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Health Care for America Now Applauds Senator Brown for Supporting Real Health Care Reform
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 01:25 PM
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doug zimmerman's Blog
Supporting Democratic candidates for President who voted NO to authorize Iraq War.
Five signers were captured by the British and brutally tortured as traitors. Nine fought in the War for Independence and died from wounds or from hardships they suffered. Two lost their sons in the Continental Army. Another two had sons captured. At least a dozen of the fifty-six had their homes pillaged and burned.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-five were lawyers or jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners. One was a teacher, one a musician, and one a printer. These were men of means and education, yet they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well that the penalty could be death if they were captured.
In the face of the advancing British Army, the Continental Congress fled from Philadelphia to Baltimore on December 12, 1776. It was an especially anxious time for John Hancock, the President, as his wife had just given birth to a baby girl. Due to the complications stemming from the trip to Baltimore, the child lived only a few months.
William Ellery's signing at the risk of his fortune proved only too realistic. In December 1776, during three days of British occupation of Newport, Rhode Island, Ellery's house was burned, and all his property destroyed.
Richard Stockton, a New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice, had rushed back to his estate near Princeton after signing the Declaration of Independence to find that his wife and children were living like refugees with friends. They had been betrayed by a Tory sympathizer who also revealed Stockton's own whereabouts. British troops pulled him from his bed one night, beat him and threw him in jail where he almost starved to death. When he was finally released, he went home to find his estate had been looted, his possessions burned, and his horses stolen. Judge Stockton had been so badly treated in prison that his health was ruined and he died before the war's end. His surviving family had to live the remainder of their lives off charity.
Carter Braxton was a wealthy planter and trader. One by one his ships were captured by the British navy. He loaned a large sum of money to the American cause; it was never paid back. He was forced to sell his plantations and mortgage his other properties to pay his debts. Read More »
What kind of men were they? Twenty-five were lawyers or jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners. One was a teacher, one a musician, and one a printer. These were men of means and education, yet they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well that the penalty could be death if they were captured.
In the face of the advancing British Army, the Continental Congress fled from Philadelphia to Baltimore on December 12, 1776. It was an especially anxious time for John Hancock, the President, as his wife had just given birth to a baby girl. Due to the complications stemming from the trip to Baltimore, the child lived only a few months.
William Ellery's signing at the risk of his fortune proved only too realistic. In December 1776, during three days of British occupation of Newport, Rhode Island, Ellery's house was burned, and all his property destroyed.
Richard Stockton, a New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice, had rushed back to his estate near Princeton after signing the Declaration of Independence to find that his wife and children were living like refugees with friends. They had been betrayed by a Tory sympathizer who also revealed Stockton's own whereabouts. British troops pulled him from his bed one night, beat him and threw him in jail where he almost starved to death. When he was finally released, he went home to find his estate had been looted, his possessions burned, and his horses stolen. Judge Stockton had been so badly treated in prison that his health was ruined and he died before the war's end. His surviving family had to live the remainder of their lives off charity.
Carter Braxton was a wealthy planter and trader. One by one his ships were captured by the British navy. He loaned a large sum of money to the American cause; it was never paid back. He was forced to sell his plantations and mortgage his other properties to pay his debts. Read More »
Thom Coffman, owner of the Clarmont Restaurant, had a letter to the editor published in the Dispatch Saturday under the headline: "Kilroy should vote against card-check legislation"
http://dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/06/27/Coffman_MUST_SAT.ART_ART_06-27-09_A11_JKEA7G4.html?sid=101
Mr. Coffman lists reasons why he thinks the Employee Free Choice Act would be bad. Does he realize that Southwest Airlines is the mostly heavily unionized airline and also the safest, most efficient and profitable?
Coffman doesn't seem to understand that organized labor has not been competing on a level playing field with organized capital. To paraphrase what President Lincoln said, without labor there would be no capital.
Card check would be no different than registering to vote which is public information. Under card check, once enough workers support a union there would be a secret ballot to elect union leaders.
Canada has had a similar version of the Employee Free Choice. It's level of unionization is much higher and its ecomomy has held up much better than here.
Unionization was a primary reason why a strong middle class formed post-WWII. Unionized jobs pay somewhat higher wages. Wages are the source of demand in the economy.
Passage of EFCA would increase disposable incomes which would mean more customers. Mr. Coffman's arguements are penny-wise and pound foolish. Actually, I'm not very eager to dine at the Clarmont and I bet there are many other progressives who feel the same way.
Fortunately, I believe that Mary Jo Kilroy understands all this and will represent the 15th District well by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.
http://dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/06/27/Coffman_MUST_SAT.ART_ART_06-27-09_A11_JKEA7G4.html?sid=101
Mr. Coffman lists reasons why he thinks the Employee Free Choice Act would be bad. Does he realize that Southwest Airlines is the mostly heavily unionized airline and also the safest, most efficient and profitable?
Coffman doesn't seem to understand that organized labor has not been competing on a level playing field with organized capital. To paraphrase what President Lincoln said, without labor there would be no capital.
Card check would be no different than registering to vote which is public information. Under card check, once enough workers support a union there would be a secret ballot to elect union leaders.
Canada has had a similar version of the Employee Free Choice. It's level of unionization is much higher and its ecomomy has held up much better than here.
Unionization was a primary reason why a strong middle class formed post-WWII. Unionized jobs pay somewhat higher wages. Wages are the source of demand in the economy.
Passage of EFCA would increase disposable incomes which would mean more customers. Mr. Coffman's arguements are penny-wise and pound foolish. Actually, I'm not very eager to dine at the Clarmont and I bet there are many other progressives who feel the same way.
Fortunately, I believe that Mary Jo Kilroy understands all this and will represent the 15th District well by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.
I just called the White House comment line at:
1-202-456-1111 and conveyed that I prefer a single-payer health insurance plan and that President Obama should at the least draw a line in the sand that there be a strong public choice option which would allow people or employers to buy into Medicare.
I attended President Obama's campaign rally in Dublin at which he railed against the health insurance industry with very harsh rhetoric. Change was promised.
President Obama won in a landslide and must deliver. Polls show that the public is behind a public option. Without it in a bill, President Obama and the Dems can forget about me donating next election season or going door to door again.
Senator Bernie Sanders has said that no bill is better than a bill without a strong public choice option. Bernie is our best advocate in Congress.
1-202-456-1111 and conveyed that I prefer a single-payer health insurance plan and that President Obama should at the least draw a line in the sand that there be a strong public choice option which would allow people or employers to buy into Medicare.
I attended President Obama's campaign rally in Dublin at which he railed against the health insurance industry with very harsh rhetoric. Change was promised.
President Obama won in a landslide and must deliver. Polls show that the public is behind a public option. Without it in a bill, President Obama and the Dems can forget about me donating next election season or going door to door again.
Senator Bernie Sanders has said that no bill is better than a bill without a strong public choice option. Bernie is our best advocate in Congress.
It's past time that Gov. Strickland and the state legislature come to their senses. Taft's 25% tax cut for those in the highest tax bracket needs to be rescinded. The tax cut was passed in the name of job creation. Where's the beef!? President Bush's answer to every problem was tax cuts for the rich and unemployment is soaring.
The truth is that rich people don't typicically create jobs when given a tax cut. Tax cuts for rich people ends up causing speculation in the financial markets which leads to economic bubbles and busts.
Jobs are created when someone decides that they can make more money from hiring someone than the person's labor will cost them.
The federal top marginal tax rate was 94% during the presidencies of FDR ,Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy and we had a stable, growing economy.
Taxes are on the way up in just about every state. Citizens are not going to tolerate 50% cuts in funding for libraries and schools, etc.
Our politicians need to find some backbone and do what they know needs done.
The truth is that rich people don't typicically create jobs when given a tax cut. Tax cuts for rich people ends up causing speculation in the financial markets which leads to economic bubbles and busts.
Jobs are created when someone decides that they can make more money from hiring someone than the person's labor will cost them.
The federal top marginal tax rate was 94% during the presidencies of FDR ,Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy and we had a stable, growing economy.
Taxes are on the way up in just about every state. Citizens are not going to tolerate 50% cuts in funding for libraries and schools, etc.
Our politicians need to find some backbone and do what they know needs done.
I'm hoping to spark a discussion about plans for a nuclear power plant in Piketon. A front-page Dispatch article reported Wednesday that Governor Strickland, Senator Voinovich and Rep. Jean Schmidt support such a nuclear facility being built by Duke Energy and the French nuclear energy company Avena.
My opposition lies in the fact that nuclear power plants can't compete in the free market. No insurance company would insure a nuke plant. The Price-Anderson Act makes the government the insurer of nuclear power plants which is a gigantic welfare check to the nuclear industry. Without Price-Anderson, there would be no private sector nuke plants.
My understanding is that nuclear power is actually fossil-fuel intensive because of the massive energy required to extract uranium.
There's also the issue of the storage of radioactive waste and safety concerns. The Davis-Bessey nuke plant near Toledo very nearly had a catastrophic disaster just a few years ago.
Ohio would be much better off investing and encouraging clean, safe and renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. Doing so would put thousands of people to work.
My opposition lies in the fact that nuclear power plants can't compete in the free market. No insurance company would insure a nuke plant. The Price-Anderson Act makes the government the insurer of nuclear power plants which is a gigantic welfare check to the nuclear industry. Without Price-Anderson, there would be no private sector nuke plants.
My understanding is that nuclear power is actually fossil-fuel intensive because of the massive energy required to extract uranium.
There's also the issue of the storage of radioactive waste and safety concerns. The Davis-Bessey nuke plant near Toledo very nearly had a catastrophic disaster just a few years ago.
Ohio would be much better off investing and encouraging clean, safe and renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. Doing so would put thousands of people to work.
Sonia Sotomayor would be another Supreme Court Justice with the background of being a corporate lawyer. She isn't likely to write opinions that break up companies that are "too big to fail" in anti-trust cases.
And, she isn't expected to be a justice in the mold of Thurgood Marshall or Earl Warren who made rulings that caused sweeping changes.
No one expects any Democratic U.S. senators to vote against her nomination but progressives should hope for more liberal nominees for the highest court from President Obama in the future.
And, she isn't expected to be a justice in the mold of Thurgood Marshall or Earl Warren who made rulings that caused sweeping changes.
No one expects any Democratic U.S. senators to vote against her nomination but progressives should hope for more liberal nominees for the highest court from President Obama in the future.
So President Bush isn't going to allow U.S. Automakers go bankrupt during his watch...
But under his plan, thousands of autoworker and auto-dependent jobs will still be lost. Surviving autoworkers are going to experience big pay cuts which was what the conservatives were hoping for.
People need to wake up to the fact that WAGES ARE WHAT DRIVE THE ECONOMY BECAUSE WAGES ARE THE SOURCE OF DEMAND. The U.S. will be a pauper nation if everyone ends up working for $10/hour.
What's needed is for the federal government to order a couple hundred thousand electric cars and trucks. Stipulate that the Automaker CEO's can keep their jobs if they can make sure that electric cars are rolling off the assembly lines in one year.
We could lower our dependency on foreign oil and keep gas prices down by converting Mail trucks and other government vehicles to electric power AND keep people working their jobs. Less carbon emmissions too. Win, win, win, win.
But under his plan, thousands of autoworker and auto-dependent jobs will still be lost. Surviving autoworkers are going to experience big pay cuts which was what the conservatives were hoping for.
People need to wake up to the fact that WAGES ARE WHAT DRIVE THE ECONOMY BECAUSE WAGES ARE THE SOURCE OF DEMAND. The U.S. will be a pauper nation if everyone ends up working for $10/hour.
What's needed is for the federal government to order a couple hundred thousand electric cars and trucks. Stipulate that the Automaker CEO's can keep their jobs if they can make sure that electric cars are rolling off the assembly lines in one year.
We could lower our dependency on foreign oil and keep gas prices down by converting Mail trucks and other government vehicles to electric power AND keep people working their jobs. Less carbon emmissions too. Win, win, win, win.
It seems like this story got sucked up by a black hole in the euphoria of Obama's landslide victory:
Experts confounded: Turnout higher in Ohio in 2004
Friday, November 7, 2008 3:20 AM
By Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Despite a record number of registered voters this year, intense interest in the presidential election and the historic outcome, Ohio's voter turnout was lower Tuesday than in 2004, unofficial statistics show.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is reporting 67 percent turnout, compared with 72 percent in 2004. She had been predicting 80 percent turnout this time.
The percentage could increase as provisional ballots, overseas ballots and other outstanding votes are included during the official canvass in the coming weeks.
But overall turnout still is expected to be lower than in 2004, leaving experts at a loss to explain it -- especially because the number of registered voters increased by 319,000 from four years ago.
"That's rather puzzling, given the activity level," said Paul Beck, a political-science professor at Ohio State University.
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/07/copy/turnout.ART_ART_11-07-08_A1_4GBQO6M.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
I skimmed the latest article by Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman and I didn't see where they directly confronted why turnout was down this year:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2008/3294
To me, it just doesn't add up why turnout would be lower considering all the new voter registrations. Did an non-existent army of Bushies vote in 2004 under former SOS Ken Blackwell's watchful eye?
Experts confounded: Turnout higher in Ohio in 2004
Friday, November 7, 2008 3:20 AM
By Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Despite a record number of registered voters this year, intense interest in the presidential election and the historic outcome, Ohio's voter turnout was lower Tuesday than in 2004, unofficial statistics show.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is reporting 67 percent turnout, compared with 72 percent in 2004. She had been predicting 80 percent turnout this time.
The percentage could increase as provisional ballots, overseas ballots and other outstanding votes are included during the official canvass in the coming weeks.
But overall turnout still is expected to be lower than in 2004, leaving experts at a loss to explain it -- especially because the number of registered voters increased by 319,000 from four years ago.
"That's rather puzzling, given the activity level," said Paul Beck, a political-science professor at Ohio State University.
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/07/copy/turnout.ART_ART_11-07-08_A1_4GBQO6M.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
I skimmed the latest article by Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman and I didn't see where they directly confronted why turnout was down this year:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2008/3294
To me, it just doesn't add up why turnout would be lower considering all the new voter registrations. Did an non-existent army of Bushies vote in 2004 under former SOS Ken Blackwell's watchful eye?
Buying ads on WVKO 1580 AM reveals to the Progressive community that a Democratic candidate understands the importance of Progressive Talk radio.
Thus, it is worrisome that I haven't heard ads from most candidates or Issues on Ohio's only Liberal Talk radio station. WVKO already promotes Progressive causes and candidates, so I am concerned that the Democratic campaigns may be taking the station for granted.
Candidate and Issue campaigns should contact Gary Richards at WVKO
(614) 469-1930 and show their support for Ohio's only 24/7/365 megaphone for Progressives.
Thus, it is worrisome that I haven't heard ads from most candidates or Issues on Ohio's only Liberal Talk radio station. WVKO already promotes Progressive causes and candidates, so I am concerned that the Democratic campaigns may be taking the station for granted.
Candidate and Issue campaigns should contact Gary Richards at WVKO
(614) 469-1930 and show their support for Ohio's only 24/7/365 megaphone for Progressives.
Democrats and progressives need to obliterate the phoney talking points originating from Newt Gingerich. The media is all too willing to confuse the issues. Air America Host Thom Hartmann and Congressman Peter DeFazio slay Republican talking points. I recommmend reading the transcripts of the following interview:
Thom Hartmann interviews Congressman Peter DeFazio, 18 June 2008
Welcome to Columbus and a hat tip for helping to organize the Justice Revival this week which is focused on issues of poverty.
You stated that the "highest levels" of the U.S. govenment have instituted a torture program during a recent local public radio program. You also said that you oppose torture and the organization that you lead, Sojourners, is a sponsor of NRCAT, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
However, it was disappointing that you did not mention that the Constitution is worth being defended by holding elected and appointed officials accountable for implementing torture policies. Rev. Wallis, do you believe we are a nation of laws or a nation of persons? It's true that the current administration is scheduled to leave office in less than a year. But, what will be the message to future administrations if those who have implemented torture policies are given "get-out-of-jail-free" cards?
Read More »Discard the notion that Gov. Strickland delivered Ohio for Sen. Clinton. The numbers are showing that enough Republicans and Independents heeded the advice of wingnuts on the radio and requested Democratic ballots to vote for Clinton. Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman lay it out at the Free Press website .
I think Ohio should change the rules for voting in primaries. Party affiliation changes should be banned during the month before a primary election. Clear Channel wingnuts in Cleveland suggested that Republicans and Independents request Democratic ballots in order to vote against Dennis Kucinich. Fortunately, it didn't work in this case.
No hypocrisy here---there have been instances when Dem voters have meddled in Republican primaries too and that is just as wrong.
Reverand Tim Ahrens of First Congregational Church UCC is scheduled to be a guest of Welton Gaddy's Air America Radio show, "State of Belief." The show is a production of The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and AAR.
"State of Belief" can be heard in Columbus on 1580 WVKO-AM every
Saturday, 10-11 AM and is replayed Sundays, 7-8 PM.
Please pass this info along to people who you think might be
interested.
I highly recommend "State of Belief" if you've never listened in.
"State of Belief" can be heard in Columbus on 1580 WVKO-AM every
Saturday, 10-11 AM and is replayed Sundays, 7-8 PM.
Please pass this info along to people who you think might be
interested.
I highly recommend "State of Belief" if you've never listened in.
This week Obama ads began running on the only Progressive Talk station in the state of Ohio, WVKO 1580 AM , in Columbus. Advertising during Progressive Talk programming is smart. The audience is almost exclusively registered, energized Democratic voters and such ad-buys supports stations that support them.
Democratic voters put alot of stock in what they hear on Progressive Talk shows with hosts such as Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller and RFK, Jr.
There have been Democratic Presidential ads from both Obama and Clinton on at least two Clear Channel right-wing stations (that I know of). Why? Why pay for your own swift boating and support stations that force feed people with the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly? Right-wing radio is a major frame creator, and the corporate media mindlessly follows.
Bottom-line: Democratic candidates should battle it out on local stations that Grassroots Dems listen to.....doing so effectively feeds the goose that lays golden eggs.
I hate to rain on the parade of political junkies who are in Super Tuesday frenzy. But I am disgruntled by the process in which the corporate media, gazillionaire campaign contributers and four states narrowed the field down to two candidates for the Democratic nomination.
I think John Edwards was correct saying that there is a direct correlation between media coverage of a candidate and support from voters, excluding Rudy of course.
Here's my ranking of the current and former Democratic candidates: 1. Edwards, 2. Dodd, 3. Kucinich, 4. Richardson, 5. Biden, 6. Obama and Clinton (tie) 8. Gravel
Maybe we should allow party activists to choose the nominee at the convention. This would take away power from the corporate media to prop up whichever candidate has the potential to raise the most money to buy ads from the profit-driven TV networks. Yes, let's return to the "smoke-filled rooms" in a sense.
I think John Edwards was correct saying that there is a direct correlation between media coverage of a candidate and support from voters, excluding Rudy of course.
Here's my ranking of the current and former Democratic candidates: 1. Edwards, 2. Dodd, 3. Kucinich, 4. Richardson, 5. Biden, 6. Obama and Clinton (tie) 8. Gravel
Maybe we should allow party activists to choose the nominee at the convention. This would take away power from the corporate media to prop up whichever candidate has the potential to raise the most money to buy ads from the profit-driven TV networks. Yes, let's return to the "smoke-filled rooms" in a sense.
January 20, 2008
The Honorable John E. Edwards
410 Market Street
Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Dear Senator Edwards:
It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.
There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of back and forth in the political arena over my father's legacy. It is a commentary on the breadth and depth of his impact that so many people want to claim his legacy. I am concerned that we do not blur the lines and obscure the truth about what he stood for: speaking up for justice for those who have no voice.
I appreciate that on the major issues of health care, the environment, and the economy, you have framed the issues for what they are - a struggle for justice. And, you have almost single-handedly made poverty an issue in this election.
You know as well as anyone that the 37 million people living in poverty have no voice in our system. They don't have lobbyists in Washington and they don't get to go to lunch with members of Congress. Speaking up for them is not politically convenient. But, it is the right thing to do.
I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign. I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.
From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.
I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cause as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes. My father was not driven by an illusory vision of a perfect society. He was driven by the certain knowledge that when people of good faith and strong principles commit to making things better, we can change hearts, we can change minds, and we can change lives.
So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.
Sincerely,
Martin L. King, III
The Honorable John E. Edwards
410 Market Street
Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Dear Senator Edwards:
It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.
There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of back and forth in the political arena over my father's legacy. It is a commentary on the breadth and depth of his impact that so many people want to claim his legacy. I am concerned that we do not blur the lines and obscure the truth about what he stood for: speaking up for justice for those who have no voice.
I appreciate that on the major issues of health care, the environment, and the economy, you have framed the issues for what they are - a struggle for justice. And, you have almost single-handedly made poverty an issue in this election.
You know as well as anyone that the 37 million people living in poverty have no voice in our system. They don't have lobbyists in Washington and they don't get to go to lunch with members of Congress. Speaking up for them is not politically convenient. But, it is the right thing to do.
I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign. I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.
From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.
I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cause as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes. My father was not driven by an illusory vision of a perfect society. He was driven by the certain knowledge that when people of good faith and strong principles commit to making things better, we can change hearts, we can change minds, and we can change lives.
So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.
Sincerely,
Martin L. King, III
Ravi Batra was a recent guest on The Thom Hartmann Radio Show. Batra's most recent books are: "Greenspan's Fraud" and "The New Golden Age: The Coming Revolution Against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos." Batra suggests that the middle and working class become more politically active so that economic policies no longer serve the interests of primarily the mega-rich and transnational corporations.
Trickle-down ecomomics and bad trade and tax policies have created imbalances within the global economy. Until these imbalances are addressed and a more just and sustainable economy is achieved here are some general recommendations on how to weather the Republican ecomomic tailspin:
1. Cash will be king. Pay down as much debt as possible.
2. Investments in commodities will be safer than stocks and bonds, i.e. Gold.
3. Switch money in workplace retirement funds to Money Market Funds. Stocks and bonds will take huge losses.
4. Convert liquid assets into certificates of deposits (CDs) with big banks.
Batra's book "The New Golden Age" paints an optimistic picture if the people rise up and demand policies similar to FDR's New Deal. But, he says things could get worse than the Great Depression because people carried little debt then compared to today.
Trickle-down ecomomics and bad trade and tax policies have created imbalances within the global economy. Until these imbalances are addressed and a more just and sustainable economy is achieved here are some general recommendations on how to weather the Republican ecomomic tailspin:
1. Cash will be king. Pay down as much debt as possible.
2. Investments in commodities will be safer than stocks and bonds, i.e. Gold.
3. Switch money in workplace retirement funds to Money Market Funds. Stocks and bonds will take huge losses.
4. Convert liquid assets into certificates of deposits (CDs) with big banks.
Batra's book "The New Golden Age" paints an optimistic picture if the people rise up and demand policies similar to FDR's New Deal. But, he says things could get worse than the Great Depression because people carried little debt then compared to today.
This comes directly from the Party's platform under a section titled "Labor" when President Eisenhower was running for re-election. It shows just how far the Republican Party has moved since then from policies that are pro-worker and build a strong, sustainable economy. I found it at this website:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25838
Labor
Under the Republican Administration, as our country has prospered, so have its people. This is as it should be, for as President Eisenhower said: "Labor is the United States. The men and women, who with their minds, their hearts and hands, create the wealth that is shared in this country--they are America."
The Eisenhower Administration has brought to our people the highest employment, the highest wages and the highest standard of living ever enjoyed by any nation. Today there are nearly 67 million men and women at work in the United States, 4 million more than in 1952. Wages have increased substantially over the past 3 1/2 years; but, more important, the American wage earner today can buy more than ever before for himself and his family because his pay check has not been eaten away by rising taxes and soaring prices.
The record of performance of the Republican Administration on behalf of our working men and women goes still further. The Federal minimum wage has been raised for more than 2 million workers. Social Security has been extended to an additional 10 million workers and the benefits raised for 6 1/2 million. The protection of unemployment insurance has been brought to 4 million additional workers. There have been increased workmen's compensation benefits for longshoremen and harbor workers, increased retirement benefits for railroad employees, and wage increases and improved welfare and pension plans for federal employees.
In addition, the Eisenhower Administration has enforced more vigorously and effectively than ever before, the laws which protect the working standards of our people.
Workers have benefited by the progress which has been made in carrying out the programs and principles set forth in the 1952 Republican platform. All workers have gained and unions have grown in strength and responsibility, and have increased their membership by 2 millions.
Furthermore, the process of free collective bargaining has been strengthened by the insistence of this Administration that labor and management settle their differences at the bargaining table without the intervention of the Government. This policy has brought to our country an unprecedented period of labor-management peace and understanding. Read More »
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25838
Labor
Under the Republican Administration, as our country has prospered, so have its people. This is as it should be, for as President Eisenhower said: "Labor is the United States. The men and women, who with their minds, their hearts and hands, create the wealth that is shared in this country--they are America."
The Eisenhower Administration has brought to our people the highest employment, the highest wages and the highest standard of living ever enjoyed by any nation. Today there are nearly 67 million men and women at work in the United States, 4 million more than in 1952. Wages have increased substantially over the past 3 1/2 years; but, more important, the American wage earner today can buy more than ever before for himself and his family because his pay check has not been eaten away by rising taxes and soaring prices.
The record of performance of the Republican Administration on behalf of our working men and women goes still further. The Federal minimum wage has been raised for more than 2 million workers. Social Security has been extended to an additional 10 million workers and the benefits raised for 6 1/2 million. The protection of unemployment insurance has been brought to 4 million additional workers. There have been increased workmen's compensation benefits for longshoremen and harbor workers, increased retirement benefits for railroad employees, and wage increases and improved welfare and pension plans for federal employees.
In addition, the Eisenhower Administration has enforced more vigorously and effectively than ever before, the laws which protect the working standards of our people.
Workers have benefited by the progress which has been made in carrying out the programs and principles set forth in the 1952 Republican platform. All workers have gained and unions have grown in strength and responsibility, and have increased their membership by 2 millions.
Furthermore, the process of free collective bargaining has been strengthened by the insistence of this Administration that labor and management settle their differences at the bargaining table without the intervention of the Government. This policy has brought to our country an unprecedented period of labor-management peace and understanding. Read More »
From Black Box Voting:
Please distribute widely, Digg, Blog, reprints, get this to the media,
etc.
A YouTube video from Black Box Voting that you won't soon forget:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiiaBqwqkXs
THE CAT THAT CONTROLS NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTION PROGRAMMING
John Silvestro and his small private business, LHS Associates, has
exclusive programming contracts for ALL New Hampshire voting machines,
which combined will count about 81 percent of the vote in the primary. And
as to Super Tuesday and beyond: Silvestro also has the programming
contracts for the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Silvestro IS the New Hampshire chain of custody in New England -- Or at
least, a very large component in it.
Last fall, with the help of citizens like you, Black Box Voting began
working on "Chain of Custody" projects, in which we identified some of
the areas of concern that might affect many jurisdictions at once. First
on the list for the Northeast U.S. is LHS Associates, a vendor with
inside access to every memory card, as well as to the chips containing
the "brain" of the Diebold optical scan machines.
RARE VIDEO FOOTAGE
In an unusual confluence of available video, we obtained footage of
Silvestro grappling with Harri Hursti, the master hacker who had his way
with the Diebold optical scans in Leon County, Florida in the famous
exploit that was showcased in the film Hacking Democracy.
The exact same make, model and version hacked in the Black Box Voting
project in Leon County is used throughout New Hampshire, where about 45
percent of elections administrators hand count paper ballots at the
polling place, with the remaining locations all using the Diebold version
1.94w optical scan machine. Because the voting machine locations tend
to be urban, this represents about 81 percent of the New Hampshire
voters.
The video shows Harri Hursti testifying on Sept. 19 before the New
Hampshire legislature, attempting to explain significant vulnerabilities
requiring urgent mitigations; throughout his testimony, Silvestro
inserted his own comments, opinions, misstatements and speculations.
VOTING MACHINE CHECKUP
One area of disagreement between Hursti and Silvestro was the amount of
expertise needed to exploit the Diebold 1.94w optical scan system.
Silvestro claimed (in a strange contortion of reasoning) that he doesn't
hire very skilled programmers, implying that this makes New Hampshire
elections more secure.
Hursti pointed out that hiring programmers with a lack of knowledge is
generally not considered a security feature, and also that an average
high schooler can learn to exploit the system in two days to two weeks. Read More »
Please distribute widely, Digg, Blog, reprints, get this to the media,
etc.
A YouTube video from Black Box Voting that you won't soon forget:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiiaBqwqkXs
THE CAT THAT CONTROLS NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTION PROGRAMMING
John Silvestro and his small private business, LHS Associates, has
exclusive programming contracts for ALL New Hampshire voting machines,
which combined will count about 81 percent of the vote in the primary. And
as to Super Tuesday and beyond: Silvestro also has the programming
contracts for the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Silvestro IS the New Hampshire chain of custody in New England -- Or at
least, a very large component in it.
Last fall, with the help of citizens like you, Black Box Voting began
working on "Chain of Custody" projects, in which we identified some of
the areas of concern that might affect many jurisdictions at once. First
on the list for the Northeast U.S. is LHS Associates, a vendor with
inside access to every memory card, as well as to the chips containing
the "brain" of the Diebold optical scan machines.
RARE VIDEO FOOTAGE
In an unusual confluence of available video, we obtained footage of
Silvestro grappling with Harri Hursti, the master hacker who had his way
with the Diebold optical scans in Leon County, Florida in the famous
exploit that was showcased in the film Hacking Democracy.
The exact same make, model and version hacked in the Black Box Voting
project in Leon County is used throughout New Hampshire, where about 45
percent of elections administrators hand count paper ballots at the
polling place, with the remaining locations all using the Diebold version
1.94w optical scan machine. Because the voting machine locations tend
to be urban, this represents about 81 percent of the New Hampshire
voters.
The video shows Harri Hursti testifying on Sept. 19 before the New
Hampshire legislature, attempting to explain significant vulnerabilities
requiring urgent mitigations; throughout his testimony, Silvestro
inserted his own comments, opinions, misstatements and speculations.
VOTING MACHINE CHECKUP
One area of disagreement between Hursti and Silvestro was the amount of
expertise needed to exploit the Diebold 1.94w optical scan system.
Silvestro claimed (in a strange contortion of reasoning) that he doesn't
hire very skilled programmers, implying that this makes New Hampshire
elections more secure.
Hursti pointed out that hiring programmers with a lack of knowledge is
generally not considered a security feature, and also that an average
high schooler can learn to exploit the system in two days to two weeks. Read More »
The Constitution is not quaint. We the People gave Congress the power of impeachment as a check on the Executive Branch. The Framers intended impeachment's use when appropriate--it's not a tool of radicals.
House Speaker Pelosi has no right to "take impeachment off the table." It's as reckless as saying that the Bill of Rights is off the table.
Here are three reasons why the Dem Leadership in Congress is making a monumental mistake by blocking impeachment hearings of V.P. Cheney and President Bush:
1. People vote for strength, not for a Party whose leadership prioritizes power over principles. The Dem Leadership is calculating that they can win more in 2008 by not impeaching which is a delusional assumption.
2. Letting the Administration off the hook will set yet another precedent that future Presidents are above the Law. It will be a worse precedent than Ford's pardon of Nixon and the Dems not pursuing Arms-for-Hostages and the Iran Contra scandal after Reagan and Bush 41 left office. Read More »
House Speaker Pelosi has no right to "take impeachment off the table." It's as reckless as saying that the Bill of Rights is off the table.
Here are three reasons why the Dem Leadership in Congress is making a monumental mistake by blocking impeachment hearings of V.P. Cheney and President Bush:
1. People vote for strength, not for a Party whose leadership prioritizes power over principles. The Dem Leadership is calculating that they can win more in 2008 by not impeaching which is a delusional assumption.
2. Letting the Administration off the hook will set yet another precedent that future Presidents are above the Law. It will be a worse precedent than Ford's pardon of Nixon and the Dems not pursuing Arms-for-Hostages and the Iran Contra scandal after Reagan and Bush 41 left office. Read More »
Posts By Month
Statement by the President on Health Care Reform Bill Released by Senate HELP Committee Today
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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Kennedy, Dodd Deliver Strong Public Option Bill That Is $400 Billion Below Estimates
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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What Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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SEIU 1199 HEALTH CARE WORKERS PRAISE SEN. BROWN FOR LEADERSHIP ON FIXING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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The Employee Free Choice Act is Vital for Economic Recovery
By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
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By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
Comments (0)
We are seeing the impact of repression
I would like to see this study expanded to examine the incid...
I would like to see this study expanded to examine the incid...
