Daily Archives: 08/03/2010

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Americans V Republicans?


Prior to a vote on the small business jobs bill, Senator Olympia Snowe, who eventually voted no, described her frustration with the countless delays this legislation has encountered, by her Republican colleagues nonetheless…. (more info)

Senate Democrats today discussed The Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Act that was introduced earlier this week. Democrats are trying to pass this legislation to create jobs, lower consumers’ energy costs, protect the environment, and hold BP accountable for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Senate Republicans want taxpayers to foot the bill for BP’s disaster and let BP use endless legal battles to run out the clock on those whose livelihoods they destroyed. The Republican plan also does nothing to create jobs or reduce our nation’s dependence on oil. … (more info)

Senator Jeff Sessions today attempted to claim that President Obama’s judicial nominees have moved at a considerably faster pace than President George W. Bush’s did. False.

Senator Sessions skewed the math to his advantage. Take a look at the video for the real facts. … (more info)

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Internet Sales Tax Coming? …LiveCheap.com


The specter of an online sales tax doesn’t seem to be willing to go away. One of the advantages of Internet shopping is the absence of any sales tax which can amount to a decent cost saving on the average purchase, but this bargain for consumers represents lost income for States across the US that are battling to close the gap on ever-increasing budget deficits.

It is not surprising then that Democratic Congressman Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts once again raised the online sales tax bogey. He first brought the bill for consideration in 2007, but now many in Washington think that he may have better luck getting it passed in 2010.  For shoppers that have gotten used to saving 5 to 10 percent by shopping at websites like Amazon, they might be getting a rude awakening.

The bill is called the Main Street Fairness Act, which its loudest opponents argue that the name is deceptive. Delahunt says that tax increases are never pleasant, but sometimes they are just plain necessary. The revenue that the states have foregone because of not taxing online sales is approximately $52 to $56 billion over a six year period ending in 2012.

The congressman argues that imposing tax can help States across the country to make up for their budget shortfalls and the revenue that is collected will be put to work for the citizens of the State through local government initiatives. Every state needs funding to make sure its roads are maintained, water is treated and the supply guaranteed, and services like the police and fire departments are properly funded. These basic necessities are put at risk when the money in the coffers runs dry and the Internet sales tax offers a legitimate and reasonable way to inject some much needed cash into the system.

Those opposed to the bill are adamant that taxing online sales will only serve to worsen an already bad situation. Republican congressmen have put forth the argument that increasing the cost of goods and services online can put smaller online businesses at risk of closure because it essentially forces them to increase their price, possibly making them uncompetitive. They also say that making American citizens pay more at a time when personal budgets across the country have contracted is tantamount to taking punitive measures.

Ebay has put out a public statement opposing the law on the grounds it will hurt its hundreds of thousands of small businesses

.  “Year after year supporters of increased Internet sales taxes

recommend legislation that would impose significant new costs on hundreds of thousands of online small businesses and ecommerce entrepreneurs, which is sure to harm the economy and kill small business

jobs,” a statement from the online auction company said today. “At a time when unemployment rates are high and small businesses across the country are closing shop, we are confident that Congress will protect small internet retailers and the consumers they serve from another Internet tax scheme.”

On the flip side, the Democrats say that the online businesses have enjoyed an unfair advantage over brick and mortar businesses that have imposed the sales tax for far too long. They maintain that the Internet is no longer in its infancy and therefore should not be mollycoddled or given special treatment. In addition to this, they say that those who shop online tend to be the more savvy customers who make more money than those who still go to the brick and mortar stores- so in effect the tax would target a sector of the population that is more able to pay.

Amazon.com and Ebay.com are two of the Internet retail giants that would be impacted if the bill does in fact come into law, so customers are looking on anxiously to see what the future of Internet shopping is likely to be.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Environment: Media Access blocked


UNDER THE RADAR

ENVIRONMENT — OIL COMPANY, LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK MEDIA ACCESS TO PUBLIC SITES HIT BY MICHIGAN OIL SPILL: Last week, a disastrous leak in one of the world’s largest pipeline systems gushed over 1 million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River, located in southwest Michigan. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) declared the area a disaster zone, quickly activating the State Emergency Operations Center to ensure all state resources are devoted to oil spill response. The spill has “coated scores of birds and fish in oil” and “led about two dozen people to seek relocation.” The Calhoun County Health Department even advised local residents to evacuate due to “higher than acceptable levels of benzene,” a “highly flammable” organic chemical that can lead to serious health risks. The Michigan Messenger reported Sunday that officials from the pipeline company, Enbridge Inc., and law enforcement are blocking the media from public spill sites. The Messenger reported that its journalists were denied access — again — “to a key oil spill site after attempting to record video of the Kalamazoo River.” An Enbridge security office said “no media was allowed” and rebuffed attempts by a citizen video crew to record the effects of the spill. This is the second time since the pipeline burst “that [the] Messenger has been refused entry to public right of ways to monitor the ongoing clean up operations.” The ACLU of Michigan is currently drafting a letter to express concern about media access issues. Despite a history of oil leaks in Michigan, Enbridge declared last week that “no fresh oil is leaking from the leak site itself,” and Enbridge would reopen the leaking oil pipeline “in a matter of days.” However, “the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued a Corrective Action Order directing the company not to reopen the pipeline until a comprehensive safety assessment can be completed.”

~ my 2cents ...

thoughtful Tuesday…&some News


Today, the President will be meeting with a group of young African leaders  and speak at a Town Hall meeting at about 2pmET

We still have two wars implemented by the last guy with no real plans to get out of both. The President has a plan to draw down in both theaters of war and starting in August, more specifically on August 31 the Iraqi war will the beginning, and by 2011 we will begin to leave Afghanistan. We have people in the private and or public sector are not hiring, or limiting work available and we have The Democrats, the majority and governing Political Party yet some people feel they have not been acting or controlling their majority for the greater good. We have far too many public servants with personal agendas, a new party, called Tea Party or Tea baggers, who, i have had experience talking with, were only a small group have grown in size and seem to be featured on cable whenever they can and seemed to have an eye on putting more in  Congress this November Election. After listening to the right…the extreme and not so extreme like McCain and others who now talk about immigration like it is time to round everyone up, ship them back to their homeland, and manipulate the 14th Amendment to take care of business is beyond offensive. It becomes clear that the choice for all of us because America not only is a country made up of immigrants, most if not all have had trouble becoming apart of the bigger picture but are even with protests coming from conservative or extreme right. The problem is employers, who for decades started a trend that was not solved and has been avoided because of obvious financial gains to corporations that get their bottom line done and pay little or nothing in return.

— gotta admit it’s time for a change.

A few months ago an earthquake rocked Haiti and human beings all over the world have come to help, big banks have apologized in public and gave big. big huge bonus money to their people, have been flexing muscles and refusing to lend money to the everyday people that hire folks, insurance companies are inserting millions to fight HCR for all, credit card companies are bashing people with fees, our Supreme Court has caused a problem for our Democracy, reports of at least 12terrorist  attacks have been waged on the US, republicans have held up the Presidents nominees for up to at least 8months. Recently, we came close to having a plane bombed, yet republicans stated days afterward that most if not all of our Presidents nominees have issues. In a moment when the very people who are able to make the change Americans need, folks like DeMint, Boehner, McConnell, Cantor and the rest of the republicans are obstructionist,  democrats have to rise up against this behavior.

The November elections gives those of us who believe in equality, an opportunity for All Americans , reform to HCR, Wall Street, climate change and clean energy, Jobs and Small Business opportunities … VOTE FOR Democrats … we need immigration reform but that does not mean tearing down the constitution or adding racist language

Seven Months ago …

Someone decided to throw a verbal teabag at me so i responded …

The teabag crowd was of varying ideals, some good, bad, and then the ugly, which is what stood out to me. I am an Obama supporter and have faith that he will get us out of the ditch the house of bush left, it takes dollars, and it will go back to the same capitalistic label when it all gets fixed. What i want to know is where were I’ll when the house of Bush sent over 10mil a month off the financial books, our ruined econ happened under the Bush admin, yet everyone out at this march charge Obama? this is a strange response to me and something more is going on, how do they expect to get us out the hole the house of Bush put us in, that wall street,aig and the housing creeps all participating in? I respect freedom of speech but what i saw was fear mongering and hate. I heard the people who were in charge state they want to go back to how things were 100 years ago. That should scare most of us who believe in civil rights, because ALL minorities and women were treated very poorly… ask AL Gerhard what he meant by that?

When President Obama was able to get Congress to pass HCR someone said the sky was falling that Marxism was coming to America and we will loose our freedom. I  find it amusing to see how easy folks seem to throw out labels to describe President Obama’s actions in a time when the jig is up so to speak … what with Wall Street’s creative accounting procedures finally coming to an ugly head … the show.. House of cards by David Faber on CNBC was a cruel reminder and awaking at how greed affects the mind … a truthful documentation of the nasty journey our economy took … by who, for who and how it brought us all down …
and —    if we have to subscribe to labels … call me a Marxist who believes in Socialism at this time ….. We need someone who cares, who is socially responsible and who believes the gap between the haves and have none needs to shrink. If wrong,  school me because what can be wrong with caring for all the people of the US … not just the top 1 or 2% … especially since that one or 2 percent has been wheeling and dealing starting from the house of bush and the result trickled down to main street

… gotta admit it’s time for a change.

Other News …

**BP Static kill process will start on Tuesday

**The Senate starts the debate on Elena kagan

**Mo is allowing a votes to nullify the HCR bill…first of many states


**Vote clears way to ground zero mosque–correction this is going to be a complete recreation center

**2/3 of Americans want comprehensive immigration reform

**Geither defends Obama policy on Tax Cut extensions, let them expire, the Bush tax cuts for the rich

C-SPAN …

watch Pres. Obama Remarks at DNC Event

watch Pres. Obama Remarks

watch AHR-Health Reform: From Earlier

Debate Begins in Senate on Kagan Nomination

The Senate is debating the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to be the next Supreme Court Associate Justice. Senate Judiciary Cmte. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) opened the debate and members are expected to speak on the nomination into the evening with more debate over the next few days. As the debate begins, Nebraska Democratic Senator Ben Nelson is the only Democrat who has announced their opposition to Kagan and Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, and Judd Gregg, have announced their support for the nominee.

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Kagan’s nomination by a vote of 13 to 6. If confirmed, she would replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and become the fourth female Justice in the Supreme Court’s history.

Static Kill to Begin; Thad Allen Rejects Dispersant Abuse

“Static kill,” the latest effort to permanently plug the blown-out well in the Gulf, is scheduled to begin today after “injectivity” tests are performed on the blowout preventer. “Static kill” will involve pumping heavy drilling mud into the well, forcing the oil back underground, and then sealing the well with cement. Officials may then begin the process of choking the underground reservoir through the 18,000-foot relief well. BP officials have long said the relief well process is the only way to ensure the well is shut for good.

Meanwhile, congressional investigators are accusing the Coast Guard of giving BP too much leeway to use chemical dispersants to break up the oil on the surface. National Incident Commander Thad Allen rejected these assertions, saying that federal regulators did not ignore environmental guidelines and decisions to use more dispersants were made on a case-by-case basis.

The EPA released a study yesterday showing thathat dispersants used to break up oil are no more toxic to aquatic life than oil alone. Critics continue to raise questions on dispersants’ long term effects.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Shop at Target?


Target just gave a huge contribution to a anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-progressive candidate for governor in Minnesota. Will you send a message to Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel that you won’t shop at Target unless they stop trying to buy elections? Click here:

Sign the petition


Get this: Target, the retail giant, just became one of the very first companies to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowing unlimited corporate cash in elections.1

Target has spent over $150,000 in the Minnesota Governor’s race backing state Rep. Tom Emmer, a far-right Republican who supports Arizona’s draconian immigration law, wants to abolish the minimum wage and even gave money to a fringe group that condoned the execution of gay people. 2

Target must think customers won’t care. They’re wrong: We do care, and we need to let them know that we want Target—and all corporations—out of our elections.

Will you send a message to Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel telling him that you’re not going to shop at Target unless they stop trying to buy elections? Click here to add your name to the petition:


Once we get 150,000 signatures, MoveOn members in Minnesota will hand deliver the petition to Target headquarters.

The stakes are much higher than one candidate and one company. Other CEOs are in “wait-and-see” mode following the Citizens United decision, according to a former Federal Trade Commission counsel quoted on NPR.3 If we don’t push back hard, this will just be the tip of the iceberg. Other corporations will learn that they can pour money into elections to buy the outcome they want—without paying a price with their customers or shareholders.

We all knew Citizens United would benefit candidates who stand up for corporate CEOs instead of everyday people. But you wouldn’t expect a company like Target to jump in and try to buy an election so quickly. After all, Target made its name by being thought of as the more progressive store in the wake of numerous WalMart scandals.

That’s why MoveOn members are following up on actions of groups like Human Rights Campaign and the Alliance for a Better Minnesota by telling Target that we won’t shop there unless they stop trying to buy elections. Please add your voice now:


Thanks for all you do.

–Ilyse, Robin, Anna, Mari, and the rest of the team