Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Please note I have a new phone number...

512-517-2708

Alan Maki

Alan Maki
Doing research at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

A program for real change...

http://peaceandsocialjustice.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-progressive-program-for-real-change.html


What we need is a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity" which would make it a mandatory requirement that the president and Congress attain and maintain full employment.


"Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens"

- Ben Franklin

Let's talk...

Let's talk...

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Will voting for Democrats bring the change we need?

All kinds of Democratic Party front groups are sending out e-mails like this in the name of "fighting back."

But are "blame the Republican" statements like this really true?

"Need more motivation?  There is important legislation waiting to be passed on behalf of youth and students.  Republicans have been holding these bills hostage.

* In response to Ferguson and mass unemployment among African American youth, Sen Bernie Standers is introducing a bill to provide $5.5 billion to states and municipalities to employ one million youth ages 16 to 24.

* Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act cuts interest rates on student loans.  It was two votes short of stopping the Republican filibuster.

* Sens Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy are leading support to restore the fundamental protections of the Voting Rights Act and oppose voter ID and other laws that limit turnout of youth, African American, Latino, Native American and Asian Pacific voters."

If there was a solid Democratic House and Senate with Obama as President without any Republican opposition at all, would any of this proposed legislation pass?

The answer is obvious: NO.

This is another old election eve gimmick the Democrats have been using for over 70 years... bring forward legislation at a time to make it appear the Republicans are the only road-block to progress when they know full well Democratic Party super-majorities would not even pass the legislation because Wall Street controls them just like they control the Republicans.

Same old shit; different day.

All these organizations fronting for the Democrats with millions of dollars in resources and tremendous organizational strength in numbers have had plenty of time to build up united, militant rank-and-file and grassroots movements capable of forcing the Democrats to pass this legislation and they haven't lifted a finger to do this and now they call on us to use our precious votes to keep--- and put more--- of these worthless Democrats in office who they know full well would never pass such legislation.

We will never get people centered legislation in this country until we have a working class based progressive people's party for peace, social and economic justice bringing forward real solutions to our problems with the stated goal and objective of challenging Wall Street for political and economic power.

In other words, we need a massive anti-monopoly coalition uniting the American people against Wall Street's thoroughly reactionary agenda of dirty imperialist wars abroad paid for with austerity measures shoved down our throats here at home and a working class based progressive people's party capable of electing politicians who can be relied on to bring forward legislation in line with what the American people need and want--- jobs at real living wages not wars.

We need a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity;" is there anyone who believes Democrats will deliver?

Tribal government needs investigation and reform

Grand Forks Herald publishes Letter to the Editor by Curtis Buckanaga. Please read and circulate:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/letter-tribal-government-needs-investigation-and-reform

LETTER: Tribal government needs investigation and reform
By Curtis Buckanaga from Bemidji Today

Leech Lake is a $200 million-a-year corporation funded by taxpayers to provide services to uplift and empower its underserved and socio-economically challenged band members, who are historically disenfranchised.

Our tribal government operates under the Indian Reorganization Act, which Congress enacted in 1934 in hopes of encouraging tribes to become more self-determined -- even though our traditional governmental practices already had been proven effective.

Eighty years later, we learn that this is a detriment to many Native Nations, including Leech Lake.

For under this form of governance, there are no checks and balances to maintain order, accountability and transparency against the tribal council, whose members are the handlers of the annual $200 million revenue stream.

Across America, efforts are taking place to reform tribes out of Indian Reorganization Act standards. Most are being spearheaded by indigenous academic organizations, which research best practices to help tribes transition to culturally matched governments that let tribes reach their full potential.

At Leech Lake, those efforts have been discouraged and sabotaged by tribal officials, who mishandle taxpayer dollars to maintain dysfunction. These officials work with state and federal officials to create this dysfunction against the tribal members, who are misrepresented because most of the time, only 10 percent or fewer of tribal members vote in tribal elections.

As taxpayers, we are funding these ineffective tribal officials, who are not only abusing resources allocated to them by the federal government, but also oppressing the tribal members.

Yes, we have casinos to help us be less reliant on federal dollars, but the casino revenue is mishandled at the council’s discretion.

I am a citizen of Leech Lake as well as the United States. As taxpayers, don’t we deserve accountability from these individuals to whom we hand our money? Shouldn’t we call for the Indian Reorganization Act to be repealed to encourage reform and prevent the abuse of tribal people and their tax dollars?

Shouldn’t we demand an annual audit and report?

I’m not trying to open the door for bigoted criticism. I’m trying to raise some valid points about wasteful and wrongful spending of taxpayers’ money.

Curtis Buckanaga

Bemidji

Buckanaga is a former executive assistant for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.