Constitutional Right to Vote Gaining Support

Constitutional Right to Vote Gaining Support (via Democracy Chronicles)

  Ballot Access News, written by election expert Richard Winger, had the following article, Bill to Put Right to Vote in U.S. Constitution Has Eleven Sponsors So Far, about the progress of the apparently partisan vote: The proposed U.S. Constitutional amendment, putting the right to vote into the…

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AFGE Statement On Michigan Anti-Worker Vote

Constitutional Right to Vote Gaining Support (via Democracy Chronicles)

  Ballot Access News, written by election expert Richard Winger, had the following article, Bill to Put Right to Vote in U.S. Constitution Has Eleven Sponsors So Far, about the progress of the apparently partisan vote: The proposed U.S. Constitutional amendment, putting the right to vote into the…

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voter ID | Uppity Wisconsin

voter ID | Uppity Wisconsin (via http://www.uppitywis.org)

This afternoon the State Supreme Court declined to hear the two voter id cases that Atty Gen J. B. VanHollen had attempted to fast track into the court.  In one case the court called the request "premature".  So it is now quite definite that there will be no voter ID required in the November election…

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President Obama learned about IRS scandal via media, senior adviser tells 'Fox News Sunday'

WASHINGTON –  White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer told "Fox News Sunday" that President Obama learned about the Internal Revenue Service targeting Tea Party groups applying for tax-exempt status only after it had come out in the media but that the administration would make sure “it never happens again.”

Pfeiffer defended Obama’s statement that he didn’t know anything about the incidents or the investigation until he heard about them in the press.

“No president would get involved in an independent IRS investigation,” Pfeiffer said. “It would be wholly inappropriate.”

Wallace asked if Sarah Ingram, the IRS commissioner who once oversaw the division that processes tax-exempt applications and now tapped to oversee the new tax laws in ObamaCare, would be pulled from the spot given the recent scandal. It is not clear when Ingram stopped being the head of the tax-exempt office or how active her role was there while she was implementing ObamaCare.

“There will be a 30-day review and everybody who did anything wrong will be held accountable,” Pfeiffer said, adding that Ingram was never named in the inspector general’s report on the scandal.

Joseph Grant, the official who succeeded Ingram, announced Thursday he would be retiring after being on the job for a week.

The IRS actions and allegations have brought anger from both parties, with Obama calling it “outrageous” and promising change.

Pfeiffer, who made the full round of Sunday talk shows, continued the calls for change in an effort to calm growing frustrations over a series of scandals that have rocked the White House this week, including claims of political intimidation, stepping on the constitutional rights of the media and backpedaling on what the administration knew about the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Democrats have long said the GOP is trying to keep the Benghazi attacks in the spotlight to discredit former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s possible 2016 presidential bid.

Last week, more than100 pages of government emails and notes in the Benghazi investigation were released.

The documents show that State Department officials repeatedly objected to and tried to scale back references of involvement by Islamic extremist groups and prior security warnings in the administration’s initial internal narrative of the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

Pfeiffer told Wallace the emails were doctored and given out to the press. He added that the talking point references were changed by the CIA and not the White House and said Republicans should be more focused on trying to find the culprit than blaming Obama.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/19/obama-senior-adviser-tells-fox-news-sunday-president-learned-about-irs-scandal/#ixzz2Tl9dlNxa

Van Jones Reveals Future Of Occupy Wall Street

VAN JONES REVEALS FUTURE OF OCCUPY WALL ST: ‘YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING YET’

• Posted on November 17, 2011 at 12:51pm by  Madeleine Morgenstern
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Van Jones said Occupy Wall Street is going to be recruiting 2,000 candidates to run for office for "phase two" of the movement. (AP File Photo)

Van Jones offered a prediction Wednesday for those who have been watching the Occupy Wall Street movement: “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

The former Obama administration “green jobs czar” — an ardent supporter of the Occupy movement since its inception — said in an interview with CNN that the movement is ready to evolve into the areas of politics and policy-making, much like the Tea Party did in 2010.

(Related: What connections does Beck make between Van Jones’ revolution group & Occupy Wall Street?)

“You’re going to see an evolution now as you go from protests, keep the protests, but now expand into politics,” Jones said. “And if you thought there was an earthquake in 2010 when the Tea Party moved into politics, wait until this 99 percent movement moves over into politics. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Jones said the movement is “going to be recruiting 2,000 candidates to run for office now under this 99 percent banner“ as Occupy Wall Street enters ”phase two.”

“Phase two, you move from anger to answers. You move from pointing out the problem to pointing out the solutions,” Jones said. “What you’re going to see now is you have the Occupy movement at the center, that’s the beating heart.”

Republicans Speak For The Rich

Yet Again, Republicans Package Tax Cuts for the Rich and Killing off Consumer and Environmental Protections as a "Jobs Plan"
Here is a fact: today when you hear from Republicans you are hearing from Wall Street, giant oil companies, huge multinational firms and a few billionaires, period.

The Republicans The Party Of The Rich

On Ending Corporate Welfare

In a scene reminiscent of the congressional hearing where tobacco company executives innocently denied that nicotine is addictive, oil company executives solemnly told Congress last week that their exorbitant profits are no big deal. One even suggested that closing big oil’s tax loopholes is somehow “un-American.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/15/2216184/on-tax-fairness-and-loopholes.html#ixzz1MTpnnck1

Close Corporate Loopholes End Corporate Welfare

Bin Laden Death Adds to Bulls’ Clout After Europe, Quake

Yesterday’s market reaction was “basically noise,” Lee said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop” with Betty Liu. “It’s positive because people have been avoiding stocks because they think they’ve been risky, and part of it is global security. This is going to basically really boost inflows into stocks.”

Shares Decline

U.S. stocks retreated yesterday, pulling the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index down 0.2 percent to 1,361.22 after it reached the highest level since June 2008. Yields on 10-year notes fell one basis point, or 0.01 percentage point, to 3.28 percent at 5:11 p.m. in New York, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices, after rising as much as three basis points.



Bin Laden's Death Will Boost Stock Profits

The Price The Middle Class Pay Into Social Security

As a tax professional I have been concerned about the taxability of SS benefits for years. The base amount for calculating the taxable amount of benefits has not changed since SS benefits first became taxable in 1984.
As a comparison here is how some other income tax items changed since 1984:
Personal Exemption - up 265%
Standard Deduction, single - up 148%
Standard Deduction, married - up 235%
Taxable Income where highest tax bracket kicks in, single - up 370%
Taxable Income where highest tax bracket kicks in, married - up 135%
YET THE BASE INCOME AMOUNT TO INCUR INCOME TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS HAS NOT CHANGED AT ALL!


The Middle Class Are Paying Too Much Into Security Security

Extended Unemployment Benefits Expire In These States Next

This is the Republican Plan for us. They want to eliminate the safety net that holds our economy together. They want to inflict pain on the poor, workers, seniors, disabled, small businesses­, and labor unions; they want to break us. They want to fill our prisons, they want to take away our freedom, and they want to enslave us.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Tea Party Is Disappearing

The attack on Labor Unions continues; 22 states are trying to bust the labor unions. They want to privatize social services to give more money to corporations.

Sarah Palin And Her Tea Party Followers Are Fading

Thanks to many loopholes in our tax code–the carried interest loophole being the most important–the richest people in American are likely paying a lower tax rate than you are. From Businessweek:

For the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate—what they actually pay—fell from almost 30 percent in 1995 to just under 17 percent in 2007, according to the IRS. And for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1 percent of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29 percent to 23 percent in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600 or so.
That’s not just good luck. It’s often the result of hard work, as suggested by some of the strategies in the following pages. Much of the top 400′s income is from dividends and capital gains, generated by everything from appreciated real estate—yes, there is some left—to stocks and the sale of family businesses. As Warren Buffett likes to point out, since most of his income is from dividends, his tax rate is less than that of the people who clean his office.

Tax Day Reminder: Richest Americans Probably Pay at a Lower Rate than You Do

LETTER: A government takeover of worker rights | wausaudailyherald.com | Wausau Daily Herald

LETTER: A government takeover of worker rights | wausaudailyherald.com | Wausau Daily Herald

"EDITOR: One of the things that makes this state great is our willingness to work together to solve our problems. For 50 years, Wisconsin managers and the public service workers who make our state and community strong solved problems together. But now some politicians in Madison want to take away the rights of thousands of teachers, nurses and other trusted public employees. They're trying to take away any say public employees have in the workplace. And these politicians are trying to make it happen right now, with almost no public input, discussion or debate.


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Bahrain

Bahrain

"On this page:

* Profile
* People
* History
* Government
* Political Conditions
* Economy
* Defense
* Foreign Relations
* U.S. Relations
* Travel/Business
* Background Notes A-Z

January 20, 2011Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs [Flag of Bahrain]
Background Note: Bahrain

Official Name: Kingdom of Bahrain

[Map of Bahrain]

PROFILE

Geography
Area: 727 sq. km. (274 sq. mi.); approximately four times the size of Washington, DC. Bahrain is an archipelago of 36 islands located off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The four main islands are joined by causeways, and make up about 95% of the total land area.
Cities: Capital--Manama, pop. (2002 est.) 148,000. Other cities--Al Muharraq.
Terrain: Low desert plain (highest elevation point--122 m).
Climate: Hot and humid from May-September, with average highs ranging from 30o-40o C (86o-104o F). Maximum temperatures average 20o-30o C (68o-86o F) the remainder of the year.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bahraini(s).
Population (January 2008 est.): 1,046,814, including about 517,368 non-nationals.
Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 3.6%.
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%.
Religions: 98% Muslim (approximately Shi'a 70%, Sunni 30%), with small Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, and Hindu communities.
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, and Urdu are also widely spoken.
Education: Education is not compulsory, but is provided free to Bahrainis and non-nationals at all levels, including higher education. Estimated net primary school attendance (1991-2001)--84%. Adult literacy, age 15 and over (2003 est.)--89.1% for the overall population (male 91.9%, female 85%).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--16.18 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--72 yrs. males, 77 yrs. females.
Work force (2006 est.): 352,000 of which 44% are foreigners.

Government
Type: Constitutional hereditary monarchy.
Independence: August 15, 1971 (from the United Kingdom).
Constitution: Approved and promulgated May 26, 1973; suspended on August 26, 1975; the National Action Charter was approved by a national popular referendum on February 14-15, 2001, and a new constitution was issued on February 14, 2002.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state); Prime Minister (head of government); Council of Ministers (cabinet) is appointed by the King and headed by the Prime Minister. Legislative--The bicameral parliament (al-Majlis al-Watani) consists of a 40-member elected Council of Representatives and a 40-member Shura (Consultative) Council appointed by the King. Members of both chambers serve 4-year terms. Judicial--High Civil Appeals Court. The judiciary is independent with right of judicial review.
Administrative subdivisions: 12 municipalities (manatiq): Al Hidd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.

Economy
GDP (2009 est.): $19.36 billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2009 est.): 2.9%.
Per capita GDP (2009 est.): $38,400.
Natural resources: Oil, aluminum, textiles, natural gas, fish, pearls.
Agriculture (less than 1% of GDP): Products--fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, fish.
Industry: Types--oil and gas (13.1% of GDP), manufacturing (12.4% of GDP), aluminum.
Services: Finance (24.2% of GDP), transport and communications (8.9% of GDP), real estate (9.2% of GDP); government services (14.8% of GDP).
Trade (2009 est.): Exports--$12.5 billion: oil and other mineral products, aluminum, textiles. Major markets--Saudi Arabia (3.4%), U.S. (3%), India (2.7%), Japan (2.3%). Imports--$10.37 billion: crude oil, machinery and appliances, transport equipment, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--Saudi Arabia (26.7%), Japan (8.9%), U.S. (7.8%), China (6.2%), Germany (4.8%), South Korea (4.7%), U.A.E. (4.2%).


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The Hill Poll: Voters troubled over future of Social Security - TheHill.com

The Hill Poll: Voters troubled over future of Social Security - TheHill.com


"A sizable majority of likely voters is worried about Social Security’s future but much more divided over whether the retirement age for the program should be raised, according to a new poll conducted for The Hill.

Seventy-seven percent of likely voters believe Social Security is in trouble, while just 15 percent believe the program is financially sound.

Still, a plurality – 48 percent – also believed that the Social Security age should not be raised for people born after 1960, who are currently slated to begin receiving full benefits at age 67. Forty percent favored pushing back the retirement age.

Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to support raising the retirement age, the poll found.

Reforms to Social Security and other entitlement programs are being discussed by policymakers struggling to deal with a budget deficit the Congressional Budget Office has estimated will grow to $1.5 trillion this fiscal year. The CBO has also recently reported that Social Security also posted a deficit last year for the first time in years, and CBO has also projected it would do so again this year.


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What new budget says about President Obama - David Rogers - POLITICO.com

What new budget says about President Obama - David Rogers - POLITICO.com

Barack Obama’s 2012 budget lands on Capitol Hill on Monday, and more than any of the president’s prior efforts, this one makes choices that help define the man himself. He bets big on education spending — an 11 percent increase next year — while altering the Pell Grant program to try to save the aid levels now allowed for college students from the poorest families, The National Institutes of Health will grow by about $1 billion, even as old antipoverty programs and heating assistance are cut. And $62 billion in Medicare savings will be plowed back into paying physicians who care for the elderly.

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US Homelessness and Poverty Rates Skyrocket While Billions are Spent Overseas on Occupation

US Homelessness and Poverty Rates Skyrocket While Billions are Spent Overseas on Occupation


"As I watch far away images of body bags being filled, I see much closer images of bodies. I went by a local park the other day and it looked like a concentration camp crossed with a mass murder scene.

There were people in rags and covered with filth lying scattered all over the place. At least twenty people were on crutches, had parts bandaged, or with open wounds not even covered. They were all hungry and a large majority was sick.

All around this city I live in, and nationwide, the level of homelessness and poverty is growing alarmingly. From the last counts and estimates nation wide, there has been at least a 35-45% increase in homelessness and poverty. The increases have come over the last two years with the biggest increases being in 2002 and especially in the first six months of 2003.

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Fighting Modern-Day Slavery | Southern Poverty Law Center

Fighting Modern-Day Slavery | Southern Poverty Law Center

"When Sabulal Vijayan left India for America, he hoped to build a better life for his family.

He had paid nearly $20,000 to labor recruiters for the opportunity to work at a Gulf Coast shipyard. The advertisement for the job offered green cards for workers and their families to become permanent U.S. residents. It was a chance to live the American dream.

Raising the money to pay the labor recruiters pushed him deep into debt, but he couldn’t let this opportunity pass. His Indian co-workers felt the same way. They also mortgaged their futures for a dream job.

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Obamacare heads toward Supreme Court showdown - San Francisco Bay Area Moderate Conservative | Examiner.com

Obamacare heads toward Supreme Court showdown - San Francisco Bay Area Moderate Conservative | Examiner.com

"U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson rendered his surprisingly candid decision on Obamacare Monday afternoon. He dismissed President Barack Obama's signature legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Act (Obamacare), as unconstitutional.

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Van Jones and Other Marxist Scum Protest Koch Brothers’ Meeting : The Other McCain

Van Jones and Other Marxist Scum Protest Koch Brothers’ Meeting : The Other McCain

"Yesterday I told you that Herman Cain would be speaking at a conference in Rancho Mirage, California, sponsored by the Koch Foundation. Well, about a thousand smelly hippies turned out to protest the conference and guess who was helping lead them?

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