Saturday, July 30, 2011

Countdown with Keith Olbermann 07-29-2011 2 - Nader Idiocy



good idea to run someone against Obama in primary. should be done with Claire M as well

Friday, July 29, 2011

Countdown with Keith Olbermann 07-28-2011 4 - Mining the Grand Canyon, w...



mining? Rio Tinto

action at Akin's office today

***URGENT*** ACTION AT AKIN'S OFFICE FRIDAY at NOON
St. Charles District Office - 820 S. Main Street, 63301

alas, I cannot make this one. perhaps others

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Credit Card Reform in Action

Somethingie's Not Right



great cartoon and comment on our fearless leaders

The Austin Lounge Lizards - "The Ballad of Ronald Reagan"



some of our budget woes started with this hero of the right. At least the fools of the time did not mess with the budget debt limits

Austin Lounge Lizards - The Shallow End of the Gene Pool



more teabag fund. I think this sums up the raising debt limit debate.

Austin Lounge Lizards-Hillbillies in a Haunted House



sounds like the teabaggers debating the budget/debt limit on some of the talking head shows

Ron Paul Ad - Conviction lunacy



this is a fool running for president

"No" Missouri ad



remember this at election time

Paul Krugman: Obama must lead on debt ceiling Medicare

Paul Krugman: Obama must lead on debt ceiling

click link

from article:

"For Medicare, with all its flaws, works better than private insurance. It has less bureaucracy and, hence, lower administrative costs than private insurers. It has been more successful in controlling costs. While Medicare expenses per beneficiary have soared over the past 40 years, they've risen significantly less than private insurance premiums. And because Medicare-type systems in other advanced countries have much lower costs than the uniquely privatized U.S. system, there's good reason to believe that Medicare reform can do a lot to control costs in the future.

In that case, you may ask, why didn't the 2010 health care reform simply extend Medicare to cover everyone? The answer, of course, is political realism. Most health reformers I know would have supported Medicare for all if they had considered it politically feasible. But given the power of the insurance lobby and the knee-jerk opposition of many politicians to any expansion of government, they settled for what they thought they could actually get: near-universal coverage through a system of regulation and subsidies.

It is, however, one thing to accept a second-best system insuring those who currently lack coverage. Throwing millions of Americans off Medicare and pushing them into the arms of private insurers is another story.


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/paul-krugman/article_42f4550b-49cc-56e1-aad6-3b648c8ff541.html#ixzz1TDzillVh

Countdown with Keith Olbermann 07-25-2011 1a - Place Your Debts, with Sa...



Obama's speech is on our other blog: garyro soar blog

will go over some of this at next meeting. If social security checks not in, I am certain folks will know resolution of this flap

Friday, July 22, 2011

Cenk Uygur Tells Keith Olbermann MSNBC Said "People In Washington Did No...



what is happening at MSNBC

Russ responds to cuts Medicare and Social s

Responding to your message
Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:32 AM


July 21, 2011





Dear Mr. R:



Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security as part of a larger deficit reduction agreement. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.



Please know that I am committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare. These critical programs form the foundation for the retirements of millions of seniors. Social Security and Medicare are two of America's most successful and efficient government programs, and I will continue to fight to preserve these hard-won institutions.



The United States has had a statutory debt limit since 1917, and Congress has raised the debt limit several times since then, including ten times since 2001. Raising this limit is often a necessary step to ensure that America pays its bills and takes responsibility for its commitments.



Virtually all financial experts have made it clear that a failure to avoid a default crisis would create massive disruptions to the economy and risk economic catastrophe. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has reported that we will reach the debt limit in early August. Discussions about avoiding the default crisis are now being tied to larger deficit and budget reduction talks. In order to craft a long-term debt solution, the President and Congressional leaders are discussing many possible means of lowering our national debt and ensuring that we put America on a sustainable path forward.



Reducing the deficit and debt are important objectives that we should work towards over time. Cuts to valuable programs will be necessary as part of the national commitment needed to reduce the deficit, but we must target reductions on duplicative and wasteful programs while preserving essential investments that create jobs and lay the foundation for a more prosperous economy and not harming our fragile recovery.



If a compromise means that we must make changes to valuable programs, we must also eliminate tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations. Everyone must pay their share and we cannot balance the budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class.



Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress debates the budget and efforts to reduce the deficit.



I always appreciate hearing the views of constituents about issues facing Congress. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter of concern. I also hope you will find my website, carnahan.house.gov, a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the St. Louis region, and I welcome you to sign up for my e-newsletter at carnahan.house.gov/updates.

Sincerely,

Russ Carnahan

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Summary of the "Gang of Six Plan" - Newsroom: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

Summary of the "Gang of Six Plan" - Newsroom: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

click link

part of long list:

Provides major tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations.

The Gang of Six plan reduces the top marginal income tax rate for the wealthiest Americans and most profitable corporations from 35% to as low as 23% (about 34% lower than the top tax rates under Bush).

Instead of reforming the Alternative Minimum Tax, it abolishes it altogether providing a major tax cut for the wealthiest Americans.

It reduces the deficit by about $3.7 trillion over 10 years, while providing a net tax cut of $1.5 trillion that will mainly go to the wealthiest Americans and most profitable corporations.

In other words, 100% of the deficit reduction achieved by the Gang of Six plan is through spending cuts to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, education, child care, Head Start, LIHEAP, environmental protection, and other programs that the sick, the elderly, the children, and working families need.

more at link

Monday, July 18, 2011

Blood and Treasure - Papua New Guinea



more of the Rio Tinto story in Pacafic. keep open mind for most of this has not been addressed in US media.

Rio Tinto accused SBS June 26th, 2011



keep open mind

Rio Tinto: Diverse People, Places and Products



not bad vid

Sunday, July 17, 2011

letter from Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto acquired some of American National Can retirees some time ago. Affected employees should have got a letter stating varied things they need to do on the subject of updating benefits.

Do it. Keep in mind, if you opt out of canco programs or insurance; that is it and you are out forever.

always go over "fine print" of any agreements dealing with your insurance and or benefits. folks have reported unfortunate results from dropping canco insurances--cork, cork; rexam; more

also keep in mind, Rio Tinto is not considered the most "employee friendly" outfit according to some.

Rio Tinto Alcan



this vid from 2009


some of our members have benefits paid from
Rio Tinto

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Conflicting signals on pipeline expansion

Conflicting signals on pipeline expansion

click link

this is an update to pipeline story. yes, not American steel in these pipes. One wonders if it was American steel in the ruptured pipes polluting the Yellowstone River?

Beat Me In St. Louis | TBogg

Beat Me In St. Louis | TBogg

interesting update to the poor tea party fellow whom claims to got trashed and beaten by labor thugs.

one might find it amusing

Monday, July 11, 2011

Soar Tunica trip

Some of folks are planning a Tunica, Miss trip on October 2th to Oct 4th.

The costs are $149 per person. This cost includes roundtrip bus service and many other perks. Perks include 3 day, 2 night hotel stay at the Gold Strike Hotel, $40 free play chips at Gold Strike casino and $30 at other casinos. Other perks include 2 breakfast buffets and one dinner buffet. more

good deal for non-gamblers and gamblers alike

bus leaves parking lot at 270 and Gravois at 6:30 Am on the 2nd and returns on the 4th at 7PM

Details of payment:

must provide name, address, phone and date of birth to the Jass Tours.

Jass Tours
105 Emerald way
Granite City, Il 62040
1-636-387-1158

national call in days social security cost of living proposal

National Call-In Days: July 14-15

Your Social Security benefits are under attack by politicians in Washington. They want to:

Cut Social Security’s Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to reduce the deficit. But Social Security doesn’t contribute a penny to the deficit.
Raid Social Security by using your contributions to give a tax break to Wall Street banks, Big Oil and other corporations.

They shouldn’t get another taxpayer handout. Social Security belongs to you. You pay for it in every paycheck. Don’t let them cut it or raid it!

Call your Senators on Thursday and Friday, July 14-15, at 1-866-251-4044.

Tell them:

NO cuts to Social Security!
NO cuts to Social Security’s COLA!
NO Social Security payroll tax holiday!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sanders: Cutting Medicare Is Not the Answer



any politican whom wishes to cut social security, medicare, medicaid and more need not count on Soar's 11-3's support in any fashion

if these politicans wish to save money: Universal Healthcare is a good start.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

What Have American Unions Ever Done For Us?



might wish to watch this one. I have heard some of this before

Friday, July 8, 2011

dear Claire M of Missouri my pledge to you

I could not get thru your mailbox today--phone, but I did get ahold of a staffer later this afternoon. Alas, the staffer told me your office could not respond to my phone call nor would I recieve your positions on social security, medicare or medicaid in these budget talks.

This is what I said to your staffer and as vice president of Soar 11-3 (retired steelworkers and member of the Alliance Retired Americans). the support part is what I told staffer

My pledge:

I will not support in the upcoming elections any politican whom seeks to cut social security or medicare (add medicaid). Social Security and Medicare did not contribute to the problem and I will not see myself, children and grandchildren continue to pay for perks for the wealthy.

Your last election: I contributed both time and resources to drum out the vote for you. Should you side with the cutters, consider that at an end. In case you forgot, you barely got elected and my groups helped your cause greatly. Soar 11-3 has members and supporters in about 40 percent of this state in some in southern Illinois

were the election for Missouri senate occur today, you dear senator would lose. Alas, so far the teabag and GOP opposition is not of the highest quality and normially would be supported only by republicans and fools.

I, as many in my groups, might simply opt not to vote in that election for democrats whom will not support popular and necessary social programs such as social security.
Forget monies, phone call support, organizing and more.


Do us a favor, switch parties if you are going to be a republican light. Do not expect retirement folks and union folks to vote for you should you stick it to them.
Better to have one less democrat in the senate than a right-wing traitor to the democratic cause.

Keep your position letter, your actions will speak louder than words.

and yes, I shall read this to the soar group and make it known through-out the Afl-cio and steelworkers

reply from Carnahan on budget, social security, medicare

July 8, 2011


Dear Mr. R:

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about the budget proposal recently released by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you know, Chairman Ryan's proposal would make a number of dramatic changes to the way our government functions. It would fundamentally change Medicare, shifting the costs of health onto seniors who have worked hard throughout their lives with the promise of quality health insurance in old age. Medicaid, which provides basic health insurance for children, the disabled, and the poor, would also be fundamentally altered. Eliminating these key pieces of the social safety net will do nothing to strengthen our economy or our society, and I firmly oppose these ideas.

The Budget Committee plan would go even further as well. Currently, government functions account for about 23% of the national economy, measured as GDP. Chairman Ryan's proposal would eventually limit government to merely 15% of GDP, meaning that the government could invest less in infrastructure repair and schools or adapt to meet changing circumstances.

Just as important as the essential programs like Medicare and Medicaid that this budget proposal does cut are the items it does not cut – tax breaks for those who need them least. Simply allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire, as I voted to do last year, would significantly reduce the deficit, allowing for key investments in education, transportation, and health care. Unfortunately, Chairman Ryan's proposal would extend rather than end these irresponsible tax cuts.

Reducing the deficit and debt are important objectives that we should work towards over time. While cuts to valuable programs will be necessary to reduce the deficit, we must target reductions on duplicative programs while preserving essential investments that create jobs and lay the foundation for a more prosperous economy. If we must make cuts to valuable programs, we must also be willing to achieve balance by eliminating tax breaks for individuals and corporations that need assistance the least.

Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress debates the budget and efforts to reduce the deficit.

I always appreciate hearing the views of constituents about issues facing Congress. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter of concern. I also hope you will find my website, carnahan.house.gov, a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the 3rd District of Missouri, and I welcome you to sign up for my e-newsletter at carnahan.house.gov/updates.

Sincerely,

Russ Carnahan

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

Russ lost his district next time thru gop redistricting in Missouri

bipartisan ship: my dying rear end

Friday, July 1, 2011

Are Republicans Trying to Tank the Economy?

Senators' Unveil Plan to Save Medicare - Fox News Video - FoxNews.com

Senators' Unveil Plan to Save Medicare - Fox News Video - FoxNews.com

click link




I am a bit skeptical of these two. If they want to start saving money now, bargen drug prices. savings would be at least as much as they are proposing.