You might want to get a copy of todays Wall Street Journal (Oct. 27, 2010) to carry around and show people the front page article:
Physician Panel Prescribes The Fees Paid by Medicare:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657304575540440173772102.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0
People need to see this article!
Alan
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A few questions for voters...
Are these wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan any less horrible since they are being waged by Democrats instead of Republicans?
Is the impact of unemployment any better for an unemployed worker under a Democratic Administration then under a Republican Administration?
Is it any better to be without health care with Obama and the Democrats in charge then under the Republicans?
Send Democrats a message they will understand:
No peace; no votes.
No real health care reform; no votes.
No national public child care system; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
Only vote for candidates who will create jobs putting people to work solving the problems of people and our society financed with money saved from ending these dirty wars and taxing the rich.
Vote selectively based upon those politicians you can trust to reorder the priorities in this country away from war and military spending while focusing on putting the needs of people before Wall Street profits.
It is all about accountability... not voting out of fear.
Is the impact of unemployment any better for an unemployed worker under a Democratic Administration then under a Republican Administration?
Is it any better to be without health care with Obama and the Democrats in charge then under the Republicans?
Send Democrats a message they will understand:
No peace; no votes.
No real health care reform; no votes.
No national public child care system; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
Only vote for candidates who will create jobs putting people to work solving the problems of people and our society financed with money saved from ending these dirty wars and taxing the rich.
Vote selectively based upon those politicians you can trust to reorder the priorities in this country away from war and military spending while focusing on putting the needs of people before Wall Street profits.
It is all about accountability... not voting out of fear.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Something to think about before you vote...
The upcoming elections can't be a referendum on Obama's two years in office because no Democrats dare to run in support of what Obama has done... occupied Iraq and expanded the wars in Afghanistan, his reactionary health legislation and the Wall Street bailouts not to mention his failure to protect working people losing their homes in foreclosures and their jobs as Obama tries to destroy public education and begins to attack Social Security.
The one and only point that Democrats are running on at a national level is that we should all fear the Republicans.
Might I suggest to those Democratic Party hacks now attacking me all over the Internet, on blogs and where ever I go, that all of you get out and talk to working people as to how Obama's Wall Street war economy is hurting people and killing the economy and destroying jobs just like Obama's wars are killing people.
I find it very interesting that the very Democrats who are telling you to vote for them in spite of their support for wars abroad and austerity at home because you should be so afraid of the Republicans, are themselves saying they intend to be "conciliatory" towards the Republicans!
But, we all know these very same Democrats went right along with Bush and the Republicans instead of fighting these evil monsters, don't we?
In fact, the record is very clear, most of these Democrats, with very few exceptions, are just as evil as all of the Republicans, and most Democrats acquiesced to the Republicans during the Republican years... from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to George Bush and we can expect no better from these Democrats; if Republicans gain control in the House and Senate... the same thing in state legislatures and right on down through the townships, counties, cities and school boards.
In the face of Republican evil we can, at best, expect Democrats to acquiesce and at worst be conciliatory when they aren't in complete agreement with these evil Republicans we are being told we must be in such fear of that we need to vote for a bunch of worthless Democrats beholden to Wall Street's thoroughly warmongering and reactionary austerity agenda.
In fact, working people should fear both Democrats and Republicans.
Our only defense against both of these two parties of Wall Street is if we build a powerful all people's united front uniting the working class around a broad-based agenda bringing together liberals, progressives and the left around a common program advancing real solutions to our problems.
We need peace, not wars.
We need to create good jobs paying real living wages by putting people to work solving the problems of the people through developing massive universal social programs like a national public health care system and a national public child care system paid for with funds saved by ending these dirty wars and slashing the military budget combined with taxing the hell out of the rich--- a massive transfer of wealth is the only way to solve our problems, and affirmative action must be enforced in all job creation programs.
In my opinion it is the epitome of hypocrisy to be lectured by Barack Obama and these Democratic Party hacks about the evils we will face from Republicans when:
1. These Democrats are no better than Republicans.
and...
2. The very same Democrats telling us we need to vote for them are already stating they intend to work with these Republicans instead of fighting them. This is the epitome of hypocrisy.
All this talk from both the Democrats and Republicans about how the "free market" needs to be used to create jobs is the biggest crock of shit of all...
It has been the "free market" and private enterprise that created this economic mess to begin with.
And all this talk of assisting "small business" as the way to create jobs is an equally ridiculous notion because the only jobs created by small business are poverty wage jobs and the reason to have a job is to get out, and stay out of, poverty.
Tell the Democrats and all politicians:
No peace; no votes.
No real health care reform; no votes.
No child care; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
Remember, the only way to create the massive amounts of jobs required to end unemployment is to put people to work solving the problems of the people... a public health care system providing people free health care through a network of public community-based health care centers would create; some ten-million new jobs; similarly, a national public child care system would create millions of more new jobs--- the time has come to place human needs before corporate greed and profits.
Another crock of shit we are being told is that opposition to Obama's and the Democrat's agenda is the same as supporting Republicans when these same Democrats are carrying out these wars that destroy the economy and kill jobs just like they kill people.
It makes me sick that these worthless professional Democratic Party hacks try to bully, badger and intimidate us into accepting these Wall Street Democrats by saying anyone who opposes Obama's thoroughly reactionary agenda is helping the Republicans when the only real issue is who is helping Wall Street and who is standing up for the rights and needs of working people.
The one and only point that Democrats are running on at a national level is that we should all fear the Republicans.
Might I suggest to those Democratic Party hacks now attacking me all over the Internet, on blogs and where ever I go, that all of you get out and talk to working people as to how Obama's Wall Street war economy is hurting people and killing the economy and destroying jobs just like Obama's wars are killing people.
I find it very interesting that the very Democrats who are telling you to vote for them in spite of their support for wars abroad and austerity at home because you should be so afraid of the Republicans, are themselves saying they intend to be "conciliatory" towards the Republicans!
But, we all know these very same Democrats went right along with Bush and the Republicans instead of fighting these evil monsters, don't we?
In fact, the record is very clear, most of these Democrats, with very few exceptions, are just as evil as all of the Republicans, and most Democrats acquiesced to the Republicans during the Republican years... from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to George Bush and we can expect no better from these Democrats; if Republicans gain control in the House and Senate... the same thing in state legislatures and right on down through the townships, counties, cities and school boards.
In the face of Republican evil we can, at best, expect Democrats to acquiesce and at worst be conciliatory when they aren't in complete agreement with these evil Republicans we are being told we must be in such fear of that we need to vote for a bunch of worthless Democrats beholden to Wall Street's thoroughly warmongering and reactionary austerity agenda.
In fact, working people should fear both Democrats and Republicans.
Our only defense against both of these two parties of Wall Street is if we build a powerful all people's united front uniting the working class around a broad-based agenda bringing together liberals, progressives and the left around a common program advancing real solutions to our problems.
We need peace, not wars.
We need to create good jobs paying real living wages by putting people to work solving the problems of the people through developing massive universal social programs like a national public health care system and a national public child care system paid for with funds saved by ending these dirty wars and slashing the military budget combined with taxing the hell out of the rich--- a massive transfer of wealth is the only way to solve our problems, and affirmative action must be enforced in all job creation programs.
In my opinion it is the epitome of hypocrisy to be lectured by Barack Obama and these Democratic Party hacks about the evils we will face from Republicans when:
1. These Democrats are no better than Republicans.
and...
2. The very same Democrats telling us we need to vote for them are already stating they intend to work with these Republicans instead of fighting them. This is the epitome of hypocrisy.
All this talk from both the Democrats and Republicans about how the "free market" needs to be used to create jobs is the biggest crock of shit of all...
It has been the "free market" and private enterprise that created this economic mess to begin with.
And all this talk of assisting "small business" as the way to create jobs is an equally ridiculous notion because the only jobs created by small business are poverty wage jobs and the reason to have a job is to get out, and stay out of, poverty.
Tell the Democrats and all politicians:
No peace; no votes.
No real health care reform; no votes.
No child care; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
Remember, the only way to create the massive amounts of jobs required to end unemployment is to put people to work solving the problems of the people... a public health care system providing people free health care through a network of public community-based health care centers would create; some ten-million new jobs; similarly, a national public child care system would create millions of more new jobs--- the time has come to place human needs before corporate greed and profits.
Another crock of shit we are being told is that opposition to Obama's and the Democrat's agenda is the same as supporting Republicans when these same Democrats are carrying out these wars that destroy the economy and kill jobs just like they kill people.
It makes me sick that these worthless professional Democratic Party hacks try to bully, badger and intimidate us into accepting these Wall Street Democrats by saying anyone who opposes Obama's thoroughly reactionary agenda is helping the Republicans when the only real issue is who is helping Wall Street and who is standing up for the rights and needs of working people.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
A most important question...
Are these wars killing the economy the same way they are killing jobs and people?
Something to think about and discuss around the kitchen table as we move closer to Election Day.
Alan
Something to think about and discuss around the kitchen table as we move closer to Election Day.
Alan
Sunday, October 10, 2010
We need to push Barack Obama aside to make way for a real peace candidate in 2012...
I think Reaganomics definitely pushed this country into darkness... however, it was the defeat of George McGovern that set this country on the steep slippery slope to perdition.
Liberals, progressives and the left should now begin looking for a real honest-to-goodness progressive like George McGovern to run in 2012... Obama is a loser and if he doesn't resign he should be either "primaried out" or face a real progressive running independent of the Democrats and Republicans; its time, long over-due, to finally set this country on a progressive course that will benefit, not only our own country, but the entire world.
It was the same warmongering Wall Street backed Democrats now backing Barack Obama who betrayed George McGovern and the peace majority of this country by with-holding their support from McGovern who now tell us we need to vote for them out of fear of the Republicans when it was these very sell-out Democrats who gave us Richard Nixon... and the rest is history.
Liberals, progressives and the left should drive Barack Obama from office the same way we drove Lyndon Johnson from office for expanding the war in Vietnam.
There is no way liberals, progressives and the left should tolerate being intimidated into voting for candidates who are for these dirty wars and who keep supporting the Israeli killing machine.
I will be traveling across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan discussing with working people seeking real change how we might come together and be a catalyst for a progressive agenda challenging Wall Street wars abroad and austerity at home... it's time to tighten the belt of people's unity around the coupon clippers making profits from poverty, racism and war.
We need a real "party of no;" no to the military-financial-industrial complex.
On Election Day, November 2, 2010---
Liberals, progressives and the left need to take a stand:
No peace; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
No real healthcare reform; no votes.
No childcare; no votes.
No enforcement of affirmative action; no votes.
Wall Street got what it wanted in return for its money...
We are entitled to peace and social & economic justice in return for our votes.
How is Obama's and the Democrats' war economy working for you?
Wars are killing our jobs just like they are killing people.
As I travel, I look forward to meeting with you and sharing your concerns and ideas around the kitchen table.
Yours in the struggle,
Alan
Liberals, progressives and the left should now begin looking for a real honest-to-goodness progressive like George McGovern to run in 2012... Obama is a loser and if he doesn't resign he should be either "primaried out" or face a real progressive running independent of the Democrats and Republicans; its time, long over-due, to finally set this country on a progressive course that will benefit, not only our own country, but the entire world.
It was the same warmongering Wall Street backed Democrats now backing Barack Obama who betrayed George McGovern and the peace majority of this country by with-holding their support from McGovern who now tell us we need to vote for them out of fear of the Republicans when it was these very sell-out Democrats who gave us Richard Nixon... and the rest is history.
Liberals, progressives and the left should drive Barack Obama from office the same way we drove Lyndon Johnson from office for expanding the war in Vietnam.
There is no way liberals, progressives and the left should tolerate being intimidated into voting for candidates who are for these dirty wars and who keep supporting the Israeli killing machine.
I will be traveling across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan discussing with working people seeking real change how we might come together and be a catalyst for a progressive agenda challenging Wall Street wars abroad and austerity at home... it's time to tighten the belt of people's unity around the coupon clippers making profits from poverty, racism and war.
We need a real "party of no;" no to the military-financial-industrial complex.
On Election Day, November 2, 2010---
Liberals, progressives and the left need to take a stand:
No peace; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.
No real healthcare reform; no votes.
No childcare; no votes.
No enforcement of affirmative action; no votes.
Wall Street got what it wanted in return for its money...
We are entitled to peace and social & economic justice in return for our votes.
How is Obama's and the Democrats' war economy working for you?
Wars are killing our jobs just like they are killing people.
As I travel, I look forward to meeting with you and sharing your concerns and ideas around the kitchen table.
Yours in the struggle,
Alan
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Water map shows billions at risk of 'water insecurity'
While most of humanity places fresh water as a premium natural resource to be protected and used very wisely, Minnesota Democrats are engaged in the wanton destruction of the Big Bog in Northern Minnesota.
The Green Party remains silent in the face of this destruction and its candidate for governor omits any mention of what is taking place while Democratic Party stooges like Doris Marquit manipulates the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom here in Minnesota to evade discussion of what is taking place in the Big Bog while pretending to educate people on the threats to our water.
The League of Women Voters, always fronting for big-business interests and the DFL "Business Caucus," has refused to place any questions about peat mining in the Big Bog for candidates.
Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) which is manipulated and controlled by big-business interests is engaged in destroying the largest freshwater aquifer in the Lower Forty-Eight by permitting peat mining to take place in the Big Bog.
Berger Peat, a multinational corporation out of Canada comprised of Canadian, U.S. and French "investors" who have made huge campaign contributions to United States Congressman James Oberstar and bribed the Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources and gave former Attorney General Mike Hatch expensive gifts along with making huge campaign contributions to Roger Moe, is now going to be requesting a permit to expand the peat mining from the original permit which allowed peat to be taken from a one-square mile area to over 14 square miles.
The reason for the expanded operation is that this peat will be used to clean up oil spills and once the peat soaks up the oil it will be used to fuel bio mass operations to generate electricity.
Roger Jourdain, the long-time former Chair of the Red Lake Nation described the Big Bog's freshwater aquifer as "the life-blood of my people and our Red Lake Nation." The present Red Lake Nation Tribal Council, whose primary interests are profiting from casinos and profiting from the drug trade, has refused to take action to save the Big Bog.
There has not been one peep of protest against this destruction of one of the world's last remaining pristine freshwater aquifers from "environmental organizations" like the Audubon Society or the Sierra Club.
After issuing the first permit which enabled Berger Peat to get its foot into the door and begin draining the bog so the peat can be mined here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources spent millions of dollars for a one-mile aluminum raised "Bog Walk" for tourist to understand the importance of this huge bog to the ecosystems!
Ironically, this Big Bog Boardwalk was raised at tremendous cost to tax-payers, some three feet off the ground, because "human footsteps would irreparably damage sensitive ecosystem of The Big Bog."
No wonder the Minnesota Supreme Court made its racist and undemocratic decision to deny the Warriors for Justice ballot status... saving the Big Bog and its very important ecosystems is one of their goals and objectives.
So far DFL candidate for governor Mark Dayton has refused to address the issue of saving and protecting the Big Bog.
Not one single scientist can be found to support peat mining in the Big Bog--- even the scientists employed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers came out in complete opposition to peat mining in the Big Bog. The heads of both agencies said they had their "arms twisted" by United States Congressman James Oberstar who threatened to use his powerful influence in Congress to cut funding to their programs if they did not issue permits. Oberstar is one of the most corrupt members of the United States Congress who has become fabulously wealthy taking bribes from the mining industries and road engineers and contractors--- so far, tax-payers have spent over twenty-million dollars building a road out into this pristine peat bog for Berger Peat and its investors to truck away the profits.
Other Democratic Party politicians who have reaped huge campaign contributions for supporting the destruction of the Big Bog include Rod Skoe, Brita Sailer, Mary Olson and John Persell. Dave Olin, the former prosecutor of Pennington County who publicly admits that he knew about the drug trade taking place for years in Red Lake Gaming Enterprises' three Seven Clans Casinos but did nothing to stop the drug trade, has received huge help in his campaign for re-election from the peat mining associations; this crooked and corrupt politician first took pay-offs from the drug dealers to allow their dirty, sleazy business to continue unhindered by law enforcement as he hypocritically prosecuted teenagers for using drugs these mobsters sold them, and now he is enabling the largest freshwater aquifer in the Lower Forty-Eight to be destroyed--- again, of course, for bribes. Democrat Dave Olin is the same politician who stood up in anger and lashed out against affirmative action--- now this racist slime-ball is receiving political and financial support, along with its endorsement, from the National Rifle Association.
United States Congressman James Oberstar boasted that this peat mining would create jobs in this economically depressed area where Marvin Windows and Doors, Polaris, Arctic Cat and casinos employ people at poverty wages; when asked by the news media how many jobs this operation was going to create for Minnesotans, Oberstar who is known for his great skills as an orator learned in over 40 years practicing deceit, hemmed and hawed and stuttered. His staff later said about thirty jobs would be created. When asked how much these jobs would pay they refused to comment. Months later it was announced that the jobs would be non-union per the agreement reached in then Attorney General Mike Hatch's office and the jobs would pay "up to $8.00 an hour. Berger Peat, operating out of Quebec, has said it has made arrangements through a Catholic church group to "help out some poor people from Ecuador to do most of the work on a seasonal basis."
Now, read this article and learn how stupid the big-business dominated, manipulated and controlled Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and its willing accomplices are.
United States Congressman James Oberstar boasted that this peat mining would create jobs in this economically depressed area where Marvin Windows and Doors, Polaris, Arctic Cat and casinos employ people at poverty wages; when asked by the news media how many jobs this operation was going to create for Minnesotans, Oberstar who is known for his great skills as an orator learned in over 40 years practicing deceit, hemmed and hawed and stuttered. His staff later said about thirty jobs would be created. When asked how much these jobs would pay they refused to comment. Months later it was announced that the jobs would be non-union per the agreement reached in then Attorney General Mike Hatch's office and the jobs would pay "up to $8.00 an hour. Berger Peat, operating out of Quebec, has said it has made arrangements through a Catholic church group to "help out some poor people from Ecuador to do most of the work on a seasonal basis."
Now, read this article and learn how stupid the big-business dominated, manipulated and controlled Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and its willing accomplices are.
Alan L. Maki
29 September 2010 Last updated at 13:01 ET
Researchers compiled a composite index of "water threats" that includes issues such as scarcity and pollution.
The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people.
Writing in the journal Nature, they say that in western countries, conserving water for people through reservoirs and dams works for people, but not nature.
They urge developing countries not to follow the same path.
The analysis is a global snapshot, and the research team suggests more people are likely to encounter more severe stress on their water supply in the coming decades, as the climate changes and the human population continues to grow.
They have taken data on a variety of different threats, used models of threats where data is scarce, and used expert assessment to combine the various individual threats into a composite index.
The result is a map that plots the composite threat to human water security and to biodiversity in squares 50km by 50km (30 miles by 30 miles) across the world.
Changing pictures
Water map shows billions at risk of 'water insecurity'
The study maps water availability and quality down to the regional level
About 80% of the world's population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis.
The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people.
Writing in the journal Nature, they say that in western countries, conserving water for people through reservoirs and dams works for people, but not nature.
They urge developing countries not to follow the same path.
"What we're able to outline is a planet-wide pattern of threat”
Instead, they say governments should invest in water management strategies that combine infrastructure with "natural" options such as safeguarding watersheds, wetlands and flood plains.
They have taken data on a variety of different threats, used models of threats where data is scarce, and used expert assessment to combine the various individual threats into a composite index.
The result is a map that plots the composite threat to human water security and to biodiversity in squares 50km by 50km (30 miles by 30 miles) across the world.
Changing pictures
"What we've done is to take a very dispassionate look at the facts on the ground - what is going on with respect to humanity's water security and what the infrastructure that's been thrown at this problem does to the natural world," said study leader Charles Vorosmarty from the City College of New York.
"What we're able to outline is a planet-wide pattern of threat, despite the trillions of dollars worth of engineering palliatives that have totally reconfigured the threat landscape."
Those "trillions of dollars" are represented by the dams, canals, aqueducts, and pipelines that have been used throughout the developed world to safeguard drinking water supplies.
Their impact on the global picture is striking.
"What we're able to outline is a planet-wide pattern of threat, despite the trillions of dollars worth of engineering palliatives that have totally reconfigured the threat landscape."
Those "trillions of dollars" are represented by the dams, canals, aqueducts, and pipelines that have been used throughout the developed world to safeguard drinking water supplies.
Their impact on the global picture is striking.
Natural
However, when the impact of the infrastructure that distributes and conserves water is added in - the "managed" picture - most of the serious threat disappears from these regions.
Africa, however, moves in the opposite direction.
"In fact we show them benefiting less than a billion people, so we're already excluding a large majority of the world's population," he told BBC News.
"But even in rich parts of the world, it's not a sensible way to proceed. We could continue to build more dams and exploit deeper and deeper aquifers; but even if you can afford it, it's not a cost-effective way of doing things."
According to this analysis, and others, the way water has been managed in the west has left a significant legacy of issues for nature.
Whereas Western Europe and the US emerge from this analysis with good scores on water stress facing their citizens, wildlife there that depends on water is much less secure, it concludes.
Concrete realities
Looking at the "raw threats" to people's water security - the "natural" picture - much of western Europe and North America appears to be under high stress.
Managed
However, when the impact of the infrastructure that distributes and conserves water is added in - the "managed" picture - most of the serious threat disappears from these regions.
Africa, however, moves in the opposite direction.
"The problem is, we know that a large proportion of the world's population cannot afford these investments," said Peter McIntyre from the University of Wisconsin, another of the researchers involved.
"But even in rich parts of the world, it's not a sensible way to proceed. We could continue to build more dams and exploit deeper and deeper aquifers; but even if you can afford it, it's not a cost-effective way of doing things."
According to this analysis, and others, the way water has been managed in the west has left a significant legacy of issues for nature.
Whereas Western Europe and the US emerge from this analysis with good scores on water stress facing their citizens, wildlife there that depends on water is much less secure, it concludes.
Concrete realities
One concept advocated by development organisations nowadays is integrated water management, where the needs of all users are taken into account and where natural features are integrated with human engineering.
One widely-cited example concerns the watersheds that supply New York, in the Catskill Mountains and elsewhere around the city.
That threatened to change in the 1990s, due to agricultural pollution and other issues.
The city invested in a programme of land protection and conservation; this has maintained quality, and is calculated to have been cheaper than the alternative of building treatment works.
Mark Smith, head of the water programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who was not involved in the current study, said this sort of approach was beginning to take hold in the developing world, though "the concrete and steel model remains the default".
"One example is the Barotse Floodplain in Zambia, where there was a proposal for draining the wetland and developing an irrigation scheme to replace the wetlands," he related.
"Some analysis was then done that showed the economic benefits of the irrigation scheme would have been less than the benefits currently delivered by the wetland in terms of fisheries, agriculture around the flood plain, water supply, water quality and so on.
"So it's not a question of saying 'No we don't need any concrete infrastructure' - what we need are portfolios of built infrastructure and natural environment that can address the needs of development, and the ecosystem needs of people and biodiversity."
Dollars short
One widely-cited example concerns the watersheds that supply New York, in the Catskill Mountains and elsewhere around the city.
"We would argue people should be even more worried if you start to account for climate change and population growth"Peter McIntyre University of Wisconsin
Water from these areas historically needed no filtering.
The city invested in a programme of land protection and conservation; this has maintained quality, and is calculated to have been cheaper than the alternative of building treatment works.
Mark Smith, head of the water programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who was not involved in the current study, said this sort of approach was beginning to take hold in the developing world, though "the concrete and steel model remains the default".
"One example is the Barotse Floodplain in Zambia, where there was a proposal for draining the wetland and developing an irrigation scheme to replace the wetlands," he related.
"Some analysis was then done that showed the economic benefits of the irrigation scheme would have been less than the benefits currently delivered by the wetland in terms of fisheries, agriculture around the flood plain, water supply, water quality and so on.
"So it's not a question of saying 'No we don't need any concrete infrastructure' - what we need are portfolios of built infrastructure and natural environment that can address the needs of development, and the ecosystem needs of people and biodiversity."
Dollars short
This analysis is likely to come in for some scrutiny, not least because it does contain an element of subjectivity in terms of how the various threats to water security are weighted and combined.
"This study, for the first time, brings all our knowledge together under one global model of water security and aquatic biodiversity loss."
For the team itself, it is a first attempt - a "placeholder", or baseline - and they anticipate improvements as more accurate data emerges, not least from regions such as Africa that are traditionally data-scarce.
Already, they say, it provides a powerful indicator that governments and international institutions need to take water issues more seriously.
For developed countries and the Bric group - Brazil, Russia, India and China - alone, "$800bn per year will be required by 2015 to cover investments in water infrastructure, a target likely to go unmet," they conclude.
For poorer countries, the outlook is considerably more bleak, they say.
"In reality this is a snapshot of the world about five or 10 years ago, because that's the data that's coming on line now," said Dr McIntyre.
"It's not about the future, but we would argue people should be even more worried if you start to account for climate change and population growth.
"Climate change is going to affect the amount of water that comes in as precipitation; and if you overlay that on an already stressed population, we're rolling the dice."
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
Developing countries are urged to think carefully about "concrete and steel" solutions
Nevertheless, Mark Smith hailed it as a "potentially powerful synthesis" of existing knowledge; while Gary Jones, chief executive of the eWater Co-operative Research Centre in Canberra, commented: "It's a very important and timely global analysis of the joint threats of declining water security for humans and biodiversity loss for rivers."This study, for the first time, brings all our knowledge together under one global model of water security and aquatic biodiversity loss."
For the team itself, it is a first attempt - a "placeholder", or baseline - and they anticipate improvements as more accurate data emerges, not least from regions such as Africa that are traditionally data-scarce.
Already, they say, it provides a powerful indicator that governments and international institutions need to take water issues more seriously.
For developed countries and the Bric group - Brazil, Russia, India and China - alone, "$800bn per year will be required by 2015 to cover investments in water infrastructure, a target likely to go unmet," they conclude.
For poorer countries, the outlook is considerably more bleak, they say.
"In reality this is a snapshot of the world about five or 10 years ago, because that's the data that's coming on line now," said Dr McIntyre.
"It's not about the future, but we would argue people should be even more worried if you start to account for climate change and population growth.
"Climate change is going to affect the amount of water that comes in as precipitation; and if you overlay that on an already stressed population, we're rolling the dice."
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
Friday, October 8, 2010
Rasmussen Poll: Dem Mark Dayton Ahead By Two Points In MN-GOV
Rasmussen Poll: Dem Mark Dayton Ahead By Two Points In MN-GOV
Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton
The new Rasmussen poll of the Minnesota gubernatorial race has Democrat Mark Dayton taking a narrow lead against Republican Tom Emmer.
The numbers: Dayton 40%, Emmer 38%, and 15% for Independence Party nominee Tom Horner. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error.
The TPM Poll Average has Dayton ahead with 38.9%, Emmer at 34.8%, and Horner with 15.2%.
In the previous Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago, Emmer had 42%, Dayton 41%, and Horner 9%.
However, this was in part because Rasmussen at the time used its standard model of asking undecided voters and supporters of third-party candidates a follow-up question, to try to push them into a major-party column. This time, they have stopped doing that -- because in Minnesota, unlike the normal course of things in other states, support for a third-party candidate doesn't necessarily collapse in the voting booth.
As the pollster's analysis explains: "In the Minnesota governor's race, Rasmussen Reports has made a decision not to use our traditional leaners model. Normally, that model shows support falling off for a third-party candidate. However, in Minnesota, third-party candidates often defy that trend, and a look at the initial preference data suggests that may be happening this year."
For more of an apples-to-apples comparison, the poll from two weeks ago before the follow-up question had Emmer leading with 36%, Dayton had 34%, and Horner 18%.
The numbers: Dayton 40%, Emmer 38%, and 15% for Independence Party nominee Tom Horner. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error.
The TPM Poll Average has Dayton ahead with 38.9%, Emmer at 34.8%, and Horner with 15.2%.
In the previous Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago, Emmer had 42%, Dayton 41%, and Horner 9%.
However, this was in part because Rasmussen at the time used its standard model of asking undecided voters and supporters of third-party candidates a follow-up question, to try to push them into a major-party column. This time, they have stopped doing that -- because in Minnesota, unlike the normal course of things in other states, support for a third-party candidate doesn't necessarily collapse in the voting booth.
As the pollster's analysis explains: "In the Minnesota governor's race, Rasmussen Reports has made a decision not to use our traditional leaners model. Normally, that model shows support falling off for a third-party candidate. However, in Minnesota, third-party candidates often defy that trend, and a look at the initial preference data suggests that may be happening this year."
For more of an apples-to-apples comparison, the poll from two weeks ago before the follow-up question had Emmer leading with 36%, Dayton had 34%, and Horner 18%.
Racist and undemocratic Minnesota Supreme Court ruling denies Warriors for Justice ballot status while exposing the undemocratic nature and trap of the two-party system
Warriors for Justice, a new political party in Minnesota calling for an end to racist poverty and unemployment--- victim of Democratic and Republican party fears that the people are fed up and will be looking for real change...
The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled, ridiculously in a racist and undemocratic manner, that the double-standard between requirements for registering to vote and signing a petition to place a new political party on the ballot is appropriate.
Read the article from the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper below.
This Minnesota Supreme Court ruling is based on the fear that people are going to find their own way to express their anger with Democrats and Republicans who continue to ignore their problems.
Not one single Native American Indian is sitting among the more than 200 Minnesota State Legislators and anyone who has followed the struggles for justice undertaken by Nicole Beaulieu and Greg Paquin understand why this is.
The irony to all of this is that a racist, rich white-man named John McCarthy doles out political campaign contributions to racist white politicians on behalf of the Indian Gaming Industry for the purpose of ignoring the shameful and disgraceful poverty plaguing the Indian Nations in order to maintain a pool of cheap labor for casino managements while the mining and power generating industries are robbing the people blind as their living environment is ruined as the rape of the land takes place.
From the article in the Bemidji Pioneer, below:
Nicole Beaulieu, Candidate for Minnesota House District 4A
Greg Paquin, Candidate for Minnesota Senate District 4
Published October 08 2010
Link:
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100022572/
By: Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer
The Minnesota Supreme Court, in an opinion filed Thursday, said Beltrami County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Mack properly denied Senate 4 candidate Greg Paquin’s nominating petition for the Nov. 2 ballot.
“We … hold that in denying Paquin's nominating petition for lack of sufficient signatures, the County Auditor did not violate Minnesota law and did not violate Paquin’s constitutional rights,” the court ruled in an unsigned opinion.
The Supreme Court denied Paquin’s appeal to be on the Nov. 2 ballot in an Aug. 24 order, but the opinion describing why wasn’t filed until Thursday.
Greg Paquin and Nicole Beaulieu filed petitions as members of the Warriors for Justice Party, with Paquin seeking the Senate 4 seat held by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, and Beaulieu for the House 4A seat held by Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji. Both needed 500 valid signatures to gain the ballot.
Both had earlier been denied endorsement by the DFL Party and filed as a new party, Warriors for Justice.
Mack denied both petitions, claiming neither contained the needed 500 signatures when names with only post office box numbers were eliminated.
Paquin claimed that someone in the Secretary of State’s Office had advised him that it was OK to use just P.O. box numbers, and Paquin later claimed that state civil regulatory law doesn’t apply on the reservation, where P.O. box numbers are commonly used as residence addresses.
Paquin also claimed that Mack allowed voter registration with only P.O. box numbers and that he was discriminated against by her not allowing P.O. boxes on nominating petitions.
The Supreme Court noted that state law requires that nominating petitions must contain the residence address of the signers so that they can be verified that they live in the district for which the candidate seeks office.
“Upon receipt of a nominating petition by the appropriate election official, the petition is to be inspected ‘to verify that there are a sufficient number of signatures of individuals whose residence address as shown on the petition is in the district where the candidate is to be nominated,’” the court said, citing state law.
Of 557 signatures, 44 were found defective for various reasons and were not disputed by Paquin. Of the 513 remaining signatures, 166 listed a post office box number as “residence address.”
“Paquin argues that respondent Mack should have determined from other sources the residence address of these signers,” the court said in the 13 page opinion. “For example, Paquin suggests, respondent could have contacted the post office to determine the residence address of the holder of the indicated post office box, or could have reviewed voting records from previous elections to confirm that the signature on the petition belonged to someone living in the district.”
But the court notes that federal law prohibits post office workers from divulging information about post office box holders and state law doesn’t provide for the county auditor to investigate further than what is written on the petition.
State law “requires the inspection of a nominating petition ‘to verify that there are a sufficient number of signatures of individuals whose residence address as shown on the petition is in the district where the candidate is to be nominated,’” the opinion states “Nothing in [state law] requires or even authorizes a county auditor (or the Secretary of State’s office, if that is where the petition is filed) to consult other documents to confirm that the signer is a resident of the district.”
The court also ruled that the post office box number alone is insufficient because it doesn’t prove that the signer physically lives in the Senate 4 district.
“Paquin has the burden to prove that leaving his name off the ballot is an error that must be corrected,” the court said. “Paquin cannot meet this burden unless he shows that the petition signers whose signatures were rejected for lack of a residence address provided information on the petition sufficient to establish that the signer lived within the legislative district.”
Public Law 280 establishes that state governments cannot apply state civil laws to American Indians living on the reservation, but the Supreme Court ruled that the state does have jurisdiction with election laws as legislative districts surpass reservation boundaries.
“Public Law 280 does not bar assertion by the state of jurisdiction over activities of Indians ‘going beyond reservation boundaries,’” it said. “Running for state legislative office and signing a nominating petition for state legislative office are activities ‘going beyond reservation boundaries.’ In seeking to become a candidate for state legislative office, and in signing the nominating petition, petitioner and his supporters are subject to state election laws.”
In dismissing charges of discrimination, the court said that state laws differ in required information for registering to vote and in nominating petitions.
“We understand Paquin’s reply to argue that Mack’s strict enforcement of the residence address requirement with respect to his nominating petition violated his right to equal protection under the law,” said the court.
“The language of the voter registration statutes and the statute governing nominating petitions differs. The statute governing nominating petitions requires signers to provide ‘the signer’s residence address including street and number, if any, and mailing address if different from residence address.’ No statute governing voter registration uses this language to describe the information that a prospective voter must provide in order to register to vote.”
Further, “even if the language of the voter registration and nominating petition statutes were the same, it would not be enough for petitioner Paquin to prove that respondent Mack has differed in her enforcement of the residence address requirement over time; he must also prove that such differences were the result of intentional discrimination. Paquin has not made such a showing.”
Both Paquin and Beaulieu pledge to run write-in campaigns for the two posts.
“It gets rather frustrating when ignorance becomes blatant and obnoxious, we need real representation, someone with compassion, and solidarity for their fellowman, not these status quo wannabe politicians that have made reputations of working in the interests of capitalism,” says Beaulieu’s campaign manager, Curtis Buckanaga. “People’s discontentment with these two parties is becoming more common, although she was denied ballot status.”
Buckanaga blasted both Republicans and Democrats for not paying heed to Indian Country needs.
“Both of these parties are constantly undermining and taking advantage of the situation of my people by over-exaggerating on their supposed competency of resolving matters in the interests of all citizens, which they are trying to be appointed to office by gaining the favor of the majority of the consensus to represent our communities at large, except the Indians,” he said.. “Our basic human needs are constantly ignored, neglected, undermined, belittled and cast aside to make way for the overindulgent excessive necessities of our non-native brethren.”
The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled, ridiculously in a racist and undemocratic manner, that the double-standard between requirements for registering to vote and signing a petition to place a new political party on the ballot is appropriate.
Read the article from the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper below.
This Minnesota Supreme Court ruling is based on the fear that people are going to find their own way to express their anger with Democrats and Republicans who continue to ignore their problems.
Not one single Native American Indian is sitting among the more than 200 Minnesota State Legislators and anyone who has followed the struggles for justice undertaken by Nicole Beaulieu and Greg Paquin understand why this is.
The irony to all of this is that a racist, rich white-man named John McCarthy doles out political campaign contributions to racist white politicians on behalf of the Indian Gaming Industry for the purpose of ignoring the shameful and disgraceful poverty plaguing the Indian Nations in order to maintain a pool of cheap labor for casino managements while the mining and power generating industries are robbing the people blind as their living environment is ruined as the rape of the land takes place.
From the article in the Bemidji Pioneer, below:
Both Paquin and Beaulieu pledge to run write-in campaigns for the two posts.
“It gets rather frustrating when ignorance becomes blatant and obnoxious, we need real representation, someone with compassion, and solidarity for their fellowman, not these status quo wannabe politicians that have made reputations of working in the interests of capitalism,” says Beaulieu’s campaign manager, Curtis Buckanaga. “People’s discontentment with these two parties is becoming more common, although she was denied ballot status.”
Buckanaga blasted both Republicans and Democrats for not paying heed to Indian Country needs.
“Both of these parties are constantly undermining and taking advantage of the situation of my people by over-exaggerating on their supposed competency of resolving matters in the interests of all citizens, which they are trying to be appointed to office by gaining the favor of the majority of the consensus to represent our communities at large, except the Indians,” he said.. “Our basic human needs are constantly ignored, neglected, undermined, belittled and cast aside to make way for the overindulgent excessive necessities of our non-native brethren.”
Nicole Beaulieu, Candidate for Minnesota House District 4A
Greg Paquin, Candidate for Minnesota Senate District 4
Published October 08 2010
Link:
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100022572/
Minnesota Supreme Court denies candidate Greg Paquin ballot access
The Minnesota Supreme Court, in an opinion filed Thursday, said Beltrami County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Mack properly denied Senate 4 candidate Greg Paquin’s nominating petition for the Nov. 2 ballot.By: Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer
The Minnesota Supreme Court, in an opinion filed Thursday, said Beltrami County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Mack properly denied Senate 4 candidate Greg Paquin’s nominating petition for the Nov. 2 ballot.
“We … hold that in denying Paquin's nominating petition for lack of sufficient signatures, the County Auditor did not violate Minnesota law and did not violate Paquin’s constitutional rights,” the court ruled in an unsigned opinion.
The Supreme Court denied Paquin’s appeal to be on the Nov. 2 ballot in an Aug. 24 order, but the opinion describing why wasn’t filed until Thursday.
Greg Paquin and Nicole Beaulieu filed petitions as members of the Warriors for Justice Party, with Paquin seeking the Senate 4 seat held by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, and Beaulieu for the House 4A seat held by Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji. Both needed 500 valid signatures to gain the ballot.
Both had earlier been denied endorsement by the DFL Party and filed as a new party, Warriors for Justice.
Mack denied both petitions, claiming neither contained the needed 500 signatures when names with only post office box numbers were eliminated.
Paquin claimed that someone in the Secretary of State’s Office had advised him that it was OK to use just P.O. box numbers, and Paquin later claimed that state civil regulatory law doesn’t apply on the reservation, where P.O. box numbers are commonly used as residence addresses.
Paquin also claimed that Mack allowed voter registration with only P.O. box numbers and that he was discriminated against by her not allowing P.O. boxes on nominating petitions.
The Supreme Court noted that state law requires that nominating petitions must contain the residence address of the signers so that they can be verified that they live in the district for which the candidate seeks office.
“Upon receipt of a nominating petition by the appropriate election official, the petition is to be inspected ‘to verify that there are a sufficient number of signatures of individuals whose residence address as shown on the petition is in the district where the candidate is to be nominated,’” the court said, citing state law.
Of 557 signatures, 44 were found defective for various reasons and were not disputed by Paquin. Of the 513 remaining signatures, 166 listed a post office box number as “residence address.”
“Paquin argues that respondent Mack should have determined from other sources the residence address of these signers,” the court said in the 13 page opinion. “For example, Paquin suggests, respondent could have contacted the post office to determine the residence address of the holder of the indicated post office box, or could have reviewed voting records from previous elections to confirm that the signature on the petition belonged to someone living in the district.”
But the court notes that federal law prohibits post office workers from divulging information about post office box holders and state law doesn’t provide for the county auditor to investigate further than what is written on the petition.
State law “requires the inspection of a nominating petition ‘to verify that there are a sufficient number of signatures of individuals whose residence address as shown on the petition is in the district where the candidate is to be nominated,’” the opinion states “Nothing in [state law] requires or even authorizes a county auditor (or the Secretary of State’s office, if that is where the petition is filed) to consult other documents to confirm that the signer is a resident of the district.”
The court also ruled that the post office box number alone is insufficient because it doesn’t prove that the signer physically lives in the Senate 4 district.
“Paquin has the burden to prove that leaving his name off the ballot is an error that must be corrected,” the court said. “Paquin cannot meet this burden unless he shows that the petition signers whose signatures were rejected for lack of a residence address provided information on the petition sufficient to establish that the signer lived within the legislative district.”
Public Law 280 establishes that state governments cannot apply state civil laws to American Indians living on the reservation, but the Supreme Court ruled that the state does have jurisdiction with election laws as legislative districts surpass reservation boundaries.
“Public Law 280 does not bar assertion by the state of jurisdiction over activities of Indians ‘going beyond reservation boundaries,’” it said. “Running for state legislative office and signing a nominating petition for state legislative office are activities ‘going beyond reservation boundaries.’ In seeking to become a candidate for state legislative office, and in signing the nominating petition, petitioner and his supporters are subject to state election laws.”
In dismissing charges of discrimination, the court said that state laws differ in required information for registering to vote and in nominating petitions.
“We understand Paquin’s reply to argue that Mack’s strict enforcement of the residence address requirement with respect to his nominating petition violated his right to equal protection under the law,” said the court.
“The language of the voter registration statutes and the statute governing nominating petitions differs. The statute governing nominating petitions requires signers to provide ‘the signer’s residence address including street and number, if any, and mailing address if different from residence address.’ No statute governing voter registration uses this language to describe the information that a prospective voter must provide in order to register to vote.”
Further, “even if the language of the voter registration and nominating petition statutes were the same, it would not be enough for petitioner Paquin to prove that respondent Mack has differed in her enforcement of the residence address requirement over time; he must also prove that such differences were the result of intentional discrimination. Paquin has not made such a showing.”
Both Paquin and Beaulieu pledge to run write-in campaigns for the two posts.
“It gets rather frustrating when ignorance becomes blatant and obnoxious, we need real representation, someone with compassion, and solidarity for their fellowman, not these status quo wannabe politicians that have made reputations of working in the interests of capitalism,” says Beaulieu’s campaign manager, Curtis Buckanaga. “People’s discontentment with these two parties is becoming more common, although she was denied ballot status.”
Buckanaga blasted both Republicans and Democrats for not paying heed to Indian Country needs.
“Both of these parties are constantly undermining and taking advantage of the situation of my people by over-exaggerating on their supposed competency of resolving matters in the interests of all citizens, which they are trying to be appointed to office by gaining the favor of the majority of the consensus to represent our communities at large, except the Indians,” he said.. “Our basic human needs are constantly ignored, neglected, undermined, belittled and cast aside to make way for the overindulgent excessive necessities of our non-native brethren.”
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Presentation to Minnesota's Legislative Commission on poverty: The Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force
Ms. Amy Brenengen,
Please include these comments in the minutes of your "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" meeting.
Thank you.
Alan
I am often asked when I speak to groups across Minnesota:
What would you do to end poverty?
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!
Real living wage jobs!
The point of having a job is so you don't have to be poor; anyone without a job is pretty much guaranteed of being poor.
Every job an employer requires to be done, the worker doing that job should be paid a real living wage and this should be required, by law: every employee must receive a real living wage--- no exclusions.
We need to tax the rich, and end these wars so we have money to solve the problems of people and society which will create jobs. This is a most basic and fundamental concept that politicians don't seem to grasp:
Solving the problems of people and society is what creates real jobs paying real living wages.
A national public health care system would create around ten million new jobs and a national public child care system would create millions of jobs more--- putting people to work solving our problems creates jobs and ends poverty.
Government has a responsibility to create jobs; private industry has failed. That small business creates jobs is just plain bunk; there is no substance to this myth. Small business creates poverty wage jobs. No one goes to work to stay poor.
Also, we need a minimum wage that is a real living wage based on all cost of living factors where adjustments are made quarterly to keep up with cost of living increases which continue to rise as big-business strives to make greater profits in the midst of this very serious economic crisis which will have no end for working people.
The minimum wage should be a real living wage based upon, and legislatively tied to, the scientific calculations as tabulated by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These wars are making us poor as individuals and as a Nation. Peace is pretty much a requirement for creating jobs and ending poverty.
Universal social programs aimed at solving each of the points of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is required in order to end poverty... mere words on pieces of paper cannot be eaten by hungry children.
There is no reason why in the wealthiest country in the world every school child shouldn't be receiving a free breakfast and free lunch in our public schools; especially in a state like Minnesota where farmers profit by keeping valuable crop lands out of production and the grain companies and dairies have tremendous "waste." Put people to work growing food to feed school children and make waste of food by corporations a crime.
Poverty can not be fought or stemmed as long as working people are losing jobs to plant closings. Whether mines, mills or factories, the state should take over under public ownership any closing operations like the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant.
Anyone with the least little bit of common sense understands that when working people are not working wealth is not being created. Tremendous wealth is going to be required to solve the problems associated with poverty, and ending poverty.
We need to recognize that these wars that are costing us so much financially are at the same time killing jobs the same way they kill people... these wars make us poor.
This "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" has a responsibility to place this question before all Minnesotans:
How is the war economy working for you?
Let me remind the members of this "Task Force" that many Minnesotans have, literally, been driven into poverty by this private, for-profit health care system which is also responsible for many people losing their homes because they are not able to pay health care costs.
Finally, let me remind the members of this "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" that you have intentionally placed over 200,000 Minnesotans, some 40,000 families, in poverty by approving the "Compacts" creating the Indian Gaming Industry in a way that has, in violation of all international labor standards and norms and in complete violation of what the entire world recognizes to be human rights, FORCED over 40,000 casino workers here in Minnesota to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at POVERTY WAGES where the minimum wage is not enforced by either the Minnesota Department of Labor or the United States Department of Labor and where these casino workers are denied ALL other protections under state and federal labor laws. If the government of Minnesota hasn't created a recipe for poverty while enabling the owners of the slot machines and table games to amass tremendous wealth than what would you call this? In fact, people like John McCarthy of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association who has bribed many of you on this "Task Force" to turn a blind eye to these injustices has amassed fabulous wealth as a direct result of how the Indian Gaming Industry has led to a deepening of poverty on Indian Reservations. I further note, that in violation of all labor laws and human rights standards, right under your noses, the huge Mystic Lake Casino operation forces each and everyone of its more than 5,000 employees to sign statements as a condition of their employment that they understand that they will be immediately terminated from employment should they engage in union organizing activities. To these ends, of denying casino workers the right to organize collectively and to engage in collective bargaining--- we all know that a good union contract is better than any government anti-poverty program or what the philanthropists fund through foundations--- tens of millions of dollars are being spent at this time by the casino managements in Minnesota to hire union-busting outfits like USIS/Altegrity in order to keep working people poor. I would further note that poverty is being imposed on the Indian Nations in the most racist manner in order to maintain a pool of cheap labor for these casino operations.
Women, people of color and young workers suffer the brunt of the poverty created by the Indian Gaming Industry in Minnesota while growing numbers of senior citizens are now forced to take jobs in these casinos because the economic collapse has robbed them of their retirement savings and impoverished them.
Might I remind you that the health problems casino workers incur from second-hand smoke are among the most costly to treat--- heart and lung problems and cancers; and, people with such illnesses usual end up in deeper poverty than what their poverty wage jobs working under these conditions force upon them.
Which brings me to my conclusion:
Not one member of this "Ladder out of Poverty Task Force" nor any member of the Minnesota State Legislature ever come forward insisting affirmative action be enforced in Minnesota. Quite literally, it is criminal that state departments like the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Transportation have refused to enforce affirmative action as intended by federal Executive Order #11246 even though most large state projects like the Bemidji Regional Event Center receive substantial federal funds, too.
There is a certain sad and sick irony that the Minnesota State Legislature establishes a "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" while government works behind the scenes under the cover of darkness and "under the color of law" to create poverty because those providing you with lucrative campaign contributions get wealthy because they keep so many people poor.
Keep in mind when discussing poverty that behind every single statistic is a living, breathing human being living in poverty.
Playwright Bertolt Brecht said is best:
"The rich create the poor but cannot stand to look at them."
I would also note that the poorest amongst us, Native American Indians, don't have one single seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. Deprivation of democracy is, also, apparently, the cost of being poor in Minnesota... just like casino workers who have no rights at work have no rights in the communities where they live... something you might not understand--- or not want to understand--- but might want to think about.
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
Quoting Amy Brenengen :
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
Check out my Blog:
http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/
Please include these comments in the minutes of your "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" meeting.
Thank you.
Alan
I am often asked when I speak to groups across Minnesota:
What would you do to end poverty?
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!
Real living wage jobs!
The point of having a job is so you don't have to be poor; anyone without a job is pretty much guaranteed of being poor.
Every job an employer requires to be done, the worker doing that job should be paid a real living wage and this should be required, by law: every employee must receive a real living wage--- no exclusions.
We need to tax the rich, and end these wars so we have money to solve the problems of people and society which will create jobs. This is a most basic and fundamental concept that politicians don't seem to grasp:
Solving the problems of people and society is what creates real jobs paying real living wages.
A national public health care system would create around ten million new jobs and a national public child care system would create millions of jobs more--- putting people to work solving our problems creates jobs and ends poverty.
Government has a responsibility to create jobs; private industry has failed. That small business creates jobs is just plain bunk; there is no substance to this myth. Small business creates poverty wage jobs. No one goes to work to stay poor.
Also, we need a minimum wage that is a real living wage based on all cost of living factors where adjustments are made quarterly to keep up with cost of living increases which continue to rise as big-business strives to make greater profits in the midst of this very serious economic crisis which will have no end for working people.
The minimum wage should be a real living wage based upon, and legislatively tied to, the scientific calculations as tabulated by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These wars are making us poor as individuals and as a Nation. Peace is pretty much a requirement for creating jobs and ending poverty.
Universal social programs aimed at solving each of the points of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is required in order to end poverty... mere words on pieces of paper cannot be eaten by hungry children.
There is no reason why in the wealthiest country in the world every school child shouldn't be receiving a free breakfast and free lunch in our public schools; especially in a state like Minnesota where farmers profit by keeping valuable crop lands out of production and the grain companies and dairies have tremendous "waste." Put people to work growing food to feed school children and make waste of food by corporations a crime.
Poverty can not be fought or stemmed as long as working people are losing jobs to plant closings. Whether mines, mills or factories, the state should take over under public ownership any closing operations like the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant.
Anyone with the least little bit of common sense understands that when working people are not working wealth is not being created. Tremendous wealth is going to be required to solve the problems associated with poverty, and ending poverty.
We need to recognize that these wars that are costing us so much financially are at the same time killing jobs the same way they kill people... these wars make us poor.
This "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" has a responsibility to place this question before all Minnesotans:
How is the war economy working for you?
Let me remind the members of this "Task Force" that many Minnesotans have, literally, been driven into poverty by this private, for-profit health care system which is also responsible for many people losing their homes because they are not able to pay health care costs.
Finally, let me remind the members of this "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" that you have intentionally placed over 200,000 Minnesotans, some 40,000 families, in poverty by approving the "Compacts" creating the Indian Gaming Industry in a way that has, in violation of all international labor standards and norms and in complete violation of what the entire world recognizes to be human rights, FORCED over 40,000 casino workers here in Minnesota to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at POVERTY WAGES where the minimum wage is not enforced by either the Minnesota Department of Labor or the United States Department of Labor and where these casino workers are denied ALL other protections under state and federal labor laws. If the government of Minnesota hasn't created a recipe for poverty while enabling the owners of the slot machines and table games to amass tremendous wealth than what would you call this? In fact, people like John McCarthy of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association who has bribed many of you on this "Task Force" to turn a blind eye to these injustices has amassed fabulous wealth as a direct result of how the Indian Gaming Industry has led to a deepening of poverty on Indian Reservations. I further note, that in violation of all labor laws and human rights standards, right under your noses, the huge Mystic Lake Casino operation forces each and everyone of its more than 5,000 employees to sign statements as a condition of their employment that they understand that they will be immediately terminated from employment should they engage in union organizing activities. To these ends, of denying casino workers the right to organize collectively and to engage in collective bargaining--- we all know that a good union contract is better than any government anti-poverty program or what the philanthropists fund through foundations--- tens of millions of dollars are being spent at this time by the casino managements in Minnesota to hire union-busting outfits like USIS/Altegrity in order to keep working people poor. I would further note that poverty is being imposed on the Indian Nations in the most racist manner in order to maintain a pool of cheap labor for these casino operations.
Women, people of color and young workers suffer the brunt of the poverty created by the Indian Gaming Industry in Minnesota while growing numbers of senior citizens are now forced to take jobs in these casinos because the economic collapse has robbed them of their retirement savings and impoverished them.
Might I remind you that the health problems casino workers incur from second-hand smoke are among the most costly to treat--- heart and lung problems and cancers; and, people with such illnesses usual end up in deeper poverty than what their poverty wage jobs working under these conditions force upon them.
Which brings me to my conclusion:
Not one member of this "Ladder out of Poverty Task Force" nor any member of the Minnesota State Legislature ever come forward insisting affirmative action be enforced in Minnesota. Quite literally, it is criminal that state departments like the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Transportation have refused to enforce affirmative action as intended by federal Executive Order #11246 even though most large state projects like the Bemidji Regional Event Center receive substantial federal funds, too.
There is a certain sad and sick irony that the Minnesota State Legislature establishes a "Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force" while government works behind the scenes under the cover of darkness and "under the color of law" to create poverty because those providing you with lucrative campaign contributions get wealthy because they keep so many people poor.
Keep in mind when discussing poverty that behind every single statistic is a living, breathing human being living in poverty.
Playwright Bertolt Brecht said is best:
"The rich create the poor but cannot stand to look at them."
I would also note that the poorest amongst us, Native American Indians, don't have one single seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. Deprivation of democracy is, also, apparently, the cost of being poor in Minnesota... just like casino workers who have no rights at work have no rights in the communities where they live... something you might not understand--- or not want to understand--- but might want to think about.
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
Quoting Amy Brenengen :
Meeting dates and times have been posted for the Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force: See below and posted here: http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/ladder/meetings.html
###
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Asset Development Work Group
Thursday, October 21, 2010
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Room 112, State Capitol
Agenda: To be announced
Financial Literacy Work Group
Friday, October 22, 2010
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Agenda: To be announced
Community Supports Work Group
Meeting Date: To be announced (This meeting will occur the day following the special session)
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Room: To be announced
Agenda: To be announced
Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force (Full Task Force Meeting)
Co-Chairs: Rep. Morrie Lanning and Sen. Michael Jungbauer
Thursday, November 18, 2010
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Agenda: To be announced
Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force (Full Task Force Meeting)
Co-Chairs: Rep. Morrie Lanning and Sen. Michael Jungbauer
Monday, June 13, 2011
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Room: To be annouced
Agenda: To be announced
Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force (Full Task Force Meeting)
Co-Chairs: Rep. Morrie Lanning and Sen. Michael Jungbauer
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Room: To be announced
Agenda: To be announced
Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force (Full Task Force Meeting)###
Co-Chairs: Rep. Morrie Lanning and Sen. Michael Jungbauer
Monday, December 5, 2011
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Room: To be announced
Agenda: To be announced
Alan L. Maki
Amy Brenengen
Director, Office on the Economic Status of Women
LCC Staff Liaison, Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force
651-296-0711
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
Check out my Blog:
http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/
One Nation rally: Is the message being sent to the wrong person?
I don't get it... why is this rally being pawned off by the primary organizers themselves as a response to Glenn Beck, which has prompted the media to hone in on this?
Why isn't this rally being touted by the organizers as a caution to Barack Obama and the Democrats to do what they promised or they aren't getting the votes of liberals, progressives and the left?
Aren't the organizers of this rally the same ones who said, "Vote for
Obama and the Democrats and we will hold their feet to the fire?"
Now, here we are, two years later and these party hacks like Leah Daughtry say they are sending a message to Glenn Beck!
Glenn Beck isn't the president of the United States--- the message needs to go to Barack Obama and the Democrats who apparently didn't listen very well to Harry Belafonte's speech.
Why isn't this rally being touted by the organizers as a caution to Barack Obama and the Democrats to do what they promised or they aren't getting the votes of liberals, progressives and the left?
Aren't the organizers of this rally the same ones who said, "Vote for
Obama and the Democrats and we will hold their feet to the fire?"
Now, here we are, two years later and these party hacks like Leah Daughtry say they are sending a message to Glenn Beck!
Glenn Beck isn't the president of the United States--- the message needs to go to Barack Obama and the Democrats who apparently didn't listen very well to Harry Belafonte's speech.