http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/balance-the-budget-on-the-backs-of-billionaires
Balance the Budget on the Backs of Billionaires
By David Swanson
The wealthiest nation on earth is not actually obliged to starve our senior citizens. We don't need a military 670% more expensive than the next largest one on earth. We don't need to fund health insurance corporations instead of healthcare. And we don't need tax breaks for billionaires. In fact, we don't need billionaires. That's the message RootsAction is taking to Congress.
Click on link above.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Voter ID Bill
Photo ID enables the Party in Power to further weaken its opposition. A UW-Madison study of voter ID laws in other states reports, "The most consistent finding from academic studies is that voter ID requirements disproportionately affect several sub-populations: ethnic and racial minorities, high school and college students, senior citizens and disabled, women, and those with low incomes." You can access the full report at http://gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/story/uw_voter_id_memo_pdf_1
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Why do Republicans persist in demanding that we eliminate 700,000 jobs?
It has to do with the influence of four major groups:
1). The CEO/Wall Street Class. Much of America's economic royalty -- which is the major base of the Republican Party -- is focused exclusively on what you could call short-term greed. They want their taxes to fall as far as possible. They want government to stop trying to regulate their reckless behavior: producing unsafe products, fouling our air and water, out of control speculation.
Many of this gang believe that if they can make enough money -- for them anyway -- the future will simply take care of itself. Whether or not jobs of ordinary Americans will disappear is of relatively little interest to them. They want government to be as small a factor in our lives as possible -- except of course to the extent that government contracts or privatization of government services can feed their bottom lines.
And their loyalty to America is not so great. They run international corporations with offices and assets all over the world.
Climate change, uneducated kids, children who die young, people unable to get health insurance -- these may be unfortunate consequences of the policies needed to allow them to get richer and richer -- but, they would insist -- the future belongs to the strong anyway.
The hard core of this group is not populated with what you'd call the upper-middle-class -- although a lot of upper-middle-class people aspire to join this exclusive club. This crowd is made up of economic royalty -- people making a million plus -- sometime multi-billion (with a "B") dollar annual incomes.
2). The second influential group pushing for policies that would eliminate 700,000 jobs are the intellectuals and academics who work for the first group. And I do mean "work for." Guys like the billion-dollar right wing Koch brothers literally pay "think tanks" and "foundations" all over America to churn out reports and studies that basically argue that up is down and black is white. They create the intellectual structure to dress up the economic self-interest of the wealthiest Americans in respectable academic clothing. They tell us there is no "scientific consensus" about climate change. They create economic theories to support their contention that Keynesian economic policies don't work and that we need to turn instead to austerity policies and low taxes to give business the "incentive" to produce and invest.
Of course what business really needs to begin investing the two trillion dollars of cash on its balance sheets are customers with money in their pockets who want to buy their products. They need economic "demand." But there's no real room in right wing economic theory for such bottom-up economic concepts -- and the right wing intellectual team is ready and willing to be paid to tell you so.
3). Many in the third group actually understand the budget-slashing proposals being made by Republicans in the house would cut massive numbers of jobs. This group is the Republican political class -- and they would be happy as pigs in slop to eliminate those jobs. The last thing they want is for the economy to improve. If the economy fell into a second recession, they think that would be the best thing that could happen since bottled beer. As Rush Limbaugh put it, they want Obama to fail.
4). Of course the final -- and most visible -- group clamoring for draconian cuts that would cost 700,000 American their jobs is the Tea Party, and the many far-right members of the Republican caucus that they helped elect last year. Many of these extremist Members of Congress actually believe that the voters sent them to Washington to "shrink government." Of course the Tea Party -- and its corporate sponsors -- did exactly that. But the vast majority of swing voters that helped elect them were simply furious that their own personal economic situations seemed to be getting worse and worse. The real reason for this problem is that all of the economic growth of the last two decades has gone to the top 2% of the population. Middle class incomes have not kept up with the increased productivity of the economy, and everyday people are falling further and further behind as a result.
Anyway, these extremist Republicans believe their own spin. They are willing to administer the harsh medicine of austerity and job losses to give "shock treatment" to the country and shrink the size of government no matter who it hurts. As House Speaker John Boehner said when he was asked about job losses that would result from his program of budget cuts -- "So be it."
But this gang has a real problem.
When you were a kid at a Fourth of July celebration, remember how fascinated you were by sparklers? They erupt in a bright flash of sparkles and light up everything around -- for about 3 minutes. Then, as they begin to burn down, they fizzle out and then suddenly, everything is dark.
In your hand where once was a bright shiny sparkler, you are holding a dark, blackened, slightly-twisted six-inch strand of wire.
Well, that's what's happening to the Tea Party. To put it bluntly: the Party's over.
Last week, a pathetically small crowd of 200 came to the Mall to hear Congressman Mike Pence repeat over and over that he is willing to shut down the government if they don't get the cuts that -- as Republican economist Mark Zandi says -- would cost 700,000 American jobs.
Compare that 200 to the hundred-thousand-strong crowds that have gathered to protest the attacks on collective bargaining by extremist Republican Scott Walker in Wisconsin.
Now, as my wife Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky says, Democrats in Congress have to have the "courage to follow."
Democrats have to follow the newly-mobilized union members in Wisconsin -- the 81% of Americans who say that the way to solve the federal budget shortfall is by taxing millionaires -- the big majorities who oppose cutting funding for education, Head Start, nutrition programs, health care, Medicare, Social Security and police and fire protection -- so that the Republicans can keep giving subsidies to big oil companies or tax breaks for the rich.
Democrats need to once again get out of a defensive crouch on budget issues --follow everyday Americans and oppose budget cuts that would cost 700,000 American their jobs.
At the end of the day, because the Republicans won control of the House, we will have to live with some compromise that inflicts some level of damage on America's middle class in order to keep the government functioning. We don't have to make it easy and we sure should not try to pretend that we agree that "bloated government spending should be cut." We can't afford to pander to that right wing notion, or to allow the debate to stay in their frame.
Right now, in particular, as the fragile economic recovery begins to take hold, we need more government spending not less. And we need to make clear that the choices are not between controlling the long term deficit and economic catastrophe. The numbers are clear. Bill Clinton gave the country surpluses as far as the eye could see by raising taxes on the wealthy.
We could balance the budget over the long haul without cutting programs that benefit the middle class by raising rates on the wealthy to levels below the highest rate under Ronald Reagan, treat "capital gains" as "ordinary income", cut modest amounts of military spending, require Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for cheaper prices, control health care costs with a Public Option, and eliminate "tax expenditures" like subsidies to big oil.
We need to make it clear that the budget debate is about choices -- moral choices about what is important, who should pay and who should sacrifice. The question is simple: Do Americans want to cut education and all the rest in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations? America's answer to that question in poll after poll is a resounding no. Americans want to invest in their future, not cater to the short-term greed of our home-grown class of economic royals whose answer to the pain of middle class people is the modern-day equivalent of "let them eat cake."
The Republicans thought that the budget debate would give them the high political ground. That's why they were willing to go so far out on an extremist precipice. Now the political ground is beginning to crumble - and it's a long way down.
Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on Amazon.com. Follow him on Twitter @rbcreamer.
1). The CEO/Wall Street Class. Much of America's economic royalty -- which is the major base of the Republican Party -- is focused exclusively on what you could call short-term greed. They want their taxes to fall as far as possible. They want government to stop trying to regulate their reckless behavior: producing unsafe products, fouling our air and water, out of control speculation.
Many of this gang believe that if they can make enough money -- for them anyway -- the future will simply take care of itself. Whether or not jobs of ordinary Americans will disappear is of relatively little interest to them. They want government to be as small a factor in our lives as possible -- except of course to the extent that government contracts or privatization of government services can feed their bottom lines.
And their loyalty to America is not so great. They run international corporations with offices and assets all over the world.
Climate change, uneducated kids, children who die young, people unable to get health insurance -- these may be unfortunate consequences of the policies needed to allow them to get richer and richer -- but, they would insist -- the future belongs to the strong anyway.
The hard core of this group is not populated with what you'd call the upper-middle-class -- although a lot of upper-middle-class people aspire to join this exclusive club. This crowd is made up of economic royalty -- people making a million plus -- sometime multi-billion (with a "B") dollar annual incomes.
2). The second influential group pushing for policies that would eliminate 700,000 jobs are the intellectuals and academics who work for the first group. And I do mean "work for." Guys like the billion-dollar right wing Koch brothers literally pay "think tanks" and "foundations" all over America to churn out reports and studies that basically argue that up is down and black is white. They create the intellectual structure to dress up the economic self-interest of the wealthiest Americans in respectable academic clothing. They tell us there is no "scientific consensus" about climate change. They create economic theories to support their contention that Keynesian economic policies don't work and that we need to turn instead to austerity policies and low taxes to give business the "incentive" to produce and invest.
Of course what business really needs to begin investing the two trillion dollars of cash on its balance sheets are customers with money in their pockets who want to buy their products. They need economic "demand." But there's no real room in right wing economic theory for such bottom-up economic concepts -- and the right wing intellectual team is ready and willing to be paid to tell you so.
3). Many in the third group actually understand the budget-slashing proposals being made by Republicans in the house would cut massive numbers of jobs. This group is the Republican political class -- and they would be happy as pigs in slop to eliminate those jobs. The last thing they want is for the economy to improve. If the economy fell into a second recession, they think that would be the best thing that could happen since bottled beer. As Rush Limbaugh put it, they want Obama to fail.
4). Of course the final -- and most visible -- group clamoring for draconian cuts that would cost 700,000 American their jobs is the Tea Party, and the many far-right members of the Republican caucus that they helped elect last year. Many of these extremist Members of Congress actually believe that the voters sent them to Washington to "shrink government." Of course the Tea Party -- and its corporate sponsors -- did exactly that. But the vast majority of swing voters that helped elect them were simply furious that their own personal economic situations seemed to be getting worse and worse. The real reason for this problem is that all of the economic growth of the last two decades has gone to the top 2% of the population. Middle class incomes have not kept up with the increased productivity of the economy, and everyday people are falling further and further behind as a result.
Anyway, these extremist Republicans believe their own spin. They are willing to administer the harsh medicine of austerity and job losses to give "shock treatment" to the country and shrink the size of government no matter who it hurts. As House Speaker John Boehner said when he was asked about job losses that would result from his program of budget cuts -- "So be it."
But this gang has a real problem.
When you were a kid at a Fourth of July celebration, remember how fascinated you were by sparklers? They erupt in a bright flash of sparkles and light up everything around -- for about 3 minutes. Then, as they begin to burn down, they fizzle out and then suddenly, everything is dark.
In your hand where once was a bright shiny sparkler, you are holding a dark, blackened, slightly-twisted six-inch strand of wire.
Well, that's what's happening to the Tea Party. To put it bluntly: the Party's over.
Last week, a pathetically small crowd of 200 came to the Mall to hear Congressman Mike Pence repeat over and over that he is willing to shut down the government if they don't get the cuts that -- as Republican economist Mark Zandi says -- would cost 700,000 American jobs.
Compare that 200 to the hundred-thousand-strong crowds that have gathered to protest the attacks on collective bargaining by extremist Republican Scott Walker in Wisconsin.
Now, as my wife Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky says, Democrats in Congress have to have the "courage to follow."
Democrats have to follow the newly-mobilized union members in Wisconsin -- the 81% of Americans who say that the way to solve the federal budget shortfall is by taxing millionaires -- the big majorities who oppose cutting funding for education, Head Start, nutrition programs, health care, Medicare, Social Security and police and fire protection -- so that the Republicans can keep giving subsidies to big oil companies or tax breaks for the rich.
Democrats need to once again get out of a defensive crouch on budget issues --follow everyday Americans and oppose budget cuts that would cost 700,000 American their jobs.
At the end of the day, because the Republicans won control of the House, we will have to live with some compromise that inflicts some level of damage on America's middle class in order to keep the government functioning. We don't have to make it easy and we sure should not try to pretend that we agree that "bloated government spending should be cut." We can't afford to pander to that right wing notion, or to allow the debate to stay in their frame.
Right now, in particular, as the fragile economic recovery begins to take hold, we need more government spending not less. And we need to make clear that the choices are not between controlling the long term deficit and economic catastrophe. The numbers are clear. Bill Clinton gave the country surpluses as far as the eye could see by raising taxes on the wealthy.
We could balance the budget over the long haul without cutting programs that benefit the middle class by raising rates on the wealthy to levels below the highest rate under Ronald Reagan, treat "capital gains" as "ordinary income", cut modest amounts of military spending, require Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for cheaper prices, control health care costs with a Public Option, and eliminate "tax expenditures" like subsidies to big oil.
We need to make it clear that the budget debate is about choices -- moral choices about what is important, who should pay and who should sacrifice. The question is simple: Do Americans want to cut education and all the rest in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations? America's answer to that question in poll after poll is a resounding no. Americans want to invest in their future, not cater to the short-term greed of our home-grown class of economic royals whose answer to the pain of middle class people is the modern-day equivalent of "let them eat cake."
The Republicans thought that the budget debate would give them the high political ground. That's why they were willing to go so far out on an extremist precipice. Now the political ground is beginning to crumble - and it's a long way down.
Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on Amazon.com. Follow him on Twitter @rbcreamer.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Illinois Casinos
3/2011
Harrah's Joliet
Rooms 4 stars
Casino 0 stars
Casino was clean. Lots of video poker, not many penny machines. Slots very very tight.
Aurora, IL
Hollywood casino. 4 stars. Various slots.
Buffet - excellent 4.5 stars
Joliet, IL
Hollywood casino. 4 stars
2 levels
Harrah's Joliet
Rooms 4 stars
Casino 0 stars
Casino was clean. Lots of video poker, not many penny machines. Slots very very tight.
Aurora, IL
Hollywood casino. 4 stars. Various slots.
Buffet - excellent 4.5 stars
Joliet, IL
Hollywood casino. 4 stars
2 levels
Saturday, March 26, 2011
ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council)
ALEC appears to be part of a larger privately funded, coordinated and disciplined right wing network whose purpose is to give weight and a feeling of inevitability to a conservative agenda beyond what its actual membership in a democracy might justify. Beyond a clearing house for policy ideas, ALEC seems to be assisting Republican legislators in the actual nuts and bolts drafting of legislative bills.
Republicans might come away from a training session with ALEC (which need not be publicly announced or scrutinized) with a more or less finished bill to be imposed on the public rather than developed through hearings and debate.
Whether this best reflects the best interest of the larger public is the simple question which Prof. Cronon raises.
Perhaps an open records request for emails of state legislators referencing the term ALEC would serve the public interest more than a fishing expedition into Prof. Cronon's university emails which is intended to intimidate others who might have a desire to express an opinion on the political climate of our state.
Republicans might come away from a training session with ALEC (which need not be publicly announced or scrutinized) with a more or less finished bill to be imposed on the public rather than developed through hearings and debate.
Whether this best reflects the best interest of the larger public is the simple question which Prof. Cronon raises.
Perhaps an open records request for emails of state legislators referencing the term ALEC would serve the public interest more than a fishing expedition into Prof. Cronon's university emails which is intended to intimidate others who might have a desire to express an opinion on the political climate of our state.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Teamster Nation: Protesters seize DC bldg during WI GOP fundraiser
Teamster Nation: Protesters seize DC bldg during WI GOP fundraiser: "Hundreds of protesters rushed passed security guards today and noisily occupied the cavernous marble lobby of the D.C. building where&n..."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Koch products
Here's a little start.
List of Georgia Pacific Paper Products to NOT buy (Koch Brothers Companies):
Angel Soft, Soft-N-Gentle, Quilted Northern, All Dixie Paper Products (plates, cups, etc...), Mardi Gras, Vanity Fair, & Zee (paper towels), Brawny, & Sparkle.
List of Georgia Pacific Paper Products to NOT buy (Koch Brothers Companies):
Angel Soft, Soft-N-Gentle, Quilted Northern, All Dixie Paper Products (plates, cups, etc...), Mardi Gras, Vanity Fair, & Zee (paper towels), Brawny, & Sparkle.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Madison 3/11/11
I had three generations in my family at the rally today. So proud to be able to take my grandkids. This is a historical event. We were standing on the State Street side of the Capitol steps and Lena Taylor (one of the WI 14) came down the steps. We were taking pictures. I said thank you when I noticed it was her. She said thank you and then she came back and posed with my grandkids. She said this is why we do what we do.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Best Thing Happened to me today.
I pulled into "The Pig." As I'm shuffling around looking for my lime GREEN bags, a man walks up to me and says "I like your sign." I said thank you. We just started talking about people's rights and how Walker ever got elected. Yes, this happened in West Bend, WI. He had been to Madison twice and planned on going again. The sign he was referring to is the rally sign I brought home from Madison and have displayed in my back window. It says. "It's About Freedom" It was the best grocery shopping trip ever.
We need to keep talking. Can not give up. Watching the dumbing down of America is deeply demoralizing.
We need to keep talking. Can not give up. Watching the dumbing down of America is deeply demoralizing.
So this is what Sensenbrenner Town Hall Mtgs. look like!
Look what Sensenbrenner said when he was talking about tea partiers at town hall mtgs. The hypocrisy is astounding:
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/08/sensenbrenner-town-hall/
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/08/sensenbrenner-town-hall/
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday Fish Fry
I know, it's the week before lent, but when friends call, Friday night fish sounds good.
It was fortunate that I had finished my meal before someone pointed out that Glenn Grothmann was in the house, eating all by himself at a table for eight. He really looked just as pitiful in person as he looks on TV. I am passionate about people's rights, especially freedom of speech. I politely went up to him (Mary H) covered my back and said "Shame ON YOU" for not supporting Wisconsin families. I do not support you.
We all waited for him as he left and gave him a thumbs down, and Cindy shouted out "Shame On You" I love my friends!! Thanks Mary, Cindy, Mugs, Dort. We can not let the politicians who represent special interest rule our lives.
It was fortunate that I had finished my meal before someone pointed out that Glenn Grothmann was in the house, eating all by himself at a table for eight. He really looked just as pitiful in person as he looks on TV. I am passionate about people's rights, especially freedom of speech. I politely went up to him (Mary H) covered my back and said "Shame ON YOU" for not supporting Wisconsin families. I do not support you.
We all waited for him as he left and gave him a thumbs down, and Cindy shouted out "Shame On You" I love my friends!! Thanks Mary, Cindy, Mugs, Dort. We can not let the politicians who represent special interest rule our lives.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Recall letter from UnitedWisconsin.com
To: Mr. Scott Walker
CC: Mrs. Rebecca Kleefisch
I am a concerned resident of Wisconsin and I oppose passage of your "Budget Repair Bill".
I believe this piece of legislation does not move Wisconsin forward.
Several items in this bill concern me such as the removal of Medicaid Provisions and removal of our collective bargaining union rights. I also feel it is very irresponsible to put our 37 heating and cooling plants across the state up for sale as no bid contracts. This bill seems to be more of a "power grab bill” than a "budget repair bill".
You have said this is your moment and you are right. This is your moment to show how much you care about ALL of the people in Wisconsin, not just your side of the political aisle. You are not Putting People First. In a democracy, a leader should negotiate. The fact you will not negotiate shows you are not representing ALL of Wisconsin, therefore I pledge to recall you and Rebecca Kleefisch from office, starting at the earliest date, which is early in 2012. In addition, any member of the state legislature voting in favor of this bill with these provisions intact will also be held accountable.
Your job as a public servant is to represent the will of the people. Passage of this bill is doing the opposite. Look outside your window Mr. Walker and read the news; the majority of Wisconsin residents oppose your bill. We the people of Wisconsin want to move our state forward, not backward.
It's time to put people first sir, over your political agenda, because people should matter more. It is clear this is not about the budget or the money as much as it is about destroying Wisconsin labor unions, taking away rights to those who can not afford healthcare and selling our power plants with no bid contracts. Let me tell you sir, we have a voice, and we are putting it simply: if you remove our rights with this bill, you will be recalled in 2012.
That is a promise.
Thank You,
The people of Wisconsin via UnitedWisconsin.com
CC: Mrs. Rebecca Kleefisch
I am a concerned resident of Wisconsin and I oppose passage of your "Budget Repair Bill".
I believe this piece of legislation does not move Wisconsin forward.
Several items in this bill concern me such as the removal of Medicaid Provisions and removal of our collective bargaining union rights. I also feel it is very irresponsible to put our 37 heating and cooling plants across the state up for sale as no bid contracts. This bill seems to be more of a "power grab bill” than a "budget repair bill".
You have said this is your moment and you are right. This is your moment to show how much you care about ALL of the people in Wisconsin, not just your side of the political aisle. You are not Putting People First. In a democracy, a leader should negotiate. The fact you will not negotiate shows you are not representing ALL of Wisconsin, therefore I pledge to recall you and Rebecca Kleefisch from office, starting at the earliest date, which is early in 2012. In addition, any member of the state legislature voting in favor of this bill with these provisions intact will also be held accountable.
Your job as a public servant is to represent the will of the people. Passage of this bill is doing the opposite. Look outside your window Mr. Walker and read the news; the majority of Wisconsin residents oppose your bill. We the people of Wisconsin want to move our state forward, not backward.
It's time to put people first sir, over your political agenda, because people should matter more. It is clear this is not about the budget or the money as much as it is about destroying Wisconsin labor unions, taking away rights to those who can not afford healthcare and selling our power plants with no bid contracts. Let me tell you sir, we have a voice, and we are putting it simply: if you remove our rights with this bill, you will be recalled in 2012.
That is a promise.
Thank You,
The people of Wisconsin via UnitedWisconsin.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Political Talk Shows
Eric Boehlert, made a statement that I wish I'd thought of: on Sunday morning shows, whenever a pundit describes what "the people" want, you should recognize that by "people" they mean "other pundits." As a general rule, Beltway pundits and analysts do not actually know or talk to "people," especially not "poor people" or "unemployed people."
Actual human beings want to have jobs again, and they want their family and friends to have jobs, because not having jobs is currently driving up household deficits, which are of more immediate importance to actual humans than structural federal deficits, which were run up by the same people who suddenly want to "get serious" about them. Jason Linkins
Actual human beings want to have jobs again, and they want their family and friends to have jobs, because not having jobs is currently driving up household deficits, which are of more immediate importance to actual humans than structural federal deficits, which were run up by the same people who suddenly want to "get serious" about them. Jason Linkins
Madison-Its about Freedom
Returned from Madison today. It is quite evident the PEOPLE are not happy with Scott Walker's brash in you're face, we're taking you down, one union at a time attitude. What I witnessed in Madison, got me teary-eyed. As I told the young man when I stopped for coffee at McDonalds, I'm going to Madison for you. I went there thinking about my dad, my husband, and my sons, all of whom have or had affiliations with unions. I really could go on and on, but then no one will come back and read my blog, so just let me say this. Walker over stepped his bounds and took the Wisconsin worker for granted. He won't negotiate because he is backed by corporate America. They can not push their profits to the top, if they have to pay workers a decent wage they can live on. Wisconsin is open for business. Business with no representation of workers that will work for $10.00 an hour. I don't know about you but in a single household, I can't make it on that. Under Walker, "Wisconsin is UP for sale" so insanely SAD.
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