize our educational system. And, this has been done to the detriment of our states and localities.” While they encourage new teaching methods and ways of learning for all children, they would rather the federal funds go into federal projects and allow state and local boards of education to determine what is best for each community.

After the vote and announcement of passage, there was a drop in the approval ratings for Republicans. This seems to be a direct correlation with Bill 156, as some conservatives see the Bill as a Trojan horse for permitting Spanish to become a semi-official language. As you know, America does not have an “official” language. This unofficial status may allow other languages to dominate English.

The Bill passed unanimously (Kilpatrick was absent).

Results of Millworth Blog Poll

The last blog poll asked how you thought President Millworth had performed as a President in the last year (really 15 months). 54% of respondents felt the President's performance was Fair or below. Only 27% responded, "It's been a rough first year but he's doing as well as can be expected." Even fewer, 18% gave him the glowing, "Great - everything I expected and more."

This week's poll is about the new drug called Frenzy. The poll is in the upper right corner of this blog. Feel free to comment somewhere in the blog if you wish, but please vote - it makes a difference. Thanks.
E.E.

President Sends Military Action to Nigeria

President Millworth recently gained a slight “rally ‘round the flag” bump in the latest approval poll (Robinson). This percentage boost is relatively small compared to prior polls. Perhaps the numbers are up as a result of sending U.S. troops into Nigerian oil fields. At the same time, the numbers were not more impressive as the country is feeling more “war fatigue.”

However, it seems some form of military action was needed to secure the oil-rich area in which the Shell Oil Company operates. Prior to this civil war, Nigeria produced 2 million gallons of oil each day. Economists have predicted global gas prices to soar as a direct result of the ongoing Nigerian violence. Factions, derived from the dissolution of the old government, sprung up from the hundred or more ethnic groups struggling for territory and control while a new military government is attempting to crush resistance. A military move by the U.S. Government was seen as a crucial step in drawing world-wide attention to both the violence and natural resource issue in Nigeria. And with over a thousand people a day dying from wounds and starvation, the death rate is increasing.

In a statement released by the White House last night, the Nigerian conflict has become even more intense. Rather than summarize Press Secretary Adamez’s statement, below is the press release in its entirety: “The Situation in Nigeria has gotten worse. The British have introduced the resolution on sending in negotiators and peacekeeping forces to secure the oil fields in the Niger River Delta. The resolution has a good chance of passage. The peacekeeping force would keep the oil fields safe while the Nigerians have an opportunity to work out their problems. Our British allies are asking us to support a United Nations Security Council to provide military assistance to protect Nigerian oil wells against sabotage. The resolution would create an international peacekeeping force made up of representatives from Great Britain, Russia, India, Australia, the United States and Egypt. A British general would serve as the overall commander of the operation. The force would only be in place until the civil war in Nigeria is concluded and the country is declared safe. The proposed UN resolution also sends negotiators to resolve differences between the new Nigerian government and the many ethnic groups. The U.S Forces would be assigned to the western region of the oil wells. That region is the least likely to experience any serious problems. Most of the tension is in the eastern region where the Ogoni people live. This resolution and the peacekeeping force should have the long-term impact of calming tensions and guaranteeing Nigerian production of oil. This stabilization of production should stabilize oil process for consumers. The U.S. will support the resolution and play a minor role in the peacekeeping force. The goal is to strictly protect/secure the oil fields. The minimum amount of troops needed to secure the oil fields will be sent in.”

The White House seemed confident this plan would be successful and added that they believe the House supports this current military action. But as of tonight, there have been several talk radio and late night television programs taking calls from concerned Americans who are worried that this may be the start of another long war.