In the ‘Burgh
by dday
Though I’m sure you haven’t noticed, I was away from the blog for about a week. See, I was off getting married, and I didn’t want the new wife finding me with the laptop furtively typing away while on the honeymoon, leading to me getting a quickie divorce. Now I’m back and on the ground here in Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation. Just a reminder that, if you’re at the conference, you can find Digby and myself on a few panels over the weekend.
Digby is on the following two panels:
From Jargon to Message: Blogging the Economic Battles
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13TH 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
PANEL, 317
Some of the big economic policy fights that loom on the horizon—including domestic recovery, global trade, banking and health care—turn on issues that can be tough to blog about without narrowing interest to a small band of hardy policy wonks. How can we crystallize the debate and explain what’s at stake without getting hung up on paralyzing jargon? And how can we defuse the negative associations with words like “deficits,” “protectionism,” “nationalization” and “government-run health care” that currently help special interests and obstructionists misframe the debate? This panel also offers an opportunity for attendees to clear up confusion about complicated policy details, giving us all the ability to make strong policy arguments.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
PANEL, 318
This panel will discuss the opportunities and risks of the current economic and social environment. Will Obama seize the opportunity to restore elements of the New Deal, or will the oligarchs use shock to strengthen their position of control?
Sadly, my panel on California is at the same time as Digby’s on Saturday:
California: How Process Creates Crisis
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
PANEL, 317
California is the nation’s largest state, and is often seen as a bellweather for economic and social change. However, the peculiar dynamic of state government institutions has threatened that role, as the state has slipped into an almost perpetual crisis mode. Despite an overwhelming majority of progressive lawmakers in the state legislature, the two-thirds rule for passing a budget and tax increases, among other issues, handcuffs them and empowers a radical conservative minority. Thirty years of short-term fixes and failed leadership have only exacerbated the problem and put the state—and the nation—in real danger. As Paul Krugman recently said, “Years of neglect, followed by economic disaster—and with all reasonable responses blocked by a fanatical, irrational minority … This could be America next.” In this session, we will look at the reasons for California’s budget tangle, the larger implications for the progressive movement at large, and what some organizations are doing to change these outdated rules and take back state government for the people.
And both of us will be around throughout the weekend, so if you’re here, seek us out and say hi.
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