Tag Archives: United States

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

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

The Wild West … John Hocevar, Greenpeace

04/13/2012 Nativegrl77

Tell the State Department that you care about the health of our oceans and urge them to either take the lead on establishing a network of marine reserves or to get out of the way this summer.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.ORG

There’s almost no protection at all for the world’s oceans. And it shows… Companies like Chicken of the Sea are pushing some tuna and shark species to the brink of extinction in the Pacific Ocean with their destructive fishing practices.

Industrial fishing vessels are destroying the breathtaking coral habitats of the Bering Sea canyons and putting an entire ecosystem at risk.

Japanese, Icelandic and Norwegian whaling vessels continue to ignore international law and kill thousands of majestic whales from the Southern Ocean to the North Atlantic each year.

These challenges can be addressed together with a single solution — a network of fully protected marine reserves. So why is the State Department standing in the way?

It’s time they took action to protect our oceans. Urge them to take the lead in establishing a network of marine reserves before it’s too late.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

Right now, less than one percent of the world’s oceans are set aside as marine reserves. That’s why we’re working on a global agreement which would allow the international community to establish a network of marine reserves on the high seas. Unfortunately, the US government seems to be standing in the way of these efforts by refusing to join along with other countries who are in favor of developing a new agreement to create a network of marine reserves.

The high seas are like the Wild West at the moment. It might be good for the companies that are making billions off the destruction, but it is killing our oceans. If we don’t start protecting and managing our oceans they aren’t going to survive. Marine reserves are a proven and cost effective tool for protecting biodiversity, rebuilding fish populations, and enhancing fisheries in surrounding areas.

The best chance we have to get the international community on the right path toward creating a network of protected areas is this summer in Brazil. The US delegation is developing their position right now. It’s the perfect time to let them know you are paying attention.

A global network of fully protected marine reserves would benefit sea turtles, whales, tuna, seals, narwhals and any other creature (including humans) that you can think of. We’ll be at the meetings this summer working hard for this outcome. Without your support, it won’t matter.

Send your letter to the State Department today and tell them that we need the US to join the G77, the European Union, and most of the rest of the world in standing up for marine reserves.

Thanks for your help.

John Hocevar Greenpeace USA Ocean Campaign Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Their Fair Share by the Numbers …Joan Entmacher, National Women’s Law Center

04/12/2012 Nativegrl77

Tired of fighting cuts to programs that women and their families depend on in the name of deficit reduction — while millionaires and billionaires haven’t been asked to contribute an extra penny? Think it’s time for millionaires and billionaires who pay lower tax rates than many middle-class Americans to start paying their fair share?

Take Action: Tell your Senators to support the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012! WWW.NWLC.ORG

On April 16, we expect the Senate to vote on an important piece of legislation, the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 (S. 2230). The bill would ensure that those with incomes over $1 million annually pay at least 30 percent of their income in federal taxes. The legislation, introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, was inspired by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who highlighted the unfairness of a tax system that permits him to pay a lower tax rate than his secretary.

It’s time for this absurdity to stop. We can’t afford to continue lavish tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. To help demonstrate the real cost of tax breaks for millionaires, we’ve put together a new infographic:

That’s right. This year, the average millionaire gets a tax break of $143,000 — enough to support child care assistance for 24 children, Pell Grants to 37 college students, or a home-delivered meal each day for 249 seniors.

This is a tradeoff we can’t afford to make any longer. Please share our infographic today and urge your Senators to support the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012!

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher Vice President,

Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Please help us continue to advocate for policies that protect and improve economic security for women and their families by making a generous donation today.