To extend or not to extend: That’s the question for Democrats and Republicans, who are facing off over the Bush-era tax “cuts,” which mostly
Author: Gloria Shur Bilchik
Gloria Shur Bilchik is a freelance writer and community volunteer in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the editor of Occasional Planet. She views the preservation of democratic values and progressive programs as vital to making the US a humane, livable place for her children and grandchildren.
Resuscitating democracy: Q & A with Fair Vote’s Rob Richie
Rob Richie is executive director of Fair Vote, a Washington-DC-based non-profit focused on “reforming our elections to respect every vote and every voice through
“Better health, better incomes, better lives”
Door-to-door sales may be a quaint relic of the Norman-Rockwell past in the US, but they could be the next big thing in developing
Bits of news you might have missed in the info overload
In the deluge of news, even the most dedicated junkie can miss a few intriguing items now and then. Occasional Planet’s sidebar feature,
How to recycle your leftover bombs and weapons
Not one to routinely quote biblical text, I have to admit that some of the stuff I was forced to memorize in religious school
Controversial bicycle “superhighways” open in London
The road to central London is a notoriously dangerous route for the city’s many cycling commuters. But now, the first two of 12 proposed
Going up green[ish]
Three huge, built-in wind turbines top the just-opened Strata Tower in London. Assuming all goes well, the skyscraper’s turbines will generate eight percent of
Energy entrepreneurs go green around the globe
While America debates how to jump-start the “green revolution” touted by people like Thomas Friedman, individual entrepreneurs in other countries are making things happen.
Don’t ask, just register everyone to vote
Before every election, an army of campaign workers, political party loyalists and community organizers grab their clipboards and pens and try to get people
$10,440 in South Carolina = $0 in Vermont
Thanks to Alvin Greene, we now know that there’s a filing fee of $10,440 to get your name on the ballot to run for