Default: the Student Loan Documentary
The banks are still screwing us over. It didn’t end with the “Great Recession” and it did not begin with that era. They call it the “student loan bubble” and it’s not much unlike the housing or dotcom bubble that we witnessed in the early part of the 2000s. Republicans in the Senate just voted to allow the big 5 oil companies to receive a tax rebate in the billions. They complain about how jobs are being shipped overseas.
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Filed under Republican Party
NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: May 18, 2011
Contact: Eric Jotkoff, (850) 222-3411
When it comes to Big Oil or taxpayers, whose side are Florida’s Republican Senate hopefuls on? That’s a question Floridians deserve an answer to from Mike Haridopolos and Adam Hasner after their party leaders in Washington once again picked Big Oil yesterday. Continue reading
Filed under Republican Party
cross posted at dptilson on May 18, 2011
At U.S. Rep. West’s 5/16/11 Town Hall, GOP congressman & Tea Party favorite is circled by security forces, but still gets confronted by small business owner from his district who takes issue with Republican talking points on deficit, taxes, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid…and gets escorted out of the meeting for expressing himself. Continue reading
Filed under Allen West
From the Inbox: Congressman West Statement on South Florida Men Linked to Pakistani Taliban(WASHINGTON)
— Congressman Allen West (FL-22) released the following statement on the news of three South Florida residents charged with funneling money to the Taliban in Pakistan:
“The news that three South Florida residents, including an Imam from Margate, are among six people charged with providing support to the Taliban in Pakistan, is further proof that there are individuals among us aiding and abetting terrorists who want to destroy our way of life. The United States clearly continues to be a prime target. These men were living among South Floridians, worshiping at mosques in our own back yard, and using United States banks to wire money back to terrorist groups.
I commend the men and women of law enforcement who were able to apprehend these suspected terrorists. With the removal of Osama bin Laden, our enemies will only grow more brazen and more committed, not just overseas, but right on our own shores. I call on President Barack Obama, the Department of Justice, and all law enforcement to continue to recognize the seriousness of homegrown terrorism.
The protection of the citizens of this nation will continue to be my prime commitment. We must recognize that a very real, dangerous faction of Islamic extremism exists in our communities. These terrorists are recruiting American citizens, infiltrating our schools and our military, and using our own resources against us.
These terrorists will stop at nothing to kill and destroy us. America must be vigilant and on guard against attacks from the extreme Islamic world and not back down or show weakness to these terrorist groups. We must recognize America’s own soil has now become the center of a new, 21st Century battlefield.”
Filed under Allen West
After voting for the Ryan Plan, which turns Medicare into an under-valued voucher program, Congressman Allen West was honored with the Guardian of Seniors Rights’ award by the 60 Plus Association.
It's easy to guard something when it no longer exists
The self-proclaimed alternative to AARP began running 60-second radio ads in 30 Congressional districts – Allen West included – thanking Republicans for voting for House Budget Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan, which would phase out the current Medicare program completely for those under 55 years of age. The ads misleadingly assert that the Ryan Plan, which will turn Medicare into a voucher system, will make “no changes for seniors on Medicare now or those who will soon go on it”.
In an award ceremony at the nation’s capital, 60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin said “While both programs are running deficits, seniors are not to blame,” Martin emphasized. “After all, we seniors have paid into both all our working lives. We’ve paid our dues but seniors know why deficits face both Medicare and Social Security.”
He continues “On behalf of 7.l million seniors that 60 Plus looks to for support, seniors know you’re in our corner. Congressman West, you have earned our respect and our appreciation. 60 Plus thanks you.”
Allen West has made clear how he feels about Medicare and those other big government evils. We also know how much the seniors in his district responded at his latest town hall.
Filed under Allen West
Republicans campaigned on the promise of focusing on job creation. Instead of putting Floridians back to work, the GOP majority has spent their first legislative session pushing their radical social agenda: regulating women’s reproductive health care just because they can.
Florida is leading the lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act based on the GOP claims of government over-reach in the doctor/patient relationship. So it makes sense that Republican lawmakers crafted a proposed constitutional amendment that includes weakening personal freedom by expanding the government.
HJR 1179 will be on the 2012 ballot and if passed, exempts abortion from the state’s strong privacy rights.
The ultrasound bill (HB 1127) was brought back from the dead and sitting on Governor Rick Scott’s desk for a signature.
Last year, Governor Crist vetoed a measure that would force women to have an ultrasound and view the images while listening to a detailed description.
Ultrasounds are routine in abortion procedures, and the most recent version allows women to opt-out of the narrated viewing. So, Republican lawmakers haven’t actually done anything other than send the message that women are too incompetent to make decisions about her reproductive health and the state government has to intervene.
Senators Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, and Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said as much during debate. “I didn’t come up here to come and tell you what you must do with your bodies,” Sen. Lynn said. “I will vote no, not only on this bill, but every other bill we have on abortion.”
Sen. Detert added that she resents voting on a bill that “acts like I’m too stupid to confer with my own doctor on what I should do. This is not what we were sent up here to do.”
Filed under Florida Legislative Session
Allen West held his second town hall since he cast controversial votes that have been plaguing Republicans who returned to their respective districts earlier this week.
It’s that damn Paul Ryan and his budget bill. The Tea-Party freshman were going to return to a loving embrace at their town halls. But Karma’s a bitch, and instead time-warped them back to the circus of 2009. Only now, these town-hall attendees actually live in the area and are yelling at the Republican Congressmen whose plan threatens their Medicare and health care while adding to the massive budget deficit they promised to close.
Less than a minute in to this first clip, West defends his choice to de-fund Planned Parenthood and NPR, a measly 1% of the budget, while the Department of Defense has doubled their budget to over $600 billion. West’s response is a fantastic demonstration of the art of room clearing:
He might have pissed off all those people with those Planned Parenthood remarks, but he really dug himself into a hole when he pivoted into the “not turning his back on the people he served with” justification.
About 6 minutes into the next clip is West’s read on how the 2 parties can work together for the great good of America as a nation:
“There is an incredible ideological chasm developing in the United States of America and the gist is very simple: if you got more people who are tied or dependent upon government, by subsistence check or employment check, it becomes upside-down in the United States of America. And if there are people who believe that what built this great nation in 234 years is large government, I can’t compromise with that. Because that goes against our principles – that goes against everything the founding fathers wrote, that goes against everything that has built this country to where it is now.”
That’s depressingly unsurprising. Allen West stands firm on his tea-bagger platform of not cooperating with anyone who supports helping the greater good of those he was hired to represent.
Filed under Allen West
around minute 8 is where the arrest occurs
Filed under Allen West, Local
Florida Congressman Allen West held a town hall event in Fort Lauderdale this evening. It would have been a better show (by which I mean “authentic”), however it did start with some fireworks.
Upon arriving, everyone was given a card to fill out with standard info such as name, address, phone number, and email. We were also asked to fill out the question/concern we wanted West to address. Initially I assumed it was so they could gauge the temperature of the crowd. Ya know, take stock of general areas of interest and call people to the microphone accordingly. This isn’t unusual considering what most GOP congressman have faced at their respective town halls this week. If anything I figured they were hoping to avoid the Medicare voucher vote entirely.
He works for "you"....just don't ask him any questions
This wasn’t the case it all. Instead of calling people down to voice their concerns, Allen West had 2 staffers allegedly read the questions to him. I know for a fact they threw aside most of genuine questions because they threw out at least 4 people who took issue with this Q & A format. One woman was taken into police custody.
Dave Weigel reports that a Wall Street front group is loading conservative activists with soft ball questions and packing them into GOP town halls. That was what I expected. Instead we have a Congressman totally ducking any questions and soft-balling himself.
With regard to the Debt Ceiling, West defined the terms under which he’ll vote to raise it: a constitutional “balanced budget” amendment”, a provision in the constitution that triggers automatic budget cuts when the federal budget nears the debt limit, deregulation and cutting corporate taxes to 20%.
**UPDATE** Turns out the woman who was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police was Air America’s own Nicole Sandler.
Filed under Allen West
Republicans in the Florida state legislature are taking aim at public unions. The measures taken in this southern swing state, resemble those taken in states like Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. Republican governors are battling with public unions and the rights they are entitled to.
I swear, there are a few reasons people want to move to Florida....two of them pictured here
The House passed a bill that would prohibit automatic deduction for union dues from the paychecks of public sector workers. It would also require individual members to annually give express consent for their dues to be used for political purposes. Other legislation would for the first time require that all public workers take a 5% pay cut so the state can direct that same amount from state workers’ pensions. The Senate budgetary committee also passed a measure denying any fees collected to be used for political purposes in any way.
But here are a few catches: For one thing, Florida’s state constitution guarantees the right for workers to unionize.
According to Article 1, Section 6. Right to work — The right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union or labor organization. The right of employees, by and through a labor organization, to bargain collectively shall not be denied or abridged.
Jeanette Wynn, president of the Florida chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 110,000 workers across the state said the measures fail to address the most important issue: job creation. “This is all political and not at all economic”.
Florida is considered a “right to work” state. That means any person who works in the state of Florida does not have to join the union in order to work here. In other words: you don’t have to belong to a union to hold a job. It’s entirely optional. Additionally, workers who do join unions are allowed to end their membership at any time.
Because of this, many see the moves by the Republican legislature, as an attempt at union busting. And these feelings aren’t without warrant. According to the Chairman of the Palm Beach County Republicans, Syd Dinnerstein, “This is a hot issue across the country because we have public-sector employees who have been allowed to unionize and to become involved in politics and we should never have allowed either one”.
Robert Dow, president of the 8,000-member Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, said it’s not about ideas it’s about money. “This is a struggle over who will control wealth in this country.” He said “the shift in wealth in US away from the working-class and middle-class and to the wealthy since the 1970s has been astounding.
“Before that as, unions built and grew strong the middle class built and got stronger. And is unions have diminished middle-class wages have gone stagnant and have even begun to go down. What they are trying to do now is destroy the only effective voice workers have.”
Filed under Union busting
Educated Rants 