Watch the 1991 Documentary Donald Trump Didn’t Want Anyone to See @alternet
"the film was never aired because Trump managed to prevent its circulation."
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
How Jeb Bush's Florida Plan for School 'Choice' Created an Industry of Corruption and Chaos @alternet
How Jeb Bush's Florida Plan for School 'Choice' Created an Industry of Corruption and Chaos @alternet
"Aided by influencers like the Waltons and others, Jeb Bush put South Florida squarely at the forefront of the charter school bonanza. And the rise of the charters as big business in Florida brought with it new and special forms of financial corruption."
"Aided by influencers like the Waltons and others, Jeb Bush put South Florida squarely at the forefront of the charter school bonanza. And the rise of the charters as big business in Florida brought with it new and special forms of financial corruption."
“He’s a progressive!”: Glenn Beck explains to Bill O’Reilly why he can’t support Donald Trump
“He’s a progressive!”: Glenn Beck explains to Bill O’Reilly why he can’t support Donald Trump
"On Tuesday night’s edition of “The O’Reilly Factor,” once and future Fox hosts Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly discussed the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign — or, more precisely, Beck attempted to convince O’Reilly of its illegitimacy, given that all of the solutions Trump poses are inherently “progressive"."
"On Tuesday night’s edition of “The O’Reilly Factor,” once and future Fox hosts Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly discussed the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign — or, more precisely, Beck attempted to convince O’Reilly of its illegitimacy, given that all of the solutions Trump poses are inherently “progressive"."
Rick Santorum Perfectly Showcases Just How Ignorant Republicans Are About Science
Rick Santorum Perfectly Showcases Just How Ignorant Republicans Are About Science
"Maybe it’s time Rick Santorum takes his own advice and starts listening to the scientists."
"Maybe it’s time Rick Santorum takes his own advice and starts listening to the scientists."
Monday, September 7, 2015
Let the Toilers Assemble
Let the Toilers Assemble
"In light of this long weekend of beach and barbecue time, a moment to give thanks to the long struggle of a labor movement, born in heartfelt resistance, that won it for us. Read, listen and remember those fighting, then and now, for "a glimpse of something you're not allowed to see." Also check out Bernie on a picket line. Because "this is what I do"."
"In light of this long weekend of beach and barbecue time, a moment to give thanks to the long struggle of a labor movement, born in heartfelt resistance, that won it for us. Read, listen and remember those fighting, then and now, for "a glimpse of something you're not allowed to see." Also check out Bernie on a picket line. Because "this is what I do"."
Why the DOL's New Overtime Rule is Such a Big Deal
Why the DOL's New Overtime Rule is Such a Big Deal
"This summer, the Department of Labor announced sweeping changes to federal overtime rules that would dramatically impact the lives of working Americans. The new rules raise the income level at which workers can automatically qualify for overtime eligibility for the first time in decades, effectively giving around five million workers a raise while strengthening overtime protection for another ten million, according to the White House. This week, the Department of Labor ends its public comment period on the proposed changes, with enforcement set to begin early next year."
"This summer, the Department of Labor announced sweeping changes to federal overtime rules that would dramatically impact the lives of working Americans. The new rules raise the income level at which workers can automatically qualify for overtime eligibility for the first time in decades, effectively giving around five million workers a raise while strengthening overtime protection for another ten million, according to the White House. This week, the Department of Labor ends its public comment period on the proposed changes, with enforcement set to begin early next year."
The best way to support low-wage workers: Save their tax credits
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/07/1417844/-The-best-way-to-support-low-wage-workers-Save-their-tax-credits
"As many as 19 million low-wage workers could lose what's been called "one of the most successful labor market innovations in U.S. history." The income these credits bring "leads to better maternal and infant health, improved school performance, higher college enrollment, and increased work effort and earnings in adulthood." That's a lot of bang for some federal bucks.
But key provisions are expiring in 2017, and Senate Republicans have already staked out ground suggesting they'll be ready to gut them. At H&R Block's behest, they've put policy riders into a key spending bill that would make filing for these tax credits difficult and expensive. Because that's what Republicans do."
"As many as 19 million low-wage workers could lose what's been called "one of the most successful labor market innovations in U.S. history." The income these credits bring "leads to better maternal and infant health, improved school performance, higher college enrollment, and increased work effort and earnings in adulthood." That's a lot of bang for some federal bucks.
But key provisions are expiring in 2017, and Senate Republicans have already staked out ground suggesting they'll be ready to gut them. At H&R Block's behest, they've put policy riders into a key spending bill that would make filing for these tax credits difficult and expensive. Because that's what Republicans do."
Bernie Sanders Has President Obama’s Back On Paid Sick Leave Executive Order
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/07/bernie-sanders-applauds-pres-obama-ordering-paid-sick-leave-fed-workers.html
"Workers of the country should be asking Congressional Republicans what is so wrong with allowing people to have a few days of paid sick leave. Why is this something they criticize, when they spent fewer days at work last year than President Obama spent on vacation in his entire presidency and in the Senate, had nearly as many days off in a year as President Obama has taken in his entire two terms of office."
"Workers of the country should be asking Congressional Republicans what is so wrong with allowing people to have a few days of paid sick leave. Why is this something they criticize, when they spent fewer days at work last year than President Obama spent on vacation in his entire presidency and in the Senate, had nearly as many days off in a year as President Obama has taken in his entire two terms of office."
President Obama Fights For the American Workers Republicans Hate
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/07/president-obama-fights-american-workers-republicans-hate-passionately.html
"Republicans hate American workers and hold them in contempt for expecting to be paid for their work, especially one sector predominated by professional women.
It is really simple to comprehend why Republicans detest public school teachers; it hardly makes any sense, but they are reasons unique to conservatives. For one thing, public school teachers enjoy union representation and maybe the only thing Republicans hate more than women, minorities, paying wages, or the New Deal’s workplace protections are unions."
"Republicans hate American workers and hold them in contempt for expecting to be paid for their work, especially one sector predominated by professional women.
It is really simple to comprehend why Republicans detest public school teachers; it hardly makes any sense, but they are reasons unique to conservatives. For one thing, public school teachers enjoy union representation and maybe the only thing Republicans hate more than women, minorities, paying wages, or the New Deal’s workplace protections are unions."
10 times GOP candidates gave labor a giant middle finger
10 times GOP candidates gave labor a giant middle finger
"On this Labor Day holiday, American workers who already get the least paid vacation time of any developed nation in the world and who are taking the fewest days off in four decades, must suffer through (or are treated to) the Republican presidential circus of the 2016 campaign, featuring more than a dozen presidential hopefuls who have demonstrated tone-deafness or outright disdain toward labor."
"On this Labor Day holiday, American workers who already get the least paid vacation time of any developed nation in the world and who are taking the fewest days off in four decades, must suffer through (or are treated to) the Republican presidential circus of the 2016 campaign, featuring more than a dozen presidential hopefuls who have demonstrated tone-deafness or outright disdain toward labor."
Why Union Members Are Better Off
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/09/07/3698487/unions-women-people-of-color/
"The benefits aren’t limited to salaries, either. Workers in unions are much more likely to get employer benefits like pensions and health care. And this is also particularly true for women and people of color. About three-quarters of unionized women have a pension, compared to 42 percent of non-union female workers, and more than three-quarters have health insurance coverage through work versus about half of non-unionized women. Unionized black and Hispanic workers are between 27 and 30 percent more likely to have those benefits."
"The benefits aren’t limited to salaries, either. Workers in unions are much more likely to get employer benefits like pensions and health care. And this is also particularly true for women and people of color. About three-quarters of unionized women have a pension, compared to 42 percent of non-union female workers, and more than three-quarters have health insurance coverage through work versus about half of non-unionized women. Unionized black and Hispanic workers are between 27 and 30 percent more likely to have those benefits."
Obama orders paid sick leave for workers at federal contractors
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-obama-paid-sick-leave-20150906-story.html
"The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a federal family-leave law that guarantees workers can receive pay while taking time to care for themselves and loved ones. Some states have paid-leave laws. Current federal law mandates that companies provide leave, but does not require that it be paid."
"The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a federal family-leave law that guarantees workers can receive pay while taking time to care for themselves and loved ones. Some states have paid-leave laws. Current federal law mandates that companies provide leave, but does not require that it be paid."
President Obama Celebrates Labor Day By Giving Paid Sick Leave To 300,000 American Workers
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/07/president-obama-celebrates-labor-day-by-giving-paid-sick-leave-to-300000-american-workers/
"The order will help 300,000 American workers at a time when the United States continues to rank dead last behind the rest of the developed world in paid sick leave requirements. That’s putting it kindly, since the United States is the ONLY developed nation without a paid sick leave policy."
"The order will help 300,000 American workers at a time when the United States continues to rank dead last behind the rest of the developed world in paid sick leave requirements. That’s putting it kindly, since the United States is the ONLY developed nation without a paid sick leave policy."
36 Reasons To Celebrate Unions This Labor Day Weekend
http://samuel-warde.com/2015/09/36-reasons-celebrate-unions-labor-day-weekend/
"With the vilification of unions so strident on the right, it might be a good time to remind them (and ourselves) of the things we enjoy due to the union movement."
"With the vilification of unions so strident on the right, it might be a good time to remind them (and ourselves) of the things we enjoy due to the union movement."
Want to shrink the wage gap? Unions are one powerful solution
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/07/1416597/-Want-to-shrink-the-wage-gap-Unions-are-one-powerful-solution#
"Women represented by a union are also more likely to get health insurance and a pension. The overall effect is that unions are helping to lift women into financial security and move workplaces toward equality, just as they helped create the middle class during the 20th century. It's one more thing to think about as we continue to watch Republicans attack unions and everything they stand for."
"Women represented by a union are also more likely to get health insurance and a pension. The overall effect is that unions are helping to lift women into financial security and move workplaces toward equality, just as they helped create the middle class during the 20th century. It's one more thing to think about as we continue to watch Republicans attack unions and everything they stand for."
Scott Walker Is Trying to Save His Failing Campaign by Bashing Unions
http://www.thenation.com/article/at-the-labor-day-pivot-a-tanking-scott-walker-doubles-down-on-union-bashing/
"Attacking unions never yields the benefits that the attackers claim are just around the corner. That’s because the first Republican president was right when he told Congress that “Labor is prior to and independent of capital.”
Some truths are self-evident. And Abraham Lincoln stated one of them: “Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration"."
"Attacking unions never yields the benefits that the attackers claim are just around the corner. That’s because the first Republican president was right when he told Congress that “Labor is prior to and independent of capital.”
Some truths are self-evident. And Abraham Lincoln stated one of them: “Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration"."
Watch: Sanders Rips Trump For ‘Using Racism’ To Blame Immigrants Instead Of Wall Street
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/watch-sanders-rips-trump-for-using-racism-to-blame-immigrants-instead-of-wall-street/
"Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders takes aim at his rival across the aisle and calls out Donald Trump for his ham-fisted attempts to blame America’s economic problems on immigrants, when really it was wealthy tycoons like Trump who crippled the world’s economy with their high-risk gambling."
"Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders takes aim at his rival across the aisle and calls out Donald Trump for his ham-fisted attempts to blame America’s economic problems on immigrants, when really it was wealthy tycoons like Trump who crippled the world’s economy with their high-risk gambling."
Labor Unions: The Folks Who Gave You the Weekend
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/32674-labor-unions-the-folks-who-gave-you-the-weekend
"The celebration of Labor Day is a good time to remember the role that labor unions have played in raising living standards and improving the quality of life for working people in the United States. While most people recognize that unions have been beneficial for their members - raising pay, improving work conditions and increasing job security - there is little appreciation of role of labor unions in promoting benefits and work rules that protect all workers.
Unions were crucial in the passage of just about all the benefits and rules that we take for granted today, starting with the weekend. The 40-hour workweek became the standard in the 1937 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This bill, which also put in place a federal minimum wage, required a premium of 50 percent of pay for any hours that an employer required in excess of 40 hours a week. Unions had pressed for similar rules for decades, but it took the power of a militant labor movement, coupled with a sympathetic president and Congress to finally make the 40 hour workweek a standard across the country.
This was also the year that the Social Security system was created. Again, the leadership of President Roosevelt was essential, but the Social Security would not have come into existence without the support of the labor movement. There was a similar story with the passage of the Medicare Act three decades later. The leadership of President Johnson was important, but there is no way the bill would have passed Congress without the pressure coming from organized labor.
These two programs provide a layer security that is absolutely essential to anyone who is not rich. More than 70 percent of retirees rely on Social Security for more than half of their income. Very few seniors would be able to afford health care in their last years if it were not for Medicare and its sister program Medicaid."
"The celebration of Labor Day is a good time to remember the role that labor unions have played in raising living standards and improving the quality of life for working people in the United States. While most people recognize that unions have been beneficial for their members - raising pay, improving work conditions and increasing job security - there is little appreciation of role of labor unions in promoting benefits and work rules that protect all workers.
Unions were crucial in the passage of just about all the benefits and rules that we take for granted today, starting with the weekend. The 40-hour workweek became the standard in the 1937 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This bill, which also put in place a federal minimum wage, required a premium of 50 percent of pay for any hours that an employer required in excess of 40 hours a week. Unions had pressed for similar rules for decades, but it took the power of a militant labor movement, coupled with a sympathetic president and Congress to finally make the 40 hour workweek a standard across the country.
This was also the year that the Social Security system was created. Again, the leadership of President Roosevelt was essential, but the Social Security would not have come into existence without the support of the labor movement. There was a similar story with the passage of the Medicare Act three decades later. The leadership of President Johnson was important, but there is no way the bill would have passed Congress without the pressure coming from organized labor.
These two programs provide a layer security that is absolutely essential to anyone who is not rich. More than 70 percent of retirees rely on Social Security for more than half of their income. Very few seniors would be able to afford health care in their last years if it were not for Medicare and its sister program Medicaid."
Obama Slams Republican Lies On Labor Day, “They Don’t Let Facts Or Evidence Get In The Way.”
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/07/obama-slams-republican-lies-labor-day-they-facts-evidence-way.html
"President Obama called out Republicans for being wrong about every single prediction of doom that they have offered, being tied to an ideology that makes the economy worse, not caring about facts and reality, and pretending to care about the middle-class and workers when they are doing things that hurt the middle-class and workers."
"President Obama called out Republicans for being wrong about every single prediction of doom that they have offered, being tied to an ideology that makes the economy worse, not caring about facts and reality, and pretending to care about the middle-class and workers when they are doing things that hurt the middle-class and workers."
7 Union Heroes To Remember This Labor Day
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/09/07/3698935/7-union-heros-to-remember-this-labor-day/
"These noteworthy people left behind a legacy that we enjoy today, from the end of child labor to the more humane treatment of farm workers."
"These noteworthy people left behind a legacy that we enjoy today, from the end of child labor to the more humane treatment of farm workers."
Scott Walker Just Doesn't Get Labor Day
Scott Walker Just Doesn't Get Labor Day
"Yeah, nothing honors the American worker like selling cheap crap made in China to promote a guy who has devastated his state's middle class."
"Yeah, nothing honors the American worker like selling cheap crap made in China to promote a guy who has devastated his state's middle class."
How The GOP’s Top 5 Presidential Candidates Really Feel About American Workers
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/06/how-the-gops-top-5-presidential-candidates-really-feel-about-american-workers/
"This Labor Day, it’s important to remember that, without workers, without labor, most companies wouldn’t exist. Companies depend on their workers to get business done. Small business owners actually seem to realize this, as many of them pay their employees well and provide benefits, even without federal laws. Big, highly profitable corporations, however, have forgotten that they’re built on their workers. The GOP has clearly forgotten that, too."
"This Labor Day, it’s important to remember that, without workers, without labor, most companies wouldn’t exist. Companies depend on their workers to get business done. Small business owners actually seem to realize this, as many of them pay their employees well and provide benefits, even without federal laws. Big, highly profitable corporations, however, have forgotten that they’re built on their workers. The GOP has clearly forgotten that, too."
Get The Facts on President Obama’s Labor Day Executive Actions to Protect Workers
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/07/facts-president-obamas-executive-actions-protect-workers.html
"The President will be giving a speech in Boston at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast to highlight his Administration’s continued efforts to expand the labor force, support greater workplace flexibilities, and strengthen the middle class."
"The President will be giving a speech in Boston at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast to highlight his Administration’s continued efforts to expand the labor force, support greater workplace flexibilities, and strengthen the middle class."
The media vs. the American worker: How the 1 percent hijacked the business of news
The media vs. the American worker: How the 1 percent hijacked the business of news
"they tend to subscribe to the notion that what very rich chief executives think is best for the economic structure of the United States is, by definition, the only point of view worth listening to."
"they tend to subscribe to the notion that what very rich chief executives think is best for the economic structure of the United States is, by definition, the only point of view worth listening to."
The rebellious spirit of the first Labor Day is spreading anew
The rebellious spirit of the first Labor Day is spreading anew
"America’s grassroots have come alive with organizing campaigns to reverse the rampant inequities and abuses being perpetuated by the plutocratic powers"
"America’s grassroots have come alive with organizing campaigns to reverse the rampant inequities and abuses being perpetuated by the plutocratic powers"
The Fight for 15 Is Creating a Fighting Labor Movement for the 21st Century
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18365/to_understand_the_power_of_fight_for_15_look_to_mcdonalds
"Wage theft is another travesty in the fast-food industry. Managers are under intense pressure to squeeze workers and cut costs while getting ever more productivity out of them. Almost 90 percent of fast-food workers report wage theft. Sixty percent of fast-food workers report being required to perform tasks before clocking in or after clocking out. Forty-six percent have not been paid for all hours worked or all tasks performed. Wage theft results from of a lack of power and collective organization among workers—employers steal wages when they think employees are powerless to do something about it."
"Wage theft is another travesty in the fast-food industry. Managers are under intense pressure to squeeze workers and cut costs while getting ever more productivity out of them. Almost 90 percent of fast-food workers report wage theft. Sixty percent of fast-food workers report being required to perform tasks before clocking in or after clocking out. Forty-six percent have not been paid for all hours worked or all tasks performed. Wage theft results from of a lack of power and collective organization among workers—employers steal wages when they think employees are powerless to do something about it."
GOP Budget Cuts Leave Nuclear Sites Dangerously Vulnerable
GOP Budget Cuts Leave Nuclear Sites Dangerously Vulnerable
"Republican-led budget cuts have left dangerous caches of uranium deposits vulnerable as the security systems of containment complexes become outdated and undermanned"
"Republican-led budget cuts have left dangerous caches of uranium deposits vulnerable as the security systems of containment complexes become outdated and undermanned"
Sarah Palin Says She Wants To Be Donald Trump’s Energy Secretary
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/06/3699123/sarah-palin-energy-secretary/
"Palin went on to explain that her theoretical tenure as Energy Secretary would be short, primarily because she would immediately disband the entire department."
"Palin went on to explain that her theoretical tenure as Energy Secretary would be short, primarily because she would immediately disband the entire department."
Palin Wants To Lead Trump's D.O.E. So She Could Get Rid Of It
Palin Wants To Lead Trump's D.O.E. So She Could Get Rid Of It
"Jake Tapper gave Sarah Palin over fifteen minutes to vomit a copious amount of word salad upon the unfortunate viewers of CNN."
"Jake Tapper gave Sarah Palin over fifteen minutes to vomit a copious amount of word salad upon the unfortunate viewers of CNN."
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Understanding the Historic Divergence Between Productivity and a Typical Worker’s Pay: Why It Matters and Why It’s Real
Understanding the Historic Divergence Between Productivity and a Typical Worker’s Pay: Why It Matters and Why It’s Real
"The entirety of the gap between productivity and hourly pay growth is income accruing somewhere in the economy besides the paychecks of typical workers. Mostly, this “somewhere” has been in the pockets of extraordinarily highly paid managers and owners of capital."
"The entirety of the gap between productivity and hourly pay growth is income accruing somewhere in the economy besides the paychecks of typical workers. Mostly, this “somewhere” has been in the pockets of extraordinarily highly paid managers and owners of capital."
PERRspectives: Unicornomics
PERRspectives: Unicornomics
"Unveiling the Congressional Budget Office's latest long term forecast this week, new CBO Director Keith Hall made an unremarkable statement. "The evidence," Hall explained, "is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves." For the overwhelming majority of economists or just about anyone with a passing familiarity with the U.S. budget since Ronald Reagan first took the oath of office in 1981, Hall's inescapable conclusion is about as close to a self-evident truth as his profession can offer.
But for Republicans and their conservative water carriers, Hall's remark came as an unpleasant surprise indeed. After all, Congressional Republicans chose Hall over incumbent Douglas Elmendorf precisely to implement "dynamic scoring" models which would show their tax-cutting schemes wouldn't hemorrhage red ink (or at least as much), thanks to amped-up economic growth the cuts themselves would magically produce. Worse still, virtually every one of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates is counting on Arthur Laffer's 40 year-old myth and other fictions to produce economic growth no one's seen, tax revenue that has never materialized and balanced budgets that simply cannot come to pass.
Call it Unicornomics."
"Unveiling the Congressional Budget Office's latest long term forecast this week, new CBO Director Keith Hall made an unremarkable statement. "The evidence," Hall explained, "is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves." For the overwhelming majority of economists or just about anyone with a passing familiarity with the U.S. budget since Ronald Reagan first took the oath of office in 1981, Hall's inescapable conclusion is about as close to a self-evident truth as his profession can offer.
But for Republicans and their conservative water carriers, Hall's remark came as an unpleasant surprise indeed. After all, Congressional Republicans chose Hall over incumbent Douglas Elmendorf precisely to implement "dynamic scoring" models which would show their tax-cutting schemes wouldn't hemorrhage red ink (or at least as much), thanks to amped-up economic growth the cuts themselves would magically produce. Worse still, virtually every one of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates is counting on Arthur Laffer's 40 year-old myth and other fictions to produce economic growth no one's seen, tax revenue that has never materialized and balanced budgets that simply cannot come to pass.
Call it Unicornomics."
A New Way American Cities Can Free Themselves of Wall Street’s Control @alternet
A New Way American Cities Can Free Themselves of Wall Street’s Control @alternet
"This is the mentality that led Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi to call Goldman Sachs “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.”
It’s not just Goldman. All of municipal finance has become an extractive industry, pumping billions away from the communities that need them most. Morality is an externality that financial firms seldom concern themselves with. The financial sector’s fee-based business model is designed to maximize profits, not to protect taxpayers.
Banks may not have a moral compass, but their business contracts with our state and local governments can and should. After all, our cities, states and school districts are not simply fodder for Wall Street’s insatiable greed. Our elected leaders have a duty to protect us from predatory financial practices. Cities and states can force banks to charge drastically lower fees, do away with arbitrary fee structures and eliminate onerous terms that divert billions of dollars away from the most vulnerable members of our society into bonus checks for our nation’s wealthiest few.
Governors in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are waging war on collective bargaining and telling taxpayers that empowering publicsector unions robs state coffers, but the real drain on public treasuries is the billions in fees paid to banks every year. And unlike money that goes into workers’ pockets, most of these fees are not recycled back into the local economy but sent to offshore tax havens or invested in complex financial schemes. The irony is that collective bargaining is one of the most effective tools available to public officials who truly want to do right by taxpayers—and cast off Wall Street’s tentacles."
"This is the mentality that led Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi to call Goldman Sachs “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.”
It’s not just Goldman. All of municipal finance has become an extractive industry, pumping billions away from the communities that need them most. Morality is an externality that financial firms seldom concern themselves with. The financial sector’s fee-based business model is designed to maximize profits, not to protect taxpayers.
Banks may not have a moral compass, but their business contracts with our state and local governments can and should. After all, our cities, states and school districts are not simply fodder for Wall Street’s insatiable greed. Our elected leaders have a duty to protect us from predatory financial practices. Cities and states can force banks to charge drastically lower fees, do away with arbitrary fee structures and eliminate onerous terms that divert billions of dollars away from the most vulnerable members of our society into bonus checks for our nation’s wealthiest few.
Governors in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are waging war on collective bargaining and telling taxpayers that empowering publicsector unions robs state coffers, but the real drain on public treasuries is the billions in fees paid to banks every year. And unlike money that goes into workers’ pockets, most of these fees are not recycled back into the local economy but sent to offshore tax havens or invested in complex financial schemes. The irony is that collective bargaining is one of the most effective tools available to public officials who truly want to do right by taxpayers—and cast off Wall Street’s tentacles."
Prescription Drug Prices Are Out Of Control. Bernie Sanders Has A Plan.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/09/03/3697990/sanders-prescription/
"The U.S. has some of the highest prescription drug prices and spending in the world, with much higher average yearly spending compared with Europeans or Canadians."
"The U.S. has some of the highest prescription drug prices and spending in the world, with much higher average yearly spending compared with Europeans or Canadians."
Sanders Vows To End Pres. Bush’s ‘Prescription Drug Heist’
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/sanders-vows-to-end-pres-bushs-prescription-drug-heist/
"President Bush catered to a billion dollar industry and made sure that elderly Americans on Medicare had no choice but to pay insanely high drug prices; none of the Republican presidential candidates will address this issue, because they don’t care about vulnerable Americans who do not pad their bank accounts."
"President Bush catered to a billion dollar industry and made sure that elderly Americans on Medicare had no choice but to pay insanely high drug prices; none of the Republican presidential candidates will address this issue, because they don’t care about vulnerable Americans who do not pad their bank accounts."
Sanders Does What He Does Best; Beats the Hell Out of Spineless War Pimps
http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/09/sanders-does-what-he-does-best-beats-the-hell-out-of-spineless-war-pimps/
"Unlike Republicans who claim such, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) actually cares about military veterans. Sanders gave a scathing criticism of war hawk Republicans and explained why he opposed the Iraq War."
"Unlike Republicans who claim such, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) actually cares about military veterans. Sanders gave a scathing criticism of war hawk Republicans and explained why he opposed the Iraq War."
Dick Cheney’s savage revisionist history: inside his disturbing campaign to twist the facts of Iraq
Dick Cheney’s savage revisionist history: inside his disturbing campaign to twist the facts of Iraq
"There was an estimated 31-60 billion dollars worth of contractor fraud and waste in Iraq war, and a large part of that came from Halliburton, now known as KBR. As Adam Weinstein reported for Mother Jones, KBR cost “at least $193 million in pay for unnecessary personnel, and maybe as much as $300 million,” which includes $100 million of government-furnished property that cannot be accounted for. KBR has also been blamed for the electrocution and death of 12 soldiers, because of poor wiring jobs at army bases.
In a country where leaders were held accountable, Cheney would currently be in a prison cell. Luckily for the former vice-president, we live in a country where the corrupt revolving door is everywhere and political bribery is the name of the game. Iraq was really a perfect capitalist war, and Cheney was doing what any good capitalist would. This is what many call crony-capitalism — when private industry infiltrates the government (or donates millions to political campaigns) and then uses it to their advantage — but really, it’s just plain old capitalism, and private industry has always been in cahoots with the state to some degree (today more than ever). The Bush administration invaded Iraq with the intent of privatization and ended up making millions for private industry. It’s just like when Wall Street executives from Goldman Sachs or Citibank become financial regulators, bail out big banks and then return to their banks after concluding their honorable duty. If gaining control of the government helps the profit motive, you can be sure private industry will attempt to do it."
"There was an estimated 31-60 billion dollars worth of contractor fraud and waste in Iraq war, and a large part of that came from Halliburton, now known as KBR. As Adam Weinstein reported for Mother Jones, KBR cost “at least $193 million in pay for unnecessary personnel, and maybe as much as $300 million,” which includes $100 million of government-furnished property that cannot be accounted for. KBR has also been blamed for the electrocution and death of 12 soldiers, because of poor wiring jobs at army bases.
In a country where leaders were held accountable, Cheney would currently be in a prison cell. Luckily for the former vice-president, we live in a country where the corrupt revolving door is everywhere and political bribery is the name of the game. Iraq was really a perfect capitalist war, and Cheney was doing what any good capitalist would. This is what many call crony-capitalism — when private industry infiltrates the government (or donates millions to political campaigns) and then uses it to their advantage — but really, it’s just plain old capitalism, and private industry has always been in cahoots with the state to some degree (today more than ever). The Bush administration invaded Iraq with the intent of privatization and ended up making millions for private industry. It’s just like when Wall Street executives from Goldman Sachs or Citibank become financial regulators, bail out big banks and then return to their banks after concluding their honorable duty. If gaining control of the government helps the profit motive, you can be sure private industry will attempt to do it."
Scott Walker, meet Noam Chomsky: Here’s the real Iran history Republicans need to learn
Scott Walker, meet Noam Chomsky: Here’s the real Iran history Republicans need to learn
"For years, Washington and the news media have portrayed Iran as the most dangerous national power on the planet. That opinion is not widely shared by the global community, however, which by a significant margin places the United States at the top of a list of the biggest threats to world peace. Despite the abundance of negative public opinion on Iran in the U.S., the question of what exactly makes the country such a threat is rarely meaningfully explored.
A brief history of U.S.-Iranian relations reveals everything about who should be distrustful of whom.
In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government and installed the Shah, a brutal dictator who proceeded to establish one of the worst human rights records of the era. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which deposed the Shah, Washington turned its favor to another brutal dictator in the region: Saddam Hussein, who received U.S. aid throughout the Iran-Iraq War. Ever since the revolution, the U.S. has imposed various sanctions on Iran. And most recently, we launched major military operations in two of Iran’s neighboring states, further destabilizing the region and threatening Iran’s own safety.
But in the eyes of U.S. commentary, Iran remains the supreme evil. It’s instructive, for instance, that without any irony or self-awareness we charge Iran with interfering in the Iraq War – a war we instigated from the other side of the world, against massive international protest, on Iran’s doorstep. Actually, Iran’s involvement in the Iraq conflict has necessarily increased with the growing threat of ISIS, a group that only exists because of the immense power vacuum and destabilization caused by the U.S. invasion.
With all the trouble Washington causes in and around Iranian borders, it’s a wonder Tehran has as much restraint as it does. Iran has launched zero invasions in modern history."
"For years, Washington and the news media have portrayed Iran as the most dangerous national power on the planet. That opinion is not widely shared by the global community, however, which by a significant margin places the United States at the top of a list of the biggest threats to world peace. Despite the abundance of negative public opinion on Iran in the U.S., the question of what exactly makes the country such a threat is rarely meaningfully explored.
A brief history of U.S.-Iranian relations reveals everything about who should be distrustful of whom.
In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government and installed the Shah, a brutal dictator who proceeded to establish one of the worst human rights records of the era. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which deposed the Shah, Washington turned its favor to another brutal dictator in the region: Saddam Hussein, who received U.S. aid throughout the Iran-Iraq War. Ever since the revolution, the U.S. has imposed various sanctions on Iran. And most recently, we launched major military operations in two of Iran’s neighboring states, further destabilizing the region and threatening Iran’s own safety.
But in the eyes of U.S. commentary, Iran remains the supreme evil. It’s instructive, for instance, that without any irony or self-awareness we charge Iran with interfering in the Iraq War – a war we instigated from the other side of the world, against massive international protest, on Iran’s doorstep. Actually, Iran’s involvement in the Iraq conflict has necessarily increased with the growing threat of ISIS, a group that only exists because of the immense power vacuum and destabilization caused by the U.S. invasion.
With all the trouble Washington causes in and around Iranian borders, it’s a wonder Tehran has as much restraint as it does. Iran has launched zero invasions in modern history."
America’s silent-but-deadly billionaires: How our tight-lipped overlords are waging stealth campaigns against the middle class
America’s silent-but-deadly billionaires: How our tight-lipped overlords are waging stealth campaigns against the middle class
"The United States also needs a robust public financing system, which would allow for more small donor democracy. According to Brian Schaffner, the average small donation (under $200) in 2012 was $85, meaning that to equal the $889 million the Koch Brothers plan to spend, it would take 10.5 million small donors."
"The United States also needs a robust public financing system, which would allow for more small donor democracy. According to Brian Schaffner, the average small donation (under $200) in 2012 was $85, meaning that to equal the $889 million the Koch Brothers plan to spend, it would take 10.5 million small donors."
Ted Cruz Thinks Employers Should Be Allowed To Deny Their Employees Paid Family Leave
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/09/02/3697995/ted-cruz-family-leave/
"These programs don’t end up costing businesses, and in fact in the states that have set them up, employers are supportive. In California, the vast majority report that paid leave has had either a positive impact or none at all on profitability, employee performance, and productivity, and it’s also helped reduce turnover. The majority in New Jersey say it hasn’t hurt their finances and has come with some of the same benefits."
"These programs don’t end up costing businesses, and in fact in the states that have set them up, employers are supportive. In California, the vast majority report that paid leave has had either a positive impact or none at all on profitability, employee performance, and productivity, and it’s also helped reduce turnover. The majority in New Jersey say it hasn’t hurt their finances and has come with some of the same benefits."
New Poll Shows The Right-Wing Base Loves Living In A Completely Deluded Fantasy Land
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/02/new-poll-shows-the-right-wing-base-loves-living-in-a-completely-deluded-fantasy-land/
"In a nutshell, the right-wing extremist embodies all that is ignorant about America. They’ve hijacked the words “patriot” and “freedom,” mobilizing them to support treason and secession. They’ve declared the Constitution to be their personal document, but only understand a single line each from the Second and Tenth Amendments, commonly misinterpreting them."
"In a nutshell, the right-wing extremist embodies all that is ignorant about America. They’ve hijacked the words “patriot” and “freedom,” mobilizing them to support treason and secession. They’ve declared the Constitution to be their personal document, but only understand a single line each from the Second and Tenth Amendments, commonly misinterpreting them."
Governors Have Collected Millions In Presidential Campaign Contributions From State Contractors
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/08/27/3695683/republican-governors-state-contractors/
"The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that campaigns and super PACs supporting Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) together have raised at least $2.5 million in donations from companies with state contracts or taxpayer subsidies in their states."
"The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that campaigns and super PACs supporting Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) together have raised at least $2.5 million in donations from companies with state contracts or taxpayer subsidies in their states."
5 Quotes From Teddy Roosevelt That Exemplify What It Means To Be A Progressive
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/31/3694934/teddy-roosevelt-progressive-environmentalsim-patriot/
"Yes, the famous Republican President Teddy Roosevelt would be what modern conservatives typically label a socialist tree-hugger."
"Yes, the famous Republican President Teddy Roosevelt would be what modern conservatives typically label a socialist tree-hugger."
Boehner And McConnell Rocked As Republican Disapproval Hits A Record High
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/31/boehner-mcconnell-rocked-republican-disapproval-hits-record-high.html
"Republicans have long treated the American people like they are not paying attention, but results like this demonstrate that while the vast majority of American voters don’t follow the day to day details of politics, they have a general sense of what is going on.
If Boehner and McConnell believe that they can survive a government shutdown by blaming President Obama, they are in for a big surprise. A Republican-caused government shutdown could be the tipping point where a fed up electorate takes control of the Senate away from the Republican Party."
"Republicans have long treated the American people like they are not paying attention, but results like this demonstrate that while the vast majority of American voters don’t follow the day to day details of politics, they have a general sense of what is going on.
If Boehner and McConnell believe that they can survive a government shutdown by blaming President Obama, they are in for a big surprise. A Republican-caused government shutdown could be the tipping point where a fed up electorate takes control of the Senate away from the Republican Party."
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