Backyard Politics: Benches for Barack
Here’s one way for Democrats to make a campaign contribution that promises immediate payback. For 40 bucks, Benches for Barack — a grassroots fundraiser advertised on lampposts and on Craigslist — will build you a garden bench. $25 goes toward building supplies and the remaining $15 gets donated to the Obama campaign. A pair of…
Here’s one way for Democrats to make a campaign contribution that promises immediate payback. For 40 bucks, Benches for Barack — a grassroots fundraiser advertised on lampposts and on Craigslist — will build you a garden bench. $25 goes toward building supplies and the remaining $15 gets donated to the Obama campaign.
A pair of bright neighborhood kids, 18-year-old high school grads Harry Fishbein and Emma Dillon, build these sturdy benches in the basement of Harry’s Cobble Hill home and cheerfully deliver them to doorsteps around Brooklyn, free of charge. The benches are 18 inches tall, 4 feet long, and about 10 inches wide, and turnaround is quick. We received ours, which is painted a muted sage green, within hours of sending an email to Benches for Barack.
Harry and Emma made their first sale on Friday June 20 and by time tomorrow’s deliveries are done, they’ll have sold 38 benches — enough to donate $570 to the campaign. They don’t have any furniture-making background, but during Harry’s high school career, he built “a suspension bridge out of cardboard and fishing line that could hold 800 pounds and was 25 feet long,” and “a 7 foot tall geodesic dome out of electrical conduit.” We’re not entirely sure what that means, but one can safely assume that the kid’s benches are gonna hold up.
They’ll be buidling benches and other custom carpentry projects — like wooden trash can containers, sheds, picnic tables, and kids’ bathroom stools — throughout the summer, but in the fall, Harry’s going to Lafayette for engineering and Emma’s heading to Tufts for international relations.
11:03
“There are going to be so many disillusioned youngsters when he gets elected and nothing changes.”
Yeah? That’s what Nader and all his knuckleheaded supporters said in 2000 but that 2% in Florida would have meant an awful lot.
For instance:
We would of ratified the Kyoto Agreement.
We wouldn’t be in Iraq which has now cost us 750 Billion, over 4000 American Soldiers, and tens of thousands of others.
We wouldn’t have increased non discretionary funding by 200%.
We’d have agencies in the Federal Government like NASA, EPA, and HUD that actually function instead of being demoralized and in shambles. Katrina anyone?
We would have increased the number of people with health insurance.
Who you put in office does matter. Your vote does matter. Don’t believe the cynics who say it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
who cares about politics, I need me some benches!
“Tax cuts for the rich”. That statement alone is why I’ll never vote for Barak.
Hate to break it to you but I bet just about everyone owning in NY is one of those dastardly rich folks. It costs a hell of a lot more to live in NY than in Idaho but we all get taxed the same.
Look at the statistics not the rhetoric. 40% of the population pays NO income taxes. People making over 100,000 in 2005 earned just over 45% of the income and paid over 70% of the taxes. 85% of all taxes were paid by people making more than 60,000.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/250.html
That’s WITH the Bush tax cuts. If that’s not progressive enough for you then I don’t know what will be.
Ok back to the benches by the hardworking kids.
I think these kids are great. Please give them a booth at the flea! Or spread the story so other teens can get with the program and leave ipod snatching alone.
I agree with 3:02, but thats just my opinion
Wow..3:30 fits the angry lib profile.
Life can’t be that bad for any of us if we have enough time to submit political comments on a web-site dedicated to renovating Brownstones.
Shut up 3:30.
-Obama Supporter
Dear 3:30:
Soooo my choices are:
1) endless and pointless wars and an energy policy that continues to drain our pockets and pollute the environment
or
2) Obama
Thanks for that well-reasoned, level-headed analysis. You really swayed me.
Please sign me up for your Liberal Kool-Aid Drinkers for Truth email list.
lame.org
Amen 3:02.
McCain can count on at least one vote from Park Slope.
Obama is a cult of personality just like terrible Bushie … Obama is just the leftie version.