PERRspectives: The National Debt? Republicans Built That
"President Bush added $5.1 trillion in red ink to the national ledger. But while the debt has grown by over $5 trillion during Obama's first term, less than $1 trillion can be attributed to new programs he put in place. The rest is the result of the tax revenue loss from the deep recession which began in December 2007 and the continuation of policies inherited from George W. Bush."
Monday, December 31, 2012
American Commitment: Of Koch, By Koch and For Koch
American Commitment: Of Koch, By Koch and For Koch
"Now that the final FEC reports are in for Election 2012 and we can survey the damage, it's clear that the Kochtopus has grown, spread, and infected everything from state redistricting initiatives to the national races."
"Now that the final FEC reports are in for Election 2012 and we can survey the damage, it's clear that the Kochtopus has grown, spread, and infected everything from state redistricting initiatives to the national races."
'Rooftop Revolution': Why It's Time to Join the Solar Boom | Alternet
'Rooftop Revolution': Why It's Time to Join the Solar Boom | Alternet
"There’s an epic struggle afoot for the head and the heart of America. And the fat cats in Dirty Energy who feed off our addiction to fossil fuel have an obvious motivation—profits—to keep us in denial about our bad habit. They don’t want us to dwell on our energy addiction and the damage it does to ourselves, our planet, and our children’s future. So Dirty Energy dips into its very deep pockets to tout its brand of power in the news and keep America in the dark about cleaner, smarter, more-affordable options out there. But as a growing number of Americans are finding out, they do have options."
"There’s an epic struggle afoot for the head and the heart of America. And the fat cats in Dirty Energy who feed off our addiction to fossil fuel have an obvious motivation—profits—to keep us in denial about our bad habit. They don’t want us to dwell on our energy addiction and the damage it does to ourselves, our planet, and our children’s future. So Dirty Energy dips into its very deep pockets to tout its brand of power in the news and keep America in the dark about cleaner, smarter, more-affordable options out there. But as a growing number of Americans are finding out, they do have options."
The Financial Elite's War Against the US Economy | Common Dreams
The Financial Elite's War Against the US Economy | Common Dreams
"Today’s economic warfare is not the kind waged a century ago between labor and its industrial employers. Finance has moved to capture the economy at large, industry and mining, public infrastructure (via privatization) and now even the educational system. (At over $1 trillion, U.S. student loan debt came to exceed credit-card debt in 2012.) The weapon in this financial warfare is no larger military force. The tactic is to load economies (governments, companies and families) with debt, siphon off their income as debt service and then foreclose when debtors lack the means to pay. Indebting government gives creditors a lever to pry away land, public infrastructure and other property in the public domain. Indebting companies enables creditors to seize employee pension savings. And indebting labor means that it no longer is necessary to hire strikebreakers to attack union organizers and strikers."
"Today’s economic warfare is not the kind waged a century ago between labor and its industrial employers. Finance has moved to capture the economy at large, industry and mining, public infrastructure (via privatization) and now even the educational system. (At over $1 trillion, U.S. student loan debt came to exceed credit-card debt in 2012.) The weapon in this financial warfare is no larger military force. The tactic is to load economies (governments, companies and families) with debt, siphon off their income as debt service and then foreclose when debtors lack the means to pay. Indebting government gives creditors a lever to pry away land, public infrastructure and other property in the public domain. Indebting companies enables creditors to seize employee pension savings. And indebting labor means that it no longer is necessary to hire strikebreakers to attack union organizers and strikers."
The GOP Has Taken America Hostage -- Is There a Downside for Them? | Alternet
The GOP Has Taken America Hostage -- Is There a Downside for Them? | Alternet
"Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the fiscal cliff "negotiations" is that there is essentially no downside for Congressional Republicans in holding the country and its economy hostage. Democrats are less than two months removed from having resoundingly won the Presidency, gained seats in the Senate, and earned over a million more votes for House candidates than did Republicans. Due to gerrymandering, however, the Republicans still have a narrow majority in the House. Due to the Senate's ungovernable filibuster rules, Republicans can also control the balance of legislation in the Upper Chamber as well."
"Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the fiscal cliff "negotiations" is that there is essentially no downside for Congressional Republicans in holding the country and its economy hostage. Democrats are less than two months removed from having resoundingly won the Presidency, gained seats in the Senate, and earned over a million more votes for House candidates than did Republicans. Due to gerrymandering, however, the Republicans still have a narrow majority in the House. Due to the Senate's ungovernable filibuster rules, Republicans can also control the balance of legislation in the Upper Chamber as well."
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Americans For Job Security: Conduit For Right Wing Dark Money
Americans For Job Security: Conduit For Right Wing Dark Money
"After Citizens United, attention has been paid to the sheer amount of money the right wing poured into elections and how that money has influenced public opinion, debate, and outcomes. But for the most part, attention has been placed on the so-called SuperPACs and their participation. While American Crossroads and others were certainly big players on the national landscape, little attention has been paid to how they operate on a state by state basis, and how they are used to launder money across state lines in order to subvert even the mildest disclosure requirements. In this post and ones to follow, I'll be putting the spotlight on these organizations and how they operate together to subvert democracy."
"After Citizens United, attention has been paid to the sheer amount of money the right wing poured into elections and how that money has influenced public opinion, debate, and outcomes. But for the most part, attention has been placed on the so-called SuperPACs and their participation. While American Crossroads and others were certainly big players on the national landscape, little attention has been paid to how they operate on a state by state basis, and how they are used to launder money across state lines in order to subvert even the mildest disclosure requirements. In this post and ones to follow, I'll be putting the spotlight on these organizations and how they operate together to subvert democracy."
Economic Plunder in Recent History » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Economic Plunder in Recent History » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"In the mid 1990s Republican New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman re-directed contributions from the pension fund for state employees to the state general account while giving tax cuts to wealthy state residents. By purposely under-funding the pension plan Ms. Whitman was able to ‘balance’ the state budget while cutting taxes. And through pension accounting loopholes, the move provided the illusion the pension plan was adequately funded as massive deficits accrued.
"In the mid 1990s Republican New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman re-directed contributions from the pension fund for state employees to the state general account while giving tax cuts to wealthy state residents. By purposely under-funding the pension plan Ms. Whitman was able to ‘balance’ the state budget while cutting taxes. And through pension accounting loopholes, the move provided the illusion the pension plan was adequately funded as massive deficits accrued.
Cut to 2011, current Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey legislature pass bi-partisan pension ‘reform’ that ‘solves’ the systematic looting of the pension plan by cutting promised payouts to pensioners."
America’s Deceptive 2012 Fiscal Cliff » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
America’s Deceptive 2012 Fiscal Cliff » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"Wall Street lobbyists blame unemployment and the loss of industrial competitiveness on government spending and budget deficits – especially on social programs – and labor’s demand to share in the economy’s rising productivity. The myth (perhaps we should call it junk economics) is that (1) governments should not run deficits (at least, not by printing their own money), because (2) public money creation and high taxes (at lest on the wealthy) cause prices to rise. The cure for economic malaise (which they themselves have caused), is said to beless public spending, along with more tax cuts for the wealthy, who euphemize themselves as “job creators.” Demanding budget surpluses, bank lobbyists promise that banks can provide the economy with enough purchasing power to grow. Then, when this ends in crisis, they insist that austerity can squeeze out enough income to enable private-sector debts to be paid.
"Wall Street lobbyists blame unemployment and the loss of industrial competitiveness on government spending and budget deficits – especially on social programs – and labor’s demand to share in the economy’s rising productivity. The myth (perhaps we should call it junk economics) is that (1) governments should not run deficits (at least, not by printing their own money), because (2) public money creation and high taxes (at lest on the wealthy) cause prices to rise. The cure for economic malaise (which they themselves have caused), is said to beless public spending, along with more tax cuts for the wealthy, who euphemize themselves as “job creators.” Demanding budget surpluses, bank lobbyists promise that banks can provide the economy with enough purchasing power to grow. Then, when this ends in crisis, they insist that austerity can squeeze out enough income to enable private-sector debts to be paid.
The reality is that when banks load the economy down with debt, this leaves less to spend on domestic goods and services while driving up housing prices (and hence the cost of living) with reckless credit creation on looser lending terms. Yet on top of this debt deflation, bank lobbyists urge fiscal deflation: budget surpluses rather than pump-priming deficits."
The War Against Teachers | Alternet
The War Against Teachers | Alternet
"Right-wing fundamentalists and corporate ideologues are not just waging a war against the rights of unions, workers, students, women, the disabled, low-income groups and poor minorities, but also against those public spheres that provide a vocabulary for connecting values, desires, identities, social relations and institutions to the discourse of social responsibility, ethics, and democracy, if not thinking itself. Neoliberalism, or unbridled free-market fundamentalism, employs modes of governance, discipline and regulation that are totalizing in their insistence that all aspects of social life be determined, shaped and weighted through market-driven measures. [2] Neoliberalism is not merely an economic doctrine that prioritizes buying and selling, makes the supermarket and mall the temples of public life and defines the obligations of citizenship in strictly consumerist terms. It is also a mode of pedagogy and set of social arrangements that uses education to win consent, produce consumer-based notions of agency and militarize reason in the service of war, profits, power and violence while simultaneously instrumentalizing all forms of knowledge."
"Right-wing fundamentalists and corporate ideologues are not just waging a war against the rights of unions, workers, students, women, the disabled, low-income groups and poor minorities, but also against those public spheres that provide a vocabulary for connecting values, desires, identities, social relations and institutions to the discourse of social responsibility, ethics, and democracy, if not thinking itself. Neoliberalism, or unbridled free-market fundamentalism, employs modes of governance, discipline and regulation that are totalizing in their insistence that all aspects of social life be determined, shaped and weighted through market-driven measures. [2] Neoliberalism is not merely an economic doctrine that prioritizes buying and selling, makes the supermarket and mall the temples of public life and defines the obligations of citizenship in strictly consumerist terms. It is also a mode of pedagogy and set of social arrangements that uses education to win consent, produce consumer-based notions of agency and militarize reason in the service of war, profits, power and violence while simultaneously instrumentalizing all forms of knowledge."
Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised
Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised: Although official Washington is currently fixated on the so-called “Fiscal Cliff,” the biggest threat to American prosperity is the debt ceiling, which must be raised in February to prevent economic catastrophe. If Republicans refuse to reach a deal on the so-called cliff, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that they will spark a new recession in [...]/p
5 Ways GOP Tried to Subvert Democracy in 2012 -- And They'll Try Again | Alternet
5 Ways GOP Tried to Subvert Democracy in 2012 -- And They'll Try Again | Alternet
"Creating barriers to voting, demonizing communities of color, attacking voting rights laws and their defenders, unleashing billionaires who financed candidates like an extreme sport, and hiding corporate donors behind opaque front groups—these were the chapters in the Republican Party’s electoral playbook in the 2012 election cycle."
"Creating barriers to voting, demonizing communities of color, attacking voting rights laws and their defenders, unleashing billionaires who financed candidates like an extreme sport, and hiding corporate donors behind opaque front groups—these were the chapters in the Republican Party’s electoral playbook in the 2012 election cycle."
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Crown Thy Good, America | Common Dreams
Crown Thy Good, America | Common Dreams
"Dennis Kucinich leaves office next week after 16 years in Congress, vowing he'll serve to the end "with great energy....The whole concept of a lame duck doesn't work with me. I am not lame. I am not a duck. I am an eagle, and I'm still flying high." As a fond farewell, the great 2002 anti-war speech/prayer he offered "with hope for our country... with the understanding that freedom stirs the human heart, and fear stills it"."
"Dennis Kucinich leaves office next week after 16 years in Congress, vowing he'll serve to the end "with great energy....The whole concept of a lame duck doesn't work with me. I am not lame. I am not a duck. I am an eagle, and I'm still flying high." As a fond farewell, the great 2002 anti-war speech/prayer he offered "with hope for our country... with the understanding that freedom stirs the human heart, and fear stills it"."
How Corporate Interests Killed Common Sense
How Corporate Interests Killed Common Sense
"All in all, $40 million was spent to defeat a measure which would have expanded food labels. Food labels! Here is the million-dollar plus Hall of Shame, much of it reported after the election:"
"All in all, $40 million was spent to defeat a measure which would have expanded food labels. Food labels! Here is the million-dollar plus Hall of Shame, much of it reported after the election:"
Presenting America's Top Ten Greediest of 2012
Presenting America's Top Ten Greediest of 2012
"Most of them wear power suits and dart in and out of the executive suites that sit high atop America’s most elegant corporate towers. Year in and year out, these greedy grab ungodly rewards for their own labor — and deny their employees anything close to decent compensation for theirs."
"Most of them wear power suits and dart in and out of the executive suites that sit high atop America’s most elegant corporate towers. Year in and year out, these greedy grab ungodly rewards for their own labor — and deny their employees anything close to decent compensation for theirs."
The Ten Most Outrageous Economic Calamities of 2012 | Alternet
The Ten Most Outrageous Economic Calamities of 2012 | Alternet
"It was another year of Wall Street treachery. Those who took down our economy still have not been held accountable. Instead, Wall Street successfully lured the political establishment into a phony fiscal cliff/austerity debate. So instead of creating programs to put millions of Americans back to work, Washington is debating how much more to take away from the poor and the middleclass. Let's take a closer look at the most disastrous economic events from 2012.
"It was another year of Wall Street treachery. Those who took down our economy still have not been held accountable. Instead, Wall Street successfully lured the political establishment into a phony fiscal cliff/austerity debate. So instead of creating programs to put millions of Americans back to work, Washington is debating how much more to take away from the poor and the middleclass. Let's take a closer look at the most disastrous economic events from 2012.
Here's our countdown:"
Friday, December 28, 2012
GOP Senators Want To Take Debt Ceiling Hostage In Order To Raise Retirement Age
GOP Senators Want To Take Debt Ceiling Hostage In Order To Raise Retirement Age: Two Republican senators want to use the threat of an economic meltdown to raise the retirement age and cut Medicare. Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a plan today that would raise the federal debt limit by $1 trillion in exchange for $1 trillion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, [...]/p
As U.S. Infrastructure Crumbles, China Opens World's Longest High-Speed Rail Line
As U.S. Infrastructure Crumbles, China Opens World's Longest High-Speed Rail Line
"as we're seeing U.S. infrastructure crumble due to Republican intransigence, China continues to leave us in the dust: Jobs and innovation, leaving the station:"
"as we're seeing U.S. infrastructure crumble due to Republican intransigence, China continues to leave us in the dust: Jobs and innovation, leaving the station:"
Why Claiming US Has 'Best Health System' Is a Sick Joke | Common Dreams
Why Claiming US Has 'Best Health System' Is a Sick Joke | Common Dreams
"If simply spending more money qualified as "the best," then New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., could be forgiven for imagining we have "the best health care system in the world." Yet that money comes from somewhere, and it's coming from suffering families. A patient diagnosed with lung cancer in this country carries a 7 percent chance of bankruptcy within five years. Most family bankruptcies are precipitated by medical crises, and most of those families had insurance when the crisis began."
"If simply spending more money qualified as "the best," then New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., could be forgiven for imagining we have "the best health care system in the world." Yet that money comes from somewhere, and it's coming from suffering families. A patient diagnosed with lung cancer in this country carries a 7 percent chance of bankruptcy within five years. Most family bankruptcies are precipitated by medical crises, and most of those families had insurance when the crisis began."
Robert Scheer: Cerberus Collected Ex-Government Opportunists - Truthdig
Robert Scheer: Cerberus Collected Ex-Government Opportunists - Truthdig
"How fitting that Dan Quayle, a bumbling excuse for a vice president of the United States, should end up as a top executive of a $20 billion private equity firm mired in controversy. Quayle, who signed on with Cerberus in 1999, was with that company during its takeover and subsequent bankruptcy of Chrysler, questionable military contracting deals in Afghanistan and, most recently, manufacturing the assault rifle used in the Newtown, Conn., massacre."
"How fitting that Dan Quayle, a bumbling excuse for a vice president of the United States, should end up as a top executive of a $20 billion private equity firm mired in controversy. Quayle, who signed on with Cerberus in 1999, was with that company during its takeover and subsequent bankruptcy of Chrysler, questionable military contracting deals in Afghanistan and, most recently, manufacturing the assault rifle used in the Newtown, Conn., massacre."
The Progressive Honor Roll of 2012 | The Nation
The Progressive Honor Roll of 2012 | The Nation
"The Nation’s annual Most Valuable Progressives Honor Roll has been going strong for the better part of a decade, and its alumni are moving up. Elizabeth Warren is now a senator-elect. Keith Ellison and Raúl Grijalva co-chair the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Two of our most valuable state legislators were elected to Congress on November 6: Wisconsin’s Mark Pocan and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema. Ed Schultz has a prime-time show on MSNBC. The Dream Act dreamers spoke from the podium of the Democratic National Convention, and President Obama and Vice President Biden hailed their courage. But after a long election season and a hopeful outcome, there is still work to be done. Here are some of the Americans doing it."
"The Nation’s annual Most Valuable Progressives Honor Roll has been going strong for the better part of a decade, and its alumni are moving up. Elizabeth Warren is now a senator-elect. Keith Ellison and Raúl Grijalva co-chair the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Two of our most valuable state legislators were elected to Congress on November 6: Wisconsin’s Mark Pocan and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema. Ed Schultz has a prime-time show on MSNBC. The Dream Act dreamers spoke from the podium of the Democratic National Convention, and President Obama and Vice President Biden hailed their courage. But after a long election season and a hopeful outcome, there is still work to be done. Here are some of the Americans doing it."
Whaddya Know? Professional Economy Wrecker Alan Greenspan Is at the Heart of the Insidiious 'Fix the Debt' Campaign | Alternet
Whaddya Know? Professional Economy Wrecker Alan Greenspan Is at the Heart of the Insidiious 'Fix the Debt' Campaign | Alternet
"Alan Greenspan will go down in history as the person who has done more damage to the U.S. economy and society that anyone who was not a foreign enemy. In fact the destruction he wreaked through his incompetence would also exceed the damage caused by almost all would-be enemies as well.
"Alan Greenspan will go down in history as the person who has done more damage to the U.S. economy and society that anyone who was not a foreign enemy. In fact the destruction he wreaked through his incompetence would also exceed the damage caused by almost all would-be enemies as well.
Greenspan accomplished the remarkable feat as Fed chair of ignoring the growth of the $8 trillion housing bubble. This bubble could not have been easier to see if it had been 500 feet high and lit up with huge neon signs saying "Huge Housing Bubble." But Greenspan insisted the bubble was not there. And Greenspan somehow didn't recognize that the collapse of this massive bubble would devastate the economy."
What Could Have Been: The Most Important Bills Blocked By Republicans In 2012
What Could Have Been: The Most Important Bills Blocked By Republicans In 2012: 1. A minimum wage increase. House Democrats proposed legislation in June that would have raised the national minimum wage to $10 an hour, but Republicans blocked it. The minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, even though it would need to be raised to $9.92 to match the borrowing power it had in 1968. If [...]/p
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Craziest Republican Legislative Proposals Of 2012
The Craziest Republican Legislative Proposals Of 2012: 1. Outlawing the dollar. Washington state lawmakers introduced a bill that would have outlawed the paper dollar, because “only gold and silver may be recognized as government legal tender.” This is just part and parcel of the extreme right’s continuing fascination with goldbuggery, a fascination to which the Republican party’s presidential candidates gladly pandered. 2. [...]/p
Don't Cut Social Security -- Double It | Alternet
Don't Cut Social Security -- Double It | Alternet
"Fiscal cliff chatter about slashing the venerable program ignores its fundamental potential and underlying strength."
"Fiscal cliff chatter about slashing the venerable program ignores its fundamental potential and underlying strength."
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Payback! Hundreds of Homeowners Associations Threaten Banks with Foreclosure | Alternet
Payback! Hundreds of Homeowners Associations Threaten Banks with Foreclosure | Alternet
"Florida is one of the states hardest hit by foreclosures, and there are nearly a half-million foreclosed houses now standing vacant and often slowly deteriorating. When a bank forecloses on a house, evicts the family and then repossesses the property, it also assumes responsibility for maintaining the home and yard and paying homeowner or condo association fees. Yet, some of the nation’s largest and richest banks have been unable or unwilling to upkeep their properties—prompting neighbors across Florida to declare enough is enough."
"Florida is one of the states hardest hit by foreclosures, and there are nearly a half-million foreclosed houses now standing vacant and often slowly deteriorating. When a bank forecloses on a house, evicts the family and then repossesses the property, it also assumes responsibility for maintaining the home and yard and paying homeowner or condo association fees. Yet, some of the nation’s largest and richest banks have been unable or unwilling to upkeep their properties—prompting neighbors across Florida to declare enough is enough."
Fix the debt? How about fixing private pensions first
Fix the debt? How about fixing private pensions first
"While America's CEOs are fretting about the government's so-called "fiscal cliff," millions of American workers face a financial disaster that gets much less media attention. There's a half-trillion-dollar deficit in the nation's worker retirement benefits."
"While America's CEOs are fretting about the government's so-called "fiscal cliff," millions of American workers face a financial disaster that gets much less media attention. There's a half-trillion-dollar deficit in the nation's worker retirement benefits."
11 Pieces Of Pro-Voting Legislation For 2013
11 Pieces Of Pro-Voting Legislation For 2013: The past two years have not been kind to voting rights. Across the country, the Tea Party wave of 2010 led to new restrictive voting measures, including photo identification requirements and cuts in early voting. In total, these changes had the potential to disenfranchise more than 5 million Americans. However, with progressive victories in the [...]/p
Minimum wage indexing protects nearly a million low-wage workers this New Year | Economic Policy Institute
Minimum wage indexing protects nearly a million low-wage workers this New Year | Economic Policy Institute
"On Jan. 1, nearly a million workers in 10 states will see the value of their paychecks preserved against inflation. Workers in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington are protected each year by automatic indexing of their state’s minimum wage."
"On Jan. 1, nearly a million workers in 10 states will see the value of their paychecks preserved against inflation. Workers in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington are protected each year by automatic indexing of their state’s minimum wage."
Monday, December 24, 2012
'Ominous' New Research: Earth's Coldest Regions Warming Fastest | Common Dreams
'Ominous' New Research: Earth's Coldest Regions Warming Fastest | Common Dreams
"The litany of extreme weather events this year and the mounting discoveries supplied by climate scientists have made 2012 a year in which the realities of a warmer planet make ignoring the impacts of human caused climate change no longer possible."
"The litany of extreme weather events this year and the mounting discoveries supplied by climate scientists have made 2012 a year in which the realities of a warmer planet make ignoring the impacts of human caused climate change no longer possible."
Meet the Grandfather of the Fiscal Cliff: He Works for ALEC | Alternet
Meet the Grandfather of the Fiscal Cliff: He Works for ALEC | Alternet
"Arthur Laffer, author of the discredited trickle-down economics of the Reagan administration, is back with a vengeance, selling his snake oil to state legislatures across the nation."
"Arthur Laffer, author of the discredited trickle-down economics of the Reagan administration, is back with a vengeance, selling his snake oil to state legislatures across the nation."
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Lindsey Graham Continues His Hostage Taking Threats on the Debt Ceiling
Lindsey Graham Continues His Hostage Taking Threats on the Debt Ceiling
"Here we go again with Lindsey Graham continuing to threaten to use the debt ceiling to inflict pain on the working class, or as he calls it, "saving Social Security and Medicare." Graham made this exact same threat almost a year ago where he was a little more specific about his plans for our social safety nets."
"Here we go again with Lindsey Graham continuing to threaten to use the debt ceiling to inflict pain on the working class, or as he calls it, "saving Social Security and Medicare." Graham made this exact same threat almost a year ago where he was a little more specific about his plans for our social safety nets."
Saturday, December 22, 2012
NRA's Staged Response To Newtown
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PERRspectives: The Fiscal Cliffs of Dover
PERRspectives: The Fiscal Cliffs of Dover
"That doesn't mean the world will end if the U.S. goes over the cliff on January 1st. After all, Congress and the Obama administration can take action any time before or after December 31, 2012 to avoid the new recession inaction would likely produce. But whatever agreement President Obama reaches with Congressional Republicans cannot slash the debt too fast too soon. Economic growth and job creation, not deficit reduction, must be the top priority for the United States.
"That doesn't mean the world will end if the U.S. goes over the cliff on January 1st. After all, Congress and the Obama administration can take action any time before or after December 31, 2012 to avoid the new recession inaction would likely produce. But whatever agreement President Obama reaches with Congressional Republicans cannot slash the debt too fast too soon. Economic growth and job creation, not deficit reduction, must be the top priority for the United States.
This week, the Washington Post summed up what premature austerity looks like. "Fiscal cliff?" Anthony Faiola asked, "Britain has already jumped." And we know what happened after that leap."
Can Boehner Be Bailed Out?
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Wisconsin's Scott Walker Trusts Teachers with Guns, But Not Collective Bargaining | Alternet
Wisconsin's Scott Walker Trusts Teachers with Guns, But Not Collective Bargaining | Alternet
"Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker, who became nationally known for severely limiting the union rights of teachers and other public employees, has indicated support for arming those same school officials who apparently cannot be trusted to collectively bargain."
"Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker, who became nationally known for severely limiting the union rights of teachers and other public employees, has indicated support for arming those same school officials who apparently cannot be trusted to collectively bargain."
What Would a Country Without Labor Unions Look Like? » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
What Would a Country Without Labor Unions Look Like? » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"Yet you still hear people—not just conservative pundits and free market fundamentalists, but regular working folks—blame the unions for our problems. It’s true. Regular, good-hearted working folks are now hostile to the only institution capable of representing their interests. How bizarre is that?"
"Yet you still hear people—not just conservative pundits and free market fundamentalists, but regular working folks—blame the unions for our problems. It’s true. Regular, good-hearted working folks are now hostile to the only institution capable of representing their interests. How bizarre is that?"
Friday, December 21, 2012
10 Energy Numbers To Remember From 2012
10 Energy Numbers To Remember From 2012: Sometimes energy makes headlines, sometimes it doesn’t. But it almost always has important implications for the global economy, the environment, and our day-to-day lives. Here are 10 energy statistics from 2012 that capture some of the most noteworthy trends of the year, and that will shape the energy world in [...]/p
It’s a Mad, Mad Michigan
It’s a Mad, Mad Michigan
"It is a lot to take in. But, look: Michigan is worth your attention. And it’s worth the fight."
"It is a lot to take in. But, look: Michigan is worth your attention. And it’s worth the fight."
NRA Slammed for Push for Guns in Every School | Common Dreams
NRA Slammed for Push for Guns in Every School | Common Dreams
"The reaction from Newtown, Connecticut to gun control advocates to commentators is clear: putting more guns in schools is not the answer."
"The reaction from Newtown, Connecticut to gun control advocates to commentators is clear: putting more guns in schools is not the answer."
NRA Blames Everything Except Guns: Outdated Video Games, Hurricanes, And Corporate Media Led To Newtown
NRA Blames Everything Except Guns: Outdated Video Games, Hurricanes, And Corporate Media Led To Newtown: The National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun advocates lobby, attributed the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, to “school free zones,” arguing that “genuine monsters” are attracted to schools because its administrators and teachers are not armed. “Politicians pass laws for gun free school zones, they issue press releases bragging about them,” NRA Executive Vice President [...]/p
The 10 Craziest Quotes From The NRA Press Conference
The 10 Craziest Quotes From The NRA Press Conference: After remaining completely silent in the week following the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held a press conference in Washington D.C. on Friday to call for more guns in schools and blame the media for glorifying violence, while demonizing gun owners. Below are the 10 craziest statements from NRA Executive Vice [...]/p
Washington's Austerity Plan Threatens the 50 Million Americans Already in Poverty | Common Dreams
Washington's Austerity Plan Threatens the 50 Million Americans Already in Poverty | Common Dreams
"A modest tax Wall Street on speculation, embodied in HR 6411, authored by Representative Keith Ellison, could generate up to $350bn every year, an amount that could save over 1.7m homes from foreclosure, or finance 9m new jobs at current average wage levels. Or it could fund the food plans of 24m families of four for a year, or lift all 3.8m female-headed households out of poverty for nearly a decade.
"A modest tax Wall Street on speculation, embodied in HR 6411, authored by Representative Keith Ellison, could generate up to $350bn every year, an amount that could save over 1.7m homes from foreclosure, or finance 9m new jobs at current average wage levels. Or it could fund the food plans of 24m families of four for a year, or lift all 3.8m female-headed households out of poverty for nearly a decade.
Increasingly, the "Other America" is becoming all of us. It is up to all of us to end this disgrace."
Milk Prices Likely To Soar In January After Republican Obstruction Blocked The Farm Bill In The House
Milk Prices Likely To Soar In January After Republican Obstruction Blocked The Farm Bill In The House: House Republicans let the five-year farm bill expire at the end of September without a new law to replace the massive measure covering billions of dollars in programs, including food stamps and agriculture subsidies. The Senate passed its own bipartisan, 10-year farm bill in June, and House Democrats and farm state Republicans attempted to force [...]/p
Front Group for Military-Industrial Complex Pushes Hard to Slash Social Programs and Avoid Pentagon Cuts | Alternet
Front Group for Military-Industrial Complex Pushes Hard to Slash Social Programs and Avoid Pentagon Cuts | Alternet
"As the so-called fiscal cliff negotiations drag on in Washington with the media covering Repubican House Speaker John Boehner’slatest temper tantrums, a bipartisan coalition of former government officials with deep ties to the defense industry and Wall Street are ratcheting up the pressure to cut retirement programs while sparing military contractors."
"As the so-called fiscal cliff negotiations drag on in Washington with the media covering Repubican House Speaker John Boehner’slatest temper tantrums, a bipartisan coalition of former government officials with deep ties to the defense industry and Wall Street are ratcheting up the pressure to cut retirement programs while sparing military contractors."
Is Our Republic Ending? 8 Striking Parallels Between the Fall of Rome and U.S. | Alternet
Is Our Republic Ending? 8 Striking Parallels Between the Fall of Rome and U.S. | Alternet
"When read together, striking parallels emerge -- between our failings and the failings that destroyed the Roman Republic. As with Rome just before the Republic's fall, America has seen:"
"When read together, striking parallels emerge -- between our failings and the failings that destroyed the Roman Republic. As with Rome just before the Republic's fall, America has seen:"
Thursday, December 20, 2012
America Provides Far Less Support To Single Parents Than Other Wealthy Countries
America Provides Far Less Support To Single Parents Than Other Wealthy Countries: Out of 17 developed countries, single parents in the US are have the fewest resources and the greatest economic hardship, a new report from Legal Momentum shows. In other countries, parents raising a child alone are offered help from the state and have relative economic stability. But the assessment in the US is different. Not [...]/p
What If All the World’s Debt Just Went Away | Common Dreams
What If All the World’s Debt Just Went Away | Common Dreams
"What you may not know is that debt arose recently on the human stage. Throughout more than 99% of our history we have not even had a concept for debt."
"What you may not know is that debt arose recently on the human stage. Throughout more than 99% of our history we have not even had a concept for debt."
Let the Bush tax cuts expire, there are better options | Economic Policy Institute
Let the Bush tax cuts expire, there are better options | Economic Policy Institute
"the Bush tax cuts are pretty poor policy; in a decade of existence, they have accomplished none of the goals they were intended to achieve. In fact, judging the Bush tax cuts based on their economic impact, distributional impact, and cost, they have been an outright disaster."
"the Bush tax cuts are pretty poor policy; in a decade of existence, they have accomplished none of the goals they were intended to achieve. In fact, judging the Bush tax cuts based on their economic impact, distributional impact, and cost, they have been an outright disaster."
Local Solar: Minnesota Develops Its First Community Solar Project
Local Solar: Minnesota Develops Its First Community Solar Project: As community solar grows in popularity, an innovative solar project by the Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association in Minnesota highlights the opportunity of merging local ownership with locally assembled solar panels. Earlier this fall, this cooperative serving communities just north and west of the Twin Cities metropolitan area announced Minnesota’s [...]/p
13 Resolutions to Change the Food System in 2013 | Common Dreams
13 Resolutions to Change the Food System in 2013 | Common Dreams
"As we start 2013, many people will be thinking about plans and promises to improve their diets and health. We think a broader collection of farmers, policy-makers, and eaters need new, bigger resolutions for fixing the food system--real changes with long-term impacts in fields, boardrooms, and on plates all over the world. These are resolutions that the world can’t afford to break with nearly one billion still hungry and more than one billion suffering from the effects of being overweight and obese. We have the tools—let’s use them in 2013!"
"As we start 2013, many people will be thinking about plans and promises to improve their diets and health. We think a broader collection of farmers, policy-makers, and eaters need new, bigger resolutions for fixing the food system--real changes with long-term impacts in fields, boardrooms, and on plates all over the world. These are resolutions that the world can’t afford to break with nearly one billion still hungry and more than one billion suffering from the effects of being overweight and obese. We have the tools—let’s use them in 2013!"
Mental Health Community Advances Legislative Agenda In Aftermath Of Newtown Tragedy
Mental Health Community Advances Legislative Agenda In Aftermath Of Newtown Tragedy: Widespread budget cuts to state mental health services during the Great Recession have left that area of the health care sector with significant gaps. But that may be poised to change, as the mental health community is gearing up to lobby the federal government for their legislative agenda in the aftermath of last week’s tragic [...]/p
PERRspectives: Treasury Wins Big on GM Bailout
PERRspectives: Treasury Wins Big on GM Bailout
"It's no wonder The Economist, which opposed the $82 billion auto bailout, admitted "an apology is due to Barack Obama: his takeover of GM could have gone horribly wrong, but it has not." And last month, voters in Michigan, Ohio and across the nation reached the same conclusion. Even with likely losses from the government's sale of GM and Chrysler shares, the rescue of Detroit was a very sweet deal for the Treasury--and people--of the United States."
"It's no wonder The Economist, which opposed the $82 billion auto bailout, admitted "an apology is due to Barack Obama: his takeover of GM could have gone horribly wrong, but it has not." And last month, voters in Michigan, Ohio and across the nation reached the same conclusion. Even with likely losses from the government's sale of GM and Chrysler shares, the rescue of Detroit was a very sweet deal for the Treasury--and people--of the United States."
Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ Cuts Taxes For The 1 Percent, Raises Them For The Poor
Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ Cuts Taxes For The 1 Percent, Raises Them For The Poor: Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) is forging ahead with his plan to vote on his so-called “Plan B,” a bill that would extend the Bush tax cuts on income up to $1 million. Boehner is calling the bill a “net tax cut,” but as ThinkProgress noted yesterday, it will raise taxes on millions [...]/p
Welcome to 'Michiganistan' | Common Dreams
Welcome to 'Michiganistan' | Common Dreams
"Formerly the Republican governor, Snyder has been enthroned by the GOP’s lame-duck, legislative supermajority to rule with an iron fist — democracy, rule-of-law, fairness, and the people be damned."
"Formerly the Republican governor, Snyder has been enthroned by the GOP’s lame-duck, legislative supermajority to rule with an iron fist — democracy, rule-of-law, fairness, and the people be damned."
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Interest Rate Rigging By Big Banks May Have Cost U.S. Taxpayers Billions Of Dollars
Interest Rate Rigging By Big Banks May Have Cost U.S. Taxpayers Billions Of Dollars: UBS and Barclays have both been fined more than $1 billion by regulators for manipulating the LIBOR interest rate, a key global benchmark. UBS bankers were caught in emails bragging about the “fu*king humongous deals” they were arranging by gaming LIBOR. LIBOR rigging could have affected Americans of all stripes, sucking funds from the cities [...]/p
Glenn Greenwald: Woman Imprisoned for Life for Minor Drug Offense; Banking Giant Immune to Justice for Massive Drug Laundering | Alternet
Glenn Greenwald: Woman Imprisoned for Life for Minor Drug Offense; Banking Giant Immune to Justice for Massive Drug Laundering | Alternet
"The US is the world's largest prison state, imprisoning more of its citizens than any nation on earth, both in absolute numbers andproportionally. It imprisons people for longer periods of time, more mercilessly, and for more trivial transgressions than any nation in the west. This sprawling penal state has been constructed over decades, by both political parties, and it punishes the poor and racial minorities at overwhelmingly disproportionate rates.
"The US is the world's largest prison state, imprisoning more of its citizens than any nation on earth, both in absolute numbers andproportionally. It imprisons people for longer periods of time, more mercilessly, and for more trivial transgressions than any nation in the west. This sprawling penal state has been constructed over decades, by both political parties, and it punishes the poor and racial minorities at overwhelmingly disproportionate rates.
But not everyone is subjected to that system of penal harshness. It all changes radically when the nation's most powerful actors are caught breaking the law."
Senator Bernie Sanders Voices His Strong Opposition To Cutting Social Security
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
4 Key Tax Provisions That Expire At The End Of The Year
4 Key Tax Provisions That Expire At The End Of The Year: Most of the ink spilled over negotiations surrounding the so-called “fiscal cliff” — the year-end set of tax increases and spending cuts — has covered the impending demise of the Bush tax cuts. But several other important tax provisions will also expire, some with severe impacts for the middle-class: – The payroll tax cut. A [...]/p
A Grand Swindle: What We Don’t Need Now Is a Bad “Grand Bargain” | Common Dreams
A Grand Swindle: What We Don’t Need Now Is a Bad “Grand Bargain” | Common Dreams
"It seems that since Nov. 6, many politicians forgot that the people they represent used their voice at the polls to stand up for working families and the programs they rely on. Democratic lawmakers should resist any “grand bargain” on the budget that protects the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us."
"It seems that since Nov. 6, many politicians forgot that the people they represent used their voice at the polls to stand up for working families and the programs they rely on. Democratic lawmakers should resist any “grand bargain” on the budget that protects the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us."
Unionized Teachers, So Vilified By the Right, Are the Heroes of Sandy Hook | Alternet
Unionized Teachers, So Vilified By the Right, Are the Heroes of Sandy Hook | Alternet
"The teachers, workers and education professionals of Sandy Hook Elementary School saved dozens of children -- some at the cost of their own lives."
"The teachers, workers and education professionals of Sandy Hook Elementary School saved dozens of children -- some at the cost of their own lives."
With Gov. Chris Christie, It's Corrupt Business As Usual
With Gov. Chris Christie, It's Corrupt Business As Usual
"Although he sells himself that way, Gov. Chris Christie is not a "reformer." He simulates being candid, but uses that illusion to cloak a host of crooked problems he'd be hard pressed to explain. And he's the big hope of the Republican party?"
"Although he sells himself that way, Gov. Chris Christie is not a "reformer." He simulates being candid, but uses that illusion to cloak a host of crooked problems he'd be hard pressed to explain. And he's the big hope of the Republican party?"
Corporate-Occupied Government: A 'Redistribution Machine' for the Wealthy | Common Dreams
Corporate-Occupied Government: A 'Redistribution Machine' for the Wealthy | Common Dreams
"In the first article of the series, published Tuesday, Reuters traces the ways in which the federal government has acted as a wealth redistribution machine, not towards those in need, but upwards towards the already wealthy. According to the report, an analysis of decennial Census data, the federal government has "emerged as one of the most potent factors driving income inequality in the United States - especially in the nation's capital."
"In the first article of the series, published Tuesday, Reuters traces the ways in which the federal government has acted as a wealth redistribution machine, not towards those in need, but upwards towards the already wealthy. According to the report, an analysis of decennial Census data, the federal government has "emerged as one of the most potent factors driving income inequality in the United States - especially in the nation's capital."
The report cites public policy decisions, government 'outsourcing' of projects to private firms, weakened unions, a shift in labor demand from low-skill jobs to high-skill professions and, most broadly, sweeping tax cuts, particularly during the Bush administration, that largely benefit top income earners and the corporations, lobbying firms, and law firms they work for."
Monday, December 17, 2012
5 Sensible Steps We Can Take To Prevent Gun Massacres
5 Sensible Steps We Can Take To Prevent Gun Massacres: Since Friday’s massacre in an elementary school in Newtown, CT, lawmakers — and even life-long National Rifle Association members — have come out for sensible gun safety and health measures that could avert future shootings. While “no single law — no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act [...]/p
Conservative Group Tells Republicans To Hold Hurricane Sandy Relief Package Hostage
Conservative Group Tells Republicans To Hold Hurricane Sandy Relief Package Hostage: Club For Growth, a conservative advocacy group, is urging Republicans to vote against the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package that the Senate plans to take up this week, according to a statement on its web site. The group, which scores congressional votes to document lawmakers’ conservative stances, issued a “Key Vote Alert” this afternoon [...]/p
Tea Party Group Blames Connecticut Shooting On Teachers, Unions, And Sex
Tea Party Group Blames Connecticut Shooting On Teachers, Unions, And Sex: A piece posted to the Tea Party Nation website yesterday, and sent to the group’s members in an email from TPN head Judson Phillips, blamed the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on teachers, unions, bureaucracy, and the presence of sex in popular culture. In a lengthy screed that’s essentially a round-up of every major cultural [...]/p
The Corporate War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times
The Corporate War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times
"Right-wing fundamentalists and corporate ideologues are not just waging a war against the rights of unions, workers, students, women, the disabled, low-income groups and poor minorities, but also against those public spheres that provide a vocabulary for connecting values, desires, identities, social relations and institutions to the discourse of social responsibility, ethics, and democracy, if not thinking itself."
"Right-wing fundamentalists and corporate ideologues are not just waging a war against the rights of unions, workers, students, women, the disabled, low-income groups and poor minorities, but also against those public spheres that provide a vocabulary for connecting values, desires, identities, social relations and institutions to the discourse of social responsibility, ethics, and democracy, if not thinking itself."
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Indiana Man Arrested After Threatening To Shoot Up Elementary School
Indiana Man Arrested After Threatening To Shoot Up Elementary School: A man equipped with a 47 gun arsenal was arrested on Sunday after threatening to kill children at a local elementary school. The Cedar Lake, Indiana man had also threatened his wife: Cedar Lake police were called to the home of 60-year-old Von I. Meyer early Friday after he allegedly threatened to set his wife [...]/p
4 Reasons Why Boehner’s Latest Tax Offer Is A Bad Deal
4 Reasons Why Boehner’s Latest Tax Offer Is A Bad Deal: Politico reported yesterday that Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) has proposed a tax increase in income in excess of $1 million as part of the ongoing negotiations to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.” In exchange, the Ohio Republican reportedly wants changes to entitlement programs, including cuts to Medicare benefits. This is the first [...]/p
Why You Can Kiss Public Education (and the Middle Class) Goodbye | Alternet
Why You Can Kiss Public Education (and the Middle Class) Goodbye | Alternet
"All around us, our public institutions are disintegrating, and the most important public institution of all – our public education system – will likely be the next to go."
"All around us, our public institutions are disintegrating, and the most important public institution of all – our public education system – will likely be the next to go."
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Fracking Comes To California
Fracking Comes To California
"California already has earthquake and environmental problems, so of course, it makes perfect sense to sell oil leases that can be permitted to use fracking."
"California already has earthquake and environmental problems, so of course, it makes perfect sense to sell oil leases that can be permitted to use fracking."
UPDATE: CT State Medical Examiner Says Bushmaster Rifle Did The Killing
UPDATE: CT State Medical Examiner Says Bushmaster Rifle Did The Killing
"The .223 round is slightly lighter than the military grade version, but reacts the same on impact and is pretty much as deadly. It's designed to bounce around inside the body once it makes contact with bone.The AR-15 is the civilian version of the military's M16 and has been in production since Vietnam. The caliber is the same used in the DC sniper shootings. It was also used in the Colorado shooting."
"The .223 round is slightly lighter than the military grade version, but reacts the same on impact and is pretty much as deadly. It's designed to bounce around inside the body once it makes contact with bone.The AR-15 is the civilian version of the military's M16 and has been in production since Vietnam. The caliber is the same used in the DC sniper shootings. It was also used in the Colorado shooting."
What if money was no object?
Ask yourself. What would you do with your life if money was no object? An amazing lecture from the late Alan Watts.
How the Right Has Twisted the 2nd Amendment | Alternet
How the Right Has Twisted the 2nd Amendment | Alternet
"The American Right is fond of putting itself inside the minds of America’s Founders and intuiting what was their “original intent” in writing the U.S. Constitution and its early additions, like the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms.” But, surely, James Madison and the others weren’t envisioning people with modern weapons mowing down children in a movie theater or a shopping mall or now a kindergarten.
"The American Right is fond of putting itself inside the minds of America’s Founders and intuiting what was their “original intent” in writing the U.S. Constitution and its early additions, like the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms.” But, surely, James Madison and the others weren’t envisioning people with modern weapons mowing down children in a movie theater or a shopping mall or now a kindergarten.
Indeed, when the Second Amendment was passed in the First Congress as part of the Bill of Rights, firearms were single-shot mechanisms that took time to load and reload. It was also clear that Madison and the others viewed the “right to bear arms” in the context of “a well-regulated militia” to defend communities from massacres, not as a means to enable such massacres."
How an Astounding New Right-Wing Lie About the Economy Is Born | Alternet
How an Astounding New Right-Wing Lie About the Economy Is Born | Alternet
"There's a new economic myth that's now being amplified by the conservative media. It demonizes vital public services and suggests that the poor are doing just fine thanks to the largesse of the country's “makers.” Conservatives are being told that the United States is now spending vast fortunes combatting poverty – more than we dedicate to national defense, Social Security and Medicare.
"There's a new economic myth that's now being amplified by the conservative media. It demonizes vital public services and suggests that the poor are doing just fine thanks to the largesse of the country's “makers.” Conservatives are being told that the United States is now spending vast fortunes combatting poverty – more than we dedicate to national defense, Social Security and Medicare.
This new spin is notable not for its mendacity – although it is completely divorced from reality – but because its origins are easily traced, allowing us to see how these kinds of distortions come to be."
Friday, December 14, 2012
Ten Arguments Gun Advocates Make, and Why They're Wrong
Ten Arguments Gun Advocates Make, and Why They're Wrong
"Every time another tragedy like this occurs, gun advocates make the same arguments about why we can't possibly do anything to restrict the weaponization of our culture. Here's a guide to what they'll be saying in the coming days:"
"Every time another tragedy like this occurs, gun advocates make the same arguments about why we can't possibly do anything to restrict the weaponization of our culture. Here's a guide to what they'll be saying in the coming days:"
President Obama Raised More Military Donations Than Mitt Romney
President Obama Raised More Military Donations Than Mitt Romney: President Obama beat Mitt Romney in donations from active and former military donors this past election cycle. The new information comes from the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-profit, money in politics watchdog that tracked donations from military members throughout the presidential campaign. Throughout the presidential campaign, Republicans claimed that the President was anti-military. Some, [...]/p
The Truth About 'Right To Work'
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Michigan Governor Heedless Of Election, Pushes Radical Agenda
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Tragedy in Connecticut: 20 Children, 6 Adults Dead in Kindergarten Massacre | Common Dreams
Tragedy in Connecticut: 20 Children, 6 Adults Dead in Kindergarten Massacre | Common Dreams
"UPDATE 3:40 pm ET: Law enforcement officials have not confirmed but media outlets are reporting that the suspected shooter in Connecticut today is 24-year-old Ryan Lanza."
"UPDATE 3:40 pm ET: Law enforcement officials have not confirmed but media outlets are reporting that the suspected shooter in Connecticut today is 24-year-old Ryan Lanza."
It’s Easier For Americans To Access Guns Than Mental Health Services
It’s Easier For Americans To Access Guns Than Mental Health Services: Details about Friday’s horrific shooting spree at a Connecticut elementary school are still emerging, and it still remains unknown whether the suspected shooters suffered from underlying mental health issues. It’s entirely possible that the perpetrators of today’s shooting were of sound mind. But the fact remains: in America, it’s currently easier for a poor person [...]/p
Day Before Connecticut Shooting Massacre, Michigan Legislature Passed Bill Allowing Guns In Classrooms
Day Before Connecticut Shooting Massacre, Michigan Legislature Passed Bill Allowing Guns In Classrooms: Yesterday, one day before the tragedy in Connecticut where at least 27 people were killed at an elementary school, the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature passed a bill that would allow people to bring guns into schools. Amidst a lameduck session that has spawned a host of right-wing legislation, including a so-called “right-to-work” law and an extreme [...]/p
The GOP’s Existential Crisis | Common Dreams
The GOP’s Existential Crisis | Common Dreams
"No, what we’re having is a political crisis, born of the fact that one of our two great political parties has reached the end of a 30-year road. The modern Republican Party’s grand, radical agenda lies in ruins — but the party doesn’t know how to deal with that failure, and it retains enough power to do immense damage as it strikes out in frustration."
"No, what we’re having is a political crisis, born of the fact that one of our two great political parties has reached the end of a 30-year road. The modern Republican Party’s grand, radical agenda lies in ruins — but the party doesn’t know how to deal with that failure, and it retains enough power to do immense damage as it strikes out in frustration."
BREAKING: Many Dead, Including 18 Children, in Elementary School Shooting in Connecticut | Common Dreams
BREAKING: Many Dead, Including 18 Children, in Elementary School Shooting in Connecticut | Common Dreams
"An official with knowledge of a the shooting tells AP that "27 people are dead, including 18 children"."
"An official with knowledge of a the shooting tells AP that "27 people are dead, including 18 children"."
Surprise! New Michigan Law May Not Affect Government Workers
Surprise! New Michigan Law May Not Affect Government Workers
"You mean after all that, they didn't even bother to have their new law checked against existing legislation? Ha, ha! Boy, the Kochs really should be more careful about the quality of the handmaidens they buy:"
"You mean after all that, they didn't even bother to have their new law checked against existing legislation? Ha, ha! Boy, the Kochs really should be more careful about the quality of the handmaidens they buy:"
Updated and Previously Suppressed Report Still Finds: Tax Cuts for Rich Only Help the Rich | Common Dreams
Updated and Previously Suppressed Report Still Finds: Tax Cuts for Rich Only Help the Rich | Common Dreams
"The US trend to continually lower tax rates for the country's wealthiest in the name of economic growth is deeply flawed, says an updated non-partisan government report that shows tax cuts for the rich—most recently exemplified by the Bush-era tax cuts—serve mostly to increase income inequality by redistributing wealth to the top while doing little or nothing to help the broader economy."
"The US trend to continually lower tax rates for the country's wealthiest in the name of economic growth is deeply flawed, says an updated non-partisan government report that shows tax cuts for the rich—most recently exemplified by the Bush-era tax cuts—serve mostly to increase income inequality by redistributing wealth to the top while doing little or nothing to help the broader economy."
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Michigan Adopts the ALEC Model for Diminishing Democracy | Common Dreams
Michigan Adopts the ALEC Model for Diminishing Democracy | Common Dreams
"They simply did as they were told.
The ideas, the outlines and the words themselves came from the American Legislative Exchange Council, the right-wing “bill mill” that produces “model legislation” at the behest of Koch Industries, Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp, ExxonMobil and the corporate cabal that is always looking to “buy” states."
"They simply did as they were told.
The ideas, the outlines and the words themselves came from the American Legislative Exchange Council, the right-wing “bill mill” that produces “model legislation” at the behest of Koch Industries, Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp, ExxonMobil and the corporate cabal that is always looking to “buy” states."
Lie of the Year: Romney's Jeep, Jobs and China Claim
Lie of the Year: Romney's Jeep, Jobs and China Claim
"Congratulations to Rove, Fox News, and Mitt Romney! They've received an honor which finally matches the recipient: Lie and Liars of the year."
"Congratulations to Rove, Fox News, and Mitt Romney! They've received an honor which finally matches the recipient: Lie and Liars of the year."
Michigan Republicans Re-Pass Anti-Union Law That Voters Repealed Just Six Weeks Ago
Michigan Republicans Re-Pass Anti-Union Law That Voters Repealed Just Six Weeks Ago: Not content to push through an anti-union “right-to-work” law, new restrictive abortion policies, and an anti-Sharia law, Michigan Republicans are now pursuing a revamp of a law voters rejected at the polls barely more than a month ago. Michigan’s House Republicans today passed a new version of the “emergency manager” law that voters repealed via [...]/p
A Growing Water Deficit in the West - Truthdig
A Growing Water Deficit in the West - Truthdig
"A three-year study by the Department of the Interior has concluded that a hotter, drier climate is threatening the water supply for 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River."
"A three-year study by the Department of the Interior has concluded that a hotter, drier climate is threatening the water supply for 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River."
Rein In The Rich: How Higher Taxes Could Lift The Economy | The New Republic
Rein In The Rich: How Higher Taxes Could Lift The Economy | The New Republic
"But bringing down the deficit should not be the principal objective right now. What’s important is to continue the recovery from the Great Recession and to take measures to prevent future crises. Supply-siders were right about one thing: the best way to reduce the government deficit is to create economic growth. Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy and to transfer those revenues to workers and the unemployed isn’t just the fair thing to do; it is exactly what’s right for the economy."
"But bringing down the deficit should not be the principal objective right now. What’s important is to continue the recovery from the Great Recession and to take measures to prevent future crises. Supply-siders were right about one thing: the best way to reduce the government deficit is to create economic growth. Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy and to transfer those revenues to workers and the unemployed isn’t just the fair thing to do; it is exactly what’s right for the economy."
PERRspectives: Texas Cuts to Family Planning Triple State Expenses
PERRspectives: Texas Cuts to Family Planning Triple State Expenses
"When a federal judge ruled in August that Texas can withhold millions of dollars from Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics, GovernorRick Perry proclaimed it a "win for Texas women." As it turns out, Perry's crusade against Planned Parenthood isn't a win for either the women of Texas or the budget of the Lone Star State. Just as experts predicted, each dollar saved in family planning spending will result in almost four dollars in new costs to care for thousands of new mothers and children the budget axe will produce.
As Rick Perry might say, "Oops"."
"When a federal judge ruled in August that Texas can withhold millions of dollars from Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics, GovernorRick Perry proclaimed it a "win for Texas women." As it turns out, Perry's crusade against Planned Parenthood isn't a win for either the women of Texas or the budget of the Lone Star State. Just as experts predicted, each dollar saved in family planning spending will result in almost four dollars in new costs to care for thousands of new mothers and children the budget axe will produce.
As Rick Perry might say, "Oops"."
Republican Lawmaker's Proposal Exempted Husband from Michigan 'Right to Work' Law
Republican Lawmaker's Proposal Exempted Husband from Michigan 'Right to Work' Law
"A Republican state representative in Michigan proposed an amendment to exempt her husband's job from the so-called "right to work" law which limits the ability of unions to collect dues."
"A Republican state representative in Michigan proposed an amendment to exempt her husband's job from the so-called "right to work" law which limits the ability of unions to collect dues."
Speaker Boehner Doesn’t Understand The Debt Ceiling, But Takes It Hostage Anyway
Speaker Boehner Doesn’t Understand The Debt Ceiling, But Takes It Hostage Anyway: The Obama administration’s initial offer to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” included a provision that would end the ability of Congress to use the debt ceiling — and thus the creditworthiness of the United States — as a hostage to demand other policy outcomes. Employing a process invented by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), [...]/p
GOP Gerrymandering Delivers Disproportionate Representation
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