Dinner with Barack anyone?

One can only admire the relentless drive for campaign funds by the Obama for America team.
They are now bringing out the family silver and holding a lottery. With first prize being an intimate dinner for three.

Will Barack finally talk detailed policy then?

Today's email.
Some of Barack's favorite moments of the campaign have been opportunities to meet and talk with the most important donors to this campaign: ordinary Americans just like you.
You've heard about all of these political fundraising dinners, hosted by Washington lobbyists and filled with representatives of special interests.
Contributions like these are at the root of what's wrong with politics. And John McCain and Hillary Clinton have built campaigns fueled by them.
But our campaign is different.
In February alone, more than 94% of our donors gave in amounts of $200 or less. Meanwhile, campaign finance reports show that donations of $200 or less make up just 13% of Senator McCain's total campaign funds, and only 26% of Senator Clinton's.
Our funding comes from a movement of more than one million people giving whatever they can afford.
And in the next week, four supporters will be selected for a new kind of fundraising dinner.
Make a donation in any amount between now and 11:59 pm EDT on Monday, March 31st, and you could join Barack and three other supporters for an intimate dinner for five.
We're reserving two of those seats for new donors like you. If you've ever thought about making a donation to join our campaign, now is the time:
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinner
This movement is changing the way campaigns are funded.
More than one million individual donors have demonstrated that this election is about more than a candidate -- it's about each of us having a personal stake in the future of American politics.
Meanwhile, Senator McCain has raised more than 70% of his total campaign funds from high-dollar donors giving $1,000 or more. Senator Clinton has raised 60% of her funds from $1,000-and-up donors. And both Senator McCain and Senator Clinton have accepted millions of dollars from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.
Refusing to accept donations from lobbyists and special interests has allowed this campaign to answer only to ordinary Americans like you. And this dinner will be an opportunity for you to sit down with Barack and your fellow supporters and talk about the issues that matter in your life and in your community.
Get the kind of treatment that John McCain and Hillary Clinton reserve for special interests -- make a donation in the next week, and you could share your story and your ideas with Barack in person:
https://donate.barackobama.com/dinner
With every single donation, we're building a movement to change American politics. Help the movement grow, and own a piece of this campaign today.
Thanks for your support,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

No doctors available for some North Coast medical rescue flights

Sometimes it's hard to keep a positive outlook on life in regional New South Wales.

Beautiful surroundings but often woeful levels of services the big metropolitan centres take for granted.

 

This week The Northern Star drew attention to the fact that the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue helicopter based at Lismore continues to experience difficulties in finding suitably qualified doctors to man its medical retrieval flights.

 

"THE future of Lismore's rescue helicopter is in peril because the city's hospital hasn't enough physicians qualified to work with the service, doctors have warned.

A leaked memo from Lismore Base Hospital emergency department director Dr Martin Chase warns the hospital no longer had enough doctors qualified to perform retrievals with the helicopter.

As a result 'there may be occasions over the next few months when the Lismore-based medical retrieval service will be unable to provide an urgent medical retrieval service', Dr Chase says in the memo, which was sent out last month."

 

Two little words for the Iemma Government and the North Coast Area Health Service - fix it!

Broke Libs call on politically bankrupt Howard to fill the party kitty in NSW

It's now four months since the Liberal and National parties were frogmarched out of government.

Plenty of time for the parties to regroup and find a common direction.

However the apparently cash-strapped NSW Liberals are determined to keep reminding voters of their past folly - they have invited John Howard to speak at a fundraiser this May.

At least they appear to have had the grace to hide this 'tribute' dinner away in the suburbs and not charge thousands of dollars for a seat.

In fact tickets are rumoured to be on the cheap side. Probably because Howard's recent US speaking tour showed that he has nothing left to offer except reworkings of his 2007 election set pieces.

I suspect that, besides being in need of a metaphorical group hug from those guests attending, Howard is using this event to keep his profile up just in case a publisher does actually decide to purchase his autobiography.

It surely can't be because this former PM wants to meddle in domestic politics - he was always so vocal in his condemnation of other prime ministerial relics who refused to fade away.

Clarence Valley Council looks into affordable housing scheme

Yet another NSW North Coast council is deciding that there may be a role for local government in the provision of affordable housing.

Clarence Valley Council is looking into the feasibility of creating a not-for-profit charitable body provisionally called the Affordable Housing Trust, with an aim to help meet the need for affordable housing in the valley.

Given the level of public housing stock in this region is lower than the state average, it is good to see Mayor Ian Tiley raising the profile of this issue.

 

According to the Northern Rivers Social Development Council; "No one can escape the affordability crisis that affects households across Australia. The Northern Rivers has one of the highest rates of families living in housing stress in Australia.  Average rents in our region are the same as Sydney, but people here earn on average less than two thirds of the average Sydney income. In our coastal towns and major centres up to 65% of low income households are living in unaffordable housing.  Key workers in industries such as Community Services, Children's Services, Health, Aged Care, Hospitality and Retail have problems finding accommodation close to work and services.  For the most disadvantaged finding any accommodation is difficult."

Nationals Member for Clarence protecting his image

Spotted on the banks of the Clarence River over the Easter long weekend.

NSW Nationals MP Steve Cansdell getting his picture taken with a mate.

Quick as a flash Cansdell grabs the lit cigarette out of the mate's mouth, holds it behind his back, and then jams it back from whence he plucked it as soon as the happy snap is completed.

Does he really believe that voters will think that he doesn't know anyone who smokes the demon weed? G'arn.

Talk about political correctness gone mad.

Port Stephens finds answer to tree vandals. Will Northern Rivers coastal councils follow suit?

News.com.au photograph

Port Stephens Council decided to use shipping containers to punish residents who lopped down 20 trees to improve their sea views.
A move which looks like being a lot more effective than the relatively small, neat and tidy bill boards commonly being used by councils on the NSW North Coast.
Well done, Port Stephens!

National Generators Forum wants major Australian emitters to be given greenhouse get-out-of-gaol-free card

In January this year the National Generators Forum wrote to the Ganaut Climate Change Review recommending that, in any future national carbon trading scheme, major energy companies using conventional dirty production methods be given consideration by way of "appropriate allocation of permits" "to recognise past investment made in good faith".

In other words both public and private energy suppliers would like a free pass on much of their existing infrastructure and production practices. Even though these suppliers could have made an informed decision to apply mitigation measures anytime in the last ten to twenty years.

Such a free pass would also involve considerable dollar compensation to the Forum's 22-strong membership.

It seems that the National Generators Forum is quite happy with the notion that the poor will bear a disproportionate burden when it comes to predicted increased energy costs, but it is less than happy at the thought of its own members bearing any financial burden at all.