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Category Archives: voters

The toxic waterways

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I had heard this report was out but hadn’t seen it until now–about our toxic waterways.  Indiana, unfortunately, heads the list for toxic load.  It’s worse than I first read about–the number now is 17 million pounds of toxins into our waterways.  43 million pounds released into the Ohio river, THE most toxic river.  Good Grief.

And Joe Donnelly, Dan Coats, and Jackie Walorski, paid by their bosses (in the form of campaign $$, and God knows what else), are fighting for the industries’ right to poison us.    Some of them are so bold to say they’re fighting for us and our families….seriously.  17 million pounds of toxins.  Whom is irresponsible, Mr. Coats?

NY Times has a page up on fines and violations…and how nobody takes responsibility.

The Sierra Club’s take on the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Mis-Management, including a dog boiled alive by hot water discharge, and a coal industry lobbyist being appointed to…wait for it…the IDEM–for prosecuting the polluters.  If this wasn’t so serious, I would be laughing my arse off.

 

 

Teachers, the wage gap, and the nearly homeless

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Diane Ravitch has a blog up on one of the teachers involved in the Vergara case.  Ms. McLaughlin had replied to the “witch hunt” charges that she was a bad teacher…made by a student who also said there were five bad teachers and only one during her education–the one that wanted revenge apparently for being let go.

As I read the comments, the one by Chi-Town Res made me cry:

Yeah, and just wait until he hits retirement age and realizes that teachers with no union protections like me are exploited terribly. We are very low paid (and often hourly workers), don’t make enough money to get by on, let alone to save, have no pensions and are expected to live on about $900 per month from Social Security when we retire.

I could go live in a ghetto, since I will officially retire next month, because I can’t afford to continue living where I’ve been (renting) for the past 15 years, but I have no money to move. (Yes, homeownership was never an option for me.) Anyway, that’s the kind of income that even poor people in the ghettos can’t survive on in my area.

The reality is that I’m in arrears on my rent due to a further decline in my already low income and a high increase in my rent. I have applied to many places but I’ve been unable to find additional work. SS won’t actually start paying me until mid-September, my job put limits on our income and wouldn’t give me work for July, and I don’t qualify for unemployment compensation. I won’t get paid my measly wage again until the end of August. My landlord will not wait to be paid, and anyway I won’t get paid enough money then to cover back rent. I’ve been fighting becoming homeless for about three years now but, at this point, I have no more resources or anyone to turn to for help, and absolutely no one cares. So I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will lose everything I own and be put out on the street and homeless before the fall. The only thing that could save my life now would be winning the lottery, but that is an intolerable hope.

The truth is that I could never afford to really stop working either, but SS has a limit on the amount of income I can earn. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. No one fully appreciates the “I’m living on a fixed income” cries, because the elderly are not revered in our society. No wonder the suicide rate for seniors is high.

As problematic as unions can be, not valuing the protections that unions provide workers is extremely short sighted.

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Also noted in the comments was that one of the plaintiff’s lawyers was Ted Olson, who ended the vote recount and handed George W. Bush the presidency, against the American public’s wishes.  Blood is on his hands, as well, for the wars and the economic mess Bush left us in.

Be sure to click on the link for Diane’s original post on Ms. McLaughlin.  Really stunning to see how she is “witch-hunted” by those with their own agendas.  She seems to be an outstanding person with true caring about her students, as a good teacher needs to be.

From the link:

“Indeed, this whole Vergara trial was like something out of Mao’s “Cultural Revolution” in China during the 1960′s. For those not acquainted with this, here’s primer: zealous students, under party leaders’ directions, would persecute their teachers. Kids would get their jollies as they put their teachers on a stage, put dunce caps on them, then screamed at them while forcing their teachers to bow their heads, kneel down, and confess their “crimes” and on and on…

These kids—appointed and empowered as “Red Guards” by Mao’s henchmen— would parade their former teachers through the streets…

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Diane has also put up a link to a short film clip on the red army of children that illustrates the terrible time.

(A side note~I got this weird message that Diane Ravitch’s site was “untrusted”.  Say what??  It’s on a wordpress platform…why would I get that message?  Is someone trying to interfere with the traffic to her site??)

 

The Onion: Charter Schools Lottery

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(hat tip Diane Ravitch)

The Onion has their usual satirical take on the Charter Schools lottery “system”.

“Between small class sizes, longer school days, individualized instruction, and superior college admission rates, charters provide amazing opportunities for students who don’t enter a convulsive state, fall into a coma, stop breathing, and cease all bodily functions during the admissions process.”

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bwahahahahahahaha.

Spot on.

It’s really sad that the article hits Charter snobbery at its heart….and the kids suffer most of all.

More on the Middle East

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I’ve read a few good posts on the Middle East-– Iraq and the U.S.’s role in the mess there.

I have to agree with the writer’s premise–that we have made a mess of things and they need to work this out for themselves without us riding in on a white horse to only make matters worse.

They know how many Americans feel about Muslims–led by a biased media willing to portray them as all thinking alike.  That is as stupid as portraying all women as thinking alike. Or anyone, for that matter.

My other posts on Iran here and here.

Palestinians cry for help.

Presbyterian Church divests itself of U.S. corporations helping Israel to destroy the Palestinians.

 

 

 

Alert

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Just wanted to give you a head’s up on something the mercury group has posted~

Vitamin Research Products (vrp.com) is no longer stocking DMSA, one of the chelators of mercury and lead.  They just suddenly stopped stocking it and have even removed the page from their website.

This is not good news.  They were the main supplier of DMSA.  Theories are abound that Big Pharma is behind this–buying out the competition.  And if they can buy out natural cures, they can force sick people to buy their side-effect-laden crap.

There are also allegations that Obamacare is limiting natural methods of healing, such as chelation supplements, making it harder for folks to get well. I don’t know this for fact, but it is one of the reasons I have not signed up for the health care.  Another reason is the link to the insurance industry instead of single-payer, which would have been more palatable, being like Medicare for All.

I can tell you that many of us on the group lost jobs as a result of mercury–therefore, we had lost the ability to pay for medical insurance and the ability to pay for supplements that insurance didn’t cover.   But at least the supplements were available…and cheap.  I would have not gotten well without that.  So once again, the poor take a hit for the uber wealthy to make even more profits….

I suspected that Big Pharma would try to grab this part of the market again, because they had in the past and continually try to get some twerp in Congress to do their bidding with making supplements illegal.

With billions of dollars and high-priced lawyers, they have gotten away with trying to take credit for natural healing herbs and methods, such as those used in India.  These were used for thousands of years…and Big Pharma comes along and tries to claim a patent.  Utterly mindboggling.  More here on Big Pharma’s battle to get a share of the market in India. An even better explanation of it here.

Big Pharma tries to claim that compulsory licenses aren’t available for cancer drugs – a lie; or that they are only available for national emergencies – another lie; or that India is establishing a general exception to patents for pharmaceuticals – an even bigger lie.  Sovereigns retain the right under TRIPS to issue compulsory licenses or to allow public, non-commercial use of patented products or processes.  As long as the correct procedures are followed and adequate remuneration is paid, the patent holder has nothing legitimate to complain about – unless, of course, it is a U.S. multinational who doesn’t want an emerging country like India to get in its way.

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…or for a group of U.S. citizens who want natural methods to heal their bodies to get their way….

And unfortunately, that’s not all that the greedy are trying to patent.

Lastly, here is a good segment on DN! with Vandana and Mira Shiva–two “uppity” women I admire for fighting the good fight~~

Vandana brings up the point of liability.  It would seem that none of the chemical companies — be it Dow/Union Carbide or any Big Pharma — want to take responsibility for the harm that they cause.  All the profits. None of the guilt.

She also highlights the attitudes towards the poor–they don’t matter so let’s poison them or use them as guinea pigs.

It was great to hear of them speak of their strong mother in the end~~no junk food in the house.  My father, too, did not allow junk food in the house when I was growing up–a parent who cares is not going to feed their child junk.  I heard the other day of parents of my children’s generation feeding their kids nothing but junk…and they don’t see anything wrong with that.  Very unsettling.  Regretfully, I didn’t appreciate my Dad’s wisdom until recently.  I always felt deprived because other kids got to have a “treat” of junk food on Friday night.  Just before the divorce, my sister would make Chef Boy-ar-dee pizzas on Friday night.  I felt happy at getting that “treat”.  Pfft.  The “treat” that kills.

Food is medicine.  Weeds are medicine.  When will we learn to value that which is not valuable by profit-making and make that available to all, not just those with cash in hand??

 

 

Iranians arrested for being “happy”

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Well, this is sad news.  I hope folks think of this the next time someone spouts off that we need to nuke Iran…there are people of peace all around the world who just want to live their lives…and be happy…

In relation to my other post on our loss of civil rights…this is one of the things that happen when “intelligence” is used to track down someone expressing Free Speech.

Exit through the gift shop- the 9/11 Museum

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Abby Zimet has a post up on the vulgarity of the 9/11 museum commercialization.  It’s more like an enterprise than a solemn memorial to those who experience the horror of that day.

And, as is brought up–the end of our civil rights, specifically, the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment is hardly reason to “celibrate”…or perhaps one should say, bank upon…

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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Violation of our right to peacefully assemble:

And, of course, the violation of our right to privacy against government intrusion unless there is a court warrant with justifiable cause.

Perhaps it should be called the Museum of Lost Civil Rights…

And like a couple of commenters, I take exception to the dismissive tone of Abby on the Architects and Engineers –who are not claiming to know if 9/11 was an inside job, but rather, they are stating that Building 7 was not hit, but nevertheless collapse as one does in a controlled demolition.  THAT is what they’re saying.

The comments:

Ned B. • 18 hours ago

“arguing it was all an insider job by the U.S. and Israel; their premise is kinda bonkers” I disagree, Abby Z., and I dislike your dismissive tone.

From what I know of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, they do not argue that “it was all an insider job by the U.S. and Israel.” They do however argue that the observed events cannot be adequately explained by the “official story” and that a new, impartial investigation should be conducted.

Shantiananda Ned B. • 17 hours ago

As a financial supporter of the 9/11 truth movement that is supported by over 2,000 Architects and Engineers of impeccable credentials, your post is spot on. They do not say they know what really happened or who was behind 9/11 but what they do say is: anyone with an open mind that makes a comprehensive study cannot help but see the official story is so bogus as to be a fairy tale for children.

The website for the architects and engineers questioning why Building 7 collapsed is here.  Their video on how and why they question the building collapse is here.

  • As you see, these are not Tea Partiers, but people with degrees in engineering and architecture who explain simply how this building could not have collapsed from heat alone.

    They don’t speculate on who did this or why–they are just following the path of scientific explanation.  Since this was a financial center, I can’t help but wonder at the connection to banksters.  Why the World Trade Center?
     

Cisco asks Obama/NSA to stop interference

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Cisco CEO John Chambers has written a letter to President Obama insisting the NSA cease its interference with Cisco products.

From the piece:

The letter follows the circulation of pictures on the Internet showing NSA staff opening boxes of Cisco gear, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. “There have been allegations that the NSA has intercepted IT equipment in transit from manufacturers to customers to help monitor and gain information on surveillance targets,” the paper wrote.

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So…Edward Snowden’s revelations haven’t had the impact…nor damage that is alleged…because apparently, they’re still doing it.  I don’t see how Snowden can be charged with damaging information when the parties involved are still up to the same violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Take Action against National Restaurant Association

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The Mafia, in another form…

Tuesday, May 13, 2014
CONTACT: Nikolina Lazic, nikolina@prwatch.org

TAKE ACTION! TELL CONGRESS TO REJECT THE NRA’S WAGE-CRUSHING AGENDA
   
The National Restaurant Association or the “Other NRA” is a lobbing powerhouse doing the dirty work of many Fortune 500 restaurant corporations like McDonald’s, Darden, and Taco Bell.

NRA is a leader in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) where it has pushed a measure to ban paid leave ordinances at the local level. (they don’t want to give those restaurant workers a day off when they have the flu!) It is a leading opponent of raising the minimum wage in states, helping Oklahoma’s governor ban local paid sick days and minimum wage hikes in one fell swoop! Plus, the NRA has successfully kept the tipped minimum wage at $2.13 since 1991!

Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Mark Fiore, takes the Other NRA’s corporate agenda of profits over people to task in his new video, check it at: https://www.youtube.com/embed/hr_crQuzWL4 and then take action below!

Tell your elected officials that you find the NRA’s wage-crushing agenda hard to stomach! http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/7326/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=17255

Take action at: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/7326/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=17255

———-

CONTACT CMD:

Center for Media and Democracy
409 East Main Street, Suite 100
Madison, Wisconsin 53703-4929
Phone: 608-260-9713
Email: editor@prwatch.org

DONATE: https://org.salsalabs.com/o/632/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=9668

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIN: http://www.prwatch.org/sub

Leaving children behind…by ignorance…

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(hat tip to Diane Ravitch and Mercedes Schneider)

This puts a light on the mindset of No Child Left  a Mind…only a politician would say such stupid things like they “don’t want to leave any child behind…” while ignoring the fact that it is child abuse to expect ALL children to be at 100%.  It shows how little they know about education, about children’s individual development, and about humanity in general.

We are not machines.

We are not here to make profits for them.

There is more to education (and life) than remembering facts and spewing them out.  A rich culture and thriving democracy require people with all kinds of creative expression–whether that be through intellect, arts, music, sewing, other crafts.   The marketplace of ideas is a concept for the media, but is true of democracy, as well.  If we all learn the same way with the same information spewed out–we gain very little when in contact with others…we don’t enrich ourselves nor they enrich themselves when we are not encouraged to express ourselves in positive creative ways without constraint.

For politicians to look at No Child Left a Mind as some sort of feather in their cap…shortsighted and delusional is how I would characterize that…

They are closing public schools in poor and minority neighborhoods…just the opposite of what these politicians say they want.  Children are stressed out and crying about testing that requires them to know things that are above their intellectual growth.

…not to mention the $$$ profiteering of Gates, Michael Milken, and the hedge fund managers involved in the scheme of trying to profit off our children.