Irene Marynowicz has devoted much of her life to helping children in need as a social worker. She has channeled this same generosity and compassion into her picture books. We're delighted at The Children's Book Review to highlight the work of authors, like Irene, who bring joy and wonder to their work. Listen in as we discuss Irene's creative process, influences, and future projects.
Nicki Richesin: You dedicated Gwendolyn's Nose to your children for planting the seeds for this story with their creative curiosity. How did you first come up with the idea for this book?
Irene Marynowicz: This book very simply jumped into my mind. My daughter would do some fantastical things like hide potatoes in shoes and everything could turn into a story. I had put my daughter down for her nap and was crossing the living room when the words 'Gwendolyn Brose had a ponderous nose' popped into my head. Really they were nonsense words that evolved into a story.
NR: You were born in Grenoble, France and immigrated to Canada with your Polish parents. Do you try to bring a European sensibility to your storytelling?
IM: I don't know specifically about a European perspective but I do know that almost all my own experiences can inspire a book. I was raised in a very close European family though and to this day we all still celebrate many of the special occasions the way I did as a child. I find these very full of meaning and color and have enjoyed telling my children the stories of where the traditions come from. They might yet become children's stories.
NR: I thought that the illustrations of Gwendolyn's nose were vaguely reminiscent of the Hindu deity Ganesha known as the Remover of Obstacles. Was this your intent when illustrating your book?
IM: I did not do the illustrations so cannot speak to the illustrator's motivation. I do love the way she brought Gwendolyn to life. Mike Motz and his team of illustrators are terrific.
Illustration copyright © 2012 by Mike Motz.
NR: You've also worked with children for many years as a social worker. You observed their fascination with words. What did you learn from interviewing and interacting with them that inspired you to write children's books?
IM: Children like to experiment with words and explore language the way they do everything in the world around them. Not unlike finger painting with their food, they play with the sounds, texture and images of words. When I had my first child I found myself doing the same when talking to her. It was a natural step from there to writing.
NR: Gwendolyn's Nose teaches children a valuable lesson about working with others to solve problems together. Did you encounter a real-life Gwendolyn whom you hoped to help by telling this story?
IM: Perhaps my history as a social worker is reflected here but certainly not deliberately. I generally write from a fun point of view, usually playing with words. Inevitably my observations of life will sneak into the stories.
NR: You've also worked with troubled teens. What has been the most important piece of advice you've given or been given while working with teenagers in trouble with the law?
IM: People often speak of how 'bad' these young people can be. I have never met a child or youth that did not have amazing dreams, hopes and aspirations. Some have more obstacles in reaching them and need a louder cheering section to help them reach their dreams.
NR: Who were your greatest influences, in terms of reading, during your childhood?
IM: Any book I could get my hands on. When it came to writing children's books, I found myself drawn to Bill Peet, Dr. Seuss and the Berenstain Bears. The latter were great favourites with my children and would be read off by heart. Bill Peet though was a great inspiration. How can you not love someone who can write a story about "The Whingdingdilly"!
NR: What do you hope to accomplish by writing children's books? What larger message would you like to convey to your readers, if any?
IM: My message is nothing more than encouraging children (and their parents) to read! By making the stories FUN more than focusing on a message, I hope children will love just playing with the sounds and images of the words in the stories and in turn be encouraged to read.
NR: If you could be reincarnated as a character from children's literature, who would it be and why?
IM: Winnie the Pooh. I often find myself having to "Think, think, think" and I absolutely love honey.
NR: What sort of books and projects are you currently working on at the moment?
IM: I have a number of other books I am hoping to bring to life soon, including The Elephant's Pyjamas, The Calico Crocodile and Rhonda the Runaway Washing Machine and I have a number of children's poems which I'm not sure if I will do as a separate book or turn one or more into books of their own. I am also working on a professional article about the youth I work with called Mama Duck with two colleagues. This one is about how youth attach to people when they are in crisis and need support.
Thank you for your time and best of luck promoting Gwendolyn's Nose.
Read a full review of Gwendolyn's Nose.


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Neha Dhupia is a model turned actress, she is a Former Miss Beauty Queen and winner of Femina miss India 2002.neha Dhupia was born to a Punjabi- hindu family. Her father, Pradip Dhupia was a Navy commanderand her mother is Manpinder.She went to Navy public school and then she was transfered to Army Public School. She started her career with a play "Grafitti". She modelled for advertising campaigns. She began appearing in Bollywood films such as City Under Threat in the year 2003, it was a complete Box- office success.She has also appeared in films like Kya kool hain Hum, Shoot out at Lokhandwala. Read more..
Santa Banta (completed) 2013 Rangeelay Simmi 2013 Superdude (TV Series) Guest Judge 2012 Rush Liza Kapoor 2012 Kismet Love Paisa Dilli Anamika / Aarti Uttaroo 2012 Maximum 2011 Gandhi to Hitler Eva Braun 2011 Parama Veera Chakra Razia Sultana 2010
Neha Dhupia is a model turned actress, she is a Former Miss Beauty Queen and winner of Femina miss India 2002.neha Dhupia was born to a Punjabi- hindu family. Her father, Pradip Dhupia was a Navy commanderand her mother is Manpinder.She went to Navy public school and then she was transfered to Army Public School. She started her career with a play "Grafitti". She modelled for advertising campaigns. She began appearing in Bollywood films such as City Under Threat in the year 2003, it was a complete Box- office success.She has also appeared in films like Kya kool hain Hum, Shoot out at Lokhandwala. These films too did very well at the Box office. Well suprisingly in her movie Dus Kahaniya she had made the actor to wish his hands like almost five times because she had licked his finger for the movie accoding to the scene, it was in the year 2007.She has played the role of Eva Brown in the "Mahatma Gandhi" movie.She has also worked for films like Ek Challis Ki Last local, Mithya, Maharathi, Singh is king and Dasvidaniya. Well, apart from movies she has also acted for a serial called "Rajdhani". She also did a song with Ginuwine and Shayal called "Baby". She has also ran in the Mumbai Marathon to support the Concern India Foundation. She has also raised money to support a social cause. 1980-08-27 00:00:00 female
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Live Blogging From San Diego: the Wisconsin "Tinderbox"
by Staff on February 17, 2011 · 22 comments
in American Empire, Civil Disobedience, Civil Rights, Culture, Economy, Education, Environment, History, Labor, Media, Organizing, Popular
7:55 pm PST: We will be signing off now as Ed Shultz – who deserves a lot of props for going to Madison from New York and being on this story all week -wraps up his show. "This is about our country, our future," he says with a background large crowd of protesters yelling.
"This is about busting unions, and that's not right," says a woman demonstrator almost in tears talking to Ed.
Ed wraps it up:
"This is a two class system. This is a real test for the Democrats. Will they stand with the people in Wisconsin or are they just going to do the usual in Washington."
The crowd chants: "We love Ed! We love Ed!"
7:50 PST: Schools in Madison will be closed a third day Friday, as teachers continue to call in sick to protest a bill taking away union rights.
Madison teachers first closed schools on Wednesday. On Thursday, they were joined by teachers from around the state who had called in sick.
Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Dan Nerad said he was frustrated by the situation in a letter to parents.
"I believe that we need to keep the educational needs of students in the forefront of all that we do," he wrote. "Unfortunately, the proposed legislation and the resulting job actions of so many of our teachers have moved all of us farther away from our needed focus on student learning. Among many frustrations this week, this is my largest.
"I fully realize this is a huge strain on many families. I truly empathize with you. As educators, we welcome any efforts you make to further your child's learning in the interim until school resumes.
"These job actions need to end. I want to assure you that we continue to examine our options to more quickly move back to normal school days."
7:48 PST: Supporters of Gov. Scott Walker's plans to take union rights away from public workers are planning a Saturday rally at the Capitol, following days of protests by opponents of the measure.
"BOOK IT: capitol rally for taxpayers, noon on SATURDAY! bring cleaning supplies to clean up the pigsty the liberal union goons left behind at OUR house," talk radio host Vicki McKenna wrote in a Facebook posting.
7:46 PST: Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House, just texted Ed Shultz to let him know that she stands with the working people and students standing up for the middle class in Madison.
7:44 PST: Earlier this evening, Union members representing teachers, electrical workers, firefighters and other public employee groups staged a raucous rally outside the State Capitol, calling on legislators to kill Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill.
Local and national union leaders told a large crowd, many of whom carried signs and placards denouncing Walker and celebrating union rights, that union members around the country were watching what is happening in Wisconsin.
"We've drawn a line and we've said, 'Enough is enough.' No more blaming the working people for the bad economy," said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.
"We've got to stay strong until the fight is over," he added.
Harold A. Schaitberger, head of the International Association of Firefighters, said the protests at the State Capitol made Madison "ground zero" in the workers' rights movement.
With his sport coat off and shirt sleeves rolled up in the chilly air, Schaitberger said the effort by Walker and other governors around the country to strip collective bargaining rights from workers was a coordinated effort.
"They want to kill our unions," Schaitberger said. "They want us dead."
Also attending was Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association. Van Roekel said Walker's bill and others around the country were not about money and policy. Governors across the country are using budget problems as a way of scapegoating public employees.
"It's about attacking workers' rights," said Van Roekel, whose group represents 3.2 million educators.
The rally also featured protest and patriotic songs and were led by Grant Hendrickson, a Lodi music teacher.
7:41 PST: Richard Trumpka, President of the National AFL-CIO will be headlining at the 12:00noon – Madison time – rally in Madison tomorrow. (That will be 10 am West Coast time.)
7:40 PST: Research indicates that it is possible to recall a governor in the state of Wisconsin. Article XII of the Constitution and Section 9.2 of the statutes allow a petition to go forward if a registered committee obtains enough signatures in a 60-day period.
How many are enough? The law requires 25% of the vote cast in the last gubernatorial election, or about a half million signatures. Specifically, at least 540,208 signatures, since 2,160,832 Wisconsin residents cast votes (Walker got 1,128,941 of the votes cast, and his opponent, Tom Barrett got 1,004,303) so it seems feasible numerically. But, it would require a big on the ground effort to gather that many signatures in a two-month period.
A facebook group has been formed to help push this idea forward: "540,000 To See Scott Walker out of WI," http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#%21/RecallScottWalker
7:37 PST There are reports that there are fewer people in the Capitol tonight than there were last night because people are happy with their victory today in successfully postponing a vote on the bill. Organizers expect large crowds again tomorrow as truck loads of workers come in from around the state.
7:20 PST: [After a break] Watching Ed Shultz of MSNBC live from Madison. Ed doesn't see any conclusion to this situation in this confrontation with the "radical agenda" that Gov. Walker is pushing. Gov. Walker lost Round One. Ed said:
"Madison is the ideological front lines of America…. Perhaps this [fight] will be the rebirth of liberals in America."
Ed interviewed two of the leaders of the "Wisconsin 14" – the 14 State Senators who in order to prevent the showdown vote left the state – and one said that Gov. Walker in 5 days is trying to undue what working people in Wisconsin took 50 to 100 years to build. They say they are trying to slow down this process, give the people of Wisconsin an opportunity to let their voices be heard.
The Senators are not planning on returning to the Capitol tomorrow, Friday.
There are two Republicans who are trying to work out something with the Democrats.
They should. Wisconsin has a rich labor history. It was the first state to enact social security. It was the first state to allow collective bargaining by public workers.
5:20 PST: Shultz agrees with O'Donnell that the show-down in Madison is just "old-fashioned union-busting." Ed calls the state Senators who walked out today to prevent the vote of Gov. Walker's policies "heroes." Ed Shultz will be broadcasting live tonight from Madison at 7pm PST (I believe).
5:15 PST: Ed Shultz is on the Lawrence O'Donnel show "The Last Word": Ed is asking is this going to be resolved? He feels that the workers are not going to back down. The governor is resolved. "There is a lot of pent up frustration here." Behind Ed is someone holding a sign that says: "National Guard and the People – hand in hand."
Ed says that he and the people in Wisconsin want President Obama to take a stronger stand in their favor. "Where is Harry Reid?" Shultz asked (again). "If the Democrats can't stand up here then what are they going to do about it."
4:57 PST: In a message from Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer / CEO, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO:
The Milwalkee Labor Council has asked others throughout the nation to hold solidarity rallies for the workers of Wisconsin. Our Labor Council has decided to heed the call!
We will be having a very improtu Rally in Support of Wisconsin (and Ohio) Workers and Collective Bargaining Rights tomorrow Feb. 18th at 4:30 p.m. at the Labor Council. We will videotape it for our brothers and sisters in WI. PLEASE come by, make signs of support, and enjoy some Brats and Beer. AND please where RED to support the Midwest teachers, firefighters, child care workers, prison guards, school classified workers, professors….and all other local and state public workers!
The Labor Council is located at 3737 Camino del Rio S. #403, San Diego, CA 92108.
4:52 PST: YMCA is opening youth day care centers for child care during school protests. Cool.
4:49 PST: From The Washington Post By Greg Sargent
Missing Wisconsin Dem speaks: We're MIA until GOP drops assault on workers rights
I just got off the phone with Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson, one of the Democrats who has left the capitol in order to stall the GOP's plan to rolll back the bargaining rights of public employees. Speaking to me by cell phone from an undisclosed location, Larson said he and his fellow Democrats would not return until the GOP takes its assault on organizing rights "off the table."
"Each of us is in a secure location," he told me, confirming that they were not all together but were monitoring events on the Web and on Twitter. Larson refused to say whether he and his fellow Dems had left the state, as some have speculated.
"We're going to be staying away until we hear that they are taking the right to organize seriously," Larson continued, referring to Republicans. "They're going after 50 years of history in one week. Until they take that off the table, it's a non-starter."
4:44 PST Editor: It's getting difficult to find news or new information about Madison.
Just to show you the significance of the Wisconsin show-down, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is watching events in Wisconsin, and he's come to this conclusion: the thousands of union workers packing the Capitol are wrong and the governor is right.
In a statement to reporters this afternoon, Bohener said that Walker's plan to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin teacher, nurses and other workers is just the kind of thing Boehner's majority is trying to accomplish in Washington.
"Republicans in Congress – and reform-minded GOP governors like Scott Walker, John Kasich [OH] and Chris Christie [NJ] – are daring to speak the truth about the dire fiscal challenges Americans face at all levels of government, and daring to commit themselves to solutions that will liberate our economy and help put our citizens on a path to prosperity," Boehner said.
The Speaker ripped President Obama for his words of support for the protesters, and called on him to "lead."
He also slammed the Democratic Party for apparently providing support to the protesters, and called on Obama to put a stop to it.
"I urge the president to order the DNC to suspend these tactics," he said….
4:24 PST: At the rally that began at 5pm Madison time (3pm in Calif), a crowd of thousands thronged around the Wisconsin Capitol this evening. One of the first speakers was John Nichols of the Madison Capitol Times Newspaper. He said:
"Today 14 Democratic State Senators were listening to the people, and they heard what they had to say, and they went to Illinois. They went over the state border, making the ultimate sacrifice to spend a night in Illinois." Then he said that now "Scott Walker is doing an interview with FOX News. He has finally found his constituency. He is saying that the Democratic Senators may have democrat in their name, but they are acting undemocratically. But those are the senators who are listening to the people and that is why they are crossing the state line."
After Nichols, Phil Neuenfelt, head of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO greeted the crowd and said:
"We are drawing a line in the sand. No more blaming the working people for the bad economy. I have not met a working person yet who moves jobs overseas. I have not met a working person yet who was responsible for the Wall Street meltdown. We need to remember that as the labor movement goes, so goes the middle class."
A number of Assembly Democratic elected officials addressed the crowd with a similar theme that they are listening. As far as is known the vote is still scheduled in the assembly tomorrow. The question is if the Assembly Democrats will join their Senate colleagues out-of-state in Illinois.
4:21 PST: Less than an hour ago at 5:39pm Madison time Erica Pelzek reported that there was a very powerful march of public safety officials on the Capitol Square going on. The march was leading to the mayoral conference at a city-county building. Major crowd support and cheering
4:07 PST: Think Progress: Some state troopers have already told union leaders that, in a sign of support for striking workers, they are refusing to track down or arrest any state legislators that they encounter. Capitol Police already have refused to kick out of the State Capitol the nearly 5,000 protestors that the Wisconsin Department of Administration has announced are there. Early today, reports from Twitter and sources on the ground said that protesters were literally blocking members of the Wisconsin State Senate GOP from re-entering the chamber in case they tried to take a vote on the bill without a quorum being in place.
4:00 PST: City workers in Madison are now considering joining in a general strike. Source: Think Progress
3:58 PST: Via Twitter ChrisJLarson Chris Larson (State Senator from Bay View Wisconsin)
We are following Walker's lead. On Fri, he said there is no room for negotiation and refuses to come to the table. #SolidarityWI
3:55 PST: Here are the 14 Wisconsin State Senators who blocked the vote:
3:48 PST: Via Twitter billgcta: RT @WEAC: RT @davewilcoxuw: Crowd going nuts as uniformed firefighters go marching up Pinckney. There are hundreds of them. #WIunion
3:42 PST: Fox News (Fox Nation): MADISON – Democratic State Senators who protested the budget repair bill by leaving the state have been found.
The lawmakers are in the Best Western Clock Tower in Rockford Illinois.
Law enforcement officials have been looking for at least one Democratic senator to bring in for a quorum required for a fiscal measure, but Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach confirmed to Newsradio 620 WTMJ that he and all of his Democratic colleagues boarded a bus and left the state.
"We're not in Wisconsin right now," Erpenbach said. "The reason why we're doing this is because there are some jurisdictional issues that we'd be dealing with."
The Senate's Sergeant at Arms cannot compel Senators' attendance in an open session if they are outside of state lines.
3:34 PST: Via Twitter clt66 Christine Hartzheim
We aren't Corporate Peasants, We Are American Citizens! If you care about the American worker & your rights, help us keep our voice #Madison
3:32 PST: Wisconsin's Republican governor says he's confident Democrats who skipped town to avoid voting on a bill removing union rights will return within a day or two, calling the boycott a "stunt."
Democrats who left the state on Thursday before the Senate session started say they want Gov. Scott Walker to meet with them to discuss concessions after three straight days of protests that brought tens of thousands of people to the Capitol building.
Walker says Democrats can offer amendments to change the bill and talk with him, but he won't concede on his plan to remove collective bargaining rights for most state and local government workers.
Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach (erp-UN-bahk) says he's disappointed with the comments. Erpenbach says senators had been in Illinois but they were on the move.
3:28 PST: We found this tweet from Dan R, Local 30: "@OB Rag- thanks."
3:26 PST: The Wisconsin Senate was expected to be called back into session Friday.
3:19 PST: Even though the State Senate has formally adjourned, things are still happening in Madison. All public employees are supposed to be marching on the Capitol at 5:45 pm Madison time – 3:45 pm our time here on the West Coast.
3:06 PST: Ed Shultz is reporting from Madison. He reports that 14 D. Senators have crossed the state line into Illinois. More than 30,000 people showed up today. "This is ground zero for working people in America."
Shultz keeps asking,
"Where are the national Democratic leaders? Where are the Democrats. We're seeing leadership from Wisconsin Democrats, but not from the Democratic leadership."
3:00PM PST: From Time Magazine: One of the ironies of the protests is where they're happening. In 1959, Wisconsin was the first state to give public workers comprehensive collective-bargaining rights, and the governor's bid to take most of them away has given rise to debates and demonstrations across the state.
From CNN: As angry teachers in the Midwest shut down more than a dozen school districts in protest Thursday, Republican officials across the nation have made teachers' unions "public enemy No. 1" in a battle to trim budgets and rewrite the rules on how unions and states work together.
WI Gov's Press Conference underway. No word on whether or not he got Glen Beck to call for waterboarding protestors on tonight's show. Gov. sez he's got 8K emails supporting union busting. Sez protestors aren't State residents… it's the old "outside agitators" meme…
Meanwhile…WI Senators on lam in Illinois confirm they will NOT return until collective bargaining is safe.
2:45 PST: Chris Matthews just joked that the "missing" Democrats have been found in Rockford, Illinois. And that the State Senate Sgt-At-Arms was bringing back to the state capitol so the vote could take place. Matthews acted like it was all a big joke.
2:35 PST: A noted San Diego border observer has told us that he has been watching msnbc news for a half hour or more and has yet to see coverage of what's happening in Wisconsin on American TV news – what the OB Rag calls a "tinderbox."
2:32 PST: Former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold had this to say in an interview today with the Journal Sentinel about Gov. Walker's push to curtail the collective bargaining rights of public employees:
"What Gov. Walker is doing is a direct assault on Wisconsin history and Wisconsin traditions and Wisconsin rules of fair play. It is one of the least Wisconsin-like things I've ever seen anyone do."
After keeping a very low profile following his 2010 re-election defeat, Feingold has been speaking out this week with the launch of his new political action committee, Progressives United, whose self-described mission is to "fight back against corporate influence and corruption" in Washington and to push for election reform.
Feingold Thursday characterized the raucous debate in Madison as part of a broader battle of corporate interests and conservative strategy against labor, saying "it's been a fantasy of the right and the corporate powers in this country" to destroy unions and collective bargaining.
"The notion this is about the budget is a complete sham … This is about an agenda of destroying unions," Feingold said. "This is a template that is being attempted by the right and the corporate interests to see if it can work elsewhere. Walker volunteered to step in to this first. He volunteered to be the great union buster. We will all respond to this very firmly and aggressively. And fight this as hard as we possibly can."
2:30PM PST: Tweeter responding to GOP types claiming that there's a riot in Madison WI:
"Also, this is #notariot. More like Comic-Con, except the comic book heroes are teachers, firefighters, unions."
There are UNCONFIRMED reports of anti-union individuals trying to start fights near doors to building. Only confirmed report of counter-protestor says he showed up, chanted for a few minutes & left.
Steelworkers union rep. on MsNBC:
"Governor Scott Walker has woken a sleeping giant."
Seeing reports that GOPers are calling Madison protests a Democratic rent-a-mob. Sorry guys, we don't have hire mercenaries.
Call is going out for people to sleep over in the Wisc Capital Bldg tonight.
From the scene via Daily Kos:
I sit here trying to figure out how to describe the indescribable. The energy in the capitol is palpable; the entire building is filled to standing room only, the noise is deafening – it only became nearly silent during the short-lived attempt to convene the special Senate session which failed for lack of a quorum.
Local businesses are pitching in free food and coffee for protesters. I've heard at least one report of police officers buying lunch for protesting state workers.
Ten thousand people yelling "Tell me what Democracy looks like? This is what Democracy looks like!"
2:20 PST: Lawyer: Not much can be done to round up Democrats
If the Democrats escaped to Illinois, there is little that could be done to bring them back to Madison, said Raymond Dall'Osto, a veteran Milwaukee criminal defense lawyer.
Illinois police "could arrest if there is a crime, but what is the crime?" said Dall'Osto, a Democrat and former head of the local ACLU office. "They would have no legal right to arrest them right now."
He explained that Wisconsin officers could make an arrest inside the state lines, but their jurisdiction doesn't extend south of Kenosha
"It's an unprecedented situation," he added explaining that even making an arrest inside Wisconsin – but away from the Capitol — could be troubling to police. It's not like sending a Capitol Police officer to a legislator's office and reminding him to get on the floor.
If ordered by the Legislature to arrest Democrats found roaming Wisconsin, the police would have to make a tough choice, Dall'Osto said.
"Would they act like the army in Egypt or the army in Bahrain?" Dall'Osto said. In Bahrain the military is supporting the government against protesters while in Egypt the military ultimately sided with demonstrators.
The Texas legislature was paralyzed for days in 2003 when House Democrats fled to Ardmore, Okla., and Senate Democrats escaped to New Mexico during a bitter fight over redistricting.
Meanwhile, the Pioneer Press newspaper in St. Paul is trying to figure out whether any Democrats have fled to their side of the border.
One of their journalists sent the following message on the social-networking website Twitter: This is completely serious: If you're a Wisconsin Dem. legislator hiding in St. Paul or if you're sheltering one, we'd like to talk to you.
2:15 PST: Social media a key component of sit-ins
Madison – Protesters showing up at the State Capitol to set up a sit-in in front of the corridors leading to the Senate chambers are organizing on well-established social media sites.
On Twitter, posters are imploring University of Wisconsin-Madison students to head to certain areas of the Capitol in order to clog stairs, corridors and doors leading to the Senate chamber.
"Calling for people to block stairs to Senate," is a common Twitter post.
"Keep sitting in? Senators may be forced to enter the Senate chamber and we need to prevent the Senate from attaining quorum," said another.
2:00 PST: Missing Legislator found? From the Daily Caller…State Senator Mark Miller, a member of the missing band of Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers who fled Madison Thursday to avoid a vote on a budget bill, called into CNN with the group's list of demands for Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Miller, a state senator since 2004, would not disclose where he and his colleagues were hiding out, saying only:
"we are in what we consider a secure location outside the capital. We are not all in one place at this time."
Miller's demands focused on the collective bargaining portions of the bill.
"We demand that the provisions that completely eliminate the ability of workers… to negotiate on a fair basis with their employers be removed from the budget repair bill and any other future budget," Miller said.
He also demanded legislative oversight on changes to the state's medical programs, which are targeted for changes in the bill. The bill would also require union members to contribute to their health care and pensions.
1:45 PM PST: Protestors inside the WI State Capital have released red balloons with a "Power to the People" banner that is now floating around the top of the Rotunda
Another banner with a black clenched fist hanging from balloons at the top of the rotunda. Huge cheers errupted.
1:39 PST: ABC reports: Authorities say an estimated 25,000 people are protesting anti-union legislation at the Wisconsin state Capitol, and nine demonstrators have been arrested.
1:35 PST: State Sens. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) Jon Erpenbach (D-Fitchburg) said Thursday all 14 Senate Democrats had left Wisconsin Thursday to avoid being forcibly returned to the Capitol to vote on Gov. Scott Walker's proposed elimination of public worker bargaining rights.
Neither would disclose their exact location or confirm that they were in Illinois, as widely rumored.
"We are out of state for jurisdictional reasons," Erpenbach said. Wisconsin lawmakers could be forcibly returned to the Capitol by Wisconsin police or state troopers — if they had stayed in Wisconsin, he said.
Out of state police could not be used to forcibly return them to Madison, he said.
"We just want to slow things down," Coggs said. "We are waiting to see if the governor wants to talk to us and at least do some preliminary negotiations."
Coggs said the public deserved to have a fuller airing of Walker's union proposals.
1:33 PST: Madison — As senators consider ways to bring missing Democrats back to the chamber, a look at the state constitution is in order.
The constitution doesn't provide a lot of details, but it does say lawmakers "may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide."
Under the Senate rules, Sergeant at Arms Ted Blazel can carry out those duties, said Senate Chief Clerk Rob Marchant.
He added: "We are researching the extent to which law enforcement can be involved," Marchant said.
Blazel said he checked all Senate offices for Democratic members, as instructed, but could find none. He said he was waiting for further direction from Senate leaders.
1:30 PST: Very tight security being set up for Walker's press conference later today.
Pro-Walker rally being organized for Saturday. 104 signed up on Facebook so far.
Drudge Report (Right Wing Aggregator) Calls Demonstrations "Days of Rage".
Washington Post: Why is this particular fight such an important precedent-setter? Wisconsin governor Scott Walker insists his proposal is all about fiscal austerity. But as Brian Beutler notes, it actually goes far beyond this: Scaling back the bargaining rights of public workers doesn't save money by itself. It knocks down a barrier in a way that makes cutting into workers' benefits generally easier, and strikes at a core set of rights that labor stands for.
Local San Diego Labor Council Issues a Press Release:
San Diego Labor Council Stands With Working Families in Wisconsin & Ohio
Thousands Protest in Midwest States Over Workers' Rights
SAN DIEGO – In light of the ongoing protests in Wisconsin and Ohio, San Diego Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer and CEO Lorena Gonzalez made the following statement:
"We have watched this week as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has attempted to use budget shortfalls as an excuse to take away the future rights of more than 150,000 local and state workers. And today, Gov. John Kasich is attempting to do the same thing in Ohio. They are both facing tens of thousands of protestors who have taken to the streets and Capitol buildings in a show of support of middle class workers' rights.
"Corporate interests and their handpicked politicians have successfully blamed the economic problems of our country on the average worker, to try escape their responsibility in causing our massive recession. The men and women of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO vigorously applaud the efforts of ordinary citizens – union and nonunion, student and teacher, firefighters, child care providers, public servants, veterans and working families that have refused to let this narrative continue in Wisconsin and Ohio.
"We stand in solidarity with the working families of Wisconsin and Ohio and commit to continue to fight for every workers right to join together and collectively bargain for a better life."
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, represents more than 192,000 local workers from 132 unions, including the National Football League Players Association, who are making the region a better place to live and work.
How about asking people to wear red on Friday to show support?
1:23 PST: On msnbc Ch. 39 Rylan Ratigan asks how can we afford to allow the banks to go scott free but penalize public workers. Ed Shultz of the Ed Shultz Show will be broadcasting from Madison tonight.
11:18 PST: Via Twitter NatashaChart NatashaChart
The police came bearing doughnuts for labor. #Madison, #WI #solidarityWI
12:55 PST: Twitter hashtag #wiunion is "trending" now (meaning it's among the most commonly used. Spambots are launching attacks. Lots of offers for SouthWest Airlines gift cards, Free IPods… etc. opportunists or sockpuppets? We report, you decide.More Faux news propaganda reported on Twitter: Tea Partiers and Fox news is trying to say we're using kids as human shields and we don't pick up after ourselves.
12:48 PST: Photo below: Appleton West High School students protest in support of their teachers on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011. Teachers and labor supporters swarmed entrances to the Senate chambers at the Wisconsin Capitol Thursday in an attempt to stop lawmakers from passing a bill that would strip most public employees of nearly all collective bargaining rights.(Credit: AP Photo/The Post-Crescent, Sharon Cekada)
Make sure to hit the F5 button or refresh your browser as this page is constantly changing!
12:46 PST: via twitter carolinescastle Caroline Hardin
Seven people are being arrested for breaking into the senate chamber #killthebill #notmywi #madison
Click here to sign the open letter to the Wisconsin State Legislature — telling them to oppose Walker's budget and say no to his threat to use the National Guard against state workers!
12:39 PST: (CNN) — Thousands of people gathered in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, protesting a bill that would strip teachers and other public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights and increase their contributions for benefits.
Demonstrators spilled into the state's Capitol building, chanting, "This is our house" and "Forward not backward," voicing their opposition to legislation supported by Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
At least 15 school systems in Wisconsin canceled class for a second day, said Madison Metropolitan School District spokesman Ken Syke, because of a call by the Wisconsin Education Association Council for people to come to the Capitol on Thursday and Friday to "stand beside your neighbors, family and friends to help our voices be heard."
Syke earlier said about 40 percent of 2,600 teachers, assistants, social workers and psychologists in the bargaining unit called in sick late Tuesday, forcing the Madison district to cancel Wednesday's classes for 24,500 students.
School officials in Oregon, south of Madison, said they canceled classes Thursday because of anticipated staff absences.
12:30 PST: Here's what important over at Faux News: More than 400 amendments were filed Monday night. Among them were a proposal from Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., to eliminate funding for the president's Teleprompter.
Over at Talking Points Memo word is that the WI protests are spreading:
Over the course of a week, national attention has turned to Wisconsin. There, a definitional battle between Democratic backed state workers and anti-union Republicans will play out over the course of days, amid the most impassioned protests the country has seen since the anti-health care rallies of August 2009.
But just across the Great Lakes in nearby Ohio, where Republicans swept control of government in November, a similar fight is brewing… …the situations in Wisconsin and Ohio are not isolated incidents. There are similar efforts in nascent stages just about everywhere Republicans took control of one or more branches of government: Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, and to a lesser degree in Maine and Pennsylvania.
12:20 PST: The WI senate is in recess as Republicans gather plans to respond to Democratic walkout. Quote of the moment: "The only walkout I was worried about last week was the NFL…"
From the Nation blog:
Instead of taking the day off, students gathered yesterday at schools throughout Madison and marched miles along the city's main thoroughfares to join the some 30,000 protestors, the largest mass demonstration the city has seen in decades—perhaps since the great protests of the Vietnam War era, The Nation's John Nichols reports.
Protestors chanted 'You know what's disgusting? Union Busting!" and teachers carried signs that read 'Will the National Guard teach my class?' in response to Walkers threat to call out the National Guard.
12:17 PST: (Madison is 2 hours ahead of West Coast) Madison – Schools are closed so what are kids supposed to do? How about come down to the demonstration at the State Capitol.
By Thursday afternoon the corridors continued to be clogged with demonstrators, including loads of students who joined their teachers in the protest. From a third-floor balcony a paper banner spilled down and read: "Save Our Schools."
Student cheers and voices — and yes, even the beating of drums — echoed in the rotunda as they chanted: This is what democracy looks like," followed by rounds of "Scott Walker's gotta go."
Kaitlyn Scallon, a January graduate of Madison East High School, said she'll feel the impact of the proposed labor pact.
"I'm working as a CNA," she said. "This means a lot to me."
Aya Maiga, a Madison East senior, said she and her friends have been at the Capitol every day of the protest.
"My mom is a CNA and she will be affected," she said. "Since we haven't been in school for a few days I feel like we should be here for our teachers."
12:16 PST: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) comments on the protests in Madison. Ryan expresses support for Gov. Scott Walker, and says public employees have to contribute more to their pension and health plans.
As to today's protests, Ryan says, "…it's like Cairo has moved to Madison these days."
To see earlier updates go HERE
Dickie February 17, 2011 at 10:19 am
Hard to believe this will be confined to Wisconsin , , , there are several other governors of the same stripe and likely they will try similar legislation. The pitting of "public sector workers" against "private sector workers" really disgusts me . . . like the public sector workers should give up what they have . . . I say the private sector workers ought to organize better unions for themselves. As long as this kind of political power mongering goes on, none of this fiscal/budgetary contradictions will ever be seriously approached on the policy level.
I guess the good thing is that the issues are being drawn out in action in ways that will help people figure out which side is really theirs . . .
Thanks for doing this, OBRag . . . watching history happen is pretty exhilarating
Dickie, you are absolutely right. If a right-wing extremist governor in Wisconsin can get away with this horrific set of policies, then these other tea party governors will try to do the same. Wisconsin has a long history of labor activism, so the extremists hope to show this as an example for the rest of the nation. That's why it all has to stop in Madison.
butch February 17, 2011 at 10:56 am
Well said, Dickie.
As a state employee, I often feel that I am guilty of raping somebody's mother when I read comments regarding state employees on the web. It really is kind of demoralizing to feel that people would like all of the state's woes to fall squarely on the shoulders of state employees.
Oh, and for the record, before anybody says "Oh, he shouldn't be posting on state time!": I'm home today on an unpaid furlough day.
Sarah February 17, 2011 at 11:57 am
Frank,
I love it when you do this "live blogging".
dave rice February 17, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Ditto that. Even when I can't follow (like right now), it's great to come back and read the whole stream later.
"Together we bargain; divided we beg." That certainly puts things into perspective. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone asks "Why isn't Wall Street in Jail?" Remember, it was Wall Street and its "obscene criminal scandals that impoverished millions and collectively destroyed hundreds of billions, in fact, trillions of dollars of the world's wealth — and nobody went to jail."
Despite what our conservative fire breathing brethren would have us believe, that public salaries and benefits and public sector unions are responsible for the economic meltdown in our (tax adverse) states and municipalities, culpability begins and remains with Wall Street, corporate give aways and our government's complicity with scoundrels.
The problem is that it is so much simpler to pit citizen against public sector employees, and public sector employees against each other. Nobody has figured out how to take on the overlords and damn few have even been willing to make that the economic issue. It should be clear who we will be begging from.
Chudleigh February 17, 2011 at 2:50 pm
You can't imagine how much less expensive would be your grocery bill if the supermarkets were not staffed by unskilled union thugs.
Supermarket banana scanners, cart boys and shelf stockers are all unskilled jobs, and we would save a lot
off our supermarket purchases if the jobs went to part-time after school kids and seniors.
Unskilled jobs do not require a "living wage", as the unions would have us believe.
Unions have their place, but unskilled jobs belong to unskilled individuals.
Ugh. Unskilled jobs do not require a living wage? Chudleigh, in your estimation, who gets to live?
barbara February 17, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Stunning comment, absolutely breathtaking in it's lack of facts, Let's start with the building trades, shall we? They are hard jobs, unskilled labor for the most part. Not many PHD's hanging drywall these days. The mega builders hired illegals or felons, others who wanted to work for pennies , not to bash them. Gradually the trade unions shrunk and shrunk. Tell me how much less a new house costs today? Did the builders, banks, real estate people pass along the savings to you? This attitude that people don't deserve a living wage is disgusting. My first job at 18 was a living wage. I had a car, apartment, food, necessities. Those used to be where one started out, in the grocery, fast food, today, that is where one ends up after 30 years as a manager somewhere because there are no other jobs. Have you been living in a cave the last 25 years?
Patty Jones February 17, 2011 at 4:58 pm
barbara, you got my vote for comment of the day! well said!
RB February 17, 2011 at 3:31 pm
We will see who runs the State of Wisconsin, the voters or the unions.
Elections matter to those who believe in democracy.
Union members are voters RB. 30,000 human beings/ public workers union members/ voters showed up in the capital of WI today. And yes, we will get to see what the voters do.
What's with the headlines on HuffPo & LA Times that "Dem Lawmakers Flee Wisconsin?" Sloppy, bad reporting leaving you with the impression that the Dems were run out of town. No one says Elvis fled the building. No one says Frasier fled the building. The Dems left the capitol and the state. It was a purposeful and strategic act. Flee? Horse puckey.
Walk like an Egyptian.
Thanks to all of you who dropped by or stayed with us all day. A whole bunch of folks in Wisconsin came on the OB Rag to see what was going on in their own state.
This is what democracy looks like! Power to the people.
JRMilw February 17, 2011 at 8:56 pm
We're not gonna take it! Never did & Never Will!
Fighting back with everything we've got on the front lines in Madison!
Patty Jones February 17, 2011 at 10:11 pm
We're with you Madison!
doug porter February 18, 2011 at 7:47 am
UPDATE: Since the WI Legislature is unable to proceed without a quorum, we'll take a break from liveblogging today (Fri) unless circumstances change. However, we will offer ongoing coverage over at our Facebook page (OBRagBlog@Facebook). We're sending a reporter (me) to the local Labor Council rally today and will run recaps throughout the weekend. In case you haven't noticed, the lamestream media is trying to downplay or spin this story away. We'll keep on top of it for you.
annagrace February 19, 2011 at 10:41 am
Saturday Feb 19 Live blog of today's rally and anti-rally in Madison available here.
Mike March 10, 2011 at 8:01 pm
dems gops, do thyr really have our best interest in mind? why do we side with either?
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Lawmakers Wrap Up Veto Session
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Virginia General Assembly members approved Governor Mark Warner's amendment to the Hampton Roads sales tax referendum bill allowing Northern Virginia voters to decide on Nov. 5 whether or not to increase the sales tax by a half cent to fund transportation needs. If the ballot question passes, sales tax, except on food, will rise to five cents in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties, and in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Governor Warner and Del. John A. "Jack" Rollison III (R-Prince William), who began working on the transportation sales tax idea with colleagues in December 1999, praised "the right to give citizens the choice to decide for themselves the best way to speed up transportation projects for their region." Many business leaders and local government officials called the action "revolutionary" in that the state has never conceded the power to raise money for local projects such as roads and other mass transportation needs to local citizens.
If voters approve the referendum, the increase could bring in about $140 million annually and generate up to $5 billion for regional highway and mass transit projects over the next 20 years. Transit related projects constitute ten of the 24 designated projects. A new regional transportation authority could use the sales tax increase proceeds to fund numerous projects with the projected $2.2 billion in cash and $2.8 billion in bonds.
THIS COULD BRING much needed money for improvements to Route 1 in Fairfax and Prince William counties, the Fairfax County Parkway, Interstate 66, the Dulles rail extension, and new Virginia Railway Express cars.
Campaigns for and against the sales tax transportation referendum are gearing up now and will extend right up to election day as interest groups debate their different views.
Other highlights of the one-day veto session included:
Budget Amendments - Seventy of the governor's 83 amendments to the state's two-year $50 billion budget were approved by legislators. Lawmakers approved the governor's restoration of $2.1 million to a dozen state drug court programs, some of which offer structured drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Some of the amendments not making it were $3.1 million for a program for at-risk students and $325,000 for the Jobs for Virginia Graduates program.
Motto - The General Assembly voted to retain the original legislation requiring public schools and allowing government buildings to post the national motto, "In God We Trust." The gubernatorial amendments would have made the motto optional and required the state to pay for the posting. The governor can now sign the bill into law without the amendments or veto it.
Abortion - Virginia lawmakers sustained the governor's veto of a bill that would have reinstated Virginia's ban of certain late-term abortions. The 1998 law was voided when the Supreme Court struck down a similar Nebraska law. Lack of sufficient safeguards to protect the mother's health and that it would be declared unconstitutional were cited.
Open Container - The amendment to broaden the ban prohibiting open containers of alcohol in passenger areas of motor vehicles was rejected.
Bonus - State workers are to receive their bonus at the end of August instead of the end of December.
Trash Fee - Governor Warner proposed a trash dumping fee of $5-per-ton which was supported by Speaker of the House of Delegates S. Vance Wilkins, Jr. (R-Amherst County). The measure expected to generate about $76 million annually for conservation efforts was defeated by lawmakers. Virginia is second only to Pennsylvania in accepting trash from out of state. The Senate reconsidered the measure on a voice vote late and referred it to the Senate Agriculture Committee for consideration in the 2003 General Assembly.
The one-day veto session ended with less controversy than might have been anticipated after the General Assembly Session was abruptly gaveled to adjournment in the House before the members could vote on a Northern Virginia Transportation Referendum compromise in March.
Now, with the legislation passed and the ballot question to be decided by the people on Nov. 5, the business community, anti-tax and slow-growth advocate groups, along with environmentalists will bring their debates to the airways and through the mail. Some local officials have expressed concern that the sales tax vote is a last-gasp chance to get money for transportation after years of falling behind. And if it fails, lawmakers will be unlikely to send any new money to the region for years.
Whatever happens, it's up to the voters to decide.
Veto Session Authorizes Referendum
Local Delegation Supports Referendum But Remains Concerned
Lawmakers To (Hopefully) Tackle Transportation
Transportation, Taxes Focus of Debate
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Old Enough To Know Better?
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Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital provides wide-ranging support for researchers on today's studies that will lead to tomorrow's advancements in pediatric medicine.
Advancements in pediatric health depends on fundamental scientific investigation aimed at the discovery of the basic mechanisms of disease that impact children, as well as the early origins of later-onset disease. Biomedical discovery at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital has great potential to improve not only children's health, but also future generations of adults.
Our institution-wide support programs serve as a vital resource for designing and implementing funded, innovative studies with researchers across disciplines and levels of experience.
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The Designing Clinical Research Program provides hands-on clinical research training and mentoring to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital clinicians. The program includes the Clinical and Translational Research Advisory and Mentorship Committee, which provides a forum for presenting and discussing research studies in various stages.
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Non-traditional destinations boosted banana shipments
Rafael Correa commanded in a criminal organization, according to elements of conviction highlighted by Judge Daniella Camacho
Community tourism makes its way with local initiatives
Third-party properties may be finished off with COIP reforms
The Venezuelan connection in the insurance business
Ecuadornews:
The insurance companies of the Venezuelan businessman Omar Farías drag complaints in other countries where they operate and in Ecuador they have not been the exception.
EXPRESO published in 2009 a series of reports on the arrival of the businessman in Ecuador and the purchase of the insurance company Memoser, whose injection of capital began to be investigated by the control authorities. Farías has been the subject of investigations at least in Panama, the Dominican Republic and Spain for various crimes, including money laundering, according to publications from those countries.
In the report published yesterday, this newspaper reported that in the case of Andorra, which investigates an international scheme of money laundering and bribery, the name of Farías and a transfer of money in favor of Memoser Compañía de Seguros came to light. It was done from an account opened in the name of Westshore International Limited, domiciled in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. In 2007, the Venezuelan acquired that insurer that was renamed Seguros Constitución.
Before a request for an interview, the legal representative of the company, Adán Méndez Pantaleón, offered to give a statement to EXPRESO for next November 12.
In its institutional page, the company mentions that it has a presence in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Manta, and that it has made an investment of more than 8 million dollars in the country.
For net written premiums ($ 4'371,507.66 in 2018, up to September), Constitución ranks 27th among the 31 insurers registered in Ecuador. In results, the company reports losses of $ 583,089.53 this year.
The Internal Revenue Service records that the insurer has paid $ 258,036 for income tax, since 2008. In the last decade, it has paid $ 720,182.34 in tax on the outflow of foreign currency. That is to say that $ 14'403,646.80 left the country.
The Superintendence of Companies and Insurance has once again set eyes on a capital increase process carried out on April 22, 2016 by Seguros Constitución.
According to documentation to which EXPRESO had access, the inspection body was not satisfied with the documentation that the company exhibited to determine the legal origin of a contribution of $ 3.3 million made by Farías. For this reason, on March 28 of this year, the entity decided to partially disregard the aforementioned capital increase made two years earlier. In this way, the paid-up capital of the insurer was reduced to $ 4.7 million.
Considering that Seguros Constitución was in default of not having the minimum paid capital of $ 8 million, on May 7, the Superintendence resolved to declare that company in a state of forced liquidation.
But Farías managed to have that measure provisionally suspended for 18 days on June 18. A judge from the Judicial Unit of the Family, Woman, Childhood and Adolescence of Guayaquil gave him the reason, in response to a request for protective actions and precautionary measures.
An appeal filed by the Superintendence of Companies before the Provincial Court of Guayas was also rejected on August 6.
In his legal defense, Farías affirmed that "all the information and documents held by the insurance company were delivered to the control body and to the financial controller according to their requests by October 26, 2016 …"
He added that the provision consisted of "proving the origin of the money, affidavit of the partner on the suitability of the same, all transactions were banked through banks accredited in the country and abroad, banks that never objected the illegality of such funds … "
For the Superintendency, Seguros Constitución is in illegality. The agency informed this newspaper that on September 24 it filed an extraordinary protection action before the Constitutional Court. In his application, he asks to leave unsubstantiated the judicial rulings that favored Farías.
Under the spotlight since 2009
The lawfulness of the money invested in Seguros Memoser – later called Seguros Constitución – was in legal controversy since the first investments of Omar Farías.
In 2009, EXPRESO revealed that on February 18 of that year, the Superintendency of Banks had arranged a special audit for Memoser, in order to establish the origin of the funds. The then manager of the insurer, Galo Larrea Simmonds, responded to the entity that "all the investments were in accordance with Ecuadorian legal regulations and national and international transparency standards". (I)
Source: https://www.expreso.ec/actualidad/empresas-seguros-venezolanos-companias-ecuador-LE2457937
A "school of assassins" linked to drug trafficking
The ammunition trafficked was the end of life withdrawal
'E-commerce' demands more promotion and connection


Germany's postal regulator supports ending Deutsche Post's monopoly for delivering standard letters by the end of 2007, it said on Thursday.
Deutsche Post had shown that it can hold its own "despite steps in the past toward liberalisation of the letter market," said Matthias Kruth, the head of the regulator that oversees postal, gas, electricity and telecoms operations in Germany.
The regulator therefore saw "no reason not to let (Deutsche Posts's) exclusive licence run out on Dec. 31, 2007," he added.
The German postal market is worth 23 billion euros ($27.7 billion) a year in sales at present, Kurth said, adding that Deutsche Post accounts for about two-thirds of that.
While package, express and courier services are already open to competition, Deutsche Post — a former state agency in which the government retains about a 45 percent stake — has a near-monopoly in the letter market, where it has a market of share of 93 percent.
Post's rivals, including United Parcel Serice (UPS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), FedEX (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and its European peers are barred from collecting and sorting letters of up to 100 grams in weight. While that limit is set to fall to 50 grams at the start of 2006, the postal regulator said this was unlikely to significantly change the competitive situation in the letter market.
Post shares were down 0.5 percent at 19.45 euros by 1033 GMT, underperforming a roughly flat blue chip DAX index.


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25 Children's Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind
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Posted on January 9, 2020 by Katherine
A Mighty Girl's top picks of empathy-building picture books for kids!
Many parents find themselves worrying about the state of the world today: it seems all to easy to find stories about cruelty, prejudice, and selfishness. But the truth is that small acts of kindness happen around us every day — and anyone, no matter how young, can help make the world a better place through their thoughtful actions. In fact, when children are encouraged to see things from another's point of view, and shown how their actions can help lift others up, they are often the most compassionate of all. So if you want a more empathetic world in the future, the best way to achieve it is by teaching our kids how much you value being kind!
To help instill this important value in children, in this blog post, we've collected a variety of picture books that explore compassion and empathy from many perspectives. These books capture the power of a moment of kindness to change a life for the better, as well as the sense of purpose and pride that can come from helping someone. Most importantly, these books teach kids that you don't have to perform a heroic act to make the world a better place: even small acts of kindness ripple across the world in ways that no one could expect. They're an excellent way to show young children that their empathy and compassion really can make a difference!
For more empathy-building Mighty Girl books for all ages, visit our Kindness & Compassion Book Collection.
Mighty Girl Books About Kindness and Empathy
Tomorrow I'll Be Kind
Written by: Jessica Hische
Illustrated by: Jessica Hische
Recommended Age: 3 - 5
Kids will love seeing all the ways — both big and small — that they can spread kindness in their community in this beautifully lettered and illustrated book! Author/illustrator Jessica Hische's verse captures how simple, thoughtful actions can improve everyone's lives. In the illustrations, a mouse, cat, and rabbit highlight the many ways to express empathy and compassion: patience, generosity, helpfulness, and more. This follow-up to Tomorrow I'll Be Brave is uplifting and positive, reminding young readers that they have the power to make a difference.
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Written by: Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrated by: Jen Hill
After seeing a classmate spill grape juice all over her new dress — and struggling to find the words that will help her feel better — the young narrator wonders: what does it really mean to be kind? She realizes that it means many things, from being welcoming to a new child to standing up when someone is being bullied. She also discovers that even small acts of kindness can make a difference and contemplates how kindness can spread, envisioning a chain of kind acts that stretch "all the way... around the world." This contemplative look at kindness encourages kids to explore the meaning of kindness along with her narrator and gives children many concrete ideas of how they can be kind in their day-to-day lives.
Indigo.ca
Written by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated by: Peter H. Reynolds
Beloved author Amy Krouse Rosenthal takes the phrase "to plant a kiss" and makes it literal when the Little Miss of this book plants a real kiss in the ground. After tending it carefully — lots of sunshine and water — a glittering sprout grows. Now Little Miss is going to share the kiss she planted with the whole wide world! This beautiful conceptual book about kindness, generosity, and love is a reminder that simple gestures can grow far beyond the giver — and that anyone can be the one to start something that leads to "eternal bliss."
The Wednesday Surprise
Written by: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: Donald Carrick
Anna and her grandmother have been working on a very special surprise. Day after day, in secret, they've been curled up together with a book in hand, puzzling out the letters and words... all so that, on Anna's father's birthday, Grandma can stand up and read a story to her son for the very first time. While Eve Bunting's story communicates a powerful message about literacy, the stronger theme is the power of Anna's relationship with her grandmother — and the empathy that allows her to understand that teaching Grandma to read will be the greatest gift she can give to both her father and her grandmother.
The Snail and the Whale
Written by: Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by: Axel Scheffler
A tiny sea snail is stuck on a rock, wishing she could travel to amazing places. When a humpback whale passes, he offers her a spot on his tail — the perfect vantage point for a journey of adventure! But when the whale gets stranded on a beach after being distracted by speedboats, what is a snail to do? Write a message on a blackboard so that everyone comes to help her friend! This celebration of an unusual friendship also serves as a reminder that kindness is often repaid with kindness — and that someone small can start a big movement for change.
Stellaluna
Written by: Janell Cannon
Illustrated by: Janell Cannon
When Stellaluna the fruit bat is knocked out of her mother's protective embrace during an owl's attack, she finds herself in a bird's nest — and her world is turned upside down. The mother bird and her babies are happy to take Stellaluna in, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't get used to sleeping right-side-up or eating bugs. When she is reunited with her mother, she excitedly tries to show her bird friends what it's like to be a bat — and now it's their turn to feel out of place. But in the end, it doesn't matter, Stellaluna says: "We're friends. And that's a fact." This charming story encourages kids to see things from another's point of view and reminds them to be accepting of differences.
Written by: Matthew Cordell
Illustrated by: Matthew Cordell
A little girl becomes a hero to a vulnerable wolf cub in this touching wordless picture book. When a blizzard whips up on her way home from school, the girl is concentrating on getting home... until she spots the cub, who is far to little to survive alone. So, fearlessly, the girl takes the cub over streams and past other dangers to return it to its mother. And when it turns out that the long walk has left the girl in her own predicament, the wolf pack comes together to return the favor. Fascinating details in the expressive illustrations provide enticement to reread this charming story over and over.
I Walk With Vanessa
A Story About A Simple Act of Kindness
Written by: Kerascoët
Illustrated by: Kerascoët
Vanessa's first day at a new school is a little lonely, but on the way home, things get worse. A boy shouts at her, and she runs home upset — and one of her classmates sees the whole thing. Both girls are heartbroken, but the bystander realizes there are ways she can help... and the next morning, she invites Vanessa to walk to school alongside her. This wordless picture book's expressive images capture the helplessness that kids can feel when they see someone being bullied, as well as the power of simple acts of kindness and the strength that comes from standing together.
Written by: JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by: Sydney Smith
A little girl's father is distracted by errands and pays her little attention as she finds colorful wildflowers nestled into the cracks and crevices of the pavement. Her hands are soon bursting with flowers, and she starts to give her treasured blooms away — to a man sleeping on a bench, to a friendly dog, and to her mother and siblings when they finally arrive home. By the time the story ends, her small acts of kindness have brought color and joy to the whole neighborhood. This gorgeous, emotionally powerful wordless picture book celebrates how a girl's quiet observations of those around her motivates her kind act.
The Perfectly Perfect Wish
Written by: Lisa Mantchev
Illustrated by: Jessica Courtney-Tickle
While waiting for the bus one morning, a little girl finds something glowing in the grass. It's a wish — just one. When she tells her bus driver, about the wish, she replies, "Think hard, then. It will need to be a perfectly perfect wish." But what wish would be perfect? The girl's personal dreams, like a blue ribbon at a horse show or a trip to Japan, seem too small. Finally, she realizes that the perfect wish is one that she shares, and wishes for everyone's wishes to come true. With soft illustrations that depict everything in black and white — except the wishes, which burst out in full color — this is a gentle but powerful story of compassion, empathy, and kindness.
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love
Written by: Michelle Edwards
Illustrated by: G. Brian Karas
Mrs. Goldman and Sophia make a great team: Mrs. Goldman knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophie helps out by making the pom-poms. But then Sophia realizes that winter is here — and Mrs. Goldman doesn't have a hat herself! No matter how hard Sophia tries to knit a hat for her friend, she ends up with lumpy, uneven stitches and a hat full of holes. Fortunately, Sophia finds a creative solution so she can still return Mrs. Goldman's many kindnesses with one of her own. Kids will smile as Sophia dedicates herself to finding a way thank you to her beloved friend.
Cloud Tea Monkeys
Written by: Mal Peet, Elspeth Graham
Illustrated by: Juan Wijngaard
Young Tashi has a problem "like a snake with its tail in its mouth." Her mother, who supports the family by picking tea leaves under the eye of a cruel overseer, has fallen ill and is too sick to work — but they can't afford a doctor because her mother isn't working. Tashi tries to pick tea herself, but she's too small to reach the tender leaves. But when Tashi retreats to the place where she feeds the local monkeys, something extraordinary happens — and Tashi discovers that her kindness toward the monkeys has been reciprocated beyond her wildest dreams. This lovely fable stars a Mighty Girl who is both compassionate and resilient.
Superbuns!
Written by: Diane Kredensor
Illustrated by: Diane Kredensor
Superbuns knows that her kindness — her listening ears, big caring eyes, and huge heart — are definitely a superpower, but her sister Blossom disagrees: "Kind is kind, but it's not a superpower!" And Blossom is particularly annoyed when Superbuns' kind deeds slow them down on their way to Grammy's house to share a delicious carrot cobbler. When Superbuns holds the door for a little fox, fearful Blossom reminds her sister that foxes EAT rabbits... but Superbun's compassionate heart helps her see that the fox is lost and needs help, making Blossom reconsider the power of kindness. Fun illustrations, including an absolutely adorable Superbuns, draw kids into this story that reminds them of the power of simple kindness.
Written by: Charlotte Zolotow
Illustrated by: James Stevenson
In Sally's neighborhood, there is an old lady who has a knack for making everyone feel special. She says hello when she meets you walking your dog; she admires your costumes at Halloween; and at Christmas she invites you in to see her beautiful Christmas tree (and maybe have a Christmas treat!) And every season, she has a gift to give: a flower from her carefully tended garden. This beautiful tale of an intergenerational friendship celebrates the strong relationships that kindness helps to grow.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids
Written by: Carol McCloud
Illustrated by: David Messing
This popular book uses the metaphor of invisible buckets to describe self-esteem. Author Carol McCloud teaches kids that people feel good when the bucket is full and sad or angry when it's empty. By showing how you can "fill" a bucket (through kindness, compassion, and appreciation of others) or "dip" from a bucket (by being mean or exclusionary), kids can easily understand how their actions affect others' emotions. Younger kids can learn about bucket filling in Fill A Bucket: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Young Children for ages 2 to 6, while older kids can expand on the lessons with Growing Up With A Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life for ages 8 and up.
Extra Yarn
Written by: Mac Barnett
Illustrated by: Jon Klassen
Young Annabelle's box of extra yarn seems never ending: her monochrome town ends up colorful and bright as she knits clothing for everyone around her — people, pets, and even objects get a warm new coat and a new outlook! In fact, the town has never been so happy. But when a greedy archduke tries to buy — and then steal — the box of extra yarn for himself, he may discover that the magic of the extra yarn isn't in what it can do for; it's what it lets you do for others. This quirky story, with its expressive and hilarious illustrations which won a Caldecott Honor, celebrates the power of how one person's kindness can transform a community.
Written by: Emily Pearson
Illustrated by: Fumi Kosaka
The most amazing thing about kindness is how it ripples out beyond the original act! Mary finds a patch of blueberries on her way home, and decides to pick some for Mrs. Bishop. Mrs. Bishop in turn makes blueberry muffins that she gives to five people — one of whom helps five more, and then one of those helps five more... Before long, a variety of kindnesses, some with a small impact and some with a huge one, are creating a change that extends worldwide. It's a lovely testament to how little acts of compassion and kindness have big potential for the entire world.
Written by: Sarah Stewart
Illustrated by: David Small
The Depression has made money tight, so Lydia Grace Finch is sent to the city to stay with her cantankerous Uncle Jim as a way to ease her family's burdens. When she comes, though, she brings something unusual: a suitcase full of seeds. With them, she brightens Uncle Jim's bakery and delights neighbors with the bright flowers she grows. But her masterpiece — one she hopes might even get a smile from Uncle Jim — is an ambitious rooftop garden, full of blooms. Lydia Grace tells her story in a series of letters, which give kids a window into how she's feeling, and kids will enjoy seeing how her simple but powerful good deed transforms those around her.
Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart
Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Raul Colon
In a tiny village in the American Southwest, Doña Flor is a beloved neighbor: the giant woman lets children use her flowers as trumpets and her leftover tortillas as rafts! She also loves to read, and often gathers the children around for a story. When a terrible noise like a bellowing animal scares the villagers, Doña Flor is determined to protect her friends — so with the help of her animal companions, she sets off to solve the mystery of the terrifying sound. This original tall tale, full of beautiful watercolor illustrations, celebrates a giant woman with an even bigger heart!
Hannah's Way
Written by: Linda Glaser
Illustrated by: Adam Gustavson
It's the midst of the Great Depression, and Hannah's father has lost his job, so the family has moved to rural Minnesota. But in her new school, Hannah is the only Jewish child in her class — which poses an immediate obstacle when the class picnic is scheduled for Saturday. Hannah can't ride in a car on the Sabbath, but how can she miss this chance to form some desperately needed friendships? Fortunately, when Hannah tells her teacher her dilemma, she discovers that her class is more than happy to do whatever it takes to make sure she can attend! This sweet, empathetic story will inspire young readers to consider how they can help new arrivals in their own community feel accepted.
Maddi's Fridge
Written by: Lois Brandt
Illustrated by: Vin Vogel
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood and attend the same school, but when Sofia looks for a snack in Maddi's fridge one day, she is shocked to discover that her friend Maddi spends many of her days hungry. Maddi makes Sofia promise not to tell, but it's hard for Sofia to enjoy all the good food on her own family's table when she knows Maddi's family has none. It turns out, sometimes the kindest thing to do is to break a promise. This book about food insecurity provides a model for empathetic and compassionate friendship with a person in need.
Written by: Holly M. McGhee
Illustrated by: Pascal Lemaître
After seeing stories full of hate and fear on the news, a little girl wonders what she can do to make the world a better place. "Come with me," says her father, and shows her how friendly greetings on that subway can make people feel happy and welcome on their commute; "come with me," says her mother, and shows her how their diverse community comes together at the local grocers. Finally, the little girl is ready to try herself: "come with me," she says to the boy next door while walking the family dog, and together, the two kids see how small actions make a big difference. This hopeful book provides a powerful reminder that each of us can do our part to create a kinder, more accepting world.
The Someone New
Written by: Jill Twiss
Illustrated by: EG Keller
Jitterbug the chipmunk likes it when everything is the same, but when she wakes up one morning, Something is different. The Something turns out to be Someone: a snail named Pudding, slowly escaping the flooded garden up the hill. But Jitterbug is full of worries: what if Pudding ruins everything, or there's no longer enough room for Jitterbug to stay in the forest? She's so anxious that she orders Pudding back to where he came from. Fortunately, Jitterbug's friends remind her that "kindness is stronger than fear" — and it turns out that Pudding can become a great friend! This timely story provides an excellent starting point for discussions about welcoming newcomers, especially people in need.
Each Kindness
Written by: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by: E. B. Lewis
Chloe and her friends won't play with Maya, who wears hand-me-down clothes and plays with old toys; eventually, Maya stops asking, and soon after, Maya moves away. But when Chloe's teacher invites her students to think about how small kindnesses might affect the world in unexpected ways, Chloe has a revelation — she can't think of a single time that she was kind to Maya, and now that Maya is gone, the opportunity to offer her even a small kindness is gone forever. However, the book also ends with a positive implication: if everyone resolves to extend kindness to everyone they meet, the ripples will extend around the world. For a powerful chapter book for ages 6 to 10 that addresses similar themes, we also recommend the beloved classic The Hundred Dresses.
Hattie & Hudson
Written by: Chris Van Dusen
Illustrated by: Chris Van Dusen
Hattie McFadden loves paddling her canoe out on the lake every morning, singing a song as she goes. One day, though, a huge mysterious beast emerges to listen to her song! Hattie looks into the creature's friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster, even if the town is terrified. How can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn't scary or dangerous at all? Chris Van Dusen brings his colorful, perspective-bending artwork to this satisfying story about acceptance, friendship, and sticking up for those who are different.
The Lemonade Club
Written by: Patricia Polacco
Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco
Miss Wichelman's fifth grade class is all about turning life's lemons into lemonade. But when Traci learns that her best friend Marilyn has leukemia, and will have to undergo chemotherapy, it's hard to see how to make the best of that. When Marilyn is ready to return to class, she's nervous about how everyone will react to her now-bald head — until she learns that Traci, and every other student in the class, have done something to make sure Marilyn won't stick out. This touching story will remind kids that hair is just hair, but understanding and supporting a friend is precious.
For more books for all ages about the importance of helping others, visit our Kindness & Compassion Collection.
For an excellent parenting book about how to raise empathetic kids, check out UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World.
For books that encourage acceptance of differences, visit our blog post Standing Together: Mighty Girl Books Celebrating Diversity and Acceptance.
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This entry was posted in Front Page, A Mighty Girl Top Pick, A Mighty Girl Spotlight and tagged picture books, empathy, kindess on January 9, 2020 by Katherine. ← Previous Post Next Post →
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text:
Mr Matthias Kubler
m.kubler@uq.edu.au
Matthias holds Master degrees in Sociology (University of Leipzig, Germany, 1998), and Social Planning and Development (University of Queensland, 2003). Between 2005 and 2008 he worked as a Research Officer in the then UQ Social Research Centre on the 2006 PhD Graduate Survey (funded by the Higher Education Innovation Programme), and on contract research for clients predominantly from the public sector. Matthias continued the latter type of work at the Office of Economic and Statistical Research (2008-2010), a portfolio office within Queensland Treasury, where he provided demographic and survey services to Queensland Government agencies.
He was the project manager and the project lead for two rounds of the omnibus Queensland Household Surveys in 2009/10, spent a year as a Senior Data Analyst in Queensland Disability Services and worked as Principal Advisor for the Queensland Public Service Commission where a focal point of his work was on workplace climate and organisational performance. Matthias returned to UQ in 2015 to work as a Research Analyst in the area of the student experience and student retention. He joined ISSR's Education and Disadvantage Research Group in 2016.
Matthias has considerable experience in translating client information needs into effective methodological and reporting processes, and in applying survey methodologies in the context of assessing needs or impacts, evaluating outcomes or generating new insights.
Student retention in higher education
Employment outcomes after formal education
Employee engagement and organisational performance
Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Perales, Francisco, Xiang, Ning and Kubler, Matthias (2019) Beyond graduation: socio-economic background and post-University outcomes of Australian graduates. Research in Higher Education, . doi:10.1007/s11162-019-09578-4
Tomaszewski, W., Perales, F., Rampino, T., Xiang, N., Kubler, M. and Western, M. (2017). The Role of Career Guidance in Addressing Barriers to University Participation among Low-SES Students. In: International Life Course Conference, Sydney, Australia, (). 24-26 October 2017.
Bell, Martin, Wilson, Tom and Kubler, Matthias (2004). Continuity and change in the spatial structure of Australian internal migration. In: Population and Society: Issues, Research, Policy. 12th Biennial Conference of the Australian Population Association, Canberra, A.C.T., (). 15-17 September 2004.
Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Perales, Francisco, Xiang, Ning and Kubler, Matthias (2018). Beyond graduation: socio-economic background and post-university outcomes of Australian graduates. LCC Working Paper Series 2018-22, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Xiang, Ning (2018) Medicine graduate employment outcomes in Australia: an analysis of census data Brisbane, QLD, Australia: ISSR
Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Xiang, Ning (2018) Engineering, architecture and information technology graduate employment outcomes in Australia: an analysis of census data Brisbane, QLD, Australia: ISSR
Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Xiang, Ning (2018) Business, economics and law graduate employment outcomes in Australia: an analysis of census data Brisbane, QLD, Australia: ISSR
Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Xiang, Ning (2018) Science graduate employment outcomes in Australia: an analysis of census data Brisbane, QLD, Australia: ISSR
Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Xiang, Ning (2018) Health and behavioural sciences graduate employment outcomes in Australia: an analysis of census data Brisbane, QLD, Australia: ISSR
Mills, Martin, Howell, Angelique, Kubler, Matthias, Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Lynch, Deborah, Phillips, Louise, Carroll, Annemaree, Dungan, John, Hellens, Andrea and Sheppard, Karen (2018) Making every day count: effective strategies to improve student attendance in Queensland state schools Brisbane, Queensland: The University of Queensland
Kubler, M., Xiang, N., Tomaszewski, W. and Perales, F. (2017) HASS Graduate Employment Outcomes in Australia: An Analysis of Census Data :
Xiang, N., Tomaszewski, W., Perales, F. and Kubler, M. (2017) Labour market Destinations and Outcomes of HASS graduates: What the Graduate Outcomes Survey Can Tell Us :
Perales, F., Xiang, N., Tomaszewski, W. and Kubler, M. (2017) Labour Market Destinations and Outcomes of HASS Graduates: What the HILDA Survey Can Tell Us :
Kubler, Matthias and Tomaszewski, Wojtek (2017) Recipients of scholarships and student outcomes. An analysis of administrative data for the UQ Scholarships Review 2017 Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research
Kubler, Matthias and Tomaszewski, Wojtek (2017) Survey of UQ Scholarship Offers Report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research
Kubler, Matthias and Tomaszewski, Wojtek (2017) Survey of UQ Scholarship Recipients Report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research
Kubler, Matthias and Tomaszewski, Wojtek (2017) Recipients of scholarships and first-year student perceptions: an analysis of data from the UQ Students Relations Network Callouts Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research
Dever, Maryanne, Laffan, Warren, Boreham, Paul, Behrens , Karin, Haynes, Michele, Western, Mark and Kubler, Matthias (2008) Gender differences in early post-PhD employment in Australian Universities: The influence of PhD experience on women's academic careers: Final report St Lucia, Qld, Australia: University of Queensland
Kubler, Matthias, Boreham, Paul, Laffan, Warren and Chesters, Jenny (2008) QPSU member survey 2007: employee perceptions of work in Queensland Public Sector Departments and Agencies Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Kubler, Matthias, Boreham, Paul and Laffan, Warren (2008) QPSU Member Survey 2007. Final Report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Western, Mark, Boreham, Paul, Kubler, Matthias, Laffan, Warren, Western, John, Lawson, Alan and Clague, Denise (2007) PhD graduates 5 to 7 Years out: Employment outcomes, job attributes and the quality of research training: FINAL REPORT (Revised) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre (UQSRC)
Kubler, M., Toloo, S., Western, M., Boreham, P. and Laffan, W. (2007) Business Satisfaction Survey 2007. Report to Australian Federal Police St Lucia, Qld, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Boreham, Paul, Hundt, David, Laffan, Warren, Tighe, Meg, Western, Mark, Arts, Dionne, Pitt, Rachael and Kubler, Matthias (2006) Working Life and social well-being: a survey of QPSU members' attitudes. Final Report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Western, M C, Laffan, W S, Anderson-Bond, T. W., Burns, H., Arts, D A G, Kubler, M, Tighe, M. A., Robinson, S and Knight, (2006) Pilot Survey of Business Consumers: Final Report Prepared for the Department of Family and Community Services The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Western, M., Laffan, W., Kubler, M., Pitt, R., Sheedy, G., Yu, L., Mackey, J., Arts, D. and Tighe, M. (2006) 2006 AFP client satisfaction survey: Final report St. Lucia, Qld, Australia: The University of Queensland Social Research Centre
Brereton, D., Beach, R., Kubler, M., Arts, D., Anderson-Bond, T., Laffan, W. and Western, M. (2005) Final report of the Tarong Community and Community Leaders Survey St Lucia, Qld, Australia: Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining; The University of Queensland Social Research Centre


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