The Middle Class Fights Back: Wisconsin and more

(related content at: On Unions, "Class Warfare" and "It's the Economy, Stupid" posts)

Those greedy, lazy teachers succubi (from 2/28/2011)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - Angry Curds
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Teachers vs. Wall Street 3/2011

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer - Teachers and Wall Street
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Contact Scott Walker directly : govgeneral@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-1212\

On the Protests/Argument

• Sarah Palin Bombs In Wisconsin As Only 6,500 Attend Tea Party Rally, Politicus (April 16, 2011):

• "Forget being a presidential candidate, Sarah Palin isn’t even a decent headliner" 
• More on Sarah Palin in this separate blog entry
• MoJo, 3/1/2011: How will it keep going?

Polls, polls, polls

• Baacklash: Cops, firefighters turn on GOP in labor fight - POLITICO.com  (3/2011)
• Wisconsin Poll: Republican Enthusiasm Gap Vanishes in Wisconsin. Silver lining. 3/2011
• Daily Kos: Majority of early emails sent to Scott Walker were oppositional  ((3/2011)  

In Bed with the Corporatocracy

• The Republican governor's budget plan would open the state up to a corporate asset-grab not seen since robber baron capitalism (3/2011, Guardian)  
• A peek into Governor Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" reveals a shop of horrors that is just the opposite of actually repairing the budget. Among the items listed in the bill until Wednesday night were selloffs of state power generation facilities – in no-bid contracts notoriously prone to insider dealing. The 37 facilities he wants to sell off that produce heating and cooling at low cost to the state's universities and prisons. Walker's budget repair bill would have unloaded them at a low price, presumably to campaign contributors such as Koch Industries – and then stick the bill for producing this power at higher rates to Wisconsin taxpayers in perpetuity. (And this is all being sold as a "taxpayer relief" plan!) Invariably, this will make its way into new legislation once attention is diverted from the current controversy.

This is a Political not a Fiscal Issue

• Walker Emails show steps considered to punish Democrats (3/2011) 

Allies/Supporters of WI Union

• Catholic Bishops Back Wis. Union Protesters - Beliefnet News (3/2011)
• The Back Forty » Hey, GOP: How’s That Union-busting Thing Working Out for You?  (5/12/2011)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

(3/3/2011, Crisis in Dairyland: For Richer and Poorer)

Government/Public Employee Compensation

• Wisconsin public unions: Don't join the government to get rich | The Economist (2/2011)

Things that are More Important to GOP than Bonus Tax Cuts for the Wealthiest 2% of Americans

Republicans have been VERY CLEAR that they will not pass any legislation til bonus tax cuts for income over $1 million is passed first.

Here is a list of things that NOT more important to GOP than Bonus Tax cuts for the Wealthy:

(in progress)
Not Relief for Seniors.
Not honoring and providing for 9/11 first responders.
Not justice and equality in the military.
Not a responsible nuclear future.
Not middle class tax cuts--or even tax cuts for income under $1 million. 
Not the unemployed in a deadly economy.
Not immigration reform that would cut our deficit.
Not the deficit and debt.

Jon Stewart again gets it right--watch.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Lame-as-F@#k Congress
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Ask Democrats, Obama to toughen up

Two worthwhile petitions that cut to the heart of what people like me have been fretting over for a long time... the overability of Democrats/Obama to defer to Republicans and the inability to take hard stances and fight for our agenda.


Yes, Tea Party Republicans took over the House (but as I noted, it's hardly a mandate, and today brings another poll that emphasizes the non-mandate nature of the elections)--

But we, the American People, also elected Democrats in 2008 and it is still the 111th Congress.  Let's get moving and pass some REAL legislation, no compromises!, during the lame duck session!

Sign this petition and edit the cover letter to your point of view.

Amidst signals that Obama is ready to compromise with Republicans re: extending the disastrous, deficit-making Bush tax cuts for the top 2% of earners (see  my post below)...

Sign this Credo petition and tell him to NOT extend the Bush Tax Cuts.  It's a winning issue for Dems--but if and only if Obama takes leadership and fights the case.

There is also the Progressive Change Campaign version of the same petition.

***

UPDATE:  Others are picking up the chorus:

Michael Moore has taken to the airwaves and the blogs to argue for sweeping Democratic legislation to be passed during the lame duck session.

Blue Mass Group bloggers plead: "Mr. President, do not learn the wrong lesson from the midterms"

Extending Bush's Deficits with the "Bush Tax Cuts"

Off the Charts Blog | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Dissecting the Deficit (8/2012) http://goo.gl/XYtIl:  Indeed, the tax cuts and the wars alone account for nearly half of the public debt by 2019.

UPDATE: This NYTimes "solve the deficit" puzzle should be required activity for anyone who claims we should extend the Bush deficit-bombs, tax giveaways to the top 2%.  And here's a useful FACT SHEET about the Bush tax giveaways, from Politifact.
--
Here's what's on the table:

 

And here's a little sense of history--the top marginal tax rates over time--with some helpful Questions to Consider in the graphic: 

 UPDATE Dec 1 2010:

The President just announced, with much fanfare, a plan to Freeze federal workers' pay as part of an austerity/cost cutting measure. 

Our own Scott Brown is refusing to extend Unemployment Benefits (which will impact middle and working class Americans right at the holidays) because of the impact on the deficit.

Consider this: 

The "savings" from freezing fed workers' pay is less than 1% of the total deficit.  Not even a drop in the bucket. 

And extending the Bush tax cuts (deficit bombs) for income over $250,000 will add ANOTHER $700 BILLION to the deficit!!

If we are to believe Senator Scott Brown, The Deficit and Not Adding to It is a primary concern that trumps all others, including the protection of families meager safety net income in the winter, over the holidays.  

If Senator Brown argues FOR extending Bush tax holidays for income over $250,000--he will prove himself a liar:  that he doesn't actually care about the deficit. 

 

Call him on it. DO NOT LET SENATOR BROWN GET AWAY WITH VOTING FOR BUSH TAX GIVEAWAY EXTENSIONS.   

--

How income has been bleeding away from middle class to the top 1% for the last 30 years...

 ----

CONTACT SENATOR SCOTT BROWN

Email: Click thru his "Comment" Form on website:

Phones:

Boston -- (617) 565-3170

Washington, DC -- (202) 224-4543

FAX: (202) 228-2646

(you can use services like FaxZero.com to send free faxes from the internet!)