I watched the attack of the Capitol, same as you did. I felt a range of emotions, same as most people: anger, fear, sadness. I also felt an understanding, not for the actions taken but for where they came from. For eight weeks, many of the people there had been told by their social media feeds, their news networks, maybe their friends and families, some … Continue reading You Can’t Heal – 4
A recent editorial in the New Orleans Times-Picayune celebrated House Passage of an amendment to the transportation bill which mandated 80% of Clean Water Act fines levied against British Petroleum for their catastraphuk be earmarked to the Gulf States who suffered the damages. The editorial called this first step important. It noted how this was the House of Representatives making a public commitment to the Gulf Coast and … Continue reading History’s telling me to not get excited about passage of the oil spill fine amendment…
Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate one pundit described as the candidate who most looks like the guy who laid you off during the recession had this to say in New Hampshire today: “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.” Granted, the line was taken out of context as he was discussing how people dissatisfied with the service they are getting … Continue reading Romney: I like being able to fire people…
Hell, even GW Bush is impressed with how far to the right you managed to push budget negotiations… you know, to help the people you uh, you promised to help? Hello… So, I might as well address this to the highest ranking of you, though I’m not so sure that’s something to be proud of these days…in fact, from where I sit it’s something to … Continue reading An open letter to the President, and both the Democratic and Republican Parties…
…it would seem perfectly reasonable, if most any national-level politicians were to show up at any labor event, nationwide…the only appropriate response would range from politely asking them to leave to forcibly throwing them out… If Republican, they actively attempt to stamp out unions that built the middle class, and if Democrats, their expression of support only rises to a level of occasional, mutual self-interest. … Continue reading At this point, on this labor day…
On ABC’s This Week, White House Political Director David Plouffe said: “This isn’t about playing on a Republican playing field. This country, our economy, has to reduce the deficit, we have to live within our means. And if you’re a progressive, there’s a powerful case for deficit reduction. Things like college loans, college scholarships, spending on things like roads and bridges that put construction workers … Continue reading I’m not a child, Barack, but I do still work in the community, you?
Responsibility and irresponsibility to whom, a people, a political party, a pledge… As we’ve sat back, watching this debt ceiling debate rage on, I continue to be struck by what Democrats and Republicans deem to be okay, what they consider to be responsible. It is responsible for both parties to give three trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in this country, under the pretense … Continue reading The Most Irresponsible Post I’ll Ever Write…on the Debt Ceiling
So then, according to the President, the best way to lead is to give up from the start? From David Dayden at Firedoglake: “…but there’s also a difference between the person who views those procedural blockages for what they are, and sees opportunities for pressuring those blockages through the court of public opinion, for making it difficult on those holding up progress to sustain themselves, … Continue reading Obama’s problem…quickly becomes everybody’s problem….
Since the rule of law is dead: GOP cuts funding to the SEC because of “budget deficits,” despite the fact money for the SEC does not come from the budget, but from regulatory charges paid by the brokerage firms the SEC investigates, thus saving the same companies/banks that fucked us into a recession millions while also making it more financially difficult for the SEC to prosecute … Continue reading A Question of Greed…
I don’t celebrate July 4th. I want to, and hope I will be able to again someday…but not yet… I have this opinion, that if our founding fathers were walking the days, out and about, they would be appalled at what they see: simply put, the unnecessary suffering of so many, to benefit the simple greed of the few, a government run amok, a modern … Continue reading Your Musical Interlude…July 4th, Ani DiFranco, Blue Nile, British Petroleum, Barack Obama…
Drake Toulouse: Photography and Words 