The Austerity That's Killing Florida

post from They gave us a republic... - Front Page on 26 March 2012 06:00:00 PM. © They gave us a republic... - Front Page

By @KYYellowDog

As we contemplate the racist hellhole that is the "state" of Florida, let's keep in mind that any attempt by rational residents to restore civilization and the rule of law is undermined at the start by the radical budget austerity established by the fanatic repug regime in Tallahassee.

Digby:

From Jacobin Magazine:
The Left should be paying attention to Florida. If you've ever desired a nightmarish vision of the legislature-driven austerity measures sure to proliferate around the country in the coming years, look no further than the Sunshine State's 2012 budget. With little protest, Florida lawmakers are eviscerating public welfare and rapidly turning the state into a haven for the exploitation of workers. Despite the laughable "moderation narratives" now propagating in local newspaper coverage-which depict it as part of a trend away from rightist absolutism-the 2012 budget is nothing less than an unqualified victory for free market zealots everywhere: its legislatively-imposed austerity measures and multi-billion dollar tax cuts will no doubt serve as a useful model for other "business friendly" Southern states and the country as a whole.

Read the whole thing to see just how bad things can get under one-party conservative rule. It's not just that they have passed laws effectively legalizing murder. They're in the process of turning Florida into a third world country for the 99%.
The 2012 Florida budget is a perfect example of this overarching strategy. On its own terms, it is a document of frightening severity, inflicted on a state with little risk of popular backlash. Scott and the Republican leadership may be widely despised, but the Sunshine State lacks the formations capable of challenging the imposition of austerity, such as what we've seen in Madison and Zucotti Park. I don't want to downplay the noble efforts of the Floridian Occupiers (yes, they exist) but the state's overwhelmingly suburban geography, its lack of density and dearth of prominent public space, prevents the sort of spectacular urban reclamation that made Occupy so compelling. And unionized public workers, the warp and woof of the Madison eruption, are a tiny minority of Florida's total employed. Fittingly, the 2012 budget disproportionately harms university students and state workers, the two groups actively resisting the descent into austerity.

One might also wonder about the Florida Democratic Party, but they are not present either. It's the same everywhere. The Party looked at its massive losses in the 2010 elections and decided its only hope was to support austerity and elect more conservatives. After all, they lost to Republicans who ran on that platform, right? It must be what the people want. That's just where their logic naturally takes them when they lose.
It's a truly harrowing tale of a descent into fiscal and social madness, with no end in sight. It turns out that America hasn't been spared the European style austerity after all. It's just happening in the states.

What's being sacrificed to austerity in your state's budget? Trust me, something is. And it's something society needs.

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usterity-thats-killing-florida

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A tale of two viral emails

post from Daily Kos on 26 March 2012 05:50:04 PM. © Daily Kos

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Slow Poster Children Ahead

post from Firedoglake on 26 March 2012 05:45:38 PM. © Firedoglake

Protestors were out in force this morning in front of the Supreme Court asking the court to overturn the Affordable Care Act because, if the founders had wanted poor children to receive treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, they would[...]

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I have a houseguest

post from They gave us a republic... - Front Page on 26 March 2012 05:30:00 PM. © They gave us a republic... - Front Page

By @BGinKC

For a month now, Trayvon Martin has been a constant presence in my home. He is at the dinner table, he is in the living room, he is playing video games in the office. He has been a constant presence since we heard of his murder because my husband is a teacher in an inner city high school. Most of his students are Trayvon Martin.

And Trayvon Martin is all they want to talk about.

Last night, we had that "what if" conversation that has been hanging in the air but never voiced since he started teaching there. What if one of his students becomes a victim of violence? "I remember when I got the word that Blessinger was dead during the first Gulf War. That about killed me, and he wasn't even my Airman anymore. That was hard enough, and he was an adult who made the bargain. But these kids..." His voice trailed off, and I did the only thing I could do, I reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

He is their teacher, but they are his world. Being their teacher gives him the sense of purpose he thought was lost when he no longer had either the kids at home nor the Air Force. He is a purpose-driven kind of guy and if he doesn't have one, he feels lost. And the thing that keeps him centered, keeps him from feeling lost, is a Catholic high school that shouldn't even be open, except Jesuits are superheroes who do not acknowledge the words "failure" or "no" when they are the verdict or the answer; and an Order of nuns with a social justice streak a mile wide and two miles deep who make the bullheaded Jesuits look timid, meek and softspoken. And about 400 inner-city students who the Priests and Nuns decided to give the benefits of a new style of secondary education that prepares them for college and careers and success in life.

And because those kids are in our lives, and because any one of them could be the next Trayvon Martin, I see a furrow in my beloved's brow that makes my heart ache, because I can't make it go away, and he can't keep them safe all the time, and he doesn't just care about them and their lives the time they are in his classroom. It's a permanent kind of thing. And so, Trayvon Martin has taken up residence in my home.

I hope he finds peace and makes himself comfortable, because I have a feeling he's going to be here a while.

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A Life Without Compromise

post from The American Prospect on 26 March 2012 05:29:59 PM. © The American Prospect

Thanks to a nasty bug last week, I'm still emptying my South by Southwest notebook.

A documentary about a musician's fall is sure to be particularly powerful stuff at a festival known largely for launching bands to stardom. Perhaps that's part of what made Beware of Mr. Baker such a favorite at South by Southwest, where it won the coveted Grand Jury Award. The documentary, after all, tells the tale of talented, rakish drummer Ginger Baker, who has finally become old, sitting at home in South Africa, low on cash, short on friends, and far removed from his heyday.

The documentary is in many ways a straightforward, chronological narrative of Baker's life, largely based around interviews with those who have known or been influenced by the drummer. For those of us lacking in a strong background of rock history, the film does an excellent job establishing Baker's unique talent in a context. Jay Bulger, the movie's director and writer, seemed to have found just about every famous drummer in the world, and recorded how Baker influenced their work.

But it's Baker himself who makes the movie, setting the pace of his story with a narration that's sometimes self-aware and other times woefully obtuse.

We see his violence and anger early; the film begins with Bulger taking a walking stick to the face when Baker discovers other people will be in "his" movie. By 14 he'd received a letter from his father, killed in World War II, telling him "your fists are your friends," advice he clearly took to heart. The drug-use begins early as well, as we see, through animation, Baker getting high on heroin as he listens to records of African drumming. The drummer joins bands only provoke fights with other members, including most famously Jack Bruce. Throughout the film Baker's actions range from simply selfish to overtly cruel, as he recklessly spends money, abandons his family, and moves from one wife to another.

Throughout, however, Baker's passion for and commitment to his craft is evident. Beginning as a jazz drummer, he's fearless in his pursuits, traveling from one continent to another; playing drum battles against his most revered idols. One of the most interesting part of the movie highlights his years in Nigeria in the 70s, playing with Fela Kuti and founding his own record studio. He helped cultivate the Afrobeat sound?before abandoning the entire venture in the midst of political violence and his own restlessness. The film does of course have some missing voices; for instance there's not one mention of the Beatles or the Yardbirds in the entire movie.

Baker is a captivating character, and watching his life appear to spiral slowly downward as he ages and alienates, is compelling stuff. From his recliner, he fondly remembers his time in Cream, likely his most lucrative and famous endeavor. While he and Jack Bruce have a clear antagonism, Baker and Eric Clapton turn out to have a fascinating relationship. It helps that Clapton has enough self-awareness to articulate some of the complexities. After seeing Baker's moments of violence and cruelty, it's powerful to hear him describe Clapton as a true friend he can count on, while Clapton appears both deeply committed to and deeply ambivalent towards his former band mate.

During a Q and A, director Jay Bulger says he wanted to tell a story about what it's like to live "a life without compromise." Using animation to depict some of Baker's inner turmoil, Bulger is unflinching in showing both the costs and payoffs to such an approach. He leaves unanswered whether such a life is worth pursuing.

The question hung heavy as we rejoined the throngs of musicians at the festival, many looking to pave their own career without compromise.

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Chuck Schumer: 'Buffett Rule' of minimum 30% tax
on millionaires will be debated on tax day

post from Daily Kos on 26 March 2012 05:25:58 PM. © Daily Kos

Class traitor Warren Buffett says
the rich should pay more.The House of Representatives will kill it, but the "Buffett Rule" will get a vote in the Senate on "tax day," April 15, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The so-called rule is named after billionaire Warren Buffett because he has said the mega-wealthy should pay more taxes.

?You should, if you are very wealthy, God bless you, you made a lot of money, we love you in America, but let?s be fair. You should pay more than your secretary, and that will be on the floor April 15, Tax Day,? Schumer said on the CBS program ?Face the Nation? [on Sunday].

President Obama pushed the idea in his State of the Union address, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced it as the Paying a Fair Share Act in the Senate in February. The bill would require people making at least $2 million a year to pay a minimum of 30 percent of their income and would phase in for people making at least $1 million.

The hall monitors of the 1 percenters are saying the wealthy will get around the tax by changing their behavior. Since one of the reasons the wealthy pay such low overall rates is because so much of their income comes from capital gains, which are taxed less than income earned from wages and salaries.

So, goes the reasoning, they will reduce their stock sales and other transactions that generate those capital gains. In short, they will make less money so they won't have to pay more taxes.

Consequently, according to a report by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, the Fair Act would only generate $47 billion in federal revenue over the next decade. Only?

That's hardly an argument for not passing the bill. Or rather, it wouldn't be an argument if the Republicans were truly serious with their claims about wanting to reduce the deficit. As we know from Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal, they aren't serious. The only things they really want to cut are taxes on the affluent and programs for the less so.

The Paying a Fair Share Act won't raise a huge amount of money. To do that, other proposals are needed, such as a stock transaction tax. But the White House's and Sen. Whitehouse's proposal would make for a good start. The rich are, as we get reminded nearly every day, getting richer, richer, richer. And one very big reason for it is a tax code skewed to help make them so.

???

Join our call to action urging Senators to approve the "Buffett Rule" as contained in the Paying a Fair Share Act.

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-Rule-of-minimum-30-tax-on-millionaires-will-be-debated-on-tax-day-

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HARP 2.0 Setting Up as Another Disappointment

post from Firedoglake on 26 March 2012 05:02:08 PM. © Firedoglake

The revised HARP program intended to encourage refinancing at lower interest rates was announced last year, and the updating of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's Desktop Underwriter program was supposed to make the changes turnkey, leading to mass[...]

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HARP 2.0 Setting Up As Another Disappointment

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Report: Member Of National Labor Relations Board
Leaked Info

A Republican member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who was recently given a recess appointment by President Barack Obama leaked internal information to two former members of the board who are now working in the private sector, according to an Inspector General report released Friday.

NLRB Inspector General David Berry said in the report, released by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, that Terence Flynn gave two former members of the board information on the status of pending cases and information about how members were expected to vote. Flynn began working at the NLRB in 2004, was nominated to the board by Obama in Jan. 2011 and was given a recess appointment in Jan. 2012.

The IG report found that Flynn "knew, or should have know, that he had a duty to maintain the confidence of the information that he received in the performance of his official duties." It also criticized him for a lack of candor about the messages after the IG probe began.

Flynn allegedly gave information to Peter Kirsanow, outside counsel for the National Association of Manufacturers and Peter Schaumber, who serves as co-chairman for Mitt Romney's labor advisory team. Kirsanow told the Wall Street Journal that he "received no inside information whatsoever." Schaumber didn't respond to the newspaper's request for comment.

Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said in a statement that the report demonstrates that President Obama shouldn't have made recess appointments to the board despite Republican opposition.

"Three individuals now sit on the National Labor Relations Board, despite never participating in a public hearing, and in some cases, sidestepping the traditional confirmation process altogether," Kline said. "The Senate's vetting process provides an important forum to raise and address allegations of misconduct before someone is elevated to a position of public trust. Both President Obama and Senate Democrats allowed partisan politics to obstruct the public's right to examine the backgrounds of these individuals. This report illustrates the vital importance of the constitutional confirmation process."

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is calling on Flynn to resign.

"Even for an agency that has at times been highly politicized, these unethical practices are unprecedented and indefensible. NLRB member Flynn should resign immediately. The Department of Justice should quickly investigate and bring criminal charges if violations are found," Trumka said in a statement.

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Progressive Caucus Releases Complete Budget for
All

Washington, D.C. ? Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and Rep. Michael Honda, the CPC Budget Taskforce Chairman and principal author of the CPC 2013 Budget, today released their full alternative budget, the Budget for All. The CPC budget calls for no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits, a stark contrast to the House Republican cuts-only scheme that fails to balance the budget. The Budget for All invests in proven job creation initiatives and includes popular reforms such as public financing of Congressional and presidential elections, progressive taxation and a public health care option.
The full budget materials can be read at Budget4all.org.A one-page summary is available at http://1.usa.gov/H6u4lI and the executive summary is available athttp://1.usa.gov/GQRcVC.
?Our budgets mean schools, firehouses and hospitals stay open and people get the education and job training they need to find good jobs when they?re ready,? Rep. Grijalva said. ?Cutting billions from public education, low income health care, school nutrition and public services and giving the money to big corporations isn?t making a tough choice. It?s a choice that?s going to make it tougher for a lot of working Americans, but that?s not the same thing. Republicans say we?re headed off a cliff because of spending. Well, our budget increases funding for job training, for education, for infrastructure, for low-income and veterans housing, and we chart a much more fiscally responsible path than the Republican scheme. It?s about more than numbers on a page to us ? it?s about people.?
?Paul Ryan was right about only one thing when he introduced the GOP?s budget,? Ellison said. ?America has a choice between two futures. In the Republican vision for America, the Medicare guarantee is stripped from our parents and grandparents, Wall Street greed is rewarded while the middle class continues to shrink and more of our tax dollars are handed over to millionaires, billionaires and the corporate special interests who can afford an army of lobbyists.
?In the CPC?s vision for America, we all do better when we all do better. We reward work, not just wealth. We invest in our people and rebuild America, and we begin to show Washington what a government of, by, and for the people looks like. I think I know which future the American people will choose,? Rep. Ellison concluded.
?As architects of America?s future, Republicans absolutely offer no progress, protection or prosperity,? Rep. Honda said. ?The Republican budget is irresponsible and will decimate the American economy. In contrast, the CPC Budget For All puts Americans back to work, re-ignites the economy through historic investments and allows American business to dream big, innovate and win. The Budget For All rejects the radical Republican notion that every indispensible social program must be gutted to pay for more tax cuts for the rich. The Budget For All forges a fair tax code and protects and expands the social safety net. Some frame this decisive moment for America as a choice between two futures. I agree. The Republican scheme offers the great majority of Americans no future at all. The Budget For All protects and grows the future for all Americans.?
The Budget for All increases funding for a variety of successful job creation programs, restores high earner?s marginal tax rates to Clinton-era levels, and preserves Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid without making benefit cuts. The plan builds on the successes of the CPC 2012 proposal, The People?s Budget, which garnered praise from notable economists such as Paul Krugman and Jeffrey Sachs and outlets such as The Economist.
Below is a key graph comparing the Budget for All to the Republican Budget.
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.html