Just a Little Note from Me

As many of you who are my followers know - up until the big announcements two weeks ago about ALEC on the Center for Media and Democracy, my site had state pages on it that showwed the list of people that I had identified as being involved with ALEC.

I had to take those pages down and go back and complete research to pull verifiable citations for every person on my lists before I was willing to repost the lists.  I have now completed that project and will be reposting, by state, the information that I have.  The reposting is time consuming - so give me about a week to get everything back up.

All the information supporting the names on the lists has been pulled from public documents on the web - you are able to verify every one of these names, using the web.  If the name is not on the web - I have not included the name in the list  - because I can't cite it.

Watch this week - as the states get reposted.
Sorry for the inconvenience - in the meantime visit this webpage if you are looking for lists of people involved with ALEC or want to review ALEC "model legislation".

ALEC - Picking on the Special Ed Kids

When I was in school I knew kids who picked on the special ed kids - they would push them, call them names, play dirty tricks on them.
Well those bullies grew up to be state legislators that now belong to ALEC.


This is just 'effing wrong.
And to think the right wing pundits are circling their editorial wagons around this piece of shit organization - the "left is picking on ALEC"!
SCREW 'EM!  ALEC and all their right wing pundits.

When I first read ALEC's stuff on special ed vouchers - I KNEW they weren't being altruisitc in their intent.  But I wasn't smart enought to know why it was wrong.

You have to READ THIS
and email it to everyone you know to read.

You DON'T pick on the Special Ed kids - didn't their mother ever tell them that?
Mine did - because my brother was in the special ed class.

Assholes - every single ALEC member is an asshole - because they support this crap they call legislation and they introduce it into our states and they "make the litle children suffer" - ASSHOLES - every single one of them.
I hope every ALEC member rots in hell - every single ALEC member on the face of the earth!

They are such digusting pieces of crap

we have to make sure that every ALEC member is NOT re-elected at he state and federal elvels.

Unemployment - Brought to you by ALEC

John started the day early having set his alarmclock
(MADE IN COLUMBIA )
for 6 am ..


While his coffeepot
(MADE IN CHINA)

was perking, he shaved with his electric razor
(MADE IN HONG KONG)

He put on a dress shirt
(MADE N.C. BY PRISONERS),

and designer jeans
(MADE IN AN OREGON PRISON INDUSTRY)

and  tennis shoes
(MADE IN KOREA)

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet
(MADE IN INDIA)

he sat down with his calculator
(MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch
(MADE IN TAIWAN )

to the radio
(MADE IN INDIA )

he got in his car
(MADE IN GERMANY )

filled it with $4.00 a gallon GAS
(from Saudi Arabia )

Went to vote and didn’t have enough I.D.
He left without voting

and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day
he glimpsed a story about a corrupt political organization on his computer
(REFURBISHED BY FEDERAL PRISONERS IN TEXAS),

Discouraged, John decided to relax for a while.

He put on his sandals
(MADE IN A PRISON WORK SHOP IN FLORIDA),

poured himself a glass ofwine
(MADE IN FRANCE )

and tuned to MSNBC on hisTV
(MADE IN INDONESIA ),

and again wondered why he can't find a good paying job ...
…in AMERICA.

As he watched JOHN and LISA on the ED SHOW, he learned about ALEC…and understood why his day had gone the way it had….it was all because of…

THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL AND THEIR MODEL LEGISLATION:

(RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF EXPANSION OF FOREIGN MARKETS FOR AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESSES)
(PRISON INDUSTRIES ACT)
(PRIVATE PRISON PRIVATIZATION ACT)
(RESOLUTION ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS)
(COMPETITIVE CONTRACTING OF PUBLIC SERVICES ACT)
(VOTER ID ACT)
(AT WILL EMPLOYMENT ACT)
(PREVAILING WAGE REPEAL ACT)
(STARTING MINIMUM WAGE REPEAL ACT)
(RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO STARTING WAGE ACT)
(RESOLUTION OPPOSING EMPLOYER PAID HEALTHCARE MANDATE)
(RESOLUTION OPPOSING FEDERAL MANDATES ON UNEMPLOYMENT)
(RIGHT TO WORK ACT)
(U.S. KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT)
(COLUMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT)
(FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH TAIWAN)
(TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP)

THANKS ALEC…
YOU AND YOUR CORPORATE PARTNERS HELPED MAKE MY DAY!


(Author:  Bob Sloan - Proud Member of Daily Kos' "Exposing ALEC" Group)

A Letter to Minnesota ALEC Members

This is a repost of a diary from Daily Kos

To ALL Minnesota ALEC Members

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

On August 3 - 6, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be holding their annual meeting meeting in New Orleans.  As a citizen of Minnesota, I am requesting by this letter that you do not attend.

As a taxpayer of the State of Minnesota, I pay your salary, and I initially would be paying for your travel and per diem expenses (until ALEC reimburses you with corporate donations).  As a taxpayer of Minnesota I am requesting that you do not attend the ALEC meeting in New Orleans.

I am requesting that on August 3 - 6 you hold town hall meetings in your district - with your constituents - from 8 am to 5 pm on each of those three  days. 

You should be in Minnesota on August 3 – 6,  meeting with and being “educated by” the citizens you represent and the citizens who pay your salary. 

I can't remember the last time MY legislator sat down with THEIR TRUE CONSTITUENTS - the state taxpayer  - for two or three days – multiple times a year -  to discuss OUR needs for legislature.  The residents of Minnesota would love to have their legislator's attention for more than 2 hours at a town meeting - but I guess we don't have enough cash in our pockets to get your attention. 

On August 3 - 6, you should not be at the ALEC meeting in New Orleans with other legislators from other states – legislators that have no vested interest in the State of Minnesota.  We do not need or want legislation from other states. 

On August 3 - 6, you should not be in New Orleans participating in meetings with corporate interests – a meeting that is not open to the public.  We do not need or want legislation that is crafted with the help of corporate interests.

Please schedule full-day town hall meetings in your district for the dates of August 3 – 6 which is the dates for the American Legislative Exchange Council annual meeting.

This letter is sent as a reminder that you are paid to serve the citizens of Minnesota and that we are your first and foremost responsibility while you are in the Minnesota Legislature.  The corporate sector members of ALEC are NOT your first and foremost responsibility.

Your responsibility is to the citizens of the State of Minnesota and serving the citizens of the State of Minnesota is your primary reason for being, as a state legislator.  I am requesting and looking forward to the announcement of full-day town hall meetings - for your constituents -  scheduled in your district on August 3 – 6^th.

Sincerely,

Cc:

Erik Paulsen – US Congress – MN ALEC  Alumni

If you don’t know what ALEC is – please read this or this.

Keep up to date on all things ALEC at

Daily Kos Group, Exposing ALEC

and ALEC  Exposed

 Protest ALEC– New Orleans – August 5th

Daily Kos - MnDem999  7/27/2011

Article that defends ALEC - Really!

It really is in your best interest to do two things

Read this article defending ALEC
and really take time to read the comments below it.

We can never make the assumption of how others will behave,
based on our intereactions with those we see on a regular basis.


ALWAYS REMEMBER

I can't remember the last time MY legislator sat down with THEIR TRUE CONSTITUENTS - the state taxpayer  - for two or three days – multiple times a year -  to discuss OUR needs for legislature.  The residents of our state would love to have their legislator's attention for more than 2 hours at a town meeting - but I guess we don't have enough cash in our pockets to get your attention. 

ALEC Keeps in Touch with Boehner

Just thought you'd like to see this - It's an FYI Only - But you should know about it.

http://www.speaker.gov/UploadedFiles/healthcare_110107_alecletter.pdf

Great Information on ALEC on NPR

John Nichols was on NPR - to discuss ALEC.
This is an excellent interview.

Grab your favorite beverage - sit back and enjoy this 32 minute interview.

Listen to it here.

Please forward this link to anyone and everyone you know - it is that good!

Obama Press Conference - After ALEC Alumni Says No!

If you aren't aware - ALEC Alumni Boehner walked away from the deficit discussions yesterday.
Probably because ALEC members would not get the benefits he had promised them.

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and
get comfortable and be sure to watch this whole thing - 31 minutes worth.
It is important!

ALEC Members - Why Would You Want a Member List?

Many of us were very excited this week when the Center for Media and Democracy released their expose on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  Their site ALEC Exposed, not only contains a drop of approximately 800 pieces of ALEC legislation, but also includes a growing list of politicians that are members of ALEC.

For years many of us have been working to expose ALEC and their nefarious actions – now that is done! Yippee!  So the question begs to be asked – what's next?

What is next – we HAVE TO REMOVE all ALEC members from state and federal government.  It is our role to make sure that they don’t get re-elected.  Now is the time for “boots to the ground” to use the information we have compiled on ALEC members and legislations to prove to others that ALEC members MUST be removed from public service at any and all levels.

ALEC members are not serving the public – they are serving the corporations.  It does not matter how ALEC or their members spin this story over the next couple months it is important for you – to remember and to talk about the following fact -

When was the last time YOU got to sit with your legislator for two or three days and tell your legislator what YOUR needs are and help your legislator write legislation that benefited YOU.

Your ALEC legislator does this multiple times a year with corporations – so when push comes to shove – it is evident who your legislator is representing – the ALEC corporations.

In line with this thinking I want to share with you a post from Daily Kos, done in May of this year.  In retrospect this post was premature – but now it has amazing insight for future actions that need to be taken.

For your enjoyment  - - - - - from MnDem999 at Daily KOS

I’ve done a lot of research over the past 4 months trying to find out who are ALEC members.  I have visited blogs and diaries, searched ALEC documents, searched the web, search documents that have nothing to do with ALEC - but have names I recognize in them.  I spend hours and hours looking for ALEC member information.

And last night when I was updating my list of past and present ALEC members – I had to ask the question.

So what – what if people had a list – what does that accomplish? 

What would happen if people had a list - what will it accomplish? 

Does it really hurt ALEC if a list were available or would ALEC just go on – business as usual?

How would this information be used in a constructive way?

Having a list of names means nothing – it’s just a list of names.  It has no meaning.

The lists will always be incomplete – ‘cause the only place that has the full list is ALEC and new members join every session – every ALEC meeting.

It’s also important to acknowledge that other non-ALEC legislators KNOW who the members of ALEC are and yet they have chosen not to use that information in their campaigns.  So we have to ask the question, “Why not?”

One of the things I have found during my research is that in general ALEC members are embarrassed to acknowledge their membership in ALEC.

The ALEC member bios will show that they are a member of the NRA, the VFW, AARP, their place of worship, the PTO, the Legion, the “Y” – organizations that have little or nothing to do with their legislative work – nothing!  But very seldom do they acknowledge that they belong to ALEC.

So my question to ALEC members is:

Hey, ALEC members – why don’t you mention ALEC?

    You don’t mention the organization that puts pre-written

       legislation in your grubby little hand just by visiting the

       ALEC “Members Only” webpage?

    You don’t mention the organization that reaffirms your

       commitment to free-market philosophy at the expense

       of representative government?

    You don’t mention your membership in an organization

       whose corporate sponsors wine and dine you at all

       the ALEC meetings and help you write

       legislation – legislation / government by the

       corporations and for the corporations?

Are you embarrassed to acknowledge

your relationship with ALEC?

I would be –

but then, I wouldn’t be a member of an organization

that in my opinion subverts democracy in the United States.

Well what would you do if you had a list?

Having a list of names means nothing – it’s just a list of names.  It has no meaning.

Would you confront them and ask them “Are you a Member of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council?

  If they said yes – what would you do with that information?

  How would you educate people about what that means and why it’s

  an important question to ask?

  If they said, no.  How would you respond??

Would you write editorials about their membership in ALEC?

  If yes, how would you phrase it so people would understand what that means and

  why it’s important that they know that information?

Would you write about the ALEC member in a diary or a blog?  What would you write?  It has to be more than their name and that they are an ALEC member – some people already know that and don’t care.

If a journalist contacted you – what would you tell them?  What does it mean, can you provide proof, do you have local examples you can give them?

Would you tell others about the ALEC member? 

If yes, what would you tell them? 

How would you explain to them what being

an ALEC member means and if their response was 

‘That sounds okay, doesn’t

really seem like a big thing.”

Could you explain to them why being an ALEC

member is really important?

Would you have materials ready to give them,

to further educate them or

web pages that you could refer them to?

What would you do if you found out one of your favorite legislators was an ALEC member?  Would that make a difference?  Would it be okay for that legislator to be a member – because you like them?

It’s important to remember that other non-ALEC legislators KNOW who the members of ALEC are and yet they have chosen not to use that information in their campaigns.  How can we make a difference?

So we have to ask the question – as we move forward –

How can I make a difference? 

How can I share this information in a way that is meaningful and will

    truly make a difference in the next election?

The only way that we can be assured that ALEC will fold

is if they no longer have legislators as members –

which means that current ALEC members and

ALEC Alumni members in the US Congress

can not be re-elected.

THAT is the only reason to want to know a list of names.

But, elections take time -  this will be a long process - it won’t happen overnight – it will take time and energy.  Are you in it for the long haul?

So what?  What if people had a list – what does that accomplish? 

What would happen if people had a list - what will it accomplish? 

Does it really hurt ALEC if a list were available?

How can that information be used in a constructive way?

What will I do with an ALEC member list?

Reposted from Daily Kos, MNDem999, 5/14/2011
And if you were patient enough to read the whole thing - Here's a little treat just for you.

Becauseican - Becauseihaveto

Never thought it would come to this but it did.........so here it is. 
To remain here until the day this blog dies.

Many of my followers have already realized that there is information that has been deleted from this site - that was done intentionally due to misuse of the information by those who copied the information from this site.

I'd like to thank the recent release of ALEC information for making thieves of many and claiming as their own - that which they did not research, did not write and did not publish.

Copyright in the whole and every part of this site belongs to becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used, sold, licensed, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or form or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com.

This site represents the personal opinions of becauseican-2old2care blogspot.  The information, contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only. Information put on becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com can be printed or downloaded for private purposes only.  While the information contained on the site has been compiled in good faith, no representation is made as to its completeness or accuracy. Becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update or correct or to provide notice as to any error or omission in any report or other information contained on the site. Becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com reserves the right to add, modify or delete information on this site at any time.

Amen.

Help Revoke ALEC's Nonprofit Status

Common Cause has contacted the IRS asking them to withdraw ALEC's nonprofit status.

Read about it here.


Please support the efforts of Common Cause  by signing their petition to the IRS to investigate ALEC.

Petition is located here.


Thanks!

ALEC Exposed - PRWatch of the Center for Media and Democracy

After almost a year of work by various bloggers, students and activists - today PRWatch of the Center for Media and Democracy has released the expose on The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - based on the persistence of many activists across the United States who have worked to bring attention to ALEC - The American Legislative Exchange Council.

I invite you to read the press release and if you have time review the other webpage and documents that are linked to the press release.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/07/10883/about-alec-exposed


The basic hope of all people who work on the issue of ALEC is
1.  to expose the operations of ALEC
2.  to publicly release the legislation that is produced by ALEC
3.  to identify all ALEC legislators and
         make sure that they are not re-elected to office -
         both at the state and US level.
         Without legislators to introduce ALEC's corporate based legislation - ALEC will cease to exist.

Items 1 and 2 have now been accomplished.
Item 3 will be much harder, because members of ALEC normally will not release information regarding their ALEC activities.

Item #3 is where efforts of activism will be needed more so than anything!

As bloggers, readers and activists - we still have a lot of work to do in regards to ALEC.

But this is an amazing start.

Check out this news release on Common Dreams.

Sign the petition to tell corporations to DUMP ALEC.

ALEC - Government Privatization Legislation - THE REAL DEAL

I STARTED AT THE ALEC WEB PAGE
Just now I was playing around on the ALEC webpage and I found this:

Government Services Competition Act

THIS IS MODEL LEGISLATION AVAILABLE TO YOUR ALEC LEGISLATOR!

I Googled:   Government Services Competition Act

And I found this on the Heartland.org webpage

In the footer of that document on the Heartland webpage - the source for this legislation is  Sourcebook of American State Legislation 1995

I Googled:  Sourcebook of American State Legislation 1995

And I found this.

Author: American Legislative Exchange Council. Committee on Suggested State Legislation.

FULL CIRCLE - BACK TO ALEC

Summary of the ALEC GOVERNMENT SERVICES COMPETITION ACT - "Model Legislation"

GOVERNMENT SERVICES COMPETITION ACT

This model bill provides a general model for state government privatization efforts. States should adapt this _~ model to meet their own particular needs and circumstances regarding privatization. It prohibits state agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions supported in whole or part by any state revenues, from engaging in any activity which is in competition with private enterprise unless the agency, institution, or political subdivision can demonstrate that there is an overriding or compelling public interest served by the state’s provision of the service. It also sets standards for state agencies, authorized to engage in an activity in competition with private enterprise, to follow.

If this does not convince you

that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

is a dangerous and extremist organization -

then go somewhere else - I don't have time for you.

PLEASE put this on every Facebook page, every blog, every place on the interest where there is one line of space available to expose this horrific organization.

MN Legislators Lie About ALEC Membership/Involvement

MY TWO CENTS FOR TODAY
Would you re-elect your legislator if they lied to you -

bald faced lied to your face?

I wouldn't. 

AND I  would let others know that the representative had lied to me.

IMO Liars are deceitful people, they can not be trusted.

AND liars should not be in public service.

I had a dialogue offline with a reader about her experience getting her representatives to verify theif ALEC membership.

She had gone into action, writing to her representatives asking them if they were ALEC members. ( I was so happy to see that someone had actually taking action - she made me smile with her comment.)

Are you an ALEC member?
Her Senator said no, her representative said yes.

She was lucky,
because I have had Minnesota ALEC members
lie to me
about their ALEC membership and ALEC involvement.
          
Oops, not so much...
Her representative told her that he had not introduced any ALEC legislation.

I found her state rep King Baniain had not only introduced what certainly appears to be ALEC model legislation - but he had also co-introduced what certainly appears to be ALEC legislation with two of Minnesota's most prominent ALEC members Kiffmeyer and Drazkowski.

Baniain also said he wasn't going to the ALEC annual meeting in New Orleans, in August.  Guess we'll have to see if he really is in Minnesota, August 3 - 6.

First of All
Congratulations to her for taking action, contacting her legislators and asking them about their ALEC membership and their ALEC involvement.  Major kudos to her!

Second
PLEASE contact your legislators and ask them if they are ALEC members, please.
See if they tell you the truth - the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS - HOW DARE YOU ASK ME THAT!

MInnesota Senator Dan Hall - GET HIS ASS OUT OF THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE -
AGAIN - an example of treating constituents like stupid dumb people, that don't deserve the time of day
THIS ARROGANT ASSHOLE HAS TO GO!  Make sure he is not re-elected.

Minnesota ALEC members will outright lie to you about their ALEC membership and involvement.  Minnesota ALEC members have lied to me multiple times.  Some even continue lying even after I confront them with the ALEC "model legislation" they are introducing or co-introducing.

( I refuse to use the words author and co-author when it comes to ALEC legislation / legislator.  ALEC legislators don't author anything - they just copy and paste the "model legislation" from the ALEC webpage and call it their own - which is another lie!!!!!  ALEC members saying they authored ALEC "model legislation"  is an insult to those legislators who actually do author legislation.)

Kiffmeyer had her husband pay her dues and then she reimbursed him through her campaign funds. 

Minnesota ALEC members are so ashamed that they belong to ALEC that not one of the people I contacted admitted their membership until I confronted them with the fact that they are introducing or co-introducing ALEC legislature and I wanted to know why - and some of them continued lying.

To an ALEC legislator - I am just a stupid citizen who can be lied to - becausetheycan.

ALEC is such a despicable organization that ALEC members don’t want to admit that they belong to it.  When you belong to an organization that you are not willing to admit that you belong to – there is something extremely wrong with that organization.  It is usually only fringe organizations with radical/extreme agendas that have members who lie about their memberships.

So the real questions that beg to be asked are:

“Why do people belong to ALEC?” 

“What are they gaining from membership in ALEC?” 

“Why is being a member of ALEC such a bad thing that they won’t admit it,

          yet being member of ALEC  is such a good thing

             that they continue being a member?” 

Maybe – just maybe – ALEC’s corporate members have the answer for those questions.

These Minnesota ALEC legislators must not be re-elected to office.

If you are unwilling to remove them from office because they are an ALEC member -

   then remove them from office because they withhold information that the

   public has a right to know when it comes to disclosure of their ALEC membership.

Ask your representative -

    Are you a member of ALEC?  See if they lie to you - becausetheycan. Ibettheywill.

We deserve honest people representing us in Minnesota.

Just a note to Minnesota ALEC Members -

We will be taping you in New Orleans,

to prove you were there.
No sense hiding, or using the side door,
we're in the same hotel!

So put on a great big old smile

for us stupid citizens with the cameras rolling.

A Must Read - A Long Read - If You Are Serious about ALEC

you will take the time to read it,
to forward it and
then to continue the movement
to remove every ALEC member from your state legislature and the US Congress.


Here it is.

Michigan ALEC Members Ashamed of Their ALEC Affiliation

Most people couldn't even imagine what I do to get my member  lists for the American Legislative Exchange Council ( ALEC).

For instance -
Today I went through the Michigan Blue Book for the years 2005-2006 and reviewed the biographies of  110 representatives and 38 senators.

Of all those biographies that I read only one person  acknowledged that they were an ALEC Member
David Palsrok

All the other known Michigan ALEC Members didn't acknowledge their ALEC membership.
They didn't acknowledge belonging to an organization that puts pre-written legislation that favors the corporations, in their biography.

Michigan ALEC members are ashamed to admit they belong to ALEC.
I would be ashamed also.

I wouldn't want to admit that I belonged to an organization that is destroying the very fabric of representative democracy in the United States.

Good on you - Michigan ALEC Members -  for being ashamed of your ALEC affiliation.
You should be ashamed.

Michigan ALEC members do include other things in their biographies -
Tonya Schuitmaker belongs to the Paw Paw Optimist Club
   I wonder how her ALEC membership contributes to her optimism?

And my favorites are these two
Fulton Sheen belongs to a "christian issues and action group".
Jerry Koimann is a deacon and Sunday school school teacher.
  I wonder if they ever wake up screaming in the middle of the night
  when they dream they are being propelled into hell
  with their ALEC member card burning in their hand.

Republican President Obama to negotiate - To throw seniors under the bus.

Republican President Obama will be meeting with leaders of Congress today to hash out the Republican agenda.

As noted in a report in this mornings edition of the Washington Post and is confirmed in the NY Times - a White House insider has leaked that

Obama puts Medicare, Social Security cuts on the table

Which is a major win for the Republican party.
In the same article it is reported that Republican President Obama has agreed to no tax increases  for the wealthiest Americans and for corporations.
Which is another major win for the Republican party.


"The president has reportedly already privately discussed his plan with Speaker of the House John Boehner. Michael Steel, spokesperson for Boehner, told the Washington Post “there are no tax increases on the table.”

This story also headlines the Republicans for Obama webpage.

My Editorial on This Development
It will be interesting to see who the Democrats bring to the table for the 2012 presidential election.  It is a bit surprising that the Democrats have not announced a candidate, as the Republican ticket, which includes Obama, has multiple candidates vying for the 2012 presidential ticket. 

Today's negotiations will surely strengthen the President's position for the 2012 Republican presidential ticket.   Obama has shown outstanding Republican conviction by bringing these two items to the table today - cutting Social Security and Medicare - and standing behind the two main tenets of the Republican party.  In addition, to the recommendation for cuts - Obama's earlier strategy to reduce funding to the Social Security program with a a 2% reduction in payroll tax - purposefully "de-funding" the Social Security program for as long as those payroll tax cuts are in effect, helps to strengthen the "insolvency issue" argument.  His tactics have been brilliant.

Today's negotiations will only solidify Obama's standing with the Republican base and guarantee him a strong position on the Republican ticket in 2012.

The "coup d grace' of this entire skirmish will result in removal of Democrats from government.  Since Democrats (being the minority) will not be able to save Medicare or Social Security, they will face limited re-election promise in 2012 and beyond, resulting in a Congress that will be approximately 100% Republican starting in the year 2012 and forward.  The strategic tactics of Obama, and his clever manuevering during his short time in office have stunned even the skeptics in the Republican party.  Obama's precision and mastery in forwarding the Republican agenda has been amazing.  It will  result in a total victory for the Republican party as the sole party of the United States House, Senate and Judiciary in 2012 and for many years to come.


During his Presidency, Obama has enacted some items that have been lauded by Democrats across the nation, but his overall message and performance have been true to the Republican party line  - in line with his Republican Congress.  Remaining  true to the Republican Party and  his Republican Congress majority, the president has made minimal progress toward enacting anything that would have a positive affect on the middle class economic position, while focusing on maintaining tax credits and loopholes for the wealthy and corporations.

Republican President Obama has stayed faithful to the demands of the Republican party and it appears that he will be aggressively seeking enactment of portions of the Ryan plan, taking Social Security and Medicare - which have not had any impact on the present deficit - and slashing them - becausehecan.

No snark here - I'm pissed.

Obama is not my Democratic president today.

And I'm guessing today - HE NEVER WAS!

Becauseican

Dayton Conviction Will Make the GOP House of Cards - FALL DOWN

I support  Mark Dayton very much - I really, really want him to hold his ground and not to blink.

Here's why
Today IN WASHINGTON DC this happened:
Today, the Senate is expected to vote on a “Sense of the Senate” bill that says taxpayers earning $1 million or more each year should “make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit-reduction effort.” In response, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, declared yesterday that it’s “rather pathetic” to ask millionaires to share more of the pain. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) commented, “Apparently, nothing irritates Republicans more than the prospect that millionaires and billionaires might be asked to share in the burden of deficit reduction.”

Sound familiar - it should - it's the exact same issue MN has with the MN GOP - the exact same issue.

If Mark Dayton says no - the whole damn GOP house of cards will fall down - I believe that.
All it takes is for one person to say NO! with conviction and not blink.

MN GOP Probably Just SCREWED Themselves

I may be wrong - but I think this is the last damn thing the MN GOP should have done.

Read This

RALLY to Support Governor Dayton - WED - July 6th 4:30pm

From the AFL - CIO

Then, join your union brothers and sisters
TODAY, July 6, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the state Capitol steps.

If Legislative Republicans get their way, their “cuts only” budget
will eliminate 30,000 public- and private-sector jobs—permanently.
That’s the result of refusing to ask the richest 2 percent to pay their share.

Republicans would prefer to eliminate 30,000 jobs
so they can protect the 45,000 households making $350,000 or more.


There is a better way. Gov. Dayton’s compromise plan protects the middle class and asks the rich to pay their fair share. Under Gov. Dayton’s plan, 99 percent of Minnesotans will see no tax increase.

House Speaker Kurt Zellers, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and Minnesota Republicans need to get back to work, compromise with Gov. Dayton and stop protecting millionaires and billionaires.

This 4th of July sucked for me.

This 4th of July sucked for me.

I can’t stand this holiday this year – it’s as hypocritical as everything that is happening in our country today.

Knowing that no one with real power has the balls to stand up against the Koch brothers and to ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) and everyone is willing to let them take over our country – just made the whole day suck.

No one in power gives a damn!  No one with real power is standing up for the citizens of the this country.

So the fireworks mean nothing –-  no longer holding any meaning – I can’t stand to watch them – to do so is hypocritical – celebrating democracy – what democracy?

We fought for our independence from Britain for what?

So the citizenry could sit on their asses while the corporations took over our country.

So our politicians could collude and scheme with the corporations to take over our country.

So the  Koch brothers and their rich friends can destroy America and turn us into a third world country – becausetheycan – and then jet off to their Swiss bank accounts for the rest of their lives and leave us to rot.

If the people with real power don't step up soon to help the grassroots movement stop the power of the Kochs and ALEC
all the soldiers that died over the past 230+ years protecting our democracy– died in vain.

What a sin – what a shame.

And no one with real power to do anything cares.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Koch owned States of America.

And to the corporations for which it stand

One plutocracy, ruled by Koch, with liberty and justice for none.

The citizens in Onio, Michigan and Wisconsin should go on TV with a message for the rest of the country
 and give us the finger.   We deserve it.

Happy fucking fourth of July!

Heil – Koch!   Heil – Koch!   Heil Koch!

Do You REALLY Support Governor Dayton?

UPDATERALLY TO SUPPORT DAYTON

WEDNESDAY  JULY 6th

4:30 - 6:30 PM

Capitol Steps

Right Wingers just move on to the next blog!  Had enough crap from you in my comments box lately.


Some person left me a message that said - We all Support Dayton.
WELL, the web is not showing that "We All Support Dayton"
If "we all support Dayton" - you sure as hell could've fooled me - I'm not seeing it on the web!

The right wingers are writing more than supporters of Dayton and they are getting the audiences.  We are handing over the coverage of this to the right wing and we need to take the offensive.

With the exception of am950 radio - ALL the coverage in the Minneapolis is right wing.  Last week when a protest was held at the capitol supporting the shutdown it was reported on all channels as a people"protesting the shutdown" - and they have not been corrected, they have not made a correction - all the media coverage has a negative slant  - it  has been awful.


Please write a support Dayton blog entry -
If you can't do that please go to this web page and show your support - 40 seconds of your time for democracy, please?

Read this - Dayton's Speech
and send him and email of support here.

Need another reason why you need to start a Facbook page that states "I support Governor Dayton"   read this - you lazy bums......
“It’s not about revenue,” Kiffmeyer said. “It’s about a tax increase, because they want to go after those who’ve actually worked hard.”

UPDATE:
Since I wrote this two day sago - four -just  four more pages have come up on a google search in support of Dayton -
There is an facebook page that has 8,432 like that supports Dayton but the problem is  - that is one entry on a google search  - a very liked one - where there is 10 right wing articles out there countering that one facebook entry on google.
Minneapolis Media all of it (except 950am) is for the right - The only coverage we have is the web - if we don't take the control of the web coverage - Dayton is going to give up.

UPDATE
Checked this morning and two new blog entries came up  - that's all
BUT the right wing had at least seven stories repeating this:
"Sutton, the GOP state chairman, sent an email solicitation earlier in the afternoon asking for $25, $50 or $100 contributions to “help us stop Mark Dayton and build for the next election.”
“Our Republican majorities are all that stand between Dayton and his desire to raise taxes on the hard-working citizens of Minnesota,” Sutton said in the email."
The Dems are losing the WEB war!

Democrats  - get off your ass -

you are letting the right wing control the dialogue on this. 

Or don't you care?

Maddow - On the Koch Brothers

This could be the most informative 13 minutes you spend this week.

Enjoy!

My Questions - A Week in Review

Some of the things that have been questions to me all week include:

• Since the NBA and the NFL are represented by unions - is there a possibility that ALEC is behind the team owners decisions to lock them out?
• If they are releasing oil reserves to bring gas prices down - why are they suppose to go up?  Speculators on Wall Street driving the price up artificially?
• Are Marcus and Michelle Bachmann the Jim and Tammy Fay Baker's of Minnesota?
• I went in to get new tabs for my license plates this week - why did they give me new plates?  My old ones are made of metal - have not worn out and frankly, I don't have any idea how I can get the old ones off my car.
• A month later I went to put them on my car and guess what - the bolts on my rear plate are rusted and frozen.  Tried WD40, tried garage door lube, tried PBlaster - damn bolts won't loosen up. So for two months I've been driving around with the new plate on the front and an expired plate on the back - and the other new plate is on the passenger side floor with a screw driver for the cop who pulls me over to give it a try.
• New Plates - fucking worst idea in the world - the old ones aren't worn out!
• If corporate jets get a tax credit cause they idle at the gate to keep the temperature steady for the execs - can I get a tax credit cause I have to warm up my car in the winter time? 
• Since all the TV news channels in Minneapolis are right wing in their news coverage and the only other channels my cable company gives me for news is Fox and CSPAN (where I see more ALEC members than anywhere else) - would I miss TV if I cancelled my cable?

Oh, well,  some things to ponder for another day.

MN Shutdown - GOP Refuses Tax Increases for 7,700 citizens

The state of Minnesota is CLOSED

The MN GOP shut down the state

to stop tax increases

on 7,700 people.

Now if that isn't worth it's own entry - I don't know what is.

Minnesota GOP - are you proud of yourself?

You brought the entire state to a halt for 7,700 people.

7,700 people who EARN a million dollars or more -
won't have to pay additional taxes because of your stand on "no new taxes"


Minnesota GOP - You are pathetic losers.


Voting has consequences and Minnesota -
feel the pain - feel it and remember this when you go to the polls the next time.

The State of Minnesota

shut down

because of GOP pledge

of no new taxes

for 7,700  people.

Bachmann & Pawlenty Should be on TV Cheering the MN GOP

Where are they?

Aren't they proud of what the MN GOP have done?

Aren't they proud that the MN GOP are holding the party line?

Aren't you proud that the Minnesota GOP has shut down the state to protect Pawlenty's "no new taxes" bullshit! 

Where are you - you hypocrites -

stand up - call a press conference,

take credit for the work of your Minnesota GOP partners.

Don't you dare blame Dayton!

The Minnesota GOP House and Senate have done exactly what you wanted them to -
no new taxes - smaller government

Minnesota GOP are protecting the 7,700 wealthiest Minnesotans - people who EARN a million dollars or more a year from new taxes - aren't you proud?


Minnesota GOP are gutting social programs - aren't you proud?

Minnesota GOP are gutting the K-12 funding - aren't you proud?

Bachmann - Pawlenty

step up to the cameras and congratulate your MN GOP!

Then call the KOCH brothers and say -

We're winning in Minnesota -

after all you BOTH have direct lines to David Koch.

UPDATE

Pawlenty speaks   -  Shut down is good thing!

Pawlenty told reporters on Thursday that Republicans needed to stand their ground….he wishes his own shutdown standoff in 2005 had lasted even longer.



Sad Day in Minnesota - Bull$hit!

Every person in Minnesota who is not working today -

or has been furloughed or

has been layed off can thank the Minnesota GOP!

The GOP has put Minnesotans out of work -
because they cannot negotiate on tax increases for the wealthiest Minnesotans -
they can not compromise on tax increases for the wealthiest Minnesotans.

 The GOP have shut down our state

and taken peoples paychecks away from them

to protect 7,700 people - the wealthiest people in Minnesota.

The GOP are protecting those 7,700  Minnesotans
who make - not have - make / earn
a MILLION dollars a year or more.

And for that - they shut down the state!

The GOP in Minnesota released a press release that today is a sad day in Minnesota because of the government shutdown.

BULLSHIT!

The sad day in Minnesota was the last election day in November 2010 when the citizens of Minnesota elected  the GOP to control our state house and senate.

Dayton has negotiated his plan down to tax increases that would ONLY affect the wealthiest people in Minnesota - only 7,700  would be affected
and the GOP is still saying no.

The GOP is protecting the 7,700 wealthiest people in Minnesota from a a tax increase - the wealthiest people in Minnesota.
while they cut and slash and burn services for every other Minnesotan.

What a bunch of crap and I blame the GOP for the shutdown.
You can tell where the GOP  priorities are - with their wealthy benefactors -
to hell with every other citizen in the State of Minnesota.

The sad in day in Minnesota happened in November 2010.