Bad Deeds for 7-11-2011

 

Rick Perry’s Preacher Says Oprah is the Harbinger of the Anti-Christ – Governor of Texas and potential GOP 2012 candidate Rick Perry is touting a national prayer event in Texas in early August. Footage of the evangelical preacher he is running the event with, however, shows that he may be spouting some very unpopular ideas: He thinks Oprah is the forerunner of the anti-Christ.

 

Republican Budget Facts Don;t Match Republican Talking Points – Rep. Paul Ryan spreads some false and misleading information in a series of “Setting The Record Straight” web posts, in which he criticizes the president’s proposed budget and promotes his own. Here are some facts from Factcheck.org (contrary to the B.S that Republicans have been spreading):

Under the Republican/Ryan budget plan, the public debt would increase from $10 trillion in 2011 to $16 trillion in 2021, by Ryan’s own figures.

The 2012 deficit in the Republican/Ryan budget plan would be still be $995 billion, just shy of $1 trillion. It would drop to about $700 billion by 2013 — but that’s the same as President Obama’s’s budget projects, too.

The Republican/Ryan budget plan calls for slashing Medicaid below this year’s spending level for years to come.

The budget recommended by the bipartisan fiscal commission would raise $785 billion in new tax revenue from 2012 to 2020 for debt reduction. The Republican/Ryan budget plan does not.

 

Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% – Americans have been watching protests against oppressive regimes overseas that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of an elite few. Yet in our own democracy, 1 percent of the people take nearly a quarter of the nation’s income. In terms of wealth rather than income, the top 1 percent control 40 percent. Their lot in life has improved considerably. Twenty-five years ago, the corresponding figures were 12 percent and 33 percent. While the top 1 percent have seen their incomes rise 18 percent over the past decade, those in the middle have actually seen their incomes fall. For men with only high-school degrees, the decline has been precipitous—12 percent in the last quarter-century alone. All the growth in recent decades—and more—has gone to those at the top. In terms of income equality, America lags behind any country in the old, ossified Europe that President George W. Bush used to deride. Among our closest counterparts are Russia with its oligarchs and Iran. While many of the old centers of inequality in Latin America, such as Brazil, have been striving in recent years, rather successfully, to improve the plight of the poor and reduce gaps in income, America has allowed inequality to grow.

A modern economy requires “collective action”—it needs government to invest in infrastructure, education, and technology. The United States and the world have benefited greatly from government-sponsored research that led to the Internet, to advances in public health, and so on. But America has long suffered from an under-investment in infrastructure (look at the condition of our highways and bridges, our railroads and airports), in basic research, and in education at all levels.

This is simply what happens when a society’s wealth distribution becomes lopsided. The more divided a society becomes in terms of wealth, the more reluctant the wealthy become to spend money on common needs. The rich don’t need to rely on government for parks or education or medical care or personal security—they can buy all these things for themselves. In the process, they become more distant from ordinary people, losing whatever empathy they may once have had. They also worry about strong government—one that could use its powers to adjust the balance, take some of their wealth, and invest it for the common good. The top 1 percent may complain about the kind of government we have in America, but in truth they like it just fine: too gridlocked to re-distribute, too divided to do anything but lower taxes.

 

 

Big Oil Gets $4 Billion in Tax Breaks This Year on Top of Over $900 Billion in Profits – While you’re feeling the heat, Big Oil is sitting pretty. Big Oil will pocket $4 billion in tax breaks this year alone. $4 billion in tax breaks…on top of over $900 billion in profits already!

It seems simple, right? We could help control the deficit by eliminating Big Oil tax breaks.

But Republicans say NO. They want to protect their cronies in the oil industry. They also want to put the lives of the elderly at risk by slashing benefits and cutting Medicare. While Big Oil executives are padding their wallets with cash, Republicans want seniors who have worked all their lives to go without medical care they can afford.

We need to stop Big Oil from running up the federal deficit, while our seniors need our help. Sign our petition to tell Republicans that Big Oil doesn’t deserve big tax loopholes while our seniors struggle.

Click Here to Sign Petition

 

Exxon Knew Yellowstone Pipeline Was Likely To Rupture – Recent reports show that ExxonMobil was warned over a year ago about safety violations along the Yellowstone River oil pipeline that put it at risk for rupture.

On July 2nd, over 100 residents of Laurel, Montana, had to be evacuated from their homes early Saturday morning due to an oil pipeline rupture that spilled around 40,000 gallons of crude into the Yellowstone River.

According to the Associated Press, “the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees pipelines, last year issued a warning letter to Exxon Mobil that cited seven safety violations along the ruptured Silvertip pipeline. Two of the warnings faulted the company for its emergency response and pipeline corrosion training.”

 

Republican Lawmaker Points Loaded Gun at Reporter’s Chest – Richard Ruelas, a reporter for The Arizona Republic, found himself staring down the barrel of Republican state Sen. Lori Klein’s raspberry-pink firearm during a recent interview at the Capitol.

“Oh, it’s so cute,” Klein said of the .380 Ruger that she carries in purse at all times.

While the loaded pistol had no safety and the laser pointer was centered on the reporter’s chest, Klein explained that there was no need to worry.

“I just didn’t have my hand on the trigger,” she said.

Regards,

Jim