Move to Amend Resolution

The National Campaign to End Corporate Personhood and Demand Democracy!

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FOR RELEASE: February 9, 2012
CONTACT: Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Move to Amend, (707) 362-0626, kaitlin@movetoamend.org
Rep. Mark Pocan, 608-266-8570
Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342

WI STATE LEGISLATORS INTRODUCE MOVE TO AMEND RESOLUTION
Resolution Puts Congress on Notice that It Has One Year to Send Amendment to States for Ratification

MADISON – Two legislators began the process of overturning the United States Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case shortly after the two-year anniversary of the decision that created corporate personhood for the purpose of political speech.
State Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and State Representative Chris Taylor (D-Madison) today introduced a resolution that calls for an amendment the United States Constitution to overturn the court ruling. If Congress fails to act, the resolution further calls for a National Constitutional Convention under Article V of the United States Constitution.
“Corporations aren’t people and they shouldn’t be given the constitutional right to buy elections,” said Pocan. “This is the people’s government, not the corporation’s government. Corporations shouldn’t have the right to usurp individual rights to free speech.”
Additionally, the legislators argued the court ruling should be overturned because corporations are not mentioned in the US Constitution and the people have never bestowed constitutional rights upon corporations.
“Corporations don’t enjoy other individual rights such as the right to bear arms or the right to vote, so they shouldn’t also enjoy the right to free speech,” said Taylor. “I am proud to join this national effort right here in Wisconsin.”
The resolution is part of a national movement associated with Move to Amend. The organization has worked with several municipalities to pass advisory referenda and is now taking the fight to state legislatures. Voters in Madison and Dane County have each passed advisory referenda supporting the overturn of the Citizens United decision with 84 percent and 78 percent respectively.
"Citizens across the country are putting Congress and the Supreme Court on notice that an amendment is coming. Legislatures can either join the Movement to Amend or get out of the way," stated Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap of Move to Amend. "Americans of all political persuasions are on board with an amendment to put We the People in charge of our government, not corporations. It is great to have two champions of the people like Pocan and Taylor step up to join the cause."
Move to Amend has a goal to get 50 towns and cities to qualify their resolution on the ballot this November. Residents in West Alis, WI and Corvallis, OR have already qualified. Signature drives have begun in several Illinois towns, Mendocino County, CA and Salt Lake City, UT.
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MOVE TO AMEND
PO Box 610, Eureka CA 95502  |  (707) 269-0984 |  www.MoveToAmend.org

Now the Catholic bishops speak up?

“Dear Jim,

Over the past few weeks, the Catholic bishops have initiated an unprecedented campaign opposing new health insurance rules that will expand coverage of contraception. Church leaders are angry that Catholic-affiliated hospitals, universities, and social service agencies were not exempted, and, for this reason, are now reading letters in all 19,000 parishes across the country publicly opposing the new rule.
Catholics United understands that contraception use is a sensitive issue for the Catholic Church, but it is hard to stomach this level of outrage when the bishops have been relatively silent on so many pressing issues of our day.  Where was the public outcry over our nation's past use of torture or our involvement in unjust wars?  Why aren't the bishops reading letters at Mass about the moral scandal of unemployment and poverty in America? 
On top of this, many bishops are using misleading statements and unnecessarily heated rhetoric to intensify the conflict.  In order to help set the record straight, Catholics United wants to make sure that you have the facts about the new health care regulations as they relate to contraception:

• Churches are exempt from these rules.  The new rules require that institutions that employ and serve non-Catholics, such as hospitals and universities, are required to include contraception coverage in their health insurance plans.  No Catholic church or diocesan office will be affected.

• No one is being forced to use contraception against their will.  The new rules simply require that employees have access to these services. Individuals who are opposed to the use of contraception do not have to make use of the coverage.

• There will be fewer abortions because of this decision.  Regardless of your beliefs about contraception, everyone should recognize that greater access to prevention services will result in fewer unplanned pregnancies.  Fewer unplanned pregnancies will result in fewer abortions.  And despite many false claims to the contrary, the contraception covered by this rule does not include abortifacients, like RU-486, that induce abortion.

It saddens me that at a time when so many American families suffer from unemployment and poverty, the leadership of the Catholic Church reserves its loudest voice of moral outrage for issues related to human sexuality.  I sincerely hope and pray that our Church leaders can tone down their rhetoric, refocus their priorities, and begin using their powerful voice to address the vast economic insecurities and conflict in the world and honor the rich heritage of Catholic social teaching.
In the coming months, let's hope that both sides of this debate can come together and find a solution that both meets the medical needs of all employees and protects the religious identity of Catholic institutions.
Sincerely,

James Salt

Executive Director

PS - If you want to share your thoughts on this topic, join the conversation on our blog at www.ourdailythread.org or on our Facebook page.

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Brought to you by Catholics United

P.O. Box 33524
Washington, DC 20033
United States”

 

FrackNation vs GasLand

  Fracking is big in Texas.  I saw the documentary GasLand and that is about the first time that I learned about fracking.  I had seen some stories about problems here in Texas with fracking and with the corporations refusing to tell about the stuff they were pumping into the ground.  There was also reports of it being done next to schools and parks.  So little pipes were sticking up from the ground and no one knew there were even there.
  But I learned a lot from the GasLand documentary.  Now I am not a Republican so I don’t take anything I see as fact until I hear other points of view and do some research on my own.

  I guess the right and the fracking people are going to put out their own documentary called FrackNation soon.

 

Republicans love regulation and control

  The Republicans want no regulation or control of banks, Wall Street or corporations.  But the Republicans want to control everything the 99% do in life.
  If you are unemployed and getting unemployment insurance money they want you to take a drug test.
 
 

“NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- If welfare recipients want to dole out the dollar bills at a strip club, they'd better make sure it's not government money ... at least if a bill in Congress becomes law.

The House last week overwhelmingly passed legislation that would require states to ban the ability to access government benefits at strip clubs, liquor stores and casinos.

The benefit program in question is Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), formerly known as welfare. TANF provides cash assistance to working poor families -- often through an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used like a debit card. The money is meant to be spent on food, rent and other necessities.

Some recipients' use of their TANF benefits were called into question after media reports found the cards were being swiped at ATMs in strip clubs, liquor stores and casinos. Some recipients were also accessing their benefits out of state, including in Las Vegas casinos, at shops in Hawaii and on cruise ships, according to the reports.

The bill would force states to develop policies to prevent this from happening…”

 

  I do not know any poor people that are going to Las Vegas or going on cruise ships.  Can someone find a few times it is happening?  Yes, I am sure they can find a few times. 
 
  I say cut corporation, bank and Wall Street welfare FIRST.  Then let us look hard at welfare that the poor are getting.
  I say put into place FIRST regulations and controls on corporations, banks and Wall Street and then look at some additional regulations on the poor to prevent fraud. 

  About the bill that Congress is trying to pass now.  The Republican Congress was very upset when Democrats attempted to cut down the high cost of AMT use.  But now they have no problem with trying to control access to an ATM by the poor.
  If you live in a poor area of town or work in a poor area of town you may not have access to places were you can use an ATM.  A liquor store might be the only place you can use an ATM. 
  Also if some people are using their TANF card at an ATM in a strip club, liquor store, casino or on a cruise ship that may very well be were the poor person is working.  Most of the poor are working.  They just are not making much money.
 
  I do not get welfare and do not have a TANF card but I see signs up at food stores saying that certain food items can not be got with a TANF card.   I do not have a problem with some simple basis rules but where will it end.
  How about about if you get welfare you money from the government you are not allowed to spend it for movies, birth control, movies, cable TV etc.   You can have the Republicans trying to enforce they morals and idea of living on us all.
  I am surprised that the Republicans have not attempted to pass rules that you have to swipe your welfare card at a local church on Sunday.  Or they could try and pass something that says you have to give 10% to a local church.   Where will the control end?

What is Schemer?

“Google has a new product that you’ve probably heard of sometime in the past few days. It’s called Schemer, and it’s a guide to finding you things that you can do now, or add to your bucket list for later. But in a crowded market that is only getting more so every day, does it measure up? Read on to find out.

The first thing that you need to know is that Schemer is in an invitation-only beta right now. The next thing to know is that recommendations are only listed for a few select cities, and all of those are in the US thus far. But Schemer did at least get a list of recommendations for things that you can do from anywhere, such as “Buy a Kindle” or “Alpha test more Google products”. See where this is going yet?

So when you sign up, you’re asked to fill in your locations. Yes, that’s plural. This is one place where Schemer is doing something very right. If you’re planning a trip, you can input the location of that trip and find activities that you might not have considered otherwise. If I were to place a bet, I would say that much of the data comes from Google’s somewhat-recent acquisition of Zagat, a company famous for its travel guides.

But that Zagat info isn’t alone. Far from it, in fact. Google has a load of partners with which it is working to provide more diverse suggestions, and that’s another area where Schemer actually does excel. For instance, if you’re a foodie then Food Network has a list of suggestions such as eating carrots with homemade tzatziki sauce, among others. Explorer types might find suggestions from National Geographic, for example, to be more appealing…”   Apps – Part of the Next Web Family

 

  OK gang here is a link that will let you skip the beta waiting list to join Schemer. 
I think I only got 20 of those free openings.  Not sure what sort of message you get after they are gone.  But check it out if your interested.

Busted! Rep. Leaves ALEC Wording in Corporation Tax Resolution

Uploaded by TheYoungTurks on Feb 5, 2012

Florida state Rep. Rachel Burgin (R) proposed a resolution with the goal of cutting federal corporate taxes but she accidentally left in a portion written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group primarily funded by large corporations. The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/02/02/417488/florida-gop-alec-forget/

What else is ALEC up to? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el-FTjfWYwc#t=29m31s

 

 

 

 

 

Girls with involuntary movement aka mass hysteria

  Am I the only person in the United States that is a big Seinfeld fan?  Remember the episode with George and his “involuntary” arm movement?
  I think the 11 school girls with Tourette-like tics must have also seen that episode.
 

  When I saw the girls on TV with their tics I was thinking it was a promo for a new Salem witch trial movie. 

  As I watched them I wanted to laugh.
  Now I understand if those are you kids you are going to believe them and being worry about them.  Plus if you are people at the school or medical people you got to look into it. 
  It would be so bad to write off a real sickness.  So you got to check everything and be 100% sure.

  But then you need to take those girls and take a belt to their asses.
  NO NO.. but fucking ground them…   no cell phones, no TV, no games … they need rest in their rooms and work around the house until they turn 18 years of age.
  And if you are a boy stay away from those girls.  Do not date them.  Do not look at them.
 
  If this was the 1600s there would be people in that town that would be arrested for witchcraft.  There would be people in that town that would be hanged because of girls like that.

  You know the first warning bell for me was that it was all girls.  Not one boy.

   Everyone say after me “MASS HYSTERIA.”

Journalists Arrested at Congressional Hearing!

“WASHINGTON -- In a stunning break with First Amendment policy, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Initial reports from sources suggested that an ABC News camera was also prevented from taping the hearing; ABC has since denied that they sent a crew to the hearing…”

 

 

"It's an outrageous violation of the First Amendment," Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) told HuffPost. "Here we've got an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and it's an important subject and the subject that he did his prior film on for HBO. And they put him in handcuffs and hauled him out of there. This is stunning."

Kansas Speaker O’Neal ask House GOP to pray for Obama’s death!

  The following is from Examiner.Com:

 

“Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal is under fire after asking Republican House members to pray for President Barack Obama’s death. O’Neal made the request via an email he forwarded to GOP colleagues in the House. In an email sent in December, O’Neal asked his fellow Republicans to pray Psalm 109, which contains the following lines:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

The email has become the subject of a mini-media frenzy. Numerous major news outlets began reporting the details surrounding the disturbing prayer request on Friday.

The relevant verse from Psalm 109 is considered a prayer for vengeance, a prayer for the death of a leader. The most damning part of the prayer is lines 7-12:

'When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.'

Think Progress reports that O’Neal forwarded the prayer with his own message:

“At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!”

News of the email is a sad commentary on Republican politics in Kansas.  In addition, the email prayer request indicates an astonishing disregard and disrespect for the office of the presidency. For a government official to pray for the death of President Obama, and encourage other government officials to do the same, is not only morally reprehensible, it is also treason.”

 

  Is it treason?   If you believe in pray then I think it is treason.  If you believe in God then I think it is treason.
  It is un-American for sure. 
  I think not only should he resign as Speaker of the House but I think he should resign from the House.  Plus everyone that he sent that email to and did not object to it and call for him to resign should not hold office of any sort.

  Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal sent an email in the past to his follow House Republicans and called Michelle Obama “Mrs. YoMama.” 

   Some Kansas ministers have a 30,000 signature petition calling on House Speaker Mike O’Neal to resign.
   I read some comments made about the ministers and most of the comments attack the ministers;  “bozos posiing as reverends”,  “dishonest ‘reverends’” etc. 
   Again you can see the true color of the Republicans.  They wrap themselves in the American flag but they are un-American to their very core.

Picnik is closing

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