Bad Deeds for 10-22-2011

 

Every Republican Senator Voted Against the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act – Late Thursday night, the U.S. Senate held a critical vote on the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act. Sadly, because of political gamesmanship- reflected by the fact 100% of the republican senators supported extending a filibuster- supporters of the bill were denied an opportunity to have a vote on the actual substance of the legislation itself. Senators voting to block the bill chose politics over the pressing need to support public education and public safety. They prevented the Senate from being able to even discuss the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, putting educational quality and the safety of our cities and towns at risk. Senators Kay Hutchison and John Cornyn of Texas voted against teachers and first responders. Tell them what you think about what they did.

 

Mitt Romney Wants Homeowners to Be Foreclosed On So Investors Can Buy – Presidential front runner Mitt Romney can’t understand why everyone is so uptight about the “housing crisis.” After all, it’s really a great opportunity for investors.

Speaking to the major Las Vegas newspaper before the Nevada debates, Romney stated that no one should be working on a way to help homeowners keep their homes. Instead, they should just get foreclosed on. That way, investors can pick up houses at fire sale prices and just rent them to the former home owners instead.

It’s a magnanimous approach from a man who just announced plans to quadruple the size of his mansion in California. For homeowners desperately underwater, not so great. They not only lose all of the money that they have already spent on their home, but they will be at the mercy of investors who can pick up their residences for cheap and set up any sort of rent they want, knowing they have a new glut of renters who have no option to buy and no hope but to find a place for their family to rent.

 

Bank of America’s Practices Are At The Nexus Of The Foreclosure Crisis – Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan raised eyebrows recently when he excitedly cheered for faster foreclosures of Americans’ homes. Despite being found to be a major user of error-ridden “robo-signing” foreclosure practices last year, the mega-bank only briefly halted its foreclosure proceedings nationwide. It is also facing lawsuits by multiple states over its mortgage practices.

 

Herman Cain Fought Against Stricter Drunk Driving Laws – While leading the National Restaurant Association, Herman Cain served as the industry’s lobbyist-in-chief, leading the charge against laws that could harm the food service business. One of his signature causes: stopping stricter drunk driving laws.

When Cain took over as CEO of the NRA in 1996, anti-drunk driving groups were leading a campaign to lower the blood alcohol limit for a DUI to .08 across the country: the equivalent for a 170 pound-man of about five beers in two hours. The majority of states used a .10 limit as their standard, which advocates argued was an insufficiently tough deterrent and left plenty of still-dangerous drivers on the road.

Enter the restaurant industry, whose members with liquor licenses faced diminished business as a result of the changes. Led by Cain, they lobbied hard against .08 changes at the state and federal level.

 

Harris County Sheriff Deputies Health Insurance, Life Insurance and Retirement Under Attack – See the plan to reduce the Harris County Sheriff Deputies health insurance, life insurance and retirement.

Regards,

Jim