Showing posts with label Senate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senate. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Responsible Tax Policy --- What We Should Do
7 necessary ways to tax the rich.
1. Repeal the Trump tax cuts.
2. Raise the tax rate on those at the top.
3. A wealth tax on the super-wealthy.
4. A transactions tax on stocks.
5. End the “stepped-up cost basis” loophole.
6. Close loopholes for the rich.
7. Audit the rich.
--Robert Reich @RBReich
Logical. Sensible. Responsible. Fair.
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Little to Nothing Is Going the Trumpster's Way
I tell you, I'm loving this. This hit the New York Times and CNN yesterday.
Tax records show Trump had over $270 million in debt forgiven after failing to repay lenders
A bit from the article:
President Donald Trump has had more than $270 million in debt forgiven since 2010 after he failed to repay his lenders for a Chicago skyscraper development, The New York Times reported Tuesday.An analysis of his tax records by the Times shows that after the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago encountered financial problems, big banks and hedge funds cut Trump considerable slack, granting him years of additional time to repay his debts, much of which was ultimately forgiven.
And while the previously unreported forgiven debts would usually fuel a large tax bill, Trump appears to have managed to pay almost no federal income tax on them, the Times reported, partially because of the significant financial losses his other businesses were enduring.
Trump Organization chief legal officer Alan Garten told the Times that the organization and Trump had paid all necessary taxes on the forgiven debts.
Can you imagine someone, anyone, but especially the now President of the United States having a debt of more than a quarter of a million dollars dismissed? And he wouldn't be beholden to anyone, any bank or organization or person after having such debt dismissed? Really?
Not done there, oh, no, there's this.
This President couldn't be dirtier if he bathed in mud outdoors. Can you imagine the Right Wing, Republican Party uproar if it were found then-President Obama did even ONE of the things this guy has been shown to do?
Going on from there, this happened yesterday, last night.
Is that not the perfect metaphor for this President and his administration? With all his great planning, just as with the pandemic response, this President Donald J "Jenius" Trump left his supporters at the airport in freezing temperatures while he flew off, all cozy and warm and comfortable in Air Force One.
Meanwhile, this President has made it clear he's bored with COVID and discussing the pandemic and repeatedly.
We've got record numbers of cases of this pandemic, all across the nation, but this President and his White House lists it as a success.
Right. Sure. Makes perfect sense.
Here's the reality presently.
Trump's Chief of Staff called out the pandemic's situation just the other day, as a matter of fact.
Then, this week, after shoving a deeply Right Wing Supreme Court Justice nomination down the nation's collective throats, Senator McConnell dismissed the Senate--thanks, Senator McConnell--for a recess I'm sure he thought was deserved. Forget that the nation and people are hurting from this pandemic, what with being, a lot of us, out of work with no paychecks so forget about any COVID assistance or relief. The consequences of that?
So thanks for that, Senator McConnell!
This came out yesterday.
Right, Mr. President. We'll get an aid package for this pandemic in your 2nd term, next year, right along with your "healthcare plan." Right. Sure. We got it. You love us, you'll respect us in the morning and the check is in the mail. We know.
He actually said this Monday.
"Mr. President---You're familiar with our US Constitution, right, sir? And the First Amendment? And Freedom of the Press? Right, sir? Sir?"
Wow.
- Georgia: Registered voters Joe Biden 50% Donald Trump 45%
- Biden is up by 4 in a high likely turnout scenario 50-46;
- Biden is up by 2 is a low likely turnout scenario 50-48.
And more outstanding good news here.
So yay, us.
Finally today, at one of this President's "superspreader" rallies in Michgan yesterday, he said this, trying to feed on fear---which, of course, is all he has.
While sharply criticizing Harris, Trump told his supporters that she “makes Bernie Sanders look like a serious conservative” and reminded voters that Harris would be next in line for the presidency should a President Biden somehow become incapacitated.
“Three weeks in — Joe’s shot, let’s go, Kamala, you ready? Most liberal person in the Senate,” Trump said.
“This will not be – we can’t let it happen – this will not be the first woman president. You’re going to have a woman president – this will not be the first woman president,” he ranted.
The crowd then erupted into cheers of “Ivanka!”
“This will not be – we can’t let it happen – this will not be the first woman president. You’re going to have a woman president – this will not be the first woman president,” he ranted.
The crowd then erupted into cheers of “Ivanka!”
Trump paused and laughed.
“They’re all screaming Ivanka,” he chuckled.
“They’re all screaming Ivanka,” he chuckled.
And this is the really dangerous part:
Mother Jones’ D.C. bureau chief David Corn blasted Trump’s remarks, tweeting: “Damn. Trump is talking about Biden being assassinated weeks into his presidency. What nut is going to interpret this as an encouragement?”
So once again, thanks, Mr. President!
Thanks, Republicans!
Thanks, Republicans!
Let's do this, folks. Vote! And VOTE BLUE!!
86 45!
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Covid Relief? From this Republican Party Senate??
Fugedaboudit!
Senate leaves until September without coronavirus relief deal
Thanks, Republicans!
Meanwhile:
America is Having the Mother of All Social Collapses
Y'all are terrific.
Really.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Springfield's News-Leader Gets Senator Blunt Just Right
Springfield Missouri's local newspaper, the News-Leader, printed an editorial opinion piece on Senator Roy Blunt and boy, did they get him just right.
Blunt cares about Blunt, Inc.
– not Missouri
The article, in its brief but important entirety:
When professors of political science teach a course on pressure groups, they describe the most powerful lobbying operation as one that includes one member sitting in either the House or the Senate. The Blunt family fiercely denies any connection between their lobbying work with one another. They would like you to believe that family talk is about sports, television, movies, travel and so on, but each one keeps secret from the others their own lobbying activities and never, under any circumstances, exchange any information that would be useful to the work of other family members.
An article on the front page of the June 18 News-Leader is an account of the strenuous (or one might say frenzied) fundraising activities of Sen. Blunt in defending his seat against Democratic challenger Jason Kander, Missouri’s current secretary of state. In the article, it mentioned his fundraising schedule in Washington last week that included a Tuesday evening fundraiser by the Beer Institute, a Wednesday morning fundraising breakfast for Missouri Republicans and two Thursday evening events hosted by major governmental contractors General Dynamics and Siemens. So, in the space of 48 hours he was raising money for the Missouri GOP, from which his campaign will benefit and from three organizations that have business before Congress.
It is fair to say that Blunt’s life is based in Washington. This statement is reinforced by the fact that the Blunts’ Springfield home is a condo which he uses on his occasional visits (usually at holidays) or when in town for Greene County Republican Party events. The condo also serves as his official Missouri residence.
Blunt’s contact with the general public is limited to his occasional “tours” of the state, which is rather remarkable for a person who represents the state. In these tours, he is very unlikely to meet any Missourians except those who are active members of the Republican Party. When he has meetings in Springfield they are usually closed to the general public, which makes him unavailable to those who might hold different opinions.
His connection to Missouri is very slim and tenuous. The real focus of his life is to serve as the congressional base for Blunt, Inc.
And yes, it was from last July but it's important to keep in mind, right up to and including November 8, election day.
Another great thing about the article, besides that they got him so dead on and that they printed and distributed it, is that it also got picked up by USA Today so it went national. Another important thing to keep in mind is that it is from his home area and that home is decidedly Right Wing, Conservative and Republican. If ever there were a time and a person for getting the old, tired politician, in it for himself, it would be this Missouri Senator, Roy Blunt. And that time is now. If ever there were a person who fit the definition of a "career politician", it's Senator Blunt.
The conclusion, folks?
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Republican Senator Roy Blunt, Then and Now
In November, 2006, The New York Times ran an article about the Republican Party and our very own representative Roy Blunt and what he means and represents in Washington, DC and this country. I ran a post on it then, all those years ago. It's still true, very true, right up to today.
Some excerpts from that article on this man, what he is, what he does and how he represents us and more to the point, just who he actually represents:
Roy Blunt embodies the insidious, half-legal corruption that has permeated the G.O.P. majority since 1995. Blunt’s election as minority whip, by a 137-to-57 margin, was a defiant Republican rejection of calls to clean up their act. Warnings by Blunt’s challenger, John Shadegg of Arizona — “We ceded our reform-minded principles in exchange for a ...tighter grip on power” — went unheeded.
In 2004, Blunt turned his lobbyist team loose to win passage of a bill eliminating a $50 billion corporate tax break that the World Trade Organization had ruled in violation of international agreements. These lobbyists inserted $143 billion worth of new corporate tax breaks, turning the bill into a Fortune 500 Christmas tree.
Blunt...is bland, unctuous and adept at keeping a low profile. But there is plenty to see. After divorcing his wife of 35 years to marry a tobacco lobbyist, Abigail Perlman, he cleared his second marriage with the House Ethics Committee to get “a waiver of the limitations of the gift rule to allow me to accept gifts in connection with my wedding.”
Blunt unblushingly told the Heritage Foundation this month that Republicans “have allowed our efforts to defend traditional values to be defined as little more than a politically driven effort to appease ‘family groups.’ ”
For Blunt, the blurring of boundaries is a family tradition. His son Matt is the governor of Missouri. Another son, Andrew, is one of the state’s top lobbyists. Almost all Altria subsidiaries — Kraft, Miller Brewing, Philip Morris (remember Abigail Perlman) — hired Andy Blunt, along with other financial backers of Roy Blunt. (Bold font added for emphasis).
In Blunt, House Republicans have kept on display a top official reminding voters why they cast ballots for Democrats on Nov. 7. After winning the post of minority whip last week, Blunt declared that the Republicans had “come together ... frankly, to get rid of the bad habits that we may have developed in 12 years in the majority.” This is precisely the opposite of what they actually did, which was to affirm their bad habits. The burden on the Democrats will be to make the elusive Blunt a nationally recognized figure.
All reasons why we need to get Roy Blunt out of our government and with all due, deliberate haste.
Link to original post: Same Old Party
Congress Actually Does Something
I see that, today, from an post on Senator Roy Blunt's Facebook page, he's congratulating himself and our other Senator Claire McCaskill, for getting something done in Congress this week.
Blunt-McCaskill Bill to Make Ste. Genevieve a National Park
Meanwhile, the Senators and all of Congress are about to go on a 7 week "recess."
Read: vacation.
But have they worked on the national budget we need?
I doubt it.
And one thing they absolutely HAVE NOT worked on, nor will, is an infrastructure/ jobs bill for the nation.
Sure, our nation's infrastructure--our roads, bridges and highways, at minimum--have been underfunded and neglected and ignored now for some years and they all need repairing and improving and updating but are the Republicans in Congress going to give America and Americans an infrastructure/jobs bill?
Oh, heck no.
Forget that we need all those repairs and updates. Forget that I-70 is an unrepaired, far-too-narrow dangerous threat of a main artery that cuts across our state. Forget that Americans need the jobs. Forget that the economy could use the boost. Forget that it would make Americans safer in our travel. Forget that it could make even business easier to make happen. Finally, forget that improved infrastructure actually makes the nation stronger, healthier while war spending, Defense spending is money down a rat hole that weakens us.
What's important is that the Republicans in Congress, in the Federal and state governments, too, across the nation, take care of themselves and their own offices and their own sources for campaign contributions first, and Americans and America, second, if even then.
It's Republican Party first, make no mistake.
But have they worked on the national budget we need?
I doubt it.
And one thing they absolutely HAVE NOT worked on, nor will, is an infrastructure/ jobs bill for the nation.
Sure, our nation's infrastructure--our roads, bridges and highways, at minimum--have been underfunded and neglected and ignored now for some years and they all need repairing and improving and updating but are the Republicans in Congress going to give America and Americans an infrastructure/jobs bill?
Oh, heck no.
Forget that we need all those repairs and updates. Forget that I-70 is an unrepaired, far-too-narrow dangerous threat of a main artery that cuts across our state. Forget that Americans need the jobs. Forget that the economy could use the boost. Forget that it would make Americans safer in our travel. Forget that it could make even business easier to make happen. Finally, forget that improved infrastructure actually makes the nation stronger, healthier while war spending, Defense spending is money down a rat hole that weakens us.
What's important is that the Republicans in Congress, in the Federal and state governments, too, across the nation, take care of themselves and their own offices and their own sources for campaign contributions first, and Americans and America, second, if even then.
It's Republican Party first, make no mistake.
I love how they call it "recess", too. Note they don't call it vacation. Can you imagine if you had a job where you had multiple times off work, that you created yourself, and one of them was seven---count 'em, 7---weeks long?
We should be so lucky.
And we Americans tolerate this nonsense.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Roy Blunt, The Insider's Insider
If Roy Blunt, Senator Roy Blunt, is anything, he is the ultimate insider. He is so deeply a Washington insider, it permeates him, his job, his work, his paycheck, heck, even his family.
Virtually the entire Blunt family is deeply entrenched in politics. And living off of it.
His wife is a government lobbyist, for God's sake.
His brother, Matt, screwed up Missouri and the governorship there, for a while. Fortunately, we got him out and he's stayed out of office since.
As further proof, just look at some of these headlines. They come from a range of dates as Senator Blunt and his family have been sucking at the teat of government, both state and Federal, for some time.
Missouri's Blunt embraces
his role as insider
At one point, American Veterans went after him for lying about draft deferments, to keep him more accountable. And hopefully, honest.
Even his own son is knee-deep in government:
Fortunately, there's this, more recently:
And this year he's all for America's Veterans. But last year? When he wasn't in a contest to hold his own Senate seat off in Washington. He was one of these guys, back in November, 2015:
41 Senators Block Benefits for Veterans
And again, once more, February 2014.
Fortunately, there's this truthful little gem from 2 days ago, from the Senator's own home area of Springfield:
This is a beauty of an article:
When professors of political science teach a course on pressure groups, they describe the most powerful lobbying operation as one that includes one member sitting in either the House or the Senate. The Blunt family fiercely denies any connection between their lobbying work with one another. They would like you to believe that family talk is about sports, television, movies, travel and so on, but each one keeps secret from the others their own lobbying activities and never, under any circumstances, exchange any information that would be useful to the work of other family members.
An article on the front page of the June 18 News-Leader is an account of the strenuous (or one might say frenzied) fundraising activities of Sen. Blunt in defending his seat against Democratic challenger Jason Kander, Missouri’s current secretary of state. In the article, it mentioned his fundraising schedule in Washington last week that included a Tuesday evening fundraiser by the Beer Institute, a Wednesday morning fundraising breakfast for Missouri Republicans and two Thursday evening events hosted by major governmental contractors General Dynamics and Siemens. So, in the space of 48 hours he was raising money for the Missouri GOP, from which his campaign will benefit and from three organizations that have business before Congress.
It is fair to say that Blunt’s life is based in Washington. This statement is reinforced by the fact that the Blunts’ Springfield home is a condo which he uses on his occasional visits (usually at holidays) or when in town for Greene County Republican Party events. The condo also serves as his official Missouri residence.
Blunt’s contact with the general public is limited to his occasional “tours” of the state, which is rather remarkable for a person who represents the state. In these tours, he is very unlikely to meet any Missourians except those who are active members of the Republican Party. When he has meetings in Springfield they are usually closed to the general public, which makes him unavailable to those who might hold different opinions.
His connection to Missouri is very slim and tenuous. The real focus of his life is to serve as the congressional base for Blunt, Inc.
It is fair to say that Blunt’s life is based in Washington. This statement is reinforced by the fact that the Blunts’ Springfield home is a condo which he uses on his occasional visits (usually at holidays) or when in town for Greene County Republican Party events. The condo also serves as his official Missouri residence.
Blunt’s contact with the general public is limited to his occasional “tours” of the state, which is rather remarkable for a person who represents the state. In these tours, he is very unlikely to meet any Missourians except those who are active members of the Republican Party. When he has meetings in Springfield they are usually closed to the general public, which makes him unavailable to those who might hold different opinions.
His connection to Missouri is very slim and tenuous. The real focus of his life is to serve as the congressional base for Blunt, Inc.
Fortunately, there's the ray of hope that is Jason Kander, what he stands for and even his fund-raising of late:
So heads up, fellow Missourians. There's a Senatorial seat up for grabs this Fall. This November, let's throw the government fatcat out of his seat and get someone in there who is for us, the people, and not just for his own seat in Congress and all he can wring out of it.
On this Fourth of July, let's pledge and plan to declare our independence yet again.
Our independence, this time, from Roy Blunt.
On this Fourth of July, let's pledge and plan to declare our independence yet again.
Our independence, this time, from Roy Blunt.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
How to Fix America's Corrupt Political System
We must Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government.
We must do this. We must do all of it. If we don't do these things, nothing will ever change for the better, for the people.
And it must come from us.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
We Have To Close This "Revolving Door"
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Still Think the Republican Party Isn't Self-Destructing?
If anyone out there isn't convinced the Republican Party isn't in full-on self-destruct mode, check out these few headlines from yesterday afternoon---one day--alone. This first one knocked me out.
Read that again. Then think about it.
The GOP---the Republicans--are apparently going to have a meeting to discuss taking the organization and control of the presidential debates out of the control of the Republican National Committee.
Folks, that is stunning. And they can't blame it on having a token black man at the head of the RNC any more, either.
That is incredible, by itself. But there's more.
This has been going on for some time and I've noted and written on this before. The Right Wingers, whether in religion or Christianity or politics and government have to increasingly prove themselves the most extreme, the "furthest right/Right", the most fervent, the "closest to God."
It's disgusting. It's crazy and they "out crazy" each other doing it.
It's disgusting. It's crazy and they "out crazy" each other doing it.
I show this next one because it shows how really awful the Republican candidates for the highest office in the nation and arguably the most powerful nation in the world really are.
And even Republicans are aware of how badly Republicans are doing and how they're handling their own campaigns for the White House.
Lindsey Graham on RNC's Handling of Debates: 'This Is Getting Pretty Bad'
It's enough to give a person hope.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Get the Big Money Out
Get the Big Money Out
We must overturn Citizens United and we must end campaign contributions, both, period. We have to get the big money out of our election system and government.
Go here, if you would, and sign the petition:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/get-the-big-money-out.fb49?source=c.fb&r_by=342229
We must get the corrupting money of the wealthy and corporations out of our election system and government, on the Federal and state levels, both.
We must get our nation back for the people. Until we do these, nothing will change. It will remain government representatives, their legislation---our legislation--our laws and our government all for them, the wealthy and corporations, not the people, not the nation.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/get-the-big-money-out.fb49?source=c.fb&r_by=342229
We must get the corrupting money of the wealthy and corporations out of our election system and government, on the Federal and state levels, both.
We must get our nation back for the people. Until we do these, nothing will change. It will remain government representatives, their legislation---our legislation--our laws and our government all for them, the wealthy and corporations, not the people, not the nation.
Thank you, in advance.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
New Term for Bought Politicians
So a buddy of mine were talking at work and I gave him my usual, deeply felt opinion, briefly, that I thought the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision had to be overturned and that we had to kill campaign contributions. That, until we do that, nothing would change, it would remain representatives, legislation and so, laws and government for the wealthy and corporations. (I didn't say all that but you get the idea).
And this buddy says we have to end the...
wait for it...
pocketicians.
Dang.
I instantly loved it.
He said it just came to him.
Had to spread the word. Literally.
(With great thanks to friend Joe--Joe Thompson--for the word. Glad I was there).
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Congress Still Not Doing Their Job---On the Highway Fund Now
House Republicans are poised today to pass an extension of only three months to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat during peak construction season.
The Senate would be forced to follow suit or face a lapse in highway programs. Congress is getting ready for a five-week summer recess.
So Congress if just barely doing their job, "kicking the can down the road" and then they're going to take a 5 week vacation.
Do you get a 5 week vacation, America?
Especially when you haven't done your job?
Sunday, July 26, 2015
A Phenomenal Idea--and Challenge--for We, the People, to Take Back Some Control of Our Government
Sending Citizens Summons to Members of Congress
With the long congressional recess in August through Labor Day approaching, “We the People” have the opportunity to do more than complain about the Congress and individual Senators and Representatives.
There are many issues affecting you and your communities that need to be addressed by members of Congress. Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult to reach the legislators in Washington, DC and when they return to their districts and states, they often only attend public events and ceremonies where they do little more than shake hands and smile.
The diminishing number of in-person town meetings by members of Congress are often stacked and controlled. The locations, attendees, and even sometimes pre-screened questions fail to provide citizens an opportunity to make their case to their legislators. Politicians crave predictability; they are control freaks.
Our five hundred and thirty-five Senators and Representatives need to be reminded that they were sent to Washington, DC by voters back home who entrusted them with the well-being of their communities and country. Many of these lawmakers then become indentured to corporate campaign cash that they must constantly beg for, often compromising with what is in the best interest of their constituents. For all this corporate campaign cash, these corporations want something in return – government contracts, giveaways, tax loopholes, weak corporate law enforcement, and other privileges and immunities, especially for giant multinational corporations that have tightened their grips of crony capitalism on Washington.
So what happened to your votes and your trust in your elected representatives? They were nullified and replaced with ungrateful politicians who have forgotten that the authority lies with the people.
It is time, during this August recess, for “We the People” to shake up the Congress and shake up the politics across the land. If anyone is skeptical of this possibility, they should recall August 2009 when the Tea Party noisily filled the seats of some town meetings called by Senators and Representatives in a Congress run by the Democrats. That is how the Tea Party movement came to public visibility, with the daily help of Fox News.
After that experience, many members of Congress were forced to reevaluate the power and influence of Town Meetings.
My proposal of a Citizens Summons can begin the process of showing your elected legislators who is truly in charge, as befits the Preamble to the Constitution – “We the People.” I am including below a draft Citizens Summons to your Senators or Representative. It covers the main derelictions of the Congress, under which you can add more examples of necessary reforms.
Your task is to start collecting signatures of citizens, members of citizen groups, labor unions, and any other associations that want a more deliberative democracy. The ultimate objective is to reduce inequalities of power.
Shifting power from the few to the many prevents the gross distortions of our Constitution and laws, our public budgets, and our commonwealth, that currently favor the burgeoning corporate state.
May you give your lawmakers a memorable August recess; they deserve to be shown the workings of what our founding fathers called “the sovereignty of the people.”
The Citizens Summons to a Member of the Congress:
Whereas, the Congress has tolerated the expansion of an electoral process, corrupted by money, that nullifies our votes and commercializes both congressional elections and subsequent legislation, creating a Congress that is chronically for sale;
Whereas, the Congress has repeatedly supported or opposed legislation and diverted the taxpayer dollars to favor the crassest of corporate interests to the serious detriment of the American people, their necessities, and their public facilities – such as access to safer consumer products, health care, and other basic social safety services. It has opposed raising the inflation-ravaged minimum wage and fair taxation, allowed endemic waste, fraud, and abuse by contractors, and authorized massive corporate welfare subsidies and giveaways;
Whereas, the Congress has narrowed or blocked access to justice by millions of Americans, leaving them unprotected and defenseless in many serious ways, while giving business corporations preferential treatments and allowing them full access to influence the three branches of government;
Whereas, the Congress has imposed trade treaty despotisms over our democratic institutions – the courts, legislatures, and executive departments and agencies – subordinating our domestic branches of government’s abilities to preserve and enhance labor, consumer, and environmental standards to the domination of global commerce’s “bottom line” and endorsed the usurpation of our judicial process by secret tribunals under the WTO, and other similar invasions of U.S. sovereignty;
Whereas, the access to members of Congress has increased for corporate lobbyists and decreased for ordinary citizens, Therefore, the citizens of the [INSERT state (for Senators) or the congressional district (for Representatives)] hereby Summon you to a town meeting(s) during the August recess (ending September 7, 2015) at a place of known public convenience. Your constituents will establish an agenda of how Congress should shift long overdue power from the few to the many, both in substantive policy and through the strengthening of government and civic institutions;
We deem this Summons to be taken with the utmost seriousness as we gain grassroots support throughout your congressional district (or state for Senators). We expect to hear from you expeditiously so that the necessary planning for our town meeting can take place. This Peoples’ Town Meeting reflects the Preamble to the Constitution that starts with “We the People” and the supremacy of the sovereignty of the people over elected representatives and corporate entities;
Be advised that this Summons calls for your attendance at a Town Meeting run by, of, and for the People. Please reserve a minimum of two hours for this serious exercise of deliberative democracy.
Sincerely yours,
The names of citizens and citizen groups
(For any additional questions about this proposal, send an email to info@nader.org.)
______________________________________
So there it is, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's get busy.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Quote of the Day -- On America and Guns
Here's some of what Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy had to say on the Senate floor yesterday morning:
"These mass shootings have become as commonplace as rainstorms. Since 2011, the number of mass shootings in the United States has tripled – tripled! And after each one of these, the forces of the status quo – the defenders of the gun industry – tell us that we can’t talk about policy reform in the days after a shooting. One prominent commentator called those of us who dare talk about change in the wake of Charleston sick.
How convenient. How convenient that at the moment the world is watching, when the country is asking themselves what we can do to make sure that another mass slaughter doesn’t happen again, the rules say we can’t say a word. But think about how these rules would work. Because Charleston happens ten times over ever since day across this country. 86 people die on average every single day because of guns. If you can’t talk about antigun violence policy the day after a large number of Americans are shot, then you will never talk about antigun violence policy.
The U.S. gun homicide rate is 20 times higher than that of our 22 peer nations. 86 people die every day from guns. That’s four Sandy Hooks, 10 Charlestons – every day. Since Sandy Hook, there has been a school shooting, on average, every week. How on earth can we live with ourselves if we do nothing, or work, if we don’t even try?"
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
We Must Get the Big Money Out of Our Elections and So, Government
We must fight to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision which opened up the financial coffers of the wealthy and corporations. It made it possible to pour unlimited amounts of money into election campaigns in the nation.
Additionally, we must fight to end campaign contributions, completely, totally. We must fight to Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government.
If we don't do these things, nothing will change. We won't get our government back for the people.
And this must come from us.
Friday, June 12, 2015
The Trans Pacific Trade Agreement Vote Today!!
Today is the House vote on fast-tracking the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Republicans need every Democratic vote, and Democrats are under increasing pressure from the White House and from business groups to agree to it.
Please call the congressional switchboard---202-224-312-- and ask to be connected with your representative. Then leave word at his or her office that you oppose fast track and you don't want the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement.
Republicans need every Democratic vote, and Democrats are under increasing pressure from the White House and from business groups to agree to it.
Please call the congressional switchboard---202-224-312-- and ask to be connected with your representative. Then leave word at his or her office that you oppose fast track and you don't want the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
The Legal Bribery That Is Campaign Contributions in America
Campaign contributions = legalized bribery
And we know it.
Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government
It's the only way anything will ever change for the better. It's the only way we'll get the government back for the people.
And it has to come from us.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Congress Needs to Undo "Offshoring" Profits
For anyone who's paid attention, we know companies can make profits here in the US, in their home country, and then legally "offshore" that profit, those profits and end up not paying taxes on them.
It's disgusting.
It's certainly unpatriotic. And deeply ungrateful, for that matter.
Sure, the leaders of the corporations give great, wide and long lip service to ours being "the greatest nation on Earth" and then they do this, offshore profits.
It's the lowest of the low.
Unfortunately, again, because of "campaign contributions", the leaders of these corporations slipped their Congressional representatives--you know, OUR representatives--a little money, sometimes as low as, say, $5000, and voila! They got this as law, making it legal.
It's insane and stupid and certainly fiscally irresponsible on everyone's part.
The subject came up again Sunday in the New York Times in a short article in the business section:
Piles of Overseas Profits Investors Can See
but Not Touch
It has become a $2 trillion question. Why don’t companies have to make clear exactly how much of their profits are generated offshore each year and not taxed in this country? Why must investors engage in jujitsu to estimate these figures and the risks associated with them?
Companies, like individuals, do everything they can to minimize their tax bills. And as long as it is legal to do so, companies that book profits in overseas jurisdictions with beneficial tax treatments are perfectly within their rights to keep those earnings out of Uncle Sam’s clutches as long as they can.
The problem is, accounting rules don’t require a company to record a deferred income tax liability on these profits, as long as it says it intends to reinvest earnings in the foreign jurisdiction where they were generated. So the money piles up, contributing mightily to reported corporate profits.
Untaxed foreign earnings disclosed by companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index last year climbed to more than $2.1 trillion, according to Jack Ciesielski, president of R.G. Associates and editor of The Analyst’s Accounting Observer.
Last year, Mr. Ciesielski said, 322 of these companies generated $182.4 billion offshore, an estimated 19 percent of their total net income.
It's not as though this would be a true increase in their taxes paid. This offshoring is just a big, ugly shell game and it cheats America, it cheats Americans.
How else do they have access to what are supposed to be the world's biggest and best markets if they don't help pay for the infrastructure we all need for it to function?
Yes, it's long since time we need to undo these offshoring tax laws.
It can't be undone soon enough.
Please contact your members of Congress. Tell them to make offshoring corporate profits illegal:
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