Jun 8, 2012
How do we stop ALEC? I’m going to quote Justice Brandeis, who in praising transparency and honesty in public policy said “sunlight is the best disinfectant”. Exposing their corporations is working to some extent already. We need to continue exposing their corporate members. Their legislative members. Their staff members. Their supporters. This article exposes loyal [...]
Jun 8, 2012
The Heartland Institute’s recent shaming has put the denialist camp on the defensive. But they’ve already done massive harm…. In other words, a small cadre of fervent climate-change deniers took control of the Republican Party on the issue. This, in turn, has meant control of Congress. And since the president can’t sign a treaty by [...]
Jun 7, 2012
Occupy Our Homes engaged in a dramatic faceoff this morning with US Marshals and local police in northeast Washington D.C., less than a mile from the US Capitol building. About thirty Occupiers arrived at the home of Dawn Butler around 8 am, in the 900 block of Maryland Ave NE, to block a looming eviction—and [...]
Jun 7, 2012
Three sisters who tearfully begged for a chance to go before a judge to avoid deportation within days were granted something beyond what they imagined. A yearlong stay in Utah, courtesy of the federal government. “Last night was the first night I’ve slept all night,” Barbara Avelar said Wednesday. “I just wasn’t sure. It’s so [...]
Jun 6, 2012
Neither Snow or Rain nor Heat nor Gloom of Night Will Stay these couriers from their swift completion of their appointed rounds. Are we going to let greed & corruption destroy the Post Office ? ? ? . . . . . NOOO ! ! ! Community & Postal Workers United The United States Postal [...]
Jun 6, 2012
According to state statistics, more than half of the 53,000 people arrested last year were younger than 25, and 82% were black or Latino. Less than 10% were ever convicted of a crime, Cuomo stated. Moreover, 94% of the arrests took place in New York City, where a stop-and-frisk policy has become a sore point [...]
Jun 6, 2012
The influence of lobbyists and campaign contributions was never more in evidence than in last week’s House votes on two separate education bills being pushed hard by the Jindal administration. Of the 62 House members who are current or former members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) or attended ALEC conferences, accepted campaign contributions [...]
Jun 6, 2012
It’s deja vu all over again… “If prisoners are employed in prison then they need to be paid minimum wages. Prisoners’ families are the silent victims in all of this – when someone goes to prison their whole family goes with them. But wages are only part of the problem. The real issue is that [...]
Jun 6, 2012
…But as Republic Report exclusively reported last month, the Center to Protect Patients’ Rights is part of a universe of front groups financed by David and Charles Koch, the petrochemical billionaires, as well as several other billionaires, as part of an election-influencing effort. New reports this week about the brothers’ strategy indicate that they will [...]
Jun 5, 2012
From AlterNet by David Morris The massive post office deficit that is driving management to commit institutional suicide is make-believe. “…To overcome the budget scoring objections, Congress began what in retrospect we can see was little more than an exercise in rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. The final law allowed the Postal Service to use [...]
