Big Money In Our Politics and Government--We're Being Bought--And Sold

There is a terrific article in Friday's print edition of The New York Times more voting age Americans should read.

Big Money and America's Lost Decade

A bit of the article:

The first thing you need to know about the very rich is that they are, politically, different from you and me. Don’t be fooled by the handful of prominent liberal or liberal-ish billionaires; systematic studies of the politics of the ultrawealthy show that they are very conservative, obsessed with tax cuts, opposed to environmental and financial regulation, eager to cut social programs.

The second thing you need to know is that the rich often get what they want, even when most of the public want the opposite...

Why do a small number of rich people exert so much influence in what is supposed to be a democracy? Campaign contributions are only part of the story. Equally if not more important is the network of billionaire-financed think tanks, lobbying groups and so on that shapes public discourse. And then there’s the revolving door: It’s depressingly normal for former officials from both parties to take jobs with big banks, corporations and consulting firms, and the prospect of such employment can’t help but influence policy while they’re still in office.

Last but not least, media coverage of policy issues all too often seems to reflect the views of the wealthy.
We're got to work our way out of this mess, these messes.

Join us:

Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government

Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine

Outlaw Gerrymandering and End Voter ID Laws

Link:

GOP economic policy: Give more money to millionaires, forget everyone else

Vote Tuesday!!

And vote NO on Proposition A!

Republicans' "Wealthcare" Bill Is Just More Class Warfare

It needs to be said, pointed out and emphasized just what this new AHCA, "Trumpcare" is, at its heart. It is, at its core, not concerned with heath care virtually at all. If it were, more Americans would be assured of having health insurance, not less.

No, at it's core, this is yet one more, again, Republican Party, Right Wing money grab for the already-wealthy.

Republican Health Care Bill Delivers 

Big Tax Cut For The Rich

House Health Bill: Tax Cuts for Wealthy, 

Insurers, and Drug Companies, 

Paid for by Low- and Middle-Income Families

One Certainty of G.O.P. Health Plan: 

Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

The ACHA Bill Is a Tax Cut for Rich Americans

Senate Health-Care Bill: Tax Cuts for Rich, Skimpy Coverage for Everyone Else

Trumpcare: Republican Plan Is Big Tax Cut 

for Rich, Graph Shows

Rich get tax cuts under 

Obamacare repeal bill

Warren Buffett famously said it so right and this, some years ago.

“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

Missourians got, in effect, a pay cut when their new, Republican, pretty boy Governor, Eric Greitens and his fellow Republicans put in their "Right to Work" legislation recently. This just makes it that much tougher for the middle- and lower-classes to get, have and keep health insurance.

But they're proposing this for all 50 states.

Link:  Warren Buffett

Another--Big---Reason We Should Lift the Cap On Social Security

It's commonly known there is a cap on earnings for paying in on Social Security. If you're wealthy and making $118,500 per year or more, you don't get taxed on the rest of that income.

Basically, if you're already wealthy, you get one more break from the rest of us stooges. Thanks, Congress!

As if that's not bad enough---and it is---it's clear, too, that, given that the wealthy also famously and statistically live longer than the rest of us poor schlubs, they get more benefits from the system.

The Upshot:  Rich People Are Living Longer. That's Tilting Social Security in Their Favor.

So they live longer, already, what with the cushy lives and security and great food and second (or third or fourth homes), etc. So since they do, they reap more benefits from the system. It makes sense. They live longer so THEY GET MORE MONEY FROM THE SYSTEM.

Sweet deal, huh? They're already wealthy and they soak more from the rest of us. And being rich, I'd nearly bet most of them are "small government" Republicans and Right Wingers and Libertarians, to boot.

It's sick. It's just one more way "Them that has, gets", as the Andrews Sisters used to sing.

The great thing is that there is an obvious and simple solution.

How Taxing the Wealthy Could Save Social Security

News flash:  How about we lift that cap on what they pay in?

This way, they can still contribute to the system---the system they usually take more advantage of since they live longer. Meantime, THEY DO WITHOUT NOTHING. They pay in a bit more, up front. Is that asking so much? It seems clear the answer is no. They pay in on the incomes over $118,500 and they get back, later in life, thus saving Social Security for all of us.

It helps all of us, it actually strengthens the middle and lower classes, thus strengthening the economy. All that's true as if doing the right thing, as a rather human, even "Christian" nation isn't enough and doesn't have it make all the more sense. It's good for the people, yes, but good to great for the nation and even, hell, good for creating demand for products, for all the Capitalists out there.

It makes so much sense. It makes too much sense.

Probably why the Republicans in Congress will never go for it.

Oh, It's "Wealth Distribution", All Right

Right Wingers and Republicans always claim that taxing and taxes and government regulations and other things from Democrats or Progressives are "wealth redistribution" and that they and we want nothing whatever of it.

But they're all for this kind of weath distribution, for sure.

What the Koch Brothers Are Doing and Why It Harms America and Americans

A brief and short but rather scary description of just what Charles and David Koch do and are doing with all their money to benefit themselves and why and how it harms Americans and America.

Republican Party and Right Wing in Freefall

I keep finding, by pure chance, more and yet more indications, at least weekly, of Right Wing and Republican Party splintering. So much so that even the word "splintering" doesn't seem strong enough to describe it. They seem to be nothing but attacking one another and tearing the party apart.

I just ran across a few examples today, again, by pure chance. All came from the site Mediaite  today.Here's the first.

National Review's Lowry Responds to Critics: 'Faith in Trump Is Misplaced'

Here's the very Right Wing, very conservative, very Republican-supporting National Review attacking Donald Trump, really, and the people who support him, even though he's the frontrunner in the polls. How fantastic is that?  Well, at least for the rest of us, anyway.

Here's the second internal attack within the Party I saw today:

Fox's Watters: National Review Writers 'Putting Pure Conservatism Over the Country'

Get that. Nearly unbelievable. Right Wing, ultra-conservative, Republican supporting Fox, attacking the, again, very Right Wing and Conservative and Republican Party supporting National Review, of all things, for being too conservative and, as it says, "putting pure Conservatism over..." the interests "...of the country."

And the third:

Pat Buchanan: National Review 'Gave Up Pretense of Objectivity' Attacking Trump

Again, a staunch Right Winger, Pat Buchanan, attacking a long time, staunch Right Wing media source for daring to criticize Donald Trump, one of the two, if not the most popular candidates for the presidency this year, in polling.

Here's the fallout of the National Review issue:

National Review Publisher: RNC Disinvited Us From February Debate

Finally, check out what some of the heads of the party took up:

GOP Civil War: Leading Conservatives Pen Massive Anti-Trump Manifesto

More on this diatribe by Conservatives on the horrors of the Donald:

Conservative Writers Explain Anti-Trump Manifesto: 'Terrible Face of America to the World'

And of course they're correct. I can't even imagine Donald Trump as president. Who knows what horrors and gaffs would come from the man?

This is phenomenal, really. The Democratic Party and anyone not supporting the Republicans couldn't write or ask for anything better for this group. It's clear they are, for all practical purposes, self-destructing.

Darn the luck, huh?

Pass the popcorn.

How To Strengthen America

A Call For Corporate Taxation and a Required National Wage

An economist warns that "advances in technology and automation are set to wipe out up to half of all jobs in the developed world."

RBS Warns: Sell Everything

A small bit from the article:

RBS economists have urged investors to sell everything except high-quality bonds, warning of a “fairly cataclysmic year ahead.”

If that isn't a call for a national, base wage to all citizens, I don't know what is.

Also reason why all corporations should pay a minimum tax and not be able to deduct their way out of paying any taxes or, worse, get a rebate or, worse yet, offshore profits or be able to.

Another good, related article:

There will be chaos: Big Oil's collapse and the birth of a new world order

The current rout in oil prices has obvious implications for the giant oil firms and all the ancillary businesses — equipment suppliers, drill-rig operators, shipping companies, caterers, and so on — that depend on them for their existence. It also threatens a profound shift in the geopolitical fortunes of the major energy-producing countries. Many of them, including Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela, are already experiencing economic and political turmoil as a result. (Think of this, for instance, as a boon for the terrorist group Boko Haram as Nigeria shudders under the weight of those falling prices.) The longer such price levels persist, the more devastating the consequences are likely to be.

If anything like or near these "worst case scenarios" take place, governments and corporations the world over may HAVE to give and require a minimum payout to their citizens, just to keep the economic world spinning.

Here's a perfect example and it's from a current article.

Chinese factory replaces 90% of humans 

with robots

A nation of more than 1.4 billion people and the companies, the corporations replaced, as the headline shows, the vast majority of the employees with machines.

If corporations and nations don't give a minimum payout to their citizens, who will be able to buy the  products that keep this whole merry go round turning?

How To Read Your Powerball Ticket

From--where else?--FB

On This Huge Powerball

This isn't actually possible because of taxes being deducted and their math, honestly, is WAY off and incorrect but something like it certainly makes more sense.



The payout in Missouri, if you take a lump sum payment, after taxes, is $572,260,000. That means it really would be possible to give more than 1 million dollars 572 Americans across the nation, anyway.

This would make FAR more sense and for all the following reasons:

--It would be far less likely to mess up one person or even a rather small group, if they were to win it as is.

--It would spread the money out over the nation and do far more good, across all the cities, counties and states. It would be far better for all these economies, as well.

--It would certainly be far better for the entire nation. It would strengthen state and federal tax coffers, as a side benefit, too--something heaven knows Kansas needs just now (eh, Governor Brownback?).

At worst, if it did or does mess up any lives---and it inevitably would--it would have a smaller destructive effect and the person or people would still have had some fun and done some good in the meantime, while blowing their own 1 million dollars.

Hey, we can dream, can't we?

(Meantime, poor Mr. Andolini. He's apparently put his name on this chart, it's bouncing around the interwebs and it has horribly incorrect math on it and attributed to him).

Links:  Powerball Jackpot Analysis

Powerball's $1.3 Billion Swindle Of Americans

Here's What To Do If You Actually Win The Lottery

Fantastic Documentary

Fantastic, even important film to see.



"We're not accusing you of being illegal. We're accusing you of being immoral."


Hundreds of billions of dollars.

Watch for it.

How Wealth Distribution Works

Or how it could work.  And how it should work.

Quote of the Day -- on "Trickle Down" Economics

And the Republican mantra and platform:

On the American Tax System

Economist Joseph Stiglitz, speaking with Bill Moyers on the obscene unfairness of our tax structure as it is now, benefiting the wealthy and corporations and crushing the middle-, working- and lower-classes.

Joseph E. Stiglitz: Let’s Stop Subsidizing Tax Dodgers from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

Corporations, especially originally American ones, should help pay for the infrastructure we all need, them no less so, to keep this country functioning. For all the highways, bridges, schools, airports, everything, that we need and that they need for employees and transportation of their products, everything, the least they can do is pay some to help keep it all functioning. Besides being practical, you'd think it would also be a patriotic and fair, even intelligent, thing to do.

We can hope.

President Obama, Kansas and the Likely Brilliant Move

By now, most who follow politics and/or President Obama know he's taking his State of the Union messages on the road. He was in Idaho today and will be in Kansas tomorrow, two very "red", Republican states.

And if you think about it, his going to Kansas is likely pretty brilliant.

Kansas' Republican Governor Sam Brownback and all the Republicans in the statehouse all slashed taxes for the wealthy and corporations a few years ago, claiming money and people would come flooding in.

Yeah, I know, right? Flooding in to Kansas?

For what, the beaches or the mountains?

Anyway, as predicted and even warned, not only did people and companies and jobs and money not flow in to the state, the only thing that did happen is that Kansas coffers are now not only pretty empty but Kansas needs to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars, due to all the slashing. This is where they were last August:

Adjusted Kansas numbers show $238 million budget shortfall

In this article, The New York Times points out Kansas' tax cuts could cost them as much as 9 billion dollars through 2019:

Brownback's Tax Cuts Not Set in Stone

So what's all this got to do with President Obama and his trip now?

What could be great is if he rubs the Republicans' "trickle down" economic theories not only don't work but they put public budgets in debt---possibly deep debt---while rewarding the already-wealthy and corporations.

Now, clearly he can't get too obvious and punishing with this message---however fun that would be---but still, I expect it will be at least easy to rather gently but obviously point out that tax cuts only for corporations and the wealthy, again, that "trickly down" nonsense, only makes corporations have bigger profits and send yet more money to the already wealthy. None of this helps the middle class, the lower classes or working class. It not only doesn't help the broadest swaths of America, much of the nation, it actually hurts them because it puts the burdens of tax payments on, again, the working-, middle- and lower classes.

So let's hope for some fun barbs tomorrow from the President, directly into the faces of all the Republicans who supported and maybe still support the voodoo economics nonsense of "trickle down" economic theory.

It doesn't work, Kansas and our nation proves it doesn't work and we need to get beyond it.

The Republican Part vs. Pope Francis

More particularly, the Republican Party and their economics models vs. Christianity

Awkward...

Ladies and Gentemen, Meet the US Chamber of Commerce

If you're like most of America, you're in the middle, lower and/or working class.

Also like most of America, you probably don't know the US Chamber of Commerce, what they do and/or what they've done to undermine all of us out here, all in the name of helping the already-wealthy and corporations.

In an effort to change that and to help more know just what's going on in our political/economic world, besides what the Rupert Murdochs and Roger Ailes and their Fox Network is already doing to America in general bu to the middle class, more specifically, I give you this terrific article and urge you read it. Both of you.

The Business of America is Dirty Tricks

It used to be, in the not-that-distant-past, we were, all of us, for America. We were for the advancement and progress of America. Certainly government representatives were. Businessmen and women and all the people.

No more.

Now it's business and businesses and business people and corporations and the wealthy against everyone else. It's become a free-for-all.

And guess who's winning?

I can't recommend it enough.

Have a great weekend.

Link:

Exclusive: Foreign-Funded ‘U.S.’ Chamber Of Commerce Running Partisan Attack Ads

A Brief Education on US Inequality

From professor, economist and author Robert Reich

How the Wealthy and Corporations are Cleaning our Collective, Financial Clocks

We know the wealthy and corporations are fat and getting fatter and we know it's because, with campaign contributions, they can buy their--our, yours and my--legislators and so, their legislation, our laws and finally, our government.

But how about some details? We know they're doing it but who are some of them and what are they doing?

Fortunately, a terrific article at Alternet right now, tells who's doing what and what, more exactly, they're doing here:

How American Corporations and the Super Rich Steal From the Rest of Us

Main Street is going broke. Wall Street is cashing in.

---Exxon has almost 80% of its productive oil and gas wells in the U.S. but declared only 17% of its income here. The company used a theoretical tax to account for 83% of last year's income tax bill, and paid less than 2% of its total income in current U.S. taxes.

---Chevron has about 75% of its oil and gas wells and almost 90% of its pipeline mileage in the United States, yet the company claimed only 13% of last year's income in the U.S., and paid almost nothing (less than 1/10 of 1%) in current U.S. taxes.

---Pfizer had 40% of last year's sales in the U.S., but claimed losses in the U.S. and $17 billion in profits overseas.

---Bank of America, despite making 84% of its 2011-2013 revenue in the U.S., declared just 31% of its profits in the United States.

---Citigroup had 43% of its 2011-2013 revenue in North America but declared less than 3% of its profits in the United States.

---Apple still does most of its product and research development in the United States. Yet the company moved $30 billion in profits to an Irish subsidiary with no employees, with loopholes in place to avoid establishing residency in any country. The subsidiary files no returns and pays no taxes. Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "We pay all the taxes we owe."

---Google's business is based on the Internet, the Digital Library Initiative, and the geographical database of the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet the company has gained recognition as one of the  world's biggest tax avoiders.

This doesn't even mention GE, General Electric paid a NEGATIVE AMOUNT in taxes. That is, we paid them to be in business and reap their profits.

We think of them as American countries--and they, likely, no doubt, too. And they do the vast majority of their business here in the US, in our own country, but contribute a fair amount so the country works and works  well? Contribute so our schools and roads and highways and airports and  bridges and all our infrastructure is supported?

FUGGHEDABOUDIT.

We have got to kill campaign contributions, folks. We have to. And it has to come from us.