Hey, let's be careful so that private interests aren't allowed to dominate public policy!

Even if the funding for a park doesn't currently exist, that is no reason to deny the eventual opportunity to build a park. I believe that a park on the Isthmus is feasible. Why? Well, most importantly, I think that the residents and future residents of Olympia need a park. Why do we need a park?

We need a park on the Isthmus because

Here are some photos from the Monday, October 6, 2008 No LNG Rally at the Washington State Capitol Campus Legislative Building.

No to LNG Washington State Capitol Campus Rally

LNG Means:
• More Global Warming
• More Big Oil Profiteering
• More Wars

We want renewable energy.
Power Vote

http://www.powervote.org/

Here is the video from the September 30, 2008 Olympia City Council Meeting. The meeting included deliberation over a proposal to rezone an area of the "Isthmus" in downtown Olympia in order to allow the development of a mid-rise luxury condominium project. Original video (w/ better A/V synchronization) is available at the city website, City of Olympia. Video on the flipside.

COME SEE THE VIEW THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!

We invite you, your family, and friends to join 20/20 Vision Olympia this coming Saturday, September 13, on the State Capitol Campus for See It While You Can: Help us Save our View!. We're gathering near the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial overlooking Heritage Park from 11 until 1 pm.

The weather experts are promising sunshine, and our 20/20 Vision professional photographer Julie Woods will be on hand to take your picture (with your camera and/or hers) against the gorgeous backdrop of Puget Sound and the Olympics to the north--views that 20/20 Vision and other local organizations are trying so hard to preserve. We'll have petitions on hand for the Olympia Capitol Parks Foundation's iniative drive, requiring our city council to pause before they make the rezone decision (doesn't that sound good?) and study the feasibility of acquiring the isthmus and developing it into a wonderful city park area. If you're registered to vote in Olympia and you've not yet signed a petition, we hope you will on Saturday.

If you can't make it then, this is still a great week to visit the Capitol Campus, thought to be the most stunning in the entire country. Come enjoy our precious, historically conceived views from the Law Enforcement Memorial, and see for yourself just exactly what's at stake. Parking is available on the diagnonals leading into the Capitol.

Thanks, everyone--and do check out our website: www.2020visionolympia.org

P.S. Please take a little time to learn more about 20/20's planning vision for Olympia by going to www.youtube.com/2020visionolympia, and checking the installments of 'Back From the Brink.' We think you'll be inspired.

This is enough to bring Milton Friedman to tears. I remember from my US history lessons that it was a deregulated market (particularly in the financial sector) which brought on the market collapse of 1929 and the ensuing severe economic recession.

Despite their affiliation with many of the ideological underpinnings of Milton Friedman's "Chicago School" economics (privatization, disaster and gun capitalism, totally unregulated markets) - it seems that the current decision makers see that sometimes the government has to step in - in order to prevent disaster. (But I thought these decision-makers like disaster - disaster means major investment opportunity and profit potential...) Of course, this last gasp effort to save these struggling mortgage giants could have been avoided with increased oversight and appropriate regulatory devices/actions. But hey, hindsight is 20/20, right? I mean, what fun would it be to simply learn from mistakes?

Well, I am of the opinion that in the severe unethical environments of business and government, that regulation is essential. Perhaps if we had a world that was ethical to the point where people didn't do harm to each other, or seek to exploit others for their own (supposed) advance, then we wouldn't need government. I believe in a vision of "utopian" anarchy. But how will that be possible while these massive corporations have so much power and influence? So much power.

From Yahoo! (I don't know if the link will stay so I am posting the whole story):

AP US Government takes over mortgage giants

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER and ALAN ZIBEL, AP Business Writers 2 hours, 25 minutes ago