Death to My Hometown

Bruce Springsteen has announced more dates in the Wrecking Ball Tour including September 14 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. This bird is accepting donations!!! Below is a live/rehearsal compilation (with Tom Morello) of the powerful "Death to My Hometown" placing blame squarely on the bankers and CEOs who sold out so many American towns (and would do it again and again):

 Now get yourself a song to sing and sing it ’til you’re done 

Yeah, sing it hard and sing it well

Send the robber baron’s straight to hell

The greedy thieves that came around

And ate the flesh of everything they’ve found

Whose crimes have gone unpunished now

Walk the streets as free men now

Excellent: Springsteen's Political Voice

Time for Augusta County to step up to the plate

As is predictable and inevitable, Pastures supervisor Tracy Pyles sent letters to the editor with his one-sided "facts" making the case against a modest tax increase to fund schools, public safety, and other essential services for the residents of Augusta County. Pyles and North River supervisor Marshall Pattie argue that Augusta County has enough reserves and should foot the bill for new expenses for K-12 education, for additional deputies and emergency services, and for unfunded mandates passed on by the fools in Richmond.

The Pyles/Pattie position is short-sighted and works only in the short... very short... term. All of the costs are recurring and will revisit Augusta County year after year. Paying for recurring expenses out of "reserves" is simply irresponsible fiscal management that passes the buck to future generations.

"Reserves" should be saved, and have been prudently set aside in a line-by-line fashion, for clearly identified projects such as 911 enhancements and other long range needs facing the county. Some of the "reserves," over $6 million according to estimates, are set aside to cover expenses during the rise and fall of revenues inherent in a June/December real estate tax collection cycle. The Pyles/Pattie positon could place those projects, indeed the county's budgetary solvency, in jeopardy.

Beverley Manor supervisor David Karaffa has a better idea - pay as you go. As Karaffa noted at his recent town hall meeting, draining Augusta County's reserves will mean taking out loans to cover needed and planned improvements for infrastructure, maintenance, and equipment. This blog hasn't always been nice to Mr. Karaffa, but on this issue he has clearly risen to the occasion and is right!

Even with the modest real estate tax increase Augusta County will be among the lowest tax burden localities in the Commonwealth. At stake is not only the long term stability and fiscal prudence of the county, but the quality of public education and public safety. Karaffa is demonstrating political courage for the good of Augusta County - we can only hope that trait is contagious.

Ag on the chopping block?

The farm bill, a huge and complicated plan for the federal government's agriculture and hunger policy for five years, is set to expire on September 30. In case you missed it, that is a scant six weeks before what promises to be a hotly contested presidential election and fierce battles for control of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. In this supercharged partisan environment, what are the chances for a good farm bill emerging from Congress? What are the implications for farming areas like the Shenandoah Valley?

Both parties are promising austerity and with the House Republicans wielding a particularly sharp budget axe, it is likely that we'll see most programs under Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food curtailed or eliminated.  This USDA initiative promotes sustainable local agriculture by assisting in the creation of farmers' markets and urban farms, extending the growing season for high-value crops through the tunnel program, and partnering with schools and government agencies, and other groups. Interested in learning more - KYF Compass will direct you to programs in your home town.

At the same time Big Ag is pushing for changes in support for "big commodity" crops like cotton, soybeans, and corn. Currently these (mostly large and/or corporate) farmers receive direct payments (totaling about $5 billion per year) based on acreage planted. In return they promised conservation strategies to reduce erosion and wetlands draining. The GOP is pushing a revenue insurance plan that "promises" to save $1.5 billion per year but has no conservation provisions. The insurance will likely guarantee fairly high prices and if the market dips taxpayers would be on the hook - the $1.5 billion "savings" could go poof. Even worse, the big players and their allies like Syngenta will be encouraged to use more pesticides and to use fewer conservation practices.

In the Shenandoah Valley where many farms harken back to the days of "family farms," a new farm bill may have negative impacts on developing farmers markets (and those fledgling small farms that often sell produce at such markets), the Shenandoah Valley Beef Initiative, and other activities. And since many of the farmers don't raise those big commodity crops, they may be left out in the cold by the "insurance." As the debate continues one wonders where Bob Goodlatte, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, will stand. Will he talk (and listen) to all segments of the farm community in the 6th District or will his vote be influenced by big donors and worn Republican talking points? If his past behavior is any indication, Bobblehead Bob will dance to the tune of of those who pay his piper.

For more about the farm bill check out "The Worst Farm Bill Ever?" and The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. If you think it is time to replace this entrenched incumbent, check out this guy.

Dominion: Time to Move Virginia Forward

Dominion emits more industrial carbon and mercury pollution than any other utility in Virginia. Dominion has developed clean energy in neighboring states, yet in Virginia it relies on dirty fuels that produce mercury, smog, and soot pollution which contribute to developmental disabilities in children as well as asthma, heart attacks, and cancer.

Tell Dominion to lead the way toward a cleaner and better tomorrow with clean, renewable energy by creating 3,000 megawatts - enough to power 700,000 homes - of new Virginia-made wind and solar energy and energy efficiency by 2020.

Sign the Virginia Chapter Sierra Club petition today. And after you sign, pass the link on to friends and family.

VA's Bay Watershed Plan Falls Short

Map from DCR website.

On March 30, the Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) submitted Phase II of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan, (WIP Phase 2) to the EPA. WIP Phase II is intended to guide Virginia's bay restoration activities for the next 13 years, but it is so lacking in specifics, detailed data, and clear locality strategies for implementation that it is, as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Ann Jennings said, "little more than a statewide wish-list of possibilities that, unless revised, falls far short of providing Virginia citizens with reasonable assurance Virginia can meet its Bay cleanup goals."

Although it runs some 80 pages, WIP Phase 2 (PDF) is filled with vaguely hopeful phrases like "seek opportunities," "promote," and "encourage" and is so lacking in specific implementation actions and targets that it is virtually meaningless. It is kind of like a fellow saying he will graduate from college but not having any specific plans as to how to pay for it, what courses he will take, what major he will pursue, or even what college he will attend. Perhaps this is by design and decree of the McDonnell administration? He and his party have resisted many of the EPA's bay cleanup targets and strategies from the beginning.

The public comment period runs through May 31 - contact DCR and tell them the plan lacks so many specifics it really isn't a plan at all. Tell DCR to describe specific locality-by-locality plans that will make Chesapeake Bay cleanup a reality rather than a pipe dream. You can email comments to vabaytmdl@dcr.virginia.gov or mail them to James Davis-Martin, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 900 East Main St., 8th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number in all correspondence.

About 60% of Virginia's land area and more than two-thirds of the state population live the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Major river watersheds draining into the Chesapeake include the Potomac (including Shenandoah), Rappahannock, York and James rivers as well as coastal lands on the bay's shoreline.

Toxic Commonwealth

With over 15 million pounds of toxins dumped into the Commonwealth's waterways, Virginia "ranks" among the worst states for pollution from industrial plants posing a threat to human health and the environment. While we all think of southwest Virginia as being pristine wilderness, the New River ranked #3 in the nation for toxic discharges with 12,529,948 pounds purposely dumped in the water. The Roanoke River came in at #15 in the nation with 2,762,330 pounds of toxic discharges. Sadly, the facts and figures about toxic discharges don't tell the whole story - industrial facilities must report Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) only if they exceed certain limits. Smaller plants may never report anything, yet their discharges get stirred into the witches' brew that has become our streams, lakes, and rivers.

The major contributor of toxins in the New River is the Radford Army Ammunition Plant which dumps over 12,000,000 pounds of toxins into the water. That's the second highest toxin discharge in the nation.  Bringing death to our hometowns....

Nationwide, the largest category of releases are nitrates which may be toxic "particularly to infants consuming formula made with nitrate-laden drinking water...." And, there are many other sources of nitrates (agricultural runoff, over application of lawn fertilizers, etc.) that are NOT included in the TRI.

Of course the problem isn't only found in the Toxic Commonwealth (but unfortunately we are one of the big uglies) but in every state from sea to shining sea:

• Pollution from just five states—Indiana, Virginia, Nebraska, Texas, and Georgia—accounted for nearly forty percent of the total amount of pollution dumped into our waterways in 2010
• Food and beverage manufacturing (slaughterhouses, rendering plants, etc.), primary metals manufacturing, chemical plants, and petroleum refineries were some of the largest polluters. AK Steel dumped the most toxic pollution—nearly 30 million pounds—into our waterways in 2010.
• In 2010, industries discharged approximately 1.5 million pounds of cancer-causing chemicals, like arsenic, chromium, and benzene, into America’s waterways. Nevada’s Burns Creek received the largest volume of carcinogens in 2010, while neighboring Mill Creek placed third.
• Nitrates accounted for nearly 90 percent of the total volume of discharges to waterways reported in 2010. Nitrates are toxic, particularly to infants consuming formula made with nitrate-laden drinking water, who may be susceptible to methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby” syndrome, a disease that reducesthe ability of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body.

So, I guess the question is: are the governor, the General Assembly, and representatives like Bob Goodlatte and Morgan Griffith looking out for the people of Virginia or for the profits of their big donors? You decide. But, don't drink the water... or swim in it either!

For more information visit Environment America and read their report, Wasting Our Waterways 2012 Toxic Industrial Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act.

Springsteen tells it like it is to Washington, D.C. politicians

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band invaded the nation's capitol with a message of robber barons and greedy bankers, politicians failing to "take care of their own," and a better future in our "land of hope and dreams." It was a rousing performance that from my perspective was just about perfect. The sound and lighting crews did a fantastic job - better than I recall at JPJ during the Magic Tour. And, although I am easily intimidated by D.C. traffic, we got in and out easily enough although there are a couple of truly bizarre intersections that bring pedestrians, tourists, rookie urban drivers (like me), and aggressive taxi drivers into close quarters. I am surprised there aren't more bumps and bruises.

The packed house was an interesting mix of ages from preteens through greying and balding fans older than the Boss himself. Many were wearing T-shirts or other symbols of past concerts or their love of all things Springsteen. Some, like my daughter, were probably more curious than actual fans - but she did call the experience more "entertaining" than she'd expected. The most noticeable characteristic was the overwhelming whiteness of the crowd - the E Street Band has far more diversity than the fans.

I could not have designed a better playlist if I had been given the opportunity to tell Bruce and the band what I wanted to hear - 26 great songs, six of them (if you count "Land of Hope and Dreams") from Wrecking Ball:

• We Take Care of Our Own
• Wrecking Ball
• Night
• Death to My Hometown
• My City of Ruins
• Seaside Bar Song
• Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
• Jack of All Trades
• Trapped
• Adam Raised a Cain
• Easy Money
• She's the One
• Waitin' on a Sunny Day
• The Promise
• Apollo Medley
• American Skin (41 Shots)
• Because the Night
• The Rising
• We Are Alive
• Thunder Road

• Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
• Out in the Street
• Born to Run
• Dancing in the Dark
• Land of Hope and Dreams
• Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

The horn section is great and adds an unexpected dimension to the E Street Band. Jake Clemons has developed his own presence on the stage and he plays the sax pretty damn well. The fans seem to accept and love him. Nils Lofgren has always been a great guitarist and his talents shown brightly in a couple of jams - as the tour progresses I expect fans will hear more of his magic. He's the only one of the E Street Band I've met personally. In the early 70s Lofgren's band, Grin, performed at Bridgewater College. I was part of the student government that signed the newly formed Grin on the cheap hoping they'd hit the charts before the scheduled show. Despite his talent and some great songs, Grin never took off.

In spite of all the talent around him, the focus of everyone's attention was, as always, Bruce Springsteen himself. Whether it was wading into and being carried by the crowd, dancing with a young girl with bunny ears, or turning the mic over to a 9-10 year old boy during "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" the man has more energy and raw charisma than anyone who has not been to one of his concerts can ever imagine.

I'd been following the tour playlists. I thought I knew what to expect and was waiting in anticipation for favorites like "Thunder Road," "Dancing in the Dark," and (hopefully) "Land of Hope and Dreams" and I was not disappointed. Bruce and the band played them flawlessly. Classics like "Because the Night" and "Seaside Bar Song" thrilled the sold-out crowd! But, I was totally blown away when Bruce and the band dove into "The Promise," in my mind the most poignant and penetrating of all of Bruce's songs. Only the third time it has been played by the full band, "The Promise" haunts me - as soon as I think I've figured out an interpretation I think about another one or read something totally different from what I was thinking. Although the crowd seemed to appreciate the performance of "The Promise" I don't think most were that familiar with the song that coulda and shoulda been on Darkness on the Edge of Town. Here is a wonderful piano version of "The Promise" from a few years ago.

But the central theme of the performance was, of course, Wrecking Ball, and Springsteen's lyrics spoke truth to the deaf ears of power on Capitol Hill. He laid the blame for hard times (that come and go, come and go, and come again) at the "bastards" on "bankers' hill" and the "money changers." Tracks like "Easy Money" and "Jack of All Trades" tell stories of families finding different ways to make it through lost jobs and lost hopes. The gospel-like "Rocky Ground" urged the shepherd to "find your flock, get them to higher ground" with the promise of "a new day's coming." And the rousing opening song, "We Take Care of Our Own" taunted the D.C. politicians: "Where's the promise from sea to shining sea... wherever this flag is flown... we take care of our own." Clip below from the Grammy Awards 2/12/12:

Springsteen's lyrics also contained anthems and ideas of the path to a better future. The Irish marching beat of "Death to My Hometown" admonished people to stand together and be "ready when they (robber barons) come" and to "get yourself a song to sing, and sing it 'til you're done, sing it strong and sing it well, send the robber barons straight to hell." And the eerie lyrics and cadence of "We Are Alive" suggests that all those who fought for human rights and dignity through the ages are with us today "to carry the fire and light the spark, to fight shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart."

As The Washington Post noted, Springsteen "dove headfirst into the heart of America, and if what he found wasn’t always pretty, it sure was powerful."

Did Capitol Hill listen and heed voices from the heart of this great nation? I am sure at least a few representatives and senators were in the crowd along with their staffers, members of the media and shapers of opinion. New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman, was two rows in front of us and NBC's political guru, Chuck Todd a few rows in front of him. Like he has done for over 40 years, Springsteen delivered his message with energy, depth, and clarity.

Is there anybody alive out there?

Follow the Wrecking Ball tour at Backstreets.com.