Bad Deeds for 2-12-2012

Republicans Attempting to Weaken Laws Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault – The Violence Against Women Act was first passed in 1994, providing billions to enhance investigation and prosecution of violent crimes perpetrated against women. It was most recently reauthorized in 2005 by unanimous consent in the Senate.

It’s up for reauthorization again, but this time it received zero Republican votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Why? Because Republicans want to throw out provisions in the bill protecting victims who are LGBT or undocumented, slash funding for enforcement, and eliminate entirely “the Justice Department office devoted to administering the law and coordinating the nation’s response to domestic violence and sexual assaults.”

Republican Governor Scott Walker Steals Mortgage Settlement Money – Just a couple of days ago, Scott Walker, Fartfuhrer of the Totalitarian Corporate Plutocracy of Fitzwalkerstan, formerly Wisconsin, was crowing about how he had balanced the budget. He was lying, of course. He had a balanced budget when he was elected, but despite gutting worker’s compensation and services for citizens, all his giveaways to the Koch Brothers and other corporate criminals have built up a significant deficit. Now that Fitzwalkerstan will be getting mortgage relief for homeowners, the Fartfuhrer’s plan for that money has nothing to do with the homeowners.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced they were going to take roughly 18 percent of bank-paid mortgage settlement funds to help balance the state budget.

As an aside, I have opposed the Republican plan to convert Medicaid to a voucher program for states. If they succeed, this is what Republican Governors will do with health care funds for the poor.

Make Big Money and Pay No Taxes – In just one year a single hedge fund manager made enough money to hire 100,000 new teachers while calling his $5 billion income “carried interest” so he could defer the little amount of taxes he owed.

Critics of Safety Net Increasingly Depend On It – LINDSTROM, Minn. — Ki Gulbranson owns a logo apparel shop, deals in jewelry on the side and referees youth soccer games. He makes about $39,000 a year and wants you to know that he does not need any help from the federal government. He says that too many Americans lean on taxpayers rather than living within their means. He supports politicians who promise to cut government spending. In 2010, he printed T-shirts for the Tea Party campaign of a neighbor, Chip Cravaack, who ousted this region’s long-serving Democratic congressman.

Yet this year, as in each of the past three years, Mr. Gulbranson, 57, is counting on a payment of several thousand dollars from the federal government, a subsidy for working families called the earned-income tax credit. He has signed up his three school-age children to eat free breakfast and lunch at federal expense. And Medicare paid for his mother, 88, to have hip surgery twice.

Regards,

Jim