Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Eiledon-Big Country
Inspirational. Big Country. Where legends grown. I choose this place to call my own. Fill the children's heart with heroes tales. Let us soar with the eagles. A reckoning is drawing near. Wipe our eyes with misty years and see the future through.
More from Wikileaks on Julian Assange
In early 2011, Burton revealed in internal Stratfor correspondence that a secret Grand Jury had already issued a sealed indictment for Assange: "Not for Pub — We have a sealed indictment on Assange. Pls protect." (375123) According to Burton: "Assange is going to make a nice bride in prison. Screw the terrorist. He’ll be eating cat food forever
Full link here: http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-Emails-US-Has-Issued.html
Occupy Takes Aim at ALEC Today in 70 US Cities | Truthout
Occupy Takes Aim at ALEC Today in 70 US Cities Truthout
The Occupy movement, since its inception in September 2011, has been against corporate greed. And in 70 cities across the country, it's found one target that best shows the rampant corporate control of our judicial system that Occupiers see as a central grievance: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC brings legislators and corporations together in a "public-private partnership" to draft model legislation that Occupy groups say serves the interests of the 1 percent.
Today, legislators and companies including Pfizer, Bank of America and Wal-Mart, that benefit from ALEC's power in the legislative system will be the target of demonstrations, direct actions and various public shows of anger across the country under the banner of Shut Down the Corporations.
"The public is never informed that a group representing the most privileged people in America are drafting the legislation that disempowers the most vulnerable," said David Osborn with Occupy Portland. "The decisions affecting our communities should be made democratically, not through a corrupt system that hides the influence of the very corporations that benefit at our expense. ALEC is representative of a failed system in which profit and greed are dominant over everything else."
The protest was called by Occupy Portland and is expected to be the Occupy movement's biggest coordinated action this year.
The Occupy movement, since its inception in September 2011, has been against corporate greed. And in 70 cities across the country, it's found one target that best shows the rampant corporate control of our judicial system that Occupiers see as a central grievance: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC brings legislators and corporations together in a "public-private partnership" to draft model legislation that Occupy groups say serves the interests of the 1 percent.
Today, legislators and companies including Pfizer, Bank of America and Wal-Mart, that benefit from ALEC's power in the legislative system will be the target of demonstrations, direct actions and various public shows of anger across the country under the banner of Shut Down the Corporations.
"The public is never informed that a group representing the most privileged people in America are drafting the legislation that disempowers the most vulnerable," said David Osborn with Occupy Portland. "The decisions affecting our communities should be made democratically, not through a corrupt system that hides the influence of the very corporations that benefit at our expense. ALEC is representative of a failed system in which profit and greed are dominant over everything else."
The protest was called by Occupy Portland and is expected to be the Occupy movement's biggest coordinated action this year.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Report: US Has 'Secret Indictment' Against Wikileaks' Assange | Common Dreams
Report: US Has 'Secret Indictment' Against Wikileaks' Assange Common Dreams
United States prosecutors have drawn up secret charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to a confidential internal email obtained from a private US intelligence company, Stratfor.
In the email, sent to Stratfor intelligence analysts on January 26 last year, the company's vice-president for intelligence, Fred Burton, responded to a media report concerning US investigations targeting WikiLeaks. He wrote: "We have a sealed indictment on Assange."
Underlining the sensitivity of the information - apparently obtained from a US government source - he wrote "Pls protect" and "Not for Pub[lication]".
United States prosecutors have drawn up secret charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to a confidential internal email obtained from a private US intelligence company, Stratfor.
In the email, sent to Stratfor intelligence analysts on January 26 last year, the company's vice-president for intelligence, Fred Burton, responded to a media report concerning US investigations targeting WikiLeaks. He wrote: "We have a sealed indictment on Assange."
Underlining the sensitivity of the information - apparently obtained from a US government source - he wrote "Pls protect" and "Not for Pub[lication]".
Corporate Intelligent Agency internal documents to shut down Wikileaks
Some of the Wiki leak dumps on how global intelligence for Statfor refers to Julian Assange
Find out what other disgruntled rogues inside the tent or outside. Pile
on. Move him from country to country to face various charges for the
next 25 years. But, seize everything he and his family own, to include
every person linked to Wiki.
...Other thought is that I kind of feel like a lot of people were coming around to recognizing his astonishing douchebaggery and he was by this point undermining himself and his organization. If he does get tied up in the legal system, does he come out screaming all the louder? And if he does somehow get imprisoned, does he have the potential in incarceration to actually become the sort of inspirational, martryr-like (forgive the euphamism) figure that he always imagined himself to be in the free world?
LP - Don't forget that the credit companies and pay pal are currently blockading Wikileaks like it a terrorist institution for letting its citizens actually know what the government that supposedly represents them but really works for the big banks is doing in their name.
Shutting up Wiki leaks
The attack of the credit companies
Full memo here: http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1056763_re-discussion-assange-arrested-.html
Hitler Informed Rick Santorum Is Not on Virginia Ballot
I never realized that this movie was so funny.
Chicago school draws scrutiny over student fines - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com
Chicago school draws scrutiny over student fines - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com
CHICAGO —
A sense of order and decorum prevails at Noble Street College Prep as students move quickly through a hallway adorned with banners from dozens of colleges. Everyone wears a school polo shirt neatly tucked into khaki trousers. There's plenty of chatter but no jostling, no cellphones and no dawdling.
The reason, administrators say, is that students have learned there is a price to pay — literally — for breaking even the smallest rules.
Noble Network of Charter Schools charges students at its 10 Chicago high schools $5 for detentions stemming from infractions that include chewing gum and having untied shoelaces. Last school year it collected almost $190,000 in discipline "fees" from detentions and behavior classes — a policy drawing fire from some parents, advocacy groups and education experts.
LP - Another success story of ed reform which was covered by Ed Schultz. These parents are paying public funds for a public skill and then billed again by their publically funded charter school. Rahm Emmanuel has held this company up as a success story.
CHICAGO —
A sense of order and decorum prevails at Noble Street College Prep as students move quickly through a hallway adorned with banners from dozens of colleges. Everyone wears a school polo shirt neatly tucked into khaki trousers. There's plenty of chatter but no jostling, no cellphones and no dawdling.
The reason, administrators say, is that students have learned there is a price to pay — literally — for breaking even the smallest rules.
Noble Network of Charter Schools charges students at its 10 Chicago high schools $5 for detentions stemming from infractions that include chewing gum and having untied shoelaces. Last school year it collected almost $190,000 in discipline "fees" from detentions and behavior classes — a policy drawing fire from some parents, advocacy groups and education experts.
LP - Another success story of ed reform which was covered by Ed Schultz. These parents are paying public funds for a public skill and then billed again by their publically funded charter school. Rahm Emmanuel has held this company up as a success story.
Monday, February 27, 2012
New pension tax surprises retirees, creates confusion | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
New pension tax surprises retirees, creates confusion The Detroit News detroitnews.com
Michigan's tax on pensions and retirement accounts kicked in on Jan. 1 and, not long after that, Jack Vassallo kicked back.
When the retired chemical engineering technician got his monthly payment from his Fidelity Investments 401(k) retirement savings account, the check was short. The $87.43 withheld for the new state tax would have made the check the right amount — except that Vassallo is 79 years old and exempt from the retirement levy.
"I was furious," says the Woodhaven retiree. "It really irked me."
If they're not irked or furious, Michigan retirees are likely confused or unaware that the state now gets a cut of their nest eggs. Nearly 400,000 retirees face the new tax, and they'll need to make sure they're having the right amount withheld, or they could face tax penalties. And those who don't have to pay the tax — such as Jack Vassallo — need to file a form with their pension plan or investment company if they want their retirement checks to keep coming untouched.
Michigan's tax on pensions and retirement accounts kicked in on Jan. 1 and, not long after that, Jack Vassallo kicked back.
When the retired chemical engineering technician got his monthly payment from his Fidelity Investments 401(k) retirement savings account, the check was short. The $87.43 withheld for the new state tax would have made the check the right amount — except that Vassallo is 79 years old and exempt from the retirement levy.
"I was furious," says the Woodhaven retiree. "It really irked me."
If they're not irked or furious, Michigan retirees are likely confused or unaware that the state now gets a cut of their nest eggs. Nearly 400,000 retirees face the new tax, and they'll need to make sure they're having the right amount withheld, or they could face tax penalties. And those who don't have to pay the tax — such as Jack Vassallo — need to file a form with their pension plan or investment company if they want their retirement checks to keep coming untouched.
Controversy over Scientology influence clouds future of Pinellas charter school - Tampa Bay Times
Controversy over Scientology influence clouds future of Pinellas charter school - Tampa Bay Times
Some parents and former teachers at Life Force, which receives about $800,000 a year in public funding, say the Pinellas County charter school has become a Scientology recruiting post targeting children.
Opened to serve a low-income Clearwater neighborhood and advertising classes in computers and modern dance, Life Force had begun pushing Hubbard's "study technology," which critics call a Trojan horse Scientology uses to infiltrate public classrooms.
And while Life Force students and teachers worked in poorly stocked classrooms and teachers went unpaid, the bankrupt school funneled tens of thousands of dollars more to Islam's business interests than she told the bankruptcy court she would charge.
"There can be no accountability when this kind of stuff goes on," said teacher Tim Roach, who said he was fired from Life Force last month after criticizing the school. "It's the students who are going to suffer."
LP - Who can say Ed Reform doesn't work. Not the tax rich church of Scientology.
Some parents and former teachers at Life Force, which receives about $800,000 a year in public funding, say the Pinellas County charter school has become a Scientology recruiting post targeting children.
Opened to serve a low-income Clearwater neighborhood and advertising classes in computers and modern dance, Life Force had begun pushing Hubbard's "study technology," which critics call a Trojan horse Scientology uses to infiltrate public classrooms.
And while Life Force students and teachers worked in poorly stocked classrooms and teachers went unpaid, the bankrupt school funneled tens of thousands of dollars more to Islam's business interests than she told the bankruptcy court she would charge.
"There can be no accountability when this kind of stuff goes on," said teacher Tim Roach, who said he was fired from Life Force last month after criticizing the school. "It's the students who are going to suffer."
LP - Who can say Ed Reform doesn't work. Not the tax rich church of Scientology.
Hank For Senate - "The Greatest Land of All"
It's about time we get a candidate we can rally behind. He'll just take more naps or congresses time off.
Drug Testing Bill Targets Florida State Workers, Excludes Lawmakers
Drug Testing Bill Targets Florida State Workers, Excludes Lawmakers
A Florida state lawmaker is pushing a bill requiring state agencies to test their workers for drugs. But the bill wouldn't mandate testing for all public sector employees; members of the Florida legislature would get a pass.
Rep. Jimmie Smith (R-Lecanto), the bill's sponsor, said he supports drug testing for lawmakers, but requiring them to pee in cups like everyone else would violate their constitutional rights. In an email to The Huffington Post, Smith cited the U.S. Supreme Court's 1997 decision in Chandler v. Miller, which struck down tests for political candidates in Georgia.
LP - I guess those great men and women in Talahassee are just really opposed to peeing into a cup.
A Florida state lawmaker is pushing a bill requiring state agencies to test their workers for drugs. But the bill wouldn't mandate testing for all public sector employees; members of the Florida legislature would get a pass.
Rep. Jimmie Smith (R-Lecanto), the bill's sponsor, said he supports drug testing for lawmakers, but requiring them to pee in cups like everyone else would violate their constitutional rights. In an email to The Huffington Post, Smith cited the U.S. Supreme Court's 1997 decision in Chandler v. Miller, which struck down tests for political candidates in Georgia.
LP - I guess those great men and women in Talahassee are just really opposed to peeing into a cup.
Stratfor Emails Published By WikiLeaks Reveal Private Intelligence
Stratfor Emails Published By WikiLeaks Reveal Private Intelligence
LONDON — Private intelligence firm Stratfor is in the business of shedding light on the world for its many clients. On Monday, anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks was the one shedding light on Stratfor, saying it had more than 5 million of the company's emails and would publish them in collaboration with two dozen international media organizations.
The small selection so far published on WikiLeaks' website gives a look at the daily routine of the Texas-based think tank, whose clients range from local universities to global megacorporations. One described a $6,000-a-month payment made to a Middle Eastern source, another carried bits of gossip dropped by a retired spy, and many were filled with off-color office banter.
An initial examination of the emails turned up a mix of the innocuous and the embarrassing, but WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange promised more explosive material in the coming weeks.
LP - This is just days after the New York Times declared Wikileaks dead. Here's another scoop for the grey lady the Titantic might not be seaworthy.
LONDON — Private intelligence firm Stratfor is in the business of shedding light on the world for its many clients. On Monday, anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks was the one shedding light on Stratfor, saying it had more than 5 million of the company's emails and would publish them in collaboration with two dozen international media organizations.
The small selection so far published on WikiLeaks' website gives a look at the daily routine of the Texas-based think tank, whose clients range from local universities to global megacorporations. One described a $6,000-a-month payment made to a Middle Eastern source, another carried bits of gossip dropped by a retired spy, and many were filled with off-color office banter.
An initial examination of the emails turned up a mix of the innocuous and the embarrassing, but WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange promised more explosive material in the coming weeks.
LP - This is just days after the New York Times declared Wikileaks dead. Here's another scoop for the grey lady the Titantic might not be seaworthy.
Richard Dreyfuss Post-Oscars Rant (with Subtitles)
I like the Koch Brothers comment and the announcer has no idea what he's talking about.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Jill Sobule: They Want our America back. What the f--K does it mean?
The lyrics from netroots are here:
They say we want our America back
Our America back
Our America back
When they say we want our America back
What the f--k do they mean?
Remember the Garden of Eden
Before Eve hung out with that snake?
You could walk down the street
And not worry about thieves
All the kids could go trick or treating
Then those foreigners started comin' in
Like those Germans in 1790
Then the Irish arrived, the potato blight
The neighborhood started changing
Life was better
We lived right
Life had a paler shade of white
When they say we want our America back
We want our America back
Before there was Ellis Island
And that statue we got from the French
And that's whore's still alerting
The strangers she's flirting
Inviting them into our beds
The Guineas, the coolies, the wetbacks, the Jews
The gays and the terrorists
And who let in that woman looks after my kids
And the one who is cleaning my nest
Life was righteous
Life was clean
Send them back including me
When they say they want our America back
Our America back, our America back
When they say they want our America back
What the f--k does it mean?
Before the gays had the agenda
Before the slaves were free
Before that man from Kenya
Took the presidency
We want our America back
Our America back
Our America back
When they say they want our America back
What the f--k do they mean?
I wish I could say this suprising. Greece needs to choose between their oil or the banks who own them
Controversy over Iran cutting oil flow to Greece — RT
Iran has denied a shipment of crude oil to Greece, Fars news agency reported on Sunday. However, according to ISNA, an Iranian oil industry official has rejected the report, saying there had been no changes in Iranian oil shipment schedule.
A Greek oil tanker, denied loading of the expected 500,000 barrels of oil in Iran, has returned home, the Fars report says. The shipment was meant for Hellenic Petroleum refinery. The refinery official, however, denied that the company was refused any oil shipments from Iran.
“That has nothing to do with us … all supplies from Iran have been processed normally,” the official said, as cited by Reuters.
... According to some reports, over 50 per cent of all oil imported in Greece in 2011 was of Iranian origin. By comparison, in 2010 that amount was only about 16 per cent, while 46 per cent was imported from Russia.
...If Iran indeed halts oil shipments to Greece that would not be a “checkmate”, but certainly a “check” to the whole of Europe, believes strategy consultant Gonzalo Lira.
“In this chess game that is being played between the West and Iran, Iran has just made a brilliant move,” Lira told RT.
The interruption of oil flow from Iran will be catastrophic for Greece, but it will be just as bad for other European countries’ economies, and specifically the European banks, says Lira. Greece has no means to pay off its debt before March 20 deadline and at the same time pay for oil from Saudi Arabia or Russia, who refuse to give Greece any oil except in exchange for hard currency.
“[Greece] has been getting this oil at incredibly favorable terms from Iran. Iran has been essentially giving free oil to Greece,” he explained.
LP - Who could have predicted this?
Iran has denied a shipment of crude oil to Greece, Fars news agency reported on Sunday. However, according to ISNA, an Iranian oil industry official has rejected the report, saying there had been no changes in Iranian oil shipment schedule.
A Greek oil tanker, denied loading of the expected 500,000 barrels of oil in Iran, has returned home, the Fars report says. The shipment was meant for Hellenic Petroleum refinery. The refinery official, however, denied that the company was refused any oil shipments from Iran.
“That has nothing to do with us … all supplies from Iran have been processed normally,” the official said, as cited by Reuters.
... According to some reports, over 50 per cent of all oil imported in Greece in 2011 was of Iranian origin. By comparison, in 2010 that amount was only about 16 per cent, while 46 per cent was imported from Russia.
...If Iran indeed halts oil shipments to Greece that would not be a “checkmate”, but certainly a “check” to the whole of Europe, believes strategy consultant Gonzalo Lira.
“In this chess game that is being played between the West and Iran, Iran has just made a brilliant move,” Lira told RT.
The interruption of oil flow from Iran will be catastrophic for Greece, but it will be just as bad for other European countries’ economies, and specifically the European banks, says Lira. Greece has no means to pay off its debt before March 20 deadline and at the same time pay for oil from Saudi Arabia or Russia, who refuse to give Greece any oil except in exchange for hard currency.
“[Greece] has been getting this oil at incredibly favorable terms from Iran. Iran has been essentially giving free oil to Greece,” he explained.
LP - Who could have predicted this?
Welcome to the Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration Website
Welcome to the Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration Website
This is the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie July 14, 1012.
This is the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie July 14, 1012.
You wonder what's wrong with education in America here's hint: it can't be tested
Santorum embraces ignorance. It's a shame he ever went to college and was indoctrinated by liberal professors who helped him get to the US congress rather than if he had gone right into a steel mill where he could be unemployed and indoctrinated by Fox.
German Tax Collectors Are Volunteering For Duty In Greece, Uninvited
German Tax Collectors Are Volunteering For Duty In Greece, Uninvited
More than 160 German tax collectors have volunteered for possible assignments in Greece to help the struggling Mediterranean country gather tax more efficiently, the Finance Ministry in Berlin said on Saturday.
The offer risks fuelling resentment among Greeks who have already reacted angrily to earlier German calls for the appointment of a "budget commissioner" to monitor the Greek government's management of its finances.
German media published news of the possible tax advice mission two days before the German parliament is due to vote on whether to endorse a new 130 billion euro ($175 billion) bailout package for Greece.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/german-tax-collectors-are-volunteering-for-duty-in-greece-2012-2#ixzz1nWo8hfFG
More than 160 German tax collectors have volunteered for possible assignments in Greece to help the struggling Mediterranean country gather tax more efficiently, the Finance Ministry in Berlin said on Saturday.
The offer risks fuelling resentment among Greeks who have already reacted angrily to earlier German calls for the appointment of a "budget commissioner" to monitor the Greek government's management of its finances.
German media published news of the possible tax advice mission two days before the German parliament is due to vote on whether to endorse a new 130 billion euro ($175 billion) bailout package for Greece.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/german-tax-collectors-are-volunteering-for-duty-in-greece-2012-2#ixzz1nWo8hfFG
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New York City Teacher Ratings: Teacher Data Reports Publicly Released Amid Controversy
New York City Teacher Ratings: Teacher Data Reports Publicly Released Amid Controversy
The New York City Department of Education released today a list of individual ratings of thousands of the city's schoolteachers, a move that concludes a lengthy legal battle waged by the local teachers' union and media.
The Teacher Data Reports rate more than 12,000 teachers who taught fourth through eighth grade English or math between 2007 and 2010 based on value-added analysis. Value-added analysis calculates a teacher's effectiveness in improving student performance on standardized tests -- based on past test scores. The forecasted figure is compared to the student's actual scores, and the difference is considered the "value added," or subtracted, by the teachers.
LP - There should also be a listening of the politician and what the grades are like in their districts. Then for Bloomberg how New York compares against other cities. Why do the politicians get free rides?
The New York City Department of Education released today a list of individual ratings of thousands of the city's schoolteachers, a move that concludes a lengthy legal battle waged by the local teachers' union and media.
The Teacher Data Reports rate more than 12,000 teachers who taught fourth through eighth grade English or math between 2007 and 2010 based on value-added analysis. Value-added analysis calculates a teacher's effectiveness in improving student performance on standardized tests -- based on past test scores. The forecasted figure is compared to the student's actual scores, and the difference is considered the "value added," or subtracted, by the teachers.
LP - There should also be a listening of the politician and what the grades are like in their districts. Then for Bloomberg how New York compares against other cities. Why do the politicians get free rides?
Tucker Carlson Calls For Annihilation Of Iran
Where's the bow tie Tucker. I wouldn't use all our weapon and he'd be on the first wave of the invasion force.
Friday, February 24, 2012
In honor of the Republican Debates: Genesis - Jesus He Knows Me (1991)
Jesus knows me and he knows I'm right. I've been talking to Jesus...
Don’t tell us it’s not a class war - The Globe and Mail
Don’t tell us it’s not a class war - The Globe and Mail
The entire world seems to be one huge advertisement for The Shock Doctrine. Naomi Klein showed in her revelatory book how the corporate-political-military-media complex exploits crises to further impose their harsh right-wing agenda – even when they themselves created the crisis. In a sane world, the economic meltdown and deep recession of the past four years would have led at minimum to stringent regulation of financiers and speculators plus programs to assist their victims. But in this world, you have to be nuts to believe in a sane world.
In reality, everything that’s happened in the past several years has gone to further empower and enrich the 1 per cent (or maybe the 5 per cent) at the expense of the rest of us. Look anywhere you want. What else does the universal demand for austerity programs mean? What else does the sudden concerted attack on public sector workers mean? What else does the intransigent line taken by multinational corporations against their unions mean? What else does the demand for “right-to-work” laws mean? What else does the widespread attack on seniors’ pensions mean?
The entire world seems to be one huge advertisement for The Shock Doctrine. Naomi Klein showed in her revelatory book how the corporate-political-military-media complex exploits crises to further impose their harsh right-wing agenda – even when they themselves created the crisis. In a sane world, the economic meltdown and deep recession of the past four years would have led at minimum to stringent regulation of financiers and speculators plus programs to assist their victims. But in this world, you have to be nuts to believe in a sane world.
In reality, everything that’s happened in the past several years has gone to further empower and enrich the 1 per cent (or maybe the 5 per cent) at the expense of the rest of us. Look anywhere you want. What else does the universal demand for austerity programs mean? What else does the sudden concerted attack on public sector workers mean? What else does the intransigent line taken by multinational corporations against their unions mean? What else does the demand for “right-to-work” laws mean? What else does the widespread attack on seniors’ pensions mean?
Wall Street speculators drive up price of gas. Not doubt Occupy Wall Street is to blame somewhere.
From Steve thanks.
I thought it was Iran being threatened that automatically raised the price or there not being enough holes in the US
From Steve thanks.
I thought it was Iran being threatened that automatically raised the price or there not being enough holes in the US
During Mitt Romney's DEC Speech, CSPAN Pans The 65K Empty Seats at Ford ...
Mitt Romney packs them in. Some highlights of the speech.
“I drive a Mustang and Chevy pickup truck,” he said. “Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs, actually. I used to have a Dodge truck, so I used to have all three [Detroit manufacturers] covered.”
...Romney even joked about the cavernous space.
“I want to thank Ford Field for making room for us,” he said to laughs from the crowd.
Joe Walsh: Fighting for Millionaires
Thanks Jerry,
This is what happens when the Tea Party comes to town and get to elect people who take positions that hurt their own constituency. Next year they'll want to hand them their tax money because they're sick to death of Washington taking all their money. PS - The lady he is arguing with who pays 25% taxes works for the post office which means she might be soon be out of a job because her so called representative really doesn't represent her at all.
The non-Wisconsin residents that are the power behind Scott Walker's throne
The Koch brothers are weighing in on the Wisconsin results. They make 13 million a day are awful concerned with public employees who are breaking the budget at in some case 40,000 a year. You see homes in Florida, New York, Colorado, Kansas, a play house for their children that could easily be a real house for Wisconsin families, their own yacht ... The question is why are these non-Wisconsin residents so concerned with what goes on in Wisconsin and should every election just be for sale.
The Czar of Wisconsin doesn't seem to remember how many homes he has. Maybe he;s so forgetful because he just is thinking what is in Wisconsin't best interest
Wisconsin Dems File Complaint With State Against David Koch | TPM2012
Wisconsin Dems File Complaint With State Against David Koch TPM2012
The Wisconsin Democrats are taking aim at one of their biggest opponents in the state’s recall elections. No, not just Republican Gov. Scott Walker — but conservative financier David Koch, and his organization Americans For Prosperity. But whether they will actually succeed in the latest front is another question.
Specifically, the Dems announced on a conference call with reporters Thursday that they were filing a complaint with the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, and also forwarding a copy to the Internal Revenue Service at the federal level. The complaint involves statements that Koch made to a newspaper — and his organization’s official non-profit, non-partisan status.
“We’re helping him, as we should. We’ve gotten pretty good at this over the years,” Koch told the Palm Beach Post in a profile story published this past weekend. “We’ve spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We’re going to spend more.”
“These organizations are a farce,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate, referring to AFP’s 501(c)(3) status, as well as that of a state level conservative organization the MacIver Institute. “This designation allows an organization to accept tax-deductible contributions and further provides that they are not required to disclose their donors, nor are they required to report their spending until after an election has taken place.”
The Wisconsin Democrats are taking aim at one of their biggest opponents in the state’s recall elections. No, not just Republican Gov. Scott Walker — but conservative financier David Koch, and his organization Americans For Prosperity. But whether they will actually succeed in the latest front is another question.
Specifically, the Dems announced on a conference call with reporters Thursday that they were filing a complaint with the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, and also forwarding a copy to the Internal Revenue Service at the federal level. The complaint involves statements that Koch made to a newspaper — and his organization’s official non-profit, non-partisan status.
“We’re helping him, as we should. We’ve gotten pretty good at this over the years,” Koch told the Palm Beach Post in a profile story published this past weekend. “We’ve spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We’re going to spend more.”
“These organizations are a farce,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate, referring to AFP’s 501(c)(3) status, as well as that of a state level conservative organization the MacIver Institute. “This designation allows an organization to accept tax-deductible contributions and further provides that they are not required to disclose their donors, nor are they required to report their spending until after an election has taken place.”
Thursday, February 23, 2012
U.S. Postal Service to Cut 35,000 Jobs as Plants Are Shut - Bloomberg
U.S. Postal Service to Cut 35,000 Jobs as Plants Are Shut - Bloomberg
The U.S. Postal Service, which predicts an annual loss of $18.2 billion by 2015, plans to eliminate 5.4 percent of its workforce by closing almost half its mail-processing facilities to decrease costs.
The service plans to shut 223 of its 461 mail-processing plants by February 2013, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a telephone interview today. The closings will cut about 35,000 jobs, said David Partenheimer, a spokesman.
The service is shutting post offices and seeking congressional approval to end Saturday mail delivery as more people use the Internet to correspond and pay bills. Mail volume fell 6 percent in the quarter ended Dec. 31 and may drop 14 percent by 2016, led by declines in first-class mail, the most profitable, the Washington-based service said this month.
LP - Daryll Issa deserves at least some credit for killing the post office.
The U.S. Postal Service, which predicts an annual loss of $18.2 billion by 2015, plans to eliminate 5.4 percent of its workforce by closing almost half its mail-processing facilities to decrease costs.
The service plans to shut 223 of its 461 mail-processing plants by February 2013, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a telephone interview today. The closings will cut about 35,000 jobs, said David Partenheimer, a spokesman.
The service is shutting post offices and seeking congressional approval to end Saturday mail delivery as more people use the Internet to correspond and pay bills. Mail volume fell 6 percent in the quarter ended Dec. 31 and may drop 14 percent by 2016, led by declines in first-class mail, the most profitable, the Washington-based service said this month.
LP - Daryll Issa deserves at least some credit for killing the post office.
Arizona Debate: Conservative Chickens Come Home to Roost | Matt Taibbi | Rolling Stone
Arizona Debate: Conservative Chickens Come Home to Roost Matt Taibbi Rolling Stone
No, it was while watching the debates last night that it finally hit me: This is justice. What we have here are chickens coming home to roost. It's as if all of the American public's bad habits and perverse obsessions are all coming back to haunt Republican voters in this race: The lack of attention span, the constant demand for instant gratification, the abject hunger for negativity, the utter lack of backbone or constancy (we change our loyalties at the drop of a hat, all it takes is a clever TV ad): these things are all major factors in the spiraling Republican disaster.
Most importantly, though, the conservative passion for divisive, partisan, bomb-tossing politics is threatening to permanently cripple the Republican party. They long ago became more about pointing fingers than about ideology, and it's finally ruining them.Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/arizona-debate-conservative-chickens-come-home-to-roost-20120223#ixzz1nGcNSizz
No, it was while watching the debates last night that it finally hit me: This is justice. What we have here are chickens coming home to roost. It's as if all of the American public's bad habits and perverse obsessions are all coming back to haunt Republican voters in this race: The lack of attention span, the constant demand for instant gratification, the abject hunger for negativity, the utter lack of backbone or constancy (we change our loyalties at the drop of a hat, all it takes is a clever TV ad): these things are all major factors in the spiraling Republican disaster.
Most importantly, though, the conservative passion for divisive, partisan, bomb-tossing politics is threatening to permanently cripple the Republican party. They long ago became more about pointing fingers than about ideology, and it's finally ruining them.Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/arizona-debate-conservative-chickens-come-home-to-roost-20120223#ixzz1nGcNSizz
Union sues to block Indiana right-to-work law - CBS News
Union sues to block Indiana right-to-work law - CBS News
Among other things, the union claims the law violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by treating building and construction workers and public workers differently from others. The law's provisions regarding construction trades took effect immediately, impairing existing contracts, the union said. Public employees aren't allowed to opt out of union membership to the same degree as private-sector worker, the union said.
"No legitimate state interest is served by requiring public sector employees to subsidize the cost of representation services for private sector employees who refuse to pay any fees to the Union," the lawsuit said.
Union members had protested that the law unfairly makes union members who pay dues also pay for the representation of non-union members who choose to opt out under the new law.
Among other things, the union claims the law violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by treating building and construction workers and public workers differently from others. The law's provisions regarding construction trades took effect immediately, impairing existing contracts, the union said. Public employees aren't allowed to opt out of union membership to the same degree as private-sector worker, the union said.
"No legitimate state interest is served by requiring public sector employees to subsidize the cost of representation services for private sector employees who refuse to pay any fees to the Union," the lawsuit said.
Union members had protested that the law unfairly makes union members who pay dues also pay for the representation of non-union members who choose to opt out under the new law.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Super PAC Contributions Overwhelmingly Concentrated Among Few Donors
Super PAC Contributions Overwhelmingly Concentrated Among Few Donors
Super PACs, the political groups flexing their muscles in a presidential race for the first time, are disproportionately funded by a handful of donors.
USA Today analyzed super PAC donations since Jan. 1, 2011, and found that one out of every four dollars came from just five spectacularly wealthy donors -- Harold Simmons, owner of Contran; Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam; Houston home builder Bob Perry and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. All of the donors donated to Republican-leaning groups.
In a similar vein, the Associated Press found that of the $60 million collected by candidate-aligned super PACs, $33 million came from just 24 individuals. Every presidential candidate, including President Barack Obama, has a donor who has made a contribution of $1 million or more to his aligned super PAC.
Super PACs, the political groups flexing their muscles in a presidential race for the first time, are disproportionately funded by a handful of donors.
USA Today analyzed super PAC donations since Jan. 1, 2011, and found that one out of every four dollars came from just five spectacularly wealthy donors -- Harold Simmons, owner of Contran; Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam; Houston home builder Bob Perry and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. All of the donors donated to Republican-leaning groups.
In a similar vein, the Associated Press found that of the $60 million collected by candidate-aligned super PACs, $33 million came from just 24 individuals. Every presidential candidate, including President Barack Obama, has a donor who has made a contribution of $1 million or more to his aligned super PAC.
Funeral Service for Jobs Killed by Bain/Romney
Dozens Gather at Copley Funeral to Mourn Jobs Killed by Bain-Romney
Unemployed workers, faith and community leaders eulogize the untimely deaths of family-supporting jobs at the hands of Romney’s Bain Capital, LLC
BOSTON, MA – Dozens of unemployed workers, faith and community leaders gathered outside the John Hancock Tower this afternoon to mark the untimely death of thousands of family-supporting jobs at the hands of Bain Capital, LLC. The Funeral for American Jobs came as Bain’s founder and former CEO, Mitt Romney, struggles to regain front-runner status in the Republican presidential primary.
View video from the funeral service here: http://bit.ly/xw73db, with additional photos attached.
“This is a sad day – not only for the unemployed in Massachusetts, but for the entire American economy,” said Pastor William Dickerson of Dorchester, who officiated the funeral service. “It is with heavy hearts that we gather to memorialize the senseless death of so many American jobs at the hands of a cold, heartless entity.”
Following a brief sermon, Dickerson led several dozen mourners in prayer for the jobs lost and families affected by the actions of the Romney-led private equity firm. Additional eulogies were presented by unemployed Boston-area workers – each holding the tombstone of a company bankrupted by Bain. One by one, somber mourners called out the names of the companies that have fallen at Bain’s hand, documenting the plant closures and mass layoffs that crippled communities as Romney’s firm walked away with millions.
“Mitt Romney and Bain Capital are killing jobs for profit, plain and simple,” said Olivé Hendricks, an unemployed Roslindale resident. “There’s nothing wrong with capitalism, but companies like Bain have rigged the system –they’re getting rich while the rest of us suffer because of their actions.”
Romney has used his experience as founder and CEO of Bain to claim the “job creator” mantle in his campaign for president. But media reports of his 15-year tenure paint an entirely different picture– showing a record of plant closures, bankruptcies and mass layoffs. Republican primary opponents, including Rick Santorum, have used Romney’s record at Bain to effectively halt the former front-runner’s momentum in recent weeks.
“Thousands of families have lost their jobs, their homes, and their life savings because of Romney and Bain’s unchecked greed,” said Paulette Robinson-Morrison, who came from Dorchester to mourn the passing of middle-class jobs. “The futures of our kids and grandkids have been destroyed because of companies like Bain, and people deserve to know the truth about Romney’s record there.”
Mourners went on to distribute informational leaflets on the Bain-Romney record outside the company's Hancock Tower headquarters.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Iranian War Is Imminent.mp4
This is an awesome video as to the overall history of US and Iran.
General Herbert Swartzkoff who helped train the Shah's forces in Tehran
His son in Iraq
Of course Rumsfeld with his old buddy
Iran needs to stop threatening the international community brought to you by the US military fifty years of unjustified wars.
Occupy Movement Targets Corporate Interest Group with Ties to Legislators | Common Dreams
Occupy Movement Targets Corporate Interest Group with Ties to Legislators Common Dreams
A coalition of Occupy groups, led by Occupy Portland in Oregon, is calling on people "to target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)" with direct actions and public events later this month. The Occupy groups, organizing under the banner Shut Down the Corporations, sees ALEC as the "prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people." ALEC was instrumental in creating the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin last year and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona, among many other measures pushed or passed in state houses across the country. ALEC uses its large coffers and wealthy membership to spread free-market, corporate-friendly laws around the country.
A coalition of Occupy groups, led by Occupy Portland in Oregon, is calling on people "to target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)" with direct actions and public events later this month. The Occupy groups, organizing under the banner Shut Down the Corporations, sees ALEC as the "prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people." ALEC was instrumental in creating the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin last year and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona, among many other measures pushed or passed in state houses across the country. ALEC uses its large coffers and wealthy membership to spread free-market, corporate-friendly laws around the country.
Daily Kos: David Koch on Walker recall: 'We've spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We're going to spend more.'
Daily Kos: David Koch on Walker recall: 'We've spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We're going to spend more.'
Asked about his efforts to sway public opinion, [David] Koch acknowledges his group is hard at work in places such as Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker is facing off with public unions and grappling with a likely recall vote.
"We're helping him, as we should. We've gotten pretty good at this over the years," he says. "We've spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We're going to spend more."
"What Scott Walker is doing with the public unions in Wisconsin is critically important. He's an impressive guy and he's very courageous," Koch says after a benefit dinner of salmon and white wine. "If the unions win the recall, there will be no stopping union power."
LP - The real Koch Brothers try to buy Wisconsin's governor just like the fake one did.
Asked about his efforts to sway public opinion, [David] Koch acknowledges his group is hard at work in places such as Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker is facing off with public unions and grappling with a likely recall vote.
"We're helping him, as we should. We've gotten pretty good at this over the years," he says. "We've spent a lot of money in Wisconsin. We're going to spend more."
"What Scott Walker is doing with the public unions in Wisconsin is critically important. He's an impressive guy and he's very courageous," Koch says after a benefit dinner of salmon and white wine. "If the unions win the recall, there will be no stopping union power."
LP - The real Koch Brothers try to buy Wisconsin's governor just like the fake one did.
Mass Uniting plans on holding a funeral for Bain Capital in Boston
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Wednesday, February 22, 2012 @ 12:00PM
Contact: Jason A Stephany, (617) 286-4430,jason@massuniting.org
Funeral for American Jobs to be Held Outside Bain Capital Headquarters WEDNESDAY
Unemployed workers, Occupiers, faith and community leaders to eulogize untimely death of the family-supporting jobs at the hands of Romney-led firm
VISUALS: Funeral service for American jobs outside Bain HQ -- complete with coffins, tombstones, pall bearers and live trumpet rendition of ‘Taps’
BOSTON, MA – Unemployed workers, Occupiers, faith and community leaders will gather Wednesday at noon to mark the untimely death of thousands of family-supporting jobs at the hands of Bain Capital. The Funeral for American Jobs comes as Bain’s former CEO, Mitt Romney, struggles to regain front-runner status in the Republican presidential primary.
The funeral service will be officiated by Pastor William Dickerson, with eulogies presented by unemployed Boston-area workers and allies mourning the thousands of jobs that have been effectively killed by the company Mitt Romney led for more than 15 years. Community leaders will serve as pall bearers for the victims’coffins as they are prepared for burial in front of the Bain Headquarters – in full view of those whose callous actions led to their demise. Tombstones will mark the resting places of nearly a dozen more companies that have fallen at Bain’s hand, along with the jobs that passed away with them.
“This is a sad day – not only for the unemployed in Massachusetts, but for the entire American economy,” said Pastor William Dickerson of Dorchester. “It is with heavy hearts that we gather to memorialize the senseless death of so many American jobs at the hands of one heartless entity.”
Romney has used his experience as CEO of Bain to claim the “job creator” mantle in his campaign for president. But media reports of his tenure at Bain paint an entirely different picture – showing a record of plant closures, bankruptcies and mass layoffs. Republican primary opponents, including Rick Santorum, have used Romney’s record at Bain to effectively halt the front-runner’s momentum in recent weeks.
WHAT: Funeral Service for American Jobs Destroyed by Bain Capital
WHO: Unemployed Massachusetts workers, faith and community leaders memorializing American Jobs and the Middle Class
WHEN: Wednesday, February 22 – 12:00 PM
WHERE: Outside the Headquarters of Bain Capital
200 Clarendon Street – Boston, MA
- ### -
--
Jason A Stephany
Communications Director
MASSUNITING
617.286.4430 office
608.444.0060 cell
www.MassUniting.org
Monday, February 20, 2012
MN. Gov, Dayton calls out ALEC
“Three of the four bills come right from this manual. Tort Reform Boot Camp, published by the American Legislative exchange council, or ALEC.”
The organization often holds seminars for conservative state legislators across the nation, and provides model legislation that reflects a public policy agenda.
“It is an extremely conservative group funded largely by large corporations, big business associations, insurance companies and very wealthy individuals,” Dayton remarked…
“I’ve found that Minnesotans do not want their laws written by the lobbyists of big corporations.”
Around 13 minute mark.
Santorum bashes public schools, says they're stuck in factory era - wtvr
Santorum bashes public schools, says they're stuck in factory era - wtvr
In his remarks to the Ohio Christian Alliance, however, Santorum went further, seeming to attack the very idea of public education.
In the nation’s past, he said, “Most presidents homeschooled their children in the White House.… Parents educated their children because it was their responsibility.”
“Yes, the government can help,” he continued, “but the idea that the federal government should be running schools, frankly much less that the state government should be running schools, is anachronistic.”
He said it is an artifact of the Industrial Revolution, “when people came off the farms where they did homeschool or had a little neighborhood school, and into these big factories … called public schools.”
In his remarks to the Ohio Christian Alliance, however, Santorum went further, seeming to attack the very idea of public education.
In the nation’s past, he said, “Most presidents homeschooled their children in the White House.… Parents educated their children because it was their responsibility.”
“Yes, the government can help,” he continued, “but the idea that the federal government should be running schools, frankly much less that the state government should be running schools, is anachronistic.”
He said it is an artifact of the Industrial Revolution, “when people came off the farms where they did homeschool or had a little neighborhood school, and into these big factories … called public schools.”
Business forum: Regulation and tax equity protect free markets | StarTribune.com
Business forum: Regulation and tax equity protect free markets StarTribune.com
Congressional and industry opponents of financial reform and tax reform make two curious arguments.
They insist that the mere spectre of financial re-regulation and greater tax burdens for the wealthy have reduced business profits and created a climate of uncertainty that discourages hiring.
So far they have succeeded in delaying implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms and stymied reasoned discussion about making taxation fair to the broad middle class of Americans.
The profits degradation argument is demonstrably false. Business profits boomed in 2010 and 2011. While it is true that the bottom-line results of banks have settled down from their feverish pace earlier in the decade, this hasn't been due to the reality (or threat) of regulation or taxation, but to a wide range of domestic and international economic problems.
Congressional and industry opponents of financial reform and tax reform make two curious arguments.
They insist that the mere spectre of financial re-regulation and greater tax burdens for the wealthy have reduced business profits and created a climate of uncertainty that discourages hiring.
So far they have succeeded in delaying implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms and stymied reasoned discussion about making taxation fair to the broad middle class of Americans.
The profits degradation argument is demonstrably false. Business profits boomed in 2010 and 2011. While it is true that the bottom-line results of banks have settled down from their feverish pace earlier in the decade, this hasn't been due to the reality (or threat) of regulation or taxation, but to a wide range of domestic and international economic problems.
Readers in Arizona a new recall effort is under way in Arizona
The assault on labor continues across the country. In Arizona, there is a recall effort to get rid of Jan Brewer, Please feel free to pass it along or link to it.
http://recallbrewer.com/
http://recallbrewer.com/
Now is your chance to join Wisconsin 1848 (the made up union identified by Politico)
Politico which has wrongly identified the Wisconsin state flag as being a union flag. What would you expect from "a news site"?
http://www.afscme.org/wi-local-1848
http://www.afscme.org/wi-local-1848
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Christ Hayes on Occupy SEC: very interesting
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
LP - Thanks to Jerry for turning me on to this post.Greeks Rally Against Final Wave of Austerity | Common Dreams
Greeks Rally Against Final Wave of Austerity Common Dreams
[...] "Poverty and Hunger Have No Nationality," read one banner carried by demonstrators on Syntagma square outside parliament.
..."We are ashamed of our politicians, aren't you?" said a banner in orange, the color of a new party calling itself Creation Again.
"The measures are the worst thing that could have happened. It is outrageous. All the people are suffering. Shortly we will be asking ourselves where the bread is?" said pensioner Christos Artemis.
- from Al Jazeera
Everyone should take to the streets"-taxicab owner Gregoris Militis
- from Agence France-Presse
[...] "Poverty and Hunger Have No Nationality," read one banner carried by demonstrators on Syntagma square outside parliament.
..."We are ashamed of our politicians, aren't you?" said a banner in orange, the color of a new party calling itself Creation Again.
"The measures are the worst thing that could have happened. It is outrageous. All the people are suffering. Shortly we will be asking ourselves where the bread is?" said pensioner Christos Artemis.
- from Al Jazeera
Everyone should take to the streets"-taxicab owner Gregoris Militis
- from Agence France-Presse
Iran cuts off oil supplies to Britain, France — RT
Iran cuts off oil supplies to Britain, France — RT
The decision is not expected to have a big impact, as France only bought three percent of its oil − 58,000 barrels a day − from the Islamic republic last year, and Britain buys less than 1 per cent.
But it was seen as a warning shot to other EU nations that are bigger consumers of Iranian oil, including Italy, Spain and Greece. The latter would be the most affected, should Iran go ahead with the cuts, as crisis-hit Greece gets more that 30 percent of its oil needs from the Islamic Republic.
As a whole, the bloc currently buys about 18% of Iran's oil exports. Iran is the world’s 4th largest oil supplier, with China, India and Japan its largest buyers.
The decision is not expected to have a big impact, as France only bought three percent of its oil − 58,000 barrels a day − from the Islamic republic last year, and Britain buys less than 1 per cent.
But it was seen as a warning shot to other EU nations that are bigger consumers of Iranian oil, including Italy, Spain and Greece. The latter would be the most affected, should Iran go ahead with the cuts, as crisis-hit Greece gets more that 30 percent of its oil needs from the Islamic Republic.
As a whole, the bloc currently buys about 18% of Iran's oil exports. Iran is the world’s 4th largest oil supplier, with China, India and Japan its largest buyers.
Occupy The SEC Marches In Support Of A Strong Volcker Rule#es_share_ended#es_share_ended#es_share_ended
Occupy The SEC Marches In Support Of A Strong Volcker Rule#es_share_ended#es_share_ended#es_share_ended
NEW YORK -- A crowd of some 60 people were milling outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Financial District Monday afternoon. They listened to Alexis Goldstein, a small woman with a voice that bounced off the buildings.
"We are here today to send a message to the Fed, to the SEC," Goldstein announced, the crowd echoing her words in a call-and-response pattern made familiar by the Occupy Wall Street movement. "Protect the public, not the banks."
"Yes to Volcker, not the vultures!" someone called back.
They were part of one of the latest and most sophisticated attempts yet by OWS protesters to influence the political dialogue. Goldstein is one of the core members of a group known as Occupy the SEC, a collective that includes lawyers and people with years of financial industry experience -- such as Goldstein herself, who has worked in technology at a number of Wall Street firms. The group, which takes its name from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, had organized this rally in lower Manhattan to focus attention on a key piece of financial regulation.
NEW YORK -- A crowd of some 60 people were milling outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Financial District Monday afternoon. They listened to Alexis Goldstein, a small woman with a voice that bounced off the buildings.
"We are here today to send a message to the Fed, to the SEC," Goldstein announced, the crowd echoing her words in a call-and-response pattern made familiar by the Occupy Wall Street movement. "Protect the public, not the banks."
"Yes to Volcker, not the vultures!" someone called back.
They were part of one of the latest and most sophisticated attempts yet by OWS protesters to influence the political dialogue. Goldstein is one of the core members of a group known as Occupy the SEC, a collective that includes lawyers and people with years of financial industry experience -- such as Goldstein herself, who has worked in technology at a number of Wall Street firms. The group, which takes its name from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, had organized this rally in lower Manhattan to focus attention on a key piece of financial regulation.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
How the 1% Exploits America: Rob Walton, Walmart
LP - Particularly like passing off the cost for their employees onto the public. Nice touch.
Bruce Springsteen discusses "Wrecking Ball"
LP - Springsteen on the road in Europe with Wrecking Ball tour.
Longshore Workers say Occupy 'Crucial' in Union Settlement | Occupy America
Longshore Workers say Occupy 'Crucial' in Union Settlement Occupy America
“This is a victory for Occupy in their involvement in forcing negotiations. Make no mistake – the solidarity and organization between the Occupy Movement and the Longshoremen won this contract,” said Jack Mulcahy, ILWU officer with Local 8. “The mobilization of the Occupy Movement across the country, particularly in Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Longview were a critical element in bringing EGT to the bargaining table and forcing a settlement with ILWU local 21.”
“This is a victory for Occupy in their involvement in forcing negotiations. Make no mistake – the solidarity and organization between the Occupy Movement and the Longshoremen won this contract,” said Jack Mulcahy, ILWU officer with Local 8. “The mobilization of the Occupy Movement across the country, particularly in Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Longview were a critical element in bringing EGT to the bargaining table and forcing a settlement with ILWU local 21.”
Activists, parents 'occupy' school slated for turnaround | WBEZ
Activists, parents 'occupy' school slated for turnaround WBEZ
A group of parents and activists have taken over a West Side Chicago public school, marking a new level of opposition to district plans to close or turn around schools.
Tents were set up Friday evening outside Piccolo Elementary, and parents, students and activists were occupying classrooms on the first floor, with plans to stay there.
The school district wants to completely re-staff the school—firing the principal, teachers and ancillary staff like the lunch ladies.
All the students would continue at Piccolo, which would be run by the nonprofit Academy for Urban School Leadership, a teacher training academy with close ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration. AUSL specializes in turning around failing schools. In all, the district is proposing to completely re-staff a record 10 schools by fall
LP - This is the level of opposition we need to keep control of our school and out of the hands of our politicians.
A group of parents and activists have taken over a West Side Chicago public school, marking a new level of opposition to district plans to close or turn around schools.
Tents were set up Friday evening outside Piccolo Elementary, and parents, students and activists were occupying classrooms on the first floor, with plans to stay there.
The school district wants to completely re-staff the school—firing the principal, teachers and ancillary staff like the lunch ladies.
All the students would continue at Piccolo, which would be run by the nonprofit Academy for Urban School Leadership, a teacher training academy with close ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration. AUSL specializes in turning around failing schools. In all, the district is proposing to completely re-staff a record 10 schools by fall
LP - This is the level of opposition we need to keep control of our school and out of the hands of our politicians.
Bruce Springsteen: 'What was done to my country was un-American' | Music | guardian.co.uk
Bruce Springsteen: 'What was done to my country was un-American' Music guardian.co.uk
"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," Springsteen told the conference, where the album was aired for the first time. It was written, he claimed, not just out of fury but out of patriotism, a patriotism traduced...
"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," Springsteen told the conference, where the album was aired for the first time. It was written, he claimed, not just out of fury but out of patriotism, a patriotism traduced...
"Previous to Occupy Wall Street, there was no push back at all saying this was outrageous – a basic theft that struck at the heart of what America was about, a complete disregard for the American sense of history and community … In Easy Money the guy is going out to kill and rob, just like the robbery spree that has occurred at the top of the pyramid – he's imitating the guys on Wall Street. An enormous fault line cracked the American system right open whose repercussion we are only starting to be feel.
"Nobody had talked about income inequality in America for decades – apart from John Edwards – but no one was listening. But now you have Newt Gingrich talking about 'vulture capitalism' – Newt Gingrich! – that would not have happened without Occupy Wall Street."
"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," Springsteen told the conference, where the album was aired for the first time. It was written, he claimed, not just out of fury but out of patriotism, a patriotism traduced...
"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," Springsteen told the conference, where the album was aired for the first time. It was written, he claimed, not just out of fury but out of patriotism, a patriotism traduced...
"Previous to Occupy Wall Street, there was no push back at all saying this was outrageous – a basic theft that struck at the heart of what America was about, a complete disregard for the American sense of history and community … In Easy Money the guy is going out to kill and rob, just like the robbery spree that has occurred at the top of the pyramid – he's imitating the guys on Wall Street. An enormous fault line cracked the American system right open whose repercussion we are only starting to be feel.
"Nobody had talked about income inequality in America for decades – apart from John Edwards – but no one was listening. But now you have Newt Gingrich talking about 'vulture capitalism' – Newt Gingrich! – that would not have happened without Occupy Wall Street."
Friday, February 17, 2012
Supreme Court Blocks Montana Campaign Finance Ban
Supreme Court Blocks Montana Campaign Finance Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Montana Supreme Court's decision upholding the state's century-old ban on corporate political spending.
The ruling Friday evening sets up a possible full-blown U.S. Supreme Court rematch over the 2010 Citizens United decision that allowed unlimited corporate campaign spending. It came in response to an application submitted last week by American Tradition Partnership, a conservative interest group that says it fights "the radical environmentalist agenda," and two companies, seeking to have Montana's ban struck down. A five-member majority of the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United declared that corporations' independent spending in elections does not corrupt -- or even appear to corrupt -- the political process.
The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Montana Supreme Court's decision upholding the state's century-old ban on corporate political spending.
The ruling Friday evening sets up a possible full-blown U.S. Supreme Court rematch over the 2010 Citizens United decision that allowed unlimited corporate campaign spending. It came in response to an application submitted last week by American Tradition Partnership, a conservative interest group that says it fights "the radical environmentalist agenda," and two companies, seeking to have Montana's ban struck down. A five-member majority of the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United declared that corporations' independent spending in elections does not corrupt -- or even appear to corrupt -- the political process.
Foxconn Increases Wages, Raises Pay By 16-25% For Chinese Workers | TechCrunch
Foxconn Increases Wages, Raises Pay By 16-25% For Chinese Workers TechCrunch
Foxconn is under increased scrutiny as of late. The nearly 40-year old company assembles a big portion of the world’s electronic goods but many are questioning its treatment of workers. But nothing calms a troubled soul like cash. The company just released a statement indicating pay raises for Chinese workers just before the Fair Trade Association is set to interview employees about life at Foxconn.
The base pay of junior level worker in Shenzhen is now at 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and, if the worker passes a technical examination, it will be raised to 2,200 yuan. Three years ago the base pay was just 900 yuan per month.
LP - Think it could have anything to do with the negative publicity Apple has gotten lately.
Foxconn is under increased scrutiny as of late. The nearly 40-year old company assembles a big portion of the world’s electronic goods but many are questioning its treatment of workers. But nothing calms a troubled soul like cash. The company just released a statement indicating pay raises for Chinese workers just before the Fair Trade Association is set to interview employees about life at Foxconn.
The base pay of junior level worker in Shenzhen is now at 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and, if the worker passes a technical examination, it will be raised to 2,200 yuan. Three years ago the base pay was just 900 yuan per month.
LP - Think it could have anything to do with the negative publicity Apple has gotten lately.
CNN: Is Iran Planning An Attack In America? Congressman Peter King
Dumb girl gets her own show on CNN. If Iran launched a missile does America have any missiles they could launch to turn the whole country into the 18th hole of a gulf course. Thanks for the useful information CNN. We make up so you can decide.
Christian candidate Santorum comes out in favor of income inequality
During a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday Rick Santorum said income inequality is part of the American system, and it should stay that way.
"There is income inequality in America. There always has been and hopefully, and I do say that, there always will be," said the former Pennsylvania Senator. "Why? Because people rise to different levels of success based on what they contribute to society and to the marketplace and that's as it should be."
Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/02/16/santorum-praises-income-inequality#ixzz1me0lDLwW
"There is income inequality in America. There always has been and hopefully, and I do say that, there always will be," said the former Pennsylvania Senator. "Why? Because people rise to different levels of success based on what they contribute to society and to the marketplace and that's as it should be."
Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/02/16/santorum-praises-income-inequality#ixzz1me0lDLwW
Funny thing happened to Steve Jobs on the way to canonization
I just think about all the crap of Steve Jobs going into heaven to sound of angels. It just makes you want to throw up. He works more than 40 hours net worth seven billion. The people who made his products working more than 40 hours make make $8 for each ipad as opposed to Apple bringing in $150 per ipad.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thursday, February 16, 2012
A tweet from Naomi Klein
v
Naomi Klein
Now that we know Microsoft donates to Heartland and ALEC, r liberals going to stop pretending Bill Gates is a benevolent overlord?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Mass Uniting reenacts from Say Anything with Verizon...Waiting for Verizon's answer
Mass Uniting reenacts the original movie score
ScottWalkerCPACprotest
A recall from his position as Wisconsin's governor could ultimately be the least of Gov. Scott Walker's worry, if a criminal complaint quietly moving forward in the Badger State court system continues on its current trajectory. At the moment, Walker seems to be at the bottom of a mountain where an avalanche is just beginning to roll.
A 51-page criminal complaint [PDF](the "Rindfleisch complaint"), which formally charges Kelly M. Rindfleisch with four felony counts of misconduct in public office, contains factual allegations which implicate a number of individuals, listed as "interested parties," including WI's controversial Republican Governor, in a wide-reaching criminal conspiracy to misuse public employees and resources for partisan political gain.
The Rindfleish complaint was filed in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Jan. 26, 2012 by Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm. It's the product of an ongoing criminal investigation (the "John Doe" investigation) of the Milwaukee County Executive Office during Walker's tenure as County Executive there. The complaint specifically involves the period during which Tim Russell and then Rindfleish served as Walker's Deputy Chiefs of Staff.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9114
Bill Maher: Republicans Hate the East & West Coast "Elites" (Real Time N...
Something I've been saying for years.
Morning Joe turns to the guy who missed the whole 2008 economic melt down to tell us about today's economic conditions: go ahead Jim Cramer
Hopefully he's got a bell or some wacky sound effect. There is nothing that says serious economic insight than loud noises.
According to US media. Stop us before we go to war again?
(Insert name of small country that is surrounded by our bases) needs to stop threatening us or we'll have to flatten another country. Thank you for that in depth analysis US military.
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