All are Welcome, from "Newborn" to "Rated R"

Citizen Hunters, I recently learned of a great opportunity to help the Children's Hospital Of Los Angeles (CHLA). A dear friend told me that CHLA recently upgraded its rooms from VCRs to DVD players, and they are in desperate need of a DVD library for the children and their families to enjoy.

CHLA is a 331-bed, non-profit, private pediatric treatment center located in the heart of Los Angeles. Each year, the hospital cares for over 200,000 inpatients and outpatients from birth to 21 years of age, referred from throughout California and the world.

After speaking with CHLA's fundraising department and receiving their approval, Tina Manguikian decided to start a DVD Drive to build the library from scratch. Her goal is to collect anywhere between 1000 - 1500 DVDs, New or Used, Newborn to Rated R, by June 13, 2008.

How to Help:

Please send DVDs directly to Tina Manguikian at:
2700 Neilson Way,
Unit 725,
Santa Monica, CA 90405

For further information contact Tina at: dvddonations@yahoo.com or (310) 314-5266

Kudos to Governor Rendell for putting our kids first. Read our editorial (below, or here) and then take action by calling your elected official today.

FOR MANY parents in the workforce, particularly those raising children on their own, the cost of quality child care can be out of reach - and high-quality child care, which is part of early-childhood education, is even pricier. According to a report from Public Citizens for Children and Youth, the average cost of such care for two children was more than $19,000 in 2007.

The state Department of Public Welfare provides subsidies for low-income parents, but thousands of Philadelphia-area families are stuck on a waiting list. That translates into more than 1,600 children from the city and 7,850 children statewide waiting for benefits.

Gov. Rendell has proposed increasing the number of available slots by 2,600. And state Sen. Mike Stack and state Rep. Tony Payton have proposed $9 million more to cut the waiting list in half. That's a worthwhile investment. Children who receive high-quality child care are more likely to graduate from high school, find steady employment and stay out of prison. And researchers estimate the public saves $4 to $17 on future costs for every dollar spent on early-childhood education.

Elected officials in Harrisburg should support this worthy program. *

Staying fit and healthy is part of being a citizenhunter, as I have mentioned before. It's important to avoid health complications that are a drain not just on you and your family, but also on taxpayers.

Now there's another reason to stay fit, so you can live longer and do citizenhunter activities for even more time. Though it is somewhat common-sense, a new study by the University of Toronto gives scientific proof to what you may have guessed: that the aging process can be slowed by working out regularly. If we exercise daily, the study shows that we can increase our aerobic power by a quarter in terms of fitness, making us up to a decade younger! Who doesn't want that? That is about as close to a fountain of youth that one will find.

Remember that drinking and smoking are also no-no's, especially in excess.

Exercising also boosts your immune system, gives you better recovery time when you get injured. And better balance -- I mean literally, not figuratively, but that probably applies as well. Your body learns to take in more oxygen from exercising, which makes breathing easier! Now all we have to do is get our air cleaner so that that is even more fun. You can always check out my colleague Kimberly Garrison's columns and podcast for the latest fitness tips.

UPDATE Check out this mini-editorial on a fitness-related cause you can help out with, whether or not you're actually running on Sunday.

Here's a quickie: One Warm Coat helps get coats to people who need them.

Visit the site to donate a coat or get tools and resources to have your own coat drive!

Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is a cool organization to check out. Citizen Hunters know the environmental benefits to eating local food, and the trees that FTPF plants do just that, but they also help to lessen global warming's impact, alleviate hunger, and improve nutrition.

The group has planted thousands of trees and given fresh produce to drug rehab centers and homeless shelters across America as well as to families affected by emergency situations like Hurricane Katrina. The orchards they planted in Kenya and India for needy families also help to provide vegetables and fruits to local schools, orphanages, and health clinics. The foundation says their number-one priority is to help communities help themselves.

They also plant orchards to improve the lives of rescued animals on sanctuaries that provide shade and plenty of yummy pickings for a healthy diet. Check out these cute pics from one of their orchards right here in PA!

Visit the site and make a donation to help their efforts at www.ftpf.org/donation.htm and e-mail them if you want to nominate a space that would benefit from their program.

Also, check out their wish list of things they would like you to donate -- remember as tax time nears, all this stuff is tax-deductible. They are looking for small items, like books on horticulture and software programs, to medium size gifts like GPS -- or for the big players, an extra parcel of land you just can't wait to get off your hands! I found two books on planting and flowers that my grandmother got me when I bought a house in Harrisburg thinking I would have spare time to do some gardening (that never happened) and the books haven't even been opened!

TIME FOR BETTER EDUCATION ON RISKS OF SEX

Here's our Editorial from today's Daily News. I have two sisters between the ages of 14-19, so when I read the recent report that 1 in 4 of our girls in that age range have STD's, it led to two immediate phone calls.

Please read our editorial and get informed. STD's are not just for kids though. Knowing your risk factors, talking openly with your partner, and if you have already decided to have sex, knowing how to protect yourself are all very important. STD's are tricky in that their symptoms masquerade as ones that could easily be pinned on another culprit -- flu, cold, the like. If an STD is not caught early on the effects are far more damaging, and for expectant mothers, if you don't take precautions your baby could very well be affected.

Of those who know they have an STD, 80% do not tell their partners, so it is important to ask your partner when he or she last got tested and if they are sleeping with anyone else. Married couples are not exempt -- people can enter into a marriage without knowing they have an STD or they can be unfaithful -- and when married people cheat they are less likely to protect themselves.

But you feel just fine, you go to the DOC every year or OBGN and you're sure they would tell you if something was up, you don't need to get tested. WRONG! Most doctors do not test for STD's unless you specifically ask and then don't test for all STD's.

Know your risk factors and the symptoms you should be aware of The editorial gives local options, but you can call 1-866- 478-3417 to find a testing site near you. It is confidential.

Remember AIDS and STD's do not discriminate -- you can't tell if someone has one by how they look.

Some things bear repeating. I asked Citizen Hunters to consider the book Antarctica after watching my interview with my dear friend Sebastian Copeland and his cousin Orlando Bloom on Extra, but for those who have yet to, I want to tell you why you should.

This book contains quite possibly some of the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen. It is a coffee table book that will entertain, inspire, educate, and help save our planet!

Sebastian’s photographs are stunning, haunting, majestic, and painful—they leap from the page and grab your heart and they whisper and shout, Look at me! Look at the beauty that surrounds us, a beauty that is being devastated with every minute of inaction, a beauty that we can ill afford to ignore and lose.

A picture, it is said, is worth a thousand words, some, like these, are worth far more. It was a magical photograph of the earth that started the environmental movement and it's appropriate that photos again present a very powerful and visceral call to action.

This book cannot and should not be missed. Sebastian's photography is complemented by insights and writings detailing scientific data and the journey he took aboard the research vessel, The Ice Lady Patagonia. Many luminaries of the environmental movement also share sage words and the book ends as it should, with steps we can all take to make a difference. A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit Global Green, where Sebastian serves on the board and I serve on the LA committee.

To find out more about Antarctica and SOS go to www.antarcticabook.com and www.earthawareeditions.com.

I read "A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier" a while back and was devastated to encounter this young man's story of youthful innocence lost to drug-filled mass killing when he was forced to join a rebel army at the age of 11.

Haunted by the story, I spent the night searching the web - Surely, I thought, one child is too many but this must be a story that could only be told by a small few. My research showed otherwise. There were many child soldiers out there, carrying not the same story, but ones that no child should have to be part of.

A recent U.N. report paints an even darker picture than my mind had conjured: In 13 countries around the world (Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Colombia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uganda), 58 different groups recruit and use child soldiers. The children are also raped, killed, kidnapped, and maimed.

Please visit the Coalition to Stop Child Soldiers to find out what you can do to help.

This blog is long overdue. I have thought about writing it so many times, but listened to the many voices over the years when I have been concerned about a friend, and others who are wise and caring have told me "'don't get involved, people have to hit rock bottom, addicts only lash out at people who try to help, and it won't help anyway."

Over the years I have had many friends who have struggled with addiction. Some got help before it really hurt them, others did after their spouse left them, they got reprimanded at work, kicked out of school, got a DUI or in other trouble with the law due to their drinking, had a pregnancy scare after drunk sex or contracted an STD after drunk sex, just to name a few. Others never got help and I can only assume the consequences of their addiction have only gotten worse.

I think one of the other reasons I have not written about it is I have never had a really close friend who was struggling, a family member, someone who brought it home for me. My friends over the years either had gotten help before I made their acquaintance (one goes to AA every day, every day and has been sober for 13 years, I am very proud of him. He was a huge success as a drunk and then lost it all and now is a huge success as a recovering alcoholic), or I knew or in some instances probably convinced myself that there were folks far closer to them that were already reaching out, just a friend of a friend situation.

Well, the perfect storm started gathering that shook me out of my inaction on the issue. First off, a talented actor Heath Ledger, it is presumed, cut his life short because of addiction.

This is not another blog about obesity and its impact on your health - I'm giving you guys a break for a bit on that one. But just to refresh your mind...

This is about how what you put in your mouth impacts the planet. (Fringe benefit: Much of the advice saves money and is good for you as well.) Some of these things I go overboard with, yes even causing embarrassment to my friends, when it comes to leftovers for instance (guys, feel free to share your best Flavia leftover stories in the comment thread) and others I don't do as well -- for instance I am not a vegetarian and don't always buy local and often don't ask if the coffee I buy is from a farm that practices sustainable agriculture (not that hard, right? Just look for the Rain Forest Alliance certification or Fair Trade or Bird Friendly and you're good) and composting - well I will be lucky if I get to that in the next ten years.

We are a consumer nation, we have no competition world wide on that score. Unless you are my buddy Ed Begley, who on a bet fit his trash for the week in the glove compartment of his small car, you produce about 4½ pounds of trash every day -- that adds up to about 500 billion pounds the good old U.S.A throws out every year. We have so much trash we have to ship a lot of it overseas, and if you look at North America from space, the highest point on the east is a landfill!

Last week there were countless stories on how outrageous it was that Naples, Italy had trash in the streets and the environmental impact of that -- we just hide ours a little better. Here are a few things you can do to help:

As promised, here is the blog on how to cut waste in your cafeteria at school. Since I know that kids, when they put their mind to it, can get more done than adults I figured I would give you more than just the cafeteria to work on - I know you can do it! Parents who are reading - work with your kids to help them "green" their school.

Bad news first - there are a lot of things that your school does to waste energy and there is not tons you can do about it, so don't get frustrated. For instance classrooms are heated, lit, and cooled by and large in pretty inefficient ways. This inefficiency leads to schools using about $6 billion a year in energy, and here is the worst part - 25% of that energy is wasted! $1.5 billion wasted every year - enough to hire about 30,000 new teachers. As the daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers I grew up watching my dad try to conserve in his own classroom, but changing the whole culture in schools is even tougher. So I encourage you to talk to your administrators the way you did about cafeteria food to see if they can put lights on timers and use more efficient light bulbs, and by all means remind folks to turn out the lights when they leave a room. But let's focus on what you can do to make a difference since you have control over your own behavior and can set a good example for others to follow.

I was just at Genuardi's since I am back home in Philly for the holidays and added a buck to my groceries that goes to Philabundance--a group you should know about.

I hope this is not just for the holidays, but if it is, make sure to keep up with this great group throughout the year.

Philabundance (philabundance.org or call them at 215-339-0900) is a food bank that helps deliver meals to the homeless and agencies that help do the same. They also have after school programs for both seniors and kids. Find out how you can help bring abundance to a person near you.

In preparation for my recent Greyhound Bus adventure in Florida (A separate story I will share with you soon... and trust me I am certainly not creative enough to make this stuff up. Citizen Hunters, you are in for a treat!), I stopped into a Publix Grocery Store to get some good snacks.

Leaving aside my personal shenanigans for now, I learned of the incredible power of a single dollar. The cashier scanned my Hershey Almond Chocolate Bar (Go Pennsylvania!!!), Nerds "ropes" - which my friend Lisa, fittingly, insisted I purchase (but if she really cared about me, she would've just sent some Tastykakes from Philly - the best, enough said!), and other goodies. While all of this was going on, Flavia, the busybody, was in full effect.

I looked all around and noticed a picture of a beautiful girl with a hopeful smile, but with eyes that seemed haunted for a girl of her tender age. This picture caught me off guard and stopped me in my tracks. I picked up a little piece of paper the cashier could scan that told me I could help feed little girls like her! This magenta ticket enabled me to add $1 to my purchase, which ultimately became a direct contribution to The Food For All program.

The Food For All Organization, a non-profit, provides a variety of self-help solutions to end hunger across the country. To find out more about their programs in your state visit their Web site, call 1-800-896-5101, or write Food For All at 201 Park Washington Court, Falls Church, VA 22046.

PLUS: Speaking of the power of a dollar, here's an update to the Holiday Book Drive post:

I sat in Borders today to get a little bit of work done, and noticed that it was also accepting donations for children in need this holiday season. Borders has teamed up with First Book, a nonprofit that gives kids from low-income families the opportunity to own and read new books. Instead of bringing books you just add a cash donation to your purchase. Each donation gets distributed to organizations in area communities in the form of gift cards.

To learn more about this program, which runs from now through December 24, visit www.firstbook.org, or your local Borders, Borders Express, Borders Outlet, Waldenbooks, or Brentano's store.

Here's the bottom line: Whether you prefer one bookstore over another, there are various opportunities to donate books or money toward their purchase for children in need. During the holiday season give a gift to someone in need, and find out it is just as much a gift to yourself. I can recall reading Silent Night to my sister and feeling strangely connected to an unknown child who might be reading the Silent Night I had donated. Silly I know, but for a few bucks I got a child what might have been their first new book and I had a moment where I felt happy for someone I had never even met.

With the holidays upon us let's not forget those who will be without their loved ones overseas. The U.S. Postal Service says they will process over 20 million pounds of mail for our men in women in uniform serving our nation. That stat makes me very happy: So many of you are probably already planning to send a care package - just wanted to remind you of some of the particulars.

If you want your package to arrive by Christmas: (jump to the list)

My op-ed column from today's Daily News. Look for the links at the end to Take Action.

THE continuing fires in Southern California again show how much of a threat a small spark can be, and how unprepared we still are to deal with it. But it also shows that, even when things seem to be bleak for many in America, our best nature is ready to emerge.
Because of my work, I live part time in L.A., but spend a lot of time in Pennsylvania and consider it my home. So, last week, I was able to look at what was unraveling in the area as an objective outsider, but also take a deep personal interest in what was happening to the place I spend so much time.

Objectively, it's tough to ignore the effect that two huge issues facing America and the world have had on this natural disaster.

Global warming, as many scientists seem to agree, is beginning to significantly affect temperatures, which affect weather patterns. With less rain and longer Santa Ana winds, the "fires are burning hotter and bigger, becoming more damaging and dangerous to people and to property," U.S. Forest Service chief Gail Kimbell said. "Each year, the fire season comes earlier and lasts longer."

But this is far from just a Southern California problem. The U.N. Commission on Climate Change has studied areas that are getting hotter and drier, and predicts similar fires globally. Most scary is how global warming helps fan these fires, which, in turn, fuel global warming. According to one expert, almost 20 million tons of greenhouse gases, the amount from 3.6 million cars a year, have been unleashed by this latest fire.

The other objective finding is that the war in Iraq affected the ability of the state to respond quickly and forcefully. While California does have a significant number of National Guard troops in Iraq, many are at home, and Gov. Schwarzenegger called up 1,700 of them to aid in the firefighting. (Though shortages did mean he had to pull 400 from the Mexico border.) But one hang-up was that equipment that the California National Guard sends to Iraq stays in Iraq.

ENROLLING IN PROGRAM NOW CAN HELP ALL

Here's today's DN Editorial Please be sure to note the Action Item at the end. Thanks.

WE COULD mention that the U.S. House of Representatives has drafted a bill on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that could be up for a vote as soon as today. This "do-over" is in response to a veto by President Bush, sustained by Congress last week, of a bill that would have expanded SCHIP to include many more children in the popular program that provides affordable health insurance to low- and middle-income families.

But that's not what's important today.

We could also mention the irony of a president who, days after he vetoed spending $35 billion over five years to expand health-insurance coverage to four million more children, requested $46 billion more to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This brings the request for war spending to $196.4 billion . . . for this year alone.

War appropriations could reach $1 trillion by the time Bush leaves office.

But that's not what's important today.

Today, it's important to remind parents that they have a part to play in the future of SCHIP:

Enroll their children, if eligible.

This may be a counterintuitive message at a time that states are fretting that their enrollees are going to be cut from the program. But the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been doing a good job with SCHIP, both in aggressively signing up families and in anticipating the current crisis. The state Insurance Department says that the program, which provides affordable health insurance to families up to 300 percent of the poverty level and beyond, is funded until next May.

They have not, nor do they intend to "disrenroll" children.

The state is concerned that if enrollments drop because of the scary messages coming out of Washington, the state's funding, which is based on enrollments, could be cut.

SCHIP is not a handout. Although it provides free health insurance to poor families - 150,000 children now get free health insurance - it allows families who are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid to purchase health insurance at a reduced rate. At higher-income levels, families pay the full cost.

Come out and walk the walk. As you may know, this is an issue I have blogged and written about and I will be there walking on Saturday. Here's the info:

On Saturday October 13, following a 10:00 am press conference, Lutheran Settlement House, The Chestnut Hill Business Association, and the Chestnut Hill Community Association will host their first "Two-Mile Walk Against Domestic Violence" to raise funds and awareness for Lutheran Settlement House as part of LSH's fourth annual Purple Ribbon Campaign. The press conference will be held at the Fountain Plaza, located at 8705 Germantown Avenue.

The event will be supported by CBS 3 anchor Larry Mendte, Fox 29 anchor Dawn Stensland, and NBC 10 anchor Dawn Timmeney. Participants are encouraged to wear purple to show their support for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

Launched in 2004, LSH's Purple Ribbon Campaign is a three-month citywide initiative to raise awareness about domestic violence. The Purple Ribbon Campaign is one of many LSH efforts to educate the public and draw greater attention to domestic violence in Philadelphia, while raising the necessary funds to continue to provide free-of-charge services such as counseling, legal / medical advocacy, and education and training to the women and children who are victims of or witnesses to domestic violence.

The walk is free but donations are encouraged. For a donation of $5 or more you will get a T-Shirt for the walk. Free parking is available at West Evergreen Avenue in the SEPTA parking lot. To register or to reserve a T-Shirt, please call Suzette Belz at 215-426-8610 x 208 or sbelz@lutheransettlement.org.

The walk is part of a month-long community service program co-sponsored by Lutheran Settlement House, The Chestnut Hill Business Association, Chestnut Hill Village Apartments, Chestnut Hill Community Association, and 3000BC.
For more information, please visit www.lutheransettlement.org or www.chestnuthillpa.org

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can show your support for victims of domestic violence and their children by bringing your friends and family to the walk, bringing new toys, SEPTA tokens, and new or very gently used children's clothing (newborn to age 16) for survivors.

UPDATE 10/12: Read this op-ed from today's Daily News.

Penn Environment, one of our favorite groups, comes through with another important action item for all Citizen Hunters:

Do you know the toxic dumpsites near your community that could see cleanups slowed down or stopped if the Pennsylvania legislature doesn't reauthorize the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund?

Check out some of the toxic sites whose cleanup may be threatened.

We are almost to our goal of more than 1,000 emails to Pennsylvania's state
senators asking them to reauthorize Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund
with long-term, dedicated and sustainable funding. Help us hit our goal by clicking on this link.

Philadelphia Citizen Hunters, help Vote for Homes keep the issues of homelessness and poverty on the next mayor's agenda.

Vote For Homes! is collecting signatures on post cards to send to both Democrat Michael Nutter and Republican Al Taubenberger to send a message that issues of homelessness and poverty need to be addressed by the next mayor.

They also need volunteers to go out to the shelters and programs to collect signatures and do voter registration.

If you can help or would like more information about Vote For Homes!, please contact Jennine Miller at 215-232-727, ext. 3042 or by e-mail.

Citizen Hunters, I would like to tell you about a man who had an enormous impact on my life and was a great inspiration for much of my work and certainly for this site. I know that I am one among many who were touched by the way he lived his life. I want to share this with you in hopes that you will help contribute to keeping his memory and what he tried to accomplish in his lifetime.

He was a former U.S. national champion rower, Olympic rowing referee, and 45-year rowing coach. From 1968 through 1994, he was an international referee or manager for 17 World Championship USA teams. He passed away in 1999. His greatest passion besides his family, beginning in the 1950s, was to open rowing beyond the bounds of the then all-white, all-male Ivy League monopoly. In the 1970s he ensured that Vesper Boat Club was the first all-male rowing club in Philadelphia to admit women and initiated the first inner-city rowing program for African-Americans. By 1983, he extended that to the first Special Olympics rowing program in the USA. During his lifetime, he spent innumerable hours keeping Vesper boat club in repair and ensuring that her crews had the best chance to win and that everyone who wanted to row could. The man of who I speak is Charles P. Colgan, my late grandfather.

The Charles P. Colgan Vesper Endowment Fund was established by Vesper Boat Club in June 2000, with a bequest from his estate, plus memorial donations to Vesper Boat Club in his honor. The Fund is a perpetual fund, whose investment proceeds are used for the long-term benefit of Vesper Boat Club rowing programs.

On September 7th and 8th my uncle is organizing and riding the 2007 'Tour de Schuylkill' to raise money once again for the Charles P. Colgan Vesper Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund is vital to Vesper's future, as its purpose is for Vesper's long term benefit. Past year's Tours were quite successful; this year's goal is to exceed $25,000 in donations.

More info after the jump...

AT THIS POINT, ONLY THE FULL STORY WILL DO

Here's our Editorial from today's Daily News. You can comment below. Please Take Action by urging the president to release all documents in the Tillman inquiry!

WHO WASN'T proud of Pat Tillman, the NFL football player, when he gave up his mutlimillion-dollar football career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army? He wanted to fight the terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11.
Tillman went from Arizona's hero to America's hero. When he was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, his status grew even more. At the time, official Army reports of his death and comments by the White House led us to believe that Tillman had been gunned down by the Taliban. In the weeks following, there were inspiring tributes on TV, in newspapers and at football stadiums.

A subsequent investigation found that Tillman wasn't the victim of enemy fire, but of friendly fire, cut down by his own men. The original story disseminated by the Army was that Tillman had been killed by friendly fire from a convoy moving far away that probably mistook him for the enemy. What's worse, it became clear that some military brass did everything they could to keep the truth from coming out, essentially putting in motion a massive lie to the American people.

Yet, despite the fact that the case was officially closed, we've now found out the case isn't really closed at all.

The Associated Press obtained documents last week showing that the military coroners who examined Tillman's body immediately after his death were concerned that the grouping of shots in his forehead were so close as to indicate that he had been gunned down from just 10 yards away, or less. The doctors urged a criminal homicide investigation be opened, but their request was denied. The doctors' findings place in serious doubt the second investigation that blamed his death on an accident of friendly fire.

EARTH WEEK'S A GOOD TIME TO FOCUS ON WATER SCARCITY

Here is today's Daily News editorial. Please give it a read, add your perspective and check out the link to Water.org.

HAVING JUST started to dry out from the Nor'easter, most people in the Delaware Valley might not think of water as a huge problem.

But given that this is Earth Week, it seems fitting to focus on this natural resource, because it's something only a few us us can take for granted.

Water is something we've got plenty of, and when the rain comes down, it's something we rarely are happy to see. And yet, for billions of people around the world, there is a water crisis that has quietly become the biggest killer on earth.

About 3,900 children died yesterday because they didn't have access to clean drinking water.

That's more than died on 9/11. UNICEF estimates that in 1993 alone, 3.8 million children under the age of five died from diarrhea resulting from ingesting waterborne pathogens.

That's more than all the deaths resulting from the war in Iraq, which is heading into its fifth year.

With the new Congress we have a wonderful opportunity to pass strong federal renewable energy policy through a renewable electricity standard.

The House renewable standard bill would require that utilities generate or buy 20 percent clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind by 2020. A bill expected in the Senate would require utilities to have 15 percent of their electricity come from these clean, renewable sources.

So please Urge Your Senators to Support a National Renewable Energy Standard so that we can reduce global warming, create new jobs, keep more money in our pockets, and make America safer and more independent by weaning ourselves from our addition to oil.

UPDATE: Congrats to Maryland Citizen Hunters for their victory for solar power, you made it happen!

I like the way the Edwards campaign always involves citizens, as government in my view can not solve all of our problems. Like many of you, John Edwards was at the Step It Up Rally, calling for Congress to address the climate change issue. Edwards has already organized over 90 events taking place across the Country where the campaign's One Corps volunteers will not only take a pledge themselves to reduce their carbon, but will be going door-to-door and setting up tables at farmer's markets to get their neighbors to do the same.

Check out the site and make a pledge to reduce your carbon and say how you plan on doing it.

UPDATE 4/19: Newsflash: John Kerry and Newt Gingrich agree on something. Global warming is real!

OK, I have received a bunch of e-mails from folks thinking about buying a hybrid car this summer and a few telling me they already have. Since yours truly has never owned a car (hard to believe but true), I did some research. I hope my findings convince you guys still sitting on the fence to buy a hybrid car to help protect our environment, cut down our dependence on foreign oil, and protect your wallets from expensive spikes in gas prices. Sound good?

Honda and Toyota both have midsize hybrids. The Toyota Prius, as an example (the car Larry David drives on Curb your Enthusiasm), gets 60 miles to the gallon in city driving and 51 on the highway, more than double what a regular car gets! Lexus, Honda, Ford, and Mercury have SUV hybrids and Chevrolet and GMC have truck versions. Saturn is coming out with hybrids this year, including an SUV - the price point is great!

To find out more about the particulars and do some comparative shopping, check this site out. And don't forget to make sure dealerships know you want more choices when it comes to hybrids. Consumer demand has a big impact on auto maker decisions.

If you need more incentives than helping to stop global warming, forking over less money to oil rich countries who don't exactly like us, and saving money at the pump, buying a hybrid brings other rewards as well: The federal government is offering tax breaks and rebates, as are some states. California, Florida, Virginia, Utah, and Georgia allow lone hybrid drivers to use carpool (HOV) lanes, cutting down the time you would normally spend in traffic. Cities like New Haven and Baltimore offer free parking or reduced rates to hybrid drivers, and more and more companies are matching government incentives to encourage their employees to buy fuel efficient cars.

Here's today's Daily News editorial, which as you know I feel strongly about. Please don't miss the Action Item at the end.

WHILE THE White House and Congress express shock and dismay at recent revelations about the Army's Walter Reed Medical Center, the problems with care for those who serve in our nation's military is no shock to those who have been through the system. And as horrific as the conditions at Walter Reed are, they represent just the tip of the iceberg.

It would be a critical error for either the White House or Congress to address Walter Reed without taking the opportunity to address the larger issue: Troops and veterans are not getting the care they deserve, in both the system for active-duty soldiers, which costs about $50 billion a year, and the Veterans Health Administration, which has a budget of about $35 billion for health care for 5.3 million vets, but still generates complaints of waits for all services.

Indeed, former Sen. Bob Dole and ex-Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala have indicated that the commission they are heading on the matter will go deeper than just Walter Reed, and examine the entire system, including the VA.

This is a good start, and long overdue. Yet, the commission will take months to write a report. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of veterans of Iraq, and the millions overall, will continue to be shortchanged by the current system.

I hope you'll all read today's Daily News Editorial about the folly of provoking a nuclear confrontation with Iran.

Votevets.org and General Wesley Clark have started a campaign that warns against a military strike on Iran.

At stopiranwar.com you can take action by letting U.S. policymakers know that you feel we should work with our allies around the world to use every political, diplomatic, and economic option available in dealing with Iran.

UPDATE 3/6: In a new study, the Oxford Research Group reports that military strikes on Iran "could accelerate rather than halt Tehran's production of atomic weapons."

January 29 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
12:45 at the Philadelphia International Airport
Iraq War Veterans to Unveil New TV Ad in Philadelphia on "Fly Around" Tour

VoteVets.org to Hold Press Conference to Unveil Ad & Urge Senator Arlen Specter to Join the Troops by Voting 'No' on Escalating the War in Iraq Philadelphia - VoteVets.org, the leading political Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Organization, will hold a press conference in Philadelphia unveiling a new television ad urging Senator Arlen Specter to join the troops by voting 'No' on escalation as part of a seven state, eight stop "fly around" tour.

The President's escalation plan to send upward of 20,000 additional troops to Iraq has been met with harsh criticism from senior military leaders, the Iraq Study Group, our troops and the American public. The bipartisan Biden-Hagel resolution against escalation passed out of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday and is expected to go to the full Senate for consideration. But several Senators, including Senator Specter, have not said how they will vote.

Pennsylvania veterans of the Iraq war and their families will join Jon Soltz, National Chairman of VoteVets.org and a delegation of Iraq war veterans to implore Senator Specter to stop the escalation that would uselessly place more troops in the crosshairs of a civil war. Along with the Philadelphia event, the VoteVets.org delegation will fly to seven other cities across the country to urge other key Senators to stop escalation and show the new ad.

VoteVets.org represents the Voice of America's 21 Century Patriots - those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. It primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf of troops, veterans and their families.

Wanted to tell Citizen Hunters about S117, the Lane Evans Act, that Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Barack Obama (D-IL) have introduced, which would establish mandatory mental health screenings for all returning combat veterans. At least one in three Iraq Vets returning home face serious mental health problems from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to depression and anxiety. Many of our brave men and women are being shipped off for their second and third deployments and we must make sure they don't leave untreated.

Please call your Senators and Representatives today and let them know you support the Lane Evans Act.

TAX SEASON WARNING ON 'PAY STUB LOANS'

This is today's main editorial in the Daily News.

IF IT'S JANUARY, it must be time for our annual request for special places in hell for those who see tax season as a time to fleece poor people.

This year, it looks like we're going to need a lot of space down there. Case in point: the "pay stub loans" being offered by large tax preparers such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. One advertisement making the rounds proclaims, "I got $1,500 without a W2. I got people."

The promise: an easy advance on your tax refund, without even having to wait for your W2.
The reality: a high-interest-rate, expensive loan based on a guesstimate that could be wildly inaccurate, rope people into expensive services, and trap them into having to take out bigger, more expensive loans later on.

Here's one way this plays out, according to the Campaign for Working Families and Community Legal Services, which sent testers out to the large tax-preparation services to see how these loans work: You go to, say, H&R Block with your pay stub and it calculates what your tax refund might be based on your salary. You get a loan for that amount; in most cases, you can't get a loan for only a portion of your anticipated refund. You could pay up to 295% APR interest on that short-term loan, and be forced to pay for a dummy bank account and to sign up for tax-preparation services.

Not only is this an expensive way to get cash, but it can lead to big problems if your actual refund is less than what the tax service calculated and you must take out another expensive loan to pay the difference.

A much better route? Get your tax return prepared for free, and make sure you get every dime of the Earned Income Tax Credit -an extra refund for low-income people - to which you may be entitled. The Campaign for Working Families, which works to steer low-income people clear of financial services that can hurt them, offers free tax-preparation services. Each year, it also puts out a call for volunteers to be trained to prepare tax returns for its clients. These are the kinds of people we all need more of. Find out more at www.phillyfreetaxes.org or call 215-686-2599.

Here's an action item from the folks at Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future:

CALL OR EMAIL your state representative TODAY and ask him or her to OPPOSE SB 1025, the bill to kill the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program. The bill was approved by the House Transportation Committee today, and it may be voted on by the House of Representatives early next week. The bill passed the Senate in February and it prohibits the state from adopting the Clean Vehicles Program which would bring the cleanest, most efficient new cars to Pennsylvania beginning in 2008.

Passage of SB 1025 would be a huge step backwards in Pennsylvania's effort to ensure all citizens can breathe healthy air. The Pennsylvania Clean Vehicle Program is a key part of the plan to clean up the air and meet health-based clean air standards. Let your representative know that you expect him or her to act on behalf of the more than 1 million Pennsylvanians who suffer from chronic lung diseases like asthma and do the right thing in opposing SB 1025.

TAKE ACTION  - Tell your Representative that you want clean air and clean cars and to VOTE NO ON SB 1025.

UPDATE 10/25: PennFuture Praises Citizen Outcry Leading to
Pennsylvania House Deciding Not to Act on Clear Vehicles Program;
Plan to Protect Pennsylvania Seniors and Children from
Pollution that Sickens and Kills Will Go Forward

Harrisburg, PA - Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) today praised citizens and editorial writers across the state for their vocal opposition to proposed legislation to kill the Clean Vehicles Program, which resulted in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives deciding not to consider this legislation. This decision means that the clean cars program, which would help protect Pennsylvania seniors and children from air pollution that sickens and kills, will move forward. The failure to consider Senate Bill 1025, a bill to kill the Clean Vehicles Program, allows Pennsylvanians to have easy access to the cleanest and most fuel-efficient cars, cutting gasoline use and our reliance on foreign oil.

"It's clear that there were not enough votes to pass this bad bill," said John Hanger, president and CEO of PennFuture, "so the proponents kept it off the floor rather than risk losing. The citizens of Pennsylvania won tonight against some very powerful out-of-state special interests, drawing a line in the sand for the right of every Pennsylvanian to breathe clean air. This is a victory for public health, national security, the economy and the environment.

"Pennsylvanians will finally be able to purchase the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and cleanest cars, striking a blow against our addiction to foreign oil from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela," continued Hanger. "Saving the Clean Vehicles Program also saves Pennsylva