28 Mar 2019

A Massachusetts Town Realizes a Community Vision to Transition from Coal to Sol — Episode 73 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by and | Date: 28 Mar 2019 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, John Farrell interviews Lena Entin about an inspiring and successful community-driven campaign in Holyoke, Mass., to shut down an aging coal plant operated by one of the world’s largest multinational electric utility companies. The two discuss the campaign’s efforts to replace the dirty plant with clean energy to improve health outcomes for the community and provide a just transition for the power plant’s workers.… Read More
26 Sep 2013

Indianola’s Community Network Spurs Entrepreneurship

by | Date: 26 Sep 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

When Indianola decided to invest in a municipal fiber network, the decision was part of a larger economic development plan that included a startup incubator in partnership with Simpson College – which we wrote about earlier this year. Located near Des Moines in Iowa, Indianola is one of a few communities that has partnered with a local trusted … Read More
30 Apr 2013

Kentucky Preserves Basic Telephone Protections Despite AT&T Predation

by | Date: 30 Apr 2013 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Earlier this year we reported on SB 88 in the Kentucky legislature. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Paul Hornback and authored by AT&T, would have eliminated the “carrier of last resort” requirement and reduced consumer protections. A similar bill in 2011 was also defeated by a coalition of public interest groups. This is one of … Read More
21 Aug 2012

Unions and DSL Customers: Verizon Knocks Out Two Birds With One Stone

by | Date: 21 Aug 2012 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

If you are a current or potential Verizon customer, by now you know that you no longer have the option to order stand alone DSL. When the business decision became public knowledge in April, DSL Reports.com looked into the apparent step backward and found existing customers were grandfathered in but: However, if you disconnect and reconnect, … Read More
31 Mar 2011

When Unions Are Strong, Americans Enjoy the Fruits of Their Labor

by | Date: 31 Mar 2011 | posted in: equity, From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor. Thomas Donohue, Former President AFL-CIO In the early 1980s Ricardo Levins Morales, an artist and labor activist in Minneapolis designed a bumper sticker with a simple eight-word message,  “From the people who brought you the weekend. “ Since then, he’s sold tens of thousands.  In 2007 … Read More
11 Feb 2011

The Superbowl Is Over. Now The Real Battle Begins

by | Date: 11 Feb 2011 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Dear football fan, The Superbowl is over. But the real combat is just beginning.  This time it’s not Packers v. Steelers.  It’s Workers v. Bosses.  And for thousands of workers and millions of fans, this is the game that counts. In the game of football, the rules favor neither side.  And they are enforced.  Each team … Read More
23 Oct 2008

The Big Difference in Obama’s and McCain’s Plans for Our Energy Future

by | Date: 23 Oct 2008 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

A few weeks ago I was at Iowa State University addressing 500 students and faculty at its engineering school. I was sharing a platform with former CIA Director Jim Woolsey. At one point, a student asked our views on the presidential candidates’ energy programs.

Iresponded that the essential difference between Obama and McCain is not in their goals as much as it is in the tools they would use to reach those goals. Obama believes in the active use of government authority; John McCain does not. McCain’s self-declared heroes, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, galvanized and led a movement whose principal thesis is that government is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

… Read More
5 Dec 2005

What to Do About Wal-Mart

by | Date: 5 Dec 2005 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

As the company’s misdeeds pile up in the public consciousness, it can be tempting to define the problem of Wal-Mart as one of a bad apple—a rogue company gone awry in an otherwise sound economic system.

Wal-Mart has indeed attained a scale that puts it in a category all its own, and there’s no question that it is leading a race to the bottom. But others are running that race too. Target’s wages are as poor and its health benefits as out of reach. Home Depot and Lowe’s have crushed thousands of independent hardware stores. Best Buy has its main sourcing office Shanghai, where it relies on the same dismal factories.

… Read More

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