Bad Deeds for 4-25-2011

 

U.S. Income Inequality at Record Levels – Income inequality in the United States during the past decade has spiked to levels not seen since the Roaring ’20s that led to the Great Depression. The increase of income inequality leading up to the 2008 financial crisis and “Great Recession” is striking. Between 1993 and 2008, the top 1 percent of Americans captured 52 percent of all income growth in the United States.

 

Republicans to Foster Children: You Only Deserve Used Clothes – Under a new Republican budget proposal, children in the Michigan’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores. Under the plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores. It is unreasonable to give away huge tax breaks to multi-billion dollar companies and the top 2 percent of the population, but expect to balance budgets on the backs of the poorest of the poor.

 

Oil Company Appears to Instruct Salesmen on How to Mislead Landowners – An oil company distributed what appears to be “talking points” to its salesmen, instructing them to mislead landowners about the dangers of oil and gas drilling. Entitled “Talking Points for Selling Oil and Gas Lease Rights”, the document implores its ‘Field Agents’ to mislead people about the risks of drilling, to omit important facts, and even, on occasion, to outright lie.

Here’s a sample from the purported talking points:

Tell the landowner that all their neighbors have signed. Even if the neighbors have not, this often will push an undecided landowner in favor of signing. Remember, the first visit is the most crucial. They will not know if their neighbors have signed, and even if they do they will want to sign so they do not lose out on the potential profits. Once they have signed, then you can show those leases to undecided neighbors for added pressure.

 

Republican Beliefs Do Not Agree with Facts, Regardless of Educational Level – Scientists have become increasingly certain that climate change is real and human caused. They’re now saying “very likely,” a degree of certainty equivalent to greater than 90 percent. However, Republican/conservative beliefs are in stark contrast with the scientific consensus according to a new study of 10 years of Gallup polling on the issue. But, in addition, the study shows that if you’re a Republican or conservative, having a higher level of education does not help you understand the facts. In contrast, the effects of educational attainment and self-reported understanding on beliefs about climate science and personal concern about global warming are positive for liberals and Democrats.

 

BP Gets Nearly $10 Billion Tax Credit, by Writing off its “Losses” for Damaging the Gulf of Mexico – One year ago, BP’s oil began to pour into the Gulf of Mexico. It did not stop for 87 days. Today, economic and environmental devastation remain. Thousands of Gulf Coast residents cope with massive health problems from oil and toxic dispersants.

BP, on the other hand, just scored a nearly $10 billion tax credit, by writing off its “losses” incurred from the tragedy.

$10 billion is the entire annual budget of the EPA, whose funding was just slashed in the continuing resolution. It is almost one third of all the cuts in the continuing resolution.

Americans shouldn’t have to endure massive budget cuts because BP took a $10 billion tax deduction for destroying our gulf. Tell BP: Amend your tax return and pay your fair share. Click here to sign the petition.

 

Fox News Portrays Tea Party Media Specialist as an Everyday Upset Mom – How many times have you studied the Republican Ministry of Propaganda, aka Fox, seen an interview of someone purported to be just an everyday taxpayer, homeowner, worker, parent, or whatever to later find out that the person was a ringer, a paid professional activist there with the sole purpose of brainwashing sheeple with the Republican party line? I have all too often. This time Fox & Friends presented a Tea Party Media Specialist as an upset mom who was upset about her first-grader’s participation in an Earth Day program.

 

Republican Plan to Cut Medicare but Give Breaks to Millionaires and Companies –

 

Proposed Texas Schools Science Instructional Materials Are Full of Factual Errors and Creationist Claims – International Databases, Inc., a previously unknown publisher apparently based in New Mexico, is one of several companies that have submitted proposed instructional materials for science that could be used in Texas schools as early as the 2011-12 school year.

A review by the Texas Freedom Network and the National Center for Science Education has found that International Databases’ web-based materials are full of factual errors and creationist claims that clearly do not belong in a science classroom.

Two years ago creationists on the State Board of Education approved new science curriculum standards that call into question the established, mainstream science supporting evolution. And here, with International Databases’ submission, we have the result of that outrageous decision.

Examples of International Databases’ attacks on science can be found at www.tfn.org/IDexamples. Submissions by other publishers can be reviewed at the Texas Education Agency website.

The SBOE will consider submissions by International Databases and other publishers at a single meeting in July. You have until then to voice your concerns and insist that the board promote 21st-century science, not creationist junk science, in our schoolchildren’s classrooms.

Take Action
Now is the time to submit comments about the International Databases materials to the SBOE by email at review.adoption@tea.state.tx.us.

Tell the board to reject any materials — like the materials from International Databases — that would not promote mainstream science in Texas public schools. Insist that board members put facts, sound scholarship and the education of Texas schoolchildren ahead of their own personal and political beliefs.

Regards,

Jim