The United States has been at war with Afghanistan for six years. The original intention of the war with Afghanistan was to find and capture Osama Bin Laden. In the years since the original occupation of Afghanistan, the war with Iraq has eclipsed both national and international attention, leaving Afghanistan as America's forgotten war. Much like Korea was in the 1950's, the United States is engaged in a war it cannot win against an enemy it cannot defeat. Recently, rhetoric by both the Democratic and Republican Presidential campaigns has been actively calling for a troop surge in Afghanistan. In addition to costing the United States more money that we cannot afford to pay, this foreign policy decision ignores the obvious repercussions of an extended and increased war with Afghanistan.
These factors, which seem obvious to the average resident of Afghanistan, a country that has been bombed into the stone age, seems to escape the leaders of the free world, the policy wonks at the pentagon, and most of the corporate media. The simple equation goes something like this, more bombs and more military equals more resistance and hence more enemies to be defeated. In this case the enemy is the Taliban, a right wing fundamentalist reaction to Soviet occupation and failed US foreign policy. Here in the United States of America, the Taliban has been labeled public enemy number one, and for the past six years we have been pouring tens of billions of dollars annually into defeating an enemy that was created out of our own failed international policy under the Reagan administration.
Today the Taliban numbers in the thousands or perhaps tens of thousands and is perceived as a real threat to both the United States and the occupying administration in Afghanistan. Although the US death toll remains relatively low in relationship to the war in Iraq, the death toll could mount significantly if US forces are redirected to that area or even brought in from further depletion of US reserves based stateside or in other parts of the world. In addition, the people of Afghanistan are tired of US occupation. They have been occupied continuously by one or another occupying foreign power since 1979. Afghanistan is a country that has not known peace in almost two generations.
The specter of fear and nationalism lives on in the long tried US war on the Taliban. It is now 2008 and the United States still hasn't caught Osama Bin Laden, but we have managed to destroy an entire country. The international community is calling on the United States leadership to step back from its rhetoric about increasing the troops in Afghanistan. They are calling for a negotiated peace, led by the United Nations, between the United States and the powers that be in Afghanistan. For every day that we stay in Afghanistan, for every bomb we drop, for every gun we fire, for every civilian we torture and for every innocent villager we accidentally kill we create yet another recruit for the Taliban and make the resistance to US occupation that much stronger.
It is time for the United States to remove its forces from Afghanistan and bring the troops home now from the Middle East. The failure of US leadership for the past eight years has been obvious to the entire international community. We are behaving as an occupying power and have not succeeded in our missions. We never found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and we never found Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and yet somehow US foreign policy continues to occupy these two zones, taking hundreds of billions of dollars from our national budget at a time of looming economic recession when Americans need jobs at home and investment in America. Now is the time for a negotiated peace and an immediate withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Re: Resource-based Society
Daniel Stafford wrote:
Interconnectedness in an alternative future...DS
Future by Design - William Gazecki has produced and directed a documentary based on him and his ideas...
http://www.futurebydesignthemovie.com/
Imagine a world where war is outdated, there is no shortage of resources, and every human being enjoys a high standard of living. THIS IS THE STORY OF JACQUE FRESCO -- A MODERN-DAY DA VINCI
Documentary on My Life Directed by William Gazecki (3 min 22 sec)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cBXHLgC7s
There is a good preview of this documentary...
From: http://www.fbdthemovie.com/fbdpresskit.pdf
Future by Design
Future by Design is a documentary film by Academy Award nominated filmmaker William Gazecki, sharing the life and far-reaching vision of Jacque Fresco, a modern day Da Vinci. Peer to Einstein and Buckminster Fuller, Jacque is a self-taught futurist who describes himself most often as a multi-disciplinarian or “generalist” -- a student of many inter-related fields. He is a prolific inventor, having spent his entire life (he is now 90 years old) conceiving of and devising inventions on various scales which entail the use of innovative technology. The film explores Fresco’s world of the future, where scientific method, not politics, rules world operations, and all human activities and efforts are directed towards achieving dynamic equilibrium between man and nature. Future by Design is a visually and intellectually engaging exploration of one man’s vision of a future where war is outdated, there is no shortage of any necessary resource, and our focus as a species is sustainability. But far from presenting a vision of Utopia, this documentary demonstrates a “possible future” -- with real and viable alternatives to our current paradigm of militarism and commercialism. Jacque Fresco is an outspoken and immediately likable character who’s radical and sometimes irreverent ideas are sure to draw both praise and controversy.
In all of his dealings with the public, Jacque attempts to illuminate the causes of our current social ills and outline a wide range of constructive alternatives. He does this by presenting a redesign of our culture, one that would emphasize the intelligent use of science and technology to enhance the lives of all people. Infused within everything he does is his desire to share his global vision of hope for the future of humankind in our technological age.
CLIP
Jacque’s vision of a Resource-based Economy is a society where automation and technology replace servitude and menial labor, and where resources are distributed on a whole basis according to the needs of the population, balanced with the carrying capacity of the natural environment. Much of the technology Jacque has developed over the years is designed to support and implement the cybernated culture he envisions. In Fresco’s world of the future, all activities and efforts are directed towards productive solutions to real and physical problems. It is a society which utilizes energy, materials and human potential in the most organized and efficient manner possible. In Jacque’s perspective, professions and industries which do not contribute to the physical wellbeing of the population are deemed inconsequential. He also feels that environmental restoration and the elimination of human-caused environmental decay is essential for long-term survival.
Jacque’s concept of a society of the future integrates intra- and inter-personal needs, psychological and sociological functioning with the macro-scale mechanisms of governance, social stratification, commerce and spiritual needs. It is not a society based upon a moral philosophy. His long study of human and animal behavior has greatly influenced his thinking with regard to psychology and sociology. Jacque’s idea is that our actions are determined by our values, and our values are in turn determined by our beliefs. What he has observed is that, in general, human social evolution throughout history has been cyclic – war, poverty, aggression, territoriality, violence and crime are all indications of aberrant human behavior. Given that these kinds of behavior are consistently demonstrated over time, it is Jacque’s consensus that there is some underlying cause. In his opinion, the source of all aberrant behavior is the operating belief systems with which we determine our values.
Jacque’s research has led him to the conclusion that one of the most harmful beliefs carried by the majority of people is the general assumption that there is “not enough to go around” for everyone. Jacque calls this tendency or belief “scarcity”. The perception of scarcity on a mass scale throughout history has led to the accumulation of wealth, the gross obsession for power, and the tendency to manipulate people in order to protect one’s resources or belongings (property). All of these mechanisms can be seen to function on a personal as well as an international scale. In Fresco’s projection of a functional future, where each individual’s needs are met, the tendency to want to accumulate material things or exercise power will become minimal or unnecessary.
In a Resource-based Economy, the use of resources is balanced with the needs of the population. This is done through the gathering of information and the use of artificial intelligence and automated technology to apportion resources on a fair and equitable basis based on physical needs rather than other factors, such as perceived threat or the domination of central power structures. In the Future by Design, governance is maintained by the cybernated system, which depends wholly upon information derived from the physical environment. This information is derived from physical measurement and the input of data by the general population. Beliefs, biases, prejudices, class systems, religions, nation-states and their priorities play no role in determining “who gets what” in the future. In Jacque’s synthesis of elements, he firmly believes that equitable use of physical resources combined with a dramatic shift in elevating the level of education of the public will create a functional, equitable world capable of long-term sustainability. A highly educated population can articulate their needs intelligently, make informed decisions.
He believes that when people are born into a system where it is understood and assumed that all physical needs will be met and that access to resources will be unfettered, that the majority of individuals will grow up psychologically healthy. His feeling is that aberrant behavior which results in crime or in some kind of overt harm is not the result of any moral crisis or ethical violation, but is really determined by one’s environment. If an individual’s needs are met, in an environment of non-violence and comprehensive education, the tendency to explore or institute harmful behavior is eliminated.
In the Future by Design, all systems work together. The personal, social, economic, industrial and governance arenas are all interconnected and balanced into one functional system. The Future by Design is a true participatory democracy, where each member of the society has the opportunity to input their needs, opinions and preferences into the central computer, which then assesses and analyzes all information to determine the use of resources in distribution of goods and services.
As a futurist, Jacque is not only a conceptualist and a theoretician, but he is also an engineer and a designer. Each one of his concepts and ideas has a firm foundation in the physical world. Whether through his study of animal and human behavior, science and the methodologies of science, or physical engineering principles, everything he has conceived of is rooted in practical reality. The basic overall concept of the Future by Design is the application of the scientific method to social systems, wherein all processes are based upon measurable factors rather than beliefs and opinions. Everything Jacque has conceived of can be designed and built as envisioned.
Jacque is not a Utopianist. In his paradigm, all social systems are evolutionary. Jacque has always based his work on the processes of nature and how organisms and systems function in a natural eco-balance. In Jacque’s estimation, there is no such thing as a Utopia, as Utopias are generally conceived of as a status-quo or end-result, never to be surpassed. In Jacque’s estimation, once our basic needs are met and we have eliminated usurious and superfluous inefficient efforts (i.e., militarism, commercialism, etc.), we can then focus the whole of human effort on an endless cycle of constant improvement and endless evolution.
http://www.thevenusproject.com/intro_main/whatis_tvp.htm
The Venus Project is a educational think tank operating out of a 25-acre Research Center located in Venus, Florida.
When one considers the enormity of the challenges facing society today, we can safely conclude that the time is long overdue for us to reexamine our values, and to reflect upon and evaluate some of the underlying issues and assumptions we have as a society. This self-analysis calls into question the very nature of what it means to be human, what it means to be a member of a "civilization," and what choices we can make today to ensure a prosperous future for all the world's people.
At present we are left with very few alternatives. The answers of yesterday are no longer relevant. Either we continue as we have been with our outmoded social customs and habits of thought, in which case our future will be threatened, or we can apply a more appropriate set of values that are relevant to an emergent society.
Experience tells us that human behavior can be modified, either toward constructive or destructive activity. This is what The Venus Project is all about - directing our technology and resources toward the positive, for the maximum benefit of people and planet and seeking out new ways of thinking and living that emphasize and celebrate the vast potential of the human spirit. We have the tools at hand to design - and build - a future that is worthy of the human potential. The Venus Project presents a bold, new direction for humanity that entails nothing less than the total redesign of our culture. What follows is not an attempt to predict what will be done - only what could be done. The responsibility for our future is in our hands, and depends on the decisions that we make today. The greatest resource that is available today is our own ingenuity.
While social reformers and think tanks formulate strategies that treat only superficial symptoms, without touching the basic social operation, The Venus Project approaches these problems somewhat differently. We feel we cannot eliminate these problems within the framework of the present political and monetary establishment. It would take too many years to accomplish any significant change. Most likely they would be watered down and thinned out to such an extent that the changes would be indistinguishable
The Venus Project advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new world civilization unlike any social system that has gone before. Although this description is highly condensed, it is based upon years of study and experimental research by many, many people from many scientific disciplines.
The Venus Project proposes a fresh approach--one that is dedicated to human and environmental concerns. It is an attainable vision of a bright and better future, one that is appropriate to the times in which we live, and both practical and feasible for a positive future for all the world's people.
The Venus Project calls for a straightforward approach to the redesign of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt, environmental degradation and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but totally unacceptable.
One of the basic premises of The Venus Project is that we work towards having all of the Earth's resources as the common heritage of all the world's people. Anything less will simply result in a continuation of the same catalog of problems inherent in the present system.
Throughout history, change has been slow. Successive groups of incompetent leaders have replaced those that preceded them, but the underlying social and economic problems remain because the basic value systems have gone unaltered. The problems we are faced with today cannot be solved politically or financially because they are highly technical in nature. There may not even be enough money available to pay for the required changes, but there are more than enough resources. This is why The Venus Project advocates the transition from a monetary-based society to the eventual realization of a resource-based global economy.
We realize to make the transition from our present culture, which is politically incompetent, scarcity-oriented and obsolete, to this new, more humane society will require a quantum leap in both thought and action.
An Obsolete Monetary System
The money-based system evolved centuries ago. All of the world's economic systems - socialism, communism, fascism, and even the vaunted free enterprise system - perpetuate social stratification, elitism, nationalism, and racism, primarily based on economic disparity. As long as a social system uses money or barter, people and nations will seek to maintain the economic competitive edge or, if they cannot do so by means of commerce they will by military intervention. We still utilize these same outmoded methods.
Our current monetary system is not capable of providing a high standard of living for everyone, nor can it ensure the protection of the environment because the major motive is profit. Strategies such as downsizing and toxic dumping increase the profit margin. With the advent of automation, cybernation, artificial intelligence and out-sourcing, there will be an ever-increasing replacement of people by machines. As a result, fewer people will be able to purchase goods and services even though our capability to produce an abundance will continue to exist.
Our present, outmoded political and economic systems are unable to apply the real benefits of today's innovative technology to achieve the greatest good for all people, and to overcome the inequities imposed upon so many. Our technology is racing forward yet our social designs have remained relatively static. In other words cultural change has not kept pace with technological change. We now have the means to produce goods and services in abundance for everyone.
Unfortunately, today science and technology have been diverted from achieving the greatest good for reasons of self-interest and monetary gain through planned obsolescence sometimes referred to as the conscious withdrawal of efficiency. For example, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, whose function is presumed to be conducting research into ways of achieving higher crop yields per acre, actually pays farmers not to produce at full-capacity. The monetary system tends to hold back the application of these methods that we know would best serve the interests of people and the environment.
In a monetary system purchasing power is not related to our capacity to produce goods and services. For example, during a depression, there are computers and DVD's on store shelves and automobiles in car lots, but most people do not have the purchasing power to buy them. The earth is still the same place; it is just the rules of the game that are obsolete and create strife, deprivation and unnecessary human suffering.
A monetary system developed years ago as a device to control human behavior in an environment with limited resources. Today money is used to regulate the economy not for the benefit of the general populace, but for those who control the financial wealth of nations.
Resource Based Economy
All social systems, regardless of political philosophy, religious beliefs, or social customs, ultimately depend upon natural resources, i.e. clean air and water, arable land and the necessary technology and personnel to maintain a high standard of living.
Simply stated, a Resource-Based Economy utilizes existing resources rather than money and provides an equitable method of distributing these resources in the most efficient manner for the entire population. It is a system in which all goods and services are available without the use of money, credits, barter, or any other form of debt or servitude.
Earth is abundant with plentiful resources; today our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter productive to our survival. Modern society has access to highly advanced technologies and can make available food, clothing, housing, medical care, a relevant educational system, and develop a limitless supply of renewable, non-contaminating energy such as geothermal, solar, wind, tidal, etc. It is now possible to have everyone enjoy a very high standard of living with all of the amenities that a prosperous civilization can provide. This can be accomplished through the intelligent and humane application of science and technology.
A Resource-Based Economy would make it possible to use technology to overcome scarce resources by applying renewable sources of energy, computerizing and automating manufacturing and inventory, designing safe energy-efficient cities and advanced transportation systems, providing universal health care and more relevant education, and most of all by generating a new incentive system based on human and environmental concern.
Many people believe that there is too much technology in the world today, and that technology is the major cause of our environmental pollution. This is not the case. It is the abuse and misuse of technology that should be our major concern. In a more humane civilization, instead of machines displacing people they would shorten the workday, increase the availability of goods and services, and lengthen vacation time. If we utilize new technology to raise the standard of living for all people, then the infusion of machine technology would no longer be a threat.
To better understand the meaning of a Resource Based Economy consider this: if all the money in the world were destroyed, as long as topsoil, factories, and other resources were left intact, we could build anything we choose to build and fulfill any human need. It is not money that people need; rather, it is free access to the necessities of life. In a Resource Based Economy , money would be irrelevant. All that would be required are the resources and the manufacturing and distribution of the products.
When education and resources are made available to all people without a price tag, there would be no limit to the human potential. Although this is difficult to imagine, even the wealthiest person today would be far better off in a resource based society as proposed by The Venus Project. Today the middle classes live better than kings of times past. In a Resource Based Economy everyone would live better than the wealthiest of today.
In such a society, the measure of success would be based on the fulfillment of one's individual pursuits rather than the acquisition of wealth, property and power.
The Choice Is Ours To Make
Human behavior is subject to the same laws as any other natural phenomenon. Our customs, behaviors, and values are byproducts of our culture. No one is born with greed, prejudice, bigotry, patriotism and hatred; these are all learned behavior patterns. If the environment is unaltered, similar behavior will reoccur.
Today, much of the technology needed to bring about a global Resource-Based Economy exists. If we choose to conform to the limitations of our present monetary-based economy, then it is likely that we will continue to live with its inevitable results: war, poverty, hunger, deprivation, crime, ignorance, stress, fear, and inequity. On the other hand, if we embrace the concept of a global Resource Based Economy, learn more about it, and share our understanding with our friends, this will help humanity evolve out of its present state.
The only limitations are those we impose upon ourselves. The Venus Project is neither utopian nor Orwellian, nor does it reflect the dreams of impractical idealists. Instead, it presents attainable goals requiring only the intelligent application of what we already know.
CLIP
_______________________________________________ CitizensTruth mailing list CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth website: http://citizenstruth.info
Monday, October 06, 2008
[PDI] Naomi Wolf joins other conspiracy theorists that bailout was a coup
All,
I am blocked from sending e-mail via my regular e-mail accounts by Comcast. They are claiming spam from our internet account, I believe they are blocking because of legitimate political discussion being sent out by myself.
I can receive but not send from my normal addresses, and must use webmail, yahoo groups, and blogs to speak out. This limits my access to my address lists, especially address groups in my e-mail client.
See below, give me your take on it, forward if you deem it appropriate.
Dan Stafford
*Watch this video:*
/"Americans are facing a coup as of this morning. It's happened."/ *- Naomi Wolfe*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgkeTanCGI
This is apparently the clip of Rep. Brad Sherman talking about martial law threat if bailout bill did not pass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8
I am blocked from sending e-mail via my regular e-mail accounts by Comcast. They are claiming spam from our internet account, I believe they are blocking because of legitimate political discussion being sent out by myself.
I can receive but not send from my normal addresses, and must use webmail, yahoo groups, and blogs to speak out. This limits my access to my address lists, especially address groups in my e-mail client.
See below, give me your take on it, forward if you deem it appropriate.
Dan Stafford
*Watch this video:*
/"Americans are facing a coup as of this morning. It's happened."/ *- Naomi Wolfe*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgkeTanCGI
This is apparently the clip of Rep. Brad Sherman talking about martial law threat if bailout bill did not pass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8
Monday, September 29, 2008
Third Party Candidates to Debate 'Real Priorities' at Vanderbilt University
9.30.08 Nashville, TN: The Coalition for October Debate Alternatives (CODA) announced today the Presidential Candidate's Alternative Debate to take place October 6th, in Nashville, Tennessee. The debate is open to all third party candidates for President in the United States as well as the major party nominees. The debate, which is scheduled to take place on the campus of Vanderbilt University on Monday, October 6th will feature several Presidential Candidates who have confirmed attendance including Brad Lyttle of the US Pacifist Party, Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, Frank McEnulty of the New American Independence Party and Brian Moore of the Socialist Party. The Constitution Party has also confirmed that Presidential Candidate Chuck Baldwin or Vice Presidential Candidate Darrell Castle will attend the event.
The debate, which is being organized by CODA has been in the making for several months and is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 6th at 7:00pm, one day prior to the Presidential Debates which are happening at Belmont University in Nashville on October 7th. CODA says that many of the Presidential candidates have been excluded from attending the Belmont debate.
In a recent release to the press CODA indicated that is was organizing the alternative debate because it believed that voters deserve to hear from all the candidates if they are going to make an informed choice at the ballot box, " While we want to hear what the major party candidates have to say on issues related to the war, health care, the economy, gas prices, the future direction of the military, civil liberties and the environment, we do not believe that most issues of concern to American voters will be touched by the Democrat-Republican debate. That is why we are organizing an alternative debate so that voters in Nashville, Tennessee and beyond may be informed of all their choices as they participate in America's electoral process."
The general public and the media is invited to attend this event, which will begin at 7pm on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The moderator for the event will be Bruce Barry, a professor at the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt.
Chris Lugo, of the Coalition for October Debate Alternatives, said that the Democratic and Republican candidates have also been invited to the event, but have not indicated an interest in attending, "We believe that voters should make a fully informed choice about who they vote for and we do not believe this is possible if they are only hearing from two candidates. We have invited the Barack Obama and John McCain in the interest of fairness, but we are intending to highlight this alternative debate as the most egalitarian possible event by including all the candidates and promoting this as an event to which everyone is invited."
Presidential Candidate's Alternative Debate
Vanderbilt University
4309 Stevenson Center
Nashville, TN 37240
Monday October 6th
Candidate's Debate 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Light Reception to Follow Debate
For more information visit:
http://calendar.vanderbilt.edu/calendar/2008/10/06/us-presidential-debate-the-alternatives
The debate, which is being organized by CODA has been in the making for several months and is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 6th at 7:00pm, one day prior to the Presidential Debates which are happening at Belmont University in Nashville on October 7th. CODA says that many of the Presidential candidates have been excluded from attending the Belmont debate.
In a recent release to the press CODA indicated that is was organizing the alternative debate because it believed that voters deserve to hear from all the candidates if they are going to make an informed choice at the ballot box, " While we want to hear what the major party candidates have to say on issues related to the war, health care, the economy, gas prices, the future direction of the military, civil liberties and the environment, we do not believe that most issues of concern to American voters will be touched by the Democrat-Republican debate. That is why we are organizing an alternative debate so that voters in Nashville, Tennessee and beyond may be informed of all their choices as they participate in America's electoral process."
The general public and the media is invited to attend this event, which will begin at 7pm on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The moderator for the event will be Bruce Barry, a professor at the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt.
Chris Lugo, of the Coalition for October Debate Alternatives, said that the Democratic and Republican candidates have also been invited to the event, but have not indicated an interest in attending, "We believe that voters should make a fully informed choice about who they vote for and we do not believe this is possible if they are only hearing from two candidates. We have invited the Barack Obama and John McCain in the interest of fairness, but we are intending to highlight this alternative debate as the most egalitarian possible event by including all the candidates and promoting this as an event to which everyone is invited."
Presidential Candidate's Alternative Debate
Vanderbilt University
4309 Stevenson Center
Nashville, TN 37240
Monday October 6th
Candidate's Debate 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Light Reception to Follow Debate
For more information visit:
http://calendar.vanderbilt.edu/calendar/2008/10/06/us-presidential-debate-the-alternatives
Thursday, September 25, 2008
$700Bn for a temporary fix??? NOT!!!
If we do what Bushcrew is proposing, this problem will just come back to haunt us all again in a few months and be even WORSE.
The real problem with the economy is that its primary driver - the middle class - is out of money to squeeze.
Everyone has been sqeezing and squeezing until the middle class has been bled dry - it's just that many haven't figured that out yet. They still have a little room on the credit cards, or they bought their house 15 or 20 years ago - but done the way Bushcrew wants, this will get them in the next round.
Raise property taxes every year - squeeze!
Bank fees for every little microservice the banks can think of - squeeze!
Pay more and more for every form of insurance - squeeze!
Pay for more of the medical expenses and prescriptions insurance won't cover - squeeze!
Higher - deregulated - utility bills - squeeze!
Higher gasoline taxes and income taxes and sales taxes - squeeze!
School registration fees in addition to property taxes - squeeze!
Higher college tuition fees and higher interest rates on them - squeeze!
These are just the biggest things, there are myriad littler things pinching money off the middle class. The list goes on and on and on and on.
The problem is, the middle class probably uses 4/5 or so of all the goods and services purchased every year - until this one. There's nothing left to squeeze - in fact, they've squeezed SO much that the middle class can no longer even meet obligations in addition to extras. Why do you think credit card use and debt is so high? People are buying food and gas or paying bills with them. It isn't luxury vacations or bling, its basic necessities.
4/5 of the economy can no longer afford to participate in the economy. They simply don't have the money left!
But wait! Bushcrew wants to add a little less than $3,000.00 to the bills of every man, woman, and child in the country - squeeze! - squeeze! - squeeze! - squeeze! They are going to press the body until there's not even any red moisture left in it!
Who is going to buy ANYTHING?? RICH GUYS?? Puuuuhlease!
If you have a guy with 20 cars and ten houses, guess what? he can only drive one car at a time! He can only live in one house at a time! Even if he goes to a different house every night, he will still only spend a fraction in the local economies he lives in as what 10 families in 10 houses and 20 cars would spend. The families will spend money for gas and groceries and utilities and etc. every day almost in each of the 10 houses - but the rich guy might buy gas at one house one day, groceries at the next house, toys for the kids at the next, and so on.
If the middle class isn't made middle class again, the economy will continue to tank until it stops. The middle class economic engine is out of gas. If you suck on the tank inlet until there's a huge vacuum, which is what this bailout does, you'll make the problems WORSE!
Kiss my hiney, Bush & Paulson & Wall Street. You have no economy left to bail out because you don't have a real middle class anymore. You squuezed to much, and there's nothing left. If you want to fix the economy, get the middle class truly breathing again. Otherwise that money you're slipping out of the corpse's pockets will be totally worthless in a very short while.
Dan Stafford
Democrats.com wrote:
The real problem with the economy is that its primary driver - the middle class - is out of money to squeeze.
Everyone has been sqeezing and squeezing until the middle class has been bled dry - it's just that many haven't figured that out yet. They still have a little room on the credit cards, or they bought their house 15 or 20 years ago - but done the way Bushcrew wants, this will get them in the next round.
Raise property taxes every year - squeeze!
Bank fees for every little microservice the banks can think of - squeeze!
Pay more and more for every form of insurance - squeeze!
Pay for more of the medical expenses and prescriptions insurance won't cover - squeeze!
Higher - deregulated - utility bills - squeeze!
Higher gasoline taxes and income taxes and sales taxes - squeeze!
School registration fees in addition to property taxes - squeeze!
Higher college tuition fees and higher interest rates on them - squeeze!
These are just the biggest things, there are myriad littler things pinching money off the middle class. The list goes on and on and on and on.
The problem is, the middle class probably uses 4/5 or so of all the goods and services purchased every year - until this one. There's nothing left to squeeze - in fact, they've squeezed SO much that the middle class can no longer even meet obligations in addition to extras. Why do you think credit card use and debt is so high? People are buying food and gas or paying bills with them. It isn't luxury vacations or bling, its basic necessities.
4/5 of the economy can no longer afford to participate in the economy. They simply don't have the money left!
But wait! Bushcrew wants to add a little less than $3,000.00 to the bills of every man, woman, and child in the country - squeeze! - squeeze! - squeeze! - squeeze! They are going to press the body until there's not even any red moisture left in it!
Who is going to buy ANYTHING?? RICH GUYS?? Puuuuhlease!
If you have a guy with 20 cars and ten houses, guess what? he can only drive one car at a time! He can only live in one house at a time! Even if he goes to a different house every night, he will still only spend a fraction in the local economies he lives in as what 10 families in 10 houses and 20 cars would spend. The families will spend money for gas and groceries and utilities and etc. every day almost in each of the 10 houses - but the rich guy might buy gas at one house one day, groceries at the next house, toys for the kids at the next, and so on.
If the middle class isn't made middle class again, the economy will continue to tank until it stops. The middle class economic engine is out of gas. If you suck on the tank inlet until there's a huge vacuum, which is what this bailout does, you'll make the problems WORSE!
Kiss my hiney, Bush & Paulson & Wall Street. You have no economy left to bail out because you don't have a real middle class anymore. You squuezed to much, and there's nothing left. If you want to fix the economy, get the middle class truly breathing again. Otherwise that money you're slipping out of the corpse's pockets will be totally worthless in a very short while.
Dan Stafford
Democrats.com wrote:
TODAY: March Against Paulson's Plunder
On Wednesday, George Bush went on TV to sweet-talk Americans into letting him steal $700 billion of our tax dollars - $2,333 for every man, woman, and child - to bail out his greedy rich friends on Wall Street.
Today (Thursday) Bush will meet with Democratic and Republican leaders to finalize a deal that gives Bush nearly everything he wants, but nothing America needs:
- The people who caused the problem or profited most should pay for it
- Re-regulate to prevent this from happening again
- Include Main Street in the bailout and invest in a new productive economy
Worst of all, it's another massive fraud. Bush lied to our faces when he promised to buy toxic securities "at their current low prices... and we expect that much, if not all, of the tax dollars we invest will be paid back."
Bull. This is the same administration that promised the invasion of Iraq would pay for itself through lower oil prices. The cost of that disaster is now $3 trillion and climbing, not to mention millions dead, maimed, or exiled.
So make no mistake: every penny we give Bush now will be used to greatly overpay for securities that will lose most of their value. We will pay the price for decades, which is why dozens of economists oppose Bush's fraud.
Democrats.com members have sent nearly 100,000 emails to our Senators and Representatives opposing Paulson's Plunder. But Congress is moving fast, so we must too.
Today (Thursday) there will be emergency afternoon street protests across the country. Please find the nearest protest and bring a sign and a friend:
http://tinyurl.com/3sh2cbAnd call your Senators and Representative right now to say "No $700 Billion Bailout for Wall Street" - dial the Capitol switchboard at 800-473-6711 or 202-224-3121 or dial direct using the instant phone lookup on the right side of http://usalone.com
And if you have not emailed your Senators and Representative, please do it now:
http://www.democrats.com/stop-paulsons-plunder
Thanks for all you do!
________________Be a "Pollworker for Democracy"
This year, you have an amazing opportunity to ensure a fair election, protect the right to vote, and get paid for doing so. How? By becoming a pollworker.
That's why CREDO Action is proud to sponsor the "Pollworkers for Democracy" project - a nonpartisan effort to get more people involved in protecting our elections - in order to support our democracy. We'll provide you with information to supplement your pollworker training, and also a system to report and track any problems on and before Election Day.
Your county still needs pollworkers for the November 4th general election. By signing up as a pollworker, you can support our democratic system...and get paid!
Click here to sign up to become a pollworker.
http://tinyurl.com/6jaujd________________
Are You Registered to Vote? Are You Sure?
Republicans are working quietly to steal another election by disenfranchising Democratic voters, just as they did in 2000 and 2004. So please make sure you are registered to vote!
Login to Democrats.com and click:
http://www.democrats.com/voter_registration#####
Forward this message to everyone you know!
To subscribe, create a free Democrats.com account here:
http://www.democrats.com/user/register
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Who Needs A Bailout? Reviving National Service in a Big Way
William J. Astore | Reviving National Service in a Big Way
http://www.truthout.org/092408N
William J. Astore, TomDispatch.com: "... Amazingly enough, ordinary Americans generally don't want bail-outs, nor do they want handouts. What they normally want is honorable work, decent wages, and a government willing to wake up and help them contribute to a national restoration."
http://www.truthout.org/092408N
William J. Astore, TomDispatch.com: "... Amazingly enough, ordinary Americans generally don't want bail-outs, nor do they want handouts. What they normally want is honorable work, decent wages, and a government willing to wake up and help them contribute to a national restoration."
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Whille millions pay half their income or more on housing, Paulson's former corp is the bailout winner
No blank checks!
Millions spend half of income on housing
7.5 million struggling to survive. Parents move in with kids, up 67% to 3.6 million.
9 Replies
| |
| |
| |
Monday, September 22, 2008
Just Say No to Corporate Bailouts
The world financial markets were rocked to their foundation this week by the news of the collapse of one of the oldest Wall Street Investment firms in American history, preceded by two of the largest bailouts in American history. If that was not news enough, the market was then knocked around again in round two when American Insurance Group (AIG) was given a 24 hours notice to raise $85 billion dollars to cover debt tied to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Once again the federal treasury decided to bail out another corporation in the name of the American people and the stability of the marketplace. Then the mother of all bailouts was announced just before the close of business Thursday when Secretary of the Treasury announced a $700 billion dollar bailout of all remaining investment firms, banks and insurance groups. President Bush proudly proclaimed that the American people had been saved by the quick thinking and decisive actions of the US Treasury and anticipated quick passage of the trillion-dollar bailout by the House and Senate this week.
The reality of the situation is that the American taxpayers are being held responsible for the irresponsible investment decisions and speculative actions of private corporations and private investors. When the economy was booming and Wall Street was raking in record profits on fraudulent business dealings taxpayers saw none of the benefits, but when it is time to save those same corporations and their investors from the brink of irrelevance then the taxpayers are expected to foot the bill. The end result is that the investors reap all of the profits when times are good but when times are bad the American taxpayers pay the bills. This time the price tag is too high. In addition to the $650 billion dollars the federal treasury is paying annually for the defense budget plus the costs of the war in Iraq, the general public is now expected to foot a trillion dollar bill based on speculation.
Americans do not understand what the cost of the proposed bailout is in real terms, and many Americans do not realize the amount of debt that the federal government has already accrued, which is a burden to be passed on to our future generations. In real dollars, the proposal by the treasury department will cost the average taxpayer five thousand dollars and ten thousands dollars for a household of four. That is ten thousand dollars of debt that President Bush and his cabinet will leave as a legacy to compete with the shared cost of the war in Iraq, which will cost the average household nearly an additional ten thousand dollars in debt. That is a total of twenty thousand dollars in debt per household multiplied by millions of Americans equals nearly two trillion dollars that we are deeper in debt as a result of the war in Iraq and the recent proposed bailout which will in all likelihood sail through Congress this week.
It is time to say no to more corporate bailouts. The United States is already almost nine trillion dollars in debt as a result of decades of over spending on the US military combined with twenty-five years of Reagan era tax cuts for the wealthy and private corporations. Now is the time to invest in real priorities for the future by fully funding health care and education. By saying no to corporate bailouts for Wall Street we will ensure real economic opportunity for Main Street. As a candidate for federal office I oppose further corporate bailouts and I support strict regulation of Wall Street and a federal investigation into fraud and abuse of the trading system, which led to the current financial crisis. The results of decades deregulation and tax cuts for the wealthy and privileged has led to the decimation of the middle class and brought us to the edge of ruin for future generations.
There is hope for the future, and it involves electing candidates who will look out for the interest of working people and the middle class, rather than selling out every federal office to the highest bidder. By supporting campaign finance reform, progressive taxation, universal health care, a drastically reduced military budget and by placing the highest priority on funding education we can begin to move this country in the right direction. Through strict regulation of markets and a tough but conservative approach to finance and investment we can begin to regain the trust of both investors and the general public. By withdrawing our troops from the Middle East and reducing the military budget we will gain the trust and good faith of people around the world. It is time for us to invest in the people and we must begin by saying to to any further bailouts for private corporations and Wall Street and insure that our tax dollars go to real human needs and domestic priorities that benefit everyone
The reality of the situation is that the American taxpayers are being held responsible for the irresponsible investment decisions and speculative actions of private corporations and private investors. When the economy was booming and Wall Street was raking in record profits on fraudulent business dealings taxpayers saw none of the benefits, but when it is time to save those same corporations and their investors from the brink of irrelevance then the taxpayers are expected to foot the bill. The end result is that the investors reap all of the profits when times are good but when times are bad the American taxpayers pay the bills. This time the price tag is too high. In addition to the $650 billion dollars the federal treasury is paying annually for the defense budget plus the costs of the war in Iraq, the general public is now expected to foot a trillion dollar bill based on speculation.
Americans do not understand what the cost of the proposed bailout is in real terms, and many Americans do not realize the amount of debt that the federal government has already accrued, which is a burden to be passed on to our future generations. In real dollars, the proposal by the treasury department will cost the average taxpayer five thousand dollars and ten thousands dollars for a household of four. That is ten thousand dollars of debt that President Bush and his cabinet will leave as a legacy to compete with the shared cost of the war in Iraq, which will cost the average household nearly an additional ten thousand dollars in debt. That is a total of twenty thousand dollars in debt per household multiplied by millions of Americans equals nearly two trillion dollars that we are deeper in debt as a result of the war in Iraq and the recent proposed bailout which will in all likelihood sail through Congress this week.
It is time to say no to more corporate bailouts. The United States is already almost nine trillion dollars in debt as a result of decades of over spending on the US military combined with twenty-five years of Reagan era tax cuts for the wealthy and private corporations. Now is the time to invest in real priorities for the future by fully funding health care and education. By saying no to corporate bailouts for Wall Street we will ensure real economic opportunity for Main Street. As a candidate for federal office I oppose further corporate bailouts and I support strict regulation of Wall Street and a federal investigation into fraud and abuse of the trading system, which led to the current financial crisis. The results of decades deregulation and tax cuts for the wealthy and privileged has led to the decimation of the middle class and brought us to the edge of ruin for future generations.
There is hope for the future, and it involves electing candidates who will look out for the interest of working people and the middle class, rather than selling out every federal office to the highest bidder. By supporting campaign finance reform, progressive taxation, universal health care, a drastically reduced military budget and by placing the highest priority on funding education we can begin to move this country in the right direction. Through strict regulation of markets and a tough but conservative approach to finance and investment we can begin to regain the trust of both investors and the general public. By withdrawing our troops from the Middle East and reducing the military budget we will gain the trust and good faith of people around the world. It is time for us to invest in the people and we must begin by saying to to any further bailouts for private corporations and Wall Street and insure that our tax dollars go to real human needs and domestic priorities that benefit everyone
In Designing Their New Economic Ship Of State, Corporations Forgot What Fuels Economies - The Gas Tank Is Dry
In Designing Their New Economic Ship Of State, Corporations Forgot What Fuels Economies - The Gas Tank Is Dry
Dan Stafford - 09/22/2008
No economy works if the majority of the populace can't afford to buy anything.
This should be simple and basic. If wages are too low, and costs too high, across a broad spectrum of the population , economic activity stops. The rich will only buy so many items, being one % of the population, or so, they are not enough to "fuel" a global economy.
Right now, housing prices, fuel prices, insurance prices, and myriad other prices have risen continuously while wages have stagnated or even fallen precipitously across the USA.
The true numbers are completely unreflected in government statistics which either use outdated or arbitrary numbers designed to minimize the scope of the problem.
The world wonders at the precipitous use of credit cards and large mortgages in the USA and fails to understand why this has happened, because only so-called "fringe" voices haved dared to speak the truth; wages in the USA are worth half what they were in the 1950's and Americans have been buying NECESSITIES on credit because of it.
In the 1950's, one person in the family worked, and one person stayed home to take card of the children and the home, yet credit use was low and the bills were generally paid with a little left over for savings. Now, in many US families, BOTH parents work, often multiple jobs, and there is still not enough money coming in to meet expenses. Or, more properly, that was the case up until the past few years. Now, at this moment, many are unable to find jobs either at all, or jobs that pay anything near what they used to.
Americans are forced to commute great distances for work, as offices and jobs are in the city, and housing that is even close to being affordable is far out in the suburbs. Add to this companies constantly laying people off, while forcing the remaining employees to take on ever greater responsibilities. The vast majority of Americans work long hours, commute at least an hour and more often two, and are stressed at work by the sheer load on their shoulders and at home by the financial burden on their shoulders. They face endemic chronic sleep shortages, most average six hours a day.
Between the stress and the unhealthy lack of sleep, combined with junk additives to almost all food, obesity has become rampant. Stress and sleeplessness messes badly with the human metabolism and increases appetite. In addition, most US workers see the shortest vacation times in the "First World."
The average American is exhausted physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. This is true of a very large swath of the US population. They come home from work and drop into a chair and watch TV because they are too broke and tired to do much else. They get no time for creativity or play or in-depth relationships. They have no energy left for "bad news" because they are worn out and bombarded with it on TV.
The scale of this is vast - and by the great majority un-admitted. Being a "hard worker" has become so over-valued at the expense of feeding anything that truly recharges the soul, that people have come to see anyone gone from the office for more than two weeks at a time as a "slacker" and eccentric.
Is this any state of mind or soul to be in to make sound financial decisions, to make in-depth discussions of difficult or complex topics, or anything else of value? I don't believe so. We have become a nation of workaholics, and worse, no one could - until now at the card house's collapse - admit that we couldn't afford even all the necessities, let alone the luxuries.
Materialism then becomes the easy way for a brief emotional high. The new TV or car or clothes or whatever. "We can afford it, we have a great credit rating! Let's get out and have a nice dinner, I'm starving [stress-induced hunger pangs] and too tired to cook!"
---------------------------------
If you want people to continue purchasing goods and services at a sustainable rate and an economy that hums along fairly smoothly, people need to be fairly well-rested and happy, and have a bit of money left over after basic expenses across the majority of the population.
If you want to make a few hundred million before the crash, or the next crash, or the next, give them lots of credit and not enough money, with plenty of stress and just enough sleep to stay alive but not truly live. They won't be thinking straight and impulse buying is pitifully easy to encourage. They certainly won't tell their friends and family that they can't afford the wedding/anniversary/graduation/birthday/holiday/ insert event that you can't avoid without appearing not to care about someone.
Economically speaking, do you drive a fuel-efficient car across the country, or do you run a dragster with a tiny gas tank and a big engine until you're on the side of the road on empty?
Maybe we should all sleep on it.
Dan Stafford - 09/22/2008
No economy works if the majority of the populace can't afford to buy anything.
This should be simple and basic. If wages are too low, and costs too high, across a broad spectrum of the population , economic activity stops. The rich will only buy so many items, being one % of the population, or so, they are not enough to "fuel" a global economy.
Right now, housing prices, fuel prices, insurance prices, and myriad other prices have risen continuously while wages have stagnated or even fallen precipitously across the USA.
The true numbers are completely unreflected in government statistics which either use outdated or arbitrary numbers designed to minimize the scope of the problem.
The world wonders at the precipitous use of credit cards and large mortgages in the USA and fails to understand why this has happened, because only so-called "fringe" voices haved dared to speak the truth; wages in the USA are worth half what they were in the 1950's and Americans have been buying NECESSITIES on credit because of it.
In the 1950's, one person in the family worked, and one person stayed home to take card of the children and the home, yet credit use was low and the bills were generally paid with a little left over for savings. Now, in many US families, BOTH parents work, often multiple jobs, and there is still not enough money coming in to meet expenses. Or, more properly, that was the case up until the past few years. Now, at this moment, many are unable to find jobs either at all, or jobs that pay anything near what they used to.
Americans are forced to commute great distances for work, as offices and jobs are in the city, and housing that is even close to being affordable is far out in the suburbs. Add to this companies constantly laying people off, while forcing the remaining employees to take on ever greater responsibilities. The vast majority of Americans work long hours, commute at least an hour and more often two, and are stressed at work by the sheer load on their shoulders and at home by the financial burden on their shoulders. They face endemic chronic sleep shortages, most average six hours a day.
Between the stress and the unhealthy lack of sleep, combined with junk additives to almost all food, obesity has become rampant. Stress and sleeplessness messes badly with the human metabolism and increases appetite. In addition, most US workers see the shortest vacation times in the "First World."
The average American is exhausted physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. This is true of a very large swath of the US population. They come home from work and drop into a chair and watch TV because they are too broke and tired to do much else. They get no time for creativity or play or in-depth relationships. They have no energy left for "bad news" because they are worn out and bombarded with it on TV.
The scale of this is vast - and by the great majority un-admitted. Being a "hard worker" has become so over-valued at the expense of feeding anything that truly recharges the soul, that people have come to see anyone gone from the office for more than two weeks at a time as a "slacker" and eccentric.
Is this any state of mind or soul to be in to make sound financial decisions, to make in-depth discussions of difficult or complex topics, or anything else of value? I don't believe so. We have become a nation of workaholics, and worse, no one could - until now at the card house's collapse - admit that we couldn't afford even all the necessities, let alone the luxuries.
Materialism then becomes the easy way for a brief emotional high. The new TV or car or clothes or whatever. "We can afford it, we have a great credit rating! Let's get out and have a nice dinner, I'm starving [stress-induced hunger pangs] and too tired to cook!"
---------------------------------
If you want people to continue purchasing goods and services at a sustainable rate and an economy that hums along fairly smoothly, people need to be fairly well-rested and happy, and have a bit of money left over after basic expenses across the majority of the population.
If you want to make a few hundred million before the crash, or the next crash, or the next, give them lots of credit and not enough money, with plenty of stress and just enough sleep to stay alive but not truly live. They won't be thinking straight and impulse buying is pitifully easy to encourage. They certainly won't tell their friends and family that they can't afford the wedding/anniversary/graduation/birthday/holiday/ insert event that you can't avoid without appearing not to care about someone.
Economically speaking, do you drive a fuel-efficient car across the country, or do you run a dragster with a tiny gas tank and a big engine until you're on the side of the road on empty?
Maybe we should all sleep on it.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
It's time for All of us to weigh-in on global economic policy - NOW, before Bush grabs extreme powers over the economy
All - we need to speak loudly and clearly now, in the pivotal moments of this artificially-induced economic melt-down.
I believe that the Fascists have engineered this crisis in order to implement an unprecedented economic power grab.
The calls by Democrats and others for oversight and a plan that serves and saves everyday people needs to be supported. If every voice is not raised, there will be unprecedented human suffering as the rich seize anything and everything they wish.
The powers that Bush and Paulson are asking to be granted to the treasury, unchecked by the Judiciary, are supposed to be held by Congress, NOT the Executive via a crony appointed by Bush. The risks are grave. Some are even calling this a subtle attempted economic coup to make Bush king for corporatist interests.
"Bush administration seeks 'dictatorial power unreviewable by the third branch of government, the courts' 20 Sep 2008 The Bush administration asked Congress for unchecked power to buy $700 billion in bad mortgage investments from U.S. financial companies in what would be an unprecedented government intrusion into the markets. The bill would bar courts from reviewing actions taken under its authority. "It sounds like [Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson is asking to be a financial dictator, for a limited period of time,'' said historian John Steele Gordon, author... The Bush administration seeks "dictatorial power unreviewable by the third branch of government, the courts, to try to resolve the crisis,'' said Frank Razzano, a former assistant chief trial attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission now at Pepper Hamilton LLP in Washington. [See: Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1 for deployment during 'civil unrest,' 'horrific scenarios' 08 Sep 2008.]"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Resounding-Bottom-Up-NO-by-Rob-Kall-080921-907.html
"William Greider | Paulson Bailout Plan a Historic Swindle
http://www.truthout.org/article/paulson-bailout-plan-a-historic-swindle
William Greider, The Nation: "Financial-market wise guys, who had been seized with fear, are suddenly drunk with hope. They are rallying explosively because they think they have successfully stampeded Washington into accepting the Wall Street Journal solution to the crisis: dump it all on the taxpayers. That is the meaning of the massive bailout Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has shopped around Congress. It would relieve the major banks and investment firms of their mountainous rotten assets and make the public swallow their losses - many hundreds of billions, maybe much more. What's not to like if you are a financial titan threatened with extinction?"
There are more, I couldn't begin to list them all.
We have all seen what Bush does when granted power. He mis-manages in ways that harm and kill people he and his crowd do not like. He disappears people that speak out against his methods and policies. He threatens anyone and everyone that even hints at getting in his way. He has a family history of supporting fascism going back to his grandfather working with the Nazis. Note that the definition of fascism is corporate control of the government. The U.S. is inches away from this. Do we want the trans-national corporations to have control of the U.S. purse? I think not. Nothing Bush and the people around him have done have been for the common man, they have all been for various corporate interests that stand to gain everything while the rest of us lose everything, even our basic freedoms.
We would be far better off to see an independent commission - truly independent of industry or political party - filled with experts in both economics and social policy and overseen by Congress and the Courts running any economic relief efforts, rather than handing such duties over to a Bush appointee.
I would suggest an immediate call for submissions focussed upon this issue, while there are a few moments left to speak up.
Petitions such as this one pasted below should be immediately distributed to all US Citizens on all of our lists. If the People do not speak now, they may never have another chance.
Regards,
Dan Stafford
I believe that the Fascists have engineered this crisis in order to implement an unprecedented economic power grab.
The calls by Democrats and others for oversight and a plan that serves and saves everyday people needs to be supported. If every voice is not raised, there will be unprecedented human suffering as the rich seize anything and everything they wish.
The powers that Bush and Paulson are asking to be granted to the treasury, unchecked by the Judiciary, are supposed to be held by Congress, NOT the Executive via a crony appointed by Bush. The risks are grave. Some are even calling this a subtle attempted economic coup to make Bush king for corporatist interests.
"Bush administration seeks 'dictatorial power unreviewable by the third branch of government, the courts' 20 Sep 2008 The Bush administration asked Congress for unchecked power to buy $700 billion in bad mortgage investments from U.S. financial companies in what would be an unprecedented government intrusion into the markets. The bill would bar courts from reviewing actions taken under its authority. "It sounds like [Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson is asking to be a financial dictator, for a limited period of time,'' said historian John Steele Gordon, author... The Bush administration seeks "dictatorial power unreviewable by the third branch of government, the courts, to try to resolve the crisis,'' said Frank Razzano, a former assistant chief trial attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission now at Pepper Hamilton LLP in Washington. [See: Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1 for deployment during 'civil unrest,' 'horrific scenarios' 08 Sep 2008.]"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Resounding-Bottom-Up-NO-by-Rob-Kall-080921-907.html
"William Greider | Paulson Bailout Plan a Historic Swindle
http://www.truthout.org/article/paulson-bailout-plan-a-historic-swindle
William Greider, The Nation: "Financial-market wise guys, who had been seized with fear, are suddenly drunk with hope. They are rallying explosively because they think they have successfully stampeded Washington into accepting the Wall Street Journal solution to the crisis: dump it all on the taxpayers. That is the meaning of the massive bailout Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has shopped around Congress. It would relieve the major banks and investment firms of their mountainous rotten assets and make the public swallow their losses - many hundreds of billions, maybe much more. What's not to like if you are a financial titan threatened with extinction?"
There are more, I couldn't begin to list them all.
We have all seen what Bush does when granted power. He mis-manages in ways that harm and kill people he and his crowd do not like. He disappears people that speak out against his methods and policies. He threatens anyone and everyone that even hints at getting in his way. He has a family history of supporting fascism going back to his grandfather working with the Nazis. Note that the definition of fascism is corporate control of the government. The U.S. is inches away from this. Do we want the trans-national corporations to have control of the U.S. purse? I think not. Nothing Bush and the people around him have done have been for the common man, they have all been for various corporate interests that stand to gain everything while the rest of us lose everything, even our basic freedoms.
We would be far better off to see an independent commission - truly independent of industry or political party - filled with experts in both economics and social policy and overseen by Congress and the Courts running any economic relief efforts, rather than handing such duties over to a Bush appointee.
I would suggest an immediate call for submissions focussed upon this issue, while there are a few moments left to speak up.
Petitions such as this one pasted below should be immediately distributed to all US Citizens on all of our lists. If the People do not speak now, they may never have another chance.
Regards,
Dan Stafford
Subject: No blank check for Wall Street.
Dear Friend,
Congress is on the brink of making a one-sided deal to give George W. Bush a blank check to bail out his pals - offering nearly (or perhaps more than) a trillion taxpayer dollars to Wall Street to cover its bad debts. That works out to somewhere between $2000 and $5000 from every American family. So what do the taxpayers get in return?
Nothing. No new regulation or oversight to help avoid this kind of crisis in the future. No public interest givebacks to help people whose homes are in the hands of the banks. Perhaps most shockingly of all, the taxpayers get absolutely no share in the profits if and when these finance giants bounce back, even though we are now assuming a great deal of the risk.
This is worse than a bad deal - this isn't a deal at all. This is a blank check to some of the richest companies in the world.
I just signed a petition calling on key members of Congress to impose a few sensible conditions to this bailout in order to protect the American people -- I hope you will too.
Please have a look and take action.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/no_blank_check/?r_by=-76391-IelSC.x&rc=paste
Thanks!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Re: [CitizensTruth] FW: You were made for this.......
This is the right frame of heart - DS
Robin Migalla wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> This brought me great hope...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 14:10
> Subject: FW: You were made for this.......
>
> Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:12:29 -0400From:
> peacemaker.ymani@gmail.comSubject: You were made for this.......
>
> A wonderful reminder from Clarissa Pinkola Estes:
>
> You were made for this
>
> My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have
> heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They
> are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time
> of daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations
> of what matters most to caring, visionary, civilized people. You are right
> in your assessments. The lustre and hubris, the bald faced audacity that
> some are engaged inwhile endorsing acts so heinous against children,
> elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, this mother
> earth, is breathtaking. Yet I urge you, ask you, gentle you . . . to please
> not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do
> not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is, we were made for
> these times. Yes. For years we have been learning, practicing, been in
> training for, and just waiting to meet, on this exact plain of engagement .
> . . I grew up on the great lakes, and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I
> see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able vessels
> in the water than there are right now, across the world. They are fully
> provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history
> of humankind. Look out over the prow; there are millions of righteous souls
> on the waters with you. Even though your veneers may shiver from every wave
> in the stormy roil, I assure you, that the long timbers composing your prow
> and rudder, come from a greater forest. That long grained lumber is known
> to withstand even the fiercest storms. To hold together. To hold its own,
> and to advance, regardless. In any dark time there is a tendency to veer
> towards fainting, over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not
> focus on that. There is a tendency too, to fall into being weakened by
> dwelling on what is outside your reach, by what cannot yet be. Do not focus
> there either. That is spending the wind, without raising the sails. We are
> needed, that is all we can know. And though we meet resistance, we will
> also meet great souls who will hail us, love us, guide us, and we will know
> them when they appear. Didn't you say you were a believer? Didn't you say
> you are pledged to listen to a voice greater? Didn't you ask for grace?
> Please remember . . .that to be in grace means to follow a voice greater.
> Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of
> stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any
> small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another, to assist some
> portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given
> to us to know which acts, or by whom,will cause the critical mass to tip
> towards an enduring good and transformative shift. What is needed for
> dramatic change is an accumulation of acts great and small, adding, adding
> to, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take everyone on
> earth to bring justice and peace, but small determined groups and
> individuals who will not give upduring the first, second, or hundreth gale.
> One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a
> stormy world, is to stand up and show your soul. A soul on deck, shines
> like gold in dark times. The light of such a soul throws sparks, sends up
> flames, builds signal fires, causes the proper matters to catch fire. You,
> as much as anyone else, are this soul. And to display the lantern of the
> soul in shadowy times like these, to be fierce when necessary and yet show
> mercy toward others, both are acts of immense bravery and of greatest
> necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are brightly
> lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the turbulence,this
> is one of the strongest things you can do. There will often be times when
> you feel discouraged. I too have felt this despair many times in my life.
> But I do not keep a chair for it. I will not entertain it. It is not
> allowed to eat from my plate. The reason is this: In my uttermost bones I
> know something, as do you. It is that there can be no lasting despair when
> you remember why you came to earth, what you are here for, who you serve,
> and why. The good words we say and the good deeds we do, are not ours. They
> are the words and deeds of the love and life that brought us here. In that
> spirit, I hope you may write this on your wall: When a great ship is in
> harbor and tied to the pier, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that
> is not, what great ships are built for. - Clarissa Pinkola Estes -
> _______________________________________________
> CitizensTruth mailing list
> CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth
> website: http://citizenstruth.info
>
>
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Freedom of Assembly Shall Not Be Infringed
In support of the right to protest.
There is a long and venerable tradition in our culture which has helped to shape the character of this nation. The right to protest and peacefully address grievances to our elected officials, the media, and the general public is a fundamental aspect of American citizenship. The right to peacefully assemble to express concern about all matters of public policy is older than the formation of this country and is the foundation of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. When colonists felt the burden of excessive taxation during English rule, their first step as subjects of the rule of law of England was to address their concerns to the magistrates and officials of their day. The very act of expressing dissent is a hallmark of an engaged community.
I have just returned from two weeks of expressing dissent to the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties. My activities, along with those of thousands of other peaceful protesters was aimed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a candidate who is committed to peace and ending war, I hold both major parties accountable for the hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars which have been wasted on war and the senseless killing which has taken place in the name of my alleged freedom. As a citizen, I am outraged at the continuation of policies which have taken the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis and I hold the leadership of both major parties responsible for this state of affairs.
What I encountered in Denver and especially in St. Paul has shaken the faith of my belief in government. I have always believed that the role of protest was crucial to the American dialogue, and that dissent was tolerated in this country, although not always supported. I understand the resistance to change and the fear that dissenters create in the general public. We have always been only marginally tolerated, from the times of the American revolution to the abolitionists to the suffragists to the unionists, dissenters have always taken risks, but the rewards of their efforts have been to the benefit of all Americans, whether it be the right to vote, the forty hour work week, the end of slavery or the very creation of this country, dissent has always played a fundamental role in the creation of those rights.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, during the week of September 1st-4th the right to protest and peacefully assemble was greatly impinged upon by local, state and federal officials. It was also greatly diminished in Denver, Colorado but to a lesser extent. At the Republican National Convention protests I personally witnessed peaceful protesters demonstrating against war being beaten by police, nearly trampled by horses, dispersed with tear gas and concussion grenades, and everywhere treated as dangerous criminals and as a threat to the government. I participated in a march led by mothers with children in strollers that was blockaded on several occasions by national guard troops in full paramilitary gear. I witnessed homeless people marching for the right to housing being dispersed by security police in riot gear wearing gas masks and carrying beating sticks that were in excess of two feet long. I witnessed journalists and legal observers rounded up by the police and detained prior to mass arrests of hundreds.
A government that cannot tolerate the dissent of its citizens is a terrible burden upon freedom and democracy. The right to dissent plays a healthy, vital role in the national dialogue. It is only through dissent that we can often see the ugly face of actions which the wealthy and powerful would prefer to remain hidden. The victims of war deserve to be heard and the rights of the people should not be infringed upon by any force to express their dissent from policies which are morally abhorrent. It is my sincere hope that I never again witness state, local and federal police and security officials engaging in violent and intimidating gestures against the citizens they are suppose to be protecting and whose rights it is their responsibility to protect.
As a candidate for federal office I do not and will not support such excessive use of force and the wasteful spending of tens of millions of dollars in order to intimidate and suppress dissent. I will support the active and engaged expression of the concerns of citizens which is the hallmark of the democratic process.
for more information and archival coverage of
the DNC and RNC protests please visit:
http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/9
http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/8
http://mobilebroadcastnews.com/
http://www.youtube.com/chris4senate
There is a long and venerable tradition in our culture which has helped to shape the character of this nation. The right to protest and peacefully address grievances to our elected officials, the media, and the general public is a fundamental aspect of American citizenship. The right to peacefully assemble to express concern about all matters of public policy is older than the formation of this country and is the foundation of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. When colonists felt the burden of excessive taxation during English rule, their first step as subjects of the rule of law of England was to address their concerns to the magistrates and officials of their day. The very act of expressing dissent is a hallmark of an engaged community.
I have just returned from two weeks of expressing dissent to the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties. My activities, along with those of thousands of other peaceful protesters was aimed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a candidate who is committed to peace and ending war, I hold both major parties accountable for the hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars which have been wasted on war and the senseless killing which has taken place in the name of my alleged freedom. As a citizen, I am outraged at the continuation of policies which have taken the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis and I hold the leadership of both major parties responsible for this state of affairs.
What I encountered in Denver and especially in St. Paul has shaken the faith of my belief in government. I have always believed that the role of protest was crucial to the American dialogue, and that dissent was tolerated in this country, although not always supported. I understand the resistance to change and the fear that dissenters create in the general public. We have always been only marginally tolerated, from the times of the American revolution to the abolitionists to the suffragists to the unionists, dissenters have always taken risks, but the rewards of their efforts have been to the benefit of all Americans, whether it be the right to vote, the forty hour work week, the end of slavery or the very creation of this country, dissent has always played a fundamental role in the creation of those rights.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, during the week of September 1st-4th the right to protest and peacefully assemble was greatly impinged upon by local, state and federal officials. It was also greatly diminished in Denver, Colorado but to a lesser extent. At the Republican National Convention protests I personally witnessed peaceful protesters demonstrating against war being beaten by police, nearly trampled by horses, dispersed with tear gas and concussion grenades, and everywhere treated as dangerous criminals and as a threat to the government. I participated in a march led by mothers with children in strollers that was blockaded on several occasions by national guard troops in full paramilitary gear. I witnessed homeless people marching for the right to housing being dispersed by security police in riot gear wearing gas masks and carrying beating sticks that were in excess of two feet long. I witnessed journalists and legal observers rounded up by the police and detained prior to mass arrests of hundreds.
A government that cannot tolerate the dissent of its citizens is a terrible burden upon freedom and democracy. The right to dissent plays a healthy, vital role in the national dialogue. It is only through dissent that we can often see the ugly face of actions which the wealthy and powerful would prefer to remain hidden. The victims of war deserve to be heard and the rights of the people should not be infringed upon by any force to express their dissent from policies which are morally abhorrent. It is my sincere hope that I never again witness state, local and federal police and security officials engaging in violent and intimidating gestures against the citizens they are suppose to be protecting and whose rights it is their responsibility to protect.
As a candidate for federal office I do not and will not support such excessive use of force and the wasteful spending of tens of millions of dollars in order to intimidate and suppress dissent. I will support the active and engaged expression of the concerns of citizens which is the hallmark of the democratic process.
for more information and archival coverage of
the DNC and RNC protests please visit:
http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/9
http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/8
http://mobilebroadcastnews.com/
http://www.youtube.com/chris4senate
Friday, September 05, 2008
A Better Day - (3rd annual Progressive Fest Illinois) Saturday, September 20th 9a-4:30p
http://www.better-day.info/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Palatine Conference Fosters Grassroots Efforts Toward Peace, Justice, Sustainability.
Palatine, IL - September 3, 2008 - When it comes to the large problems facing humanity, how can one person make a difference? A Better Day 2008 offers answers by bringing together distinguished speakers, activists, and community organizers for a day. The public is invited to learn and discuss the issues, make connections, and get involved in any of dozens of social benefit groups.
A Better Day 2008 takes place Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, 1025 N. Smith Street, Palatine, Illinois.
This open, non-partisan event offers three tracks of activity: speakers, an exhibit of local organizations, and breakout sessions in the church classrooms. Jim Kenney of Common Ground will give the morning keynote, “Peace is Possible”. Other speakers will address social and economic justice, sustainable living, support for our veterans, and ways of dealing with our differences. Exhibitors in the conference hall will include environmentalists, advocates for economic reform and social justice, and local peace groups.
Programs will emphasize personal involvement. Program Committee member Kat Doyle says, "We want to tell everyone, you can do something! Working with other people for a good cause is a great way to make friends, discover skills you never knew you had, and just have fun."
A Better Day 2008 is sponsored by the Adult Faith Development Council of Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, Palatine, Illinois.
Contact:
Hal Snyder, M.D.
A Better Day 2008 Program Committee
224-678-6188
hal@better-day.info
http://www.better-day.info
What Is A Better Day?
- A one-day grassroots gathering about peace, justice, and the environment.
- A chance to network with people who are concerned about the way things are going and are determined to make a difference.
- A day of learning about the issues from organizers who are at the forefront on matters of global and interfaith fellowship, social justice, and sustainability.
- But most of all - a day to kick-start your participation in any of twenty or more local action groups - or if you are already involved, a chance to make new connections and reach out to the community.
A Better Day was inspired by Fighting Bob Fest, the annual Wisconsin extravaganza that brings thousands of fired-up progressive speakers, organizers, and rabble-rousers to Baraboo every September.
Morning Session
9:00-9:30 Doors Open, Registration
9:30-10:00 Opening
- Rev. Hilary Landau-Krivchenia: Welcome
- Hal Snyder: Getting the Most Out of the Day
10:00-10:45 Keynote by Jim Kenney: Peace is Possible Common Ground
11:00-12:00 Health and Education, Social Justice
- 11:00-11:20 Melanie Schikore Andina: Social Justice Through the Arts
- 11:30-11:50 Victoria Weiley: Living Within Your Means; Means Simply......Living
Lunch Break - 12:00-1:30
Afternoon Session
1:30-2:30 Sustainability
- 1:30- 1:50 Bruce Bendix: Defining a Sustainable Future Eco Squared Consulting
- 2:00- 2:20 Jay Womack & Paul Sorci : Green Roof Wight & Company
2:30-3:30 Supporting Our Veterans
- 2:30- 2:50 Dirk Enger: Our Veterans; Our Community Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
- 3:00- 3:20 Christopher France: Understanding PTSD Iraq Veterans Against the War
3:30-4:15 Panel: Dealing With Our Differences
- Vid Axel - Non-Violent Communication Living Action
- Jay Becker O'Neil World Can't Wait
- Catherine Caporusso Chicago Area CodePINK, Northwest suburban NOW
4:15 Closing by Rev. Hilary Landau-Krivchenia: Taking A Better Day Forward
Groups Working to Make a Difference
We hope you'll use A Better Day as a chance to network. Joining a social benefit organization is a great way to make new friends and discover your hidden talents. We are opening Atherton Hall to tables for more than 20 organizations.
We expect members or official representatives from the
following:
- Students for Animal Defense (College of DuPage)
- Greater Chicago Caucus
- Citizen Action/Illinois
- Social Action Committee, CCUU
- Green Sanctuary Committee, CCUU
- National Organization for Women – Northwest Suburban Chapter
- Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project
- Chicago Area Code Pink
- Working Families Win
- Holistic Moms Network
- Sierra Club – Northwest Suburbs Region
- ACLU
- A+ Illinois
- Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- Illinois Coalition for Justice, Peace, & the Environment
- World Can't Wait
- League of Women Voters
- Iraq Veterans Against the War
- Illinois League of Conservation Voters
- Common Ground
- Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition
- Alliance for the Great Lakes
- Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
Getting the Word Out
Invitation (updated 9/02)
Mindmap (updated 8/29)
Registration form (save $2 by registering in advance at CCUU)
What is A Better Day? (updated 8/29)
Help Us Publicize the Event!
About US:
The team behind A Better Day arose from the joining of two groups.
For two years, 2006 and 2007, some of us helped organize the Illinois Progressive Fest in Big Rock, Illinois to bring together progressive candidates and activists working to put people before profits and restore the social contract in our government. In 2008 we formed the Progressive Fest Illinois (PFI) committee to work on non-partisan annual events going forward.
The Adult Faith Development Council of CCUU (Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist) in Palatine includes persons dedicated to uplifting the human spirit and working with organizations in the community to promote peace, justice, and sustainability.
email: info@better-day.info · media contact: Hal Snyder 224-678-6188
Both groups were interested in bringing together speakers, activists, and the public for a day of learning and networking. We decided to pool our efforts to bring you A Better Day.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Former Congresswoman, Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney Makes Campaign Stops in TN
The Green Party of TN is honored to host Ms McKinney as she visits 4
communities across the state this week. “From community problems like
landfill issues in Dickson to community solutions like the Biofuels plant
in Memphis and community gardens in Nashville Ms McKinney will get to talk
to people who are impacted and those with community-based solutions, a
Green Party Key Value”, said Katey Culver Green Party of TN Co-chair.
Wednesday, August 20th McKinney will make 3 stops in Memphis.
That evening she will be in Jackson, Tennessee for a fundraiser hosted by
the Madison County Green Party.
Thursday, August 21st McKinney's first stop is in Dickson to meet with
representatives of the community who have been affected by the dumping of
toxic waste in their community. Then to Nashville for an 11:00 AM Press
Conference in Room 31, Legislative Plaza speaking to the press about her
campaign. This event is open to the public. Following the press
conference Ms McKinney will speak directly to the public and take
questions. This will also be in Legislative Plaza, Room 31.
That morning Greens will turn in their nominating petitions to secure her
position on the general election ballot in Tennessee. “Due to
Tennessee's oppressive election access laws Ms McKinney will be listed
on the ballot as an independent candidate which we can achieve with 275 valid
signatures. It would take over 45,000 valid signatures to get her listed
with the “Green” affiliation. The Green Party is currently a litigant
against the state seeking ballot access laws that are fair”, said John
Miglietta a delegate to the Green Party of the US and a Green Candidate
for US House District 5.
Following the Press Conference she is scheduled to visit Tennessee State
University, Fisk University and Carver Food Park where Sizwe Herring of
EarthMatters Tennessee teaches children and community members about the
value of composting and principles of ecology.
Cynthia McKinney in her Chicago acceptance speech indicated why she had
chosen to go Green, saying, "In 2008, after two stolen Presidential elections and
eight years of George W. Bush, and at least two years of Democratic Party
complicity, the racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the
peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against
the American people, and crimes against the global community. The racket
is even about values that we thought were long settled as reasonable to
pursue, like liberty and justice, and economic opportunity, for all."
As the Green Party candidate, issues of environmental and racial justice will
highlight her Tennessee visit. “Cynthia has chosen to visit people and places
that the Democrats and Republicans would would rather forget, such as
the victims of environmental racism in Dickson, Tennessee. I think this is why
Cynthia is the best choice this election season, because it is clear that she is
the people's candidate," said Chris Lugo Green candidate for the US Senate.
Scheduled Itinerary Available Upon Request:
For More Information Contact:
Katey Culver, Green Party of TN,
Committee Co-chair, 615-416-1908
katey@gp.org
Chris Lugo, Green Candidate, US Senate,
615-593-0304, chris4senate@gmail.com
communities across the state this week. “From community problems like
landfill issues in Dickson to community solutions like the Biofuels plant
in Memphis and community gardens in Nashville Ms McKinney will get to talk
to people who are impacted and those with community-based solutions, a
Green Party Key Value”, said Katey Culver Green Party of TN Co-chair.
Wednesday, August 20th McKinney will make 3 stops in Memphis.
That evening she will be in Jackson, Tennessee for a fundraiser hosted by
the Madison County Green Party.
Thursday, August 21st McKinney's first stop is in Dickson to meet with
representatives of the community who have been affected by the dumping of
toxic waste in their community. Then to Nashville for an 11:00 AM Press
Conference in Room 31, Legislative Plaza speaking to the press about her
campaign. This event is open to the public. Following the press
conference Ms McKinney will speak directly to the public and take
questions. This will also be in Legislative Plaza, Room 31.
That morning Greens will turn in their nominating petitions to secure her
position on the general election ballot in Tennessee. “Due to
Tennessee's oppressive election access laws Ms McKinney will be listed
on the ballot as an independent candidate which we can achieve with 275 valid
signatures. It would take over 45,000 valid signatures to get her listed
with the “Green” affiliation. The Green Party is currently a litigant
against the state seeking ballot access laws that are fair”, said John
Miglietta a delegate to the Green Party of the US and a Green Candidate
for US House District 5.
Following the Press Conference she is scheduled to visit Tennessee State
University, Fisk University and Carver Food Park where Sizwe Herring of
EarthMatters Tennessee teaches children and community members about the
value of composting and principles of ecology.
Cynthia McKinney in her Chicago acceptance speech indicated why she had
chosen to go Green, saying, "In 2008, after two stolen Presidential elections and
eight years of George W. Bush, and at least two years of Democratic Party
complicity, the racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the
peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against
the American people, and crimes against the global community. The racket
is even about values that we thought were long settled as reasonable to
pursue, like liberty and justice, and economic opportunity, for all."
As the Green Party candidate, issues of environmental and racial justice will
highlight her Tennessee visit. “Cynthia has chosen to visit people and places
that the Democrats and Republicans would would rather forget, such as
the victims of environmental racism in Dickson, Tennessee. I think this is why
Cynthia is the best choice this election season, because it is clear that she is
the people's candidate," said Chris Lugo Green candidate for the US Senate.
Scheduled Itinerary Available Upon Request:
For More Information Contact:
Katey Culver, Green Party of TN,
Committee Co-chair, 615-416-1908
katey@gp.org
Chris Lugo, Green Candidate, US Senate,
615-593-0304, chris4senate@gmail.com
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sub-prime crisis: Property crash pushes third of US homebuyers into negative equity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/14/subprimecrisis.housingmarket?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews
Sub-prime crisis: Property crash pushes third of US homebuyers into negative equity
- The Guardian,
- Thursday August 14 2008
- Article history
The US property market has collapsed with such ferocity that almost a third of homebuyers are trapped in negative equity with mortgages outstripping the value of their homes.
House prices in the US are plunging at their fastest rate for 12 years, leaving millions of people struggling to meet home loans often provided by unscrupulous lenders after making minimal checks on the suitability of borrowers.
Among Americans who bought homes since the beginning of 2003, some 29.1% are in negative equity according to research by Zillow.com, an online specialist in house values. For those who bought in 2006, as many as 45% have mortgages under water in comparison to the sale value of their property.
"For homeowners who need to sell, this is a gravely serious situation," Stan Humphries, Zillow's vice-president of analytics, told Bloomberg News.
"It can also be harmful to communities where the number of unsold homes adds more houses to inventory and puts downward pressure on prices."
The latest figures on house prices showed a year on year drop of 9.9%.
Worst hit are previously booming areas such as Los Angeles, where prices are down 27%, and Las Vegas, which has seen a drop of 21%.
Citigroup's housebuilding analyst, Josh Levin, yesterday predicted that property prices could continue falling through 2010 and possibly 2011.
One of America's largest mortgage finance companies recently forecast that prices would drop by between 18% and 20% from "peak to trough" in the current downturn.
Freddie Mac said the US property market was in its most dismal condition since the great depression of the 1930s.
Foreclosure fallout: Houses go for a $1
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/METRO/808130360
Foreclosure fallout: Houses go for a $1
Ron French / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- One dollar can get you a large soda at McDonald's, a used VHS movie at 7-Eleven or a house in Detroit.
The fact that a home on the city's east side was listed for $1 recently shows how depressed the real estate market has become in one of America's poorest big cities.
And it still took 19 days to find a buyer.
The sale price of the home may be an anomaly, but illustrates both the depths of the foreclosure crisis in Detroit and the rapid scuttling of vacant homes in some of the city's impoverished neighborhoods.
The home, at 8111 Traverse Street, a few blocks from Detroit City Airport, was the nicest house on the block when it sold for $65,000 in November 2006, said neighbor Carl Upshaw. But the home was foreclosed last summer, and it wasn't long until "the vultures closed in," Upshaw said. "The siding was the first to go. Then they took the fence. Then they broke in and took everything else."
The company hired to manage the home and sell it, the Bearing Group, boarded up the home only to find the boards stolen and used to board up another abandoned home nearby.
Scrappers tore out the copper plumbing, the furnace and the light fixtures, taking everything of value, including the kitchen sink.
"It about doesn't make sense to put the family out," Upshaw said. "Once people are gone, you're gonna lose the house in this neighborhood."
Tuesday, the home was wide open. Doors leading into the kitchen and the basement were missing, and the front windows had been smashed. Weeds grew chest-high, and charred remains marked a spot where the garage recently burned.
Put on the market in January for $1,100, the house had no lookers other than the squatters who sometimes stayed there at night. Facing $4,000 in back taxes and a large unpaid water bill, the bank that owned the property lowered the price to $1.
$1 sale to cost bank $10,000
While it's not unusual for $1 to be exchanged when property is transferred for legal reasons, listing a home in the Multiple Listing Service for $1 was surprising and unsettling to Kent Colpaert, the listing real estate agent for the property.
"I've never seen a home listed for $1," Colpaert said.
"But it's been hit hard: It's just a shell."
On Tuesday, Realtor.com listed one other single-family home, one duplex and one empty lot at $1 in Detroit.
Dollar property sales are the financial hangover from the foreclosure crisis, said Anthony Viola of Realty Corp. of America in Cleveland.
Lenders that made loans to unqualified buyers during the height of the subprime market now find themselves the owners of whole neighborhoods of vacant, deteriorating homes.
"No one has much sympathy for these banks that made subprime loans," Viola said. "And in some cities like Cleveland, judges aren't letting them sit on the properties -- they're ordering them to tear them down or sell them."
So desperate was the bank owner of 8111 Traverse Street to unload the property that it agreed to pay $2,500 in sales commission and another $1,000 bonus for closing the $1 sale; the bank also will pay $500 of the buyer's closing costs. Throw in back taxes and a water bill, and unloading the house will cost the bank about $10,000.
"It doesn't make sense in some neighborhoods to keep paying costs and costs," Colpaert said. "It can make more financial sense to give it away."
Buyer calls it an investment
Colpaert declined to provide the name of the prospective purchaser, because the deal had not been through closing. The agent did say that the buyer agreed to pay the full list price of $1, and planned to pay cash.
The buyer, a local woman, considers the home to be an investment property and will not live there, Colpaert said, though exactly how soon the buyer can expect to recoup her four-quarter investment is questionable. Replacing the guts of the house will costs tens of thousands of dollars, and the owner will have trouble keeping scrappers from stealing the improvements as quickly as they're installed. Home demolition costs about $5,000, Colpaert said.
Meanwhile, the new owner will owe $3,900 in property taxes in 2009 on her dollar purchase unless she challenges the tax assessment.
While selling a home for the amount of change most people could find between their couch cushions is unusual, some abandoned homes in Detroit sell for $100; vacant lots can be purchased for $300.
"My 14-year-old son could buy a block of Detroit property," said Ann Laciura, senior servicing specialist for the Bearing Group.
You can reach Ron French at (313) 222-2175 or rfrench@detnews.com.
Monday, August 11, 2008
No More Drilling on Public Lands
President Bush and the McCain campaign are beating a dead horse these days and it is called the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They want you to believe that we must squeeze the last bits of oil out of the earth, wherever we can find it, and we need to start right here at home by destroying our last remaining wild refuge and devastating our coastal wetlands in the name of boosting corporate oil profits. The right wing echo chamber has taken up the cause celeb, and candidates across the country can be heard ringing the bells of freedom for the global oil market.
Developing our remaining public lands for oil and natural gas is a waste of time and resources. The industry already leases 44 million acres of land for oil and gas development, and to date they have not used almost 30 million acres of public land. In addition, drilling in our most fragile wild spaces is a slap in the face to the environment and future generations who will judge us on the basis of how we cared for and exercised responsible stewardship of the natural resources of the planet.
The time will come when there will be no more oil to drill and we have already reached far beyond the point where we must begin to invest in sustainable alternatives to oil, such as biofuels, solar and wind power as our primary sources of energy production. Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge is like using a garden hose to put out the forest fire. Clearly we need to develop new strategies and begin to invest in a sustainable energy infrastructure not dependent on the burning of fossil fuels. The scientific evidence has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that global warming is real and we are the source of the problem. It is time to become part of the solution.
The oil and gas industry already has plenty of access to public lands in the United States. It is up to us to protect our coastal beaches and marshlands from environmental devastation. It is up to us to lock up ecologically sensitive regions in Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Colorado before they are destroyed forever. There is no clear evidence that drilling on our remaining public lands will lead to a decrease in oil prices. In fact, oil prices are going to continue to rise regardless because global demand is far outstripping supply. The only real solution is to begin to invest in our alternative energy infrastructure and develop green solutions to the global energy crisis. We face a real challenge in the years ahead, but we can begin to make the right choices now by saying no to continued drilling in environmentally sensitive regions.
for more information on this issue please visit: http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/oildrill/
Developing our remaining public lands for oil and natural gas is a waste of time and resources. The industry already leases 44 million acres of land for oil and gas development, and to date they have not used almost 30 million acres of public land. In addition, drilling in our most fragile wild spaces is a slap in the face to the environment and future generations who will judge us on the basis of how we cared for and exercised responsible stewardship of the natural resources of the planet.
The time will come when there will be no more oil to drill and we have already reached far beyond the point where we must begin to invest in sustainable alternatives to oil, such as biofuels, solar and wind power as our primary sources of energy production. Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge is like using a garden hose to put out the forest fire. Clearly we need to develop new strategies and begin to invest in a sustainable energy infrastructure not dependent on the burning of fossil fuels. The scientific evidence has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that global warming is real and we are the source of the problem. It is time to become part of the solution.
The oil and gas industry already has plenty of access to public lands in the United States. It is up to us to protect our coastal beaches and marshlands from environmental devastation. It is up to us to lock up ecologically sensitive regions in Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Colorado before they are destroyed forever. There is no clear evidence that drilling on our remaining public lands will lead to a decrease in oil prices. In fact, oil prices are going to continue to rise regardless because global demand is far outstripping supply. The only real solution is to begin to invest in our alternative energy infrastructure and develop green solutions to the global energy crisis. We face a real challenge in the years ahead, but we can begin to make the right choices now by saying no to continued drilling in environmentally sensitive regions.
for more information on this issue please visit: http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/oildrill/
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Re: CINDY MADE IT! Peace Mom Puts Peace On Ballot, Officially!!!!!!
Carol Wolman wrote:
Congratulations to Cindy! I hope she will now take the lead in publicizing the New Broom Coalition of impeachment candidates!Bay Area candidates and impeachers, we have a meeting of Impeach Bush-Cheney this Sunday evening, 5 pm, at 406 41st St in Oakland. Lots of good strategizing has come out of this group over the past 3 years. Let's roll!Peace, Carol Wolman, MDGreen Candidate for Congress, CA District 1
www.carolwolmanforcongress.com
Coordinator, New Broom Coalition
http://newbroomcoalition.org1002.html
Chair- Impeach Bush-Cheney----- Original Message -----From: cynthia papermasterSent: Friday, August 08, 2008 4:59 PMSubject: CINDY MADE IT! Peace Mom Puts Peace On Ballot, Officially!!!!!!
"When the people fear the government you have tyranny; when the government fears the people you have liberty."
Thomas Jefferson
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Cindy Sheehan for Congress <campaign@cindyforcongress.org>
To: cynthia@cynthia08.com
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2008 4:01:55 PM
Subject: Peace Mom Puts Peace On Ballot, Officially!!!!!!
August 8,2008
Dear Cynthia,
On behalf of the people of San Francisco and all whom dream of a better tomorrow, we are proud to announce that Cindy Sheehan is officially on the ballot as a candidate for California's 8th Congressional District Representative to the U.S. House. Cindy is only the 6th Independent candidate ever to be listed on a California election ballot.
There has been an overwhelming and unprecedented show of support among San Francisco voters for the Sheehan campaign's progressive agenda. Over the past few months, hundreds of volunteers and supports rallied around getting their voices heard in November's election. After collecting roughly 20,000 signatures, with at least 10,198 qualifying, the Sheehan campaign has proven its viability with flying colors.
Cindy's access to November's ballot is evidence of growing discontent among San Francisco voters with the Democratically lead U.S. congress and its inability to end the war, hold the Bush administration accountable for unconstitutional acts, stimulate the economy, reform healthcare, reconsider trade agreements that harm American workers and the environment and cut ties to corporate lobbyists. The Sheehan campaign is offering a new vision for San Francisco and the nation. Cindy believes in peace, accountability, freedom, and well being for all. She believes that war should be a last resort for defense and not the handy policy tool that it is currently being used as. She believes that healthcare is a basic right in a democratic society and should not be based on ability to pay. Cindy knows that it is essential to keep our representatives and leaders accountable to our Constitution and to democratic practices. She knows that we must retool our economy to be in harmony with the environment and its sustainability. Most importantly, Cindy understands that Americans are striving for a new type of politics that has meaning, puts people before profits and that challenges the divisive two party system.
After overcoming its first obstacle by achieving ballot access, the Sheehan campaign is in full gear and ready to achieve victory in November. Over the next few months, the campaign will be working hard to spread its message of peace, accountability, and hope. Thank you to all whom have shown their support by volunteering, donating, advocating, and being the change that we wish to see. Although Cindy is on the ballot, the most challenging part of the campaign is around the corner. We must spread our message more widely, recruit more volunteers, raise more funds and secure more votes. As a grassroots campaign going up against a well oiled machine, we are fighting an uphill battle. Regardless, we have hope. We have hope because we understand the power of people to chance society. The civil rights movement and women's liberation movement within the United States is evidence that if we come together in union, regardless of the odds against us, we can overcome all obstacles. The Sheehan campaign's message to you today is that, we can overcome! We can overcome fear. We can overcome the military industrial complex. We can overcome corporate domination of our economy. We can overcome environmental degradation. Let us create a society grounded in peace, love, and humanity.
Onwards to victory!!!!!
Let us elect Cindy Sheehan to the House of Representatives!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
