In the News . . .
From Tennessee Indymedia:
12/24/07
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Tennessee Indymedia
US Senate Misses the Mark with Omnibus Spending Bill
Last week the Senate passed the Omnibus Spending Bill which included an appropriation of $70 billion for Iraq, showing that the Senate is once again out of touch with the basic values of the American people. According to a December 13th Gallup survey, Americans say that the war in Iraq is their number one concern, yet this past week the US Senate voted to "stay the course" and handed the President everything he wanted with respect to the war in Iraq.
American's are highly skeptical about the notion of progress in Iraq, with only 11% polling responding that they are "pleased" with the results of the war. Yet Americans seem to be resigned to the fact that US Troops are going to remain in Iraq. The simple fact is that the United States cannot afford to continue this war. In addition to the complete lack of international support for Bush's folly, the middle class can no longer afford to pay for the war. The national debt is at an all time high of $9.1 trillion dollars and Congress has appropriated another $580 billion dollars in military spending, far in excess of the actual amount of appropriations needed to defend the national security .
The United States Senate has sent a message to the American people, that they do not care about them or about their future. By voting in line with the President the Senate has showed that what it cares about most are defense appropriations and handing out thousands of spending contracts. This makes sense in light of the fact that the US Senate is composed mostly of millionaires, as almost 50% of the US Senate is in this category, while in the US population as whole only about 1% are millionaires. The investment interest of the current class of Senators is heavily weighted towards money and much less toward people or the American interest.
Then there is the military . . .
According to a recent poll from the Center for American Progress, the Bush administration is doing a remarkably poor job of helping out veterans and their families. Military families have turned sharply against the Bush administration, with only 35% responding favorably when asked if their needs were being met. The US Senate does not have a clear direction for the war in Iraq and it is relying on the Bush administration for leadership on this war that the President has unilaterally led us into. What the Senate should be doing is exercising leadership of its own, by rejecting the Omnibus Spending Bill, reducing federal spending for the war in Iraq, and bringing our troops home.
By spending another $70billion dollars on a failed war, we are only prolonging the inevitable withdrawal. Although Americans feel ambiguous about their responsibilities to the Iraqi people, the Iraqi people do not feel nearly so ambiguous. They want the troops out and they want their country returned. We have bombed their country, killed their people, created 2 million refugees and polluted their country with depleted uranium, and still the US Senate thinks we should stay the course and that we are making progress.
It is time to end the war and bring the troops home. Tennessee deserves progressive leadership and deserves a candidate who will stand up for common sense and not for private contractors and military appropriations. We have lost to many good men and women, created too much devastation and human misery because of our narrow sighted actions in the middle east. It is time for us to face up to our mistakes and begin to reconcile ourselves with the international community. It is time to begin reducing our national debt, reducing our military spending and stepping out of the post cold-war mentality of the neo-cons. It is time to bring the troops home now!
Chris Lugo for US Senate
9 Music Sq So #164
Nashville, TN 37203
615-593-0304
chris4senate@gmail.com
www.voteforpeace.info
LUGO CONDEMNS FCC MEDIA OWNERSHIP PROPOSAL
From Free Press.net:
12/15/07
Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Chris Lugo condemned the media consolidation
proposal currently under review by the FCC.
To read this article, visit the link below:
FreePress.Net
12/15/07 Nashville, TN: US Senate Candidate Chris Lugo issued a release today condemning the Media Consolidation Proposal currently under review by the Federal Communications Commission. The proposal, which would broaden ownership rules for major media corporations, would allow the same corporation to own major television and newspaper outlets in the same market. "What we need is greater diversity in the media market," Lugo said, "not more uniformity. This proposal would further consolidate the power of major media corporations and would lead to less information and fewer resources for media consumers. We all stand to lose if this proposal is supported by the FCC."
Currently, media corporations are prohibited from owning both major television and newspaper outlets in the same market, but under the proposed new rule changes under consideration by the FCC this rule could change so that, for instance, the same corporation could own the Tennessean and a major corporate television outlet such as NewsChannel Five (CBS). "These proposals would lead to diminished diversity of information," Lugo said, "What we have here is a consolidation of information as entertainment designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator and to increase corporate profits at the expense of our communities."
Chris Lugo supports the efforts of Free Press and local advocates opposed to media consolidation such as Radio Free Nashville. "While community media languishes, with the FCC exercising broad control over low power fm licensing, at the same time FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is bending over backwards to give more money and more power to corporate media outlets, and in the process ignoring hundreds of thousands of emails, phone calls and letters of protest in opposition to this proposal," Lugo said, "It is clear to me that there needs to be a changing of the guard at the FCC."
Chris Lugo is a candidate for the US Senate in Tennessee. In 2006 Lugo ran as the Green Party of Tennessee candidate against Harold Ford Jr. and Bob Corker. Lugo has not decided yet whether he will be seeking the Green Party or Democratic Party nomination, but he has actively launched his campaign for US Senate with the publication of his online campaign website and numerous public appearances since October of 2007. For more information please visit www.voteforpeace.info
Chris Lugo for US Senate
9 Music Sq So #164
Nashville, TN 37203
615-593-0304
chris4senate@gmail.com
www.voteforpeace.info
for General Release:
US Senate Candidate Chris Lugo
Calls for Verifiable Elections in 2008
12/17/08
Nashville, TN: In a statement released today to the press, US Senate Candidate Chris Lugo called for verifiable elections in Tennessee by November of 2008. "Now is the time for verifiable elections, Lugo said, "and I believe that optical scan voting systems will offer voters election integrity. Optical scan voting systems provide a paper record which offer the voters a measure of security that cannot be guaranteed with the current machines. Voters want to know that their votes were counted and candidates want to know that the system is working."
Optical scan voting systems are currently under consideration by a joint committee of the state legislature following recommendation by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations which voted unanimously last week to recommend that Tennessee move to voter-verified paper ballots to improve election integrity. "The commissioners were obviously influenced by the large numbers of emails and messages they received from voters, Lugo said, "and the message they sent was clear, integrity of elections matters to Tennesseans."
Voter confidence in the electoral process has been in a state of crisis in the United States since November of 2000 when Americans didn’t know who the President was or what the result of the election actually was. That year thousands of voters were purged from the voter rolls in Florida and reports came in from across the nation of voters standing in long lines for hours waiting to vote. "Although the problems are complex, one key component to restoring voter confidence is to provide voters with verifiable elections, Lugo said, "that is the best and clearest path toward election integrity."
In 2004 former President Jimmy Carter warned that our system would not meet the Carter Center's minimal standards for free and fair elections which are utilized internationally as a measure of election integrity. "Although there are many options available, optical scan voting systems appear to be the best course of action for the immediate future, Lugo said, "Optical scanning is faster, which reduces the long waiting lines many voters have faced in recent elections. It also provides the critical security that voters require by providing a hard copy of their vote which can be referred to in the event of machine malfunction. With mandatory random audits and a hard copy backup we can be on our way to verifiable elections in Tennessee."
Chris Lugo is a candidate for the US Senate in Tennessee. In 2006 Lugo ran as the Green Party of Tennessee candidate against Harold Ford Jr. and Bob Corker. Lugo has not decided yet whether he will be seeking the Green Party or Democratic Party nomination, but he has actively launched his campaign for US Senate with the publication of his online campaign website and numerous public appearances since October of 2007. For more information please visit www.voteforpeace.info
from Clarksville Online:
Lugo launches "vote for peace" website
By Christine Anne Piesyk | November 20, 2007
Chris Lugo, candidate for US Senate, has announced the establishment of his new website, Vote for Peace, a resource for everyone who is interested in in his candidacy and issues affecting peace and the health and welfare of the American citizenry. Lugo, a resident of Nashville, ran for this seat in 2006 as the Green Party of Tennessee candidate.
In announcing the new site, Lugo said,
"The war in Iraq has been dragging on for more than four years now with no end in sight. The Bush administration has failed the American people and the Republican leadership which has supported this administration is complicit in this unwarranted war of aggression which has cost the lives of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis at a cost of trillions of dollars."
As he looks at the State of the Union, he asks the public to open its eyes and
* Imagine what we could have done with the good will which the international community expressed for us after September 11th, 2001.
* Imagine what we could have done, if we had spent hundreds of billions of dollars on real needs here at home.
* Imagine if we had spent that money ensuring that every American had access to health care.
* Imagine that we had ensured that every student who wanted to could go to school cost free.
* Imagine if we had worked to ensure that social security, America’s promise to the working class, were insured for future generations.
* Imagine if we were to work to correct the deep racial injustices which face this country.
* Imagine if we had invested in our domestic infrastructure or had done right by the people of New Orleans.
"These are just some of the things we could have spent our money on instead of spending it on torture, domestic spying, and murdering women and children in the middle east at the hands of private contractors. America deserves better leadership that this. Tennessee deserves better leadership.
Lugi is an anti-war peace activist who supports progressive values for Tennessee. He support health care for all Americans, an end to the war in Iraq, no domestic spying on Americans, the creation of a federal level Department of Peace, a secular government with a clear separation between church and state, women’s rights, immigrants rights and civil rights for gays and lesbians. He is a progressive who has been involved in the social justice community for twenty years.
To access this site, log onto to www.voteforpeace.info.
from Clarksville Online:
Activist Chris Lugo seeks U.S. Senate seat; critical of "misdirected" national priorities
By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 29, 2007
After a long summer of consideration I have made the decision to enter the race in Tennessee as a candidate for the US Senate. - Chris Lugo
Chris Lugo has decided to toss his hat into the ring of contenders for a Tennessee seat in the U.S. Senate, working from a progressive, independent and green platform that first and foremost is an anti-war stance that advocates an end to the Iraq War and refocusing of energy and tax dollars on domestic issues including public safety, transportation infrastructure, and alternative energy.
"I plan to work to represent a progressive voice in Tennessee in the 2008 elections. As the former 2006 Green Party of Tennessee candidate for US Senate, I plan to build on my experience and knowledge for the 2008 elections. My work as a peace activist working with statewide coalitions to end the war in Iraq for the past five years will be helpful in getting out the antiwar message which is at the core of my campaign. I hope you will consider supporting my effort to be that voice in Tennessee.
"I am the only candidate running for Senate in Tennessee who stands for the progressive ideals that have made this country great. I am truly interested in the needs of the poor, the elderly, women and children, working people, immigrants, gays and lesbians, and the environment. I am the only candidate who stands for peace. I have a long history of service to my community and working for a better Tennessee."
Lugo reminded voters that the Iraq War has passed the four year mark with thousands of Americans killed and an estimated 700,000 to 1.2 million Iraqis killed. Millions more have become refugees.
"This misguided war in Iraq has cost our state seven billion dollars. This is an incomprehensible price to pay for nothing. The war in Iraq has cost the United States what was left of its good name internationally, in addition to creating hundreds of thousands of enemies… By staying in Iraq, remaining as an occupying power, we have only reinforced perspectives in the Middle East and throughout the world that we are rogue bullies, hellbent on occupation and devastation wherever it is deemed to be in the interests of the rich and powerful of this nation."
Lugo criticizes the current administrations neglect of our nation at the expense of the Iraq War, citing the
"…abandonment of our cities … the national disaster of Katrina and the displacement of over 250,000 mostly poor people of color.
"Our transportation infrastructure is crumbling and federal estimates put the cost of replacement at $11 billion for just the most immediate repairs to guarantee public safety, let along investing in options such as light rail, urban rezoning to reduce sprawl, and investment in alternate energy such as wind and solar. Our national priorities are completely misguided and misdirected."
Lugo is concerned about the widening gap between the nation’s richest and poorest people, and said the middle class is "disappearing a free trade agreements and corporate profiteering "drive down wages for the working class.
"If ever there was a clarion call for our elected leadeers to wake up, now is the time, but they are bogged down in Washington with their special interests, obligations and lobbyists.
"Now is the time to move forward in Tennessee. The war in Iraq has been dragging on for over four years now. The Democrats are not going to bring us out of this myopia; only a truly progressive, independent candidate can help our country move forward. Vote for Peace in 2008!"
"These are the values I stand for, Ludo said, adding that he intends to be the voice for the issues "we know will not be discussed in Tennessee by the Democratic or Republican candidates: ending the war, bringing health care to every citizen, abolishing our nuclear weapons stockpile, addressing issues of racial justice in the South, media democracy, election reform, international peace, and publicly funded campaigns.
Lugo is a Nashville resident, a peace activist has had many experiences which have helped to prepare me to run for public office. ‘
"I have been active on the left for eighteen years organizing for peace and against war in Tennessee and in Minnesota. I am an editor for the Tennessee Independent Media Center and have been writing, interviewing and researching progressive politics statewide for a number of years. I am active in several coalitions in Tennessee associated with the progressive left including the Green Party of Tennessee, the Nashville Peace and Justice Center and the Nashville Peace Coalition.
"I have participated in active campaigns with the Living Wage Campaign, the Coalition to Save TennCare, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, the Firebrand Community Center Project, the United Nations Association, Bring Urban Recycling to Nashville Today, the Mid-East Peace Coalition, Pan Africa, Citizens for Smart Choices, Nashville Peace Action, National Organization of Women and United for Peace and Justice. As a journalist, I have been active with the Tennessee Independent Media Center, Radio Free Nashville and Nashville Community Access Television."
He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a major in art and political science.
The following are a partial list of the positions taken in Lugo’s prior Senate run (his positions have not changed):
Military Spending/Patriot Act:
* Patriot Act harms civil liberties.
* Less spending on armed forces.
* Create a cabinet-level Department of Peace.
Energy and Oil:
* Supports continued investment in domestic hybrid vehicles, bio-diesel, solar- powered vehicles, air cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
* Support increased funding for public transportation.
Education:
* School prayer breaches church-state separation.
* Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
* Supports both vouchers AND full public school funding. Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public, private or religious school.
* Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
* Reward teachers with merit pay for working in low-income schools.
Health Care:
* Ensure Universal Health Care
Chris Lugo for US Senate
9 Music Square South #164
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
615-593-0304
chris4senate@gmail.com
www.voteforpeace.info
From Tennessee Indymedia: