Another way to get cheap oil, ride a bicycle

I decided to limit my driving to a flat cash figure - now at no more than $10 per week spent on gas! Any other trips beyond that budget get canceled, consolidated or put off as the gas gauge dips down to the E-side. I ride my bicycle, run or walk (like when I lived in China).

My physical range started with the 2-mile rule: "Any trip within two miles must be under your own power." My financial budget started with a $40 per week limit on gas spending, then as my range increased I dropped the budget to $20 per week. Now it's at $10 per week. As I get in better shape I bike more, drive less and spend less. All trips to Fish Creek or Baileys Harbor for instance fell within the initial 2-mile range. My radius has now extended to about 12 miles, that includes trips to Ephraim, north of Sister Bay and to Egg Harbor - by bicycle.

Richard Heinberg agrees in saying, "Want Cheap Oil? Reduce Demand!"

"Ask the major oil companies or the US Department of Energy why oil prices are beyond ludicrous and they'll tell you there's plenty of oil out there, there's just a lack of investment in exploration and production - particularly on the part of the national oil companies in OPEC."

Stan Cox at AlterNet says, Get Ready for the Post-SUV World!

"In May, for the first time in 17 years, the top-selling vehicle model in America was not a pickup truck. In fact, Ford's F-150, the perennial leader, was overtaken by three small import-car models. Ford's June truck sales were down 41 percent from a year ago, and its SUV sales are now in free-fall, down 55 percent. Sales of Dodge Ram pickups tumbled 48 percent. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were hit hard, and all have announced plans to close or suspend production at plants that make trucks and SUVs."

Meanwhile, my 1969 Chevy pickup truck usually sits quietly in the driveway like a good dog, waiting for work... I used to drive when it rained, but thinking back on China, where everyone simply dons a cape and pedals into any weather, I got over it.

Yesterday I got an automated phone call from Freedom's Watch, announcing an "Emergency Gas Alert." The voice claimed that, "Congressman Steve Kagen opposed efforts to increase domestic energy production 20 times." They gave me his phone number 920.437.1954 and encouraged me to call his office to voice my support for HR 3089, billed by its Texas Republican sponsor, Rep. William (Mac) Thornberry as "The No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007." After reading the text of the bill, asking for the rights to drill deeper, wider and farther than ever before, including the repeal of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, I decided to make that call.

"Go Steve Go! Make it 21 times voting against Big Oil and their efforts to destroy the Alaskan wilderness for a mere 6 month's worth of oil!" I tell the voicemail receptionist.

The Freedom's Watch Gas Alert is probably the first of many such phone calls I will get from John-Gard-endorsing, Swift-boating groups, as the race for the 8th CD gets hotter - since I am a registered Republican. Freedom's Watch alone may spend up to $250 million in the 2008 election. These are the same conservative folks that tried repeatedly to link Sept. 11 to Iraq... "Several of the group's spots suggested that Iraq, rather than Al Qaeda, was behind the Sept. 11 attacks, even though the independent Sept. 11 commission investigation and other inquiries found no evidence of Iraq's involvement," says the New York Times.

So now they claim that Congressman Steve Kagen is the reason for high gas prices...

My friend and local newscaster Roger Utnehmer confirms that there's no reason to expand the drilling rights of Big Oil. I will close with his editorial:

Big Oil Sitting on 68 Million Acres of Leased Land
by Roger Utnehmer
June 25, 2008

As if they don’t have enough PR problems, recent reports that oil companies are sitting on more than 68 million acres of leased land should frustrate anyone fed up with the rising price of gas.

Big oil companies lease land from the federal government for oil exploration. The fact that half of those leased acres are not being used by oil companies refutes the argument of those who suggest more off-shore drilling will reduce oil and gas prices in America.

The Alaska Wildlife Refuge, which President Bush would like to open to exploration, contains l.5 million acres with drilling potential. When oil companies sit on 68 million acres of leased land on which they are not drilling, encouraging big oil to explore and drill where they already lease should be public policy.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain supports more U.S. off-shore drilling.
Democrat Barack Obama wants to levy a fee on the leased acres the oil companies are not using as an incentive to encourage exploration.

A debate about oil policy will be good for the gas-paying public. Reforming unregulated futures speculation needs to be part of the debate. Some suggest that as much as 60% of the price of oil can be attributed to futures speculation by hedge funds, banks and financial groups.

Futures speculators only pay for 6% of the value of the contract, a leverage ratio of 16 to 1. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission should raise the margin requirement well above 6%. Speculation in oil futures is driving prices to unrealistic levels and might be a big part of the reason prices at the pump are so high.

The politics of oil determines the prices we pay at the pump which is why a civil discussion about exploration and futures trading is in order.

That’s my opinion. I’d like to hear yours. I’m Roger Utnehmer.

New windows for Plum Island?

The Plum Island Lighthouse off the northern tip of mainland Door County is currently one of 12 candidates, nominated in the Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative sponsored by the JELD-WEN Windows and Doors Company to receive free windows. So, please take a moment and cast your vote for our lighthouse! And tell your friends to vote, too.

"At JELD-WEN, we're demonstrating the reliability of our windows and doors—even in the most extreme conditions - by helping restore some of the nation's most reliable landmarks with the JELD-WEN^® Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative. The results were dramatic for our first three projects, the Umpqua River Lighthouse in Oregon, the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Maryland, and the Wind Point Lighthouse in Wisconsin. Now JELD-WEN is searching for the next reliable lighthouse in need of new windows and doors. "

Check back after September 7, 2008 to see the winner.

http://www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse/index_vote.cfm

Bringing the Suits to the Boots in Oregon

In a time of sky-rocketing fuel and food costs, the country comes to the rescue. The Oregon Country Trails is an eco-tourism system that offers a “buy local” package of food, recreation and entertainment.

Formed three years ago as an organized model of branded rural tourism attractions, The Oregon Country Trails is Oregon’s first eco-tourism system representing 85 local getaways, overnight stays, open barns, farms and ranches, fishing and swimming holes, fish hatcheries, unique country diners and restaurants, organic produce, grass-fed beef, poultry, pork, lamb, eggs, milk and cream, historical gardens, rural festivals and events, art galleries, wood shops, vegetable stands, fruit farms, fuchsia gardens, quilt shops, mercantiles, handcrafted goat cheeses, wineries, golf courses, tasting rooms, chocolate hazelnut farms, farmer’s markets, yurt stays, bicycling campgrounds, alpacas, sheep petting zoos, wildlife sanctuaries—even arctic wolves!

Divided into four driving routes or “trails,” in Lane, Benton and Lincoln counties, the Oregon Country Trails has packaged the rural experience with brochures, maps, and a usable website giving the urban visitor a place to go in the country and reason to get out of the car. Founder, Danuta Pfeiffer explains, “More importantly, it connects the urban visitor to the source of local healthy food and recreation. And in return, this helps with rural sustainability. It’s good to see rural alliances formed and communities come together where no community existed before.”

There’s power in numbers and festivals and collaborative promotion gives the rural vender exposure they couldn’t otherwise afford.

“In fact,” Pfeiffer notes, “In a time of scarcity of food and fuel, it will be the countryside and its producers that will keep our country running–not the cities. It’s a good idea to form alliances between the suits and the boots now, that will support us in the future.”

Learn more about Oregon Country Trails

Mary Bergin at Madison's Cap Times recently reported, "Earlier this spring, a committee of Wisconsin travel writers -- plus the state's first lady, Jessica Doyle -- asked readers to vote for your favorite small towns (population less than 15,000) in 20 categories at www.wondersofwisconsin.com. We'd wince when hearing rumors that one community or another was out to blitz the system, but that's not how the results appear."

Two of Door County's small towns won top spot recognition.

In the category of Best Dining, Sister Bay tied with Lake Geneva. Voters elected The Inn at Kristofer's (www.innatkristofers.com, 920.854.9419) in Sister Bay as one of that town's best dining choices as well as, Gilbert's Restaurant in Lake Geneva (www.gilbertsrestaurant.com, 262.248.6680).

I think it's a bit odd that Egg Harbor won in the statewide category of favorite small town with the Best galleries and arts scene. With the departure of Robert L. Pence eight years ago, I struggle to think of only a few small art galleries in Egg Harbor. Hopefully, visitors will discover Renee Schwaller's Off the Wheel Pottery on County E. Meanwhile, a quick search reveals that RLP, the guy responsible for artistically transforming the town, eventually left Milwaukee to paint the sea coast of southern California.

Pence, remains committed to living, loving and defending the natural environment as expressed in his enjoyment and pursuit of plein air painting. The folks in Orange County are happy to have captured him...

"It is said that art imitates life and the experience of great art enriches life. We are fortunate to have Robert Leland Pence share the wealth of his talent interpreting the timeless beauty of the beach cities coastline." - Thom Moore

You can find Robert L. Pence and his studio at:
34118 Pacific Coast Highway #3
Dana Point, CA 92629
Tel: 949.248.2514
robert@rlpartist.com

Kudos to Bill McConkey for taking a stand against Wisconsin's constitutional ban on gay marriage. Despite the fact that Dane County Circuit Judge Richard G. Niess ruled that the amendment was properly presented to voters in a November 2006 statewide referendum.

The Milwaukee Journal reported the following...

Dane County Circuit Judge Richard G. Niess said the pairing of two sentences in the amendment - one addressing marriage and the other similar legal relationships, such as civil unions - did not violate a provision in the Wisconsin Constitution that says if more than one amendment is submitted, voters must be able to vote for or against each amendment separately.

The case was brought by Bill McConkey, who lives in Door County and teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

McConkey said he was offended by the amendment because one of his seven daughters is gay and he thinks it unfairly takes protections away from certain people.

McConkey's lawsuit raised several objections to the amendment, but Niess left open only the question of whether the amendment was properly presented to voters.

The lawsuit was filed against Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and defended by the state Department of Justice.

The amendment reads: "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."

The two sentences are "two sides of the same coin," Niess said. "They clearly relate to the same subject matter and further the same purpose."

McConkey said he was disappointed by the ruling and thinks two separate subjects were presented to voters.

Julaine Appling, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Family Council, said the two sentences were necessary - one defines marriage and the second protects the institution - and that voters understood the amendment.

In the November 2006 election, 59% of voters supported the amendment.

After the hearing, McConkey said his instinct was to the appeal the decision, but he and his attorney, Lester Pines, a Madison lawyer representing McConkey for no fee, said they would consult about that possibility.

Suzanne Rosenblatt is a Milwaukee poet, an artist and an activist. On August 11, 2001, a pesticide sign got caught in the spokes of her bicycle. She crash-landed on her foot and broke three bones. The irony of an eco-poet suffering at the hands of a pesticide sign, caught the attention of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Jim Stingl who wrote: Enemy trips up green crusader. Suzanne eventually launched Grass Roots, a Web site and group formed to educate people about the dangers of pesticide use.

"Although I knew pesticides weren't safe, I didn't realize they were lethal," says Rosenblatt - until her dog Lilac died young, of cancer in 1992. "One day the vet said Lilac had cancer, the next day Lilac was dead! That's how I discovered, in 1992, that dogs all over the Milwaukee area were dying of cancer, apparently triggered by pesticides. So it follows that pesticides also affect humans..."

"...What happens to babies who crawl, children who play, families that picnic on treated grass? What happens when we track pesticides onto our carpets?"

Suzanne's work has paid off in building greater public awareness, but apparently her effort and the concern expressed by many citizens failed to convince the Village of Shorewood to amend it's policies. She just published the following 4th of July warning:

Those little white signs

If you ask me, the Shorewood fireworks are the best, and I'd planned to go with my children, grandchildren, and a group of friends with their children. But now the pleasure's gone. Five days before the fireworks, I saw pesticide warning signs all over Atwater Park!

The Department of Public Works knows these substances are too dangerous to use on school grounds, yet they sprayed Atwater Park just before the entire community will be celebrating there. We'll all be sitting on, picnicking on, poisoned grass if we go.

Last year when preparing a presentation to the Village Board, I discovered that Shorewood uses 2, 4-D, an extremely toxic herbicide. Google it, and I doubt you'll want to sit in it or track it into your house on shoe soles. It is used in "weed and feed" products, was a component of Agent Orange; is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, linked to prostate cancer in farmers, is a known endocrine disrupter, causes reduced sperm counts and/or increased abnormalities in sperm. It's found in residential carpet dust up to one year after application outdoors on lawns. There's a lot more, including the research by Warren Porter, at UW-Madison.

Here are the protection specifications for people who apply 2,4-D: they must wear face shield, goggles or safety glasses, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, socks and shoes and chemical-resistant gloves. Perhaps that's what we all should wear to the Shorewood fireworks! Nicole Bickham just sent this letter to all the members of the Shorewood Village Board, and I hope you, too, will let them know how you feel about this issue:

From: "Nicole Bickham" nicole.bickham@sbcglobal.net
To: manager@villageofshorewood.org, PresidentJohnson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeAnderson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeEckman@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHanewall@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHickey@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeMaher@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteePhinney@villageofshorewood.org
Subject: pesticide use at Atwater park
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006

Dear Mr. Swartz & Village Trustees,

I understand that pesticides were applied at Atwater Park in the past few days, as evidenced by the many warning signs posted there. This strikes me as incredibly irresponsible, given that in a few short days hundreds if not thousands of residents, including many children, will come to Atwater Park to enjoy the Independence Day festivities. What is worse, most residents will have no idea that they are being exposed, because the application was timed such that the state-mandated warning signs will no longer be required on July 4th.

I believe the trustees have received ample information about the detrimental health and environmental effects of pesticide exposure, particularly the effects on children. They should also be aware that pesticide residues can linger long after warning signs are removed. I observed a board meeting on July 11, 2005, at which this very issue was addressed. Numerous residents expressed their deep concerns about the village's use of pesticides, and about personal experiences with cancer and other illnesses that research suggests may be linked to pesticide exposure. The board also received at that time, a detailed summary of relevant scientific studies.

The board's response just one year ago was heartening; members suggested that in the future, Shorewood might implement pesticide-free turf care on public land village-wide and even share resources (eg, organic fertilizer) with residents to facilitate their use of natural lawn care. Spraying pesticides at Atwater Park days before one of the largest village events strays awfully far from the intentions expressed at that meeting.

As a resident of neighboring Whitefish Bay, and someone involved in educating others about the dangers of pesticide exposure, I can tell you that many people look to Shorewood as the leader of the North Shore when it comes to policies affecting health and the environment. My family has even given serious consideration to moving to Shorewood because of what we have perceived as forward-thinking policies.

I urge you to reconsider the policy that allowed this ill-timed pesticide application to occur. Furthermore, I hope that you will re-post pesticide warning signs so that the residents of Shorewood and visitors from other communities can make a more informed choice about whether to expose themselves and their children to these dangerous chemicals on Independence Day.

Sincerely,
Nicole Bickham
5235 N. Hollywood Ave, Whitefish Bay

HCP: A Grass Roots Movement

Healthy Communities Project started very simply, with a young mother's letter to the local paper expressing concern about the widespread use of pesticides in the community and their potential effects on children and the environment, namely Lake Michigan. This letter was supported by a second, written by a larger group of residents, citing specific health effects linked to pesticide exposure. These letters got people talking and doing research about these chemicals in our environment.

Since 2001, it has been the standard for Healthy Communities Project to base our opinions and the information we disseminate on solid science - to refer to data from objective sources, and to seek out the opinions of health professionals, toxicologists, horticulturists, and other experts in relevant fields. It is our goal to educate homeowners, municipalities, and other turf managers about the impact pesticides and polluted runoff have on the health of humans, animals, and the environment, and to empower them to make positive changes. We believe that we, as residents caring for our own small plots of the earth, have the power to protect human health, to improve our watershed, and to inspire our neighbors to do the same.

I just fell upon the OshKosh News, a grassroots effort that features community news from the Oshblog, among other sections. The "Why this site" page deserves close examination and opens with, "There has got to be a better way. Here at OCNN we believe that the traditional media are not doing an adequate job in covering and delivering the news and that alternative approaches are needed to promote an informed and active citizenry."

Wow! Dems in LaCrosse vote to include a stop Wal-Mart Supercenters plank in their 2006 Wisconsin Democratic Party Resolutions:

06-ELE-07 Stop WAL-MART (2nd CD – 97 words)

WHEREAS, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart) is building stores across Wisconsin and the USA;

WHEREAS, Wal-Mart with other retailers, does billions of dollars in business with China, which is known to repress worker and human rights;

WHEREAS, Wal-Mart works to stop the formation of unions, and works to lower living standards of its employees; and,

WHEREAS, Wal-Mart, by offering unaffordable health plans, passes costs to the state;

THEREFORE, RESOLVED, the DPW stands by working-class America in opposing Wal-Mart Supercenters and encourages all citizens to buy local, Union-made goods and purchase locally grown produce to stop retailers like Wal-Mart.

Check out the Egg Harbor Beach... smart growth plans never mentioned sand, lots of new sand. Over on the East Coast I noticed real estate signs in the window of the Common House so I called 839.2708 and got a taped message from Trissa that says the restaurant is no more. But, she also says the Common House Bar will open on July 1... I always liked that mode best, back when Andy first opened it, so I can't wait to sit back with a snifter of GM and enjoy the classic atmosphere - like none other.

Right now I am multi-tasking, watching the new Bill Maher show, Amazon Fishbowl... a new weekly that premieres each Thursday (at 8 PM Pacific time... for those of you that love good old fashioned TV schedule mode) but can be seen anytime, including the past shows at www.amazon.com/entertainment. Bill's guests include the Dixie Chicks , Dean Koontz, Steve Schirripa and Ward Serrill and Darnellia Russell, the director and one of the subjects of the upcoming documentary The Heart of the Game - scheduled to open in national release on July 7, 2006.

Just when you thought it was safe to wear flip flops to Wal-Mart...
She was loading her groceries into her car when she felt something lick her toes. She assumed it was a dog. But when she looked down she saw it was a man who was lying under her car. Police are searching for a man who hid under a woman's car at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Tulsa, Okla., and then licked her toes as she loaded groceries into the vehicle, according to a report.

"I felt something lick my foot," the woman said. "I looked at him and I said, 'What in the hell are you doing?' And that's exactly what I said, 'What are you doing?'"

Toe Licking Suspect On The Loose In Tulsa...
The culprit got up and ran away before police arrived at the scene. He's described as Hispanic or Indian, about 5-foot-9, 150 pounds. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans. The woman wants others to know this man is still out there. She doesn't want them to be afraid, just on their guard.

More for the Mavens...

“It's All About the Journey” highlights towns and sites along Highway 51 from Beloit to Hurley, and because it's a public road open at all times, travelers can make the journey any time. In addition to picking up a passport and map about the adventure, information about Highway 51 can be found at www.ExploreHwy51.com. The Web site contains facts about each of the 15 communities on the trek, as well as information about restaurants, hotels and sites along the road.

"Well, I know that highway like I know my hand
Yes, I know that highway like I know the back of my hand
Running from up Wisconsin
way down to no man's land."

Highway 51 Blues - Bob Dylan 1961

Door County Marketing Mavens please note:

Registrations are being accepted for PAMPERING Grab 2006. PAMPERING includes a top quality tent with daily set-up and take down. A very thick inflated air mattress. Extra large bath towel and wash cloth daily. A deluxe camp chair to relax after your ride. No need to mess with the baggage truck, your baggage will be transported as well. Cold drinks and snacks for your enjoyment. Do not be fooled by copy-cats, PAMPERING is impossible to duplicate. Complete details at www.BubbasPamperedPedalers.com. See you there.

Bubba Fest 2006 - The Florida Keys November 12 - 18, 2006
Direct link to site... Bubba Fest Florida Keys Bicycle touring

Plans are underway for Bubba Fest - Coast to Coast - Spring of 2007
Bubba is proud to be a member of the National Bike Tour Directors Association.

The following was derived from Faux Logo by Rob Walker in today's NYT...

Consumer cynicism is a topic of great interest to Amanda Helm, an instructor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In connection with her research, she has conducted in-depth interviews with about two dozen consumers on the subject and has looked specifically at fans of Adbusters. Some of her preliminary findings were summarized in an award-winning dissertation, “Cynical Consumers: Dangerous Enemies, Loyal Friends,” later published in a 2004 article in the journal Advances in Consumer Research.

One thing she has encountered is a desire among cynical consumers not simply to avoid companies and brands they dislike but also to punish them. At the far end of the cynical-consumer continuum, this might mean defacing advertisements, but for most it plays out differently. For example, shopping at Target because you can't stand Wal-Mart — Wal-Mart came up a lot, Helm says — thus denying dollars to the disfavored company. The marketplace itself is not the enemy in this situation; it's a tool for expressing discontent. Thus one of Helm's most interesting findings: that the cynical consumers who are her main focus "demonstrated very strong brand loyalty to the few companies they could trust."

"It's one thing if it's carrying soldiers to and from a fight," says Daniel Becker of the Sierra Club. "It's another if it's hauling lattes home from Starbucks."

Just what Door County needs... one less Hummer. Say goodbye to the ultimate arrogance of the H1 Alpha, a $140,000-plus Hummer whose time has come and gone, according to GM sales statistics. With about 12,000 H1's on the road sucking up a gallon of gas for every ten miles they are driven, H1 sales have slipped into oblivion. GM will continue to make the H2, based on the Chevrolet Tahoe S.U.V. and the H3, based on the Chevy Colorado pickup. More than 100,000 H2's and more than 50,000 H3's have been sold since GM introduced each of these downsized status symbols. Find out more at Hummerdinger.org.

"It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign oil. More and more of our imports come from overseas." - George W. Bush, Beaverton, Ore., Sep. 25, 2000

The Gas Gouge Calculator shows you how much more you'll pay for gas this year. Shhhhudup! You're scaring away the tourists... ride a bike for fresh air, exercise and economic liberty.

MINNESOTA: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) will sign a bill "requiring the state's three largest coal-fired power plants to cut mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2015."

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be shoppers

To date, over 1,000 individuals in the Madison/Dane County area have participated in one or more sustainability discussion courses. The courses provide a means to examine personal values and habits, engage in stimulating discussion, and make personal changes. The courses are self-facilitated and undertaken by small informal groups.

Raising the general awareness level... to critical mass.

As gas prices trend upward and spring unfurls leaf buds, I am glad to be back on two wheels, self-powered instead of motoring to work here each day. For most of my lifetime I have been a bicycle advocate and as the "season" looms just ahead I wonder how we might reduce the impact of all of those automobiles on the general quality of life in Door County. I also wonder what the effect of $4/gallon gas might have on this petro-dependent economy... further, when we begin to plan for it instead of react to it.

BikeBlog
Perspectives on Bike Culture in NYC and Beyond
bikescape
Bikes and space "Hey you... with the pants leg rolled up!" Podcasting for bikers.

Over 30,000 people showed up for a recent Budapest Critical Mass rally - here's the clip posted on video.google.com.

"Milwaukee police and members of the bicycle activist group Critical Mass on Saturday gave different versions of the events that led to the arrests of six and ticketing of 21 riders during the group's monthly trek on the city's east side Friday evening." Bicyclists' arrests set off dispute Police say 21 tickets for safety; group disagrees

Some communities are taking the lead by closing sections of town to vehicle traffic at certain times of the day or days of the week. In California HEALTHY SATURDAYS is working to expand a program that already restricts cars and other motorized traffic from JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park on Sundays to a 6-month trial that adds car-free Saturdays. Imagine how attractive it might be if sections of downtown Sturgeon Bay or Fish Creek were closed to all but bikes, pedestrians and a free trolley each weekend. Scary huh?

Lynn Stuter is an education researcher and activist in Washington state. Here's her take on undermining Delphi:

DISRUPTING THE DELPHI
By Lynn M. Stuter

Note: The Delphi is being used at all levels of government to move meetings to preset conclusions. For the purposes of this dissertation, "facilitator" references anyone who has been trained in use of the Delphi and who is running a meeting.

There are three steps to diffusing the Delphi Technique when facilitators want to seer a group in a specific direction.

1. Always be charming. Smile. Be pleasant. Be Courteous. Moderate your voice so as not to come across as belligerent or aggressive.

2. Stay focused. If at all possible, write your question down to help, you stay focused. Facilitators, when asked questions they dent want to answer, often digress from the issue raised and try to work the conversation around to where they can make the individual asking the question look foolish. Feel foolish. Appear belligerent or aggressive. The goal is to put the one asking the question on the defensive. Do not fall for this tactic. Always be charming, thus deflecting any insinuation. Innuendo, etc. that may be thrown at you in their attempt to put you on the defensive, but bring them back to the question you asked. If they rephrase your question into an accusatory statement (a favorite tactic) simply state, "That is not what I stated. What I asked was... [Repeat your question.]" Stay focused on your question.

3. Be persistent. If putting you on the defensive doesn't work, facilitators often resort to long, drawn out dissertations on some off-the-wall and usually unrelated or vaguely related subject that drags on for several minutes. During that time, the crowd or group usually loses focus on the question asked (which is the intent). Let them finish with their dissertation or expose. Then nicely with focus and persistence, state, "But you didn't answer my question. My question was...[repeat your question.]"

Always be charming, stay focused and be persistent. Never, under any circumstance, become angry. Anger directed at the facilitator will immediately make the facilitator the victim. This defeats the purpose, which is to make you the victim. The goal of the facilitator is to make those they are facilitating like them, alienating anyone who might pose a threat to the realization of their agenda. [People with fixed belief systems, who know what they believe and stand on what they believe, are obvious threats.] If the participant becomes the victim, the facilitator loses face and favor with the crowd. This is why crowds are broken up into groups of seven or eight, why objections are written on cards, not voiced aloud where they are open to public discussion and public debate. It s called crowd control. It is always good to have someone else, or two or three others who know the Delphi Technique dispersed through the crowd; who, when the facilitator digresses from the question, will stand up and say nicely, "But you didn't answer that lady (/gentleman)'s question The facilitator, even if suspecting you are together, certainly will not want to alienate the crowd by making that accusation. Sometimes it only takes one occurrence of this type for the crowd to figure out what s going on. Sometimes it takes more than one.

If you have an organized group, meet before the meeting to strategize. Everyone should know his or her part. Meet after the meeting to analyze what went right, what went wrong and why, and what needs to happen the next time around. Never meet during the meeting. One of the favorite tactics of the facilitator if the meeting is not going the way they want, if they are meeting measurable resistance, is to call a recess. During the recess, the facilitator and his/her spotters (people who wander the room during the course of the meeting, watching the crowd) watch the crowd to see who congregates where, especially those who have offered measurable resistance. If the resistors congregate in one place, a spotter will usually gravitate to that group to join in the conversation and will report back to the facilitator. When the meeting resumes, the facilitator will steer clear of those who are resistors. Do not congregate. Hang loose, and work the crowd. Move to where the facilitators or spotters are. Listen to what they have to say, but do not gravitate to where another member of your team is. This strategy also works in a face to face, one on one, meeting with anyone who has been trained in how to use the Delphi Technique.

So, Have You Been Delphi'd?

Politics/Elections Opinion (Published) Keywords: EDUCATION, CONSENSUS, DELPHI, POLITICS
Author: Sandy Vanderburg

THE DELPHI TECHNIQUE:
How to achieve a workable consensus within time limits
By Sandy Vanderburg

The Delphi Technique was originally conceived as a way to obtain the opinion of experts without necessarily bringing them together face to face. In Educating for the New World Order by Bev Eakman, the reader finds reference upon reference for the need to preserve the illusion that there is "Lay, or community, participation in the decision-making process, while in fact lay citizens are being squeezed out."

A specialized use of this technique was developed for teachers, the "Alinsky Method" (ibid., p. 123). The setting or group is, however, immaterial the point is that people in groups tend to share a certain knowledge base and display certain identifiable characteristics (known as group dynamics). This allows for a special application of a basic technique.

The "change agent" or "facilitator" goes through the motions of acting as an organizer, getting each person in the target group to elicit expression of their concerns about a program, project, or policy in question. The facilitator listens attentively, forms "task forces," "urges everyone to make lists," and so on. While she is doing this, the facilitator learns something about each member of the target group. He/she identifies the "leaders," the "loud mouths," as well as those who frequently turn sides during the argument - the "weak or non-committal."

Suddenly, the amiable facilitator becomes "devil's advocate." He/she dons his professional agitator hat. Using the "divide and conquer" technique, he/she manipulates one group opinion against the other. This is accomplished by manipulating those who are out of step to appear "ridiculous, unknowledgeable, inarticulate, or dogmatic." He/she wants certain members of the group to become angry, thereby forcing tensions to accelerate. The facilitator is well trained in psychological manipulation. S/He is able to predict the reactions of each group member. Individuals in opposition to the policy or program will be shut out of the group.

The method works. It is very effective with parents, teachers, school children, and any community group. The "targets" rarely, if ever, know that they are being manipulated. If they do suspect this is happening, they do not know how to end the process.

The desired result is for group polarization, and for the facilitator to become accepted as a member of the group and group process. He/she will then throw the desired idea on the table and ask for opinions during discussion. Very soon his/her associates from the divided group begin to adopt the idea as if it were their own, and pressure the entire group to accept the proposition.

This technique is a very unethical method of achieving consensus on a controversial topic in group settings. It requires well-trained professionals who deliberately escalate tension among group members, pitting one faction against the other, so as to make one viewpoint appear ridiculous so the other becomes "sensible" whether such is warranted or not.

So have you been "Delphi'd"?

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