This is the first in a series of programs focusing on values that promote or degrade democracy.  Competition and the obsession with winning is this month's value that is incompatible with democracy.  Byron Bangert comments on the role of competition and proposes that the spirit of public service is one of the most serious missing characteristics in today's elected officials.

Shades takes a new approach to promoting democracy.  See the ABOUT page on this web site.  No response yet from Sensenbrenner.  The Pork Book documents $29 billion in pork spending.  Here are nine things you should expect from your elected representatives:
1. You should expect your representative, when responding to a person's question, to finish by asking the person: Does that answer your question?
2. You should expect your representative to read every bill they vote on.
3. You should expect your representative to provide you with an up-to-date, annotated voting record.
4. You should expect your representative to provide you with an accurate version of the oppossition's arguments to demonstrate his/her understanding of all sides of an issue.
5. You should expect 24 hour service.
6. You should expect a three-day turn-around for responses to inquiries.
7. You should expect your elected representatives to offer full disclosure of all their finances as the price of serving as a representative.
8. You should expect your elected representatives to do everything in their power to give you the same level of healthcare that they give themselves.
9. You should expect your representatives to not become a paid lobbyist when they leave office - ever!

House Judicary Committee inquiry. Union leader talks about democracy. Letter puts Democracy and Republic in perspective. Thing #7 that you should expect from your elected representatives.

Rant on TV ads. Sweetwater.com recommended. Instant Runoff Voting introduced. Expectations 4, 5, and 6.

Vermont independence movement explored at vermontrepublic.org. Principle of secession explored at secession.net. The ugly truth about factory farming at themeatrix.com.

http://usbluepages.gov Micheal Greenman chairs@circainfo.org The People's Email Network usalone.com

League of Women Voters web site is recommended. A Democracy Conference is announced. David Sirota, his book, Hostile Takover, is introduced, his blog, The Corruption Digest is recommended. One more expectation is added to the list of things you should expect of your elected representatives.

An introduction to Project Vote Smart which has a lot of voting record information. IU Professor Jim Hart give his views of the relationship between democracy and community. One item is added to the list of expectations of elected representatives.

Update on franking by Congressmen. More on votng records. Media Matters podcast. The Death of Media and the Fight to Save Democracy (book). Beginning of a list of expectations from elected representatives. Rafia Zakaria reports on democracy in Iran.

Progress report on Congressional franking. Progress report on Congressional voting records. Letter from POCLAD to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee with questions for Alito. An interview with Gretchen Clearwater, candidate for congress in the Indiana 9th district.

Selected reports of Zapatista political activity in Mexico, some strongly biased. Indiana University professor Erik Bucy talks about ways to improve US democracy. A quote by Thom Hartmann.

Robert trys to get more information from Congress about members' spending. Excerpts from Robert McChesney's book Rich Media, Poor Democracy. Introduction to Rights newsletter by the Center for Democracy and the Constitution. Telephone update on political events in Ukraine over the past nine months. Quote by T. Jefferson about corporations.

Senator Lugar responds to a request for information. Senate Report received. IU Professor Ruth Needleman offers opinions and observations about unions in Cuba.

The Statement of Disbursements of the House (of Representatives) and a brief description of the kinds of data about Congressmen's spending it contains is described. A Ukrainian citizen talks about the Orange Revelotion.

Part 2 of an interview with the director of the Parliamentary Development Project in Ukraine, IU Professor, Charles Wise. A salute to C-Span and the C-Span web site, www.c-span.org.

A salute to Senator Russ Feingold for an energetic effort to maintain effective two-way communications with his constituents. Part 1 of an interview with the director of the Parliamentary Development Project in Ukraine, IU Professor, Charles Wise.

Robert Ivie tells of a surprising encounter with his elected representative. Lee Hamilton says that ordinary citizens have more influence than they think.