StopRush Contributes to Worst Drop in Advertising in Radio History

These foks have set up an easy web-based database to use for finding Rush’s sponsors in your area – just type in your zip code and a search radius on this page and you’ll find a list of advertisers and several easy contact methods:

StopRush Database Search

I found 12 advertisers within 25 miles of my zip code, so I clicked through to their Facebook pages and posted this on their walls:

Did you know your ads are playing on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show on WRKO? Did you know he made pressure cooker jokes on the air the day after the Boston Marathon bombings? Are you ok with your brand being associated with the hateful invective Rush spouts on the air every single day? Please contact WRKO and tell them to pull your ads from Limbaugh’s brand of hate radio.

I also sent it to them through the Facebook message system, to make sure they see it. Some of the advertisers had removed their Facebook pages, but the database provided a customer service email address, so I sent the message that way. All in all, it took me about ten minutes, and I felt a whole lot better after I did it!

Here’s some more links if you’d like to join the effort to defund Rush Limbaugh:

Join: The Flush Rush Facebook community
Visit: The StopRush sponsor database
Tweet: #stoprush Twitter campaign
Fact Check: Limbaugh Lie Debunking Site
Install: ThinkContext StopRush browser extension–notifies you as you browse which companies advertise on Rush

Donate to help Victims of the Boston Terror Bombings

As you may have heard by now, my cousin Ron, his wife and daughter were injured in the terror attack in Boston yesterday. Ron and his wife have undergone surgery and have more to look forward to. They, however, count themselves lucky as their friends the Corcorans have far more serious injuries. Celeste, Sydney’s mother, has lost both of her legs. You can read about their story at the Lowell Sun.

The loss of two legs means that the Corcoran family will have to retrofit their home to be handicap accessible. This, and Celeste’s lost wages will place a burden on their family. That is why I am asking for your prayers, and your financial help. You can make a donation to them via gofundme.com.

The website has been verified by the Lowell Sun as the place to make donations. In a little over five hours $63,000 has been raised from 695 people. Please consider being the 696th by making a donation of $500, $100, $50, $25, or whatever you can afford today.

Thanks

Rob Eno
Publisher, Red Mass Group

P.S. Your donation of $500, $250, $100, $50, $25 or whatever you can afford, will help the Corcoran family through this terrible time.

I’m heading over to make a donation – please dig deep and do the same if you can afford it.

Some excerpts:

Ben’s love of fun and his excitement at the wonders of life were unmatched. His boundless energy kept him running across the soccer field long after the game was over. He couldn’t wait to get to school every morning. He sang with perfect pitch and had just played at his third piano recital. Irrepressibly bright and spirited, Ben experienced life at full tilt.

Until that morning. Twenty of our children, and six of our educators – gone. Out of the blue.

I’ve heard people say that the tidal wave of anguish our country felt on 12/14 has receded. But not for us. To us, it feels as if it happened just yesterday. And in the four months since we lost our loved ones, thousands of other Americans have died at the end of a gun. Thousands of other families across the United States are also drowning in our grief.

Please help us do something before our tragedy becomes your tragedy.

Sometimes, I close my eyes and all I can remember is that awful day waiting at the Sandy Hook Volunteer Firehouse for the boy who would never come home – the same firehouse that was home to Ben’s Tiger Scout Den 6. But other times, I feel Ben’s presence filling me with courage for what I have to do – for him and all the others taken from us so violently and too soon.

I admire her strength and the courage it took for her to do this. I share her grief, and when I look at the comments on the YouTube page with this video, I weep for what our country has become. The comments are reprehensible, click through and read them only if you have a strong stomach.

Many, many town residents don’t want a casino in town, and especially the folks who live near the proposed site. There are basically three spots where we can stop this:

- The Board of Selectmen can say they are no longer interested, and that would end things right there.
- If the BOS approves the plan, it will be put to a referendum vote within the town
- If the casino wins the referendum, town meeting will have to approve the zoning change by a 2/3 majority vote

We’re not taking any chances – we’re organizing now with lawn signs and bumper stickers for any referendum that may be coming our way.

A couple of years ago, I got fed up with the software our candidates were using when running for office.  Too often I would gather volunteers for a foot canvass or a phone bank, only to have to wait for paper copies of data from the system, wasting valuable volunteer hours.  Being a software engineer, I did what I always do when I encounter software that doesn’t work correctly – I wrote my own grassroots organizing software!  It’s been a labor of love, and I had a team of folks from the Greater Blackstone Valley Dems helping me design features that would be truly useful – thus was born ORGANIZE!

We are currently using this software to organize our opposition to the casino, and it’s performing admirably.  Now I’d like to make it available to the world, and I’m putting it out at three very affordable prices – please click through to my GoFundMe page for a complete description:

The ORGANIZE! GoFundMe page

Thanks for your time and consideration! And BTW, if you like the look of the site, everything but the logo was designed by Lynne from LeftInLowell, send her some thanks for a job well done!

And don’t even get me started on today’s nonsense – if ever there was an argument for flood control on this site, his latest post and the comments he’s made elsewhere are it. I’m starting to wonder if DFW and EB3 are two sides of the same coin…

According to court documents obtained by Wonkette, conservative activist James O’Keefe has agreed to a $100,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed against him by Juan Carlos Vera, a former employee of ACORN. Vera filed the suit against O’Keefe in 2010, alleging O’Keefe had illegally taped their conversation at an ACORN office in California as part of his fraudulent “exposé” of the community activist group.

Vera was one of the ACORN employees portrayed in O’Keefe’s videos as offering assistance in setting up a nonexistent child prostitution ring. After his encounter with O’Keefe, Vera contacted the police to report “possible human smuggling,” unaware that he had been duped. Vera claims he lost his job as a result of O’Keefe’s deception after the conservative’s video of their encounter was posted on a Breitbart website.

I wonder which wingnut welfare group will be ponying up the cash? It’s still short money for disabling ACORN.

As many of you are aware, one of the casinos allowed under the expanded gaming law has been proposed for a parcel of land in Milford.  Milford has a three member Board of Selectmen, and so far, the only selectman opposed to it is Bill Buckley – both Dino DiBartolmeis and Brian Murray have remained on the fence about it, at least until a firm proposal is in hand.

But the grassroots opposition is taking no chances, gearing up for a town-wide referendum which is the next step after a decision from the Board of Selectmen to proceed.  I’m volunteering for the effort, heading up the voter outreach sub-committee.  We will be using my organizing software, I’ve installed a stand-alone copy with just the data for Milford here:

ORGANIZE!

We are meeting in the Milford library this coming Wednesday, 3/6, at 7 pm to begin the process.  Join us!

Forward on Climate:  The Climate Cliff

Here’s an excerpt, but please go read the entire post, and recommend it and comment if you have a user account at DKos:

Climate disruption is costing American lives and livelihoods. In 2011 and 2012, America endured 25 weather disasters that totaled $1 billion or more in damages 2012 was the warmest year on record in the continental United States. We suffered the most widespread drought since the Dust Bowl, record wildfires that engulfed neighborhoods, and superstorm Sandy, which killed more than 100 people and could cost taxpayers $60 billion.

Sandy has has supercharged the discussion of climate change again. Recently, I held two emergency meetings calling for climate action, because the threat to Faneuil Hall, Boston’s Back Bay and Cape Cod National Sea Shore are no longer theoretical. This past weekend we saw the devastation a strong storm coupled with high tide can bring to our shores. As increasing temperatures raise sea levels and strengthen storms, our coastal communities will increasingly be ground zero for climate disruption.

Interestingly, he never once mentioned his senate bid – but the commenters certainly have!

“Congressman Markey has been a strong and effective advocate for public education and the rights of working men and women,” said MTA President Paul Toner. “He knows how to get things done. He is intelligent, hard-working and principled. If Ed Markey is elected, we are confident he will fight as hard for students and public education in the U.S. Senate as he has done in the House.”

At the same time, the National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional services organization, threw their support to Markey after interviewing both candidates.  From the same MTA web page linked above:

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said, “Ed Markey has been a friend of educators, students and organized labor for over 30 years. NEA is proud to stand behind him for U.S. Senate. Representative Markey has fought hard for Massachusetts workers and families, protecting vital programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and education from cuts. He’s shown unwavering commitment to educators and students during his career in Congress, and that’s exactly the kind of education advocate we need in the Senate.”

After interviewing the candidates and reviewing their voting records and responses to a questionnaire, the MTA’s Candidate Recommendation Committee voted to recommend Markey to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education, the NEA’s political action committee. The NEA formally approved that recommendation today.

We’ll be gathering signatures for Ed this weekend and next in the Milford area – see you on the campaign trail!

I attended today’s campaign event in Worcester, where Congressman Markey made the following remarks:

I had a chance to chat briefly with the congressman – I told him that we need him in the senate, but more importantly, the environment needs him in the senate.  We have a great opportunity to continue leading this nation forward with Warren and Markey making up 1/50th of the “world’s most deliberative body”.  Let’s lace up our walking shoes and hit the pavement this spring!

Edited to add: DFTT

Dear Friends,

I am writing to inform you about my plans as they relate to the 2014 election cycle. As I have traveled the state over the past year, I have been asked with increased frequency about whether or not I intend to run for Governor in 2014. These questions and words of encouragement by friends and supporters have caused me to think extensively about my plans and the steps required to be fully prepared politically for the fall of 2014 in anticipation of both a primary and general election.

Having already run two successful statewide primary and general election campaigns, I am keenly aware of what will be required to run the type of campaign my supporters and the people of Massachusetts deserve. Accordingly, over the past several months I have increased my political and fundraising activities and have been heartened by the strong showing of support to date. This activity already adds to a busy schedule with more morning, evening and weekend events quickly filling almost every free moment.

Looking forward, I have given considerable thought on how I can sustain this pace for the next 20 months while working on my portfolio of issues as Lieutenant Governor. More importantly, I have been grappling with how I can juggle a campaign and work duties with my responsibilities as a husband and the father of two active and beautiful daughters, Helen and Kati, who are 7 and 6 years old.ull time, handles the bulk of the parenting responsibilities. I am grateful to Tammy for taking on this responsibility and for supporting my career over the past 15 years.

Having just completed 15 years of service in elected office, I have always given it my all to make government work for people. Whether it is a business owner, a neighborhood group, a veteran, or children and people who often don’t have a voice, I have tried to be there for them and be their voice. In that spirit we have completed projects that people said couldn’t be done and have made government more responsive with a number of new and innovative policy initiatives at both the municipal and state levels. I have been proud to spend political capital to protect safety net programs for vulnerable people, such as the homeless or victims of domestic violence, in the budget throughout the challenges of the Great Recession.

Governor Patrick has also given me the chance to take the lead in creating a new paradigm of partnership between municipal and state governments that has led to new policy reforms such as the Municipal Partnership Act legislation and the regionalization initiative. This partnership, as well as our Gateway Cities agenda, has extended to economic development and transportation projects that are transforming our cities in every region of the state.  And we also have brought diversity and talented new voices to state government.

I am proud of these things and others we have been able to accomplish together during the past 15 years whether I was serving as Lieutenant Governor, Mayor of Worcester, or as a member of the Worcester City Council. I have loved each job and the opportunity to listen and learn as well as to find ways to bring people together to get things done around policies and projects both large and small. Furthermore, I am proud of the fact that my unique victory in winning a statewide office as a mayor has provided a modern template which I hope other mayors will seek to follow.
However, as I contemplate the commitment required over the next 20 months (and the following four years as Governor) and weigh that against my obligations and responsibilities to my young family, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for Governor in the 2014 election cycle. Nor will I be a candidate for any other statewide office in 2014.

This decision is not arrived at lightly and comes only after a great deal of reflection and numerous conversations with my wife, family and friends. I am thankful for the support and thoughtful words of encouragement I received from so many of you in the days and months leading up to my decision. I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish together.

My high school football coach always told our team to finish the game strong. I intend to work with Governor Patrick over the next 22 months to finish this second term strong and build on our record of generational responsibility. We will leave Massachusetts better than we found it and growing in a way that benefits all the people of the Commonwealth and the generations that will follow.

It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Commonwealth. As I move forward, I will continue to find new ways to serve and contribute to our collective efforts to build a stronger Commonwealth and nation. I am excited and optimistic about my future, the future of the Commonwealth and all that we can accomplish in the next two years and beyond.
Sincerely,

Tim Murray

So who’s going to be running for the corner office now?  Grossman, Coakley?  Capuano?

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat from AZ-08, shot in Tucson

Today, Gabby and her husband, Mark Kelly, have written an op-ed in the USA Today, outlining their plans to fight back against gun violence.  See the full article here:

Giffords and Kelly: Fighting gun violence

In it, they announce the formation of a new group to try and counter the NRA, Americans for Responsible Solutions.  I’ve clicked through to their page, joined the mailing list, liked them on Facebook, and I’ll be donating once I’m done paying my bills this week.  Please consider doing the same, thanks for reading!

1.) I got the ok from the editors before writing this post, and
2.) I am an Independent Associate of Viridian Energy, my associate id is 30629.

What does that mean? It means that, if you are a customer of National Grid or NStar here in Massachusetts, I’ll be able to walk you through the process of changing your current electrical supplier for your household and/or business electricity service to green power from Viridian Energy. I get to earn a small income that recurs every month when you pay your bill, and it grows with every new customer I add.

But why should you switch to Viridian Energy? Those of you who know me know that I’ve been a sustainability and environmental advocate for years, and that I’m currently working in the solar power industry, selling residential and commercial scale solar power systems. See our web site here – email me for a free, no obligation site analysis by clicking here.

I found out about Viridian Energy when my boss introduced me to the concept, which is dead simple: provide consumers with green electricity choices that exceed state requirements, and do so at competitive rates. This has the net effect of boosting free market demand for green power, greening the grid through the power of the marketplace.

Viridian offers two products: Everyday Green, which is 20% green power and Pure Green, 100% wind-power, in both fixed and variable rates. In Massachusetts, the Renewable Portfolio Standard governs how much of the power on the market needs to come from renewable sources. The RPS is slated to reach 15% renewable power by 2020, so with Viridian’s base offering at 20%, they already exceed future benchmarks for renewable power. It’s free and easy to sign up, with no long term contracts or long term commitments, and no cancellation fees if you’re unhappy with your service for any reason. Both products are competitively priced against both the standard offer from National Grid and NStar, as well as the other power suppliers operating in Massachusetts, some of whom do not even offer a green choice. With Viridian, you can save money over time while greening the grid, a win-win!

And if you’d like a win-win-win, how about this: if you’re part of a non-profit organization, your organization can sign up to offer green power to your members, earning money every time your members pay their electric bills. Here are some examples of organizations that have worked with Viridian in the past:

• Churches and Synagogues
• Private and Religious Schools
• Sports Teams
• Charities and Foundations
• Volunteer and Community Service Organizations
• Parent Associations
• School Groups

Viridian is also a socially responsible corporation, embracing sustainability as one the key tenets of the organization. Through the Viridian Sustainability Initiative, the company has already taken on projects on two continents, with the aim of hitting 7 continents in 7 years. They participated in a reforestation project in the Amazon in 2011, and in 2012 they brought solar power systems to a village in Ghana, electrifying a school, a library and a hospital. In order to ensure that the school children would be able to do their homework, they also installed a push-type merry-go-round with an important difference from your typical merry-go-round – turning this one powers a generator! They gave the kids rechargeable lanterns that plug into the generator, and now they’ll have electric light at home overnight. You can read more and see videos from the trip here:

Viridian’s Sustainability Initiative

If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard of Viridian Energy until now, well, they just started offering power here in June of this year, and they do no advertising. They are using the tried and true multi-level marketing approach to selling green electricity, like Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Primerica, and many many others have used to generate great business success stories. If you have questions or if you want to start a great side business selling green energy, email me here:

jtehan@sgegroup.com

If you want to know more about Viridian, or if you’re ready to change to a socially responsible green energy supplier, you can go to my Viridian web site at this link:

http://www.viridian.com/johntehan/default.aspx

Or you can email me for more information using the email link I provided above. Thanks for reading!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

For me, the most exciting proposal was the elimination of coal fired electrcity in the commonwealth.  Historically, the energy mix here didn’t have a lot coal in the first place and that number has been steadily decreasing over the years, but to phase it our entirely is a giant step in the right direction.

I never got to ask my question, so I’ll pose it here – Congressman Markey, if you’re following up, please answer:  can we require all governmental entities to purchase green power where green power is available?  This would create an instant jump in green power demand, essentially greening the grid through the power of the marketplace.  BMGers, have at it in the comments!

And we have a wonderful hostess setting up the bar:

Are you attending an election party tonight? Tell us about it!

First, has Scott Brown ever studied any history? Does he not know of a law passed in 1932, signed into law by Herbert Hoover, called the Revenue Act of 1932?

The Revenue Act of 1932 (June 6, 1932, ch. 209, 47 Stat. 169) raised United States tax rates across the board, with the rate on top incomes rising from 25 percent to 63 percent. The estate tax was doubled and corporate taxes were raised by almost 15 percent.

The provisions of the act applied to the taxable year of 1932 and all subsequent taxable years.

(Source: Wikipedia)

This tax hike enabled the subsequent spending on the WPA and the other economically stimulative activities which pulled the nation out of the great depression. It works like this: if the US government increases taxes, the money flows into the general fund and is spent on the various things the government spends money on – infrastructure, education, etc. All of those activities are economically stimulative. When I earn a few dollars on my job, I pay my bills and purchase the goods and services I need, and that money becomes income to someone else, who then pays his bills and purchases the goods and services he needs, and so on, and son, and so on…

Tax cuts, on the other hand, do very little to stimulate the economy. None other than Moody’s Financial estimates the stimulative effect of tax cuts at $1.02 per $1.00 of cuts, while infrastructure spending clocks in at a healthy $1.59 per $1.00 spent.

Beyond that, what happens when rich folks get a tax cut – does it really trickle down? I’d remind you all of Amberpaw’s excellent post from a few months ago covering the $32 trillion currently languishing offshore out of various national economies:

$32 trillion sent overseas

Clearly, Scott Brown’s tax argument is nonsense. Now get out there and talk to your neighbors – elect Elizabeth Warren!

The survey was conducted after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, so it’s certainly possible that Warren is enjoying a small bounce from her convention speech. The numbers show that she has shored up her support from the party’s base, with 89% of Bay State Democrats solidly in her corner. Time will tell if these results hold up – keep working the phones and walking your neighborhoods, people!

Linky goodness:  Masslive

Update:  Public Policy Polling just tweeted their results, Warren leading 48-46!  While it’s within the margin of error, it’s more good news and a reversal of their poll from last month where Brown led 49-44.  Leave it all on the road, gang!

Romney answers question about his acceptance speech

In his defense of his latest blunder, he says that he did refer to the military, but the military doesn’t equal the troops. The military in this nation is an institution – like a corporation (“Corporations are people, my friends!”), the military won’t ever die, it lives on forever. That seems to be Romney’s point – he wants to make sure that the military-industrial complex continues to get all the government money possible, but to care about actual people? Bah…

On the other hand, troops put their lives on the line every day – they live, they laugh, they love, they fight and they die. They and their families suffer endless deprivations as they serve far from home – many never return, and many more suffer years of anguish when they return with grievous wounds both visible and invisible. I know firsthand – my Uncle Frank is still listed as MIA from World War II, and my dad suffered with alcoholism and depression from his experiences in an engineering battalion in Europe.

A military mom has written a post about this at DKos that’s well worth a read – here’s a snip, but I’d recommend reading the entire thing:

How DARE Romney even utter the words he uttered today. He has never served in our military, neither have his sons. He has never known the sacrifice or what it means to either serve or be a parent of a child who serves, and he will never know the heart ache, the worry, the tears, the pride, the part of you that is missing while your child serves hundreds or thousands of miles away.

I will never forget the night before our son entered the Marines, we were so proud of him, and yet at the same time our hearts ached in such a way that words cannot ever come close to describing.

Seems Mitt Romney would prefer they remain completely invisible – his speech marked the first time since 1952 that the Republican nominee said nothing about an ongoing war or the troops actively fighting it in his acceptance speech. I guess that’s what can be expected when your nominee is a draft dodging Mormon missionary…

So we can get a sense of expected attendance, I ask that you RSVP to Jay Gilchrist (508-395-9367).

When Edward and Mary Weidenbener went to vote in Indiana’s primary in May, they didn’t realize that state law required them to bring government photo IDs such as a driver’s license or passport.

The husband and wife, both approaching 90 years old, had to use a temporary ballot that would be verified later, even though they knew the people working the polling site that day. Unaware that Indiana law obligated them to follow up with the county election board, the Weidenbeners ultimately had their votes rejected — news to them until informed recently by an Associated Press reporter.

Edward Weidenbener, a World War II veteran who had voted for Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential contest, said he was surprised by the rules and the consequences.

“A lot of people don’t have a photo ID. They’ll be automatically disenfranchised,” he said.

Source: Yahoo News

A World War II veteran and his wife, denied the opportunity to vote by voter ID laws – anyone still think they’re a good idea? Facts are stubborn things, and the facts surrounding voter ID show clearly that in person voter impersonation does not happen. Click the link and read the whole article, it goes on to talk about actual stats on in person voter fraud, the type of fraud which voter ID laws purport to fix, with the Brennan Center counting only nine cases over a span of several years.

Thousands, perhaps millions of legitimate voters will be denied the right to vote, in order to prevent a crime that never happens. Voter ID laws are a solution in search of a problem, and that’s a stubborn fact that won’t go away.

His words brought many chills to my spine, and I can only think that this man needs to run for president in 2016!

Come join the Milford Drinking Liberally for a day of shopping in the big apple

On July 12^th, Thursday

Leave Milford at 7 AM; leave NY by 9 PM

Spend the day shopping, site seeing and exploring New York

Then meet at Rudy’s Bar and Grill at the original Drinking Liberally site

We will spend some time there then head home

The cost is $40 per person

Contact Christine Crean 617-852-3824

The Milford DL chapter meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at the Turtle Tavern, 72 Main St in Milford, right next to town hall.  The beer is cold, the drinks are great, and the food is delicious!  We start at 6:30 pm and go until the last folks leave – join us!

Here’s a vivid illustration of just how badly Mitt Romney wants to avoid any discussion of his record as governor of Massachusetts: he sent his campaign aides to shout down speakers at a press conference organized by the Obama campaign to discuss Romney’s governorship. Romney aides and supporters repeatedly shouted, screamed, and even blew bubbles and vuvezelas in an effort to disrupt the press conference, which was held in Boston.

Obama campaign senior strategist David Axelrod, who was the featured speaker at the event, told the Romney aides that their efforts to drown out discussion of Mitt Romney’s record as governor would not succeed. “You can shout down speakers,” he said. “But it’s hard to Etch A Sketch the truth away.”

The Etch A Sketch will be used until November – Eric F. will rue the day he let that one slip!  I’m glad the Obama campaign is tying Mitt to his abysmal record in this state – and you have to love Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone:

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone mocked the the Romney campaign’s efforts. “Thank you for the bubbles,” Curtatone said. “It’s a hell of a lot better than the smoke Mitt Romney blew at us ten years ago and that he’s blowing across America!”

Smoke and mirrors and an Etch A Sketch – that’s all the Mittster has to offer!

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – 38 Studios laid off all its employees in Providence and Maryland on Thursday as the struggling video game company collapsed into insolvency less than two years after agreeing to move to Rhode Island in exchange for a $75 million taxpayer-guaranteed loan.

“The Company is experiencing an economic downturn,” 38 Studios management told employees in an email distributed Thursday afternoon and obtained by WPRI.com. “To avoid further losses and possibility of retrenchment, the Company has decided that a companywide lay off is absolutely necessary.”

38 Studios has not responded to requests for comment since its financial crunch burst into public view earlier this month, and Governor Chafee said the state had not been formally informed about the layoffs. The company had 379 full-time employees as of March 15, with 288 of them in Rhode Island, according to bond disclosure notice.

Having recently lost my job as a software engineer, my heart goes out to these people. A twitter hashtag has been set up to inform folks of job opportunities at other gaming companies, if you know of any jobs, please post them here:  #38jobs

Rhode Island taxpayers will likely end up on the hook for the loans made to Schilling, whose business plan appears to have some serious flaws – notably, to save a few bucks, they incorporated in Delaware, making them ineligile for further assistance from Rhode Island in the form of film and telivision tax credits. The amount of money they burned through while coming to market with just one game is just unbelievable – for my business, my partner and I had to sign personal guarantees to get $40,000 from the bank, I wonder what Rhode Island’s Economic Development Council got from Curt?

Last year, I wrote a post here at BMG about the economics of solar power – the situation has changed, and some innovative financing options have made it even more desirable to go solar here in Massachusetts. As usual, we are leading the way, showing the rest of the country how to spur investment in renewable energy technologies!

A couple of weeks ago, I took the company Prius for a drive through a neighborhood in Brimfield, MA, which had been devastated by killer tornados in June of last year. While no single unusual weather event can be traced directly to climate change, patterns of unusual weather certainly can be, and these torndos are part of a pattern of crazy weather we’ve had in the northeast these last few years. The winter of 2010-2011 saw so record setting snowfall, but this past winter saw almost no snowfall, except for a freak blizzard around Halloween! Floods, hurricanes, killer tornados – as Charley noted a few weeks ago, think of Jose Canseco’s biceps and his use of steroids, it’s highly unlikely that you would see the one without the other. We are, today, experiencing wild weather swings and climate change is the culprit.

The damage is still evident – play the short video below to see some of the after effects still in evidence today:

Brimfield Tornado Damage

Once upon a time, that area was heavily forested – now, not so much. One person was killed in Brimfield, and I spoke with a man who told me how he, his wife and their 4 year old daughter huddled in the basement while their house was ripped off the foundation over their heads.

I grew up in a big family in Connecticut during the sixties, in the days before that noted Commie Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. Ah, the good old days, when Republicans espoused good governance…

I was the sixth child of seven, and my mom would always take us to the Uniroyal factory in Naugatuck when we needed sneakers, she could get decent factory “seconds” for a low price there. The factory was situated on the Naugatuck River, and it belched enormous volumes of steaming chemical solutions out of huge pipes into the river, day and night. The river smelled horrible, and it ran a sickly yellow-green color from that point until it merged with the Housatonic River many miles to the south. It was lifeless, and unsafe for any use.

In this same time frame, the Cuyhoga River in Ohio actually caught fire. Why did corporations pollute the earth in this manner? Simple – there was no law against it. The need for the EPA was clearly evident – you could see it, you could smell it, you could actually taste it, and if you got too close, it would make your eyes water. This, I think, is one reason why it is so difficult to convince people that carbon pollution is a problem – since they can’t sense it in any real way, it’s easier for them to deny that it’s happening, or at least believe the lies of folks who want them to believe it’s not happening. So, what do we do?

Someone smarter than me once said “you can’t reason someone out of a position they weren’t reasoned into”. So if the climate change deniers won’t listen to environmental reason, then maybe economic reason will appeal to them. Here in Massachusetts, we have established a program called the Clean Energy Center to spur everyone to adopt renewable power solutions, and it’s working. From the CEC web site:

Massachusetts is leading the way in innovative and comprehensive energy reform that will make clean energy a centerpiece of the Commonwealth’s economic future. Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth—while creating high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC is a partner, clearinghouse and connector for people in the clean energy sector, making direct investments in clean energy companies, building a strong clean energy workforce, and supporting responsibly sited renewable energy projects across the Commonwealth. MassCEC works with the entire clean energy community in Massachusetts to propel promising technologies from the drawing board to the global marketplace.

The CEC is funded by a small charge on everyone’s electric bill – it costs me under $1.00 per month on mine. They make millions of dollars available for rebates on residential solar power systems, and they are doing a fantastic job of spurring the solar power industry in this state. For residential installations, the current round of rebates provide up to $4,250, and properties impacted by natural disasters, like the houses in the video above, can get as much as $5,000 more.

In addition to the rebates from the CEC, there is a 30% federal tax credit and a 15% state tax credit (capped at $1,000). The remaining system costs are wiped out by direct savings on the household electric bill and through the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. For every megawatt-hour of power the system produces, the homeowner earns one SREC – a typical 5 kW system will produce 6 per year. By law, SRECS have a floor price of $300 each, and at the end of 2011, they sold for $540 each. Typical residential solar power systems pay for themselves in 4-5 years as a result of these incentives. SRECs accrue for the first ten years of system ownership, and the system will produce power for almost 40 years.

But it gets better – solar leasing is making these systems even more affordable. We have 20 year leases for as little as zero down – these leases put cash into our customer’s pockets in the first year of ownership. Alternatively, you can prepay the lease up front and turn an even greater profit over the life of the system, better than purchasing the system outright. Our leases let the customer keep the SRECs, something not offered by many of our competing firms. We have several firms willing to pre-purchase 10 years worth of SRECs at a decent price, making a lease even more affordable. Contact me for more information – my email address is in my profile.

The Nite Lite Lounge
31 Central St
Milford, MA 01757
Saturday, 2/11, 4-7 PM

Many towns are holding their caucuses this Saturday, so the Greater Blackstone Valley Dems got together to organize a soiree for the early evening. Come on out to the Nite Lite Lounge, conveniently located in downtown Milford at 31 Central St. There’s ample parking in a public lot just across the street, and we’ll be providing a selection of appetizers and entertainment from the executive committee of the GBVD. Don’t miss “Wait, Wait, Don’t Pick Me”, where you’ll have an opportunity to win fabulous prizes: an autographed copy of “538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal” from Living Liberally founder Justin Krebs, and a voicemail greeting in my inimitable voice. We will also be debuting our local access cable TV show “All Politics Is Local”.

It promises to be a good time for all – come out on Saturday for a good time with hard working local Democrats!

On Thursday, January 19th — the two-year anniversary of Scott Brown’s special election victory — he’s officially launching his 2012 reelection campaign with some big, attention-grabbing events in Massachusetts.

It’s a critical time for us to demonstrate that the momentum we have in this race is real — and that we have the strength and resources to beat the powerful interests backing Scott Brown.

So, on Thursday, January 19th, we are planning to make a big splash of our own. We are planning a massive, one-day fundraising drive — they’ve been called a “money bomb” — to raise as much money as possible to support Elizabeth.

And to do it, we need your help.

So far, there’s well over $100,000 pledged – let’s push that total up! Here’s the all-important linky…

PLEDGE HERE

Let’s show Elizabeth Warren some love, and show Scott Brown the door!

In addition to Professor Warren, several other Democratic candidates for Senate were present: I saw Marisa DeFranco and Herb Robinson, and I believe Tom Conroy was there as well. Other political luminaries were everywhere – Congressman Jim McGovern, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Treasurer Steve Grossman, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Secretary of State Bill Galvin and many more were in attendance. I had a chance to have a talk with AG Coakley, and I made sure to tell her that I was proud of her for suing those 5 banks for their illegal foreclosure practices. My friend Bob took a picture of us:

All in all, it was a great party – if you were there, please tell us about it in the comments. Enjoy the holidays!!

The Greater Blackstone Valley Dems is a registered political action committee working in the geographic area of the Worcester Norfolk state Senate district. It includes the towns of Blackstone, Bellingham, Douglas, Dudley, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Northbridge, Oxford, Webster, Southbridge, Sutton and Uxbridge. If you’re in the area, please join us at www.GBVDems.org!

I love it that Elizabeth Warren is featured prominently – time to send her to the Senate! Please pass this video along to your friends and family, and visit the Occupy Boston encampment if you can. My daughter and I were there yesterday, we dropped off a bag of apples at the food tent and took lots of pictures:

On his recent appearance on “That Milford Show – Political Review”, Tom Wesley (candidate for Congress from the 2nd District) said of his opponent, Richard Neal, “On this side of the district, he’s become really a ghost.”  In a recent article in this paper, he said, “Richard Neal does not want to have access to the people.  He does not deem it necessary to respond to their inquiries.”

Nothing could be further from the truth, and it makes me wonder what district Mr. Wesley has been living in for the five years he’s been in Massachusetts.  For over a decade, Congressman Neal has been holding a financial aid conference every January at Milford High School, helping area parents and high school seniors plan for college.  And for almost two decades, he has maintained a congressional office at the Milford Post Office.

Facts are facts, and there are thousands of people in this end of the district who know that their congressman and his staff always respond to their inquiries.  He is well known to both constituents and local government officials, whether assisting with a Social Security problem, providing funds for new fire equipment or the Blackstone Valley National Corridor,  or assisting with the restoration of Milford Pond.  On election day, I’ll be voting for a representative who’s been getting the job done, and done right, for decades, Richard Neal.  The last person we need representing us in Washington is an opportunistic Johnny-come-lately with an honesty problem.

I hope they publish it – I’ll be on the lookout for it!

Afonso Plaza

189 West St

Milford, MA 01757

508-318-VOTE (8683)

Richie’s opponent, Tom Wesley, is planning a rally in front of our office for the same day, starting at 4:30 and going until 6:00.  We’re planning a counter rally of our own, so come on out to the campaign office at 4:00 pm if you can.  See you there!

Join us this Friday for phone banking for Richard Neal, Deval Patrick and Tim Murray and socializing afterward – otherwise known as Friday Phones and Fun!  We’re meeting at the campaign office at 6:00 PM on Rt 140 in Milford:

Afonso Plaza

189 West St

Milford, MA  01757

508-318-VOTE (8683)

We’ll go until 8:00 PM or so, and then we’ll be gathering at the Turtle Tavern for socializing.  Here’s that address:

Turtle Tavern

72 Main St.

Milford, MA  01757

See you there?  

Here’s a web site from the National Transportation Safety Board detailing what they’re doing about distracted drivers:

http://www.distraction.gov/

Tom may want to stop by that site and get a few pointers!

The new job is the result of stimulus funding and the state’s investment in career centers, Gov. Deval Patrick said.

“It’s not an abstraction,” Patrick said in a phone interview. “It’s a real person – someone who was in pretty desperate straits.”

That’s right folks, this is not an abstraction, this is real world stuff – the results we need from government spending in times of financial crisis.  Many Republicans like to argue that FDR’s programs didn’t bring the economy out of the Great Depression, that it was WWII that did that – and yet, what was WWII, if not MASSIVE government spending?  Governor Patrick is correct – this is proof positive that the stimulus package and state spending is helping, and will continue to help.

I worked with Lynne for many years at Fidelity – she and I developed a lot of coding standards and best practices for code reviews.  I left them last year to start my own business, but that turned out to be a foolish maneuver and I’ve been unemployed since November of last year.  I’m off to my local DET to see if I can get this same class…

http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

Pictured from left to right:  State Senator Michael Moore, State Rep. Harold Naughton’s chief of staff Susan Templeton, Nicole Goldman, owner/operator of ‘g’ Green Design Center corporate headquarters, John Tehan, franchise owner of the Northborough location (that’s me!), Northborough Selectperson Fran Bakstran, and Kate Donaghue, State Democratic Party Committee member from Westboro.  Looking on in the background is my beautiful daughter, Jillian.

Our mission at ‘g’ Green Design Center is to provide you with everything needed to create green, sustainable environments that are both beautiful and responsible to our earth.   Whether you’re building a new space or renovating an existing one, we have environmentally friendly choices to help our customers create beautiful and unique interiors that are healthier for the occupants and better for the planet.  

Green is not a trend – it’s an acknowledgement of our responsibility to limit our impact on the earth or risk a process of deterioration that threatens our ability to survive on the planet.  Green is not a threat, it’s a way of life.

Currently, our buildings contribute the majority of pollution and deleterious chemicals that produce global warming, deplete our natural resources as well as compromise our health through toxic materials and dangerous chemicals. At ‘g’ our intention is to provide materials and products that reduce or erase this impact on our daily lives, as well as giving you the knowledge and ability to implement new practices that will become a way of life now and into the future.

Here’s a few snaps of our product line:

Renewably made products – bamboo bowls, utensils, towels and pot holders, stainless steel water bottles and decorative shopping bags, and more…

Flooring samples from Eco Timber – bamboo flooring, and exotic South American woods harvested sustainably from FSC Certified forests.

A variety of eco-friendly paints and stains from AFM Safecoat, Bio-Shield, and Old Fashioned Milk Paint.  You can learn more about our entire product line here:  http://www.ggreendesign.com/gr…

Please stop by my store if you’re in the area – or stop by virtually if you’re not nearby!  Here’s the details:

‘g’ Green Design Center

290 West Main St.

Northborough, MA  01532

Phone:  508-393-4111

Email:  northboro@ggreendesign.com

Web site:  http://www.ggreendesign.com and http://www.ggreendesign.com/no…

I’ll leave you with just a few more pictures – thanks for reading!

Discussing the store with State Rep. Carolyn Dykema

The Proclamation from the State House

Jillian mugging for the camera

‘g’ Green Design Center

We’ve got a great product line, everything from soaps and personal care items to cabinets, countertops and flooring.  Presently, I’m putting my store together in Northborough, on Rt 20 at the corner with the Southwest Cut-off.  Here’s a picture of the location:

I’m in Unit 8, just below the big “For Lease” sign in this shot:

I’m next door to a sushi restaurant – I think I know where my profits will be going…

I’m painting it with low VOC paint from AFM Safecoat, and next week we’ll be installing several different types of renewable flooring – Marmoleum, Bamboo, FSC Certified hardwood, reclaimed wood, cork flooring and more.  I’ll have a green conference table made of Paperstone, and the desk in my office will also be a demo countertop.  The bathroom will have a dual-flush high efficiency toilet, a renewable sink and countertop, and an instant-on water heater from one of our dealers.

I’ll be holding a grand opening celebration on either 8/1, 8/8, or 8/15, it all depends on how much work I get done next week.  I’ll be posting about it here, and I’ll add it to the calendar when the date is certain.  Thanks for reading – now tell me why you deserve to go to NN on my dime!

Cross-posted at DailyKos.com

The generals wrote:

Some suggest that the United States must emulate Denmark, the Netherlands and Canada, which have incorporated homosexuals into their forces. But none of these countries has the institutional culture or worldwide responsibilities of our military.  America’s armed forces are models for our allies’ militaries and the envy of our adversaries—not the other way around.  As former senior commanders, we know that the reason for this long-standing envy is the unsurpassed discipline, morale and readiness of our military.

And Bill replied:

I’m sure the Danes, Dutch and Canadians will be thrilled to know that a bunch of bitter, aging American generals are calling their military servicemen and women disorganized, unprepared, uncultured losers. But I’m curious—why didn’t they also mention the armed forces of Britain or Israel or Australia or Germany? They allow gays to serve openly and I dare anyone to question their effectiveness or morale. And this puzzles me: if we’re the role models for the world’s armies, shouldn’t the number of countries allowing gays to serve openly be going down instead of up? Logic is such a nasty adversary, isn’t it, Generals? If only you could invade it and make it surrender, everything would be peachy.

Emphasis mine – logic is such a nasty adversary – wisdom for the ages in that statement.  The whole thing is just incredible – read it here.

There’s another diary currently on the rec list at DKos – I won’t spoil any of it for you, here’s the title and the link – you’ll be laughing so hard you’ll be able to skip those crunches at the gym this week…

America Seeks Restraining Order Against GOP

Enjoy!!

http://my.barackobama.com/page…

Jeanne Shaheen is having a rally in Nashua at 2:30 tomorrow, and Bill Clinton will be the feature speaker – might be fun to take a break and go see the big dog in action!  

I’ll be leaving around 9:30 am and getting back around 7:00 – 8:00 pm depending on dinner plans.

Len Burman, a former Treasury tax official who is now a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, says if Obama’s proposals-which include plans to rescind the Bush tax cuts on couples making more than $250,000, close corporate tax loopholes, and tax private equity earnings known as “carried interest” as ordinary income-were adopted in 2009, for example, married couples with earnings in the lowest quintile of the population would see their aftertax income rise 5.8%. Those in the next quintile would see an increase of 4%. Those breaks would be paid for by those with high incomes: the top 1% of taxpayers would see aftertax income fall 8.4%.

Under McCain’s proposals, by contrast-including an extension of the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers, a corporate tax cut, and a larger reduction in estate taxes than Obama would support-far more of the benefits would go to the top. If his plans went into effect in 2009, married couples in the bottom fifth of the population would see aftertax income go up just 0.2%, while those in the next quintile would see a 0.7% hike. But those in the top quintile would see a bump up in aftertax income of 2.7%.

“It’s just flat wrong” to say people would do worse under Obama, says Burman. “Most lower- and middle-class people would pay less taxes under Obama than they would under the proposals being put forth by McCain.”

Want to see how much of a tax cut you can expect to see under Obama’s plan?  Click here:

http://alchemytoday.com/obamat…

So for everyone interested in a real discussion of a real issue, please comment.  Please be honest and respectful, no pie fights – if this works out, we can cover health care, or the economy, or Iraq, or…

He had some great lines, but this was probably the best:

To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician: I say, let’s compare Senator McCain to candidate McCain.

Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Senator McCain once called irresponsible.

Candidate McCain criticizes Senator McCain’s own climate change bill.

Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote.

Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you’re against it!

Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself.

It turns out that this isn’t the first time the issue of John McCain’s lavish multiple residences has emerged in the heat of a campaign.

In 1986, when then-Rep. McCain was running for the Senate seat vacated by Barry Goldwater, he quietly began remodeling a $500,000 house in central Phoenix owned by his wealthy father-in-law James Hensley. The $225,000 project — which included the construction of a 4,000-square-foot addition, swimming pool, jacuzzi, cabana and barbecue — held political peril for McCain, who was already fighting charges that he was as an opportunistic carpertbagger.

The new house was located in Phoenix’s fourth congressional district — outside of the first district in Tempe which he represented at the time.  

AP caught wind of the work at 7110 North Central Ave. shortly before the general election and dispatched a reporter to examine blueprints at the planning department. They found the permit applicants were listed as Hensley and a mysterious “Mr. Smith.”

The reporter tracked down McCain’s plumber, who told him he’d been told Mr. Smith’s first name was “Eldon.”

Eldon Smith, it turned out, was John McCain.

John McCain was not just a carpetbagger in Arizona, he showed himself to be a liar, using an alias to conceal an out of district house purchase.  Just the type of guy we need for president, right?  Lies and the lying liars who tell them – just another day in the Republican party…

I know what I think – I think this video needs to go viral, please Digg it here:

http://digg.com/2008_us_electi…

“McCain was down at the end of the table and we were talking to the head of the guerrilla group here at this end of the table and I don’t know what attracted my attention,” Cochran said in an interview with The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss. “But I saw some kind of quick movement at the bottom of the table and I looked down there and John had reached over and grabbed this guy by the shirt collar and had snatched him up like he was throwing him up out of the chair to tell him what he thought about him or whatever …

“I don’t know what he was telling him but I thought, ‘Good grief, everybody around here has got guns and we were there on a diplomatic mission.’ I don’t know what had happened to provoke John, but he obviously got mad at the guy … and he just reached over there and snatched … him.”

Cochran, who has complained about McCain’s temper before, said only a handful of senators took part in the trip, including former Sen. Steve Symms of Idaho. He said he didn’t know who the man McCain grabbed was except that he was an associate of Ortega.

McCain and his campaign are denying the story, naturally – but Cochran’s office has held firm:

Asked about the incident, Cochran spokeswoman Margaret McPhillips told The Associated Press: “I think his quotes in the Sun Herald speak on that issue.”

Of course, this is the same Thad Cochran who had this to say about John McCain in January, 2008:

“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine,” Cochran said about McCain by phone. “He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”

John McCain – too hot-tempered to be president, unfit for command.  Cross-posted at JohnMcCaingry.com

We’ll need typical party stuff:

Paper plates, cups, napkins, plastic flatware

Soda, iced tea, bottled water, cider, etc

Potato sald, macaroni salad, garden salad

Baked ziti or shells

A vegetarian dish or two (I have two veggie dishes already promised)

Chips and dips (I have one person confirmed for chips and salsa)

Some sweet stuff for dessert – cookies, cake, and of course, PIE!

Pickles, olives, etc

Bring your own alcohol – I have a full wet bar downstairs.  Bring any interesting DVDs you have – I have a copy of Robert Greenwald’s “Uncovered:  the whole truth about the Iraq War”, but it’s a little dated, being from 2004.

Is there anything I’ve missed?

The surge has failed in its primary goal: to encourage the Iraqis to reconcile their political differences by providing what President Bush in January called “breathing space.” There has been no progress and no commitment to it. Why should our troops continue to die when the Iraqi legislature chooses to take a month-long vacation instead of working hard to compromise differences?

Gen. Petraeus told me that an American troop presence would be required in Iraq for another nine to 10 years. However, when testifying before Congress last week, he gave no rationale for why the White House's strategy will work in the future. A decade more in Iraq is unacceptable to me and to the American people.

The best approach for our national security is to remove our troops from Iraq and bring them home or redeploy them elsewhere. U.S. military operations can no longer determine the fundamental dynamics on the ground in Iraq or in the political sphere. Failing to withdraw troops will, in the long run, be even more dangerous for us than keeping them there.

The war in Iraq poisons every aspect of our foreign policy and prevents us from properly fighting al-Qaida in its home region.

The young service men and women from Maine that I met at Combat Outpost X-Ray in Iraq, Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and other locations in both countries make us all proud. They have done everything they've been asked to do, and it has been a job well done.

They were sent to Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, and they did it swiftly and decisively. We need to end their mission, not re-label it.

Congress must lead the way out of Iraq. No amount or recommendations by blue-ribbon panels, cajoling by elder statesmen or non-binding statements from Congress will move  this inflexible president.

The only realistic way is for Congress to set a firm, binding deadline to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.

Source:  TomAllen.org

Those are the words of a Senator, and they're the words I've been waiting to hear!  Please donate to my ActBlue page today, thanks!

We chatted for a while and ate a delicious assortment of foods – our hostess, Sabine (a naturalized US citizen, sworn in just this past February!) was quite gracious, as she kept the wine and veggie burgers flowing.  We talked about the climate crisis for a while, and I eventually asked if anyone had heard of Jamie Eldridge.  A few folks had, but many had not heard of him – I ran down the race for them and handed out some literature from the campaign.  Then I hit them with the big question – would they like to meet Jamie?  The response was an overwhelming yes, and by this time there was at least a dozen attendees – I called the campaign.

After dinner, we went inside to have dessert – our hosts have a rather large wicker bear that I felt was worth a picture:

We settled into couches and chairs and began to watch a collection of video clips of each Democratic candidate responding to MoveOn member questions about the climate crisis – we got as far as Obama when the doorbell rang, and our host announced “Jamie Eldridge – Candidate for Congress!!”

As you can see, we wasted no time in putting him on the hot seat – our hostess asked the first question, “Tell us, why should we vote for you?”  Jamie laid out his progressive stand on the most vital issues we face:  he wants to bring the troops home from Iraq, he wants dramtaic action on global warming now, he supports HR 676 for universal single-payer health care.  But most importantly, he said, he’ll earn their votes by standing up to the entrenched power structure in Washington, just like he did in Massachusetts when he stood up to the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House, Tom Finneran, on the day he was sworn into office.

We went around the room after that, with everyone asking questions on a myriad of topics, and Jamie handled them all with substantive, thoughtful answers.  He spent the better part of an hour on this discussion, and I think the crowd was duly impressed.  I got to announce “last question”, but Jamie stayed for quite a while after that and mingled with the crowd.  One last photo of Jamie and our hostess, Sabine (blonde), and another attendee whose name escapes me at the moment:

Absolutely the best MoveOn party experience I’ve ever had – how was yours?

http://www.dailykos….

details how Bush and Congress have done an end-around on Posse Comitatus, in effect authorizing Bush to grab the National Guard from one state and use them in another state, as police forces, if he deems it necessary.  The kicker?  He can do it over the objections of both state’s governors!  It looks to me like thios is breaking news – it’s a huge issue for the gubernatorial campaign, and someone needs to make sure that Deval is aware of this.

I wonder what Healy thinks of this move by her party’s leaders?  It’d be a shame for a real issue to intrude on her smears, wouldn’t it?