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Progressive Issues for "more and BETTER" Democrats
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Government Reform

Time to Change the Game for Airline and Railroad Workers

by: Tula Connell

Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:40:52 AM EDT

In this cross-post from the Huffington Post, Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, describes why the deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections.

The deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections. That's why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as "no" votes.

Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those voting decides the outcome-whether they're voting for PTA president or U.S. senator. Not so for airline and railroad workers-who must first ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do in elections for the highest office of our land? We can't.

There's More... :: (0 Comments, 672 words in story)

The Point Grayson was trying to make about The Fed

by: jamess

Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 22:44:25 PM EDT

The only thing Alan Grayson should Apologize for ...

was not having the Fed's Price List

for their services!

(imo)

Perhaps Grayson can be excused, since "The Fed" does favors for its clients, far from the scrutiny of prying eyes ... giving away Billions to their good ole Buddies, both Foreign and Domestic, without so much as a Receipt or and IOU exchanging hands ...

It's easy to see how this shady activity just might get "mis-construed":

Alan Grayson: Which Foreigners got the Fed's 500 Billion?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

There's More... :: (4 Comments, 875 words in story)

Government Grows the Economy

by: Tula Connell

Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 09:22:06 AM EDT

Economist Jeff Madrick, director of policy research at The New School's Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, is among several key speakers at next week's Building the New Economy conference here in Washington, D.C. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard also are among keynote speakers. Here, Madrick shares with us why government involvement in the economy is essential to ensure a robust, successful nation.

America had been living a free-market myth for a generation until the credit crisis of 2008 and 2009 descended on the nation--and the world. One expression of that myth, found frequently on the editorial pages of the popular media, was that government does not grow economies, business does. In other words, government, don't meddle where you're not needed. Politicians are even easier to belittle than government itself.

There's More... :: (1 Comments, 760 words in story)

Elizabeth Warren: Lobbying on behalf of the American People

by: jamess

Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 20:57:46 PM EDT

We have been told that Wall Street Investment firms are "Too big to Fail" -- But that does NOT Mean they are "Too Big for Accountability"!


The Question boils down to,

Who Does the Congress Represent anyways --
The American People, or the Global Bankers (and their Lobbyists) ?


And Will the People bother to care about Wall Street Regulation this time around?

Since I'm assuming we will, here's some essential background on the Wall Street Meltdown mess:


Credit Default Swap (CDS)

What Does Credit Default Swap (CDS) Mean?

A swap designed to transfer the credit exposure of fixed income products between parties.

http://www.investopedia.com/te...


CDS's are an easy way to transfer Credit Risk -- Check!

There's More... :: (8 Comments, 1870 words in story)

Baucus's proposal ... an Insider Trader move to protect an Industry

by: jamess

Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 19:15:50 PM EDT

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, interviews Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, regarding a Robust Public Option:

AMY GOODMAN: Congress member Grijalva, I also want to ask you about Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus and his close ties to the healthcare industry. [...]

REP. RAUL GRIJALVA: I think the product that has come out from his committee and himself, I really believe that it has no legitimacy in this debate. It's an insider product. It's there to protect the industry. It is not there to try to look for that middle ground. He is key in holding up deliberations, has been key in trying to work on a consensus, but everything you see in his legislation had to be approved by the industry before it became part of the plan. So I don't think it's legitimate.

[...] I consider Senator Baucus's proposal to be essentially an insider trader move to protect an industry and really doesn't have validity at all, both political validity or content validity.

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Do the Public Airways Really Belong to the Public? ... with Poll

by: jamess

Sun Sep 06, 2009 at 16:15:59 PM EDT

The Current Media System favors the Representation of Corporate Interests by our Politicians.

Since the Media Airtime costs so much, Politicians generally have little choice but to give Corporate Speech an Audience, in order to get Elected. ... Helloooo Corporate Lobbyists!

Click to Enlarge Flowchart A

There's More... :: (1 Comments, 1519 words in story)

Doctor tells Congress all, about Health Care Denials

by: jamess

Sat Sep 05, 2009 at 15:15:32 PM EDT

Doctor Linda Peeno, a renown expert in the field of "Managed Care", explains to Congress the dirty little secrets behind the Business of Health Care Denial:

THE REAL DEATH PANELS: Insurance Companies That Deny Care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Linda Peeno, M.D.

In the spring of 1987, as a Physician, I denied a man a necessary operation, that would have saved his life. And thus caused his death. And I'm haunted by the thousands of pieces of paper, on which I have written that deadly word: Denied.
There's More... :: (3 Comments, 1871 words in story)

Another day at the Office, for Lobby America

by: jamess

Sat Jul 11, 2009 at 11:38:28 AM EDT

(good for them, bad for us... - promoted by poligirl)

A Day In The Life Of A Georgia Lobbyist
Her phone rings. It is another board member, and he is at the Capitol.  We are off to the third floor and a day that accelerates from 0 to 60 very quickly.  Among the sea of suits, we find her guest and connect him with Rep. Stephens, who will escort him onto the floor of the House for a visit.

Immediately thereafter, we meet up with the lobbyist for the Department of Economic Development, which houses the tourism budget and serves as the state's marketing apparatus for the industry. They discuss the House budget cuts, pending legislation and chart strategy.  During that conversation she is approached by another lobbyist from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia who relays concerns over a hotel tax bill introduced a day earlier.  Joy assures her the bill is a temporary bill and that a substitute is coming.  [...]

Not much later, the lobbyist for the Georgia Municipal Association approaches Joy expressing similar concerns.  Joy again explains a substitute is coming.

Shhhh! it's a secret!

There's More... :: (0 Comments, 1572 words in story)

The Insurer's Drop List, keeps growing ...

by: jamess

Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 02:18:46 AM EDT

(surprise, surprise... - promoted by poligirl)

We learned last week from LA Times reporting, and from Congressional Hearings, that Insurance companies routinely try to drop your Insurance policy, if you happen to get one of their "Hot List" illnesses.

Getting any of these illnesses, can Trigger the Insurance Company's "Cancellation Police", into action.

Denial Specialists scour your medical history, and cross-check that against your application, looking for any reason to Cancel, or rescind, your Insurance policy, thus saving the Insurance Company untold thousands in future payments for your expected Care. Denial Specialists, of course, earn bonuses for each Policy they cancel. What a system!

Those 4 illnesses (out of the 1000+ such Triggers) previously disclosed are:

breast cancer, high blood pressure, lymphoma and pregnancy


Well thanks to the tough questioning of the Oversight and Investigations Sub Committee, at least 2 more Triggering Illnesses have been disclosed, as indicated in the video and transcript of the Hearing:

The 2 other newly disclosed "Drop List" illnesses, include:

ovarian cancer, and brain cancer

There's More... :: (10 Comments, 2591 words in story)

Roll Back the Bush Tax Cut to Pay for Health Reform

by: jamess

Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 23:28:46 PM EDT

(how to pay for health care reform... - promoted by poligirl)

I caught the Randi Rhodes show today. She was suggesting that all we have to do to pay for Health Care Reform, including a Public Option, was to just Roll Back the Bush Tax Cuts!

What a Brilliant Idea!


Thanks Rhandi ... (So glad you're back btw)


As it turns out, we just need to let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire, when they are due to "sunset" (ie. Don't Renew them!)

When Would the President's Tax Cuts Expire?
by Andrew M. Grossman - April 21, 2004

In 2001 and 2003, President George W. Bush proposed and Congress passed a series of tax cuts to reinvigorate the economy and reduce the government's burden on workers' paychecks. Because of opposition to these measures from some in Congress, they were implemented as temporary tax cuts, all of which will expire by January 1, 2011.

http://www.heritage.org/Resear...
There's More... :: (6 Comments, 486 words in story)

Baucus is only the Symptom of a much more Chronic Condition

by: jamess

Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 23:52:45 PM EDT

(change? meh... - promoted by poligirl)

Did you Vote for Change?

for Accountability; for leveling the playing field; for National Health Care?

Well, your vote apparently doesn't carry as much weight as it use to.

Here's one of the main reasons why:

U.S. Democracy Under Siege -- Senate Debate Excerpts
Excerpts from the Congressional Record of the October 14, 1999 Senate debate.

The following is a tabulation, for clarity, of the figures cited by Mr. Feingold:
- 1980 1992 1996
Total soft money contributions to parties ($millions) under 20 86 about 250
# of donors giving over $200,000 - 52 219
# of donors giving over $300,000 - 20 120
# of donors giving over $400,000 - 13 79
# of donors giving over $500,000 - 9 50
# of companies giving over $150,000 to each of the political parties ("double givers") - 7 43
 (emphasis added)
http://urielw.com/campfin.htm

There has been a tidal wave taking place, that threatens to swamp our fragile system of Democracy.  Indeed it probably already has ...

There's More... :: (3 Comments, 2365 words in story)
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