Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

By ThinkProgress War Room on Apr 13, 2012 at 4:38 pm

A Budget to Benefit the 1 Percent

Tax Day is coming up on April 17, so it’s worth remember who will pay more in taxes under the Ryan-Romney Republican budget — the poorest Americans — and whose taxes will be cut in dramatic fashion — the very wealthiest Americans.

If the percentages aren’t shocking enough, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that the Ryan-Romney budget would give each millionaire a $265,000 tax cut on top of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which it of course also extends.

It should also be noted that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has promised to close trillions in unspecified tax loopholes, which would likely result in tax increases for millions more middle class Americans than are depicted in this chart. We can’t say for sure, however, because Ryan refuses to name a single one of the loopholes he’d close.

IN ONE SENTENCE: Instead of ending Medicare in order to slash taxes on millionaires, it’s time to pass the Buffett Rule so millionaire start paying their fair share.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

Gallup finds overwhelming public support for the Buffett Rule.

General election in a nutshell: President Obama wants to increase his own taxes, Mitt Romney wants to lower his own.

Ron Paul may finally get a chance to defeat the Federal Reserve after all.

For the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, “religious liberty” means being able to discriminate against gay people.

American taxpayers are subsidizing dirty coal development to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.

One result of the tough economy is more job diversity on television.

Bank of America proves how heartless they are. Again.

Why the Buffett Rule is more than just a gimmick.

A city the size of Chicago that doesn’t have a sewer system.

Other recent Progress Reports

Apr 12, 2012: Mitt Romney’s Pledge to the 1%

Why is Mitt Romney Making Pledges to a Washington Lobbyist? We’ve previously told you about the 1% Pledge — a pledge run by Washington superlobbyist Grover Norquist that the vast majority of Congressional Republicans have taken. Instead of merely pledging to uphold the oath they take to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” these […]

Apr 11, 2012: GOP War on Women, Mitt Romney Edition

Equal Pay for Equal Work? Romney Will Have to Get Back to You Even as top party leaders, including Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, continue to denounce the GOP’s very real war on women as a “fiction” “manufactured” by Democrats and the media, Republicans continue to add more fuel to the fire. The Romney […]

Apr 10, 2012: Rick Santorum’s TOP TEN Attacks on Mitt Romney

The Primary Is Over, But These Attacks Will Live On Late this afternoon, Rick Santorum announced that he was suspending his campaign, effectively handing the Republican nomination over to Mitt Romney. A top aide to the former Pennsylvania senator told reporters that Santorum and Romney agreed to meet in the near future, and Romney sent out […]

Apr 9, 2012: NEW VIDEO: President Reagan Backs the Buffett Rule

Even the Gipper Wanted Millionaires to Pay Their Fair Share Last fall, when President Obama debuted the Buffett Rule — the simple idea that millionaires and billionaires should pay at least the same tax rate as middle class workers — we climbed into the wayback machine and found a video of President Ronald Reagan decrying “crazy” […]

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

20 ways, 20 days, 20% less carbon… Union of Concerned Scientists

04/16/2012 Nativegrl77

20 ways, 20 days, 20% less carbon.

Get cooler and smarter — and get a free sticker!

Save money. Improve your health. And help save the planet while you’re at it.Sound like a get-rich quick scheme? It’s actually our practical guide to reducing global warming-causing carbon emissions—and your ticket to a cooler, smarter lifestyle.

Backed by two years of research and analysis, we’ve determined the best ways that anyone can combat global warming in their daily lives, from carbon-cutting newbies to experts.

Get your own personalized tips—choose from 20 ways, and in 20 days, you’ll be on the path to 20 percent less carbon.

Just answer a handful of questions about you, your home, how you get around, and what you eat and buy. Our scientists have done the rest for you. Then we’ll send you a FREE sticker to broadcast how cool and smart you are so more people can join you in making their own changes.

You may be surprised how quickly a few easy changes can add up. Here’s just one tidbit: if everyone in the United States simply switched from incandescent lightbulbs to CFLs or LEDs, it’d be the equivalent of closing 12 coal-fired power plants for good.

Learn more and geek out on the data with our infographic of a cooler smarter United States.

What have you got to lose? CARBON, of course! Thanks for doing your part to create a low-carbon country.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Shaw
Co-author of Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

..President Obama and Vice President Biden’s 2011 Tax Returns

04/13/2012 Nativegrl77

Jay Carney April 13, 2012 10:30 AM EDT

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Today, the President released his 2011 federal income and gift tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. About half of the first family’s income is the President’s salary; the other half is from sales proceeds of the President’s books. The Obamas paid $162,074 in total tax.

The President and First Lady also reported donating $172,130 – or about 22% of their adjusted gross income – to 39 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was a $117,130 contribution to the Fisher House Foundation. The President is donating the after-tax proceeds from his children’s book to Fisher House, a scholarship fund for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.

The President’s effective federal income tax rate is 20.5%. The President believes we must reform our tax system which is why he has proposed policies like the Buffett Rule that would ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share while protecting families making under $250,000 from seeing their taxes go up. Under the President’s own tax proposals, including the expiration of the high-income tax cuts and limitations on the value of tax preferences for high-income households, he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it.

The President and First Lady also released their Illinois income tax return and reported paying $31,941 in state income tax.

Download the Obamas’ tax returns

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also released their 2011 federal income tax returns, as well as state income tax returns for both Delaware and Virginia. The Bidens filed joint federal and combined Delaware income tax returns. Dr. Biden filed a separate non-resident tax return for the state of Virginia. Together, they reported adjusted gross income of $379,035. The Bidens paid $87,900 in total federal tax for 2011. They paid $13,843 in Delaware income tax and $3,614 in Virginia income tax. The Bidens contributed $5,540 to charity in 2011.

Download the Bidens’ tax returns

American taxpayers are able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. You can visit the taxpayer receipt and after entering a few pieces of information about your taxes, the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care.

View the President and First Lady’s tax receipt

View the Vice President and Dr. Biden’s tax receipt

Jay Carney is the White House Press Secretary

Related Topics: Economy, Fiscal Responsibility, Taxes

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Labor: The Original Social Network

04/13/2012 Nativegrl77

For too long, our political process has been dominated by too much money and too much power concentrated in the hands of too few.That’s why Workers’ Voice was created: to build an independent voice for the working and middle class. That voice will be fighting for the 99%—working people joining together to recognize the value of hard work and call for good jobs, a fair economy and to build a strong middle class.

As megamillionaires like Mitt Romney, the Koch brothers and large corporations plan to try and buy the 2012 elections, Workers’ Voice—powered by cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned energy—will activate and energize networks of working families, both online and offline, to come together to organize their friends, family, co-workers and neighbors, and make their voices heard.

As Theresa Brown, a worker from Cooper Tire in Ohio, said this morning at a press conference to launch Workers’ Voice, “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a union or not because we’re all fighting corporate greed and it’s time that we stood up and took this country back because we’re tired of it.”

Susan Baskett, who is from Michigan and unemployed, said, “Politicians aren’t paying attention to, or doing enough, to put people like me back to work. Workers’ Voice will let us connect with other people in similar situations so we can work together to organize our neighborhoods and communities.”

Check out Workers’ Voice and sign up here.

Workers’ Voice represents and fights for all working families—union and nonunion—around political campaigns, legislative issues and holding elected officials accountable. And we hope you’ll be a part of it.

Thanks for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Next steps to save Tripa forest …Lindsey Allen, Rainforest Action Network

04/13/2012 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Give a wake up call to Cargill

As you know, Tripa rainforest is in a state of emergency.
The Tripa forest of Sumatra, home to Indigenous communities and critical to the survival of endangered Sumatran orangutans, is still in peril from the landclearing fires started by palm oil companies in March.
U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill—trader of 25% of the world’s palm oil—can make a difference by adopting the safeguards necessary to guarantee that rainforests, communities and critical habitat for endangered species are not destroyed through its palm oil business.
Cargill clearly needs a wakeup call. Can you commit five minutes of your time to give it to them?
Applying the kind of pressure required for Cargill to take a stand for the local people of Tripa, the survival of Sumatran orangutans, and the 130 million year old rainforests that they call home is no small task, but it’s a worthy one.
Are you ready to do what it takes to transform the destructive behavior of a corporate giant? Cargill needs to hear from you, and hundreds of other rainforest advocates like you, to be moved to action at this critical moment.
Let’s give this sleeping giant a wake up call today to save Tripa!