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Verizon Grants Pro-Choice group Text Messages

Citing the controversial nature of the group's message, Verizon previously blocked NARAL Pro-Choice America from the full features of the wireless carrier's text messaging network.  Upon  review of "dusty internal policy," Verizon executives have granted the activists the feature, which allows members to sign up for text bulletins by messaging the group.

NARAL, a nonprofit based in Washington, said Verizon was suppressing the organization's speech and urged members to call Verizon and complain about the restrictions.

"It's about people who specifically request to be a part of our text-message program, and Verizon is censoring our message," a spokesman said before Verizon changed its position.

More Verizon free speech shenanagins here.

VT Governor hosts Chertoff, investigates eavesdropping

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, keynote speaker at New England News Forum's launch earlier this year, is welcoming Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff today, one day after his administration launched an investigation into improper government eavesdropping in his state. Chertoff will be in the Green Mountain state to sign off on Vermont's plan to create a new ID for crossing the Canadian border in place of a passport and to discuss how it affects national security.
The eavesdropping investigation is based on claims that both Verizon and AT&T released private information to the NSA:

The Public Service Board is trying to decide whether to investigate whether the two companies gave the National Security Agency access to Vermont residents' phone records as part of an anti-terrorist surveillance program.

The Public Service Board is the quasi judicial group that regulates utilities in Vermont. The Department of Public Service represents the interests of consumers before the board.

Draft-Gore movement picks up steam with Boston group

Organizers of "America for Gore," based in Boston, are sending around an email to news organizations. Here's what the New England News Forum received on Fridayfrom Michael Clagett (mclagett@comcast.net):

Dear respected journalist,

America For Gore is sending you this press release because we want to alert you to what we are doing at present. We hope that you will consider AFG a reliable and useful news source in the future and will look forward to our occasional updates. If you would prefer not to receive our press releases, please reply to this message with a request for removal from the list. Thank you.

Eric Schiller / Press Officer / www.americaforgore.org

AMERICA FOR GORE: A NEW NATIONWIDE COALITION CREATED TO DRAFT AL GORE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008.

National Milestone Reached in Growing Grassroots Movement

BOSTON, Massachusetts--September 21, 2007--They are teachers and students, scientists and doctors, secretaries and CEOs, store clerks and store owners, factory workers and artists. They represent every demographic group and every geographic region in the country. They are everyday Americans, from coast to coast and across the political spectrum--Democrats, Independents, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, moderates. And they have two things incommon: They have become involved in the political process (many for the first time), and they want Al Gore to run in the 2008 presidential election.

And, as of September 2007, the grassroots effort of these thousands of individuals has reached a milestone: They have joined together as a nationwide coalition--America for Gore.

America for Gore encompasses all the major and minor groups within the movement whose goal is to persuade Al Gore to run for president. Among the groups in the coalition are DraftGore.com, AlGore.org, Netroots for Gore, GoreHub.com, AlGore08 MySpace, Draft Gore Facebook groups, GoreforPresidentNow.com, Goreganic.com, RunDammit.com, RunGoreRun.com, and the Al Gore Support Center, as well as hundreds of Draft Gore meetups and groups nationwide. While the groups will continue to focus on their individual strategies, they will also be working together on important initiatives by sharing information, exchanging ideas, and mobilizing their members to help other groups within the coalition.

The Ameerica for Gore coalition is launching a new website--www.AmericaforGore.org--to establish a central location on the web for the coordination of this grassroots effort. America for Gore is not replacing existing websites, groups, and blogs. The individual websites of each organization will continue to exist as before, but the new coalition website will keep group members and the public informed and will act as a portal, directing Gore supporters to the member sites so they can become involved in the many different facets of the Draft Gore movement.

Members of the coalition cite Gore's unmatched political experience (eight years each in Congress, the Senate, and as Vice President), the fact that he won the popular vote in 2000, his early and outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, and his commitment to solving the climate crisis as core strengths of a potential candidacy in 2008.

The formation of this coalition signals a significant increase in the sophistication of the Draft Gore movement as well as in the powers of coordination, recruitment, and influence of the movement.By coordinating their activities, the groups hope to extend their reach, recruit more members, and increase their impact on the public's and the media's perception of Al Gore's strength as a candidate.

STATEMENT -- Mass. Gov. Patrick's statement supporting casino gambling

Here is the text of an email sent by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick at
5:13 p.m. today explaining his decision to support auctioning of three
licenses to build resort casinos in Massachusetts.

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:13:11 -0400 From: Deval L. Patrick Subject: Casino Gaming Plan

Dear Friends,

For several weeks now, I have carefully considered whether we should expand gaming in Massachusetts. After thoroughly reviewing the arguments and the analyses, I can confidently report that there is no obvious answer for the Commonwealth. Casino gambling is neither a cure-all nor the end of civilization.

I consulted with many inside and outside of government and heard from many of you before I made my decision. Based on my review, on balance, and under certain conditions, I believe resort casinos can work well in and for Massachusetts.

I know that for many of you this is a powerful and sometimes personal issue, and I want you to know that I did not come to this decision lightly. Your concerns never fell on deaf ears, and I hope the plan outlined in brief below makes it clear that I share many of those concerns as well.

The reality is that economic growth is critical in order for us to deal honestly and responsibly with the neglect of the past 16 years. Our roads and bridges need billions of dollars of repairs and ongoing maintenance. We must continue to reform our education system to prepare young people for the competitive challenges of our global economy, and continue to position Massachusetts for the jobs of the 21st century. And we must accomplish all this without putting an unfair burden on those in our community who have been hit hard by rising property taxes over the past few years. The only way to meet these responsibilities fairly and equitably is to advance initiatives that will provide long-term, sustainable economic growth. Destination resort casinos can serve a useful role in our overall economic development plan.

After my review, I believe that three, high-quality resort casinos would generate over $2 billion annually in new economic activity, bolster tourism to the Bay State, create over 20,000 permanent new jobs at good wages and benefits, and engage the services of tens of thousands construction workers. That kind of economic activity spurs the sale of other goods and services, creating a jobs multiplier effect within our local economy.

If we proceed down this path, we must ensure that we also adhere to sound economic, public safety and public health principles, as well as develop a strong oversight and enforcement mechanism for casinos.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Click below to visit www.mass.gov and learn more about plan and watch a video of the announcement: http://emessenger.sage-systems.com/t/23986/100731/257/0/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------

To that end, we will limit the number of casinos to three, and ensure that they are destination resort casinos and not "racinos." The fewer the number, the more likely we are to maximize their economic benefits and tax revenues. At the same time, it is important to allocate these opportunities equitably around the Commonwealth in order to attract tourists and residents from different regions of New England and beyond.

We will also regulate resort casinos vigorously, professionally and independent of politics. The auctioning of the casino licenses must be an open and transparent process, overseen by financial experts and free from any political interference. Oversight and regulation of resort casinos should be entrusted to an independent authority, while enforcement should be the responsibility of a new division within the Attorney General's office. All costs related to regulation and enforcement will be borne by an assessment on the casinos themselves.

We will also provide significant resources to mitigate any anticipated social costs. Specifically, we will set aside a portion of the casino revenue in a separate trust account for programs to prevent and treat compulsive gambling, drug and alcohol abuse and other related public health concerns, so that we can address and monitor the impact on people for whom gambling is more than harmless entertainment. I have asked my Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Public Safety to design best-in-the-nation programs to address these issues, and the percentage of gaming revenues dedicated to supporting these programs will be among the highest of any in the country. In addition, we will also set aside a portion of monies for host and surrounding communities who bear the burden associated with any significant increase in people and traffic.

Finally, we will dedicate the revenue from resort casinos toward repairing our roads, rails and bridges, as well as toward a significant property tax credit program for homeowners.

Our roads, rails, buses and bridges are showing the effects and results of over 16 years of neglect by previous administrations. Without better and safer roads and bridges, we compromise our economic future and our quality of life. By investing a significant portion of the resort casino revenue toward improving roads, we accelerate the growth in economic opportunities in every region, ensure the safety of our public roads and bridges, and address effectively one of the greatest fiscal challenges we face – without an increase in the gas tax.

The remaining resort casino revenue will be distributed to homeowners across the state in the form of an income tax credit to offset property tax bills. Families, seniors and young people trying to settle in our state face rapidly escalating property taxes. Indeed, these new resources provide us the opportunity to deliver property tax credits directly to homeowners and thereby help to lessen the burden of property taxes on working families in the Commonwealth.

Needless to say, our way forward does not and should not depend on the Governor's views alone. The Legislature will have to enact new laws to make this vision a reality. The needs and wishes of affected communities must be heard. No resort casino should be sited before receiving a transparent, engaged public review.

Before I took the oath of office, I knew, as did most of you, that all of us would not always agree on everything. Still, I promised that I would carefully consider every side of an issue before making a decision, and then base my decision solely on what I believe to be best for our state. I have tried my best to fulfill that promise on this issue.

If we proceed under these conditions, with care and transparency, I believe destination resort casinos can bring significant economic benefits to the Commonwealth, and play a role in our overall plan for long-term, sustainable economic growth. Done the right way, resort casinos can join the many other reasons why Massachusetts is an international destination for travelers and tourists and a wonderful place to live.

Sincerely,
[Gov.] Deval Patrick

Virtual vs. real -- "civic media" research at MIT kicks off with Sept. 20 panel

Brad Seawell of the MIT Communications Forum writes to note that a free public forum on Thurs., Sept. 20 launches a new center studying the relationship between emerging media and civic engagement. A key area of inquiry is how virtual worlds such as SecondLife affect civic engagement in the real world.

The "MIT Center for Future Civic Media," is funded with a $5-million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Its directors are Chris Csikszentmihalyi and Mitchel Resnick of the Media Lab and Henry Jenkins of MIT's comparative media studies department.

The event: "What Is Civic Media?" will run from 5-7 p.m. in the Bartos Theater at the MIT Media Lab, 20 Ames St., Cambridge, Mass. Speakers, besides Csikszentmihalyi and Henry Jenkins, will be Beth Noveck, New York Law School and Ethan Zuckerman, Berkman Center for Internet & Society (Harvard Law School)

Seawell writes: "In [the book] 'Bowling Alone' (2000), Robert Putnam wrote about a generation of Americans cut off from traditional forms of community life and civic engagement, passive consumers of mass media. But others have noted the expansion of participatory cultures and virtual communities on the web, the growth of blogs, podcasts, and other forms of citizen journalism, the rise of new kinds of social affiliations within virtual worlds. What lessons can we learn from these online worlds that will make an impact in the communities where we work, sleep, and vote? What new technologies and practices offer us the best chance of revitalizing civic engagement?"

Also in the series: Games and Cvic Engagement on Thursday, Nov. 8, 5-7 p.m. in Bartos Theater.

For more information, go to http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum -- or call
Seawell at (617) 253-3521 (seawell@mit.edu )

Common Cause Massachusetts pushing electoral-vote change hearing

The executive director of Common Cause of Massachusetts has sent out an email asking voters to support a modified form of popular election of the president. Pam Wilmot (causenet@commoncause.org), writes:

"Common Cause is leading efforts to create an agreement among the states to allocate their presidential electors to the candidate who receives the most votes in all 50 states. Legislation is being introduced in nearly every state this year to join this new legally binding system that would guarantee that the winner of the popular vote would be elected president.

Wilmot says Maryland has adopted such an idea, and Illinois and New Jersey lawmakers are considering it. She says a bill will be heard on Wed., Sept. 19 on Beacon Hill. More at: http://www.commoncause.org/NPVinMA

Study says user-news sites offer diverse stories, some questionable sources

An analysis by a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle of social-news networking sites such as Digg, Del.icio.us and Reddit -- based upon ajust-release Project for Excellence in Journalism study. Chronicle reporter Joe Garofoli writes: " . . . [R]eadrs readers of these user-news sites collectively and continuously contribute to the creation of a digital "front page" of their favorite stories - pushing to prominence news that may get scant airing on traditional print, broadcast or cable outlets, where space and airtime is finite and, they say, risk-taking is more rare."

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/12/MNPDS3RE6.DTL

LINK TO THE PEJ STUDY WRITEUP: http://www.journalism.org/node/7493

EXCERT: "Indeed, these user-driven sites have entered the news business, or perhaps more accurately, they have entered the news dissemination business. Reporting is not a part of their charge. Instead, they turn to others for content and then they bestow users with the task of deciding what makes it on the page."

EVENT: Panel discussion on corporate use of "social media"

The Business Wire office in Boston's Vanessa Traniello sent along this note about a free, public event.

WHAT: Lessons Learned: How Corporate America is Using Social Media WHEN: September 20, 2007 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm WHERE: Newton Marriott Hotel, cash bar and refreshments will be served http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/bosnt-boston-marriott-newton/

The Social Media Club (SMC) is a national organization developed to promote social media literacy, best practices and to explore the ethics and standards that are constantly developing. Social Media Club's local chapter, SMCBoston holds monthly meetings and typically consist of a panel discussion followed by breakout discussions and a Q&A. After a short summer break, Business Wire and Social Media Club Boston have teamed up to bring you this panel discussion.

PANELISTS: Steve Restivo, Director of Corporate Affairs, Wal-Mart Northeast Dan Lyons, Senior Editor, Forbes Magazine Additional Panelists: TBA

MODERATOR: Monika Maeckle, Vice President, Southwest Region, Business Wire

To pre-register, please email Stephanie.Paquette@businesswire.com with
your name, title, and organization. From: Vanessa Traniello/Business Wire
Reply-To:
stephanie.paquette@businesswire.com