Yeah! I am officially a ‘rightard’ in the Progressive Dane universe because it concerns me whenever government power imposes prohibition of peaceful behavior. In this instance the Madison smoking ban and it’s righteous justification as a “health issue”. I understand exactly how the health issue was manufactured by “special interests” using creative statistics. How imminent should a threat be to authorize government suppression of peaceful free assembly? You would think the left would understand their own theory that a threat needs to be imminent or preemption isn’t justified.
To be fair, there are issues where I agree with Progressive Dane, for example when they realize that light rail won’t do a thing to help the poor in our community. I also give kudos to any support for term limits on public office, even when it comes from a Progressive Dane alderman.
Brian Benford: Low turnout, incumbent's power call for term limits. During my tenure I have been honored and proud to bring new folks into the policy discussion. Regrettably, I see that most of my colleagues do not share my passion to bringing fresh blood and fresh ideas into this game of politics. It is as if some of the alders feel they have a birthright to staying in office as long as it suits them. It is for this reason that I would like the community to discuss term limits.What I was going to write about is the increasing militarization of Communist China and whether a massive arms buildup implies an imminent threat. The Madison Progressive Community probably doesn’t lose sleep over this health risk, but what if the Chinese figured out how to genetically modify food plants with scorpion poison?
I believe that term limits has the potential of bringing new ideas and perspectives to government by encouraging new people to run for office. Nobody can deny that it is very hard to unseat an incumbent, especially with the low voter turnouts that have been the trend. I don't have much faith in allowing us, as politicians, to frame this discussion. That is why I hope that you, the citizens of Madison, will take an honest look at term limits as the debate develops.
Scorpion gene gives plants a sting in their tail. Chinese scientists have inserted scorpion and moth genes into oilseed rape (canola) plants to make them poisonous to insects feeding on them.Nummy! An Army, especially a great big Chinese Army, travels on it’s stomach.
The researchers say that using two foreign genes at the same time means insect pests will be less likely to develop resistance to the genetically modified (GM) plants. The findings were published online in Plant Cell Report on 19 July. … The gene from the Asian scorpion (Buthus martensii) produces a poison that specifically affects insect nervous systems, leading to paralysis. The gene from the tobacco hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) produces a chemical that breaks down chitin, a major component of insects' outer surface and gut lining.
