(B) AGREED! Thank you, Bernie Sanders! Keep fighting the good fight, Sir!
Sanders Details Tax Plan: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/
The Mayor of Richmond, California is seizing underwater mortgages through eminent domain if the banks refuse to renegotiate:
“We’re not going to be intimidated by these Wall Street folks,” said McLaughlin, a former teacher who has been mayor since 2006. “It is pretty outrageous to hear them opposing this. They’re the ones who caused this crisis in the first place. And they don’t have a solution. The city has every right to do this.”
Read more: http://www.thenation.com/
“We’re not going to be intimidated by these Wall Street folks,” said McLaughlin, a former teacher who has been mayor since 2006. “It is pretty outrageous to hear them opposing this. They’re the ones who caused this crisis in the first place. And they don’t have a solution. The city has every right to do this.”
Read more: http://www.thenation.com/
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Dairy Industry pushing hard for FDA approval on hidden, unlabeled aspartame in milk!
VULTURES!!!!
NOTHING IS ENOUGH FOR THEM
NOTHING IS TOO LITTLE FOR US
THESE ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN
AMERICA AND THEY OWN THE GOP!!!!
VOTE EVERY SINGLE ONE OUT IN 2014!!!!
NOTHING IS ENOUGH FOR THEM
NOTHING IS TOO LITTLE FOR US
THESE ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN
AMERICA AND THEY OWN THE GOP!!!!
VOTE EVERY SINGLE ONE OUT IN 2014!!!!
Koch Brothers Attack Working Poor With Push to Eliminate Minimum Wage
Salvatore Aversa13 July, 2013
Who Needs The Minimum, Anyway?
The Koch brothers are at it again! It is not fully understood why the Koch brothers are putting themselves out there so blatantly, yet here they go again. This time, not only do they believe that $34,000 a year puts you in the top 1%, they want to ensure that you never reach that income level.
On Friday, Charles Koch made a statement regarding the minimum wage in the United States.
Ahh, there are those lovely words again…economic freedom. The freedom to pay your employees whatever you want to help your own personal economy. The Koch’s join the Walton family in their quest to keep America poor. Recently, Wal-Mart threatened to close all three of its stores in the Washington D.C. area because of a recent board decision that requires large companies to pay its employees a livable wage. As of now, each Wal-Mart store costs taxpayers $1 million to support its workers through welfare, food stamps and medicaid. They even have an entire department that assists employees on how to apply for governmental benefits.
Even McDonalds is getting in on the “keep them poor so the will not leave,” bandwagon. As fast food workers continue to strike, McDonald’s released a budget plan for its employees. So, what is the first tip? Get a second job. And, according to their sample budget, health care costs $20 a month, and heating is apparently free. I do not know in what world they are living in, but clearly it is not reality. But, hey! At least they made the pamphlet bilingual.
View their budget plan here.
A Brief History Of Minimum Wage.
For those not aware, a little history on minimum wage. From the beginning of the industrial revolution to the Minimum Wage Act of 1938, companies took full advantage of their laborers. Unsafe working conditions that lead to maiming and death, working between 10-16 hours was not uncommon, child labor, was not uncommon. They did not have their own homes, instead living in barracks with many other families. Companies would also not pay their employees. Instead, they would get vouchers for the company stores on the grounds. If you have ever heard the 1946 song “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis, the song is about a coal miner whom cannot get a hand on life because of the treatment at his workplace.
While trying to strike, some companies such as Lattimer Mine near Hazelton, Pennsylvania and Paint Creek Mine near Cabin Creek, West Virginia called in military, police as well as their own private security and opened fire on employees. Many times, women and children would be caught in the crossfire.
Today, even if you are not in a labor union, you benefit from their existence. We have an 8 hour work day, overtime pay for anything over 40 hours, holidays and weekends, sick and vacation days, and organizations like OSHA to ensure workplace safety. Despite declining membership in recent years, labor unions still have a necessary place in our society. And, one of the most important things that unions are responsible for, is the minimum wage.
The Future
Now, the Koch’s and other big corporate interests want to dismantle the very thing that helped out middle class grow and thrive. They have even went as far as infiltrating local governments to push public unions, a sector that does not affect them, out of the state. Wisconsin and Indiana are just the latest examples of their efforts. In Wisconsin, according to Mother Jones,
All of this would be understandable, to a certain extent, if the corporations were in financial hard times. As we saw with the United Auto Workers (UAW) during the 2008-2010 auto market crash, the unions were willing to concede many benefits, such as wage garnishments, benefit and pension reductions. This, along with the loan that was given from the government and some restructuring, the auto industry in the United States was saved, and is back stronger than ever today. The union did not destroy the auto makers, but rather saved them.
In the 3 worst years of the Great Recession, the Koch’s have nearly doubled their wealth.
The attack on the working class is nothing new. But, the difference now is that the forces behind the campaigns to end union bargaining and minimum wage have so much money in their coffers, and they have been so successful in recent history, that they just may get their way.
And while the minimum wage, had it kept up with production and inflation, should be $21.72, the rich and elite are trying to convince us that $7.25 an hour is an absurdly high amount that is harming them. I have no sympathy for those whom make their money off the backs of the poor. And I think that, regardless of party affiliation, when a multibillionaire tries to tell you that the less they pay, the better you will be, or that $34,000 a year makes you a 1%’er, it sets off alarm bells. The Koch brothers may have finally overstepped their bounds.
In Koch’s Own Words
http://occupydemocrats.com/koch-brothers-ready-for-less/
The Koch brothers are at it again! It is not fully understood why the Koch brothers are putting themselves out there so blatantly, yet here they go again. This time, not only do they believe that $34,000 a year puts you in the top 1%, they want to ensure that you never reach that income level.
On Friday, Charles Koch made a statement regarding the minimum wage in the United States.
“We need to analyze all these government subsidies, all these things that are creating a culture of dependency, and we’ve got to clear out what reduces the mobility of labor.”Mr. Koch went on to insult companies that pay their employees a livable wage, such as Costco and Starbucks.
“Other large companies are promoting some kind of special cronyism where they’re undermining economic freedom.”That Is Absurd! We Will Not Pay It!
Ahh, there are those lovely words again…economic freedom. The freedom to pay your employees whatever you want to help your own personal economy. The Koch’s join the Walton family in their quest to keep America poor. Recently, Wal-Mart threatened to close all three of its stores in the Washington D.C. area because of a recent board decision that requires large companies to pay its employees a livable wage. As of now, each Wal-Mart store costs taxpayers $1 million to support its workers through welfare, food stamps and medicaid. They even have an entire department that assists employees on how to apply for governmental benefits.
Even McDonalds is getting in on the “keep them poor so the will not leave,” bandwagon. As fast food workers continue to strike, McDonald’s released a budget plan for its employees. So, what is the first tip? Get a second job. And, according to their sample budget, health care costs $20 a month, and heating is apparently free. I do not know in what world they are living in, but clearly it is not reality. But, hey! At least they made the pamphlet bilingual.
View their budget plan here.
A Brief History Of Minimum Wage.
For those not aware, a little history on minimum wage. From the beginning of the industrial revolution to the Minimum Wage Act of 1938, companies took full advantage of their laborers. Unsafe working conditions that lead to maiming and death, working between 10-16 hours was not uncommon, child labor, was not uncommon. They did not have their own homes, instead living in barracks with many other families. Companies would also not pay their employees. Instead, they would get vouchers for the company stores on the grounds. If you have ever heard the 1946 song “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis, the song is about a coal miner whom cannot get a hand on life because of the treatment at his workplace.
“You load sixteen tons, What do you getThe line “I owe my soul to the company store” refers to the vouchers that companies would give their employees in exchange for their labor. The vouchers had absolutely no value outside of the company grounds. Eventually, the workers would gather together against companies and form the first labor unions.
another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store”
While trying to strike, some companies such as Lattimer Mine near Hazelton, Pennsylvania and Paint Creek Mine near Cabin Creek, West Virginia called in military, police as well as their own private security and opened fire on employees. Many times, women and children would be caught in the crossfire.
Today, even if you are not in a labor union, you benefit from their existence. We have an 8 hour work day, overtime pay for anything over 40 hours, holidays and weekends, sick and vacation days, and organizations like OSHA to ensure workplace safety. Despite declining membership in recent years, labor unions still have a necessary place in our society. And, one of the most important things that unions are responsible for, is the minimum wage.
The Future
Now, the Koch’s and other big corporate interests want to dismantle the very thing that helped out middle class grow and thrive. They have even went as far as infiltrating local governments to push public unions, a sector that does not affect them, out of the state. Wisconsin and Indiana are just the latest examples of their efforts. In Wisconsin, according to Mother Jones,
“Walker’s plan to eviscerate collective bargaining rights for public employees is right out of the Koch brothers’ playbook. Koch-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Reason Foundation have long taken a very antagonistic view toward public-sector unions. Several of these groups have urged the eradication of these unions…According to Wisconsin campaign finance filings, Walker’s gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. That donation was his campaign’s second-highest, behind $43,125 in contributions from housing and realtor groups in Wisconsin. The Koch’s PAC also helped Walker via a familiar and much-used political maneuver designed to allow donors to skirt campaign finance limits. The PAC gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which in turn spent $65,000 on independent expenditures to support Walker. The RGA also spent a whopping $3.4 million on TV ads and mailers attacking Walker’s opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walker ended up beating Barrett by 5 points. The Koch money, no doubt, helped greatly.”Why Wisconsin, you may ask. For the answer, we turn to Think Progress.
“Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant: Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers at its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, paper making equipment will be automated…Malach tells FOX 11 that the layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant.”In Indiana, it was more of the same. Corporate money and interests funded a successful campaign to change the state to a Right to Work state,
“Twenty-two states, predominantly in the old Confederacy, already have “right to work” laws—mostly dating from the McCarthy era. ‘Right to work’ (RTW) does not guarantee anyone a job. Rather, it makes it illegal for unions to require that each employee who benefits from the terms of a contract pay his or her share of the costs of administering it. By making it harder for workers’ organizations to sustain themselves financially, RTW aims to undermine unions’ bargaining strength and eventually render them extinct.”To What End?
All of this would be understandable, to a certain extent, if the corporations were in financial hard times. As we saw with the United Auto Workers (UAW) during the 2008-2010 auto market crash, the unions were willing to concede many benefits, such as wage garnishments, benefit and pension reductions. This, along with the loan that was given from the government and some restructuring, the auto industry in the United States was saved, and is back stronger than ever today. The union did not destroy the auto makers, but rather saved them.
In the 3 worst years of the Great Recession, the Koch’s have nearly doubled their wealth.
“In one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, the billionaire Koch brothers who habitually rail against government’s unfair burden on the wealthy, have almost doubled their net worth to a combined $68 billion. On March 10, 2010, Forbes listed the net worth of Charles and David Koch at $17.5 billion each. This year, Forbes says the Koch brothers are individually worth $34 billion.”The article continues,
“Last June, the U.S. Department of Education reported that there were 1,065,794 homeless children enrolled in America’s preschools, kindergarten and grades 1 to 12 in the 2010-2011 school year — the highest number on record, and a 13 percent increase over the 2009 to 2010 school year. The figure does not capture the total number of homeless children since school data excludes infants and toddlers and homeless children not attending public schools.”And it is not just the Koch’s. The story is quite common for the ultra-wealthy. Take New York Governor Michael Bloomberg,
“Over the past thirty years, Republicans and their libertarian funders used a variety of means to create an economic environment conducive to the wealthy increasing their fortunes, and they couched their plutocratic machinations with promises that if the people gave more to the rich, their largesse would be rewarded with a return on their investment down the road that did nothing but crash the economy and create more wealth for the richest one-percent of income earners.”
“New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also on the Forbes billionaire list with a net worth of $27 billion, owns at least 11 homes around the world. While the Mayor is adding to his country estates and horse stables, the Coalition for the Homeless reported this month that there are more than 21,000 homeless children living in New York City, an increase of 22 percent in the last year and the greatest homeless crisis since the Great Depression.”A Step Too Far?
The attack on the working class is nothing new. But, the difference now is that the forces behind the campaigns to end union bargaining and minimum wage have so much money in their coffers, and they have been so successful in recent history, that they just may get their way.
And while the minimum wage, had it kept up with production and inflation, should be $21.72, the rich and elite are trying to convince us that $7.25 an hour is an absurdly high amount that is harming them. I have no sympathy for those whom make their money off the backs of the poor. And I think that, regardless of party affiliation, when a multibillionaire tries to tell you that the less they pay, the better you will be, or that $34,000 a year makes you a 1%’er, it sets off alarm bells. The Koch brothers may have finally overstepped their bounds.
In Koch’s Own Words
“We want to do a better job of raising up the disadvantaged and the poorest in this country, rather than saying ‘Oh, we’re just fine now.’ We’re not saying that at all. What we’re saying is, we need to analyze all these additional policies, these subsidies, this cronyism, this avalanche of regulations, all these things that are creating a culture of dependency. And like permitting, to start a business, in many cities, to drive a taxicab, to become a hairdresser. Anything that people with limited capital can do to raise themselves up, they keep throwing obstacles in their way. And so we’ve got to clear those out. Or the minimum wage. Or anything that reduces the mobility of labor.”
http://occupydemocrats.com/koch-brothers-ready-for-less/
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