Constitutional amendment introduced in Congress ensuring rights for people, not corporations: Reps. Nolan & Pocan respond to hundreds of local resolutions calling for We the People Amendment
(Washington D.C.) - The movement for constitutional reforms that would end what organizers call “corporate rule” has arrived in the chambers of Congress. This morning, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined Move to Amend by announcing their sponsorship of the We the People Amendment, which clearly and unequivocally states that:
1. Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to government-created artificial legal entities such as corporations and limited liability companies; and
2. Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.
In making the announcement, lead sponsor Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL-Minnesota), said: It’s time to take the shaping and molding of public policy out of corporate boardrooms, away from the corporate lobbyists, and put it back in city halls back with county boards and state legislatures and back in the Congress where it belongs.
1. Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to government-created artificial legal entities such as corporations and limited liability companies; and
2. Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.
In making the announcement, lead sponsor Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL-Minnesota), said: It’s time to take the shaping and molding of public policy out of corporate boardrooms, away from the corporate lobbyists, and put it back in city halls back with county boards and state legislatures and back in the Congress where it belongs.
U.S. to become a second-rate power!
Cue sound of emergency alarms. Insert graphics for panic, terror, devastation and collapse here ______.)
Yes, believe it, friends. That is exactly what Outgoing Secretary of War Panetta said in a Feb. 1 exit interview with USA Today, when asked what effects looming cuts will have on the War Department if Congress fails to reach a budget deal by March 1.
Red-blooded Senate and House members eager to protect the military from even a rumor of a budget cut will certainly welcome Panetta’s words. Whether it will result in the U.S. becoming a “second-rate power” is a little less certain, considering we now spend as much for war as the rest of the world put together, with perhaps the exception of Upper Volta and the Cayman Islands.
To put the Secretary’s America-as-second-rate-power fears in perspective, the dreaded “sequestering” of the budget means the Pentagon will have to cut 8 to 9 percent out of this year’s $535 billion dollar budget.
Yes, believe it, friends. That is exactly what Outgoing Secretary of War Panetta said in a Feb. 1 exit interview with USA Today, when asked what effects looming cuts will have on the War Department if Congress fails to reach a budget deal by March 1.
Red-blooded Senate and House members eager to protect the military from even a rumor of a budget cut will certainly welcome Panetta’s words. Whether it will result in the U.S. becoming a “second-rate power” is a little less certain, considering we now spend as much for war as the rest of the world put together, with perhaps the exception of Upper Volta and the Cayman Islands.
To put the Secretary’s America-as-second-rate-power fears in perspective, the dreaded “sequestering” of the budget means the Pentagon will have to cut 8 to 9 percent out of this year’s $535 billion dollar budget.
Social Security, Medicare -- Lifelines for steel retirees?
This past week I was in my hometown, Lorain, and had the opportunity to visit with some old friends who are now retired, receiving Social Security/Medicare. It was certainly interesting to hear what those actually taking part in these fine programs have to say, especially in light of the push by literally all of the corporate shrills to cut Social Security/Medicare, it order to “save the economy.” These Wall Street economists have beaten this drum almost to death, telling us that “austerity is only way out, we must cut social spending or disaster awaits!” Far be it for us mere working folk to point out that Britain & every European nation that adopted this formula, cutting pensions and social programs, have sled backwards into another recession. Reality rarely has any influence on these “great men” anyway; they know so much more us!
One “solution” that these great men have proposed is to cut the CPI (“chained CPI”), the cost-of-living increases received by Social Security recipients.
One “solution” that these great men have proposed is to cut the CPI (“chained CPI”), the cost-of-living increases received by Social Security recipients.
Becoming a thriving vegan advocate
I've been a thriving vegan advocate for nearing 13 years. I became vegan because I am an animal lover. I was born and raised to respect animals and had believed I was an animal lover my entire life; although regrettably, I did not become vegan until I was in my late 20's. A series of events awakened my consciousness; Moby's "Everything Is Wrong" CD included the first essay I had ever read on the concept of Animal Rights. I was also taking college courses; “Humans and the Environment” and “Human Nutrition.” However, the most shocking and compelling contribution to my awakening came as surprise solicitation call from Publisher’s Clearing House when caller enthused “You’ve WON!”
Why Obama will not stop the increase in catastrophic climate change
President Obama has not lived up to his promises about curtailing global warming, the engine at the center of disruptive climate change. He and his administration acknowledge the problem exists, though they don’t stress the scientific evidence on trends that show that temperatures and greenhouse concentrations in the atmosphere in the U.S. and across the world are rising at an accelerating rate. At the same time, there were some notable but not-trend-breaking achievements during Obama’s first four years like new fuel efficiency standards for cars and small trucks, $36 billion allocated for renewable energy, the weatherization of one million homes owned by low-income homeowners, and the doubling of renewable energy from wind and solar partly supported by Department of Energy investments. Unfortunately, there are reasons to expect that the President will not do nearly enough in the next four years of his presidency to prevent further catastrophic climate changes or to prepare the society and world to cope with it all. This is certainly not his fault alone. There are significant constraints that limit what he can do.
The largest climate rally in U.S. history
See below for Ohio buses: On Sunday, February 17, thousands of Americans will head to Washington, D.C. to make Forward on Climate the largest climate rally in history. Join this historic event to make your voice heard and help the president start his second term with strong climate action.
When:February 17, 2013, Noon - 4:00 p.m. (please arrive by 11:30 a.m.)
Where: The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Gather at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument. Closest Metro subway stations: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian)
Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland
Forward on Climate Ohio
Toledo via Detriot bus, contact Jarret for details,
Email
Forward on Climate Detroit
Oberlin, contact, Zia at Email
When:February 17, 2013, Noon - 4:00 p.m. (please arrive by 11:30 a.m.)
Where: The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Gather at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument. Closest Metro subway stations: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian)
Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland
Forward on Climate Ohio
Toledo via Detriot bus, contact Jarret for details,
Forward on Climate Detroit
Oberlin, contact, Zia at Email
Come home, Mr. President
Chicago is in a state of emergency. Lives are being lost. Fear is growing. Local officials, ministers and community activists are working diligently but cannot break the cycle. We’re seeing more than one funeral a day. Our children are traumatized. Many are afraid to go to school.
In this crisis, we need the president’s leadership. President Obama can provide the knowledge, vision and inspiration to bring us together to address the crisis. He can speak to the children to calm their fears.
Mr. President, as you know, last week, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, an honor student who performed in your inaugural ceremonies as a majorette, was murdered, slain when a gunman shot randomly into a group of kids gathered in a neighborhood park less than one mile from your home.
In this crisis, we need the president’s leadership. President Obama can provide the knowledge, vision and inspiration to bring us together to address the crisis. He can speak to the children to calm their fears.
Mr. President, as you know, last week, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, an honor student who performed in your inaugural ceremonies as a majorette, was murdered, slain when a gunman shot randomly into a group of kids gathered in a neighborhood park less than one mile from your home.
Ten Years After Powell’s U.N. Speech, Old Hands Are Ready for More Blood
When Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to the U.N. Security Council on February 5, 2003, countless journalists in the United States extolled him for a masterful performance -- making the case that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The fact that the speech later became notorious should not obscure how easily truth becomes irrelevant in the process of going to war.
Ten years later -- with Powell’s speech a historic testament of shameless deception leading to vast carnage -- we may not remember the extent of the fervent accolades. At the time, fawning praise was profuse across the USA’s mainline media spectrum, including the nation’s reputedly great newspapers.
The New York Times editorialized that Powell “was all the more convincing because he dispensed with apocalyptic invocations of a struggle of good and evil and focused on shaping a sober, factual case against Mr. Hussein’s regime.” The Washington Post was more war-crazed, headlining its editorial “Irrefutable” and declaring that after Powell’s U.N. presentation “it is hard to imagine how anyone could doubt that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction.”
Ten years later -- with Powell’s speech a historic testament of shameless deception leading to vast carnage -- we may not remember the extent of the fervent accolades. At the time, fawning praise was profuse across the USA’s mainline media spectrum, including the nation’s reputedly great newspapers.
The New York Times editorialized that Powell “was all the more convincing because he dispensed with apocalyptic invocations of a struggle of good and evil and focused on shaping a sober, factual case against Mr. Hussein’s regime.” The Washington Post was more war-crazed, headlining its editorial “Irrefutable” and declaring that after Powell’s U.N. presentation “it is hard to imagine how anyone could doubt that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction.”
First city in U.S. passes resolution against drones
Shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, February 4th, the City Council of Charlottesville, Va., passed what is believed to be the first anti-drone resolution in the country. According to my notes, and verifiable soon on the City Council's website, the resolution reads:
"WHEREAS, the rapid implementation of drone technology throughout the United States poses a serious threat to the privacy and constitutional rights of the American people, including the residents of Charlottesville; and
"WHEREAS, the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia have thus far failed to provide reasonable legal restrictions on the use of drones within the United States; and
"WHEREAS, police departments throughout the country have begun implementing drone technology absent any guidance or guidelines from law makers;
"WHEREAS, the rapid implementation of drone technology throughout the United States poses a serious threat to the privacy and constitutional rights of the American people, including the residents of Charlottesville; and
"WHEREAS, the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia have thus far failed to provide reasonable legal restrictions on the use of drones within the United States; and
"WHEREAS, police departments throughout the country have begun implementing drone technology absent any guidance or guidelines from law makers;
Ohio’s Jon Husted goes to Washington: No Democratic voter’s right to vote was safe
During the last weekend in January, the National Association of Secretaries of State met in Washington DC with their usual entourage of private partisan voting machine and software salespeople.
NBC political director Chuck Todd blessed the gathering of vote-changers and money-makers – and their system of faith-based voting.
Andrew Kreig, the Executive Director of the Justice Integrity Project, captured the essence of the absurd undemocratic assembly in his article “NBC’s Todd mocks election fraud critics, wins Washington applause.”
Free Press readers are aware that the United States is the only advance industrial democracy that fails to meet minimum standards of transparency in their election process. Private for-profit partisan corporations secretly encode the computers and software used to tabulate our votes.
Todd is a huge fan of so-called push-and-pray voting and told the voting machine vendors and the secretaries of state they contribute to, “That’s just stretching the bounds of reality” to suggest that computers could be programmed to rig an election.
NBC political director Chuck Todd blessed the gathering of vote-changers and money-makers – and their system of faith-based voting.
Andrew Kreig, the Executive Director of the Justice Integrity Project, captured the essence of the absurd undemocratic assembly in his article “NBC’s Todd mocks election fraud critics, wins Washington applause.”
Free Press readers are aware that the United States is the only advance industrial democracy that fails to meet minimum standards of transparency in their election process. Private for-profit partisan corporations secretly encode the computers and software used to tabulate our votes.
Todd is a huge fan of so-called push-and-pray voting and told the voting machine vendors and the secretaries of state they contribute to, “That’s just stretching the bounds of reality” to suggest that computers could be programmed to rig an election.