Willie
Friday, January 10, 2020
Florida GOP Voter Suppression Scheme May Backfire
After Floridians approved an initiative to restore voting rights to approximately 1.4 million people with felony convictions, Republican lawmakers immediately moved to sabotage the historic effort. Blue counties are restoring ex-felons’ voting rights. Red counties are leaving them disenfranchised.
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Florida’s four most populous counties created “rocket dockets” to waive fines and fees en masse. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Hillsborough—which, together, make up more than a third of the state’s population—launched programs to identify individuals who owe fines and fees and fast-track their cases
to the courts. HERE
to the courts. HERE
Hillsborough County Needle Exchange Program
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The vote was 5 to 1, Stacy White was
the lone dissenter. HERE
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Trump's Florida Sting Operation
The country's oldest Latino civil rights organization slammed President Trump on Friday for scheduling what it called a "fake Christian campaign rally" at a predominantly Hispanic evangelical church in Florida.
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Domingo García, head of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said in a statement that "Latinos everywhere are concerned by President Trump’s fake Christian campaign rally at a Latino Evangelical Church that serves a large undocumented population
in South Florida." HERE
in South Florida." HERE
Florida GOP senators praise Trump for ordering Iranian killing
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 3, 20201. Soleimani wasn’t “assasinated”,he was killed on the battlefield during active operations.
2. He was in #Iraq in violation of a 2007 UN Security Council travel ban
3. He spent the last few days coordinating imminent attacks against American citizens,allies & interests 1/2
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Florida GOP War Profiteers
List of the amount of money every anti-Iran Florida lawmaker has taken from the people who get rich from war.
Marco Rubio: $377,378
Rick Scott: $73,911
Mario Diaz-Balart: $446,350
Brian Mast: $36,808
Matt Gaetz: $107,285
Neal Dunn: $35,800
Ted Yoho: $36,000
John Rutherford: $136,150
Daniel Webster: $28,900
Gus Bilirakis: $27,700
Greg Steube: $1,000
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Monday, January 6, 2020
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Words of Kent Bailey
For decades, an extreme excess of money from fossil fuels has funded conflict in the Middle East. Limiting petrol-dollars would do much to stabilize the region. We can achieve this thru the peaceful, global development of renewable energy. A policy based on the pursuit of peace thru continued death and destruction will continue to fail, even if escalated to
apocalyptic proportions.
apocalyptic proportions.
The aggressive development and export of renewable energy technology can render this Endless War economically unsustainable for America's enemies while simultaneously creating tens of millions of jobs in the United States. Reducing the demand and the price for gas and oil will also make many of the deep-water, shale oil, fracking, arctic and other marginally profitable extraction schemes no longer profitable.
And, oh by the way, we can save our grandchildren's planet in the process. HERE
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Beyond individual actions, we must act collectively to reject those who reject Science and demand climate action. TECO, HART, the Tampa Bay Times and our Governor insist that CNG reduces carbon emissions when Science tells us that the fugitive methane (gas that escapes into the atmosphere without being burned) makes CNG WORSE than either diesel or coal! Methane is 80X more potent as a greenhouse gas.
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Beyond individual actions, we must act collectively to reject those who reject Science and demand climate action. TECO, HART, the Tampa Bay Times and our Governor insist that CNG reduces carbon emissions when Science tells us that the fugitive methane (gas that escapes into the atmosphere without being burned) makes CNG WORSE than either diesel or coal! Methane is 80X more potent as a greenhouse gas.
State of the House
Whether you are in Florida or Vermont, there is good cause to ensure the robust health of our state legislatures. This means that we need to be vigilant in electing underrated legislators to fight for important issues. Tallahassee needs an overhaul in order to bring real progress to Florida. In the Tampa area, there are already a slate of quality people running for the State House, such as Julie Jenkins, Jessica Harrington, Mark Oliver, and others.
Who do you want to see run for the Florida State House of Representatives? What should the defining issues be? Education, agriculture, environmental protection, gun control, healthcare, public transit, etc...
The same question goes for my fellow politicos in Vermont; here I have less knowledge because I am still learning the ropes. Who should run for what? What are the defining issues here? I see public transit, healthcare, compensation for first responders, bias training, and ADA enforcement as some of them. I am eager to learn more & help Vermont progress into the future. We may have the lowest state budget in the country, though I am positive there are ways to bolster our ability to fund what we need.
Cheers!
— Asher
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Bernie Sanders: No Money For War With Iran
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced legislation that would block funding for any offensive military force in or against Iran without prior congressional authorization. HERE
Friday, January 3, 2020
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Florida Right-Wing Disinformation
Hunter Biden is currently involved in a paternity suit in Arkansas. The New York Post recently ran an article titled, “Private-eye firm claims Hunter Biden is linked to multiple criminal probes.” Here’s the lead paragraph.
Hunter Biden is the subject of multiple criminal investigations related to “fraud, money laundering and a counterfeiting scheme,” it’s claimed in court documents filed Monday in his Arkansas
paternity case.
paternity case.
The documents they are referring to were filed by a Florida-based private-eye firm, D&A Investigations, and were almost immediately dismissed by the judge because they had nothing to do with the paternity case. Nowhere in the documents did D&A name the agencies behind the purported criminal
probes of Biden.HERE
probes of Biden.HERE
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
FIGHTING FOR $15?
If you are fighting fo $15, I'd like you to keep something in mind.
No progress can be made without some sacrifice. Yes, we live in a failing economy and a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour would provide a significant boost to our economy that reaches beyond the stock markets and into family homes. However, with it will come an increase in the nationwide cost of living as corporations and retailers increase prices to offset an increase in their overhead, which is to be expected in a thriving economy. But who will be left behind? There are millions of people who live in this country whose sole income is Social Security or a veterans disability pension, millions who receive an income that equates to less than $7 an hour. Their income has always lagged far behind cost of living increases and, for many, the large cost of living increase likely to result from a federal $15 minimum wage would be devastating. It will take many years for the Social Security Administration and the Veterans Administration to catch up to the 'booming' economy that doubling the federal minimum wage will create.
If your fight is to assure that every American makes a living wage, be aware that accomplishing a $15 federal minimum wage will not be the end of the fight. Far from it.
No progress can be made without some sacrifice. Yes, we live in a failing economy and a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour would provide a significant boost to our economy that reaches beyond the stock markets and into family homes. However, with it will come an increase in the nationwide cost of living as corporations and retailers increase prices to offset an increase in their overhead, which is to be expected in a thriving economy. But who will be left behind? There are millions of people who live in this country whose sole income is Social Security or a veterans disability pension, millions who receive an income that equates to less than $7 an hour. Their income has always lagged far behind cost of living increases and, for many, the large cost of living increase likely to result from a federal $15 minimum wage would be devastating. It will take many years for the Social Security Administration and the Veterans Administration to catch up to the 'booming' economy that doubling the federal minimum wage will create.
If your fight is to assure that every American makes a living wage, be aware that accomplishing a $15 federal minimum wage will not be the end of the fight. Far from it.
The 2020's: another lost decade?
The TVA Project
Beginning with the Great Depression and continuing for 4 decades, the United States was able to accomplish big comprehensive public projects and policies that helped it become an advanced liberal democracy and industrial nation. There were the big public works projects like the TVA and programs like the Social Security Act in the 1930's, the industrial mobilization of WW2, and the Marshall Plan which saved European Capitalism in the 1940's. The 1950's saw the creation of the Federal Interstate System. And during the 1960's huge strides in social and economic justice were made with the signing of the Voting and Civil Rights Act, the creation of Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for those living under the poverty-line. These big public government actions came to an end with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Bill Clinton's embrace of Wall Street Banks
during the 1990's.
As we enter 2020 and beyond, will the U.S. continue to be captured by corporations that control our government or can people wrest control of the levers of power and return to an era when government collectively responded to the population's will; like building mass-public transportation projects, government-run M4ALL, expansion of the social safety net, etc. As we, the voting public, enter the primaries, we should ask the candidates running for public office what they see for the future: a wealth and financial tax to fund big government projects like in the past or continue to embrace another lost decade?
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