Contents

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• Previous Issues
• We Hope To See You At Our Next Celebration
• Art Sharing
• Other Stuff
• Bruce Taylor's Editorial
• Some thoughts by Bob Olson
• Topical Literary Quotes
• A poem by Pippen Sardo

Previous Issues

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We Hope To See You At Our Next Celebration

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Art Sharing
Sunday, February 9, 2002

Bruce Taylor read a story, "Alternate Reality 546.7" and his poem, "Ode to Purrzac". Donna Barr announced that everyone should go to www.moderntales.com on February 15 to see ALL the Desert Peach musical slides, free that day only, and that she will be the featured reader at the first Friday poetry slam in March, 5:00 pm, at Just Your Cup of Tea in Bremerton. Lida Sloan read her poem "Species Recovery Program". Pippin Sardo read her poem "Erika" and showed off the Snow White costume she made for Donna Ray Davidson and Rob Jones' play, Cindy Elle, which ran Feb. 12-16 at Arts West Theatre in West Seattle. Karen Stein read her story "Jesus and Prolixin", together with her poem "The Old Ones". Carl Sloan showed how a candle flame will dance to sounds coming from a radio that is set next to it. Roberta Gregory shared a chorus for Bruce Taylor's "Alternate Reality 546.7".

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Other Stuff

Bruce Taylor just got news that his story, "The Coat", which will appear in an anthology, THE HEALING HEART, has been published and will be available very soon, maybe in the next week. He'll be taking orders for the book. Let him know.

If you missed it last year, Donna Ray Davidson and Rob Jones' musical tribute, Women With Balls, is opening at the Bathhouse Theatre February 28 and running through March 29. Performances are Thursday and Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. A funny and heart-felt tribute to strong women throughout history. Pippin Sardo is helping with costumes.

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Bruce Taylor's Editorial

A great speech by Senator Byrd -- yes, Senator Byrd!

Read Senate Floor Speech from http://truthout.org/docs_02/021403A.htm...
(Click your browser's BACK button to return here when done.)

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Some thoughts by Bob Olson

George W. Bush & "First Class Welfare"

President George W. Bush's "economic stimulus" plan negates his promise of "compassionate conservatism". It amounts to "First Class welfare" by rewarding the rich. Bush's plan will only increase our staggering national debt. This will cost taxpayers $364 billion over ten years, by reducing the taxation of stock dividends. 40 percent of these savings go to the top 1 percent of wealthy Americans. Most Americans are deeply in debt. Our national debt has mushroomed. At the same time, President Bush initiates an unbudgeted, globally-unpopular war in Iraq, together with a pledge to rebuild Pakistan and Iraq, while failing to fund the ability of bankrupt states to meet his "Homeland Security" demands. Where will the money come from?

As we have less, but spend more, Bush's "economic stimulus" package is the same as that of Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon in the 1920s, which brought about the Wall Street crash, initiating the Great Depression. American voters rejected this policy when George W. Bush's father lost the election ten years ago. The Bushs are investment class Americans, and have been for the past 100 years. Unlike working class Americans, this class does not have to work. Their income comes from investments that can be manipulated to benefit the rich in hard times.

To prevent economic ruin, we need the wisdom of past leaders in both major political parties. Bear in mind:

• Thomas Jefferson's fear of money power;
• Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of the inheritance tax;
• Harry S. Truman's attitude toward Wall Street;
• Dwight D. Eisenhower favored taxes on excess wartime profits;
• Richard Nixon signed legislation imposing a higher top tax rate on unearned, over-earned, income;
• Ronald Reagan's 1986 tax reform which insisted on equal top rates for earned vs. stock market
• income, eliminating the preference for capital gains.

Republican Senator John McCain from Arizona stated in December, "We probably need to have tax cuts directed at lower-income Americans, such as payroll tax deductions. Lower-income Americans in totality bear a much higher tax burden than wealthy Americans do; therefore, there is a growing gap between the wealthiest and poorest Americans."

Most American's will not receive stock dividends. Not taxing dividends is insulting to most Americans. As I watch TV and see the bread lines of unemployed and underemployed working Americans, George W. Bush reminds me of Marie Antoinette when she said, "Let them eat cake". (extracted from "Bushonomics", by Kevin Phillips, from his book Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the American Rich – originally published in the in the Los Angeles Times and reprinted in the Opinion section of The Seattle Times, Sunday, February 16, 2003)

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Topical Literary Quotes:

"The rich are different from us."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Yes, they have more money."
Ernest Hemingway, replying to F. Scott Fitzgerald

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A poem by Pippen Sardo

POEM

To Ariana Sardo Mazi from her first cousin-once removed, Pippin

Ariana

Ariana has a momma
            And her name's Daniela.
Both of those are pretty names;
            The Italian word is bella.

Ariana has a poppa,
            (Now wish me a little luck),
He's a maestro, which means teacher,
            And his name is Chuck.

Ariana lives in Portland.
            It is a big città.
That means city, on the river
            We call Columbia.

Ariana, momma, poppa
            Are a family,
And that means love in any language,
            To all of you from me.

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