NewscomaRural Media, Pop Culture, Politics And Bigfoot

I like it when people do what they say they are going to do.

Movie star Paul Newman has quietly turned over the entire value of his ownership in Newman’s Own — the company that makes salad dressing and cookies — to charity.

Completed over a two-year period in 2005 and 2006, the amount of his donations to Newman’s Own Foundation Inc. comes to an astounding $120 million.

This is unprecedented for any movie star or anyone from what we call Hollywood. Of course Newman and actress wife Joanne Woodward have never been Hollywood types. They’ve lived their lives quietly in Westport, Conn., for the last 50 years. (They were married in January 1958. And people said it wouldn’t last!)

Good job, Mr. Newman. Good job.

These birds have pooped on every car in the garage. They built their nest on the security light.

I call them Paul, Ringo and Smitty.

Yeah, I’m a softie. I like them.

The McCain Girls are back.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPZEDiqzFI4]

I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but they are back.

I’m not one to say I told you (being the collective world in general) so.

But …

A new proposal you might be interested in is here.

The Center for American Progress last year convened a diverse group of national experts and leaders to examine the causes and consequences of poverty in America and make recommendations for national action. In this report, our Task Force on Poverty calls for a national goal of cutting poverty in half in the next 10 years and proposes a strategy to reach the goal.

Our nation has seen periods of dramatic poverty reduction at times when near-full employment was combined with sound federal and state policies, motivated individual initiative, supportive civic involvement, and sustained national commitment. In the last six years, however, our nation has moved in the opposite direction. The number of poor Americans has grown by five million, while inequality has reached historic high levels.

The proposal is how to get back on track in the war against poverty. The report is rather extensive and offers 12 steps. This is one that I hear from young women everyday that honestly would help.

4.  Guarantee child care assistance to low-income families and promote early education for all. We propose that the federal and state governments guarantee child care help to families with incomes below about $40,000 a year, with expanded tax help to higher-earning families. At the same time, states should be encouraged to improve the quality of early education and broaden access for all children. Our child care expansion would raise employment among low-income parents and help nearly 3 million parents and children escape poverty.

As I said, the proposal is rather extensive. Read the rest of it here.