www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/26/right-wing-filmmaker-gives-away-bongs-and-che-guevara-rolling-papers-at-ows/
October 26, 2011
By Wendy Gittleson
Evan Coyne Maloney, who’s been called the conservative answer to Michael Moore, occupied Occupy Wall Street with his film crew, a bunch of ‘gotcha’ questions and some ‘hippie pothead’ bling.
Maloney is apparently best known for a film about political correctness in education, called “IndoctrinateU.” According to Crooks and Liars, Maloney is marketed by Donor’s Trust, a non-profit which is funded by the Koch Brothers along with other conservative operatives.
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Right-Wing Filmmaker Gives Away Bongs And Che Guevara Rolling Papers At Occupy Wall Street
October 26, 2011
By Wendy Gittleson
Evan Coyne Maloney, who’s been called the conservative answer to Michael Moore, occupied Occupy Wall Street with his film crew, a bunch of ‘gotcha’ questions and some ‘hippie pothead’ bling.
Maloney is apparently best known for a film about political correctness in education, called “IndoctrinateU.” According to Crooks and Liars, Maloney is marketed by Donor’s Trust, a non-profit which is funded by the Koch Brothers along with other conservative operatives.
The video below is kind of all over the place, especially in the beginning, but around the 4:40 mark, a protester confronts Maloney about the fact that he is handing out bongs and rolling papers instead of things the protesters can actually use, like blankets and food. The protester accuses Maloney of essentially planting the paraphernalia in an attempt to show the protesters in a bad light on Fox News. Maloney replies, “I don’t know if they’ll pick it up. Maybe you’ll see it on CNN.”
[...] [See linked article for video]
The right-wing discredits those who scare them, so obviously, OWS is making its impact. The bad news is that their attempts to discredit often work. Just ask Van Jones, Acorn, NPR, Planned Parenthood and Shirley Sherrod.
[...]
..
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Steve Jobs Called Fox News ‘Destructive’ And Called On Jon Stewart To Help Change Direction Of Fox
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/27/steve-jobs-called-fox-news-destructive-and-called-on-jon-stewart-to-help-change-direction-of-fox/
A long-awaited biography of Steve Jobs sort of bounced off bookstore shelves this week. Walter Isaacson’s book, entitled simply, “Steve Jobs,” has been greeted with great reviews and stellar sales.
According to Isaacson’s book, Jobs, a Democrat, told Rupert Murdoch that Fox News was “an incredibly destructive force in our society,” and that he planned to ask Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show” to create a montage of Fox News clips for Murdoch to watch. According to the book, Jobs told Murdoch:
“The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is conservative-destructive, and you’ve cast your lot with the destructive people. FOX has become an incredibly destructive force in our society. You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you’re not careful.”
[...]
..
A long-awaited biography of Steve Jobs sort of bounced off bookstore shelves this week. Walter Isaacson’s book, entitled simply, “Steve Jobs,” has been greeted with great reviews and stellar sales.
According to Isaacson’s book, Jobs, a Democrat, told Rupert Murdoch that Fox News was “an incredibly destructive force in our society,” and that he planned to ask Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show” to create a montage of Fox News clips for Murdoch to watch. According to the book, Jobs told Murdoch:
“The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is conservative-destructive, and you’ve cast your lot with the destructive people. FOX has become an incredibly destructive force in our society. You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you’re not careful.”
[...]
..
Protests info
https://occupywallst.org/
http://www.occupytogether.org/
This has a list of links to Occupy groups around the country.
tags: Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Together, OWS
..
http://www.occupytogether.org/
This has a list of links to Occupy groups around the country.
tags: Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Together, OWS
..
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Congressional approval has reached a new low at 9 percent
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/25/us/politics/approval-of-congress-drops-to-single-digits.html?ref=politics
Published: October 25, 2011
THE NEW YORK TIMES/CBS NEWS POLL
The number of people who approve of Congress has dropped to 9%.
=============================================================
I
www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/politics/poll-finds-anxiety-on-the-economy-fuels-volatility-in-the-2012-race.html?_r=1&ref=us
New Poll Finds a Deep Distrust of Government
By JEFF ZELENY and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
Published: October 25, 2011
With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans’ distrust of government at its highest level ever.
[...]
Almost half of the public thinks the sentiment at the root of the Occupy movement generally reflects the views of most Americans.
With nearly all Americans remaining fearful that the economy is stagnating or deteriorating further, two-thirds of the public said that wealth should be distributed more evenly in the country. Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Congressional Republicans favor the rich. Two-thirds object to tax cuts for corporations and a similar number prefer increasing income taxes on millionaires.
[...]
Not only do 89 percent of Americans say they distrust government to do the right thing, but 74 percent say the country is on the wrong track and 84 percent disapprove of Congress — warnings for Democrats and Republicans alike.
[...]
The approval rating for Mr. Obama, 46 percent, appears to be elevated by positions he has taken on foreign affairs. Sixty percent of those questioned said they approve of his handling of Iraq, a question added to the poll after his announcement last Friday that American troops would come home by the end of the year.
But the president, whose disapproval rating is also 46 percent, also faces mixed signals from the public about his latest job-creation proposals. While the poll found substantial support for the plan’s individual components, more than half of the public say he lacks a clear plan for creating jobs, despite his extensive travels around the country over the last six weeks selling his proposals.
[...]
Congressional Republicans are viewed even worse than the president, with 71 percent of the public saying the party does not have a clear plan for creating jobs. And support for several other Republican proposals is more tepid than for Mr. Obama’s initiatives to lift the economy.
Only about a quarter of the public said that lowering taxes on large corporations or repealing the entire national health care law was a good idea. But half of the public favors reducing or repealing regulations on businesses in the United States.
[...]
In February, a CBS News poll found that 27 percent of the public said the views of the Tea Party movement reflected the sentiment of most Americans. In the current poll, 46 percent of the public said the same of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
..
Published: October 25, 2011
THE NEW YORK TIMES/CBS NEWS POLL
The number of people who approve of Congress has dropped to 9%.
=============================================================
I
n the following article, I noticed they put the low ratings of Republicans way down below results about President Obama.
www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/politics/poll-finds-anxiety-on-the-economy-fuels-volatility-in-the-2012-race.html?_r=1&ref=us
New Poll Finds a Deep Distrust of Government
By JEFF ZELENY and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
Published: October 25, 2011
With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans’ distrust of government at its highest level ever.
[...]
Almost half of the public thinks the sentiment at the root of the Occupy movement generally reflects the views of most Americans.
With nearly all Americans remaining fearful that the economy is stagnating or deteriorating further, two-thirds of the public said that wealth should be distributed more evenly in the country. Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Congressional Republicans favor the rich. Two-thirds object to tax cuts for corporations and a similar number prefer increasing income taxes on millionaires.
[...]
Not only do 89 percent of Americans say they distrust government to do the right thing, but 74 percent say the country is on the wrong track and 84 percent disapprove of Congress — warnings for Democrats and Republicans alike.
[...]
The approval rating for Mr. Obama, 46 percent, appears to be elevated by positions he has taken on foreign affairs. Sixty percent of those questioned said they approve of his handling of Iraq, a question added to the poll after his announcement last Friday that American troops would come home by the end of the year.
But the president, whose disapproval rating is also 46 percent, also faces mixed signals from the public about his latest job-creation proposals. While the poll found substantial support for the plan’s individual components, more than half of the public say he lacks a clear plan for creating jobs, despite his extensive travels around the country over the last six weeks selling his proposals.
[...]
Congressional Republicans are viewed even worse than the president, with 71 percent of the public saying the party does not have a clear plan for creating jobs. And support for several other Republican proposals is more tepid than for Mr. Obama’s initiatives to lift the economy.
Only about a quarter of the public said that lowering taxes on large corporations or repealing the entire national health care law was a good idea. But half of the public favors reducing or repealing regulations on businesses in the United States.
[...]
In February, a CBS News poll found that 27 percent of the public said the views of the Tea Party movement reflected the sentiment of most Americans. In the current poll, 46 percent of the public said the same of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
..
Iraq vet in critical condition after Oakland protest
Something that is a certainty, based on past experience, is that there are some people being paid to make the protests look bad. (Of course, any large group will have people who are not rational.)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAE71LMH3C.DTL
San Francisco Chronicle
Will Kane,Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
tags: Occupy Wall Street, OWS
[...]
Several hours after the raid on the camp, a march turned into a protracted street confrontation between protesters and police officers, who set off tear gas and used shotguns to fire projectiles designed to inflict pain but not kill.
Police said they had to protect themselves from protesters who hurled rocks, bottles and paint, and ignored orders to disperse.
Authorities have not released information on injuries from the clash. However, officials at Highland Hospital in Oakland said today that one protester, Scott Olsen of Daly City, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, was in critical condition.
The antiwar group said Olsen, a systems network administrator, suffered a skull fracture when he was hit by a "blunt object." Olsen joined the U.S. Marines in 2006, served two tours in Iraq, and was discharged in 2010, the group said.
Video footage widely distributed on the Internet shows a protester - identified by the antiwar group as Olsen - being carried away by others with a wound to his face. While he lay wounded, the footage appears to show an officer tossing a tear gas canister toward people trying to help him.
[...]
..
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAE71LMH3C.DTL
San Francisco Chronicle
Will Kane,Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
tags: Occupy Wall Street, OWS
[...]
Several hours after the raid on the camp, a march turned into a protracted street confrontation between protesters and police officers, who set off tear gas and used shotguns to fire projectiles designed to inflict pain but not kill.
Police said they had to protect themselves from protesters who hurled rocks, bottles and paint, and ignored orders to disperse.
Authorities have not released information on injuries from the clash. However, officials at Highland Hospital in Oakland said today that one protester, Scott Olsen of Daly City, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, was in critical condition.
The antiwar group said Olsen, a systems network administrator, suffered a skull fracture when he was hit by a "blunt object." Olsen joined the U.S. Marines in 2006, served two tours in Iraq, and was discharged in 2010, the group said.
Video footage widely distributed on the Internet shows a protester - identified by the antiwar group as Olsen - being carried away by others with a wound to his face. While he lay wounded, the footage appears to show an officer tossing a tear gas canister toward people trying to help him.
[...]
..
Annual Screening With Chest X-Ray Does Not Reduce Rate of Lung Cancer Deaths Much, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143717.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — In a trial that included more than 150,000 participants, those who underwent annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not have a significantly lower rate of death from lung cancer compared to participants who were not screened, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST 2011).
[...]
During the entire 13 year study period, there were 1,696 lung cancers detected in the intervention group and 1,620 lung cancers in the usual care group. Of participants diagnosed with lung cancer during the follow-up, stage and histology was similar by group, with about 41 percent being adenocarcinoma, 20 percent squamous cell carcinoma, 14 percent small cell carcinoma, 5 percent large cell carcinoma, and 20 percent other non-small cell lung cancer.
Regarding the effect on mortality, the researchers found that annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not significantly decrease lung cancer mortality compared with usual care: for the total 13-year follow-up period, 1,213 lung cancer deaths were observed in the intervention group vs. 1,230 in the usual care group.
[...]
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — In a trial that included more than 150,000 participants, those who underwent annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not have a significantly lower rate of death from lung cancer compared to participants who were not screened, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST 2011).
[...]
During the entire 13 year study period, there were 1,696 lung cancers detected in the intervention group and 1,620 lung cancers in the usual care group. Of participants diagnosed with lung cancer during the follow-up, stage and histology was similar by group, with about 41 percent being adenocarcinoma, 20 percent squamous cell carcinoma, 14 percent small cell carcinoma, 5 percent large cell carcinoma, and 20 percent other non-small cell lung cancer.
Regarding the effect on mortality, the researchers found that annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not significantly decrease lung cancer mortality compared with usual care: for the total 13-year follow-up period, 1,213 lung cancer deaths were observed in the intervention group vs. 1,230 in the usual care group.
[...]
..
Culture in Humans and Apes Has the Same Evolutionary Roots, Researchers Show
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020122313.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) — Culture is not a trait that is unique to humans. By studying orangutan populations, a team of researchers headed by anthropologist Michael Krützen from the University of Zurich has demonstrated that great apes also have the ability to learn socially and pass them down through a great many generations. The researchers provide the first evidence that culture in humans and great apes has the same evolutionary roots, thus answering the contentious question as to whether variation in behavioral patterns in orangutans are culturally driven, or caused by genetic factors and environmental influences.
[...]
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) — Culture is not a trait that is unique to humans. By studying orangutan populations, a team of researchers headed by anthropologist Michael Krützen from the University of Zurich has demonstrated that great apes also have the ability to learn socially and pass them down through a great many generations. The researchers provide the first evidence that culture in humans and great apes has the same evolutionary roots, thus answering the contentious question as to whether variation in behavioral patterns in orangutans are culturally driven, or caused by genetic factors and environmental influences.
[...]
..
Production of Biofuel from Forests Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111023135657.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2011) — The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal.
The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In this research, that wasn't true in any scenario.
[...]
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2011) — The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal.
The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In this research, that wasn't true in any scenario.
[...]
..
More Time Outdoors May Reduce Kids' Risk for Nearsightedness, Research Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024084639.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) — A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents. Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. In parts of Asia, more than 80 percent of the population is nearsighted. The analysis suggests that more exposure to natural light and/or time spent looking at distant objects may be key factors.
[...]
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) — A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents. Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. In parts of Asia, more than 80 percent of the population is nearsighted. The analysis suggests that more exposure to natural light and/or time spent looking at distant objects may be key factors.
[...]
..
Recycling Thermal Cash Register Receipts Contaminates Paper Products With BPA
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026122406.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a substance that may have harmful health effects -- occurs in 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts, scientists are reporting. The recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products.
The report, which could have special implications for cashiers and other people who routinely handle thermal paper receipts, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
[...]
the researchers analyzed hundreds of samples of thermal cash register receipts and 14 other types of paper products from the U.S., Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
They found BPA on 94 percent of the receipts. The only receipts with that were BPA-free were those from Japan, which phased out this use of BPA in 2001. BPA was in most of the other types of paper products, with tickets, newspapers and flyers having the highest concentrations. But these levels still paled in comparison to BPA on receipts, which the study said are responsible for more than 98 percent of consumer exposure to BPA from paper. The researchers estimate that receipts contribute about 33.5 tons of BPA to the environment every year in the U.S. and Canada. They note that handling of paper products can contribute up to 2 percent of the total daily BPA exposures in the general population, and that fraction can be much higher in occupationally exposed individuals.
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a substance that may have harmful health effects -- occurs in 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts, scientists are reporting. The recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products.
The report, which could have special implications for cashiers and other people who routinely handle thermal paper receipts, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
[...]
the researchers analyzed hundreds of samples of thermal cash register receipts and 14 other types of paper products from the U.S., Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
They found BPA on 94 percent of the receipts. The only receipts with that were BPA-free were those from Japan, which phased out this use of BPA in 2001. BPA was in most of the other types of paper products, with tickets, newspapers and flyers having the highest concentrations. But these levels still paled in comparison to BPA on receipts, which the study said are responsible for more than 98 percent of consumer exposure to BPA from paper. The researchers estimate that receipts contribute about 33.5 tons of BPA to the environment every year in the U.S. and Canada. They note that handling of paper products can contribute up to 2 percent of the total daily BPA exposures in the general population, and that fraction can be much higher in occupationally exposed individuals.
..
Environmental Toxin Bisphenol A (BPA) Can Affect Newborn Brain, Mouse Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026094203.htm
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — Newborn mice that are exposed to bisphenol A develop changes in their spontaneous behavior and evince poorer adaptation to new environments, as well hyperactivity as young adults, according to researchers at Uppsala University. Their study also revealed that one of the brain's most important signal systems, the cholinergic signal system, is affected by bisphenol A and that the effect persisted into adulthood.
Our environment contains a number of pollutants, including bisphenol A, which is used in plastics in a number of different applications. When plastic products are used, bisphenol A can leak out, which is especially problematic as it is used in baby bottles, tin cans, plastic containers, plastic mugs, which are used by people of all ages. Both in Sweden and globally, bisphenol A is widely used, and the substance has been found in human placentas, fetuses, and breast milk.
[...]
"We have previously seen this type of effect from several other environmental toxins that are still prevalent in both indoor and outdoor environments. As these effects are similar to each other, it's possible that several different environmental toxins, including bisphenol A, may work together in causing disturbances during brain development. This in turn may mean that the individual dosages of the various environmental toxins that are required to cause disturbances may be lower than those we examined in our studies of, for example, Bisphenol and brominated flame-retardants," says Henrik Viberg.
tags: pollution
..
ScienceDaily (Oct. 26, 2011) — Newborn mice that are exposed to bisphenol A develop changes in their spontaneous behavior and evince poorer adaptation to new environments, as well hyperactivity as young adults, according to researchers at Uppsala University. Their study also revealed that one of the brain's most important signal systems, the cholinergic signal system, is affected by bisphenol A and that the effect persisted into adulthood.
Our environment contains a number of pollutants, including bisphenol A, which is used in plastics in a number of different applications. When plastic products are used, bisphenol A can leak out, which is especially problematic as it is used in baby bottles, tin cans, plastic containers, plastic mugs, which are used by people of all ages. Both in Sweden and globally, bisphenol A is widely used, and the substance has been found in human placentas, fetuses, and breast milk.
[...]
"We have previously seen this type of effect from several other environmental toxins that are still prevalent in both indoor and outdoor environments. As these effects are similar to each other, it's possible that several different environmental toxins, including bisphenol A, may work together in causing disturbances during brain development. This in turn may mean that the individual dosages of the various environmental toxins that are required to cause disturbances may be lower than those we examined in our studies of, for example, Bisphenol and brominated flame-retardants," says Henrik Viberg.
tags: pollution
..
Gap between U.S. rich, poor is widest in Atlanta
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45052935/ns/us_news-life/#.TqiP4HIzC8s
Oct. 26, 2011
Atlanta has widest income gap between rich and poor of all the major U.S. cities, the U.S. Census reported on Wednesday. New Orleans ranked second, followed by the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.
Areas with the highest income inequality "tend to be found in cities, with older housing on average, while the most income-segregated areas ... tend to be found in the suburbs," the census reported.
Rounding out the list of 10 big cities with the largest gaps between high and low income are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville, all in Florida; Athens, Ga.; New York; Dallas; and Baton Rouge, La.
The major cities with the lowest income inequality were almost all in the West, and all had much smaller populations.
[...]
The U.S. recession that began in 2007 took a steep toll across the country, with only a few places spared from a rise in jobless rates and a decline in incomes. Nearly two years after the recession officially ended in 2009, the U.S. unemployment rate remains above 9 percent, and the poverty rate tops 15 percent.
Income levels have taken a dip for families nationwide. For example, median household income dipped to $49,445 in 2010 — the lowest since 1996, census figures showed.
[...]
The agency also pulled back to look at the states. New York has the widest gap between rich and poor, followed by Connecticut and Louisiana. Using three separate measures, the Census found those states, along with Mississippi, Texas, Alabama and California, have greater income inequality than the nation as a whole.
Utah, Alaska and New Hampshire have the smallest gaps.
..
Oct. 26, 2011
Atlanta has widest income gap between rich and poor of all the major U.S. cities, the U.S. Census reported on Wednesday. New Orleans ranked second, followed by the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.
Areas with the highest income inequality "tend to be found in cities, with older housing on average, while the most income-segregated areas ... tend to be found in the suburbs," the census reported.
Rounding out the list of 10 big cities with the largest gaps between high and low income are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville, all in Florida; Athens, Ga.; New York; Dallas; and Baton Rouge, La.
The major cities with the lowest income inequality were almost all in the West, and all had much smaller populations.
[...]
The U.S. recession that began in 2007 took a steep toll across the country, with only a few places spared from a rise in jobless rates and a decline in incomes. Nearly two years after the recession officially ended in 2009, the U.S. unemployment rate remains above 9 percent, and the poverty rate tops 15 percent.
Income levels have taken a dip for families nationwide. For example, median household income dipped to $49,445 in 2010 — the lowest since 1996, census figures showed.
[...]
The agency also pulled back to look at the states. New York has the widest gap between rich and poor, followed by Connecticut and Louisiana. Using three separate measures, the Census found those states, along with Mississippi, Texas, Alabama and California, have greater income inequality than the nation as a whole.
Utah, Alaska and New Hampshire have the smallest gaps.
..
Tennessee Agency Charges 86-Year Old Veteran An Unconstitutional Poll Tax To Obtain Voter ID
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/10/26/353712/tennessee-veteran-voter-id-pay/
By Tanya Somanader on Oct 26, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Pointing to a problem that doesn’t exist, Tennessee Republicans created a voter ID law this year which, they say, will ensure that only those eligible to vote can do so. As predicted, the law is disenfranchising the poor, elderly, and minority voters, including a 96-year-old African-American woman, a 91-year old woman, and now, a 86-year old veteran.
World War II veteran Darwin Spinks went to a testing center last month to get a photo ID for voting purposes. Under the law, any resident without a photo ID is supposed to get one free of charge. But when Spinks asked for an ID, he was told he had to pay an $8 fee:
Spinks said Tuesday he needed the photo because when his driver’s license with a photo expired the last time, the driver testing center issued him a new license without a photo on it. State law allows people over 60 to get a non-photo driver’s license.
The retired print shop worker who moved here 17 years ago said he told people at the driver center he wanted an ID for voting purposes. He was sent from one line to another to have a picture taken, then was charged.
“I said, ‘You mean I’ve got to pay again?’ She says, ‘Yes,’” explained Spinks, a resident of County Farm Road, who was stationed on the USS Goshen in World War II and was called to duty again for the Korean War.
Forcing an American citizen to pay in order to vote is a clear violation of the constitution’s 24th Amendment: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or the other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.” The amendment was specifically enacted in 1962 to end the poll tax, a fee that was used to prevent the black population from voting.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said it will send Spinks a letter and an affidavit to sign which states that he does not have a valid government-issued photo ID. Only then will they refund his $8. “If he came in for a photo ID for voting purposes, he should not have been charged,” the department stated.
..
By Tanya Somanader on Oct 26, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Pointing to a problem that doesn’t exist, Tennessee Republicans created a voter ID law this year which, they say, will ensure that only those eligible to vote can do so. As predicted, the law is disenfranchising the poor, elderly, and minority voters, including a 96-year-old African-American woman, a 91-year old woman, and now, a 86-year old veteran.
World War II veteran Darwin Spinks went to a testing center last month to get a photo ID for voting purposes. Under the law, any resident without a photo ID is supposed to get one free of charge. But when Spinks asked for an ID, he was told he had to pay an $8 fee:
Spinks said Tuesday he needed the photo because when his driver’s license with a photo expired the last time, the driver testing center issued him a new license without a photo on it. State law allows people over 60 to get a non-photo driver’s license.
The retired print shop worker who moved here 17 years ago said he told people at the driver center he wanted an ID for voting purposes. He was sent from one line to another to have a picture taken, then was charged.
“I said, ‘You mean I’ve got to pay again?’ She says, ‘Yes,’” explained Spinks, a resident of County Farm Road, who was stationed on the USS Goshen in World War II and was called to duty again for the Korean War.
Forcing an American citizen to pay in order to vote is a clear violation of the constitution’s 24th Amendment: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or the other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.” The amendment was specifically enacted in 1962 to end the poll tax, a fee that was used to prevent the black population from voting.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said it will send Spinks a letter and an affidavit to sign which states that he does not have a valid government-issued photo ID. Only then will they refund his $8. “If he came in for a photo ID for voting purposes, he should not have been charged,” the department stated.
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Oakland Police Toss Flash Grenade At Protesters Helping Injured Person
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/26/353890/video-oakland-police-toss-flash-grenades-at-protesters-helping-injured-person/
Despite initial denials, Oakland-area police deliberately fired and tossed flash-bang grenades at Occupy Oakland protesters last night, even ones who had been visibly harmed by the police assault. Video shot by KTVU shows flash-bang grenades fired by riot police deep into the protesting crowd. Near the barricades where a Veteran for Peace holds his flag amid tear gas, a protester is knocked down by a flash-bang grenade. After a crowd surrounds the victim, riot police toss more flash-bang grenades into their midst. The police initially denied that officers had used flash-bang grenades. “The loud noises that were heard originated from M-80 explosives thrown at police by protesters,” a statement from the department falsely claimed.
tags: social justice, police brutality, Occupy Wallstreet, OWS
[...]
..
Despite initial denials, Oakland-area police deliberately fired and tossed flash-bang grenades at Occupy Oakland protesters last night, even ones who had been visibly harmed by the police assault. Video shot by KTVU shows flash-bang grenades fired by riot police deep into the protesting crowd. Near the barricades where a Veteran for Peace holds his flag amid tear gas, a protester is knocked down by a flash-bang grenade. After a crowd surrounds the victim, riot police toss more flash-bang grenades into their midst. The police initially denied that officers had used flash-bang grenades. “The loud noises that were heard originated from M-80 explosives thrown at police by protesters,” a statement from the department falsely claimed.
tags: social justice, police brutality, Occupy Wallstreet, OWS
[...]
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Life Without Stimulus — The U.S. vs. The U.K.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/26/354460/chart-stimulus-us-u/
At Tax.com, Martin Sullivan rebuts those who claim that the 2009 Recovery Act (i.e. the stimulus) did nothing to boost the economy. “Republicans constantly remind us that the Obama stimulus — the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — did not work. They voted against it. In the United Kingdom the government is led by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. His government did not adopt stimulus,” Sullivan noted. “After three and a half years, U.S. GDP is just about returning to the pre-recession peak. That’s awful. But it’s far better than the U.K. where GDP is still five percent ($750 billion in US terms) below its pre-recession peak.”
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At Tax.com, Martin Sullivan rebuts those who claim that the 2009 Recovery Act (i.e. the stimulus) did nothing to boost the economy. “Republicans constantly remind us that the Obama stimulus — the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — did not work. They voted against it. In the United Kingdom the government is led by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. His government did not adopt stimulus,” Sullivan noted. “After three and a half years, U.S. GDP is just about returning to the pre-recession peak. That’s awful. But it’s far better than the U.K. where GDP is still five percent ($750 billion in US terms) below its pre-recession peak.”
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Bush created more regulations than Obama
Some regulation is desirable.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/26/353942/bush-more-regulations-than-obama/
By Tanya Somanader on Oct 26, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Republican lawmakers have been raking President Obama over the coals due to what they call a “tsunami” of new government regulations. “Business owners are reluctant to create jobs today if they’re going to need to pay more tomorrow to comply with onerous new regulations,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Obama’s “excessive regulations that unnecessarily increase costs” just “make it harder for our economy to create jobs,” said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
As with most GOP talking points, the facts tell a different story. A Bloomberg analysis of regulations reveals that Obama has approved fewer regulations than President George W. Bush “at this same point in their tenures, and the estimated costs of those rules haven’t reached the annual peak set in fiscal 1992 under Bush’s father.” Indeed, the record for the most expensive regulations still belongs to the GOP:
Obama’s White House approved 613 federal rules during the first 33 months of his term, 4.7 percent fewer than the 643 cleared by President George W. Bush’s administration in the same time frame, according to an Office of Management and Budget statistical database reviewed by Bloomberg. [...]
In the last 12 months through the end of September, the cost range of new regulations is estimated to be $8 billion to $9 billion, a decrease from 2010, according to non-partisan Government Accountability Office reports analyzed by Bloomberg…The record [cost of regulations] came in 1992 under George H.W. Bush when that total hit $20.9 billion in current dollars. In the last year of Ronald Reagan’s term it was $16 billion in today’s dollars.
We certainly don’t remember Republicans crying about the “excessive” Bush regulations.
More of Obama’s regulations may cost more than $100 million as compared to previous administrations. But many of them help prevent outcomes that would cost exponentially more. For instance, the Department of Interior’s new controls on deep-water oil drilling may cost the industry $180 million, but one oil spill like that caused by Deepwater Horizon could cost the industry $16.3 billion. Some of the administration’s rules, like those governing coal ash, will actually help create thousands of jobs.
The impact of these regulations on small businesses is incredibly minimal. In fact, of the 10,361 mass layoffs last year, only 61 were attributed to regulations. When McClatchy asked small business owners why they have been hesitant to hire, “none of the business owners complained about regulation in their particular industries, and most seemed to welcome it.”
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
CBO: Income Of The Top 1 Percent Exploded Over The Last Three Decades
See the link for an illustrating graph. It would certainly be even more astounding if it showed the very top incomes broken out, like for the top .01%
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/25/353359/cbo-income-one-percent-explode/
Congressional Budget Office today released a new report on the growth in income that’s occurred in the U.S. over the last three decades. CBO found that, “for the 1 percent of the population with the highest income, average real after-tax household income grew by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007,” while it grew by just 18 percent for the bottom 20 percent of the income scale. “As a result of that uneven income growth, the distribution of after-tax household income in the United States was substantially more unequal in 2007 than in 1979,” CBO said.
[...]
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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/25/353359/cbo-income-one-percent-explode/
Congressional Budget Office today released a new report on the growth in income that’s occurred in the U.S. over the last three decades. CBO found that, “for the 1 percent of the population with the highest income, average real after-tax household income grew by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007,” while it grew by just 18 percent for the bottom 20 percent of the income scale. “As a result of that uneven income growth, the distribution of after-tax household income in the United States was substantially more unequal in 2007 than in 1979,” CBO said.
[...]
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NPR dumps opera show over D.C. protest
This is crazy. It's an opera show, not a news program.
Some of NPR's reasons that listeners should donate to them are really farcical. Eg., this morning, they mentioned a program they did on why some people don't believe in global warming' it was because of lack of information. Of course, they didn't mention that NPR had a blackout for years on any mention of global warming or negative effects from warm weather. They only started mentioning it after their oil company sponsors finally admitted that man-made global warming is real, although some continue to fund denialist organizations.
Also this morning, WABE, a local NPR radio station touted "growing local coverage". I have heard little if anything on WABE about Occupy Atlanta.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-20124068/npr-dumps-opera-show-over-dc-protest/
October 21, 2011 9:02 PM
(AP)
WASHINGTON - NPR will no longer distribute the affiliate-produced program "World of Opera" to about 60 stations across the country because the show host helped organize an ongoing Washington protest, a network official said Friday evening.
Instead, North Carolina-based classical music station WDAV, which produces the show, said it will distribute the nationally syndicated program on its own beginning Nov. 11. The station said it plans to keep Lisa Simeone as host and has said her involvement in a political protest does not affect her job as a music program host.
[...]
http://warisacrime.org/content/npr-gets-producer-fired-occupying
[...]
Simeone told me: "I find it puzzling that NPR objects to my exercising my rights as an American citizen -- the right to free speech, the right to peaceable assembly -- on my own time in my own life. I'm not an NPR employee. I'm a freelancer. NPR doesn't pay me. I'm also not a news reporter. I don't cover politics. I've never brought a whiff of my political activities into the work I've done for NPR World of Opera. What is NPR afraid I'll do -- insert a seditious comment into a synopsis of Madame Butterfly?
"This sudden concern with my political activities is also surprising in light of the fact that Mara Liaason reports on politics for NPR yet appears as a commentator on FoxTV, Scott Simon hosts an NPR news show yet writes political op-eds for national newspapers, Cokie Roberts reports on politics for NPR yet accepts large speaking fees from businesses. Does NPR also send out 'Communications Alerts' about their activities?"
[...]
=============================================================
[From my observation, I believe that Cokie Roberts is certainly Republican.]
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If only GOP lawmakers were more like GOP voters
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/if_only_gop_lawmakers_were_mor033072.php
October 25, 2011 2:15 PM
By Steve Benen
I imagine everyone has seen the bumper sticker that says, “Lord, protect us from your followers.” I have an idea for a related sticker that reads, “Republicans, protect us from your elected officials.”
In the existing political landscape, the real problem is not with GOP voters; it’s with GOP policymakers. This isn’t to let the party’s supporters off the hook entirely — they’re the ones who supported and elected the officeholders — but it’s hard to overstate how much more constructive the political process would be if Republican lawmakers in any way reflected the priorities of their own supporters.
Last week, a national poll found that Republican voters broadly support the Democratic jobs agenda — a payroll tax cut, jobs for teachers/first responders, infrastructure investments, and increased taxes on millionaires and billionaires — in some cases by wide margins. This week, Tim Noah noticed this observation can be applied even further.
I’m liking rank-and-file Republicans better and better. Earlier this month we learned that they favor Obama’s plan to tax the rich. Now we learn that a 55 percent majority of them think Wall Street bankers and brokers are “dishonest,” 69 percent think they’re “overpaid,” and 72 percent think they’re “greedy.” Fewer than half (47 percent) have an unfavorable view of the Occupy Wall Street protests. Thirty-three percent either favor them or have no opinion, and 20 percent haven’t heard of them. Also, a majority favor getting rid of the Electoral College and replacing it with a popular vote. After the 2000 election only 41 percent did. Now 53 percent do. How cool is that?
Every one of these positions puts the GOP rank-and-file at odds with their congressional leadership and field of presidential candidates.
I don’t want to exaggerate this too much. The fact remains that the Republican Party is dominated by conservative voters, especially those who participate in primaries and caucuses. I’m not suggesting for a moment that the party’s rank-and-file members are moving to the left.
But the recent poll results are also hard to miss — many if not most GOP voters are perfectly comfortable with plenty of progressive ideas, including tax increases on millionaires and billionaires. It’s starting to look like the party’s rank and file is made up of mainstream conservatives who want their party to help move the country forward.
And yet, when we look to Republican officials in Washington, how many GOP members of Congress are willing to endorse any of these popular measures? Zero. Literally, not even one Republican lawmaker has offered even tacit support for ideas that most GOP voters actually like. In the Senate, a united Republican caucus won’t even allow a vote — won’t even allow a debate — on popular job-creation ideas during a jobs crisis.
[...]
..
October 25, 2011 2:15 PM
By Steve Benen
I imagine everyone has seen the bumper sticker that says, “Lord, protect us from your followers.” I have an idea for a related sticker that reads, “Republicans, protect us from your elected officials.”
In the existing political landscape, the real problem is not with GOP voters; it’s with GOP policymakers. This isn’t to let the party’s supporters off the hook entirely — they’re the ones who supported and elected the officeholders — but it’s hard to overstate how much more constructive the political process would be if Republican lawmakers in any way reflected the priorities of their own supporters.
Last week, a national poll found that Republican voters broadly support the Democratic jobs agenda — a payroll tax cut, jobs for teachers/first responders, infrastructure investments, and increased taxes on millionaires and billionaires — in some cases by wide margins. This week, Tim Noah noticed this observation can be applied even further.
I’m liking rank-and-file Republicans better and better. Earlier this month we learned that they favor Obama’s plan to tax the rich. Now we learn that a 55 percent majority of them think Wall Street bankers and brokers are “dishonest,” 69 percent think they’re “overpaid,” and 72 percent think they’re “greedy.” Fewer than half (47 percent) have an unfavorable view of the Occupy Wall Street protests. Thirty-three percent either favor them or have no opinion, and 20 percent haven’t heard of them. Also, a majority favor getting rid of the Electoral College and replacing it with a popular vote. After the 2000 election only 41 percent did. Now 53 percent do. How cool is that?
Every one of these positions puts the GOP rank-and-file at odds with their congressional leadership and field of presidential candidates.
I don’t want to exaggerate this too much. The fact remains that the Republican Party is dominated by conservative voters, especially those who participate in primaries and caucuses. I’m not suggesting for a moment that the party’s rank-and-file members are moving to the left.
But the recent poll results are also hard to miss — many if not most GOP voters are perfectly comfortable with plenty of progressive ideas, including tax increases on millionaires and billionaires. It’s starting to look like the party’s rank and file is made up of mainstream conservatives who want their party to help move the country forward.
And yet, when we look to Republican officials in Washington, how many GOP members of Congress are willing to endorse any of these popular measures? Zero. Literally, not even one Republican lawmaker has offered even tacit support for ideas that most GOP voters actually like. In the Senate, a united Republican caucus won’t even allow a vote — won’t even allow a debate — on popular job-creation ideas during a jobs crisis.
[...]
..
Tax breaks, incentives for companies in Florida haven't produced promised jobs Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/10/25/128212/tax-breaks-incentives-for-companies.html#ixzz1bq8xrlX4
Not surprising, since Georgia is also friendly to business, and has had a higher unemployment rate than the U.S. average, every month for more than 4 years.http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/10/25/128212/tax-breaks-incentives-for-companies.html
Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
By Michael C. Bender | The Miami Herald
TALLAHASSEE — Florida has given tax breaks and other cash incentives to some of the world’s biggest companies in return for creating jobs.
But even Wal-Mart, Publix, Kraft Foods and other corporate giants have had trouble meeting job goals.
New data shows Florida has signed contracts worth $1.7 billion since 1995 in return for promises of 225,000 new jobs. But only about one-third of those jobs have been filled while the state has paid out 43 percent of the contracts.
That averages out to $10,237 per job.
[...]
Information on the performance of Florida’s incentive programs comes as Gov. Rick Scott prepares his budget request for new tax incentives next year. At least $125 million will be available in a fund lawmakers created for incentives.
State data shows at least 327 incentive contracts came up short, producing nearly 35,000 fewer jobs than promised. That includes 33 companies that cut jobs instead of adding work.
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