Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wisconsin Democrats Launch Recall Effort Against GOP Senators
WASHINGTON -- The Wisconsin Democratic Party has launched a fundraising campaign to recall state Senate Republicans who have supported the budget bill by Gov. Scott Walker (R) that would strip collective bargaining rights from the state's public employee unions.
The email the party sent out on Wednesday afternoon is excerpted below:
In 60 days you can take Wisconsin back. It's that simple.
This morning citizens from around the state took the first steps by filing recall papers against key Republican Senators who have stood with Scott Walker and pushed his partisan power grab that will strip thousands of middle class teachers, nurses, librarians and other workers of their right to collective bargaining. And we learned just last night that their disastrous budget that will cut millions from our schools and universities.
In 60 days you can take Wisconsin back by recalling the Republican Senators who have decided to push Scott Walker's divisive attack on the rights of workers and his assault on schools, universities and local communities. Can you contribute $60 today to support the Democratic Party's recall efforts?
Make no mistake, these Republican Senators are vulnerable to recall for their radical partisan overreach. Senator Randy Hopper won his last election by just 184 votes. And Alberta Darling won her last race by only 1,007. By recalling just three of the eight Senators we are targeting, we can regain control of the Senate.
But we need your help today. The clock is ticking and we have just 60 days to collect the signatures we need to force a recall. Every day and every dollar counts.
If we can recall at least three Senators and regain control of the Senate, we can end the ugly games Republicans in the legislature have played in the last few days -- unplugging phone lines, bolting windows inside the Capitol shut, and withholding the paychecks of Democratic legislators.
The state party's formal involvement in a recall effort, an idea previously bandied about only by labor officials and activists, represents a new stage in the high-stakes battle between Walker and the state's public unions.
Gerald McEntee, who heads the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, told The Huffington Post several weeks ago that his union would be launching a recall effort against Walker himself. But even beginning that attempt would take many months, as lawmakers cannot be booted from office until they have served for at least a year.
Though recall efforts are rarely successful, the threat of a recall can be a powerful incentive -- Walker himself assumed the post of county executive after his predecessor stepped down over a recall threat. And while Wisconsin Democrats are likely to raise good money from the drive, Democratic lawmakers in the state also have been warned that if they return from their quorum break without the governor's bill shelved, they too might face recall threats.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/wisconsin-democrats-recall-effort_n_830395.html?view=print
U.S. Launches Mission to Privatize Water in India
Posted on March 2, 2011
Despite the failure of private water providers to deliver expected results or improve equitable access to water, the U.S. continues to try and export the idea that private companies are best poised to deliver water in the 21st century. Its latest attempt to do so is the U.S. Water Trade Mission to India, a move that has Indian water activists seething.
In a petition organized by the Peoples’ Campaign for Right to Water-Karnataka, the activists appeal for the mission to leave, noting, “Instead of responding to the basic water needs of people…successive state governments [since] the late 90s have been happily signing up one project or another with international banks and foreign governments to privatize every aspect of their constitutional responsibility of providing clean potable drinking water to all.” In an email sent out by another group, Pani Haq Samiti Mumbai, the mission is a “clear plan to convert basic human need of domestic water into business product and privatize the water distribution and treatment processes presently handled by local public bodies.” The group is organizing a massive protest of the mission on March 3.
The stated objective of the trade mission is to secure the entry of U.S.-based corporations into the lucrative Indian water market, estimated at $50 billion. This mission follows on the heels of years of investment by USAID in water sector reforms that have laid the groundwork for private sector participation.
So, what’s wrong with this picture? The promotion of water markets and the commodification of water will come at the expense of the traditional idea of water as a public good and a natural resource, to be shared by all. In the end, the principles of equity and ecological sustainability will be sacrificed for profits.
Furthermore, the behind the scenes meetings the trade mission is arranging between the U.S. executives and the Indian representatives and officials represent a more fundamental attack on the idea of community control of natural resources. The corporations’ attempts to capture control of water resources for private profit will come at the expense of local populations and the fundamental human right to water, a right recognized by both the United Nations General Assembly and the Supreme Court of India. (In an ironic twist, the UN’s independent expert on the human right to water Catarina de Albuquerque is touring the U.S. this week to identify stumbling blocks to the provision of water here in the world’s richest nation.)
These behind the scenes discussions, which involve little input from affected communities, are far removed from the principles of democracy and transparency that the U.S. Government purports to represent globally. Hopefully the demonstration of the Indian people will show the U.S. leadership that local participation in how their water resources are managed is critical to success, and reinforce to them that communities want water safeguarded as a human right, not a commodity.
http://www.alternet.org/story/150111/us_launches_mission_to_privatize_water_in_india
Note to GOP: Jesus Wouldn't Have Destroyed the Middle Class
March 2, 2011
Our everyday choices are fraught with moral complications. We can do the right thing or find a scapegoat to blame and make the immoral decision.
Over the weekend I was reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan. This intricate story provides us with an invaluable lesson of communal responsibility.
A lawyer tries to test Jesus by asking who is his neighbor after being told to love them as himself.
‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them...
Instead of following this concept, our collective values are evolving into the abyss. In our current economic crisis we should be ushering in a new era of reform and good will.
Nearly all 50 states are facing a budget shortfall impairing local and state programs. As a result, necessary programs are being slashed. Workers are being asked to take furlough days or even being laid off. In states such as Wisconsin, Ohio and others, the promised benefits of public employees are being blamed.
In reality the last few decades have seen local mom-and-pop shops being closed down by cheaper and more efficient big-box stores. They require less of a local workforce and funnel the profits into their banks miles away instead of filtering their way through the state. Furthermore, the promise of keeping services while being able to cut taxes is akin to being on a diet and eating cake for breakfast. The math for the calories does not add up and neither does the revenue for the state. The public officials acting for the state have sold citizens a bill of goods.
Similar means are being undertaken with the federal government but on a much larger scale. The Bush-era tax cuts were extended for two years at the end of 2010 with the idea they could somehow help the economy recover, despite the previous eight years showing otherwise. Federal employee wages were frozen and there are constant rumblings of entitlement reform. The beltway narrative consists of a message that social security benefits need to be cut; yet it doesn’t contribute toward the national deficit, which happens to be the reason given for the needed cuts. The logic is nonsense and is merely misplaced priorities by our elected officials. It makes no sense when judged through a moral compass that we cut programs that millions of people benefit from instead of closing tax loopholes or cut unwanted programs in the defense budget.
The Fortune 500 corporations have the ability to rev up or cut off the economy. Big banks went unchecked and nearly brought the entire world to its knees. They did this for a short-term gain of massive profits. Now they are sitting on nearly $2 trillion and much of it could be used to hire people and stimulate the economy in a way that could be unprecedented. Corporations instead set their sights on quarterly reports and stock prices. They do what benefits their bottom line and their shareholders. If they can cut costs by laying off a few thousand people, they will do it. If they can cut a corner by shipping manufacturing plants to China or Mexico, they have done it and will continue to do so.
What we are left with is 30 years of stagnant wages for the vast majority of American workers; a wealth gap that is ever increasing toward a monopoly for the top 1 percent; a 9 percent unemployment rate and a 16 percent underemployed rate. These are people who want to work full-time and support their families but are left out in the cold because of a poor economy and misplaced priorities by all three entities.
Our country is essentially leaving the middle class at the side of the road. They have been beaten and robbed by the rich and no one is acting as the Good Samaritan. The middle class has taken a punishment trying to achieve the American Dream by working hard only to have promises broken, only to see their toil reap rewards for a select few. We are coming to the point where the middle class is taking its final breaths on a dirt road while those who can help walk by trying to go unnoticed.
The fact of the matter is the middle class is too heavy a load for just one entity. It will take all three to carry the middle class toward safety. When an economy begins to shrink our first instinct is to tighten our belts instead of collectively trying to expand and keep the economy at bay. By following the downward spiral, we are only perpetuating the trend and not breaking it. We are not doing well for the people a downward economy will affect the most.
Each of these systems has a moral obligation to help. The point of Jesus’ parable is not just a Samaritan helping a downtrodden Jew -- albeit they were essentially sworn enemies -- it is also the fact that the priest, as well as the Levite, walk by without a whisper. All three should have treated the victim as a neighbor and loved him, as they want to be loved.
Our everyday choices are fraught with moral complications. We can do the right thing or find a scapegoat to blame and make the immoral decision. The beaten and the robbed need assistance and state and federal governments and corporations have the ability to provide it. But will they choose to be good neighbors?
http://www.alternet.org/story/150104/note_to_gop_jesus_wouldnt_have_destroyed_the_middle_class
The BNote: Green Currency in Baltimore
Where are we now, and how did we get this far?
The energy is building. Even before we have printed a single note, everywhere we go in Baltimore people have already heard of the BNote, and businesses are signing on to accept them when we launch next year. We are finding that people are very receptive to the idea of an alternative economic system - one that will benefit people instead of corporations. Google searches now show blogs and internet media referencing Baltimore’s new local currency, and we’re starting to get coverage in the local press and on the radio. Our currency design contest went global when other sites starting picking us up on the net. When the BNote arrives in Baltimore, only the birds will be surprised.
In less than a year, we have managed to build this idea into an organization that is on track to create a strong local currency with broad participation. Much of this progress has to do with the diversity and positive vision that the Evolver movement has already been able to foster in its local groups.
The first Baltimore spore on local currencies happened in mid-2009. Damien Nichols, who attended, suggested to his friend Michael Tew that he come to the next spore and meet the people there, who seemed to be working to achieve similar goals. Michael had background in both microfinance and legislative lobbying, and had been looking for an opportunity to advance alternative economic systems on a community level. Michael attended the food spore, and on the strength of his participation in the discussion that night, he was invited to make a short presentation at the 2012 spore on the subject of microfinance. There, he put forth the idea that, by the end of 2012, a micro-finance based economy (which is fundamentally different from the Capitalist economy in many important ways) would be the dominant form of economic organization for the majority of the people on planet earth. And that Baltimore would be a very good place to bring microfinance and local currency together.
At the end of that spore, Michael met Jeff Dicken, a long-time supporter of microfinance efforts with an IT systems and arts background. Through this and subsequent conversations, the idea of a local currency being a necessity for a resilient community and city, in the face of the economic meltdown and further upheaval to come, began to take root. Soon after, Jill Harrison brought her own social justice and non-profit background to the endeavor. After some informal meetings over the winter, Michael moved to Baltimore in March 2010, and a series of regular meetings was established. At first, there were just two or three of us, but as we continued to talk with other Evolvers about the effort, we started to attract people willing to help, and by the end of June we had an increasingly effective and growing team of enthusiastic volunteers.
The basic questions on starting a currency were raised: debit system or paper money; what organizational form to adopt; how to go about designing and printing the currency; how to enroll people in participating, and so on. Notes from each meeting, including links to relevant Internet resources, were distributed among the group. Keeping everyone communicating was one of the keys to forming a committed, ongoing project, and many of the system’s features - the “BNote” name, the approach of issuing only 1- and 5-dollar value notes the first year, etc. - were discussed informally via email between meetings before being adopted by the group. The Lewes (England) Pound site’s guide to starting a currency and Peter North’s book Local Money provided invaluable guidance as we started to put together the strongest features of other currencies already in existence.
We decided that our currency would be convertible to and from U.S. Dollars, and that we would restrict ourselves to a specific, identifiable geographic neighborhood for a pilot project. Both Jeff and Ian McDonald had realized independently that the Hampden community in Baltimore would be a strong launching place for the BNote, and as we looked more closely, we found that the area had many features that are important for the strong adoption of a local currency:
Small-business support. The Hampden Merchant's Association lists 162 independent businesses as members. There are very few chain stores in the neighborhood, and Hampden residents tend to do a greater amount of their shopping locally than in many other Baltimore neighborhoods.
Defined geographic area. Hampden is in the heart of Baltimore city, bounded by the Jones Falls waterway (and expressway) on the West and Hopkins University on the East, with clear boundaries to the North and South as well.
Community. Historically, the area was originally populated by immigrant mill workers. Although in recent years there has been much gentrification, a strong sense of community identity exists, and there are many longstanding community organizations. At the same time, there is a wave of young, progressive Baltimoreans moving into the neighborhood, opening businesses, and providing new energy.
To encourage residents to think about the nature of money, and to inspire a continuing dialogue that will shape the details of the system we are setting up, we are having a series of community presentation and discussion sessions. These generally start with videos on currency and general economic subjects, followed by discussion of our system and any questions or suggestions that are raised, and we encourage people to sign up for our monthly email newsletter, the BNote Buzz. We are in the process of identifying useful books and publications, and we have developed a small circulating library of these materials. We are also making animations and movies to explain the various aspects of our vision, and to communicate ideas that stimulate interest in our project.
To encourage community participation, we decided to solicit designs for the notes from the community. We launched our currency design contest at the annual HampdenFest in September, where we had a booth staffed all day by our volunteers.
System Finances
We have decided on converting U.S. dollars into BNotes at a 10% discount - $10 will buy 11 BNotes, which circulate equivalent to a dollar. In this way, people get a real benefit from adopting the currency, and merchants who are able to spend their BNotes with other businesses or residents in the system do not see any negative financial impact. Merchants can use the BNotes they accept in a number of ways. They can use them to buy stock or services for their business, from others in the network. They can pay themselves and/or their employees partially in BNotes. They can give them as change, to encourage circulation. They can use them for their own purchases. And if, after all that, they have the need to exchange some back for dollars, they may be redeemed at the same rate: 11 BNotes for $10. There is a clear financial benefit to using the notes, and this speeds up the circulation.
The more extensive the network of storefront businesses, independent service providers, artisans, and residents who accept BNotes, the longer the notes will circulate (ideally indefinitely), and the stronger the system will be overall.
With no spread between the purchase and redemption rates to benefit us, we will rely on other sources of income to fund the administration of the system. While we expect to rely on contributions and grants to fund the initial expenses, we will also be able to partially support our organization through the dynamic of local currency “leakage,” which occurs when the currency is bought and then withdrawn from circulation by collectors and souvenir hunters. This will include sales of mint and withdrawn notes to collectors through an organized marketing campaign.
Another source of revenue will come from sales of artwork based on the BNote, such as postcards, T-shirts, and posters, and from commissions on sales of original local artwork through our website.
In addition, the money on deposit to back the notes in circulation, amounting to 90% of the face value of the circulating BNotes, will generate a small amount of interest and will act as a micro-loan fund secured against cash flow, enabling us to make hybrid micro-loans.
Micro-funding
It is important to note that the capital amassed as a result of currency conversion can be used to give loans for the creation and expansion of local micro-businesses. In our view, this can be accomplished successfully if the micro-entrepreneurs are among the poorest and most disadvantaged members of the community. Traditional charities generally do not reach this sector because it is difficult, time consuming, and usually not a high priority (and banks avoid poor people like the plague).
A secondary, but important feature of this process is the filling in of supply and service chains, which enable merchants to use the currency rather than cash it in. This, in turn, will build a stronger currency, enabling the bills to stay in circulation, and also reduce the need for goods to be brought in from longer distances, reducing the area’s carbon footprint - another contribution to sustainability.
Looking Forward
We have accomplished a lot in just a few months, but a great deal remains to be done. We are now developing a formal Mission Statement and will move forward with the process of incorporating. We are also setting up an advisory board to be comprised of leaders from Hampden and other communities where the notes will circulate, as well as experts in currency, microfinance, and social business. And we will continue to enlist businesses to participate in the rollout next Spring.
The limited communication we have had with other east coast currencies has been very helpful, and we are planning both conference calls and road trips to establish stronger ties. We are building a Google Group for alt-currency organizers, to share our experience and help to create stronger systems.
If you are interested in the alternative currency systems starting across the Evolver network, and elsewhere around the world, send a message to BaltimoreGreenCurrency@gmail.com and join the dialogue. With more experience and a greater level of communication, the quality and stability of these currencies will continue to strengthen, enabling localization projects and helping our economies become more social and sustainable.
http://www.realitysandwich.com/bnote_green_currency_baltimore
Supreme Court: Corporations don’t have ‘personal privacy’ rights
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 -- 8:54 pm
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Tuesday that AT&T and other corporations do not have personal privacy rights under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Freedom of Information Act requires federal agencies to make documents publicly available upon request, but contains an exemption for documents that "constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
Claiming they were a "corporation citizen," AT&T tried to use the personal privacy exemption to prevent the disclosure of federal government documents about the company.
The unanimous decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T, Inc. reversed a ruling by a US appeals court in favor the telecommunications company.
"Personal' in the phrase 'personal privacy' conveys more than just 'of a person,'" Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his decision. "It suggest a type of privacy evocative of human concerns—not the sort usually associated with an entity like, say, AT&T."
"We reject the argument that because 'person' is defined for purposes of FOIA to include a corporation, the phrase 'personal privacy' in Exemption 7(C) reaches corporations as well," he said.
"The protection in FOIA against disclosure of law enforcement information on the ground that it would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy does not extend to corporations."
"We trust that AT&T will not take it personally," Roberts added. "The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed."
The decision is a striking contrast to the court's ruling in Citizens United, which upended decades of campaign finance regulation, allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns without having to identify themselves.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/02/supreme-court-corporations-dont-have-personal-privacy-rights/
