Category Archives: Government

The beginning of the end of Democracy in the U.S.

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Yes, I know that probably sounds alarmist.  But consider the following:

1- The Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court gave corporations the free speech rights of individuals.  The effect is to make them super-citizens allowing them to inject tens of millions of dollars into our political campaigns with virtually no oversight.  This, of course, greatly benefits the Republican Party which represents the interests of large corporations.

2- Ohio, Wisconsin and other states which are now controlled by Republican governors and Republican-led legislatures have attacked labor unions in order to limit their bargaining rights.  Of course, it’s only coincidence that labor unions are the last remaining large contributors to Democratic Party election campaigns.

3- Republicans at all levels of government are pushing legislation that would de-fund Planned Parenthood, another traditional contributor to Democratic campaigns.

4- Republicans are pushing to de-fund Public Broadcasting which they see as liberal-leaning media that ask too many difficult questions.

5- Finally, many of the states controlled by Republican governors and Republican legislatures are now pushing legislation that would require state-issued IDs in order to vote.  While seemingly innocuous, these IDs would prevent many college students and minorities from voting in their states.  Again, it’s merely coincidence that college students and minorities most often vote for Democratic candidates.The impact of all of this is to greatly increase campaign funds for Republican candidates and to decrease available funding for Democratic candidates.  These tactics would also serve to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters and to quiet independent media that refuse to adhere to Republican talking points.

This is a serious threat, folks!  We can’t allow Republicans and their corporate masters to continue to stack the deck against working citizens.  Speak up!  Ask your Republican friends why, if their political ideas are so great, do they have to resort to trickery and bullying tactics in order to push them on ordinary people?

The Real Reagan Legacy.

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On the occasion of Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, Republicans and other conservatives simply could not contain their myopic admiration for “The Great Communicator.”  In reality, he should have been called “The Great Propagandist.”  Or, perhaps, “The Great Bullsh***er.”

For, I believe, the collapse of the middle class can be traced directly to the decisions made during his terms in office.  Take the assault on labor unions.  It was Reagan who decided that he could not be troubled with the PATCO strike.  So he fired most of the nation’s air traffic controllers and replaced them with new, more obedient controllers.

Or take “Reaganomics,” AKA “Voodoo Economics” and “Trickle-down Economics.”  Under Reagan, the administration began the biggest transfer of wealth in the nation’s history.  All upward.

He began by paving the way for interstate banking, which effectively did away with usuary laws that limited the interest rate banks could charge for loans.  And he ended tax deductions for the interest paid on loans.  (For those too young to remember, prior to Reagan, all of the interest paid on loans for education, cars, credit cards, etc. was tax deductible.)  The effect was to enact a huge tax increase on the poor and the middle class while, at the same time, cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy.

Reagan’s economic disciples, such as George W. Bush, have not only further cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy, they have continued the assault on labor unions by providing tax incentives for corporations to ship jobs overseas.  They have dramatically cut the estate tax and capital gains taxes.  They have provided subsidies for some of the world’s most profitable corporations – oil and pharamceutical companies.  They have attacked Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and even public education as “entitlements.”  And people like Wisconsin Governor Walker are trying to put an end to collective bargaining.

The result of the policies of all these Reaganophiles is that the 400 wealthiest people in the nation now control 50 percent of the nation’s wealth.  To be clear, that means 400 people now have as much money as the bottom 110,000,000 Americans combined!  Even Reagan’s own budget director now admits that “Reaganomics” was a disaster for the middle class.

So pardon me if I choose not to celebrate the Reagan legacy.  To me, that would be akin to celebrating the legacy of influenza.  Or measles.  Or polio!

Arizona Leads U.S.

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It’s true.  The state of Arizona is leading the nation.  Just not in a good way.

For example, we have one of the nation’s worst economies.  Our schools, home prices, and poverty rank among the nation’s worst.  Our gun shows lead the nation in exporting weapons to the Mexican drug cartels.  And, based on the actions of our state legislature, we must have more non-institutionalized lunatics than any other state in the union.  (Of course, if said legislators have their way, we may not be part of the union much longer.)

To elaborate, just consider the bills currently pending in a legislature that is overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans:

SB1433 would set up a committee of 12 lawmakers (of course, they would be mostly Republican) to review federal laws and regulations to determine which are “outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution.”  If passed, the legislation would directly challenge federal supremacy as written in Article 1, Sections 8 & 10 of said Constitution.

SB1308 and HB2562 would limit federal authority setting up interstate compacts to honor each others’ birth certificates segregating children who are considered U.S. citizens from those who are not.

SB1309 and HB2561 would redefine Arizona citizenship in defiance of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

SB1328 would make it legal for Arizonans to defy any federal law or rule if federal employees or members of Congress do not have to comply.

SB1391 would create an interstate firearms freedoms act guaranteeing the right of citizens to bear arms free of federal regulation.

SB1393 declares that the state has the exclusive right to regulate carbon dioxide emissions within the state boundaries while SB1394 protects the right to emit carbon dioxide from human-caused activity.

SB 1545 would allow the production of nuclear fuel in Arizona free from federal regulation.  (It’s unknown if that also includes the production of nuclear weapons.)

SCR1016 would require the approval of the legislatures of half the states in order for Congress to increase the federal debt.

HB2077 requires any federal agency coming into an AZ county to first register with the county sheriff before conducting official business.

HB2471 would bar the appropriation of any state funds to comply with a federal mandate unless the federal government provides a report to show the mandate is constitutional.

HB2472 would allow the state to acquire federal property by eminent domain unless the federal government first receives permission of the state legislature.

HB2537 permits the AZ house speaker and senate president to defend last year’s SB1070 immigration law by lawsuit if necessary.

HB2544 requires U.S. presidential candidates to provide certain proof of citizenship before they can appear on the ballot in Arizona.

HCR2015 calls for a constitutional convention to adopt an amendment to require the consent of three-fourths of the states to increase federal debt.

HCR2022 proposes a constitutional convention to require a balanced federal budget.

On top of all this, the state attorney general has just announced that he is suing the federal government for not defending the border against illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.  (I guess more than 10 border agents per mile doesn’t qualify as a defense.)  Amazingly, it seems that Arizona Republicans are more interested in attacking the U.S. government than dealing with the very real problems in our own state!  Can’t you just picture Nero fiddling while Rome is burning?

The Great miStake Of Arizona.

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There are now 15 states considering an immigrant-bashing bill similar to Arizona’s.  Some are also considering legislation similar to a bill currently in the Arizona legislature that challenges the 14th amendment.  And many states are trying to match Arizona’s insane gun laws.

Living in Arizona, all I can say is that other states should be more careful in selecting role models.Since President Obama selected Arizona’s Governor Napolitano to lead the Homeland Security Department, the state has gone bonkers.  After turning our citizens against each other by passing SB 1070, Republican legislators passed a bill that allows anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.  Faced with an enormous budget crisis, Republicans have continued to cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy.  And having labeled public education as another form of socialism, they have made draconian cuts to education budgets.

Now these same geniuses have turned their wrath on the federal government.

They plan to challenge the Medicaid program by denying health care access to nearly 300,000 Arizona citizens.  They are in the process of suing the federal government over the health care mandate.  They have passed a “birther” bill that requires federal candidates to produce their original long-form birth certificate in order to be listed on the ballot in Arizona.  (Never mind that, although most of us can easily obtain a copy of our birth certificate, we would find it virtually impossible to get our hands on the original.)  They are in the midst of passing a bill that denies any future cooperation with the EPA.  Now Arizona Republicans are sponsoring a bill that would allow a state legislative panel to ignore any federal laws or mandates it deems unconsitutional.  (In other words, they would usurp the power of the U.S. Supreme Court!)  And the Arizona legislative session is just getting started.

What’s next?  Secession?

If so, Arizona is certain to be the next third world country.

Arizona Is An NRA Member’s Wet Dream.

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Imagine pulling into a metropolitan gas station and, as you’re filling your tank, a man at the pump next to you gets out of his car with a .44 magnum revolver in a holster strapped to his leg.  Or let’s say you go to a pizza place for lunch and three men walk in wearing guns on their belts.Welcome to Arizona!

For many years, Arizona has permitted “open carry” for any non-felons over 21.  And to make things even more dangerous, last year, the Arizona legislature passed a law allowing any non-felon over 21 to carry a concealed gun without a permit.  The legislators claim that such liberal gun laws will make our state “safer.”

Ironically, the week following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona legislature has planned to vote on a law permitting teachers to carry guns in schools and universities.  The law will also allow students over 21 to carry guns to class.

All of this nonsense is the result of recent re-interpretations by the Supreme Court of the 2nd Amendment which states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  Previous Courts held that public safety necessitated some restrictions on this right.  More recently, however, the Court has skipped by the words “well regulated Militia” and focused, instead, on the words “shall not be infringed.”

So here we stand.  Thanks to the NRA and right-wing zealots, the state famous for the Shootout At The O.K. Corrall has returned to its beginnings when “justice” came from the end of a gun.

Is this a great state, or what?

The Corporate Takeover Of America

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It’s really nothing new.  For many years, large corporations have been given special privileges by our governments.  After all, it’s believed that they expand the tax base and fuel our economy.

But do they really?

The vast majority of jobs in the U.S. are created by small businesses.  And, while it is true that large corporations are responsible for large contributions to local, state and federal taxes, the contributions are largely the result of their employees’ tax payments.  Fact is, given the resources they consume, the pollution they create, and the expensive infrastructure they require, large corporations pay relatively little in taxes.

What large coporations and their executives do contribute are donations to the political campaigns of those who will give them what they want – government access, influence and power.  And those donations have paid off handsomely in recent years.

Despite the fact that government deficits have increased dramatically over the past 30 years, corporate taxes have routinely diminished.  Indeed, city, county, state and federal governments have bent over backwards to attract and appease large corporations.  For example, cities have provided Tax-Increment Financing (TIF) to large corporations, allowing them to avoid paying property taxes on large buildings.  And when the TIF expires, another large corporation purchases the building with the help of (you guessed it) Tax-Increment Financing.

Counties and states often provide no-interest loans and exemptions from regulations to attract large corporations.  And the federal government often creates tax loopholes to the benefit of corporations.  Many have been given tax breaks for setting up a P.O. box offshore to create a new “headquarters.”  And many have been given tax breaks for exporting manufacturing and tech-support jobs to other countries.

So how have large corporations repaid these favors?

They routinely pull up stakes at the first hint of increased taxes or regulations.  And they fund political campaigns against any elected official who has the temerity to oppose them.  Of course, corporate meddling in our political process will only increase now that the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has ruled that corporations enjoy the Constitutional rights of individuals (a startling decision given the fact that a corporation is little more than a piece of paper that creates a corporate “veil” protecting its founders from creditors in the event of failure).

Minority Is The New Majority.

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After Democrats were swept into office in 2008 on a tidal wave of anger and frustration toward the Bush administration, the Republican part was pronounced virtually dead.  “It would be decades,” political pundits said, “until Republicans can regain control of the House, Senate or White House.”

Yet, in last month’s mid-term elections, Republicans took back the House and narrowly failed at gaining control of the Senate.

How did they accomplish such an amazing turnaround?  Simple.  They said “No.”  Not just to a few key pieces of legislation, but to everything.  They blocked hundreds of Presidential appointments.  They voted against the Democratic stimulus plan that saved millions of jobs and lowered taxes to the lowest level in 50 years.  They voted against loans for General Motors and Chrysler which saved, by most estimates, nearly 10 million jobs.  They voted against health care reform which will give health care access to more than 50 million Americans.  They voted against extending benefits to the unemployed.  They voted against regulation of Wall Street (the very people who caused the Great Recession).  They voted against regulation of off-shore oil drilling despite the worst oil spill in history.  They blocked ratification of the START Treaty which will provide oversight of all nuclear weapons.  If President Obama and Democrats were for it, they were against it.

And, in reality, they voted against the vast majority of the American people.

So how did American voters punish them in the mid-term elections?  They put them in charge of the House.  So now Republicans are in an even better position to block any initiatives by the President and the Democrats.  Republicans will now control House committees and the budget.  And they will still be able to block any Democratic initiatives in the Senate through the filibuster.

So what’s the outlook for the next two years?

Senator Mitch McConnell has already stated that Republicans’ primary goal is to ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term President.  That means Republicans will continue to block any of the President’s attempts to further improve the economy and lower unemployment.  And since their tactics worked before, what’s to stop Republicans from continuing to lie, block and delay?It certainly wouldn’t be a sense of conscience or concern for our country.

The New Tone Of “Bipartisanship”.

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So, after the mid-term elections, both parties talked about a new effort for bipartisanship.  To facilitate that, President Obama invited leaders from both parties to the White House for the so-called Slurpee Summit.  Unfortunately, Republican leaders had “conflicts” with the original date.  (So what else is new?  Haven’t they had conflicts with everything President Obama has proposed since his inauguration?)

After the re-scheduled meeting, Republican leaders in the Senate almost immediately announced that they would block all legislation for the rest of the year until after a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts and a new Congressional budget.  In other words, “Don’t even think about bringing up a vote on the extension of unemployment benefits, the START treaty, DADT, the Dream Act or anything else unless we get our way!”

Great way to foster bipartisanship, don’t you think?

Yet when House Democrats scheduled a vote on extending the tax cuts for all but 2% of American taxpayers, the Republican leadership howled that Democrats have “undermined the tone of bipartisanship set in yesterday’s summit.”

I guess Republicans have forgotten the road to bipartisanship goes both ways.

The War Within.

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For many years, Republicans have accused Democrats of “class warfare” and “wealth redistribution.”  They’re correct, of course.  But they fail to mention that they are the ones responsible.  And that the wealth is being redistributed to the wealthiest 2% of our population.

Ever since Ronald Reagan began pushing economic policies based on the “trickle-down theory,” our government has “reformed” (eliminated) welfare for the poor and increased welfare for large corporations and the wealthy.

For example, under Republican leadership, Arizona has reduced corporate taxes 15 years in a row.  As a result, the percentage of state revenue from corporate taxes has dropped 35% to 9%.  Is there really any question why the state is facing a deficit of more than $1 billion in 2011?  Not even increased sales taxes and the already draconian cuts in education, state parks and health care for the poor can make up the deficit.  And Arizona is not alone.

For many years, federal, state and local governments have bowed at the altar of big business thanks to Republicans and their allies.

Due to their political leverage, large corporations are given many advantages over their smaller rivals and individuals.  The federal government has allowed multi-national corporations to avoid taxes by locating a post office box off-shore.  These same corporations have been rewarded for sending jobs off-shore, as well.  State governments provide large “loans” and tax incentives to encourage corporations to open facilities in their states.  And city governments provide Tax Increment Financing (another term for property tax avoidance) to encourage development within their cities.

Corporate farm operations have received $billions in subsidies while family farms have been allowed to go bankrupt.  Large oil companies and mining operations are given subsidies to deface our land and pollute our air and water.

And the best example of all is the recent melt-down and ensuing bailout of our largest financial institutions.  In the ’90s, Republicans stripped away most financial regulations allowing these institutions to gamble with our money.  When the institutions failed, taxpayers were forced to loan them $billions to avoid a devastating depression while the gamblers paid themselves $billions in bonuses.And how did Republicans address the situation?  Why, of course, they fought against any form of increased regulation by Democrats!

Now Republicans are determined to extend the Bush-era tax cuts, despite the fact that they’ll add more than $4 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years!  They even want to permanently extend tax cuts for millionaires that will add more than $700 billion to our deficit over 10 years.  Out of the other side of their mouths, they continue to talk about reducing our growing deficit.

And how do they propose to reduce the deficit they created?  Do they want to eliminate tax loopholes that encourage large corporations to export jobs and avoid taxes?  Do they want to cut our bloated military budget?  Do they want to go after the abuses of military contractors?

Of course not.

They want to end unemployment benefits, reduce Social Security, reduce Medicare, reduce the Veteran’s Administration, eliminate Medicaid (health care access for the poor) and create a national sales tax which will further increase the tax burden on the poor and the middle class.  They may succeed.

As long as Democrats remain dispirited, and independents vote against their own self-interest as they did this year, Republicans and their corporate masters will continue to extract money from working people.  To ensure that, they can rely on a conservative-controlled Supreme Court that equates corporations to people, and allows corporations to spend tens of millions of dollars on behalf of Republican candidates.

Another WTF? Vote.

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For some time, I’ve wondered why my Republican friends continue to vote against their own self-interest.  I do have a few wealthy friends who benefit from Republican policies.  But the majority are more often harmed by Republican initiatives.

For example, Republicans talk about tax cuts for the rich being good for small business owners who generate most of the jobs in this country.  That may sound reasonable.  However, you have to look at what Republican leaders consider small businesses.  By their definition of limited ownership, Cargill (the world’s largest privately-held corporation) and Koch Industries (the world’s second-largest privately-held corporation) are “small” businesses.  And, of course, extending the Bush-era tax cuts would be very good for them.

The reality is that eliminating the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy would affect only 3% of small business owners.

Republicans have also been at the forefront of providing tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas.  They refuse to entertain penalties for large American corporations that move their “headquarters” off-shore to avoid U.S. taxes.  Republicans rail against common sense regulations that prevent greedy corporations from destroying our environment and robbing our citizens.  Indeed, Republicans actually apologized to BP when the Obama administration demanded it pay for damages to those affected by the massive Gulf oil spill.  And virtually all Republicans voted against reform of Wall Street after it collapsed our economy!

So what have Republicans done to earn my friends’ loyalty?  Social Security?  Nope.  That was passed by Democrats over the protests of many Republican.  Medicare?  Nope.  That was passed by Democrats with little to no help from Republicans.  Corporate-provided health care and profit-sharing?  Wrong again.  Employee benefits are the result of labor union fights (literally) against greedy company owners.

So what does the Republican Party do to deserve the undying loyalty of those who work for a living?  They lie.  And they are very good at it.