Tag Archives: Member of Congress

mashup Monday &some News

07/25/2011 Nativegrl77

just another rant …

A Gallup Poll done in April reported that if a vote were taken from We the People for the current members of Congress it would result in 32% voting for Democrats and 31% Republicans. If this is true, folks we definitely need to prepare for Election 2012. I gotta say given the number of folks who stayed home or voted right of center for the Midterms, it is important that those living in states engaging in voter suppression get the ID that will enable you to make your voice count. We all know there is so much more work to do, so much at stake and to be honest the thought of living under a Republican ruler makes me sick. I voted for and know that President Obama is the right one for the position of commander in chief and while my support continues beyond 2012. I do not always agree with what President Obama does and I still have questions about NAFTA, the Public Option and some other things that remain a mystery. I do know that the Democratic members of Congress have either not wanted or are not able to go big or bold enough to move us into the 21st Century but given a choice for 2012 and fact is there is no option; we have to get Democrats back in control. The process of changing the way things get done on the Hill, policy and or making laws are not easy or pleasant but it should not be the reason for changing your attitude or your vote because of it.

Two years ago the HCR Bill, HR3962/HR3590 considered an impossible dream is surrounded by a lot of misinformation as well as being just one of several pieces of legislation that President Obama has presented, urged, and finally passed after much push back from the Republican Tea Party and some Conservadems. I wonder, do people remember the contentious dividing issues like that 15 Dems said they would oppose the HCR bill, that Senator Ben Nelson’s amendment to add abortion language like the stupak-pitts amendment, which, would probably block public or federal funds to women. Thus blocking women the right to buy and or pay for their own insurance that may cover abortions and it may also penalize companies that include it in their HC plans; luckily, Congress tabled it. We also know that Lieberman wanted a Medicare buy in and HCR before he didn’t; and ended up showing how Politicians can easily put aside the rights of their constituents and fellow Americans by voting no, or that in the end the House passed HCR with the issue and problem being in the Senate

It is obvious the new HCR bill will improve the lives of many rather than a select few or keep the status quo. The fact is our President has done more to improve out state here in the US and the journey has been tough and quite long but what President Obama did in his 1^st term is historic and a moment that everyone cannot possibly forget, unless you have been living under a rock or listening to the naysayers. The Media continues to speculate or re-enforce the negative impact on voting yes for good faith legislation that no doubt would be good but impacts all Americans; mocking President Obama’s so-called improbable agenda that includes climate change, immigration overhaul as well as stating that Democrats keep wavering on a votes.

This is a moment that the Democratic Party should be willing to create change that has been needed for quite some time and as the President has stated many times …if not now when -because we may never get this chance for a long time if ever.

CSPAN …

Congress Has Full Week of Hearings Ahead

Joint Chiefs nominee, tax code among the topics

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Greek Minister Speaks on Financial Crisis

Comes to Washington to meet with head of the IMF

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Speaker Boehner Calls GOP Members Back to Washington

No deal with President Obama possible.

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Other News …

Amy Winehouse Died in Bed with No Sign of Drugs Nearby

Somalia: U.N. Hosts Emergency Meeting

Sources: NFL, players reach deal to end lockout

ABC News

Amanda Knox Appeal: No DNA Evidence Found on Murder Weapon

Split Personality Disorder

Breivik had alleged links with Far Right-Wing British extremists

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

At Risk for Social INsecurity

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77






	Women and families depend on Social Security. Don’t let Congress cut this critical program.

You know that the budget talks in Washington are heating up. But you may not have heard that Social Security cuts are on the table.

That’s because they’re not talking openly about cutting Social Security. Instead, they’re saying that they are making a technical change in the way the cost-of-living adjustment is calculated for federal programs like Social Security.

But this is a stealth benefit cut that would mean insecurity for all Social Security recipients, especially women. And, because the cut would grow deeper the longer you receive benefits, it would especially hurt women, who live longer than men, rely more on income from Social Security, and are already more likely to be poor.

Women can’t afford cuts to Social Security benefits because:

The average Social Security benefit for women 65 and older is just $12,000 per year.
Without Social Security, half of women 65 and older would be poor.
This cut would especially hurt the oldest and poorest beneficiaries, who are overwhelmingly women.

Women and their families shouldn’t bear the brunt of deficit reduction—and time is running out. Tell your Members of Congress and the Administration that Social Security and programs vital to low-income families must be protected – and millionaires and corporations must contribute to any deficit reduction plan. Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™ in the budget debate.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Want to know more about this stealth Social Security benefit cut? Check out our blog.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Shocking Conflict of Interest? … Ben Kroetz, Greenpeace

07/13/2011 Nativegrl77

I wanted to share with you this opportunity from our friends over at the League of Conservation Voters. They’re doing important work to call out the shocking conflict of interests between Congress and Big Oil. Please take a minute and add your name to their petition targeting Congressman Ryan (R-WI).

Sincerely,

Ben Kroetz
Greenpeace USA
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Tell Congressman Paul Ryan that championing special tax breaks for Big Oil while profiting from the oil industry is wrong.

Carmen —

Click here to add your name to our petition to Congressman Paul Ryan.

When Republican Congressman Paul Ryan was asked at a town hall meeting in Waterford, Wisc., about the need to end subsidies to oil companies, he responded, “I agree.”¹

But just one week later, Ryan voted to give Big Oil billions in taxpayer-funded handouts.²

Now comes the shocking revelation that Congressman Ryan and his family are making thousands of dollars from oil companies that lease their land – companies that stand to benefit from the same tax breaks Ryan is pushing.

Click here to add your name to our petition to Congressman Ryan. Tell him that championing special tax breaks for Big Oil while profiting from the oil industry is wrong.

Newsweek and the Daily Beast reported recently on what appears to be Ryan’s shocking conflict of interest:³

The financial disclosure report Ryan filed with Congress last month and made public this week shows he and his wife, Janna, own stakes in four family companies that lease land in Texas and Oklahoma to the very energy companies that benefit from the tax subsidies in Ryan’s budget plan.

Ryan’s father-in-law, Daniel Little, who runs the companies, told Newsweek and The Daily Beast that the family companies are currently leasing the land for mining and drilling to energy giants such as Chesapeake Energy, Devon, and XTO Energy, a recently acquired subsidiary of ExxonMobil.

Some of these firms would be eligible for portions of the $45 billion in energy tax breaks and subsidies over 10 years protected in the Wisconsin lawmaker’s proposed budget.

Not only has Ryan voted to give Big Oil companies like ExxonMobil billions in government handouts, but – as the article notes – he has proposed a 2012 budget that also gives Big Oil billions in special tax breaks.⁴ And as the point person on the budget for the Republican House leadership, Ryan has significant sway and influence on the congressional budget process.

At a time when middle-class families are feeling the pinch of an economy still on the rebound and state governments are facing massive budget shortfalls, Ryan is asking American taxpayers to continue providing massive government handouts for some of the world’s most profitable companies – all while his family stands to benefit from some of those same companies’ profits.

Click here to sign our petition to Congressman Ryan. Tell him it is shameful to champion billions in oil industry tax breaks while personally profiting from the oil industry’s good fortune.

Thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,

Navin Nayak
Senior Vice President, Campaigns
League of Conservation Voters

¹ http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/28/162071/paul-ryan-oil-subsidies/
² http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll293.xml
³ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/06/17/paul-ryan-s-shrewd-budget-payday-congressman-could-benefit-from-tax-breaks-he-proposes.html
⁴ http://www.lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/LCV-Statement-on-Big-Oil-Budget-Proposed-by-Chairman-Paul-Ryan.html

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

TGIF &some News

07/08/2011 Nativegrl77

We are all waiting, watching, listening, and judging not only the behavior of President Obama but comparing and contrasting it to the current rhetoric and behavior coming from the Republican Party. It is obvious for me that Republicans put Party and Profit before the People; folks like Senator John McCain, who called himself a maverick throughout the 2008 campaign turned out to be a big flip flopper. I am not sure which Republican came out first but the flip flopping of Republicans definitely caused their own constituents to blink then rise up at most of the town hall meetings in disbelief. I have to say it took way too long for the truth to come out but a certain amount of buyer’s remorse has set in- Finally. Now, mostly in Republican controlled states American workers have had to fight back against the lie that is the Republican Political Party. Who knew that a Grover Norquist maybe some other outsiders have such a power over the people we call public servants, and their votes. I have to say any candidate willing to sign off on a document that would only serve or give an advantage to their Political Party and not be good for “We the People” sounds like a candidate unworthy of being in public service. The 2012 election season is one that will affect all our lives in that this President could continue the move toward the 21^st Century, nominate, and confirm another left leaning justice maybe two which could counter anything like Citizens United. It cannot be lost on anyone that it is even more important now that those of us on the left make sure our neighbors know what is at stake as the Republicans continue to pull Americans back to the days when the privilege were in control the middle class barely living while the poor live on the street. We must all take responsibility for making sure the truth about healthcare reform, climate change, immigration reform and what positive things equality can do for All Americans not some or a selected few. Instead, we are now facing a default on our debt because of the Political Party of No who feels not cooperating with the Democratic members of Congress or the Obama Admin and get them a win in 2012. I think stripping away worker rights, trying to ban abortion, strip Veteran funding, union rights, programs that will help the elderly and the poor should be enough to prove who is incapable of governing based on that agenda alone . The Republican Party and its leaders have managed to fool the public and side step their responsibilities while tossing double speak with a substantial amount of the vitriol. Americans have seen members of Congress and some of our Supreme Court Justices engage in what seems like a lot of negative activism, overt discrimination, exclusion, and lack of compassion over the last two years. I have been saying, It’s the Republicans Stupid and all you have to do to believe that is to get the facts … get informed and while Republicans managed to trick their constituents into believing they are the ones who will save them just look at states like WI,FL,IA,OH,TX,ME,TN, ID,NH,NC, and lean left in 2012

It is clear, at least for me that the right person is in the office of President. But it’s just my rant

Other News …

Atlantis roars into space on final shuttle mission

US jobs stall, setting back recovery hopes

Sudan officially recognizes South Sudan

Violence erupts in Karachi, Pakistan; at least 80 dead

Oakland Athletics (39-50) at Texas Rangers (48-41), 8:05 p.m.

Taxes and Billionaires

CSPAN …

Space Shuttle Launches for the Final Time

Atlantis heads into orbit for 12 day mission

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Lawmakers Examine Social Security Cuts

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Debt Talks Continue

Debt ceiling deal still uncertain

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Egypt protests: Speedier trials, reforms demanded in protests across Egypt – latimes.com

~ my 2cents ..., ~ Recent Post

mashup Monday &some News

06/20/2011 Nativegrl77

The featured picture is of the I-5 Peace Arch.

I needed some feeling of peace today. Actually, we probably will all feel the need for some peaceful thoughts as we watch members of Congress play politics with American lives. Congress might have until August to raise the debt ceiling but the evidence is becoming quite clear that Republicans have absolutely no intention of helping their Fellow Americans and or the Economy move toward that path of progress let alone the 21^st Century, so the picture on the left is of our I-5 Peace Arch on the Canadian Border.

In 2010, right around this time a vote was taken and while the Democratic Party was trying to get Americans back to work by introducing legislation to be passed Republicans acted and continue to act as if Corporate America is the only people, they trust and the following was what happened. Last night, June/2010 the following comments were made after the jobs/tax extenders bill failed in the Senate again 56-40 -”Tonight, every single Republican voted to deny states critical aid that would keep firefighters, police offices and teachers employed,” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “And tonight, every single Republican voted to tell the one in ten Americans who have lost their jobs that they are on their own.” Please call your representative in Congress. The American people are about tired of the BS offered up by both sides of the aisle but after watching listening to TV and or radio the sad sad reality is that people are willing to vote against their best interest.

Apparently, folks have forgotten that it has been a Republican mission to vote against their fellow Americans calling it unnecessary spending though if anyone recalls that these are the same folks who voted against stimulus money while taking the stimulus money, shoot every state was going to get it whether they said no because it was an emergency. It was slightly amusing though shortly lived and definitely offensive now that the number of Politicians with negative comments about the stimulus funds even though they held elaborate ceremonies with ribbon cutting, offering huge checks, took responsibility for the effort and some even asked for more money. I am not sure how anyone else feels but knowing that the number of Governors that took the stimulus money to balance their budgets was disturbing enough. It was not just disturbing but hearing how Republican Governors made a choice of Profits over the People in their states by giving money to private sector who turned out to be friends like the Koch brothers is felonious at best . It is also quite possible some of those very Republican Governors have businesses that received direct or non- direct advantages sort of like those drug testing clinics that belong to the governor who has decided that all state employees be tested for drug use. I may be wrong but reports are he is the only one with those clinics and this past weekend there were reports that rep. Paul Ryan stands to make a lot of money if his plan is implemented. If all that we have heard about our so-called Public Servants is correct, the stimulus money was obviously misused and some folks in office abused their positions. We have Governors saying their states are broke though some had surpluses while the private sector being a Republicans best friend is still unwilling to open up the purse strings or stop sending jobs offshore until Americans accept lower wages and or compete for what used to be Public Service jobs turned private and fee based . The current attitudes coming from Republicans will only drive unemployment up. The obvious choice would be to place a Public Jobs Works bill on the table that would create jobs that will take care of our crumbling infrastructure, accept that at this moment in time we need everyone to participate. The idea that people are actually against fair share is beyond me but that Republican view currently being forced upon our fellow Americans in some states right this very moment is a reality. It’s the 21^st Century people. We need members of Congress to walk through a feature like our Arch to bring peace over them and maybe they will all come to the same conclusion two and a half years later. That all members of Congress need to participate in fair share as well as vote yes to Jobs bills that include county, state, or federal workers. Since when do we have to tell companies like BP or other big Corporations that they should be held completely accountable for their errors; let us hope all Americans heard the Barton, Bachmann; cable heads and Boehner comments about a year ago because those- Corporatist-Republicans are still at it. The escrow was for We the People and was not a Chicago style take down as suggested. Republican Congressmen like Barton came out in support and the protection of a company that has ruined not only the Gulf Coast, the livelihoods, the environment the Marshes, Estuaries and now the beaches in Louisiana are suffering, which may affect every aspect of their economy for decades. Barton pulled those comments back but as I have said, those comments cannot be put back into any bottle and hopefully Americans will not forget or forgive.

If you just cannot enjoy our I-5 Peace Arch on the Canadian Border try breathing deeply in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth … repeat as needed

Other News ….

Your tributes to the Big Man, Clarence Clemons

Casey Anthony Trial Update: Defense case continues after dramatic beginning

Protesters take to streets in Syria after Assad speech

Euro, Stocks Recover as Debt Concern Eases

Tunisia’s Ousted President Says He Was Tricked Into Leaving

Is Rick Perry Going to Run for President?

Inappropriate Jokes

CSPAN