Welcome to Crackerville

Welcome to Georgia.

Georgia's cracker Governor Nathan Deal really screwed up big time.

His new anti-immigration bill looks to have blown up in his face, or at least in the faces of farmers who have no one to pick their crops.

Governor Deal chased off more than 11.000 migrant workers in his racist attempt to rid Georgia of all of those opportunistic illegals who are only here to steal our jobs.

With farmers crying foul as they watch their crops rotting in the fields, the good Governor has come up with another brilliant plan to replace one stereotypical undesirable (illegals) with another (convicts.)

Like so many other Republican governors currently messing up their states
(Walker,Snyder, Kasich, Scott, etc.) Governor Good- Old- Boy Deal won't admit he made a mistake and maybe- just maybe- his short sighted racist legislation just might contain some unintended consequences he didn't expect. 

Deal is telling farm owners just to hire ex-cons to replace those law-breaking migrant farm workers who he says aren't welcome in his state.

Rather than admit his fault in this fiasco, Governor Deal came up with another scheme to find stoop laborers.. by forcing people on probation to pick the crops.

 "I believe this would be a great partial solution to our current status as we continue to move towards sustainable results with the legal options available."

Deal dished out the results of a recent survey that indicated there was more than 11,000 positions currently open on Georgia farms. Farmers have been complaining about labor shortages since Deal signed the law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.

As a practical solution to remedy his short sighted screw- up Gov. Deal decided to match up probationers with frantic farmers. State officials sent some unemployed ex-cons on probation to work on a south Georgia vegetable farm. These non-violent offenders are forced to work as part of their probation- if they refuse they are charged with additional crimes. Though no farmer is forced to hire these people, the offenders themselves have little or no recourse- and become in essence forced laborers.

Farmers say they can't find very many U.S. citizens willing to work in hot, dusty fields and blame a federal guest worker program as too expensive and cumbersome.

"It's hard work," said Sam Watson, the owner Chill C Farms in Moultrie, "It's hot. It's a lot of bending, can be long hours."

Watson said he can only hire a few of the 60 workers he wanted to harvest his squash, cucumbers, and zucchini on his 300 acre farm. He blamed the new law targeting illegal immigrants for scaring away primarily Hispanic workers. Meanwhile the lack of labor has meant 13 acres of squash sits rotting away in his fields.

The law known as HB 87. lets police ask immigration status when harassing suspects in certain criminal investigations and asserts that workers who are convicted of using fake ID to get a job could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $250,000. This new law could bring fresh bodies and cash into Georgia"s private prison system. So why worry about farmers when there is money to be made in the for profit prison business.

The law goes into effect July 1, and farmers are saying they can already feels its impact. Some farmers are saying no one is showing up to pick their crops. Farmers are complaining they are getting only 30% - 50% of the workers they need.

Apparently the former workers are just too afraid of being arrested and put in prison for the crime of being willing to do the stoop labor that all of those "exceptional" Americans aren't willing to do.

And Governor Deal? Well, while in Congress the conservative politician supported legislation that would allow the military to enforce immigration laws at the border and ending U.S. citizenship for kids born to illegal immigrants.


So, they are going to replace immigrants who are illegal due to a dysfunctio­nal immigratio­n system with forced/coe­rced prison labor (i.e., you'll be given probation instead of prison time if you work as a migrant farm worker)?

Public safety is the third-largest area of expenditure in Georgia's state budget, after education and human services. Most of the $1.2 billion spent annually on public safety is spent on prisons.

With the state of Georgia facing a budget shortfall, legislators are looking for new areas of saving to help balance the budget. Although Medicaid and education have received most of the attention recently, numerous studies, including two new ones, show one idea with which Georgia has prior experience remains as viable today is it did when the state first implemented it in 1997: private prisons.

Georgia currently has three private prisons housing 4,550 inmates. Of a total prison population of more than 54,000, roughly 8 percent of inmates are in private prisons.
The two studies suggest this limited foray into privatization already saves Georgia money and constrains total prison costs better than states that have not privatized correctional facilities. The studies suggest further privatization would save Georgia taxpayers even more money.

The free market conservatives in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia and Florida must really love undocumented immigrants.

Instead of subjecting undocumented workers to back breaking, minimum-wage work, new laws are being passed to provide free room and board for them within the prison system. With the trend toward privatization, every new immigrant prisoner is now a potential source of corporate revenue.

June 9, Alabama’s governor Robert Bentley signed an immigration law, similar to those of Arizona and Georgia, to use state police to check the immigration status of drivers pulled over for traffic infractions. Until these laws are found unconstitutional they will push up the number of prison inmates.

On June 1, The GEO Group announced a deal with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house detainees at a 650-bed expansion to their existing facility bought from the city of Adelanto, California a year ago. GEO Group expects the facility to be full by August 2011 and build room for an additional 650 beds by 2012. To sweeten the deal, the company is guaranteed a 75% occupancy rate.

In Florida, Governor Rick Scott’s recently passed budget also shifts some Florida prisons to private hands.

The Georgia Department of Corrections is eyeing private prisons as a way to cope with a growing inmate population as the state's budget crisis crimps its ability to expand prison space.

The bidding has begun for private companies' proposals to house as many as 1,500 male inmates in existing or expanded space at a current prison.

The private prison business is booming, and with more and more laws being passed to create more criminals out of thin air it looks like America is indeed becoming a for profit police state.


Bye bye freedom. Bye bye Democracy- Hello indentured servitude.

Deep sorrowful sigh.


ickenittle

Rick Scott "Hearts" Himself

Can You Feel The Love?

Gov. Rick Scott, is asking supporters to send a love letter to their local newspaper editor praising his work as governor.

Scott has high praise for himself. He calls himself "refreshing" and says he deserves "unwavering and enthusiastic support." He boasts that Florida's unemployment rate has declined for the fifth consecutive month.

Florida's unemployment rate is now at 10.6 %. That's the lowest it's been since August 2009 when it was 10.9%.

Miami-Dade's unemployment rate was a staggering 13.7 % in May, up from 13.2 percent in April. The number is also up from a year ago when the unemployment rate in the county was 12.1 percent. Even when Miami-Dade's rate is seasonally adjusted it still sits at 13.4 %.

Scott has passed a bill to cut state and federal unemployment benefits- making them the most meager in the nation. At the same time Scott is handing out tax cuts to corporations like candy. Giving tax cuts to the rich while giving the shaft to the poor is the new normal among sociopathic dictator governors.

He cut benefits from 26 weeks down to 20 weeks. and if that's not enough, he is reducing federal benefits as well for those unlucky unemployed- effectively cutting unemployment benefits twice.

Since Scott and his corporate backers believe the jobless to be lazy, shiftless. drug addicts. He thought he'd throw a little salt in the wound and give these slackers an additional kick in the ass by coming up with new legislation that will really drive home his contempt for the jobless.

Scotts' new assaults on people who have hit hard times;

Force jobless workers who have been receiving unemployment benefits for more than twelve weeks to work at community colleges.

Force the jobless to accept low-paying jobs.


Force them to volunteer.


The report also indicated that the state is too lax on those receiving unemployment benefits and should crack down by ensuring that the unemployed are actually job-hunting. Reducing the number of Floridians receiving unemployment compensation would lower the amount of taxes businesses have to pay and provide an economic benefit to the state. There you go- reduce the amount of unemployment benefits business has to pay.


Scott dished up 2.5 billion in tax cuts to corporations.

At least Scott the sociopath has one fan to praise his destruction.


Dear Editor,When Rick Scott ran for Governor he promised to create jobs and turn our economy around. I voted for Rick because he’s always been a businessman, not a politician. While politicians usually disappoint us and rarely keep their promises, Rick is refreshing because he’s keeping his word. His policies are helping to attract businesses to our state and get people back to work. Some of the special interests are attacking the Governor for making tough decisions, showing leadership, and doing what he told us he would do. Rick Scott deserves our unwavering and enthusiastic support. How can we expect to elect leaders who will keep their word and do what’s right for our state if we don’t stand up for those with the courage to set priorities, make difficult choices, and actually deliver on their promises made?

If you can't garner praise the good old fashioned way-by earning it-this is the next best thing to do.


XOXOXO Love Rick.


ickenittle

Robbing Peter To Pay For War

Sometime this week President Obama is expected to announce withdrawing combat troops from Afghanistan.

The cost of war isn't just affecting soldiers and their families- let alone Afghan citizens themselves, but people here at home. With so much funding bled out of the treasury, there seems only crumbs left to spend on the domestic priorities.

With high unemployment, a crumbling infrastructure, and struggling states strapped for cash, the cost of war is taking its toll.

Think Progress has calculated ten investments that America could have afforded if we didn't spend $113 billion on war.

Provide 57.5 Million Children with low income health care for 2011.

Provide 23 million people with low income health coverage in 2011.

Give 20.2 million $5,500 Pell Grants to students in 2011.

Give 14.35 million military veterans VA medical care in 2011.

Provide 14.7 million children Head Start funding in 2011.

Give 14.26 million scholarships to university students in 2011.

Provide employment for 1.93 million firefighters in 2011.

Hire 1.75 million Elementary School Teachers in 2011.

Hire 1.65 million Police Officers in 2011.

Equip 67.8 million households with the ability to use wind power in 2011.

Equip 25.39 million households with the ability to use solar energy in 2011.

As long as we can afford to spend money on wars like this we have no business discussing cuts in aid to our most vulnerable citizens or our seniors. But that's what we are hearing from our fellow Republicans who will stop at nothing to defend their benefactors-- the kings of finance- and the war mongers of the Military Industrial Complex.


 As Upton Sinclair said long ago;

It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.

Happy Holidays

Cheating corporations now want a tax holiday.

Several multinational corporations have united under a tax dodging scam called Win America and are pushing Congress to give them a pass for hiding money overseas.

Known as tax repatriation holiday these cheaters would be able to skirt their responsibilities for paying taxes in the U.S. by getting a get-out of-jail-free card.. by bringing back the cash they are hiding in exchange for a lower a lower tax rate.

This flagrant nod to corruption is backed up by the lie that these crooks - if given a tax break- will magically reinvest in America's future by...creating jobs!  the same jobs they didn't create last time they were given a tax holiday in 2004.

When companies were given the tax holiday break last time, they ended up cutting thousands of jobs and padding the pockets of their own executives and share holders.


Congress fell for it -shame them once

In 2004  Congress granted corporations to repatriate overseas earnings at far below the normal tax rate.

With promises from the corporations to put money into domestic development, Congress gave them a pass. As soon as the light turned green these same corporations did just the opposite.
About 92% went directly to shareholders, primarily in the form of increased share buybacks and the rest went to increase dividends.

These companies did nothing Congress expected them to, and they even disregarded the law which stated that the money could not be used to raise dividends or repurchase shares.

Dell Computer was one such company that flagrantly misused this so-called "Tax Holiday."

They said part of the money would be brought back to build a new plant in Winston-Salem, N.C.

They brought back $4 billion of tax exempt cash and plugged $100 million into the plant they were planning on opening anyway- the rest of the cash went to buyback their own stock.


Republicans ask for repeat performance of "Tax Holiday."

Here we go again.
House Republicans have proposed giving corporations a 5.25 % tax rate to do it all over again- dropping the 35% rate to a puny 5.25

Thanks to Ayn Rand's boy genius Paul Ryan. ( The one who wants to voucherize Medicare.)

Ryan thinks it's such a great idea- that it should become an everyday occurrence for tax-dodging companies to skirt their responsibilities. Ryan says, "It's a good idea. We ought to do it everyday. Instead of having repatriation every seven years, let's have it every single day by going to a different system."

Just imagine how creative companies could become if they were allowed to do this everyday.
It would grant them even bigger incentives to send money offshore so they could get a tax breaks to bring it back. Better yet it would give companies more leverage to permanently offshore more jobs and funds.


But they wouldn't do that would they?

The Joint Economic Committee has estimated that a permanent repatriation holiday would cost the U.S. nearly $80 billion over ten years.

But hey- Why should America get all of that extra cash.. when needy corporations could use an extra handout or another bailout.

Corporations own Congressman Ryan - and the Republican party. So you can't blame them for doing the
bidding of those who hold the leash.


And for all his talk of destroying Social Security and Medicare, Paul Ryan himself has been known to take
a dip in that nefarious "entitlement pool" .

 When Paul Ryan's father passed away...young Paul was granted Social Security Survivor's benefits.

But that was different, so just ignore the hypocrisy.. because, some people are just a little more entitled to entitlement benefits than others.



"Let them eat tax-cuts."



If Marie Antoinette were alive today-you bet she'd be Republican.



ickenittle

Florida Gov. Scott Does the Backwards Tango.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has changed his tune forcing all state workers to submit to drug tests.

In a walking backwards, eat-your-words quiet retreat, Scott reluctantly signed a suspension memo on June 10 calling off the charade.


After the ACLU filed a lawsuit calling the tests an illegal search of worker's bodies- Scott backed down and sheepishly suspended the idea-at least for the time being.

The ACLU sued Scott last month in federal court. Apparently forcing workers to submit to drug testing who were not suspected of wrongdoing is a violation of their constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and robs them of due process.


"We are pleased that this new order has delayed subjecting thousands of state employees to demeaning, invasive and illegal tests of their bodily fluids," Randall Marshall, legal director for the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement.

"Any government search without suspicion of drug use or not directly related to public safety is a violation of privacy protections and we will vigorously move ahead with our challenge."

Scott campaigned on a promise of small and limited government- which of course being a Tea Party Republican meant he intended to do just the opposite once elected. Right after taking office Scott signed an executive order in March forcing workers to undergo screening for illegal drugs once every three months.

Even though the ACLU characterized the suspension of this police state legislation as an embarrassing retreat, Scott is still insisting his plan will be upheld in court, in his words to,

"ensure a safe, effective, productive and fiscally accountable workforce."

What grifter Governor Scott "forgets" to mention is his wife's company Solantic, a business that does drug screening could have profited from the the forced screenings of employees, thus lining the pockets' of Scott & company.


The courts generally have upheld random drug testing for workers in jobs that involve public safety. Scott's suspension order allows testing to continue in the Florida Department of Corrections, which already tests its 21,000 employees.

Testing won't begin for the rest of the 168,000 state workers. Florida is still trying to figure out the details of the program and it's costs- which have been projected to cost the state millions.

Florida has a budget shortfall of $3.6 billion. And of course Scott campaigned to cut spending along with his promise for smaller government.

The suspension of the order also does not affect a new law requiring drug tests for Floridians who apply for temporary cash welfare assistance. That law is scheduled to take effect July 1.

The ACLU is representing the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the country's largest union for state workers. No individual employees are part of the lawsuit.

Rick Scott spent over $60 million dollars of his own money buying the election, money he joked he would have to pay back- to keep his children from being angry at his spending their inheritance.

After being elected Scott made this promise, "Starting today, I work for every Floridian,'' said Scott, "I'm giving you my word: Better days are coming.



Better days are coming

Better days are coming, and Santa Claus is real. 

Remember that Florida.

Maybe there should have been some mandatory testing prior to election day because surely these voters was under the influence of some unknown substance when they voted for this guy.


ickenittle

Let's Play Coerce the Poor





Florida's Governor Rick Scott (R) has a great plan to coerce as many poor people and possibly enrich his company Solantic at the same time by forcing anyone receiving welfare benefits to submit to mandatory drug testing.

Scott says his state will not "subsidize" any one's drug problem stating,

" I know it's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones drug addiction."

"On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility,  and personal accountability," he added. But what about the people who don't use drugs? 

Guilty until proven innocent.


The ACLU has filed suit seeking to block this hateful legislation along with another that would force state employees to undergo random drug screening. Governor Scott also claims that studies have shown that drug use is much higher among the poor - but Florida's ACLU says that his study just isn't true.

According to the Florida Times-Union, a study done in 2002 found that 10 - 20% of Welfare recipients have
drug or alcohol problems, compared to about 6% of the general population.

When asked about the cost of drug testing everyone, Scott didn't have a concrete answer, saying it would depend on how many people pass or fail the test.

"It's an insignificant cost," he assured, again repeating his talking point that Florida cannot subsidize drug use. Even if the test cost ten dollars- (excluding the cost of the bureaucracy involved.)

Scott's press secretary, Lane Wright, said "the details are still being worked out."
"We don't have a dollar cost estimate at this time," he said. "Because of volume, the state is hoping to negotiate very competitive rates."

Scott helped create Florida's deficit by giving lucrative tax cuts to corporations then claiming to be broke- a tricky scheme played out by other Tea Party governors like Wisconsin's infamous union buster Scott Walker. It seems corporate welfare is the new entitlement given to the so -called Job Creators.

Using the Tea Party tactic in how to deal with a $3.6 billion budget deficit, Scott unveiled a budget that cuts $4 billion in property and corporate income taxes.

Calling his spending plan "Florida's first jobs budget," Scott said he would reduce corporate income taxes from 5.5% to 3% over two years, before eliminating the levy in 2018. He would also reduce $1.4 billion in property taxes.

Governor Scott believes corporate welfare will encourage "job creators" to create jobs in exchange for tax breaks. It's the trickle down theory being played out again. He also rejected the high speed rail project partly funded by the federal government.

"The answer is to reduce government spending, cut government’s leash on our state’s job creators and then hold that government accountable for the investments it makes."

Job Creators like Rick Scott who in 1997 was implicated in the biggest Medicare fraud case in US history. He stepped down as CEO of Columbia/HCA after the hospital giant was fined $1.7 billion and found guilty of swindling the government.

As Florida's new governor, Scott is now trying to kill off an anti-fraud database that would track the fraudulent distribution of addictive prescription drugs in Florida, over the protestations of law enforcement officials, Republican state lawmakers, and federal drug policy officials.

And what about Governor Scotts' own company Solantic?

One of the more popular services at Solantic, the urgent care chain co-founded by Florida Gov. Rick Scott, is drug testing, according to Solantic CEO Karen Bowling.

Given Solantic's role in that marketplace, critics are again asking whether Scott's policy initiatives - this time, requiring drug testing of state employees and welfare recipients - are designed to benefit Scott's bottom line.

 Potential for a conflict of interest?

During the election campaign, he had estimated the worth of his Solantic holdings at $62 million. Jacksonville-based Solantic has 32 clinics statewide, including two in Palm Beach County, and plans rapid growth and an eventual initial public offering, according to company documents.

Suffolk University Law Professor Marc Rodwin, author of several books on conflicts of interest in medicine, said the movement of Scott's ownership to his wife's trust was insufficient to eliminate the ethical issues.
"He owned the company and transferred it into his wife's name," Rodwin said. "It's a conflict of interest.


Here we have a Governor who ran a company that payed out nearly two billion dollars in Medicare fraud fines, and to keep himself from going to jail took the fifth amendment  75 times. Now it appears this same GOP grifter wants to make money off of welfare recipients?

How about drug tests for State Senators, Representa­tives, and the Governor himself?

Better yet, how about lie detector tests on a regular basis?

How about we just drug test everyone getting federal money? Oil subsidies, corporate tax loopholes, and those lucky 2% crowd getting all those tax cuts?

There's basically not a single person in this country who would not need to be drug tested on a regular basis on this theory he and the rest of those austerity loving Republicans are using -  to thinly veil their hatred for the poor and are making sweeping attempts to get the poor to leave their states.

All of those icky poor people keeping America from being exceptional.

"I know it's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for some one's drug addiction."

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for some one's oil addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones profit addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones  illegal labor addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones tax cut addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying someones bail out addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones hedge fund addiction.

It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for someones golden parachute addiction.

And don't forget that war addiction.

What's good for the Peon is also good for the Pharaoh.

Problem solved.

ickenittle

A99 OpESR Communication #2: Ctrl+Alt+Bernanke

Make them eat cake.

ickenittle

Bleeding Social Security One Drop at a Time.

Those good ole House Republicans have found another sneaky way to attack Social Security again.

They have just introduced legislation that would allow workers to partially opt out of the Social Security program immediately, and fully opt out after 15 years.

Rep.Pete Sessions (R-NY) who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, and other Republicans introduced the Savings Account for Every American (SAFE) Act. Under this underhanded bill, workers would immediately have 6.2 of their wages sent to a "SAFE" account each year.

That 6.2% would be 6.2% not put into the Social Security-effectively making it go broke even faster than Republicans "claim" it already is.

The other 6.2% that is sent to Social Security by employers, would continue to make this matching contribution to the existing plan but after 15 years, employers could also send that same amount to the employees SAFE account.

Rep.Sessions is ringing the alarmist bell when he claims Social Security is nearly broke. He claims the savings option is needed because last year Social Security actually paid out more than it brought in. In typical Republican fashion Sessions is using "The sky is falling"  scare tactic to ram this legislation through which seems to be the only way Republicans can sell Americans their crazy ideas.

Keeping you safe ( ring a bell?) with a SAFE account.

" Our nation's Social Security Trust Fund is depleting at an alarming rate, and failure to implement immediate reforms endangers the ability of Americans to plan for their retirement with the options and certainty they deserve," Sessions says. " To simply maintain the status quo would weaken American competitiveness by adding more unsustainable debt and insolvent entitlements to our economy when we can least afford it."

Those fear mongering Republicans just can't wait to privatise your Social Security and line the pockets of  all those Wall Street financial elites- these same gamblers who tanked our economy with their creative financial instruments, and whose only interest is to keep the money flowing in an ever upward stream, straight into the pockets of the top 2%.

What a scheme- what another Republican scam.

Of course, what this would really do is further drain money from Social Security right now, thus making sure the system fails for older workers who will still be in the system 15 years from now. It makes you wonder if older folks are going to be the guinea pigs in the Soylant Green experiment. You know as well as I know they will eventually figure out this scam won't work, but by then it would be too late for the last half of the baby boom generation, and sadly for the Republican sheeple who support this evil party- that would also include them.

Some really dumb sheep never see they are headed to the slaughter house- they just pretend that being branded with an (R) protects them from the lamb chop factory. And while we are at it, let's also tempt the younger generation to risk their future on this gambling scheme- It's younger workers who think retirement is a far away place, and they are all going to be millionaires someday anyway. They will be the final drain on the system.

  

 People need to know. Especially all those who recently lost half their retirement savings in the financial meltdown of 2007

"USA TODAY reports that the government added $5.3 trillion to its financial obligations last year. This brings the total of unfunded obligations, the gap between spending commitments and revenue, to a record $61.6 trillion, or $534,000 per household!

Holy Jebus!

U.S. household wealth fell by about $16.4 trillion of net worth from its peak in spring 2007, about six months before the start of the recession, to when things hit bottom in the first quarter of 2009, according to figures from the Federal Reserve

While a rebound in the stock market, an improved savings rate and consumer steps to reduce debt resulted in net worth gains since 2009, only a little more than half of that lost wealth - $8.7 trillion -- is back on household balance sheets.

That leaves American household wealth $7.7 trillion less than it was before the recession.

As much as we hate to admit it, the fact is that We The People no longer matter.  Our government is broken -- beyond all hope of repair, it would seem -- and the Republic is being slowly strangled to death by the corporatocracy with the consent (or perhaps even the complicity) of the Congress. 

To all appearances, the members of Congress have forgotten that they're not supposed to be the bosses in this country and that they're supposed to serve the interests of a majority of the people rather than just the most influential...but it seems as if most of our Congress critters have decided that since ordinary Americans can't do anything for them (such as pouring significant sums of money into their campaign coffers or offering them sufficiently prestigious employment once they leave office), they don't have to do anything for us.

We the Sheeple are being fleeced.

Is America beginning to feel like someone else's country?



Had enough yet?



Take action http://www.october2011.org/



This is still OUR America.


ickenittle

America For Sale- Cheap.



Strapped for cash many states are resorting to selling off public land and buildings to fill budget gaps.

Instead of forcing tax dodging corporations and the selfish rich to pay their fair share-states are choosing draconian measures in a last ditch effort at budget fixing. Going under the knife are pensions, schools, cutting unemployment benefits, and worst of all wholesale privatization.

It's an all out American fire sale.

Privatization is quickly become the new American dream for predatory investors and corporate vultures while for average citizens it's becoming an ugly nightmare.

Some examples of private sector plundering are proving that when corporations rule -  the public gets screwed.

In 2008 Chicago sold off the city's parking meters to Morgan-Stanley for $1.15 billion. The revenue earned over the next 75 years will line the pockets of Morgan to the tune of $11.6 million rather than the state. Pretty short sighted planning on the part of Mayor Daley. But that's what happens when you scramble for a short term fix for a long term problem. Since that supposed "deal" Morgan Stanley has hiked parking fees 42%. Expect to see more of this ripping off of the public by corporate plunderers.


Florida's Rep.Dennis Ross (R) member of the Tea Party Caucus likes the idea of selling off America's public land as a means to close the budget gap for the country. He thinks public land in Utah should be auctioned off since 70% of Utah is owned by the Federal Government. Even the governor of Utah is on board to privatize most of the state. Governor Gary Herbert likes the idea and believes land held privately would better cared for than public land- especially those National parks? Senators Mike Lee (R-U) and John McCain (R-AZ)
have proposed a bill that will allow the sale of public land in not only Utah but other Western states bill 

And then there's Republican Governor Scott Walker- who got caught red handed trying to sneak legislation to sell Wisconsin's public utilities without public approval or even a call for bids.

To fill the $8 billion money hole in Ohio Republican Governor Kasich wants to privatize not one- but five state prisons, a prison fire sale to expects to net the state a cool $200 million.This same kind of legislation is being pursued aggressively in other Republican controlled states like Florida and Louisiana. Similar legislation will soon be appearing in many other states with Republicans in charge.

Even fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken is getting into the act. Naperville IL, is considering giving corporations the go- ahead to plaster advertising on city property. The proposed deal with KFC would be a "pothole" exchange. If KFC fixes potholes- they can then stamp their logo on the street.

To be fair to Republicans- this sort of privatization frenzy is also coming from the Obama administration, legislation has been proposed that would establish a presidentially appointed Civilian Property Realignment Board, whose job would be to divvy up surplus federal properties like 12,000 buildings, pieces of land and other properties to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The White House is looking to save as much as $15 billion in this fire sale by no longer paying for building maintenance and utilities for these underused facilities.

This is straight out of Naomi Klein's book The  Shock Doctrine that warns us how during times of crisis-  wealthy elites impose destructive policies to restructure economies and political systems to further advance their plundering agendas'. It's "disaster capitalism" in action where wealthy elites profit during times of manufactured crisis.

Since this economic mess has been primarily manufactured by the corporate state- to destroy social programs and replace public interest with corporate interest it is hard to deny we are on the verge of Fascism- where corporation and government become one, and democracy gets kicked to the curb.

This is happening worldwide- Free market fundamentalism, privatization, deregulation and gutting of government programs necessary for a decent life everywhere are being decimated, and we in America are  just beginning to see we have been invaded by an enemy bent on destroying our economy, and global economies worldwide. The conspiracy theory of rampant corporate take-over is becoming a conspiracy fact.

If this auctioning off of America continues to expand we will see our greatest nightmare become a reality- the total and complete dismantling of America.

We might even see the day when this country is transformed from 


"America the beautiful"  to  a


" Do you want fries with that?"... Nation.


Don't let it happen... join the resistance.



http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/06/big-banks-have-sold-us-out-democrats.html




ickenittle

FEMA Suffers Givers' Remorse

Pay back's a bitch

It's been nearly six long years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Some people still haven't recovered even with the help from FEMA which came way too late for so many, thanks to the Bush administration. Now with budget cuts looming, FEMA has decided to go over its books with a magnifying glass to find disaster relief grifters.


 In a hind-sight is 20/20 kind of way - FEMA seems to be suffering from givers' remorse.

They are trying to recoup some of that easy cash- they dished up in order to look good in the publics' eye.

Millions handed out in disaster aid is now being scrutinized, and for those people found ineligible FEMA wants their money back. Let's hope everyone hung onto their paperwork for six years because-you just never know when the Federal Government will come knocking at your door.

With a fresh Hurricane season on the horizon, FEMA must be pretty worried they won't have the cash to handle another crisis. They are reviewing another $600 million given to roughly 154,000 victims of Katrina, Rita, and Hurricane Wilma.


Thousands of letters have been sent to victims of other disasters as FEMA demands repayment on some 22 million dollars accidentally given away.


Due to so much bad press during Hurricane Katrina - FEMA says it let things slide, relaxing it's safeguards,
kind of taking the look the other way approach as it doled out cash for food, clothes and shelter in the millions.

Being so casual FEMA says it opened the door to fraud where employees gave out money without interviewing applicants or inspecting property. They also didn't record proper banking information and forgot to check if insurance had already covered damaged homes.

In the letters FEMA has sent, they give folks a generous 30 whole days to scape together enough cash to pay FEMA back, or file an appeal. (guess which choice everyone will pick)

By the time FEMA gets around to collecting they might find that many of these home owners have already lost their homes to foreclosure.

Maybe they can rent them out to victims of the next storm or maybe they could find that $9 Billion in cash  that magically disappeared­ in Iraq.

No one even bothered to look for that...at least not yet.

Desperate times require desperate measures.

Maybe it's time for the Treasury to go on a treasure hunt.


ickenittle

Pawlenty For President - Not





Republican scorched earth policy.

 Using another fear tactic, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty said that Social Security and Medicare needed to be sharply cut but defense spending was off the table.

"I believe strongly that the first responsibility of the United States federal government is to protect this nation and our citizens, so I'm not calling for absolute or real cuts in defense,"

He thinks the military industrial complex could be slowed down by "becoming more efficient" but any savings should be plugged back into the military money funnel that is sucking this country down the drain.

The former governor from Minnesota also believes we shouldn't raise the debt limit unless we are willing to sacrifice Social security and Medicare. It's the cut-go plan. Cut off your nose to spite your face.

Social Security and Medicare are two things that aren't important -  when compared to defense because old people and sick people can't defend us from terrorists.

When asked if he was worried about bankrupting the US and putting it's credit rating in the hole, and the idea that hitting the debt ceiling would be catastrophic, he said, "The answer is... nobody really knows because we've not been at this point before."

What happens when you overdraw your checking account? Never happened before? Try it once and find out.

 Pawlenty lies when he says ,"President Obama was setting up this false choice between default and raising the debt ceiling. And at least for a while, you can take away that false choice by ordering the Treasury to pay the obligations to outside creditors first, and there's enough cash flow to do that for quite some time."

Pawlenty and other corporate owned Republicans want you know it's important to pay your creditors first before feeding your children. And forget all of you poor suckers who live on the government dole- all of you entitlement takers on Social Security, Veterans pensions, and retired government employees who will just have to wait for your check to be in the mail.   Must pay China first.


In Pawlentys' world you just ignore what economists are saying about not raising the debt limit. As soon as we default on the debt - the world economy crashes. No big deal!

And don't forget. Whenever Republicans say Social security is dragging the economy down- it's another lie. Social security isn't part of the Federal budget.  And SS and a large portion of Medicare have their own revenues and separate budgets that get no money from general revenue.


What Pawlenty is spouting is pure nonsense, he knows that we cannot choose to not raise the debt ceiling. If Congress is irresponsible enough to not pass it - Obama will have to do it unilaterally using emergency powers Directive 51 here

Isn't providing for the health and welfare of the American people protecting "this nation and our citizens'?

That depends on your political party. The one with the "R" isn't on your side - unless of course you happen to be a billionaire.

 You have to wonder just how much Halliburton or General Dynamics stock Pawlenty owns? How about you Newt, got any Boeing or General Electric or Blackwater in your portfolio?  As long as we remain in 'perpetual war for perpetual peace", these racketeers keep making money. They couldn't give a dang about Medicare, Social Security or any program that benefits the people because it robs money from their war profiteering.

Might as well say this too-while he's at it.

"The defense industry has been very generous in campaign contributions and I'd rather cut poor people's benefits cause they do not give me any money. I know I can lie and convince the weak minded to vote for me anyway"

Here we go again..Social Security is not a drain on the Treasury. In fact, Social Security has a surplus, which has been lent to the Treasury in the form of Government bonds. If we lifted the salary cap, Social Security would never go broke. It has always paid its benefits, and will continue to do so for another 20 years if we do nothing. After that it will pay 80% of the scheduled benefit. But with a little tweaking, as has been done in the past, it will be able to pay 100% of benefits

After all these years of suspecting that the Republican Party would destroy the people to "save the country", we now have confirmation that they actually intend to destroy the country as well as the people as well as any and every other country and people they can.


Why? because there is money to be made.


It's called the scorched Earth approach.

Burn down the village and all of the peasants in order to keep it out of the enemy's hands.

Democrats are the enemy.

Fox News says so..so it must be true.

ickenittle