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Snarkoleptic
Snarkoleptic's Journal
Snarkoleptic's Journal
May 28, 2016
--snip--
--snip--
Robert Reich: It’s time for Clinton and Sanders supporters to swallow some tough medicine.
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/robert-reich-its-time-for-clinton-and-sanders-supporters-to-swallow-some-tough-medicine/Sanders should stay in the race also because he has attracted a large number of young people and independents. Their passion, excitement, and enthusiasm are critically important to Hillary Clintons success, if shes the nominee, as well the success of other Democrats this year, and, more fundamentally, to the future of American politics.
Finally and not the least, Sanders has been telling a basic truth about the American political economic systemthat growing inequality of income and wealth has led inexorably to the increasing political power of those at the top, including big corporations and Wall Street banks. And that political power has stacked the deck in their favor, leading to still wider inequality.
--snip--
Hillary may not possess Bernie Sanderss indignation about the rigging of our economy and democracy, or be willing to go as far in remedying it, but shes shown herself a capable and responsible leader.
Some of you agree a Trump presidency would be a disaster but claim it would galvanize a forceful progressive movement in response.
Thats unlikely. Rarely if ever in history has a sharp swing to the right moved the political pendulum further back in the opposite direction. Instead, it tends to move the center rightward, as did Ronald Reagans presidency.
--snip--
I cant criticize anyone for voting their conscience, of course. But your conscience should know that a decision not to vote for Hillary, should she become the Democratic nominee, is a de facto decision to help Donald Trump.
May 28, 2016
Wall St. lobbyist just claimed the Constitution guarantees billions in public subsidies for banks.
Please consider signing this petition, promoted by Rootstrikers, Lawrence Lessigs 'money out of politcs' group.
https://act.demandprogress.org/sign/bank-constitutional-right-subsudy/?source=fb
Petition to the Federal Reserve:
Please move quickly to end the outdated and unnecessary giveaway of $7 billion to the biggest banks over the next 10 years and ignore Wall Streets outlandish claim of having a constitutional right to that risk-free return.
After Congress passed a law removing $7 billion in pointless public subsidies for the biggest banks, Wall Streets top lobbyist just claimed banks have a constitutional right to that free public money. Seriously.
For years, banks have gotten a guaranteed 6% dividend on stock they own in the Federal Reserve, rain or shine.
That means they make their money back over and over in addition to all the huge benefits they get from being a member bank in the Federal Reserve system.
What makes this even more spectacular for the banks and more ridiculous for the public is that its completely risk free for the banks! Even if the Fed disbanded they would get all their money back.
Democrats and Republicans agreed to repeal this wasteful subsidy and redirect the $7 billion over the next 10 years to the federal highway trust fund instead.
But Wall Street isnt happy about losing all this free money.
The countrys top bank lobbyist, Rob Nichols at the American Banking Association, wrote a letter to the Federal Reserve saying banks are constitutionally entitled to this public money and essentially threatened to sue if the Fed finalizes the rule.
Sign the petition to tell the Federal Reserve: Ignore Wall Streets ridiculous claim and end the $7 billion public subsidy to the biggest banks!
May 27, 2016
--snip--
Nine Days After Banfill Was Hired by Wasserman Schultz, a Mysterious Pro-Florida Payday Lending Model Website Was Created
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz must step down as DNC chair NOW!
>>Snaps to Karl Frisch and his group alliedprogress.org for digging up this important infomation.<<
Not only has she cost Democrats seats in congress, she's alighned herself with predatory lenders and against Democratic principles.
https://alliedprogress.org/research/debbie-wasserman-schultzs-campaign-tied-payday-lending-front-group-defending-disastrous-florida-model/
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has worked hard to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) efforts to rein in predatory payday lenders through her support of the disastrous Florida Model of payday lending where the average borrower pays more than 300% interest and takes out 9 loans each year. It now appears that her new spokesmans firm is tied directly to Floridians for Financial Choice, a mysterious new front group pushing the Florida model of payday lending.
--snip--
On April 18, 2016 Debbie Wasserman Schultz Hired a Sachs Media Group Partner to Be Her Spokesperson. Nine Days Later a Mysterious Website Defending the Florida Model of Payday Lending Was Created
Ryan Banfill Is a Partner at Sachs Media Group and Was Hired by Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Serve as Her Spokesperson and Communications Advisor.
Ryan Banfill Is a Partner and Director of Strategy and Research at Sachs Media Group. [Sachs Media, Ryan Banfill, Biography Accessed 5/26/16]
Nine Days After Banfill Was Hired by Wasserman Schultz, a Mysterious Pro-Florida Payday Lending Model Website Was Created
Floridians for Financial Choice Appears to Be a Client of Sachs Media Group, the Same Firm Where Wasserman Schultzs Spokesperson is a Partner
Google Shows a Website Entitled resources-Floridians for Financial Freedom Hosted by SachsDigital.com.
An Entry in Google Shows a Website That Is Not Accessible Entitled Resources-Floridians for Financial Freedom That Is Part of the SachsDigital.com Domain. [Google.com Search for Floridians for Financial Freedom, 5/26/16]
FinancialFreedomFL.com forwards to FinancialChoiceFL.com. [FinancialChoiceFL.com, Accessed 5/26/16; FinancialFreedomFL.com, Accessed 5/26/16]
banfill-004
SachsDigital.com Is Registered to Ron Sachs Communications, The Former Name of Sachs Media Group
January 21, 2011: SachsDigital.com Registered Using GoDaddy.com. [Whois.com SachsDigital.com Registration Details, Accessed 5/26/16]
May 24, 2016
Can't say I'm shocked...Trump 'Christian Policy Liaison' Frank Amedia Conducts TV Faith Healings
May 19, 2016
Cannabis decriminalization coming soon to Illinois!
https://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/Following its victory in the Senate last month, SB 2228 passed the House of Representatives on another strong vote of 64-50 and is now on its way to the governors desk. This bill would remove criminal penalties for the possession of a small amount of marijuana and replace them with a fine. Sen. Heather Steans bill, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy in the House, would remove the possibility of arrest, jail, and a harmful criminal record for people in possession of a small amount of marijuana. While not ideal, these changes would vastly improve current law by replacing criminal penalties with a fine of between $100 and $200 for possession of up to 10 grams. The bill also makes improvements to current DUI laws, which today can lead to unimpaired drivers being considered under the influence weeks after consuming cannabis. SB 2228 mirrors another bill presented earlier this year by Rep. Kelly Cassidy.
The bill reflects changes made by Gov. Bruce Rauner to a similar bill last year, so we expect he will sign this years legislation.
The bill reflects changes made by Gov. Bruce Rauner to a similar bill last year, so we expect he will sign this years legislation.
May 17, 2016
Woman donates hair to cancer patients is mistaken for trans, harassed in restroom
Stay classy, conservatives...
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/woman-who-donated-hair-to-cancer-patients-mistaken-for-transgender-man-and-harassed-in-restroom/
Danbury News Times reports that Toms was accosted by another woman while she was washing her hands in a Walmart bathroom in Danbury, Connecticut. Toms was wearing a baseball hat and she had very short hair because she recently donated her hair to a charity that makes wigs for children with cancer.
She said that she was approached by a complete stranger in the bathroom and was told that Youre disgusting! and You dont belong here! The 22-year-old Toms posted a video on Facebook talking about how the experience opened her eyes to the abuse that transgender people face every day.
After experiencing the discrimination they face firsthand, I cannot fathom the discrimination transgender people must face in a lifetime, she said. Can you imagine going out every day and having people tell you you should not be who you are or that people will not accept you as who you are?
She said that she was approached by a complete stranger in the bathroom and was told that Youre disgusting! and You dont belong here! The 22-year-old Toms posted a video on Facebook talking about how the experience opened her eyes to the abuse that transgender people face every day.
After experiencing the discrimination they face firsthand, I cannot fathom the discrimination transgender people must face in a lifetime, she said. Can you imagine going out every day and having people tell you you should not be who you are or that people will not accept you as who you are?
May 15, 2016
Happy Sunday, fellow Sandernistas!
May 14, 2016
And from the linked article-
http://rocunited.org/
How A Giant Restaurant Conglomerate Teamed Up With Banks To Stiff Its Workers
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/05/12/3777607/darden-restaurants-payroll-cards/The restaurant conglomerate has roughly 148,000 employees in the U.S. Half of those workers get payroll cards in lieu of standard paper checks. Each card shaves about $2.75 per pay period off of the companys overhead, saving Darden as much as $5 million per year.
Dardens bottom-line bliss means pain and chaos for those 70,000-plus workers. The cards come with a litany of fees: 99 cents for using it to pay utility bills, 50 cents if the card is declined at a cash register, $1.75 to withdraw money from an out-of-network ATM and 75 cents just to check the cards balance. If a worker loses her card, shell pay $10 to have it replaced.
As Darden cuts its administrative costs, the banks that provide the cards rack up significant income on the back end. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia researchers put median bank earnings at $1.75 per card per month back in 2012. That suggests Dardens financial partners are pulling down about $1.5 million a year
And from the linked article-
http://rocunited.org/
KEY FINDINGS
Problems with Dardens use of payroll cards include:
23% OF EMPLOYEES reported not being given instructions on how to use the Darden Card.
76% OF EMPLOYEES reported having to pay fees to access their wages at the ATM.
24% OF EMPLOYEES reported fees at point-of-purchase.
63% REPORTED that they were not told about all of the fees associated with the card before it was issued to them.
42% REPORTED experiencing problems accessing their wages through the payroll card.
49% REPORTED that they do not have access to ATMs that do not charge them a fee to access their wages.
54% OF EMPLOYEES who used the card to fill up their gas tanks have experienced large authorization holds on their card as a result.
26% REPORTED not being allowed to choose an alternative method of payment to the Darden payroll card.
Workers across Dardens restaurant concepts reported paying fees of $1.75 to
withdraw wages from an ATM; $10 for a replacement card; and a $5 monthly
maintenance fee after 6 months of inactivity.
Problems with Dardens use of payroll cards include:
23% OF EMPLOYEES reported not being given instructions on how to use the Darden Card.
76% OF EMPLOYEES reported having to pay fees to access their wages at the ATM.
24% OF EMPLOYEES reported fees at point-of-purchase.
63% REPORTED that they were not told about all of the fees associated with the card before it was issued to them.
42% REPORTED experiencing problems accessing their wages through the payroll card.
49% REPORTED that they do not have access to ATMs that do not charge them a fee to access their wages.
54% OF EMPLOYEES who used the card to fill up their gas tanks have experienced large authorization holds on their card as a result.
26% REPORTED not being allowed to choose an alternative method of payment to the Darden payroll card.
Workers across Dardens restaurant concepts reported paying fees of $1.75 to
withdraw wages from an ATM; $10 for a replacement card; and a $5 monthly
maintenance fee after 6 months of inactivity.
May 13, 2016
Nestlé Just Gained Control Over This Town’s Water for the Next 45 Years
http://usuncut.com/news/nestle-water-deal-fryeburg-maine/Tea Party Republican Governor Paul LePage of Maine helped Nestlé secure a contract that gives Poland Springs, a Nestlé subsidiary, permission to take the small town of Fryeburgs groundwater for the next 25 years for their own profit. The deal could stretch to 45 years due to built-in extensions.
Today that deal was upheld by Maines Supreme Judicial Court, essentially cutting off activists last attempts to scuttle the deal.
There has never been a contract that ties up local water resources for such a long period of time in American history. Water activists worry that this could set a precedent for future corporate attempts to take water from rural towns for extended periods of time.
Today that deal was upheld by Maines Supreme Judicial Court, essentially cutting off activists last attempts to scuttle the deal.
There has never been a contract that ties up local water resources for such a long period of time in American history. Water activists worry that this could set a precedent for future corporate attempts to take water from rural towns for extended periods of time.
May 4, 2016
Samantha Bee expertly shows Ted Cruz the door.
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