Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) said just hours after a major tornado ravaged his state that he would use the federal relief funds as a cudgel to force Democrats into accepting more spending cuts to programs like Social Security and Medicare.
The death toll in Oklahoma as of Tuesday morning stood at 24, seven of them children, according to revised figures from the state’s medical examiner’s office. Earlier death reports included much higher numbers, but officials later said that some of the victims were counted twice amid Monday’s chaos. Local hospitals took in hundreds of people injured by flying debris as well, including 70 children. Authorities in Moore, Oklahoma have said they expect the death toll to rise.
The Oklahoma Republican revealed his plans Monday night, speaking to a reporter for CQ.com, a subscription-only service. CQ’s public-facing side reported on the comments later that night, saying Coburn will “absolutely” demand spending cuts to offset his state’s need for federal aid after Monday’s devastating tornadoes.
Big Bang Baby: Unbelievable.
Congress Quietly Repealed STOCK Act That Fought Congressional Corruption
Dave Johnson / Seeing the Forest blog
Do you remember last year when insider stock purchases by members of Congress was in the news? I had this over at Truthout: License to Profit:…
Every day, these fuckers prove over and over that those who seek power are inevitably those most ill-suited for it.
Source: wateringgoodseeds
Just as a rule of thumb, I have found that if there’s ever a proposed bill or government program that’s complicated or weird enough that I’m having a hard time figuring out its effects and which side is the right side to be on, all I have to do is ask one question:
Does the local Chamber of Commerce support or oppose this?
If the CoC supports it,
If the CoC opposes it, odds are it’s at the very least not a *bad* idea, and may well be a seriously good one.
For issues I’m not that up-to-speed on the nuances of, the CoC’s support or opposition makes a great and almost scarily reliable basis for snap judgment.
Anything and Everything Really: This. Is. Important.
According to Stephen Colbert tonight, this is the link for a new GOP survey aimed at ‘younger voters.’ Oh sweet lord, the questions on this thing are hilarious and painful and EVERYONE ON TUMBLR NEEDS TO FILL THIS OUT RIGHT NOW
DO THIS
AHAHAAHAHAAHA THIS SURVEY IS HILARIOUS. ”Do you know any gay,lesbian,bisexual, or transgender people?” or “If you met a political candidate and they were nice would you vote for them specifically because they were nice?”
THIS SHIT IS CONDESCENDING AS FUCK. And terrible. XD Go fill it out.
Ohhh, that was fun. There are some good text boxes if you want to vent your spleen at them, too. *satisfied sigh*
I will also note that, ew gross, they specifically talk about undocumented immigrants as “illegal people”. Literally, that is the exact phrase they use. The question was about whether you support building a wall along the US/Mexico border, “to keep out illegal people”.
(via bluntlyblue)
Source: tattooed-yogi
UN says US Drone Strikes Violate Pakistan's Sovereignty
Emmerson, the U.N. investigator, came away with a black and white view after his meetings with Pakistani officials.
“The position of the government of Pakistan is quite clear,” said Emmerson. “It does not consent to the use of drones by the United States on its territory and it considers this to be a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The drone campaign “involves the use of force on the territory of another state without its consent and is therefore a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty,” he said.
Too bad we all know the US isn’t going to listen to anyone or anything about our precious droneses.
(via karethdreams)
Source: bmichael
Republicans Take Credit For Violence Against Women Act After Voting Against It
House Republicans who voted against final passage of the Violence Against Women Act are taking credit for helping renew the domestic abuse legislation.
The lawmakers’ desire to have it both ways reflects the irreconcilable tension between wanting to appear on the right side of an extremely popular issue and wanting to preserve their credibility with conservative groups who vowed to punish those who voted for VAWA.
Rep. Steve King (R-IA), a potential Senate candidate in 2014, said in a statement that hesupported the bill because he understood “the importance of reauthorizing VAWA.”
“I supported this legislation because I know how important it is to empower women in difficult situations,” King said. “If a woman is at risk, she should know that she has a place to turn for support and assistance. I supported VAWA in 2005, 2012, and today I voted in support of the House version to see that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault have access to the resources and protection when they need it the most.”
What King didn’t mention is that he voted against House passage of VAWA. Instead he voted for a more modest Republican substitute, which failed. Had his final vote carried the day, VAWA would remain expired and its reauthorization in limbo today.
(via thatfeministdyke)
Source: wilwheaton
House Republicans Propose Rolling Back Access To Birth Control To Avert Government Shutdown
THIS MUST BE SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.
They are literally trying to hold the country and the economy hostage in order to continue to assert their control over the lives and personal health decisions of people who can get pregnant.
Can we just round them up in a room with rugs and plants and a dozen fireplaces and remove the doors yet?
(via karethdreams)
Source: foryoursexualinformation
Ten Numbers the Rich Would Like Fudged | Alternet
1. Only THREE PERCENT of the very rich are entrepreneurs.
According to both Marketwatch and economist Edward Wolff, over 90 percent of the assets owned by millionaires are held in a combination of low-risk investments (bonds and cash), personal business accounts, the stock market, and real estate. Only 3.6 percent of taxpayers in the top .1% were classified as entrepreneurs based on 2004 tax returns. A 2009 Kauffman Foundation study found that the great majority of entrepreneurs come from middle-class backgrounds, with less than 1 percent of all entrepreneurs coming from very rich or very poor backgrounds.
2. Only FOUR OUT OF 150 countries have more wealth inequality than us.
In a world listing compiled by a reputable research team (which nevertheless prompted double-checking), the U.S. has greater wealth inequality than every measured country in the world except for Namibia, Zimbabwe, Denmark, and Switzerland.
3. An amount equal to ONE-HALF the GDP is held untaxed overseas by rich Americans.
The Tax Justice Network estimated that between $21 and $32 trillion is hidden offshore, untaxed. With Americans making up 40% of the world’s Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, that’s $8 to $12 trillion in U.S. money stashed in far-off hiding places.
Based on a historical stock market return of 6%, up to $750 billion of income is lost to the U.S. every year, resulting in a tax loss of about $260 billion.
4. Corporations stopped paying HALF OF THEIR TAXES after the recession.
After paying an average of 22.5% from 1987 to 2008, corporations have paid an annual rate of 10% since. This represents a sudden $250 billion annual loss in taxes.
U.S. corporations have shown a pattern of tax reluctance for more than 50 years, despite building their businesses with American research and infrastructure. They’ve passed the responsibility on to their workers. For every dollar of workers’ payroll tax paid in the 1950s, corporations paid three dollars. Now it’s 22 cents.
5. Just TEN Americans made a total of FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS in one year.
That’s enough to pay the salaries of over a million nurses or teachers or emergency responders.
That’s enough, according to 2008 estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN’s World Food Program, to feed the 870 million people in the world who are lacking sufficient food.
For the free-market advocates who say “they’ve earned it”: Point #1 above makes it clear how the wealthy make their money.
6. Tax deductions for the rich could pay off 100 PERCENT of the deficit.
Another stat that required a double-check. Based on research by the Tax Policy Center, tax deferrals and deductions and other forms of tax expenditures (tax subsidies from special deductions, exemptions, exclusions, credits, capital gains, and loopholes), which largely benefit the rich, are worth about 7.4% of the GDP, or about $1.1 trillion.
Other sources have estimated that about two-thirds of the annual $850 billion in tax expenditures goes to the top quintile of taxpayers.
7. The average single black or Hispanic woman has about $100 IN NET WORTH.
The Insight Center for Community Economic Development reported that median wealth for black and Hispanic women is a little over $100. That’s much less than one percent of the median wealth for single white women ($41,500).
Other studies confirm the racially-charged economic inequality in our country. For every dollar of NON-HOME wealth owned by white families, people of color have only one cent.
8. Elderly and disabled food stamp recipients get $4.30 A DAY FOR FOOD.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has dropped significantly over the past 15 years, serving only about a quarter of the families in poverty, and paying less than $400 per month for a family of three for housing and other necessities. Ninety percent of the available benefits go to the elderly, the disabled, or working households.
Food stamp recipients get $4.30 a day.
9. Young adults have lost TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR NET WORTH since 1984.
21- to 35-year-olds: Your median net worth has dropped 68% since 1984. It’s now less than $4,000.
That $4,000 has to pay for student loans that average $27,200. Or, if you’re still in school, for $12,700 in credit card debt.
With an unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds of almost 50%, two out of every five recent college graduates are living with their parents. But your favorite company may be hiring. Apple, which makes a profit of $420,000 per employee, can pay you about $12 per hour.
10. The American public paid about FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS to bail out the banks.
That’s about the same amount of money made by America’s richest 10% in one year. But we all paid for the bailout. And because of it, we lost the opportunity for jobs, mortgage relief, and educational funding.
Bonus for the super-rich: A QUADRILLION DOLLARS in securities trading nets ZERO sales tax revenue for the U.S.
The world derivatives market is estimated to be worth over a quadrillion dollars (a thousand trillion). At least $200 trillion of that is in the United States. In 2011 the Chicago Mercantile Exchange reported a trading volume of over $1 quadrillion on 3.4 billion annual contracts.
A quadrillion dollars. A sales tax of ONE-TENTH OF A PENNY on a quadrillion dollars could pay off the deficit. But the total sales tax was ZERO.
It’s not surprising that the very rich would like to fudge the numbers, as they have the nation.
You know, if you actually think about it, point #1 makes a fuckton of sense. Entrepreneurship is for making money. Generally speaking (there are some exceptions, but on the whole) people don’t go “I want to create jobs, let me take on the task of creating a business and trying to make it self-sustaining!” More often, it’s “I want to try to support myself with a business of my own creation”
Given that, why the fuck would rich people want to be entrepreneurs? They already HAVE all the money they could ever want. If they want more profit-making capacity, they can just buy already-established businesses, thus skipping the whole getting-off-the-ground phase.
Makes sense to me. Rich people are lazy as fuck.
Source: questionall
