Jenny Walty

Now that I work in a contract oversight office I have well formed view of those billions of dollars flowing from tax payer to private contractors through the government. There are government workers who are paid good salaries and excellent benefits to make sure contracts and vendors have the requisite responsibility to warrant the expenditure of taxpayers dollars.

But someone is not doing their job. Hundreds of billions of tax dollars go to private contractors every year -- a lot of it needless pork barrel spending. There's a new bill to create a public database of every federal contract, but a Senator who famously fought for a "bridge to nowhere" won't let it come up for a vote. Demand accountability now and we'll deliver your message to Republican Sen. Ted Stevens.

Without public accountability, there is no way to reign in the government or make government spending reflective of the people's needs. Most local government, including NYC, has some level of transparency and the Feds should have the same.

With your help, we can make real change. Please join me by signing this petition (it will take 1 minute). Thanks!

There is a tenous ceasefire in Lebanon today, and an international UN peacekeeping force being assembled. But the damage to the infrastructure remains grave and possibly crippling to this small democratic country in a region of kingdoms and military dictatorships. The 34-day-long conflict with Israel, which caused over 1,000 Lebanese and 157 Israeli casualties in addition to huge economic losses of both sides, came to a cease-fire on Aug. 14 with UN Resolution 1701, in which Lebanon agreed to send its army to the South and allow a UN force in return for Israel lifting the land and sea blockade of the country.

After 6 weeks of the Israeli blockade, Lebanese hospitals are running out of supplies, gas lines lengthen, and the last of reserve stocks of commercial goods are being put on the shelves of grocery stores in Beirut. Fisherman are not allowed to take their boats out and are losing their income for the entire year, as it is now the height of the fishing season.

The release of 15,000 tons of fuel oil from a Jiyyeh power plant after an Israeli bombing has contaminated approximately 150 km of the Lebanese seashore since July 13 spreading northwards and threatening the health of people, ecosystems and endangered animals like the monk seal and loggerhead turtle. The Minister of the Environment called on the UN and neighboring Mediteranean countries for help and on August 17 met in Athens to put together a plan for clean-up. Only 1% has been cleaned up so far and the fuel has sunk to the seabed, creating a need for new technology to remove it from the Mediteranean.

Kofi Annan is going to Lebanon and will survey the damage and try to speed implementation of the UN resolution, but no matter how long it will take, Lebanon will still need our help.

I'm working with a group of international artists, writers and students (Lebanese and Americans mostly with diverse backgrounds) to put together a benefit exhibition to raise awareness and funds and send a tangible message of support. A concurrent visibility campaign is going on called I [heart] Beirut.

If you'd like to be involved as an artist, collector, organizer or supporter, please email me at jenny@jennywalty.com. If you have an artwork you'd like to donate please send me a jpg or description. The show will be curated by all of those involved once we have a space confirmed.

Thank you!