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Tom Schmitz

@tschmitzwrites.bsky.social
381 followers 409 following 424 posts

Speechwriter and executive comms strategist with a focus on energy & climate. Professional Californian, practicing Virginian, bicoastal sailor. Soundtrack by Steely Dan.

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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Dreadnought Holiday @dreadships.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Losing it at this
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Help Behind-the-Meter come out of the closet. Free the VPP!
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Batteries as a peaker alternative are a game changer. Traditional peaker plants use gas turbines and are typically the dirtiest generators in the grid system. Huge advance!
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Caught this show the night before when he performed in San Diego. Absolutely amazing.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
🎯👇
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Would be nice if there was one aspect of my life that was Bezos free. Like next week I'm going to read he has purchased a stake in one of my kids.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Glorious. We were fortunate to have one of these in our backyard when we lived in Oakland. We even chose to have our outdoor wedding beneath its canopy during the pandemic. Its blooming season was a source of endless enjoyment. Miss it still.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This can't be pointed out often enough, and I find myself having to do it far too often. "Lockdown" is what happened in China, where people were forcibly confined inside their apartments. Nothing like that happened in the U.S. We suffered through mild inconvenience, not at-home incarceration.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
BIG DEAL on voting rights this morning: Governor Spanberger just restored the voting rights of some 60,000+ Virginians. Her move reverses Youngkin's abrupt decision in 2023 to end automatic voting rights restoration, which brought Virginia back to a system of default lifetime disenfranchisement.
boltsmag.org
Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights for Thousands With Past Felony Convictions - Bolts
This is the only state that, absent action by the governor, bans people convicted of any felony from voting for life. Virginians have an opportunity to end that system for good in November.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 24/07/2026
Why is your current, and future, energy bill higher than before? Here's a reason.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
TKarney @pecunium.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The worst part is I have no problem believing this is legitimate.
Screencap of a twitter conversation.

John Coffee Hays:  "Here's Telemachus' mentor he's named, uh, Mentor.  BRAVO NOLAN

Stone Age Muse: The Character is the origin of the word.

John Coffee Hays:  It literally came out two days ago.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Sean Marshall @seanyyz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Why I’m a fan of the Oxford comma.
TORONTO STAR
BOOK REVIEW
Sylvia Plath, a New York vigilante and Shah of Iran featured in latest historical fiction
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Now that is some innovative ratemaking. Way to go, OR & PGE!
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Simpsons meme with Hans Moleman on a pay phone saying “I need the biggest metaphor you have.” Followed by “No, that’s too big.”
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
"Pack it" 💯🎯
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Drape some black crepe around this thread, in mourning for what our nation has lost.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
🎯
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
This is The Way
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Exactly this. Not a cause for celebration or veneration, but examination and regulation.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
🎯🎯🎯
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Prescient indeed 🎯
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I fear that while this is not yet universally true, it soon will be, at least for corporate media.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 02/06/2026
another day, another story about the administration's war on knowledge itself, all in service of allow its corporate patrons free rein to rob us blind and poison our world www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
There it is. AI now adjudicating claims for a health insurer that is already so infamous for driving customers to despair that its CEO was shot in the street. Oh, the humanity...
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
LFG
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 08/05/2026
yes. change the statute on which this decision turned and redistrict according to the legitimacy conferred by the people of the state
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The Virginia Supreme Court just invalidated my vote on redistricting because they did not like the way the election turned out and they seem to think that having a measure pass by a small margin is illegitimate somehow.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Love this man's work. Here's hoping it outlives him for generations to come.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Ida B Wells' Winchester Rifle @dytsras.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
I still cant get over this. How you steal somebody's life... (he was 28 years incarcerated for a crime he DID NOT commit) He gets out, gets a law degree. Runs for office.... WINS... and then they steal the job
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
When politicians understand that a fundamental purpose of government in a liberal democracy is to create the conditions that help people live better lives, then that's exactly what happens.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Oaklandishness FTW
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
👏👏👏
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Come for the practical advice, stay for the last four words of the final sentence.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Rep. James Walkinshaw @repwalkinshaw.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Under Pam Bondi, DOJ failed survivors: missed deadlines, withheld millions of files, and illegally redacted thousands. We cannot allow this to stand. Release all the files. Put Bondi under oath. Survivors deserve the truth, and they deserve it now.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Astounding
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Endorse
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Update: This bill still sits on the desk of Governor Spanberger. The deadline for her to take action one way or the other is this MONDAY evening.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
More of this, please 👏👏👏
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Definitionally true. Writing is a creative act of the human mind. Texts assembled by computer algorithms are something else. We're going to need a new word for that.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Matt Keeter @mattkeeter.com · 28/03/2026
if you really hate someone, teach them to recognize LLM-generated text
screenshot of text reading

Why It Matters for Residents
Data isn't just a buzzword in Cambridge—it's shaping everyday life. Take the Cambridge Preschool Program, launched in 2024. After reviewing national research showing universal pre-K boosts literacy, narrows achievement gaps, and drives long-term success, the City acted. Today, more than 1,450 children have enrolled in free, high-quality preschool-giving families peace of mind and kids a stronger start.

The first sentence is highlighted.Screenshot of text reading

Why This Matters
CALEA Accreditation isn't just a plaque on the wall-it's the gold standard in law enforcement. Out of roughly 18,000 police agencies in the U.S., just 1 in 18 hold any level of CALEA accreditation, and even fewer achieve the advanced level. Cambridge now joins that elite advanced level group, becoming the largest municipal police department in Massachusetts to earn this distinction and one of only four municipal departments statewide to do so.

The first sentence is highlightedScreenshot of text reading

Looking Ahead
By expanding local protections, Cambridge continues to lead with laws that are responsive, forward-thinking, and rooted in fairness. These changes aren't just legal updates—they're a statement of values: that every family and every relationship deserves dignity and respect.

The last sentence is highlightedScreenshot of text reading

What does a future shaped by artificial intelligence look like—and who gets to decide? In December 2025, nearly 150 artists, scientists, policymakers, students, and community members gathered at the Cambridge Public Library to answer that question together. The event, Al and Us Town Hall, wasn't just a discussion—it was a movement toward building a more humane and equitable Al future.

The last sentence is highlighted
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
👏👏👏
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Stephen Wolf @stephenwolf.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
The Declaration of Independence specifies 27 grievances with King George III and Britain. Donald Trump and his regime have committed at least 20 of those same offenses highlighted in yellow. #NoKings
An image of a list of the 27 grievances against King George III in the Declaration of Independence. Donald Trump's regime has committed at least 20 of them in whole or in part, condensed into the list below:
1.	He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
2.	He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation …
3.	He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing … his invasions on the rights of the people.
4.	He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; … obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners …
5.	He has obstructed the Administration of Justice …
6.	He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices …
7.	He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
8.	He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
9.	He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
10.	He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution … giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
11.	For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
12.	For protecting them … from punishment for any Murders which they should commit …
13.	For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
14.	For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
15.	For depriving us … of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
16.	For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
17.	For … abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
18.	He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
19.	He has … destroyed the lives of our people.
20.	He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us …
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
A superb piece by a longtime Friend of the Podcast - Mary B. Robinson!!! Read how the "anti-Communist" investigations of the mid-20th century affected the theater industry, and how it was instrumental in leading to the founding of the SDC (the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society).
issuu.com
"Un-American": Theatre Artists vs. the 1950s Blacklist - Issuu
Long before the phrase “witch-hunting” became a president’s attempt to tarnish investigations into his own acts, it was the title of a chapter of director Margaret Webster’s autobiography Don’t Put Yo...
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Not one of them has ever stood in a line for 4 hours or more to vote in person. Not one of them has been turned away at the polls because they are suddenly “not on the list.” Not one has had their pay docked b/c they arrived late to work b/c they went to vote in the morning.
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
👏👏👏
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
So gratified that my new Rep is wasting no time in going straight at this corrupt administration after only a few months in office. We need more of this from every Dem. Walkinshaw is showing the way.
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
This is insane.
By Maxine Joselow
Reporting by Washington Post
Article linked below
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Reposted by Tom Schmitz
Daren Chapin @dchapin.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
This is something I tell to everyone on the East Coast that I can. If you have never gone out and physically stood in front of The West before but just seen it in photos, you absolutely must. You think you have an idea, but you have no idea: it is stupendously, ridiculously bigger than you think
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
This this THIS a thousand times this
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Tom Schmitz @tschmitzwrites.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Well, my brother is in the cast, for starters.
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