A handbook for Occupy Wall Street
The next question for the Occupy Wall Street movement is: Will it remain a collection of the angry and disaffected or will it engage in (and re-energize) our American democracy? That remains to be...
View ArticleA people’s tool for democratic reform
Californians’ efforts to right our listing ship of state have produced a flurry of reform efforts and attracted a bevy of reformers. Jim Fishkin, a Stanford communications professor and democracy...
View ArticleiPhone app to Ask a Politician
You have to have an app these days to market almost anything so it is no surprise there’s now an app to market politicians. The app developer doesn’t promise that you will get the personalized response...
View ArticleTime to turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans?
So has it come to parties vs. the people? Mickey Edwards, a self-described conservative Republican who represented Oklahoma in the House for 16 years until 1993, thinks so. He notes that about the only...
View ArticleLonging for the days of ‘real’ news
After more than 30 years in the news business, I’ve seen vast changes to the technology that delivers news and even to what defines news. The industry is adapting to the changes and I am adapting along...
View ArticleElection memo
Last Tuesday’s election revealed a new political landscape, underscored American values and suggested we have some work to do to maintain America as “the beacon of democracy.” First, we heard loudly...
View ArticleHow crude-by-rail and other debates are censored
When I wrote in November about how the mayor of Benicia was effectively muzzled from speaking about a pending city decision with nationwide importance, I thought the debate was over climate change. Now...
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