Community Matters

(Community Matters) Such great news waking up to today, that the White House and Congress have decided to push forward with repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – in fact, hearing even more than just repealing but outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation (this will prevent its reinstatement at a later date).  Tongues a wagging about what changed or if changed – the White House appeared to have backed off its earlier promise to repeal by year’s end.

Funny, on the boat last night, a friend’s mom was mad at Pres Obama for not yet enacting full equality for gays & lesbians.  The friend and I told her we weren’t mad, we know what’s in his heart, that he opposes all discrimination based on sexual orientation and that it wasn’t if, simply when.  Plus that more gays and lesbians were impacted by a healthy economy and health care than by military service and marriage combined – don’t get me wrong – I want it all, every single right offered to every other American. Very please that under Pres Obama we’ve made progress in equality re: hate crimes, federal non-discrimination (outside what held up by DOMA), State Department/Foreign Service spousal benefits, HUD, HHSA and repeal of HIV travelers ban.

Does Senator Levin have the votes?  He wouldn’t be going forward it he didn’t – ditto Congressman Murphy.  A large majority of Americans support lifting the ban – Democrats and Republicans.

(Community Matters) Jill, Stephen Y, Tana, Charles & I met Daniel & his mom for a Bateaux Mouches ride up and down the Siene.  Regrettably Steven T down for the count; he picked up the 3 day bug I had.  Having battled big fever late yesterday, he’s now up and about this morning, looking 80 – 85%.

(Community Matters) Le Jules Verne is the Alain Ducasse restaurant quite high in the Eiffel Tower (there’s another restaurant on the “2nd” floor) – quite exquisite.  Our Gang of Six loved, loved, loved the food, wine, atmosphere and experience.

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Ambassador Rivkin grew up the son of a US ambassador and lived in France many times prior to this post.  He was CEO of the Jim Henson Company before his unanimous confirmation as President Obama’s ambassador to France. His chief of staff, Daniel Dozier, is a friend and gave us a tour of the residence this morning.

Baroness de Pontalba, Micaela Leonarda Almonester, a privileged Spaniard who lived in New Orleans, built the current residence and then sold it to Baron Edmond de Rothschild who added its two wings.

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) as guests of Charles, the Gang of Six attended Jose Montalvo’s & Dominique Hervieu’s new piece, Orpheus, at the Theatre National de Chaillot, a wonderfully imperial/deco dance theatre below Tracadero.

The piece was beyond stunning; Charles immediately signed up to bring it to the states.  If the timing is right, we’d love Ron Berry to consider presenting it as part of FuseBox Festival – it’s a big show which requires a big stage, perhaps in partnership with the Long or Texas PAC.

They’ve created visual, fantastical worlds for the myth of Orpheus’ tragic voyage.

(Community Matters) Some issues don’t bring out my best side.  My earlier comments about Mark McKinnon – well, less than the standards of discourse to which I usually hold myself.  We’ve met several times and have many mutual (some quite close) friends.  He’s a nice guy.  I certainly don’t wish him ill.  I do become irrationally defensive when those of 43s inner tribe relaunch their revisionist history detrimentally toward Pres Obama and frankly, again detrimentally against our country.

I don’t believe the folks I know and have a relationship with who are tea party supporters are racists.  I don’t believe all tea party supporters are racists, probably not even half.  Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Jill & I scored big at yesterday’s Bastille Market.  The seafood too good to ignore – a huge trout – and we decided on dinner at the apartment.  Came home with both our bags stuffed plus two shopping bags.  Dinner for 7, the Gang of Six (aka Les Mis Street Urchins – gotta see FB to understand) plus Nicolas, a new friend and long time friend of the Christie family.

The Bastille Market is my new gold standard for farmers’ markets.

an internet pic

(Community Matters) Tough, tough, tough cultural metamorphosis our country is undergoing

(Community Matters) Mike Allen’s playbook

ASSIGNED WEST WING READING — N.Y. Times’ David Leonhardt’s ‘Economic Scene’ column, ‘A Progressive Agenda To Remake Washington’: ‘Congress and the White House have completed 16 months of activity that rival any other since the New Deal in scope or ambition. Like the Reagan Revolution or Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the new progressive period has the makings of a generational shift in how Washington operates. First came a stimulus bill that, while aimed mainly at ending a deep recession, also set out to remake the nation’s educational system and vastly expand scientific research. Then President Obama signed a health care bill that was the biggest expansion of the safety net in 40 years. And now Congress is in the final stages of a bill that would tighten Wall Street’s rules and probably shrink its profit margins. If there is a theme to all this, it has been to try to lift economic growth while also reducing income inequality. … Will this new progressive project succeed? There are any number of uncertainties: whether enough charter schools will succeed, whether the new health insurance markets will function well, whether the Fed will learn to become an effective regulator of Wall Street. posted from my blackberry

Mr. Obama has been trying to reverse the Reagan thrust in some important ways. Although the Reagan administration did not shrink the size of the federal government, it changed the ways that Washington collected and spent its money, by reducing taxes on the affluent, cutting some social programs and increasing military spending.

These policies ended up magnifying income inequality, which was already rising for other reasons. Since 1980, median household income has risen only 30 percent, adjusted for inflation, while average incomes at the top have tripled or quadrupled. Every major piece of the Obama agenda is meant, in part, to push back against inequality. Government may grow, but the bigger change will be how the government is spending its money.

(Community Matters) hmm, let’s see, an ophthalmologist held his victory party at a members-only country club to celebrate breaking the lock of the elite on power.  Doesn’t believe in the constitutionality of the 1960’s civil rights act to force private enterprises to not discriminate.  Oh, and his party didn’t really oppose deficits or other big government programs until an African American was elected to the highest office in the land.  hmm, nah, couldn’t be racist.

(Community Matters) Excellent dinner at Le Comptoir, then a stroll through the Latin Quarter.

pictures Steven Tomlinson

(Community Matters) yeah we are kinda smaltzy – here