Tag Archives: Heritage Foundation

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

wicked weather Wednesday … &some News

11/02/2011 Nativegrl77

featured photo by Nick Lippert

just another rant … dang it’s cold

I received a comment in response to an article about Government regulations which I appreciate

HIM: Submitted on 2011/11/01 at 11:32 AM |

In reply to Stopping Obama/any President …and Regulatory agencies such as EPA, HHS, from issuing demands upon the people which will hurt us……kill our economy « Ordinarycitizenextraordinarytimes Blog.

ME:re: Getting the facts straight on regulation.
What we need are MORE Regulatory agencies doing their jobs … period
No disrespect, but the notion that there is over or excessive regulation going on in a time when lack of it created our … the USA financial crisis , it created the BP spill and tell me you have not forgotten the Massey Mine disaster have you? There are things that need strict guidelines and most parents want Clean Air, Clean Water and not only affordable health care but some of us would actually pay a smidge more to make sure that food, flights and anything else that seems too big to handle for an individual can be by the Government and not privatized. If, folks believe privatization only creates more jobs please remember that it also means your cost for services will go up and isn’t that what folks are already complaining about now? An increase in insurance premiums would be just a start. I like having firefighters, cleared roads, police, the EPA and FEMA available and they are all worth paying the Government to act for everyone not just a select few. I will not forget the man who failed to pay his protection fee which resulted in his house burning down; that is what privatization does. I expect the Government to be our children’s watchdog for their health and our future. I would say corrupt regulators need not apply and while you and the Heritage Foundation have a different attitude about regulations, it is my contention that your opinion should not be driving what Republicans in Congress do or say, especially in both Chambers of Congress. A lack of Regulation along with people who got used to excessive behavior drove our economy to the edge of disaster. The Grover Norquists of the world and Heritage foundation like organizations just do not understand that they only represent a small percentage of voters and after having read your 10/12 article; it definitely sounded like the Heritage Foundation would love to go around the voter if they could. I find it almost amusing to read how conservative groups rationalize their feelings about regulations. Then again, it just puts the light on how out of touch your group is and if this is the meme being pushed on members of Congress who are not only supposed to be working for the people paid by we the people, truly a sad example of what being members of Congress means.
The quote below is from ordinarycitizenextraordinarytimes

“Holding Congress Accountable- Congressional approval of proposed new rules would be an important step toward holding both regulators and Congress accountable for the regulations imposed on the private sector. It is no panacea for the problems of excessive regulation. But, especially if combined with other steps, it would be a significant step forward.”

Sir, again, a lack of Regulation with a big R is just the tip of the sinking ship and though I totally get Capitalism … I believe it should be with a lower case c, which includes small businesses, and those who aspire to get ahead not just or only for big C as in Corporations who more often than not seem to send opportunities and jobs overseas to avoid regulations which is harmful to everyone.

Bernanke to Hold Third Press Briefing as Fed Chief

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

State Voter ID Laws Draw National Scrutiny … what about North Carolina

09/15/2011 Nativegrl77

ABC News’ Michael Ono reports:

The Department of Justice is reviewing, and has the power to reject a controversial new law passed in South Carolina that requires a registered voter to present a government -issued photo ID before his or her vote is counted.

Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill into law in May and she’s not alone. Four other states have passed similar voter ID laws in 2011, including Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee and Kansas. But thanks to the DOJ, South Carolina’s law could still be rejected by federal officials.

And while other states have passed voter photo ID laws in the past, the laws passed in 2011 are by far the strictest with the exception of the law passed in 2005 by the state of Indiana.

Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act empowers the DOJ to review election laws passed in select southern sates as well as Alaska and some counties throughout the country. Crafted in a time of great racial stife, the act was meant to codify the power of the 15th Amendment, which forbids racial discrimination at the polling booth.

South Carolina, which is subject to federal review, is the only state to have petitioned the Obama Justice Department for approval while other states such as Texas opted to clear their law through the D.C. District Court, which is also permitted.

Critics of a stricter photo ID law argue that the requirement will make it tougher for poor and minority voters to cast their ballot while proponents call it a common sense provision.

Voters without the means to produce correct documents or the disabled can verify their identity through an affidavit but many still see the ID requirements as too burdensome.

“A number of state legislatures have taken up these bills and I think that it’s a growing concern nationally that the effect is going to be the suppression of the vote,” said Victoria Middleton, executive director for the South Carolina ACLU.

Republicans, in 2010, swept state legislatures across the country and have used the ensuing authority to pass various controversial measures, including laws that restrict funding to Planned Parenthood at the state level.

As for why the Obama Justice Department might be interested in the South Carolina law, fewer eligible minority voters could hurt the president because they tend to vote Democratic.

“These kinds of voter ID laws could make a difference on the margins and President Obama is fighting for every last percentage he can get,” said David Wasserman, a political analyst for the Cook Political Report.

As many as 11 percent of the voting population, or about 21 million people, do not have access to a government issued ID, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Still, studies highlighted by the Heritage Foundation show that photo ID laws have no effect on minority voter turnout.

Wisconsin College students voting in their local college towns might also have trouble voting because the new voter ID law in Wisconsin require the ID to show an address that matches their voting precinct when many students will have an ID that comes from their hometown.

“It’s a significant impediment to a lot more casual younger voters,” Wasserman said.

And the college city of Madison, Wis., generates the state’s largest number of Democratic votes, according to Wasserman.

Still, there are many who like the new voter ID laws and disapprove of the DOJ’s inquiry, arguing that the federal government has no business in “pre-clearing” state election laws.

“It’s a historical artifact of the civil rights era,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. “The idea that South Carolina needs to be treated today by the federal government is absurd.”

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said, “The kind of widespread discrimination that occurred just doesn’t happen today.”

Some Democratic politicians aren’t so sure. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois will hold hearings on the new laws today in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is the ranking Republican member on that Subcommittee and will attend the hearing.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell Clarence Thomas to Recuse himself!

02/15/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Nearly 25,000 people have already signed on to this action, giving it an incredible start. Help us keep it going.

Be part of the growing number of Americans demanding that Justice Thomas acknowledge the conflict of interest presented by his family’s professional, paid involvement in efforts to fight and now repeal a law that could soon come before the Supreme Court.

Tell Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from future Supreme Court cases involving the health care reform law.>> www.pfaw.org

Thank you for your support and your activism.

— Ben

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Original Message:

Dear People For Supporter,

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, already in hot water over failing to report his wife’s income on judicial disclosure forms, is now being called on by 74 members of Congress, led by Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, to recuse himself from hearing cases on the health care reform law.

It’s really pretty simple. Justice Thomas’ wife Ginni has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars working for and leading groups that have repealing health care reform as one of their chief goals. And considering challenges to the health car law are expected to make it to the Supreme Court, how could that not be a major conflict of interest?

Rep. Weiner and his colleagues are absolutely correct that Justice Thomas should recuse himself.

Click here to sign on to their letter to Justice Thomas and we’ll deliver the names to Rep. Weiner. >> www.pfaw.org

Challenges to the health care reform law have been largely unsuccessful, but two judges have ruled at least one part of the bill unconstitutional, making it very likely that the challenge will make its way to the Supreme Court.

The court challenges to health care reform are really more political than legal, and the tortured logic used by the judges who have ruled it unconstitutional ignores the text and history of our Constitution, as well as firmly established case law going back to the Supreme Court of the early 1800s. Despite right-wing Supreme Court justices’ willingness to contort the law to suit their ideology – see the their controversial decisions in Bush v. Gore and Citizens United v. FEC, both of which had Justice Thomas in the majority – most legal experts agree that the health care reform law is perfectly constitutional and under no real threat of being ruled otherwise. But outcomes aside, the Thomas family’s profits from efforts to repeal health care reform clearly mean that Justice Thomas should not hear and decide cases about that law.

Ginni Thomas is now a lobbyist, advertising herself to potential clients interested in health care reform as someone with the “experience and connections” to get the job done. Justice Clarence Thomas should honor his office by acknowledge this obvious conflict of interest and recusing himself.

Don’t wait another minute to speak up — add your name to Rep. Weiner’s letter now. www.pfaw.org

— Ben Betz, Online Communications Manager

Here’s the text of the letter:

Dear Justice Thomas:

As an Associate Justice, you are entrusted with the responsibility to exercise the highest degree of discretion and impartiality when deciding a case. As Members of Congress, we were surprised by recent revelations of your financial ties to leading organizations dedicated to lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We write today to respectfully ask that you maintain the integrity of this court and recuse yourself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of this act.

The appearance of a conflict of interest merits recusal under federal law. From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife’s financial stake in the overturn of health care reform is blurred. Your spouse is advertising herself as a lobbyist who has “experience and connections and appeals to clients who want a particular decision — they want to overturn health care reform. Moreover, your failure to disclose Ginny Thomas‘s receipt of $686,589 from the Heritage Foundation, a prominent opponent of health care reform, between 2003 and 2007 has raised great concern.

This is not the first case where your impartiality was in question. As Common Cause points out, you participated in secretive political strategy sessions, perhaps while the case was pending, with corporate leaders whose political aims were advanced by the [5-4] decision on the Citizens United case. Your spouse also received an undisclosed salary paid for by undisclosed donors as CEO of Liberty Central, a 501(c)(4) organization that stood to benefit from the decision and played an active role in the 2010 elections.

Given these facts, there is a strong conflict between the Thomas household’s financial gain through your spouse’s activities and your role as a Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. We urge you to recuse yourself from this case. If the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision is to be viewed as legitimate by the American people, this is the only correct path.

We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

ANTHONY D. WEINER

Call your Member of Congress

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~ Recent Post

tempest Tuesday &some News

11/09/2010 Nativegrl77

Today … President Obama is in Indonesia but will be cutting the visit short due to Volcanic Ash –

When will RTP constituents get it -it was Republicans who had absolutely no control fiscally, engaged in big govt by waging 2wars, 2tax giveaways to the rich without paying for them btw, the last guy permitted mass amounts of deregulation in nearly every sector of business which brought our economy to its knees – Republicans say they are fiscally responsible but what President Obama walked into does not sound like responsible behavior and it continues with tantrums about wanting to extend the Bush giveaways permanently without paying for them -and on whose backs?

Though we have pulled out most of our troops in Iraq there are over fifty-thousand serving on behalf of all Americans, we have Corporations in the private and or public sector who are not hiring enough to get us out of this recession, or have changed the rules by limiting the work available, Democrats just got voted out of being the majority in the House but still control the Senate and we have a Democratic President. We have far too many public servants with personal agendas, Tea Party or Teabaggers, who were only a small group a while ago have been able to put a few in the US Congress after the midterm elections. I am not pleased but the current rhetoric or exchanges among themselves is encouraging because it is clear that jobs and or our economy was a distraction used by the RTP and what won them the House. While we are all watching, waiting the truth is going to unfold and folks who voted them into office will finally see the ugly RTP agenda which is that they are going after President Obama instead of creating jobs or a better economy. We all know this group has very extreme ideas about what they will do when on the floor of Congress and while the voters decided to send a message to the folks on Capitol Hill i am still confused about what voting against your best interest does for anyone but make things even worse. I am upset about it and as a democrat i think people need to take control over their own ability to get good information and dissect it to make intelligent choices. The loss of the House, the things we all wanted as dems, libs and or progressives has been put at risk by all the anger votes made. I want to believe people truly had no idea what was at stake and treated the midterms as the no big deal state based elections. The only problem is only 4.7% of Blacks voted plus women and lgbt voters deciding to lean right is one of the most confusing moves by people who need support from the govt and only time will tell how much we all will suffer or for how long.

If the lean to the right was a tantrum because your group or issue did not get voted on yet or was passed but was not what you wanted that is childish behavior. I would also say people need to stop whining and understand the governing process because if not we all will suffer for it. I cannot ask enough how selfish could someone be to hold their vote hostage or vote right of center just because they are angry is not only offensive but makes me wonder how American is that. It is when Democrats are not united or in solidarity do we lose and only then is when i wish the Democratic Party was more like the RTP in so far as the group mentally they maintain until now did not wane no matter what glitches or tweaks that may be needed. The RTP knows if they can get a bill passed it can be manipulated maybe democratic constituents do not know this –

I will never understand anyone willing to vote against his or her best interests.

It is obvious that our economy was in much worse shape then what we thought maybe worse off than what the last guy told the Obama Administration before leaving never to look back again. . Certainly, it was unprecedented and while it is obvious they were flying by the seat of their pants trying to fix the core of the problem it seemed like there were several branches that if tweaked the wrong way could be big trouble. The Party of No has managed to stifle progress in Congress yet folks continued to hold the Obama Administrations feet to the fire and not the Republicans. In my opinion, Americans have been too impatient, are swayed by “the Media” definitely uninformed and maybe did not care about the facts because of their own status in the world. It is unacceptable to think twenty months is long enough to fix anything as big as the US economy, which reached out globally. That coupled with the overt effort on the part of i guess the Heritage Foundation, the chamber of commerce, big business and Republicans all decided to stop progress by any means necessary. Who knew that we have a group of people willing to throw Americans from all stages of life under the bus to gain back their country in an effort though the 2008 elections were legal done correctly and 53% of the population voted for Barack H. Obama. If anyone has been watching all the issues being juggled by President Obama which have been many and include jobs, pirates, terrorists, 2Wars, exiting a war, dadt, immigration, racism, signing over 200 bills that definitely will make positive changes to all our lives. The legislation that could have pushed us into the 21^st Century probably will likely to be a memory if democrats continue to split off instead of unifying as a group to get things done during the lame duck session. It is also upon democratic constituents to participate by calling your member of Congress to let them know what is important call the Republicans to tell them you are an American and while they have fooled some we all are watching as they abandon the peoples business for tearing apart our government.

Is it just me or have democrats in Congress left the messaging up to the President… oh we have some Representatives like Patty Murray, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Alan Grayson, Anthony Weiner, Sheila Lee Jackson, James Clyburn, Keith Ellison , Jim McDermott, Stabenow and McCaskil others but we need more of them getting on the air and touting the legislation as being absolutely positive things for Americans. The Democratic Party needs to meet and decide what direction they want to go; our President needs to tell them what he wants done and they all need to get on the same page and get it done. The fact that this President did not write the HCR bill himself or let the House write, create and pass bills, which is their jobs upset folks on the left because it was not single payer pouted and voted for Republican is beyond me. The midterms confirmed how uninformed most of the public is on what it takes to get a bill on the floor of Congress let alone passed and made a law. Again, I may not have been completely satisfied with the legislation but the alternative was much worse and knowing that legislation can be tweaked made it tolerable for me.

Twenty months ago there was a bipartisan agreement to bailout the big banks and since then they turned their backs on President Obama and while apologizing in public they promptly began giving huge bonus’s to their people, have continued to flex their muscles and refuse 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 12 terrorist attacks have been waged on the US, republicans have held up the Presidents nominees for his cabinet and recently, we came close to having several planes bombed. I am sure i forgot something but this President has been busy and is making sweeping changes to a system that was broken. I believe we were in a perfect position to make the changes we voted for and needed but maybe the Obama Admin and the Democrats in Congress did not have a strategy, had idea what was in store for the midterms and had no back up plan or understood how serious that waterloo comment was. Those of us sitting back waiting for change need to become more engaged by making our voices heard in support of this President’s efforts to move Americans into the 21st Century. If you think any President can get legislation passed without the help of their base you are sadly mistaken. The tent of Democrats is huge and though HCR for example was not popular it needed to be dealt with will save money, create more jobs and discrimination based on pre-existing conditions got knocked out, kids in college don’t have to worry about insurance and while there are no death panels in the bill Republicans might create an environment similar by privatizing healthcare, medicare/caid and social security if given the opportunity. The midterm elections had so much at stake but folks voted in anger as Republicans said this that and the other about being fiscally responsible only to get on camera after taking over the House that they are if you pay attention listening are not just going after the President say they can get things done if President Obama does what that want which continues the irrational, uncompromising loud defiant obstructionist behavior Republicans have resorted to for 20 months and begs democrats to rise up against.

Other News …

G20 begins Nov. 12th

The WH does not support stripping out DADT out of defense bill

Missile launched off Coast of Cali -a mystery

GM lays off Mr Goodwrench

Amazon comes to Seattle with 10,000 jobs?

New Chevy Volt on sale in Seattle next Fall

President Obama will meet with new congressional members Nov.18th

CDC:59.1 million lacked ins in 2009 -outrageous

Seattle bank fees are the highest in the country 2.60 while the average is 2.33

11thousand cribs made in China sold at JCP 2003-2007 models have rail hardware prob

Tony Hayward admits they were unprepared to deal with the BP oil spill

CSPAN …

State Department Press Briefing
Monday

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) Heritage Foundation Speech
Monday

Pres. Obama Address to India’s Parliament
Monday

Defense Department Briefing on Iraq
Monday

Weekly Addresses
Saturday

Supreme Court Oral Argument: Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants
Friday

Fed Chair Bernanke Q&A with Jacksonville University Students on Monetary Policy
Friday

Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Jobs Report
Friday

Georgetown University Review of 2010 Midterm Elections
Friday

Weekly Standard Review of 2010 Midterm Elections
Friday

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF …caribbean

11/05/2010 Nativegrl77

The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.

This fleeting moment of great weather today is yet but a moment and while the weather in the Caribbean, Indonesia are on our families minds the weather all over the US is bad … gotta say hoping everyone we know and love are okay.

Our President is on his way to make a bid to open up markets overseas- for a G20 summit including Japan-wishing him good luck and a great safe trip with Mrs Obama.

FYI –Mitch McConnell says he does not want the President to fail he wants him to change course while in different interview he and Boehner said in order for them to achieve what they want they need someone as President that will not veto everything they want to go through. This group of right of center Politicians are dodging questions about what they would cut once they gain control and instead of answering questions folks like McConnell, Cantor , Boehner are stating their sole goal is to repeal replace and eliminate social programs that help not just the poor but our elders, disabled , veterans and basically everyone who calls themselves a human being….sigh

Good News the jobs numbers have come in- overall 1.1 Million jobs came back or were created and there were 159,000 Private Sector jobs added, 151,000 non-farm jobs added as well as a net loss of 8,000 of jobs and unemployment stands at 9.6%. This is definitely an improvement but more bipartisan work needs to be done to really make an impact on what President Obama walked into after being elected. I ask everyone to call Republicans to tell them that you are an American and instead of making their sole goal to get rid of President Obama they better do something about jobs, jobs, jobs and our economy because if they do not the Republican Tea Party will definitely lose in 2yrs. The Republican Tea Party may have lied to Americans who voted for them in this mid-term election but the people will not forget. I am among I guess a small group who saw that the RTP has fooled enough people into believing your group of Corporate carpetbaggers have sold out their souls and have not just thrown the average American under the bus when the new 112th Congress Session begins the facts will be even more evident that RTP will do whatever it takes to pay back those secret entities that poured funds into various states where not just right of center candidates won we now have people so right of center that membership fighting will probably begin sooner than later. I say let the fighting begin because it will be the final piece of a sad, disgusting, and deceiving puzzle that this group has been waging ever since 53% of Americans voted for President Obama in 2008.

The big deal on the table at this moment is what do we (democrats) do now and while the current rhetoric is offensive, annoying and yes depressing to an extent we all have to be held accountable for what happened on Tuesday, Nov.2nd. I say ask yourself did you help out enough, stay home to protest and did you vote right of center to protest because you do not like what President Obama has done, is doing or that he is not tough enough, you are stupid and have no idea what the office is all about. I will admit the question that is going through my mind is did he get enough help from the Democratic Politicians “selling the message” that “the Media” keeps saying hurt not just President Obama’s base but the President chances for the 2012 elections though we are a long way from then and a lot can happen “the Media” will make that the topic of discussion. I will say that the low numbers of Democratic members of Congress willing to support legislation being debated, having trouble getting on the floor or passed on the floor of Congress in both Chambers has been a great disappointment and should definitely be something to work on for the new 112th Congressional Session. It does seem difficult for them to get enough airtime, some seemed unwilling to say what was good about HCR Wall Street reform, while the various pundits, host and interviewers have said for over twenty months that he had a chance to get the message out while questioning the message have switched up and now say there was major issue with the communication. I disagree with what most folks in “the Media” are saying. I believe cable and or mainstream TV spent a lot of time limiting the message and opted to debate the message without having a rebuttal available from the Obama Administration. I wonder how many designated Obama admin folks are asked to join panels on tv let alone fight to get a word in edge wise when they are on tv because the panel is so big and then after wards, we all see it right? The hosts bring back another panel of conservatives to beat down and or question what the President’s operative just said. If you are listening to the cable head Media noise, it is definitely annoying, offensive and we all need to remind ourselves that opinion News is for entertainment splashed with some real facts and a whole lot of right of center opinions.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649961/20101014/story.jhtml <<<copy & paste

Other News …

President Obama and the new Congressional membership will meet on Nov.18th

Haiti braces for Hurricane Tomas

Plane crashes in central Cuba… 68 dead

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has won his bid for full term in Illinois

Democratic Senator Patty Murray has won her bid for re-election

Myanmar will have controversial elections

The first woman President of Brazil will keep Iran ties, remain global player

Kenya takes on India in bid to be call center capital

CSPAN …