Tag Archives: black

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

TGIF …&some News


Today, President Obama will be signing the $600million border bill that will increase the effort to protect the border by adding more ICE agents and equipment along the border …this action is more than any other administration has done before. I would like to hear what the Governor of Arizona has to say about this …hopefully to say thank you if nothing else.

The other great things going on this coming weekend is that The President Obama will be going to Panama City, Fl this weekend.  The fact is Florida is a State where many people immigrated to from many many places back in the day Florida passed through the hands of many people of colour, mostly Native Americans. Though at some point that ended… and most if not all immigrants were of Hispanic,Caribbean and European decent; we all know as a port for slave trade and drop-offs back in the day.  However, Today … there are now immigrants from all over the world working and living in Florida. The City our President is going is where some of my people live… YAY!!!

Here’s hoping the oil is far away if just a touch and if it is there they are able to get it cleaned and the people made whole. The BP disaster has damaged so many people on the Gulf Coast hopefully Panama City continues to shine as well as bringing revenue in, tourists, fishing, and everything related to get back on track.

In other News about Race and in my own experience in my own opinion; Words Matter – Words hurt. They incite violence, they promote fear, anger, shame and when misinterpreted by the right people they cause harm; physically and to property and in this 21st Century people like those on the airwaves should know which topics they can or should definitely stay away from. As a person of colour the comments made by a Doctor was in itself offensive but most of all …it ties into this whole uprising about anchor babies or terror babies, interracial-marriage including her use of the N-word over and over again. This kind of behavior by a professional on the airwaves is unacceptable, yet we must all become aware of the new immigration scare tactic and obviously Dr. S is apart of that effort

It is most obvious of things to rant about today is about Dr. S … we all know who she is and though it is funny she is still being talked about her comments and the way she handled herself definitely was not funny whatsoever. In fact on the face of it maybe if she was a newbie on the radio we might be able to warn her and let it slide but this lady and i use that word with control because to be honest she has lost my respect forever so lady is about all i can call her without being nasty. Dr S. is not new to the business and like someone said on radio today Dr. S knows who and what side of her bread is getting buttered and like most folks from the right …she has joined the race-baiting debate. It is my hope that folks all over the world boycott or stop listening to this lady because even with her apology the very words she said are forever imbedded in my mind and will not ever be forgotten.

Other News …

**Thad Allen stated testing will be done on the BP oil well to determine the success of the cap and or seal

**UFCW local 367 asks us to support Macy’s workers in Tacoma due to unfair hiring practices

**Dr S. racist rant is something no one should let move on without hearing

**The Blagojevich trial continues

**In Arizona yesterday, a conservative group along with several Arizona lawmakers launched a lawsuit attempting to block President Obama’s health care overhaul. The Goldwater Institute and Republican Reps. Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and John Shadegg, along with several state lawmakers, filed the suit in U.S. District Court which takes aim at the requirement to purchase health care coverage.

A week after striking down California’s ban on same-sex marriage, U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled yesterday that gay marriages could resume on Aug. 18. He gave opponents about a week to seek an injunction from a higher court. “I am pleased to see Judge Walker lift his stay and provide all Californians the liberties I believe everyone deserves,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is causing consternation within the Pentagon for his budget-cutting plan to reduce the number of generals and admirals by five percent. But, while Gates is advocating certain small cuts, he is urging Congress not to engage in more significant cuts of the defense budget.

**Judge gives green light for same-sex marriage in Cali

**Wikileaks preparing to release 15thou more Afghanistan docs

**The Pentagon is cutting waste

**Waters insists she didn’t break House rules


C-SPAN …

watch State Dept. Briefing

Washington Journal Focusing on Solar Power

The Washington Journal wrapped up its week-long series on energy issues, with a conversation about solar power. Tom Rooney, the CEO of SPG Solar, the second largest solar company in the U.S., joined the discussion to talk about the benefits of solar power and the incentives the government provides to encourage homeowners and utility companies to invest in solar technology.

Earlier this week, the Washington Journal looked at various ways to construct energy saving homes and buildings, explored how public policy regarding electric vehicles affects the industry and the distribution of natural gas and the impact of public policy decisions on the utility industry, as well as wind energy.

Next week the summer series will turn its focus to a weeklong discussion on the financial regulation bill, which was signed into law in July

Rep. Waters meets with reporters; Denies Proof of Ethics Violations

Issuing her first formal public response to ethics charges against her, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is meeting with reporters to lay out her defense strategy when her ethics trial begins this fall. Earlier this month, the House Ethics Committee announced its investigation into the congresswoman’s involvement with arranging a meeting between OneUnited Bank and Treasury Department officials. Later, the bank received $12 million from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The committee cites a series of emails between Waters’ chief of staff Mikael Moore and OneUnited, where her husband has financial interests, pointing to a conflict of interest. Waters defended her request for the meeting as part of her efforts to advocate on behalf of minority-owned businesses. She is the second House Democrat to face an ethics trial this fall. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) is also facing an ethics trial.

New Economic Indicators Point to Stalled Recovery

A series of key indicators have painted a weak economic outlook, according to economists. Reacting to fears of trouble in the domestic and global markets, the Dow Jones industrial average saw its biggest one-day drop since last month, dropping 2.5 percent; while the average New York Stock Exchange slid 3.3 percent on Wednesday. Setting off this reaction of events was Tuesday’s announcement by the Federal Reserve that its previous assessment of the national recovery may be “more modest in the near term than had been anticipated.”

As part of its assessment, the central bank referred to the high unemployment levels and its impact on the economy. With jobless figures hovering at 9.5 percent, a new report shows that first-time claims for unemployment reached its highest number since February, totaling to a seasonally adjusted 484,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

In an attempt to address the problems facing jobless Americans, the Treasury Department will allocate $2 billion under the Hardest Hit Fund to help unemployed homeowners living pay their mortgages. Paid for by the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the program focuses on those in the 17 hardest hit states, including California, Arizona and the District of Columbia.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

How we’ll win in November


RSVP for Night School todayIt takes three things to win elections — good candidates, good campaigns, and you.

To win in 2010 we’re going to need Democrats who will stand up and fight for what’s right. That’s why we’ve spent all year helping progressives like Elaine Marshall and Ann McLane Kuster over the typical DC insider politicians.

But we’ll also need to run top notch effective campaigns that get out every progressive vote possible. We’ve already trained over 1,100 activists and candidates in 13 states this year and now we’re excited to announce the return of DFA Night School as a free online resource for progressive campaigns across the country.

Register for DFA Night School today!

Since it was created in 2006, DFA Night School has helped 31,382 activists write field plans, organize precincts, raise money and get out the vote. This August and September we’ll be organizing weekly trainings on our brand new interactive video-based platform that will focus on how we can get our supporters back to the polls in 2010.

If you plan on being involved in a progressive campaign at all these next few months, click here to sign up for this free online training series.

With better candidates and better campaigns we’ll do just fine in November. Now let’s get to work.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Matt

Matt Blizek, Field Director
Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Congress has oil on its hands


Money from the oil and coal industries has been spilling into Washington faster than oil into the Gulf, and the result has been an environmental disaster of unprecedented scale. If we want to avoid the next disaster we have to get the dirty fossil fuel money out of Washington. That starts right now.
DownloadToolkit

Latest news and action alert from Greenpeace
Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser

The Gulf spill is the largest environmental disaster in American history, but Congress has done NOTHING to pass a clean energy climate bill.

Heck, the Senate can’t even pass an oil spill response bill. So how exactly does this happen? While there’s no one single answer to that question, one that needs to receive a lot more attention is the huge amount of money the fossil fuel industry throws around in Washington.

During this session of Congress alone, oil and coal companies have spent almost $15,000,000 on direct political contributions to our elected officials. And you can’t say that they don’t get their money’s worth. Their investment buys weak environmental regulations, giant subsidies for their companies and a national energy policy that keeps us dependent on dirty energy even in the face of disasters like the BP tragedy in the Gulf.

Enough. If we ever want to stop the flow of oil we’ve got to stop the flow of dirty money into Congress. That starts right now with YOU in your community and with your member of Congress. Download our “Dirty Energy Money” toolkit today and find out exactly how.

Here’s what we’re going to do: Members of Congress are currently home on break until September 9th. It’s the perfect time to pay a visit and ask them about the dirty energy money they’ve taken. Our friends over at Oil Change International have collected data on each and every member of Congress, including yours, and how much dirty money they’ve received. We’re asking activists like you to take that information and use it in a personal delivery to your Representative asking them to donate all that dirty money to Gulf Coast recovery efforts.

It’s as simple as that. With the BP Deepwater disaster fresh in the public’s mind and the elections right around the corner, there’s never been a better time. In the toolkit you’ll find everything you need for your delivery and we’ll be here to help. Don’t wait, download the to toolkit today.

Cleaning up Congress starts with your Representative. It doesn’t matter how little or how much they have taken, it’s all part of the $15,000,000 and it’s all part of the problem.

ben kroetz mountain view Sincerely,

Ben Kroetz
Greenpeace Online Organizer

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Energy: In Coal We Don’t Trust


On April 5, an explosion of methane gas ripped through the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, eventually killing 29 of the 31 miners at the site. The tragedy was the worst mining disaster in decades and shed light on the unsafe working conditions in mines run by Massey Energy and other industry leaders. Yet more than four months later, federal officials say they still don’t know the cause of the explosion, although they reject a theory “put forward by Massey, that a huge crack in the floor of the mine may have allowed an influx of the explosive gas methane.” Regulators from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the state of West Virginia have so far interviewed 166 people in their investigation and are now going to subpoena Massey executives, including CEO Don Blankenship. Despite this devastating incident, Blankenship and other coal barons continue to put profits over public safety, polluting the political environment by throwing large sums of money at candidates who will help them weaken regulations.

PROFITS OVER PEOPLE: MSHA has cited Massey’s Upper Big Branch Mine for more than 3,000 violations, with 638 since 2009. The fines assessed against the mine amount to $2.2 million; at the time of the April explosion, Massey had paid just $791,327. This week, MSHA issued new sanctions on the Upper Big Branch mine, saying “officials there failed to report five cave-ins and 20 lost-time work accidents in the months before a fatal blast killed 29 men.” Since April, Blankenship has been receiving some long-overdue scrutiny for his record of putting coal profits over fundamental safety and health concerns. Blankenship, a right-wing activist millionaire who sits on the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Mining Association, used his company’s ties to the industry-dominated Bush administration to paper over Massey’s egregious environmental and health violations. At a Labor Day rally last year, Blankenship called safety regulators “as silly as global warming.” Even after the Upper Big Branch disaster, Massey officials prevented miners from attending funerals of the 29 victims and even “required a worker to go on shift even though the fate of a relative — one of the victims of the April 5 disaster — remained unknown at the time.” Last month, five former employees sued a Massey subsidiary saying that it “forced them to work off the clock to avoid paying overtime.” Yesterday, the Labor Department “filed for full reinstatement” of a miner who was fired by Massey after blowing the whistle on the unsafe practices at Massey mines. The miner is a witness in the federal criminal investigation into the Upper Big Branch explosion.

HURTING THE BOTTOM LINE: Massey is also starting to take a hit financially. The Upper Big Branch Mine is unlikely to reopen this year, and the explosion contributed “to a second-quarter loss of $88.7 million, or 88 cents per share, in the period.” Yesterday, the Rainforest Action Network announced that major Wall Street banks are backing away from companies that practice destructive mountain top removal mining. The organization reports, “Bank of America, which was one of the ‘syndication agents’ on a $175 million revolver loan to Massey in March 2008, is no longer on the deal or any others with the company. JPMorgan, similarly, underwrote $180 million in debt securities in 2008 to Massey and was also the lead manager on a $233 million share deal (joint with UBS) that same year. JPMorgan no longer has any financial ties to the company.” Reducing the power of the coal industry is actually good news for West Virginia, the heart of the industry, despite what many politicians state. Despite $118 million in coal-mining annual income, West Virginia has the nation’s lowest median household income, worst educational services, worst social assistance, and highest percentage of its population with disabilities. Nearly a quarter of West Virginia children are in poverty. A West Virginia University study found that the “human cost of the Appalachian coal mining economy outweighs its economic benefits.” Although the coal industry generates more than “$8 billion a year in economic benefits for the Appalachian region,” the value of the premature deaths due to the mining industry are valued at a minimum of $42 billion.

POLITICAL INFLUENCE: Rep. George Miller (D-CA), along with co-sponsors Reps. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), has introduced legislation to improve mine safety by hiking financial penalties for mine-safety violations. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that it would generate “$200 million in increased revenues during the next decade.” Naturally, Blankenship is against the bill. “We need to let businesses function as businesses,” he said last week at the National Press Club. “Corporate business is what built America, in my opinion, and we need to let it thrive by, in a sense, leaving it alone.” Blankenship and other coal barons are now doing all they can to make sure that there won’t be more regulations, including by donating large sums of money to industry-friendly candidates who will look the other way at their misbehavior. Blankenship and other Massey employees have donated thousands of dollars to West Virginia congressional candidates Elliott “Spike” Maynard and David McKinley. Maynard and Blankenship are especially tight. In 2006, when Maynard was chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and Massey had millions of dollars of cases pending before the court, Maynard and Blankenship went on an expensive vacation in the French Riviera together. Later that year, Maynard voted with the majority in favor of Massey. McKinley has hired Blankenship’s old “chief political consultant” to help his campaign. The Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky also reports that several coal executives, including Blankenship, are pooling their money to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision loosening corporate campaign finance laws by forming a 527 group to help elect coal-friendly Republicans. Why a 527? Because according to the IRS, they can hide their activities until “next year, long after the Nov. 2 election.” Coal executives are even planning to influence the minds of West Virginia’s future leaders at a younger age, by teaching schoolchildren about the wonders of coal.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

National Security… from ThinkProgress.org


UNDER THE RADAR

NATIONAL SECURITY — JUDGE ADMITS CONFESSION EXTRACTED BY THREATENING A DETAINEE WITH GANG RAPE: In the first full war crimes tribunal of the Obama administration, a military judge held that a detainee, who confessed to killing an American soldier after he was threatened with being gang-raped to death if he did not cooperate, may nonetheless have that confession used against him at trial. Omar Khadr faced interrogation by U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Claus, who testified in May hearings that he threatened Khadr with being gang-raped. Sgt. Claus has since been convicted of abusing a different detainee and has left the military, but nevertheless, military judge Col. Patrick Parrish allowed the confession to be used during Khadr’s tribunal. Khadr’s trial is controversial to begin with — he was only 15 years old at the time of his capture and confession, earning his tribunal a strong condemnation from the United Nations. In the words of the U.N., “Juvenile justice standards are clear. Children should not be tried before military tribunals.” Other proceedings are also underway at Guantanamo — yesterday, a military jury handed an al-Qaeda cook a 14-year sentence. There is reportedly a plea deal that will send the man home much earlier, but the details have not been officially disclosed. Human Rights Watch observer Andrew Prasow slammed those proceedings, saying, “The fact that the actual plea agreement is secret calls into question how open and transparent these proceedings really are.” The Pentagon has been offering journalists tours of the base several times per month to clear up “common misrepresentations” and promote transparency, but in a story today titled, “Tours of Guantanamo Offers a Look, but Little Else,” the paper reported the information journalists receive is mostly useless.