Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"A strange brew of very odd Tea Party experiments" in state governments - Democratic Underground
"A strange brew of very odd Tea Party experiments" in state governments - Democratic Underground
"When Louis Brandeis called state legislatures "laboratories of democracy," he couldn't have imagined the curious formulas the tea party chemists would be mixing in 2011, including: a bill just passed by the Utah Legislature requiring the state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender; a Montana bill declaring global warming "beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana"; a plan in Georgia to abolish driver's licenses because licensing violates the "inalienable right" to drive; legislation in South Dakota that would require every adult to buy a gun; and the Kentucky Legislature's effort to create a "sanctuary state" for coal, safe from environmental laws."
"When Louis Brandeis called state legislatures "laboratories of democracy," he couldn't have imagined the curious formulas the tea party chemists would be mixing in 2011, including: a bill just passed by the Utah Legislature requiring the state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender; a Montana bill declaring global warming "beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana"; a plan in Georgia to abolish driver's licenses because licensing violates the "inalienable right" to drive; legislation in South Dakota that would require every adult to buy a gun; and the Kentucky Legislature's effort to create a "sanctuary state" for coal, safe from environmental laws."
Factsheet: Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine | Greenpeace USA
Factsheet: Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine | Greenpeace USA
"Koch Industries is owned and controlled by brothers Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch. According to 2009 Forbes rankings, the Koch brothers are tied for ninth richest American, each worth more than George Soros and Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
In 2000, the EPA fined Koch Industries $30 million for its role in 300 oil spills that resulted in more than three million gallons of crude oil leaking into ponds, lakes, streams and coastal waters.
"Koch Industries is owned and controlled by brothers Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch. According to 2009 Forbes rankings, the Koch brothers are tied for ninth richest American, each worth more than George Soros and Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
In 2000, the EPA fined Koch Industries $30 million for its role in 300 oil spills that resulted in more than three million gallons of crude oil leaking into ponds, lakes, streams and coastal waters.
Daily Kos: Slave Labor - The Koch/ALEC Connection to imprison and take jobs now seen by others
Daily Kos: Slave Labor - The Koch/ALEC Connection to imprison and take jobs now seen by others
"Jump to the present and we now have ALEC and their members/supporters Koch Industries and others affiliated with both, firmly supporting Wisconsin's Governor Walker's initiatives to bust Unions in that state. Over the past couple of days it was discovered that Koch contributed $43,000 to Walker's campaign and again here comes the quid pro quo in the form of attacking fair wages and collective bargaining. As with the "help" provided to Sebilius in Kansas, there always comes a pay day or day of reckoning where such "help" requires a repayment. Over the past two weeks that payday for Koch brothers has arrived in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Montana and elsewhere. They have sown the seeds of corporatocracy wisely over the past decade or more and sat back calmly and watched those seeds grow into strong vibrant and insidious weeds, spreading out and choking the life out of workers jobs and livelihoods across the United States."
"Jump to the present and we now have ALEC and their members/supporters Koch Industries and others affiliated with both, firmly supporting Wisconsin's Governor Walker's initiatives to bust Unions in that state. Over the past couple of days it was discovered that Koch contributed $43,000 to Walker's campaign and again here comes the quid pro quo in the form of attacking fair wages and collective bargaining. As with the "help" provided to Sebilius in Kansas, there always comes a pay day or day of reckoning where such "help" requires a repayment. Over the past two weeks that payday for Koch brothers has arrived in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Montana and elsewhere. They have sown the seeds of corporatocracy wisely over the past decade or more and sat back calmly and watched those seeds grow into strong vibrant and insidious weeds, spreading out and choking the life out of workers jobs and livelihoods across the United States."
▼ Report: The Kochs, A Nazi Past, Oil & The Foundation of The Right « Unknown
▼ Report: The Kochs, A Nazi Past, Oil & The Foundation of The Right « Unknown
"Notorious Nazis Ilse Koch, her husband Karl Otto Koch and Erich Koch are the ghosts of Koch Industries, who seized the U.S. conservative political agenda years ago and seem capable of seizing the government in total through the Tea Party. Ilse Koch was the Nazi’s specialist in making objects from human skin; was the only woman charged with war crimes; and along with her husband was in charge of one of the most horrific horror camps in Nazi Germany."
"Notorious Nazis Ilse Koch, her husband Karl Otto Koch and Erich Koch are the ghosts of Koch Industries, who seized the U.S. conservative political agenda years ago and seem capable of seizing the government in total through the Tea Party. Ilse Koch was the Nazi’s specialist in making objects from human skin; was the only woman charged with war crimes; and along with her husband was in charge of one of the most horrific horror camps in Nazi Germany."
The Union Legion: Andrew Cuomo's Koch Problem
The Union Legion: Andrew Cuomo's Koch Problem
"I was handed the flyer below by a student at yesterday's rally in support of Wisconsin Public Employees and Worker's Rights by a student. I foolishly forgot to ask his name so that he could get proper attribution for his work. However, he did some leg work I was planning on doing and, low and behold, he found what I expected would be the case -- Andrew Cuomo has a Koch habit.
As you can see in the pdf below, Cuomo has accepted $92,000 from the Kochs -- yes those Kochs who are working as hard as possible to eliminate the Human Right of Collective Bargaining in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinios, and New Jersey. The very same people, so addicted to greed that they feel entitled to trample on the lower and middle classes in their quest to acquire more."
"I was handed the flyer below by a student at yesterday's rally in support of Wisconsin Public Employees and Worker's Rights by a student. I foolishly forgot to ask his name so that he could get proper attribution for his work. However, he did some leg work I was planning on doing and, low and behold, he found what I expected would be the case -- Andrew Cuomo has a Koch habit.
As you can see in the pdf below, Cuomo has accepted $92,000 from the Kochs -- yes those Kochs who are working as hard as possible to eliminate the Human Right of Collective Bargaining in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinios, and New Jersey. The very same people, so addicted to greed that they feel entitled to trample on the lower and middle classes in their quest to acquire more."
Eric Brunsell: Scott Walker is Trying to Sell Wisconsin
Eric Brunsell: Scott Walker is Trying to Sell Wisconsin
"Tim Phillips' Americans for Prosperity was founded and is heavily funded by David and Charles Koch, the owners of Koch Industries. The wealth of the Koch brothers is exceeded in the U.S. only by Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Their funding of campaigns, political action committees, and libertarian think tanks have left an insidious mark on U.S. politics that distinctly benefit their personal and corporate interests."
"Tim Phillips' Americans for Prosperity was founded and is heavily funded by David and Charles Koch, the owners of Koch Industries. The wealth of the Koch brothers is exceeded in the U.S. only by Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Their funding of campaigns, political action committees, and libertarian think tanks have left an insidious mark on U.S. politics that distinctly benefit their personal and corporate interests."
Maine Republican Governor Erasing History of Working People | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG
Maine Republican Governor Erasing History of Working People | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG
"Once again, Republicans are trying to erase the history of America’s working people. In Maine, Republican Gov. Paul LePage has ordered the removal of a 36-foot mural depciting the state’s labor history from the Department of Labor. The 11-panel piece in part depicts a 1986 paper mill strike and “Rosie the Riveter” at Bath Iron Works. Judy Taylor, an artist based on Mount Desert, won a 2007 competition to create the mural to depict the “History of Labor in the State of Maine.”"
"Once again, Republicans are trying to erase the history of America’s working people. In Maine, Republican Gov. Paul LePage has ordered the removal of a 36-foot mural depciting the state’s labor history from the Department of Labor. The 11-panel piece in part depicts a 1986 paper mill strike and “Rosie the Riveter” at Bath Iron Works. Judy Taylor, an artist based on Mount Desert, won a 2007 competition to create the mural to depict the “History of Labor in the State of Maine.”"
Gov. Scott Walker's takeover plan a bad deal for UW-Madison - Isthmus | The Daily Page
Gov. Scott Walker's takeover plan a bad deal for UW-Madison - Isthmus | The Daily Page
From Comments:"I was on the Academic Staff Ad Hoc Committee formed when Biddy first brought up seperating the 'Research Enterprise' from The Graduate School. Yes, I firmly believe this was the desired result all along. Biddy wants control, without oversight, to do as she sees fit. This bodes very poorly for UW union employees and the tradition of faculty governance. Factor in the long history of legal and ethical messes this university tends to step into, this is not going to benefit the citizens of Wisconsin nor students. Does anyone believe that it will be easier for an in-state student to be accepted under this plan? Does anyone believe that tuition will be held in check under this plan? The UW brags about their billion dollar research money - do you think, under this plan, more money will be spent on students? or 'entrepreneurship?"
From Comments:"I was on the Academic Staff Ad Hoc Committee formed when Biddy first brought up seperating the 'Research Enterprise' from The Graduate School. Yes, I firmly believe this was the desired result all along. Biddy wants control, without oversight, to do as she sees fit. This bodes very poorly for UW union employees and the tradition of faculty governance. Factor in the long history of legal and ethical messes this university tends to step into, this is not going to benefit the citizens of Wisconsin nor students. Does anyone believe that it will be easier for an in-state student to be accepted under this plan? Does anyone believe that tuition will be held in check under this plan? The UW brags about their billion dollar research money - do you think, under this plan, more money will be spent on students? or 'entrepreneurship?"
Global Protests & Uprisings Maps Time-Lapse
Uploaded by SwampPost on Mar 9, 2011
"December 18 to March 7, 2011, this little video is a time-lapse series of maps marking major uprisings and protests around the world during that period. The maps are on my blog (see swanpPost on youtube link) and this was a by-product.
Obviously, not every protest in the world is represented here, but it is arguably to scale. Mostly, it looks like a virus and that's cool."
The piano snippet is from a song called The Waltz, composed and performed by a Venice Beach artist named Jourdan Stephens.
Category:
News & Politics
Tags: * Global Protests * Middle East * Uprisings * Protest Map * Egypt * Libya revolution * Yemen uprisings * protests * demonstrations * maps
This Is What An Onslaught Of Protests Worldwide Looks Like | MoveOn.Org
This Is What An Onslaught Of Protests Worldwide Looks Like | MoveOn.Org
Clare Kaplan > Defend Wisconsin
This is REALLY COOL
This Is What An Onslaught Of Protests Worldwide Looks Like
front.moveon.org
How fast do protests spread globally? Faster than you think.
Clare Kaplan > Defend Wisconsin
This is REALLY COOL
This Is What An Onslaught Of Protests Worldwide Looks Like
front.moveon.org
How fast do protests spread globally? Faster than you think.
Walker's emails and the Flying Monkey Brigade | Dane101
Walker's emails and the Flying Monkey Brigade | Dane101
"The Governor, essentially, used the emails as an argument that a Wisconsinite who bundles up and heads down to the Capitol to have her voice heard shouldn't be considered as much as someone who fires off a message from his home computer before climbing into bed.
The Governor also suggested that the taxpayers demonstrating at the Capitol and the taxpayers opposing him as he travels around the state are mostly bussed in. Not only was this suggestion wrong it is also a double standard. During two press conferences he referenced the emails as speaking for the majority of Wisconsinites even though thousands of those emails came from out-of-staters taking their queues from at least one FOX News pundit, the Club for Growth, and Tea Party Patriots."
"The Governor, essentially, used the emails as an argument that a Wisconsinite who bundles up and heads down to the Capitol to have her voice heard shouldn't be considered as much as someone who fires off a message from his home computer before climbing into bed.
The Governor also suggested that the taxpayers demonstrating at the Capitol and the taxpayers opposing him as he travels around the state are mostly bussed in. Not only was this suggestion wrong it is also a double standard. During two press conferences he referenced the emails as speaking for the majority of Wisconsinites even though thousands of those emails came from out-of-staters taking their queues from at least one FOX News pundit, the Club for Growth, and Tea Party Patriots."
Emails show steps considered to punish Dems
Emails show steps considered to punish Dems
"The emails show members of Fitzgerald's staff considered such moves as reducing the Democrats' per diem payments, cutting their staff, taking away computers Democrats are using to draw redistricting maps, and even denying them a year of service in the state retirement system."
"The emails show members of Fitzgerald's staff considered such moves as reducing the Democrats' per diem payments, cutting their staff, taking away computers Democrats are using to draw redistricting maps, and even denying them a year of service in the state retirement system."
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan: Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests)
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan: Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests)
"The heated debate in Wisconsin was predicated on the governor’s claim that, thanks to their collective bargaining rights, public-service employees are overpaid relative to similarly educated workers in the private sector. Economist Jeffrey Keefe and others have done the comparisons at both at a national level and within states such as Wisconsin and found that public-sector workers nationwide earn 11.5 percent less than their similarly educated private-sector counterparts in wages and salaries. Taking fringe benefits into account shrinks the difference to 3.7 percent, with pensions and health care benefits the two standouts. So, despite their greater benefits, public workers actually cost their employers less than private-sector workers do."
"The heated debate in Wisconsin was predicated on the governor’s claim that, thanks to their collective bargaining rights, public-service employees are overpaid relative to similarly educated workers in the private sector. Economist Jeffrey Keefe and others have done the comparisons at both at a national level and within states such as Wisconsin and found that public-sector workers nationwide earn 11.5 percent less than their similarly educated private-sector counterparts in wages and salaries. Taking fringe benefits into account shrinks the difference to 3.7 percent, with pensions and health care benefits the two standouts. So, despite their greater benefits, public workers actually cost their employers less than private-sector workers do."
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan: Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests)
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan: Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests)
"Thomas A. Kochan is George M. Bunker Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Co-Director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research.
What happened in Wisconsin was, to some extent, foreseeable: American workers have suffered a steady decline in labor policy. We have allowed worker rights to erode in the private sector without recognizing the consequences, let alone protesting. Now we see the same thing happening baldly and suddenly in the public sector. The 100,000 people who hit the streets of Madison may provide the shock needed to see this problem clearly and to act."
Twitter: thomasmbird Thomas Bird
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan (MIT) : Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests) http://bit.ly/fDL0S2
"Thomas A. Kochan is George M. Bunker Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Co-Director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research.
What happened in Wisconsin was, to some extent, foreseeable: American workers have suffered a steady decline in labor policy. We have allowed worker rights to erode in the private sector without recognizing the consequences, let alone protesting. Now we see the same thing happening baldly and suddenly in the public sector. The 100,000 people who hit the streets of Madison may provide the shock needed to see this problem clearly and to act."
Twitter: thomasmbird Thomas Bird
Boston Review — Thomas Kochan (MIT) : Protective Bargaining (Wisconsin, labor union protests) http://bit.ly/fDL0S2
YouTube - Prosser the biased
YouTube - Prosser the biased
Uploaded by thisissimple on Mar 21, 2011
A short powerpoint presentation on The shortcomings of Prosser as a Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin. His inability to see that bias has no place in Wisconsin Courts makes him politician, not a Judge. Please help vote him out.
Category:
News & Politics
Tags: Prosser * Wisconsin * Supreme * Court * Kloppenburg
Uploaded by thisissimple on Mar 21, 2011
A short powerpoint presentation on The shortcomings of Prosser as a Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin. His inability to see that bias has no place in Wisconsin Courts makes him politician, not a Judge. Please help vote him out.
Category:
News & Politics
Tags: Prosser * Wisconsin * Supreme * Court * Kloppenburg
ThinkProgress » Conservatives On Wisconsin Supreme Court Let Corporate Lobbyists Write Judicial Ethics Rules
ThinkProgress » Conservatives On Wisconsin Supreme Court Let Corporate Lobbyists Write Judicial Ethics Rules
"Sadly, this is not the only example of Prosser fighting hard to protect his colleagues from judicial ethics rules. Last year, during a debate over whether one of his colleagues should be required to recuse from certain cases, Prosser erupted at the state’s chief justice, calling her a “bitch” and threatening to “destroy” her."
Twitter; Marley_Cat Marley Cat by matt_t1 RT @FakeProsser: I Let Corporate Lobbyists Write Judicial Ethics Rules http://thinkprogress.org/?p=152427 // #wisct #wiunion
38 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply
"Sadly, this is not the only example of Prosser fighting hard to protect his colleagues from judicial ethics rules. Last year, during a debate over whether one of his colleagues should be required to recuse from certain cases, Prosser erupted at the state’s chief justice, calling her a “bitch” and threatening to “destroy” her."
Twitter; Marley_Cat Marley Cat by matt_t1 RT @FakeProsser: I Let Corporate Lobbyists Write Judicial Ethics Rules http://thinkprogress.org/?p=152427 // #wisct #wiunion
38 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply
Enraged by Walker, activists put Kloppenburg’s Supreme Court campaign on their shoulders
Enraged by Walker, activists put Kloppenburg’s Supreme Court campaign on their shoulders
"Ordinarily, a few independent supporters wouldn’t go very far in helping a first-time candidate take down a well-known incumbent. But to say that the anti-Walker forces are mobilized would be a gross understatement. Walker’s Feb. 11 unveiling of his budget repair bill, which strips public workers of nearly all of their collective bargaining rights, put the State Capitol under a weeks-long state of siege by hundreds of thousands of state workers, teachers, union members and others who felt that Walker had gone too far. And anti-Walker rallies in dozens of other locales have drawn thousands."
"Ordinarily, a few independent supporters wouldn’t go very far in helping a first-time candidate take down a well-known incumbent. But to say that the anti-Walker forces are mobilized would be a gross understatement. Walker’s Feb. 11 unveiling of his budget repair bill, which strips public workers of nearly all of their collective bargaining rights, put the State Capitol under a weeks-long state of siege by hundreds of thousands of state workers, teachers, union members and others who felt that Walker had gone too far. And anti-Walker rallies in dozens of other locales have drawn thousands."
Wisconsin recall signature gatherers attacked, signatures stolen | The Political Carnival
Wisconsin recall signature gatherers attacked, signatures stolen | The Political Carnival
"On Saturday, March 19, two individuals were gathering signatures in support of the recall effort against Republican State Senator Alberta Darling when one individual found himself the victim of an assault. [...]
And in a related story, River Falls police were asked to track down and find a suspect who had made off with a batch of Sen. Sheila Harsdorf recall petition signatures late Sunday afternoon."
"On Saturday, March 19, two individuals were gathering signatures in support of the recall effort against Republican State Senator Alberta Darling when one individual found himself the victim of an assault. [...]
And in a related story, River Falls police were asked to track down and find a suspect who had made off with a batch of Sen. Sheila Harsdorf recall petition signatures late Sunday afternoon."
Wisconsin/Midwest Solidarity Petition - from RSN Reader Supported News, California
Wisconsin Solidarity Petition - Wisconsin and other Union Busting States Solidarity Petition
Tweeted by:
R.S.N/California
Reader Supported News 03/23/11
"I ask that everyone reading sign, and do everything in their power to stand up to the corrupt and oppressive union-busting tactics in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and wherever, whenever necessary."
Tweeted by:
R.S.N/California
Reader Supported News 03/23/11
"I ask that everyone reading sign, and do everything in their power to stand up to the corrupt and oppressive union-busting tactics in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and wherever, whenever necessary."
Wisconsin GOP Leaders Knew Using State Troopers Broke the Law
http://www.citizensforethics.org/blog/entry/wisconsin-GOP-leaders-knew-using-state-troopers-broke-the-law
Posted on Defend Wisconsin by: Heidi Waddell
Wisconsin GOP Leaders Knew Using State Troopers Broke the Law | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility a
www.citizensforethics.org
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts in the legislature have some explaining to do. The rookie governor rose to national fame after picking a bare knuckled political fight with Democrats over union rights. He showed up on our radar when he illegally sent in the Wisconsin State
Posted on Defend Wisconsin by: Heidi Waddell
Wisconsin GOP Leaders Knew Using State Troopers Broke the Law | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility a
www.citizensforethics.org
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts in the legislature have some explaining to do. The rookie governor rose to national fame after picking a bare knuckled political fight with Democrats over union rights. He showed up on our radar when he illegally sent in the Wisconsin State
Heidi Waddell"Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts
Posted on Defend Wisconsin:
Heidi Waddell
"Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts foot the bill."
Heidi Waddell"Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts foot the bill."Republican bill calls for a board of political appointees to authorize charter schoolshost.madison.comUnder a bill authored by Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, charter schools would no longer have to be authorized by local school districts.
Heidi Waddell
"Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts foot the bill."
Heidi Waddell"Under a Republican-sponsored bill, nine political appointees would get to authorize public charter schools while local school districts foot the bill."Republican bill calls for a board of political appointees to authorize charter schoolshost.madison.comUnder a bill authored by Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, charter schools would no longer have to be authorized by local school districts.
Question Austerity....Wisconsin Public Radio
AUDIO LINK To The Best of Our Knowledge/Wisconsin Public Radio
Question Austerity....
"Governors are slashing state spending, and the President has put some of his own party's favorite programs on the chopping block. But how much of the new austerity is really necessary, and how much is politics? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, is austerity a dangerous idea? Join us as we question austerity and talk about other options. Also, the short, ugly history of how America became a debtor nation."
Source post: Susan Barnett
Question Austerity....
"Governors are slashing state spending, and the President has put some of his own party's favorite programs on the chopping block. But how much of the new austerity is really necessary, and how much is politics? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, is austerity a dangerous idea? Join us as we question austerity and talk about other options. Also, the short, ugly history of how America became a debtor nation."
Source post: Susan Barnett
Lessons From Wisconsin About Unions and Higher Education - NYTimes.com
Lessons From Wisconsin About Unions and Higher Education - NYTimes.com
A conversation about unionization and higher education between Stanley Fish and Walter Benn Michaels, professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
SF: In over 35 years of friendship and conversation, Walter Michaels and I have disagreed on only two things, and one of them was faculty and graduate student unionization. He has always been for and I had always been against. I say “had” because I recently flipped and what flipped me, pure and simple, was Wisconsin.
"The erosion of support for public higher education is a part of a
larger strategy designed to deprive public employees of a voice and
ensure the triumph of conservative/neoliberal policies."
A conversation about unionization and higher education between Stanley Fish and Walter Benn Michaels, professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
SF: In over 35 years of friendship and conversation, Walter Michaels and I have disagreed on only two things, and one of them was faculty and graduate student unionization. He has always been for and I had always been against. I say “had” because I recently flipped and what flipped me, pure and simple, was Wisconsin.
"The erosion of support for public higher education is a part of a
larger strategy designed to deprive public employees of a voice and
ensure the triumph of conservative/neoliberal policies."
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