What you pay for Medicare won’t cover your costs

What you pay for Medicare won’t cover your costs

click link above

tweet pages for st. louis --Fired up Missouri

Ten for 2010: Top Tweeps
from http://www.firedupmissouri.com/content/ten-2010-top-tweeps


http://twitter.com/RepCarnahan# for instance is for Russ Carnahan.

Professional Journalists:

1.@tonymess - Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
2.@jrosenbaum - Jason Rosenbaum of Missouri Lawyers Media (@MoLawyersMedia)
3.@bshelly - Barb Shelly of the Kansas City Star (@KCStar)
4.@roseannmoring - Roseann Moring of the Springfield News-Leader (@springfieldNL)
5.@chadgarrison - Chad Garrison of the Riverfront Times (@riverfronttimes)
6.@davidalieb - David Lieb of the Associated Press (@AP)
7.@missourinet - Not sure who manages this feed, but it's a great resource for what what's happening in the Capitol and around the state
8.@pitchplog - Staff feed for the Pitch's Plog
9.@charlesjaco - Charles Jaco of Fox 2 Now (@FOX2now)
10.@chriskingstl - Chris King of the St. Louis American (@StLouisAmerican)

Citizen Journalists/Bloggers:

1.@rturner229 - Randy Turner of the Turner Report
2.@eyokley - Eli Yokley of the Fuse Joplin (@thefusejoplin) and PoliticMo (@PoliticMo).
3.@stlactivisthub - Adam Shriver of St. Louis Activist Hub.
4.@TonysKansasCity - Tony's Kansas City
5.@MBersin - Michael Bersin of Show Me Progress
6.@ehoffp - Eric Hoffpauir of Show Me Progress
7.@BHIndepMO - Brandon H. of of Show Me Progress
8.@BGinKC - Blue Girl of Show Me Progress
9.@SharkFu of AngryBlackBitch.com
10.@busplunge - Jim Lee of the Busplunge

Politicians:

1.@clairecmc - Sen. Claire McCaskill (see also McCaskill's staff feed at @McCaskillOffice)
2.@peterkinder - Lt. Governor Peter Kinder
3.@mayorslay - St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay
4.@sarah_steelman - Sarah Steelman
5.@RepCarnahan - Rep. Russ Carnahan
6.@auctnr1 - Rep. Billy Long
7.@joliejustus - Sen. Jolie Justus
8.@MikeTalboy - Rep. Mike Talboy
9.@jasonkander - Rep. Jason Kander
10.@ryansilvey - Rep. Ryan Silvey

And Activists/Staffers/Hacks/Otherwisehardtocategorize feeds:

1.@ForwardSTL
2.@Patricialicious - Patricia Bynes
3.@sarahfelts - Sarah Felts
4.@mskstl - Michael Sean Kelley
5.@mkimberlin - Michael Kimberlin
6.@cathysherwin - Cathy Sherwin
7.@theboneblog
8.@tonywyche - Tony Wyche
9.@CamSullivan - Cameron Sullivan
10.@mywaymo

countdown--were we are on healthcare today

not a rosey outlook for millions next year on the healthcare or jobs front

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

--------

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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on jobs

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Don't Spare the Boomers--horse droppings

Don't Spare the Boomers

click link above for right-wing garbage.

fiore comments on wikileaks

fiore-Obama style self defense

Health Reform Subsidy Calculator - Kaiser Health Reform

Health Reform Subsidy Calculator - Kaiser Health Reform

click link for estimated 2014 healthcare costs

Leo Gerard on job --Obama

http://ourfuture.org interviews Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers union, after the White House summit on jobs December 3. He says in this interview that he was buoyed by the good ideas that emerged from summit participants. He also praises Obama for focusing on creating jobs. Now, he says, attention must move to Congress and the administration to address the infrastructure, trade, training and program spending issues that must be tackled to produce jobs in both the short and long term.



---

Leo Gerard on corporations--Ed show--Obama tax cut flap

FiredoglakeTV | December 06, 2010


Gerard appeared on MSNBC's The Ed Show to respond to the announcement of the deal President 'struck' with the GOP.
Visit: http://firedoglake.com



----

Daily Show: The Gretch Who Saved the War on Christmas

a hoot

Jon Stewart Lampoons The 'War On Christmas'
- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.

USW Blog

USW Blog

Cutting contributions to Social Security Signals the Beginning of the End

Cutting contributions to Social Security Signals the Beginning of the End

one termer?

I believe Keith sums the topic very well. Goodbye one-termer Obama. Hope good unemployment benefits available at the time

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Akin, Blunt, Graves, Emerson and Luetkemeyer Vote Against Tax Cuts For 97% of Americans and Small Businesses

Akin, Blunt, Graves, Emerson and Luetkemeyer Vote Against Tax Cuts For 97% of Americans and Small Businesses

click link

class warfare--Sen Bernie Sanders

12-1-2010

Forced Labor in the Globalized World--things not changed

MIT 2005 doc on forced labor. If anything, problem growing if stats are correct

do not buy slave made products.

Hearts and minds--Vietnam war doc

excellont 74 doc on the Vietnam War and anti-war movement

----

Revisionist History and Economics

part political/ecomic crock.



-------

General Motors: Comeback --new ad

too bad GM fails to mention they stuck it to its workers. Guess big bonus time for big shots of outfit

ad is well done agiprop for company

Charlie Averill: Call your Senators on November 30

Charlie Averill: Call your Senators on November 30

even more Sicko

behind the scenes, health insurance companies moved to destroy debate on healthcare. no surprize, congress and Obama did likewise---ask the single payer folks denied access or in some cases arrested.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Akin: Extend the Tax Cuts ---

amazing. trickle down theory. I suspect lad knows little of economics

RepToddAkin | On the House floor, Congressman Akin argues for making the Bush era tax
cuts permanent. 11/17/10

What Republicans Can Do With Their Tax Cuts For The Rich

question? will tax cuts for rich help the economy? of course on the high end







----more

Silence of the CEOs - NYPOST.com

Silence of the CEOs - NYPOST.com


-----
from article:

CEOs are a pretty close- mouthed bunch these days; the government just has too many carrots -- and sticks -- to allow them to do much else.

Consider GE's Jeff Immelt. At a meeting this summer, the chief executive let it slip that President Obama's economic policies were bad for business and hurting the economy. Within minutes of the remarks being reported, his own p.r. people were throwing him under the bus -- and Immelt himself was backpedaling.

The comments were actually rather mild and undeniably true -- namely, that businesses spent 2009 and most of 2010 recovering from the financial collapse and then planning to recover from the tax-and-spend policies of Obamanomics by cutting costs, hoarding cash and refusing to hire workers.

Even so, GE corporate flacks were on the phone ASAP. I'd heard the excuse that remarks were taken out of context a million times before -- but it wasn't long before they actually said that their CEO's words "do not represent our views."

Since then, Immelt has been rather cozy with Obama, at least in public. He went along on the president's recent Asia trip without hinting at his earlier criticisms that the president's overregulation of business, or his promise to raise taxes and impose new mandates like health care, contributed to the "tepid" US recovery.

But privately, two people who speak with him regularly say, Immelt is still pretty negative on the president and how his policies have squeezed an already weak economy. The reason: While Obamanomics may be bad for the country, my informants say, Immelt is keenly aware that they've been pretty good for GE -- billions of dollars in projects funded by the president's green-energy, health-care and other initiatives.

Sicko update--what happened in healthcare fight

amazing. mentions Healthcare Now (hcan) as being front for big insurance front. Those folks ran healthcare meetings in St Louis via Jobs for Justice and Forest Park healthcare forums.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is part of hcan coalition
-----Hcan might not be the organization------


-----

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

---
earlier vid


========

Wendell Potter on "Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans"
- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.

Healthcare waivers What is up with this.

The following is from Fox.



---------


full list at: http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/approved_applications_for_waiver.html
-------
111 companies, unions and others including: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), UFCW Allied Trade Health & Welfare Trust, IBEW No 915, Asbestos Workers Local 53 Welfare Fund, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 123 Welfare Fund, UFCW Local 227, UFCW Maximus Local 455, Local 25 WEIU, UFCW Local 1262, Local 802 Musicians Health Fund, Local 17 Hospitality Benefit Fund, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Transport Workers, and UFT Welfare Fund (United Federation of Teachers).
----- from CNN---
McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), Jack in the Box (JACK) and other companies won a one-year exemption from a new rule requiring them to raise the maximum amount of coverage they offer employees.

Email Print CommentAll told 30 companies, also including insurers Cigna (CI, Fortune 500) and Aetna (AET, Fortune 500), received the waiver, affecting 968,765 enrollees.

(note: some of these unions opposed universal healthcare during the times of debate on healthcare reform)

---
---------
one wonders about the "healthcare law".

watch the fun and games in congress--quack, quack

prop b--daily show take

Big Red Dogs

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

comments on release of draft committee--countdown

--


-----

Cope favorites Missouri

Candidate Endorsements
Each AFL-CIO Central Labor Council has a Committee on Political Education (COPE). The COPE Committee interviews all candidates for public office within the jurisdiction of the CLC


----
U.S SENATE:
Robin Carnahan (D)

STATE AUDITOR:
Susan Montee (D)*

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE:
1 Lacy Clay (D)*
2 No Endorsement
3 Russ Carnahan (D)*
4 Ike Skelton (D)*
5 Emanuel Cleaver II (D)*
6 OPEN
7 Scott Eckersley (D)
8 Jo Ann Emerson (R)*
9 No Endorsement


MISSOURI SENATE:
2 OPEN
4 Joe Keaveny (D)*
6 Mike Kehoe (R)
8 Will Kraus (R)
10 Jolie Justus (D)*
12 No Endorsement
14 Maria Chapelle-Nadal (D)
16 Frank Barnitz (D)*
18 Wes Shoemyer (D)*
20 Terry Traw (D)
22 Ryan McKenna (D)*
24 Barbara Fraser (D)
26 OPEN
28 No Endorsement
30 Michael Hoeman (D)
32 No Endorsement
34 Martin Rucker (D]
------
Proposition A (Earnings Tax) - Oppose

Proposition A is a reckless deception

Proposition A is a reckless deception

click link.
=====

update


there was a rally opposing prop a in Tower Grove park last saturday. About 200 in attendance including mrself, Jobs for Justice and others including Jeff Rains {USW]

event was briefly on KMOV that evening.

Soar 11-3 {St. Louis retired steelworkers} has opposed Prop A for several monts

For Congress: Round up the usual suspects

For Congress: Round up the usual suspects

click link for story from St Louis post

more on pensions France, GB, US

some comments on the California election

------

Embedded With Organized Labor:: The Poison Pill In “ObamaCare” That Helped Kill Labor Law Reform

Embedded With Organized Labor:: The Poison Pill In “ObamaCare” That Helped Kill Labor Law Reform

click link

from article

Abstract:
Embedded in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was a poison pill for labor. It took the form of an excise tax on higher-cost, job-based medical coverage—the so-called “Cadillac health plans” negotiated by unions themselves. This deadly political booby-trap became a major organizational distraction and resource drain during a key phase of labor's health-care campaign. Instead of mounting a broad fight for expanded social insurance, unions were forced to wage a frantic defensive struggle against taxation of worker benefits. The “Cadillac tax” backed by Barack Obama was so redolent of John McCain's own stance on health care during the 2008 presidential campaign that it produced a “working class revolt” in Massachusetts. There, a Republican opposed to the excise tax defeated the Democratic Senatorial candidate running for the late Ted Kennedy's seat in January 2010. When the Democrats' lost their filibuster-proof “super-majority” in the Senate, the already controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) became the first political casualty of “ObamaCare.”


In 2008, organized labor spent more than US$300 million electing Barack Obama and other Democrats in a costly bid to end eight years of Republican rule that was extremely damaging to workers.1 The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was the largest single financial contributor to this multi-union campaign, reinforcing its claim to have “the most effective political program of any international union.”2 By election day, more than US$85 million SEIU dollars (including 20% of the national union's total budget) had been poured into electoral politics. Thousands of AFL-CIO and Change To Win union volunteers and staffers were deployed in key “battleground states” to help Obama defeat John McCain, an Arizona Republican who backed right-to-work laws and other anti-union measures. The potential gain justifying this huge investment of union resources was Obama's commitment to “taking up the two top items on labor's agenda—legislation to make it easier for unions to organize workers, known as the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and health care reform.”3 Few knew at the time how fatally entangled these two priorities would become.

yesterday's pension protests in France

I am in support of the French unions.

Unlike some in America whom rolls over on social issues, we at Soar in St. Louis are not with that flaccid crowd. We support workers efforts to have decent living standards. Sticking it to retirees outrageous, unreasonable and a crock.

--------

more french demonstrations--

big protests this tuesday planned

France--old age pensions demonstrations

not covered very well in AMERICA, but the raising of pension ages in France has folks up in arms on the continent. At issue, raising retirement from 60 to 62. Here many are crying ages be raised to 70. Viva the French

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NAME="ProfileAddress" VALUE="">


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world is flat--economic lecture

Interesting Yale lecture on economics

YaleUniversity | April 29, 2009
Thomas L. Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

Book excerpt available here: http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/about/flat...

---note to understand current ecomics/politics, one must keep up on their facts and arguments. simular Mit lecture

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/266




-------

Alliance for American Manufacturing --Wednesday, October 27 -st. louis

discussed at breakfast today and will be topic at Farmington. Remember to Rsvp

------------

Want Washington to focus
on jobs? So do we.


That’s why we need you to join us on Wednesday, October 27

for an evening of conversation, fellowship, and food to celebrate American manufacturing.

Next year, economic forecasters
predict that America will lose its
#1 global ranking in manufacturing
for the first time in 110 years.
That’s right, China is projected to
pass the U.S. in manufacturing in
2011. American manufacturing
has already suffered its worst
decade on record with more than
5 million jobs lost, skyrocketing
trade deficits with China, 50,000
shuttered factories, and a drop in
output. Our leaders in Washington
need to understand that without
manufacturing, there can be no
economic recovery.

• Help us drive manufacturing
jobs to the center of the public
agenda.
• Ask your federal candidates
what they propose to do to
reduce unemployment, ensure
that local manufacturing is
competitive, and attract the
factories of tomorrow.
• Find out what business, labor,
and civic leaders have to say
about policies to create jobs
and strengthen our economy.
• Join a discussion of the
opportunities for new workers
in American manufacturing.
This town hall meeting is sponsored by
the Alliance for American Manufacturing
(AAM), a labor-business partnership
determined to make American
manufacturing and jobs the #1 priority.

This non-partisan event is free and open
to the public, but an RSVP is required.

4 WAYS TO RSVP


CALL 866-365-2203
Please specify the city of your event.
Email rsvp@aamfg.org
Website:

www.americanmanufacturing.org


Facebook: www.facebook.com/
AmericanManufacturing


October 27 | 5:00pm | Moolah Shrine Center | St. Louis, MO


What we make, makes America great.
We will be giving away a limited quantity of
American-made t-shirts and buttons, as well as
books on how we can revitalize manufacturing
For more information contact:
Jeff Rains
(618) 979-7901
jrains@aamfg.org
Moolah Shrine Center
12545 Fee Fee Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63146
314-878-6301
-----

Ed Martin endorses Paul Ryan's "road map" --privatization

Ryan favors privatization of social security and medicare in case Martn does not know.

--


---
like many a teabagger, Martin did not do homework

public option deal

alas, not new news to we Hr 676 folks

vet death insurance scam

if true--real scumbags

LaborvisionTV | November 10, 2009 --Jeff Rains

This is a short from last year. Little has changed for the good.

Tax credits still rule for business exporting jobs.

---


--our friend Jeff Rains talks about Indian steel pipes and eastside woes

Barnes 2010 free flu shots-St. Louis, Mo

might wish to pass word and utilize. used myself for last three years and got in/out in very short time. free is good

-------
September 20, 2010
Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-286-0302
jmerrill@bjc.org

ST. LOUIS - Barnes-Jewish Hospital is expanding locations for their annual free flu shot campaign as they will provide free seasonal flu shots to people age 6 months and older throughout October. It is highly recommended that people receive the seasonal flu vaccine each year to protect the flu.

In 2009, over 35,000 people were vaccinated through these efforts and that amount is expected again this year, thanks to a donation from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. Latex-free vaccines are available for individuals with latex allergies. All vaccine is preservative free. Flu shots will not be given to individuals who have had a previous allergic reaction to the flu vaccine, those with egg allergies or anyone who has ever had Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Please note not all sites provide pediatric vaccines.

Free seasonal flu shots are available at the following locations while supplies last. No pre-registration is required.

Monday, October 4 - Friday, October 8
7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Adult vaccinations only (18+ years old)
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Main Campus Lobby
One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63110
Parking is available in the South Garage for $1.50/hr

Monday, October 4 - Friday, October 8
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Adult & Pediatric vaccinations (6 months & up)
Center for Advanced Medicine, 3rd Floor Lobby
4921 Parkview Place
St. Louis, MO 63110
Parking is available in the North Garage for $1.50/hr

Sunday, October 10
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Adult & Pediatric vaccinations (6 months & up)
Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, Medical Office Building 2
10 Barnes West Drive
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Parking is available free on site.

In addition, Barnes-Jewish Hospital will provide community flu shot clinics throughout the St. Louis area as part of BJC HealthCare’s “Healthy Mind, Body, Spirit” faith-based outreach program.

Friday, October 1
Noon – 4 p.m.
Pete’s Shur-Sav
1301 Union @ Page
St. Louis, MO 63113

Saturday, October 2
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Majic’s Sista Strut Breast Cancer Walk
Missouri History Museum
Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park

Sunday, October 3
Noon – 4 p.m.
Christ the King UCC
11380 Old Halls Ferry Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63033

Tuesday, October 5
Noon – 5 p.m.
Eden Seminary (Commons)
475 East Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119

Wednesday, October 6
4 – 7 p.m.
Shalom City of Peace
5491 N. Highway 67
St. Louis, MO 63034

Saturday, October 9
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Child Safety Day
The Pageant
6161 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63112
Tuesday, October 12
1 – 6 p.m.
Central Baptist Church
2442 Washington Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103

Wednesday, October 13
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Pilgrim UCC
826 Union Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108

Thursday, October 14
1 – 6 p.m.
Urban League-Jennings
8960 Jennings Rd
St. Louis, MO 63136

Saturday, October 16
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Emerson Family YMCA
3390 Pershall Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63135

Sunday, October 17
12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Centennial Christian Church
4950 Fountain Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113

Sunday, October 17
1 – 4:30 p.m.
St. John’s AME Church (St. Charles)
547 Washington St.
St. Charles, MO 63301

Tuesday, October 19
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Grace Hill-Water Tower
4414 N. Florissant
St. Louis, MO 63107

Wednesday, October 20
Noon – 5 p.m.
Kappa Alpha Psi/Urban League
Kappa House
500 N. Vanderventer
St. Louis, MO 63108

Thursday, October 21
Residents and Employees Only
9 a.m. – Noon
Jewish Center for the Aged
13190 S. Outer 40 Rd.
Chesterfield, MO 63017

Saturday, October 23
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Christ Our Redeemer AME Church
13820 Old Jamestown Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63033

Saturday, October 23
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
New North Side Baptist Church
5949 Goodfellow
St. Louis, MO 63147

Sunday, October 24
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friendly Temple MB Church
5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63112

Monday, October 25
3 – 7 p.m.
Monsanto Family YMCA
5555 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63112

Saturday, October 30
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club
4245 N. Kingshighway
St. Louis, MO 63115

Saturday, October 30
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
St. John’s UCC Annual Health Fair
4136 N. Grand
St. Louis, MO 63107

Sunday, November 7
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Delta Sigma Theta Fortitude Foundation
3858 Washington
St. Louis, MO 63108

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following adults be vaccinated each year:
1.) People at high risk for complications from the flu.

People 65 years and older;
People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house those with long-term illnesses;
Adults with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma;
Adults who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the previous year because of a metabolic disease (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system (including immune system problems caused by medicines or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV/AIDS]);
• Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• People with any condition that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions (that is, a condition that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, such as brain injury or disease, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other nerve or muscle disorders.)

Bipartisan Fiscal Commission --hokum dog and pony show

Here is one of the few "public" Fiscal Commission "official" vids.

Cat food committee strikes--this is from White House

poverty stats--not new news

--nothing new. we had discussion of poverty/indexes and the like earlier this year. Nothing changed for the better I would think for these stats from last year.

---
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCuYeWPyl7zqXPWi1Ck9mmYyAr7wD9IGP99G1?docId=D9IGP99G1

Census finds record gap between rich and poor
By HOPE YEN (AP) – 4 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest amount on record as young adults and children in particular struggled to stay afloat in the recession.

The top-earning 20 percent of Americans — those making more than $100,000 each year — received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the U.S., compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line, according to newly released census figures. That ratio of 14.5-to-1 was an increase from 13.6 in 2008 and nearly double a low of 7.69 in 1968.

A different measure, the international Gini index, found U.S. income inequality at its highest level since the Census Bureau began tracking household income in 1967. The U.S. also has the greatest disparity among Western industrialized nations.

At the top, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, who earn more than $180,000, added slightly to their annual incomes last year, census data show. Families at the $50,000 median level slipped lower.

"Income inequality is rising, and if we took into account tax data, it would be even more," said Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in poverty. "More than other countries, we have a very unequal income distribution where compensation goes to the top in a winner-takes-all economy."

Lower-skilled adults ages 18 to 34 had the largest jumps in poverty last year as employers kept or hired older workers for the dwindling jobs available, Smeeding said. The declining economic fortunes have caused many unemployed young Americans to double-up in housing with parents, friends and loved ones, with potential problems for the labor market if they don't get needed training for future jobs, he said.

Rea Hederman Jr., a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, agreed that census data show families of all income levels had tepid earnings in 2009, with poorer Americans taking a larger hit. "It's certainly going to take a while for people to recover," he said.

The findings are part of a broad array of U.S. census data being released this month that highlight the far-reaching impact of the recent economic meltdown. The effects have ranged from near-historic declines in U.S. mobility and birth rates to delayed marriage and the first drop in the number of illegal immigrants in two decades.

The census figures also come amid heated political debate in the run-up to the Nov. 2 elections over whether Congress should extend expiring Bush-era tax cuts. President Barack Obama wants to extend the tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 and joint filers making less than $250,000; Republicans are pushing for tax cuts for everyone, including wealthy Americans.

The 2009 census tabulations, which are based on pre-tax income and exclude capital gains, are adjusted for household size where data are available. Prior analyses of after-tax income made by the wealthiest 1 percent compared to middle- and low-income Americans have also pointed to a widening inequality gap, but only reflect U.S. data as of 2007.

Among the 2009 findings:

_The poorest poor are at record highs. The share of Americans below half the poverty line — $10,977 for a family of four — rose from 5.7 percent in 2008 to 6.3 percent. It was the highest level since the government began tracking that group in 1975.

_The poverty gap between young and old has doubled since 2000, due partly to the strength of Social Security in helping buoy Americans 65 and over. Child poverty is now 21 percent compared with 9 percent for older Americans. In 2000, when child poverty was at 16 percent, elderly poverty stood at 10 percent.

_Safety nets are helping fill health gaps. The percentage of children covered by government-sponsored health insurance such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program jumped to 37 percent, or 27.6 million, from 24 percent in 2000. That helped offset steady losses in employer-sponsored insurance.

The 2009 poverty level was set at $21,954 for a family of four, based on an official government calculation that includes only cash income. It excludes noncash aid such as food stamps.

Arloc Sherman, a senior researcher at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, noted the effects of expanded government programs in cushioning the impact of skyrocketing unemployment. For example, the Census Bureau estimates that 3.6 million people would have been lifted above the poverty line if food stamps were counted — a number that would have reduced the 2009 poverty rate from the official 14.3 percent to 13.2 percent.

Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan public policy professor, said while the U.S. has developed policies to combat poverty, it has trouble addressing ever-widening income inequality — even with a growing federal deficit and previous warnings by former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan about soaring executive pay.

An Associated Press-GfK Poll this month found that by 54 percent to 44 percent, most Americans support raising taxes on the highest U.S. earners. Still, many congressional Democrats have expressed wariness about provoking the 44 percent minority so close to Election Day.

"We're pretty good about not talking about income inequality," Danziger said.
---------

alas, the candies in congress cannot even let Bush taxcuts for top percent income folks perish by law. taxcuts for everyone will lapse by Jan 1st unless addressed

Roy Blunt and his Casino Jack buddy

Royboy has interesting buds

-------


------
simular flic from earlier this year. will show this one later when copy obtained

economics-taxes 101

from Dylan's show on Msnbc.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

wall street and mr president Clinton and Obama

from Dylan Ratigan skow friday

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Christine O'Donnell---I love it

one has to love the vetting process of the teabaggers. One wonders what the "Fundies" think about the following.

Yes, the Gop has a bigger tent.

Nancy Pelosi, Wicked Witch of the West

great political ad.

dems need hire this one. Move-on, one up this.

------



-------

Carnahan ad pulled off Senate website, still on TV

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KMOV.com

Posted on September 16, 2010 at 4:01 PM

Updated today at 5:22 PM


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Senate campaign ad for Missouri Democrat Robin Carnahan has been pulled from her website after a lawsuit by Fox News Network alleging copyright infringement.
Carnahan spokesman Linden Zakula defended the ad Thursday and said the campaign believes it complies with the law. Although it was pulled from the Internet, he said the ad will remain on TV.
The ad includes a clip from a 2006 interview by Fox News journalist Christopher Wallace with Republican Congressman Roy Blunt, who is Carnahan's opponent in the Senate race. In it, Wallace cites Blunt's ties to lobbyists and asks whether he's the right man to lead a reform effort.
A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by Fox News claims copyright infringement and the misuse of Wallace's image.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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for those whom do not know---Fox has donated funds to the Blunt campaign

Enchanted Financial Forest

Explosion Rocks Honeywell Uranium Facility Run by Scab Workers

more woes in Illinois

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Explosion Rocks Honeywell Uranium Facility Run by Scab Workers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-elk/explosion-rocks-honeywell_b_707893.html

September 7, 2010 03:56 PM

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Union workers have been locked out at the uranium enrichment facility in Metropolis, Illinois for two months now after contract negotiations broke down over Honeywell's demand that workers give up their retiree health care coverage and pension plans. The Metropolis uranium facility is the only one in the United States that can convert U308 into the extremely deadly UF6.

Because the plant is the only conversion facility of its kind in the United States, familiarity with the Metropolis plant, and not just generic experience in the field, is essential to ensuring the plant's safety. Concerns have been raised by local community members and union officials that replacement workers at the Honeywell facility cannot safely operate the plant since they have no site-specific experience in this type of conversion facility.

Workers claim that Cote is far more interested in keeping his record profits high than actually protecting workers and the surrounding community. They believe that Honeywell CEO David Cote is willing to risk radioactive contamination in order to demand that uranium workers cut their retiree health care and pension plans.

On Saturday, nuclear regulators allowed Honeywell to start up core production at the facility, where core production had been shut down for over two months due to concerns about the training of replacement workers. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission delayed reopening the plant for several days after questions were raised about the unusually high levels of uranium that were appearing in the urine tests of several nuclear workers.

The following day, a hydrogen explosion rocked the plant. The blast shook the ground in front of the plant and could be heard a mile away, according to local reports. State Trooper Bridget Rice said that police were called to investigate to the scene of the explosion after receiving several phone calls reporting an explosion at the plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Roger Hannah also confirmed that there was indeed "a small hydrogen explosion that was very loud" at the Metropolis facility.

The plant splits hydrofluoric acid into hydrogen and fluoride. The hydrogen then gets scrubbed and released into the atmosphere and fluorine goes into the process. If the hydrogen and fluorine recombine, it can be very reactive and cause a non-radioactive hydrogen explosion. On Saturday, hydrogen was accidentally recombined with fluorine causing a massive explosion that could be heard a mile away and leading to the plant being temporarily shut down.

Honeywell Spokesman Peter Dapel released this statement: "There was a noise at Metropolis Works yesterday that occurred as a result of the normal venting of one of our systems.... The union workforce is very familiar with the procedure that caused yesterday's noise, having executed similar processes on at least two occasions earlier this year prior to the work stoppage with the exact same outcomes. It is common to plants that work with fluorine, and characteristic of plants that are following correct procedures."

However, union spokesman John Paul Smith claims that the workers who worked at the plant for decades said very minor explosions had occurred, but no explosion of such a magnitude that it could be heard outside of the plant. State police also could not cite an incident where they had been called to the plant to investigate an explosion at the Metropolis facility that had been reported to them by local community members.

Workers and local community members see this explosion as evidence that the quickly trained replacement workers are not qualified to operate the plant.

Local union officials claim that the workers are not properly trained to work in the plant. In a statement released last week USW Local 7-699 claimed, "The Union workforce was required to have extensive on-the-job training on running units from qualified trainers for several months prior to being qualified. We have recently learned that several Fluorination workers were deemed 'qualified' by company personnel after one week of training. Furthermore, Union employees were required to have been a qualified operator for six months on a running unit before they were allowed to begin to train another employee. The company is currently training their own employees with people who themselves are not qualified."

Additional concerns have been raised about the safety records of the replacement workers at the Metropolis facility who are employed by the Shaw Group. In 2009, a subsidiary of the Shaw Group was made to pay $6.2 million to the federal government for forcing its workers not to report safety and site violations when working on nuclear plant sites in Alabama and Tennessee.

Local community members are claiming that Honeywell is also not properly reporting safety violations at the nuclear facility in Metropolis. A recent report by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) says Honeywell has failed to notify the NRC of 37 reportable unplanned, uranium contamination events at its Metropolis facility between January 2008 and January 2010.

The Metropolis facility had previously been shut down after a release of deadly toxic UF6 gas in December of 2003, which hospitalized four community members and lead to evacuations of dozens of residents near the plant. This was only the second time in American history (the first being the infamous Three Mile Island disaster) where a site area emergency forced the evacuation of a community surrounding a nuclear power facility. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the time found that Honeywell "failed to implement some parts of its emergency response plan and did not provide sufficient information to local emergency responders".

The Environmental Protection Agency has also been very critical of the safety record of the uranium enrichment facility. According to the report by Sam Tranum of Uranium Intelligence Weekly, in May of 2009 the EPA listed the Metropolis facility as being "in significant noncompliance - a high priority violator" of the Clean Air Act and that the Metropolis facility had been in violation of the Clean Air Act for the nine months prior to that. Also, the EPA found that the Honeywell Metropolis uranium facility had been violating the Clean Water Act for about two years, but returned to compliance in December of 2009.

A federal grand jury has been convened to look into criminal violations of federal environmental laws. Honeywell initially tried to cover up the grand jury investigation to local community and union members. However SEC reports forced the company to reveal they were under grand jury investigation. According to Sam Tranum of Uranium Intelligence Weekly:

Details of the investigation are being kept under tight control by the relevant authorities, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), but the existence of a grand jury probe was confirmed by Honeywell International's most recent 10Q filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It stated that the EPA and DOJ are investigating "whether the storage of certain sludges generated during uranium hexafluoride production at our Metropolis, Illinois facility has been in compliance with the requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act [RCRA]," adding that, "The federal authorities have convened a grand jury in this matter."

Honeywell's long history of safety violations, the poor training of replacement workers at the Metropolis facility, and Saturday's hydrogen explosion, have lead local workers and community members to call on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to shut down production until the contract dispute can be resolved. "This just simply isn't normal, what's happening at the plant," said union member John Paul Smith.

Workers are also calling on President Obama to put pressure on his close economic adviser Honeywell CEO David Cote to settle the safety and contract issues at the plant. They are asking President Obama to remove David Cote from the President's Deficit Commission if he does not resolve the safety and contract issues.

Last week, the 350,000 members of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees called on President Obama to fire Cote from the so-called Deficit Commission. They released a statement saying:

Mr. Cote's cruel and calculated behavior towards workers at its hexafluoride plant in Metropolis, Ill. clearly illustrates that he's unqualified and inappropriate to help decide issues such as whether to reduce the federal deficit by cutting programs like social security or by upgrading the faulty military contracting process, from which Honeywell benefits.

Mr. Cote should be evicted from the so-called Deficit Commission immediately before he can use that position to harm all Americans the way he is injuring Honeywell workers in Illinois.


Editor's note: This post has been updated. An earlier version said of union officials: "They believe that Honeywell CEO David Cote is willing to risk nuclear fallout in order to demand that uranium workers cut their retiree health care and pension plans." NRC press relations official Roger Hannah corrected: "'nuclear fallout' is impossible at such a facility because nuclear fission does not occur there." The term has been replaced with "radioactive contamination."

Follow Mike Elk on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeElk

trumka on pending Nfl lock-out

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

more Leo--we need jobs

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

steelworkers and midterms

Beck: Unions have "raped" police and fire fighters with Social Security recommendations

unions in bed with politicans? I do believe they forgot to kiss us.

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more 'cat food' com--move on.org

August 17, 2010
MoveOn asked me to ask folks on the street what they thought of plans to raise the social security retirement age, cut social security benefits and extend tax breaks for millionaires. Their verdict? Watch and find out.

The more folks her of the political cat food folks, the less happy they become.

Where is that 'Change you can believe'?
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cat food committee--debt committee idea

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howdy.

you might to print out one or more of the photos. Then cut them to fit can of cat food. Perhaps with your can, take it to meeting or send to politican of choice and ask 'what is your position on social security and medicare'.

ask for real answer, not standard bull of we are going to save spiel
and shtick.

might wish to politicans photo on can as well


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more 'cat food' commitee coments

folk might wish to share info. Rep Blunt, running for senate in Missouri is a ptivatizer or 'phase out' guy---depending on day of week.

folks might wish to send Gopers a can of cat food with your take on the matter.

roy and seniors. cops remove the old folks

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my understanding, cops called and dangerous folks removed.

more teabag nonsense

from todays msnbc's countdown. another "get rid" of social security guff

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

cat food committee--debt committee and social security

cat food, staple of older Americans diets, could become even more prevelent if "debt commitee" has its way.

How do I know this? Obama selected many on the debt commitee whom are active supporters of social security "phae-out" or privatization.

Whom knows what a lame duck congress will do?

from excellent article at http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/05/10/obama-packs-debt-committee-with-supportes-of-social-security-benefit-cuts-and-privatization/

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go on:



President Obama has packed the Debt Commission (also known as the cat food commission) with members who have an overwhelming history of support for both benefit cuts and privatization of Social Security.

The “National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” is operating in secret over the objections of both parties. John Boehner and John Conyers have both raised concerns that the commission will make recommendations in December that could be passed by a lame duck Congress that doesn’t have to worry about being reelected. They requested that the commission report its findings prior to the election so that the public can have a chance to factor in the recommendations into their voting decisions in the election. The commission denied the request.

As we are seeing with Audit the Fed, it is falling to Judd Gregg — who doesn’t have to worry about being reelected — to raise concerns about “populist pandering,” and he is likely to be the one to refuse unanimous consent and force a cloture vote that will impose a 60 vote hurdle. (The transpartisan support for Audit the Fed we’ve built over the year makes it difficult for anyone with re-election worries to play the Joe Lieberman role, even Joe Lieberman.) Though they have different agendas with regard to the outcome, the concerns of both Boehner and Conyers and the commission’s lack of transparency are well founded.

As we reported at the time, the Obama White House has been interested in cutting Social Security right out of the gate. David Brooks reported that three administration officials called him to say Obama “is extremely committed to entitlement reform and is plotting politically feasible ways to reduce Social Security as well as health spending” in March of 2009. The neoliberal TNR/JournoList set who cheered on the Iraq war and the corporate-friendly health care bill are already lending their support: Privatizing Social
No, Cutting Social Security, Si! says Jon Chait.

Chait conflates and confuses two separate statements. Obama has dismantled liberal opposition to many of George Bush’s policies, and whatever he wants to do with Social Security will be accepted by many just because they like him. Matt Yglesias had this to say about Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court: “Clinton & Obama like and trust [Kagan], and most liberals (myself included) like and trust Clinton & Obama.” To which Glenn Greenwald rightly responds, “In other words, according to Chemerinksy and Yglesias, progressives will view Obama’s choice as a good one by virtue of the fact that it’s Obama choice. Isn’t that a pure embodiment of mindless tribalism and authoritarianism? ”

What Wall Street wants is to wind up with a good chunk of the Social Security trust fund in its own coffers. Where that intersects with the objectives of the commission remains to be seen, but the fact is that Obama has packed it with people who have a strong history of supporting both reducing benefits and privatization. Even the token “liberals” like Jan Schakowsky have a history of abandoning their strongest principles when the President asks it of them, and Dick Durbin is now telling “bleeding heart liberals” to be open to benefit cuts for the sake of the fiscal responsibility.

more economics--entitlement cuts and more

entitlement: social security is one and presently one overpaid by workers. The "overpayent" has resulted in the $2.5 trillion dollar pile of 't'bills. This is the largest pile of cash in history. any wonder it up for grabs?

how many years of continued tax cuts would the result from looting the fund?

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