Restore clean-water act to original strength Now!

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March 22, 2010  View as Webpage | Forward | Subscribe   Dear Aubrey, If you think the Clean Water Act protects your drinking water from pollution, think again. Please take action today to ensure fundamental safeguards for clean water in our streams, rivers, and lakes. A confusing 2006 Supreme Court decision on the Clean Water Act has left the fate of 60 percent of the nation’s stream miles -– that provide drinking water for 117 million Americans –- in legal limbo. As a result, as reported in The New York Times, polluters are now claiming complete exemptions from reporting what they dump into local streams. Congress can resolve this problem by passing legislation to restore full federal protection for all our waters. Help us ensure that all of our nation’s waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. Urge your representative to support introducing and passing the Clean Water Restoration Act today. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Katherine Baer Senior Director, Clean Water Program

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I would like to express grave concern over the loss of protection for many of our small streams that provide clean drinking water for 117 million Americans in communities across the country. Supreme Court decisions in the Rapanos and Carabell cases have made it confusing and burdensome for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect small streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. As a result, enforcement actions against polluters have declined sharply the EPA estimates that over 1,000 cases have been shelved or dropped altogether. More recently it has become clear that some polluters are using the decisions as a justification to avoid any permitting and reporting requirements for discharging pollutants into our waters. For the Clean Water Act to fulfill its goal of restoring the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, all waters must receive protection corresponding with Congress' original intent when passing this landmark law. Upstream waters must be protected from pollution and destruction if we expect downstream waters to be fit for swimming, drinking, and fish and wildlife, and downstream communities to be safe from flooding. I urge you to act in the interest of preserving clean water for healthy communities and wildlife. Please support introduction and passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would clarify the definition of waters to eliminate uncertainty and ensure clean water in accordance with the goals of the Clean Water Act. Thank you for your consideration.

A few faces from Washington County Democratic Central Committee on MARCH 15, 2010

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE.

Minutes of February 16, 2010, meeting of Senior Democrats

Northwest Arkansas Senior Democrats
February 16, 2010 Minutes
Western Sizzlin', Springdale, AR.

         Vice Pres., Berta Seitz opened the meeting at 12 noon & presided in the absence of Pres., Nancy Goliff, & introduced the judicial candidates. 
         Beth Storey-Bryan, candidate for judge in 5th Div., said her petition placed her on the ballot according to AR Sec. of State's office.  She is running because she feels public service is a high calling & also to protect children when engulfed in a legal situation.       
        Marti (Marsha) Woodruff is also a candidate for the 5th Div. post. She said that ideas of justice began early. She is also Pres. of the Fayetteville Library Foundation.  Her specialty is adoption & automobile cases especially as a trial lawyer. She also speaks fluent Spanish.       
        Greg Carson is a candidate for Div. 7 Circuit Judge. His emphasis will be on legal & judicial work, ethics, & integrity. He has 30 years of law experience & was appointed Circuit Judge by Gov. Beebe.           
        Steve Vega, also a candidate for Div. 7 in the 4th Judicial Dist. said he wanted to be a judge as he is a public servant & patriot who happens to be a lawyer.  He feels that the Bill of Rights was important to the framers of the Constitution & that the voters should study the resumes of candidates.   He has served on Washington Co. Quorum Court & was named Volunteer Lawyer of the Year in AR twice.  He listed 4 areas of his experience, (1) Nineteen years as baseball umpire, (2)Fifteen years as country lawyer, (3) Believes in legal system & (4) He feels lucky because he can practice in AR & OK.
        Charles Duvell of Fayetteville said he had 24 years of practice & had led a "law & order" type life. His legal career has covered 3 areas: (1) Prosecutor involving women & children cases & worked as moderator in such cases (2) Clerk in Benton Co. & Ft. Smith & (3) 9 years as Public Defender in Benton Co. His private practice has been in Ft. Smith & Fayetteville.  He emphasized that the duties of this court have not been decided. A new court is needed.        
        Joanna Taylor, Dist. Judge candidate from Madison Co. She has 16 years general practice experience. She served as Deputy Prosecutor in Carroll Co., ruled in 6,000 cases. She said 'courts do not belong to individual judges, they belong to the litigants.  The judge only presides & job is to apply law to facts at hand & see that justice prevails. She said people often have problems & want someone to apply law to their problems & hopefully will be better off in the future. She served on Dist. Judges Educational & Legislative Counsel for 3 years.     
       Berta thanked everyone for their participation.

       David Hart, Treasurer said that there is $4,091.97 in the treasury.  74 people attended with 3 guests, Keith & LaVerne Cooper & Deb Sexton.

The minutes of last month's meeting were approved.    

Berta announced that on March 9, at 5:30 p.m., the AAUW will sponsor a political forum at the Fayetteville Library.   

The meeting was dismissed at 12:51.    
Myra Moran, Secretary

Whitaker for Congress campaign headquarters to open formally on Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Please join us for the

Grand Opening

of the

Whitaker for Congress

Campaign Headquarters

Wednesday, March 10,  4-7pm

101 West Mountain, Fayetteville, AR

On the Historic Fayetteville Square

Gold Hosts

Dr. Malcolm Hayward,  Rep. Jim House, Rep. Uvalde Lindsey,

Pulaski County Clerk Pat O’Brien,

Sebastian County Clerk Doris Tate,

& House Candidates Earl Hunton, Greg Leding, Bill Ramsey

Young Democrat Leadership Hosts

Max Deitchler, Jeremiah Wax, Caleb Rose, Kathleen Gonzalez, Sarah Sparkman, Chris Burks, Britton Burnett, John Davis,

Robbie Jones

 Paid for by the Whitaker for Congress Committee. 

Please join us, we'd love to see you.

David Whitaker
Democratic Candidate
U. S. House of Representatives
Arkansas' 3rd District