Finding Ulysses

Over the last week, I’ve enjoyed going through town seeing how lush people’s gardens have become with almost daily doses of rain combined with good, strong sunshine. It’s reassuring to see things flourish, when in another year, we might already be entering a time of crispy brown grass.

I thought the time would be appropriate to link to Vine Garden Designs, a florist’s shop run by Marcia Horn on Elm street, with the mission: “To lend a fresh, new, creative approach to floral design and to give our customers an experience that is uniquely tailored to their needs.”

A week ago, Michael Arcuri, our member of the U.S. House of Representatives joined forces with George W. Bush and the congressional Republicans by first limiting the debate on the FISA Amendments Act to just one hour (with less than 10 minutes given to opponents of the bill to express their concerns), and then voting for the bill himself.

The FISA Amendments Act extends the legalization of George W. Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program, by:

- Allowing massive electronic surveillance of emails, telephone calls and other electronic forms of communication. No evidence of suspicion of any criminal wrongdoing is required. No search warrants are asked for. The FISA court will have no power to stop the government from spying, and won’t be able to stop the government from using evidence obtained through spying, even if it concludes that spying has been done in violation of the Constitution or the law. Even if the loose terms of the FISA Amendments Act are violated, courts will have no power to stop the illegal activity.
- Allowing physical searches as well, without a search warrant, without court approval, and without congressional oversight.
- There is not even internal oversight of the spying programs. Under the FISA Amendments Act, the Attorney General of the United States runs the spy programs against American citizens, and the Attorney General is the only person with the power to certify that the spying is being done in accordance with the law.
- Telecommunications companies that violated the law by giving the Bush White House private files about the personal communications of millions of Americans - communications fully within the United States - will be given retroactive legal immunity.

These provisions of the FISA Amendments Act make it in clear violation of the fourth amendment to the Constitution, which reads, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The bill has gone on to the Senate, and debate on the bill has begun. Although unrelated legislation has delayed the final vote until Friday, yesterday a group of 15 Democratic senators attempted to block the legislation in preparation for a filibuster.

Yesterday, I called the offices of our senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and asked for information about how they would vote on the bill, and whether they would support a filibuster. The answers from both offices didn’t shed much light. Senator Schumer’s office refused to make any statement. Hillary Clinton’s office would only say that she is opposed to one provision within the bill - retroactive immunity - but refused to commit to opposition to the entire bill.

Yesterday, an important test vote took place, and the results don’t look good. The vote was on cloture, meaning that the question of the vote was whether the FISA Amendments Act should move forward to a vote on Friday. 80 voted yes. 15 voted no.

5 were absent - two because they were campaigning for President, two because they are gravely ill (Edward Kennedy and Robert Byrd), and one because… well… that’s not clear. Hillary Clinton did not show up to work in the Senate yesterday.

Charles Schumer was present. He voted with the 15 Democrats, against the FISA Amendments Act.

It seems that the FISA Amendments Act, a piece of legislation that allows massive, practically unrestricted spying against Americans by the federal government, is likely to come up for a vote in the United States Senate today.

The FISA Amendments Act is plainly in violation of the fourth amendment to the Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights. This legislation is an attack on our American freedom.

The FISA Amendments Act also provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped George W. Bush spy on millions of Americans’ personal communications. Why is that important? Retroactive immunity keeps lawsuits against the telecom corporations out of the courtroom, and thus prevents information about President Bush’s spying program from becoming public. Even Congress still does not know how far Bush went with his electronic spying.

Let me summarize: The FISA Amendments Act is a thoroughly bad idea. It opens the door to government abuse of power, and critically compromises our rights as American citizens.

What are our senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, likely to do? Will they vote against the FISA Amendments Act?

I can’t tell you. That’s because Senators Clinton and Schumer refuse to say what they’ll do.

I called their offices a few minutes ago. Senator Clinton’s aide only would say that Hillary Clinton opposes retroactive immunity. She wouldn’t say whether Senator Clinton would actually vote against the FISA Amendments Act or whether Senator Clinton opposes the other abusive elements of the law.

When I called Senator Schumer’s office, I was told that Senator Schumer will not comment about what he intends to do about the FISA Amendments Act.

Senators Russ Feingold and Christopher Dodd have announced their plan to filibuster the FISA Amendments Act. Will Schumer and Clinton join them or leave them hanging?

We’re residents of New York state, not Alabama or Wyoming. We deserve senators who will take the lead in representing our state’s progressive values, and not just sit on the fence.

Please call our senators as soon as possible, before the FISA Amendments Act comes up for a vote, and tell them how you’d like them to vote on this legislation, and the attempt to filibuster.

Senator Hillary Clinton: (202) 224-4451
Senator Charles Schumer: (202) 224-6542

It’s nice to see all the energy and enthusiasm happening in T-burg among folks who want to build a new playground. It’s an admirable goal.

Many of us had that same energy just about 20 years ago. We did a tremendous amount of fund-raising, design workshops, etc. and in one long weekend, with guidance from the Bob Leathers team, we all pitched in and built the thing. We even had the high school kids helping with childcare and serving food to all the volunteers. The younger kids pitched in cleaning tires, moving sand and gravel around. In the 23 years that I’ve lived here, it was one of the most awe inspiring chapters in T-burg history. The sense of community as well as the sense of accomplishment we all felt, was magical.

I’ve had several occasions to go with my toddler grandson and nephews to play there. It still blows me away what a superb playground it is, both to play in and to look at. I only saw one thing in need of replacement, a rubber structure attached to chains I think.

What I’m wondering is: For those of you who are actively involved in the playground fund-raising……. what is the plan? to complement the present playground or to just tear it down?
It would be incredibly sad to think about tearing it down. For these reasons:

•It works……..It still seems in very good shape.
•It’s was designed with direct input from all the kids and parents, and it plays well.
•Any remnants of the pressure treating chemicals have been long since leached out.
•It represents history, community, a gathering of the playful spirits of T-burg.
•Tearing down something that’s only 20 years old seems to feed into our throw-away society, which we all profess to be against. (Ask me why I live in a house that’s about 180 years old and drive a truck that’s 45 years old.) They are too good to throw away.
•It’s an important link to a prior but still active group of citizens, who I think would be heartbroken to lose this piece of T-burg’s history.

So, why not build a complementary structure, incorporating elements you think are missing? Why tear down a perfectly good piece of work?

I’d like to hear from other folks. What do people think?

The Public Hearing about Billing for Ambulance and EMS service was held at the Trumansburg Elementary School Auditorium last Wednesday June 18th.  It was fairly well attended and went well from my perspective.  Trustee Chris Thomas explained why he feels we should make the move to billing, and then Trumansburg paramedic Norm Hummel offered a much more reasonable assessment of the many pitfalls inherent in Thomas’s plan.  It was then opened up to the public (3 minute limit).

By my count there were 7 people who spoke in favor of billing, and 18 who spoke up against it. Of the 18 who spoke against billing, 9 are current or past members of the Fire Dept. and/or Ambulance Corps. No volunteers spoke in favor of billing. One would think that this would be the final nail in the coffin, and that they would drop the billing plan, but our local government has surprised me before. WD5 appeared dead several times, but keeps rising from the dead. The Village held a special informational meeting on WD5 and passed a resolution , more or less in support of it, after the majority in the room spoke against it. The moral of the story is to be involved, and keep an eye on them. I am lobbying the Town Board to pass a resolution against billing, since they provide 65% of the funds for the Fire Department, Ambulance/EMS.  You could help me with that by calling our representatives at the Village and the Town.

I recorded the meeting and have posted the audio at http://trumansburgambulance.blogspot.com/ along with time notation to help you navigate through it, and my comments.

I also recorded the public hearing the next day when the Planing Board heard public comment to consider during their Site Plan Review process regarding the proposed Byrne Dairy Store.  (Next to Falls Tavern) I’ve posted the audio of this at http://ulyssesdemocrats.blogspot.com/ No one spoke against allowing Byrne Dairy to build on this site, but many made convincing arguments about how much better it would look if the gas pumps could be put in back of the store.  This is the first time a project like this has undergone Site Plan Review in Trumansburg.  I hope the process allows us to influence the future of our built environment.  The Dollar Store, and the Movie Gallery, are excellent examples of what we will see in the future without the kind of control that the site plan review process could bring, if the planning board does their job well.

All of the audio for all of the Village Board and Town Board meetings for the past few months are posted at http://ulyssesdemocrats.blogspot.com/

I continue to pressure the Village Board to consider passing the resolution to urge Congress to consider impeachment, and I post my monthly infomercials at http://trumansburgimpeachment.blogspot.com/

I put a great deal of time into these blogs in hope that the community will use them to become more involved in our local government.  Please consider bookmarking them and visiting occasionally.  I’d also like some help with it.  I’m investing too much time for a guy who is supposed to be earning a living.  Let me know if you’d like to help.

Liz Thomas works hard to keep people informed of what’s going on with the Ulysses Town government. Here are some tips from her about events that are coming up soon:

Black diamond trail
At the June 10th Town Board meeting, the house was packed with Black Diamond Trail supporters. Jan Zeserson and Marvin Pritts encouraged the Town to participate in building the Black Diamond Trail (BDT) when it is finally underway. Comments included anticipation of the trail to use as a safe bike route for traveling to work or school, as a new recreational offering within the town, and as a asset to attract visitors to the area. People who spoke included citizens from the Village as well as Town residents with property near and adjoining the BDT. Unofficially the Town promised to install culverts and signage on the roads the BDT crosses. A pre-thanks to the hard-working highway crew.

Water survey
No, it hasn’t been sent yet, but soon! Thanks to the Water Needs Committee who put in hours and hours on this project.

Takin’ care of Trumansburg
Ever wonder why the Village of Trumansburg is looking so good? Join the volunteers who are Takin’ Care of T-burg anytime between 8 and 11am on the following Saturdays: July 12, August 2, August 23, September 13, October 4, October 25, and November 15. Meet at the children’s village. For more information contact Karen Powers at kpower01@icsd.k12.ny.us.

Next Meeting Times and Dates:
7:30pm Tuesday, July 8th – Regular Town Board meeting. 7:00 Thursday, June 26 – second Town Board meeting.

It’s not a cheery morning for me, seeing what passes for our “Democratic” representation in Congress. I have called Congressman Mike Arcuri’s office in Washington D.C., and the aides there confirm that Representative Arcuri will vote in favor of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304).

If you call Arcuri’s office (202-225-3665), you will be told by the aide who answers the telephone that Congressman Arcuri does not support retroactive immunity for telecommunications corporations. You will be told that H.R. 6304 is a “compromise” bill that does not offer retroactive telecom immunity.

When you are told this by the aide who answers the telephone, ask the aide if he has actually read H.R. 6304. The aide I talked to admitted that he has not read the bill.

I have read the bill, and the assertion that it does not offer retroactive legal immunity for telecommunications corporations is laughable. But, I’m not a lawyer, so maybe you shouldn’t take my word for it. Consider what Senator Russ Feingold, who knows how to read a piece of legislation, has to say about the bill:

“The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home.”

Or, you could take the word of attorney Kevin Bankston, who works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Bankston has read the legislation, and he concludes,

“Whatever gloss might be put on it, the so-called ‘compromise’ on immunity is anything but: the current proposal is the exact same blanket immunity that the Senate passed in February and that the House rejected in March, only with a few new bells and whistles so that political spinsters can claim that it actually provides meaningful court review.”

Political spinsters - that’s what we’re getting in the office of Congressman Michael Arcuri. They’re counting on you to not read the legislation for yourself. Maybe Representative Arcuri himself hasn’t even read the FISA Amendments Act. He admitted that he didn’t bother reading the Military Commissions Act before approving it.

You can choose to go along with the political spin offered by Arcuri’s staff, or you can be one of the few Americans who has read the FISA Amendments Act. I don’t expect many people to bother to read it. I don’t expect many people to care that much. I don’t expect many Democrats to question Arcuri, and make this a campaign issue. We’ll hear the same old claims that it’s somehow our duty to support Arcuri because he carries the name of Democrat, and for most Democrats, that will be a good enough argument.

We are not living in an age of idealism. Congressman Arcuri knows that, and that’s why he’s confident that he won’t lose much support on account of his vote for Bush’s spying bill today.

You get to decide whether you’re willing to go along with that, and confirm Arcuri’s sad judgment of the character of our citizens.

Democrats of Trumansburg and Ulysses, is your member of Congress representing your values in Washington D.C.?

We disagree on plenty of things, but one thing I’ve recognized among all Democrats in the town of Ulysses is that they value free and open debate. Yet, on a significant piece of legislation that will be voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives today, there will not be free and open debate.

That’s because our Representative in Washington D.C., Representative Michael Arcuri, put forward H.RES.1285 yesterday. H.RES.1285 is a resolution to set the rules for debate for another bill - H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act.

Congressman Arcuri’s resolution limited the debate on the FISA Amendments Act to just one hour, with the debate under the control of the chairman and ranking Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee. Both of these people support the legislation.

Why should you care? Isn’t this all just technical legislative boring stuff?

No. H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act, does some very unboring things, as you’ll see if you actually take the time to read the proposed law, instead of just accepting the CNN 30-second summary.

Here’s what you’d find if you read the entire proposed law (not just the headers and summaries):

- The law allows the White House to conduct electronic spying against whomever it wants, including Americans in the United States who are not suspected of any crime, without any search warrant or meaningful court oversight. This includes:
A. Reading your email
B. Tracking your movements if you have a GPS device or cell phone
C. Keeping records of which web sites you visit
D. Listening to your phone calls
- The law allows the White House to order physical searches of Americans’ homes, places of work, and persons without any search warrant
- The same official who has authority to conduct the searches, the Attorney General of the United States, also has the sole authority to certify that the searches have been done properly, in accordance with the law. No one else in Congress or in any court will have the power to contradict the Attorney General’s self-certification.

Whether you agree or disagree with these provisions of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, it ought to be very clear that important and substantial issues are involved - issues that cannot possibly be properly addressed in a one-hour debate.

Mike Arcuri’s resolution to limit debate of this bill to one hour looks like an attempt to prevent meaningful discussion and review by members of Congress. It is a resolution that is against the values of open government and free debate that we Ulysses Democrats value.

The involvement of Congressman Arcuri in the effort to rush the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 through Congress without the opportunity for sufficient public debate is profoundly disappointing, and tarnishes his image at the very time when he is beginning his first re-election campaign.

When we have a lame duck President in George W. Bush, there is no excuse for this kind of spineless lack of resistance to the worst parts of the Bush agenda. Democrats were elected to a majority in Congress for a reason - it was to change the culture of Washington, D.C., not to go along with the flow as Congressman Arcuri is doing.

You can call Congressman Arcuri’s D.C. office at 202-225-3665.

Thanks to our Liz Thomas, member of the Ulysses Town Board, who continues to make an extra effort to keep the residents of Ulysses informed about what’s going on. Her June newsletter advises us of the following public meetings:

Byrne Dairy Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing – this hearing is in response to a request to interpret the Village of T-burg zoning ordinance with respect to the zoning officer’s construction of the term “gas station”.
7:00 Mon, June 23rd at the Village hall.

Highway Posting Law Public Hearing – Due to problems with GrassRoots festival goers lining up in advance of the festival on Rabbit Run Road, the Town of Ulysses has proposed a new local law giving the Highway Superintendent discretion to post no parking signs on any town road for up to 30 days. The unofficial understanding is that those who want to secure a GrassRoots camping spot within the festival grounds will be allowed to park on Rabbit Run beginning either late Wednesday or early Thursday morning prior to the festival.
7:00 Thurs, June 26 at the Town Hall

Public Hearing for Dog Licensing Fee Increase - The fee for dog licensing has not increased since 1996 but everything else has! A hearing will be held to amend the local law of 1979 to increase these fees. Basically it boils down to an increase of $2.00 for a neutered or spayed dog resulting in a total cost to the owner of $12.50 annually per dog. For unsprayed or unneutered dogs, the increase will be $4.00 bringing the grand total to $22.50 annually per dog.
7:15pm Thurs, June 26 at the Town Hall.

Planning Board – Special meeting on Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) – Scott Doyle from the Tompkins County Planning will give a presentation on ways towns can preserve certain desirable lands from development. This meeting was set for June 26th but has been moved to Thurs, July 24th at 7:30 at the Town Hall.

Okay, I know that’s not a very descriptive title for this article, but I feel at a loss for words in describing the variety of things that are available at the Trumansburg Farmer’s Market this year. The organizers of the market have done a great job of developing it, with a significant growth over the last couple of years.

Take, for example, Wiley’s Cricket - the booth you see pictured below. No, they aren’t selling that baby, but they’ve got plenty of other cute little things for the home. Stylish greeting cards, little girls’ dresses, earrings, and small footstools with things like grasshoppers on them. Then there are the magnets, attractive, yet strong far beyond their small size.

For treats, I recommend Queen Bee Confections, which has wonderful biscotti. I got a chocolate chip cookie for the walk home.

Every Wednesday, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, until about the time the first frost comes, the Trumansburg Farmer’s Market will be there - just off Main Street to the north of the post office.