Archive for April, 2009
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Yesterday on the Corner, which is a blog published by the conservative National Review, John Derbyshire started to question this whole “democracy” thing.
He quotes a commentator who observes that, unlike the American Revolutionaries, conservatives cannot use the rallying cry “no taxation without representation” because, well, the American people do have representation and voted—overwhelmingly—for a more progressive approach the economy.
The commenter suggested a solution: “Methinks an appropriate cry today might be “No representation without taxation.” That would eliminate over 40 percent of the electorate, leaving the productive 60 percent in charge.” Derbyshire agrees:
For sure, decade by decade, universal adult suffrage is looking like a worse and worse idea. Unfortunately, as with term limits (a very good idea), the people who get to vote on it are mostly the people who benefit from the status quo.
Looks like some at the National Review only like democracy when it is going their way. Unfortunately for them, things are not looking good: ours is the most progressive generation when it comes to the economy and social issues.
We should show the National Review that their failed economic ideology does not inspire votes because it works for only a small sliver of the population (roughly the same part that was helped by poll taxes).
Call your Senator today and ask him or her to pass a progressive budget for 2010!
(As a side note, people who can and do still use the rallying cry “no taxation without representation” are the residents of DC, who have no vote in the Senate or House of Representatives, and face Congressional interference in what would be state decisions anywhere else in the country.)
Tags: conservative, democracy, economy
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
With so much at stake in the coming weeks, there has been much speculation about which problems will be tackled first (if at all) during this Congressional session. While Obama has laid out clear goals of fixing health care, tackling climate change, and improving higher education, it remains to be seen which issue Congress will make a priority.
Despite Rep. Henry Waxman’s promise to move a climate bill through the House by Memorial Day, The Wall Street Journal speculates that health care will be addressed before climate change issues, which are more controversial:
“A growing number of Democratic lawmakers prefer health care, saying that has a far greater chance of producing consensus than climate change, inside the party and across party lines. And they argue that it would be a more tangible accomplishment to present to financially stressed voters heading into the 2010 midterm elections.”
Read the full article here, and keep checking back here to see how things unfold. In the meantime, call your Senator today and tell him/her which issues YOU think should be a priority.
Tags: budget, clean energy, climate, congress, Global Warming, health care, health care reform, News, priorities, senate
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
 Congress is back in session and will now convene to hash out a final federal budget for 2010 in a process called Conference. And they must hear from you.
On Tuesday, April 21st thousands of young people across the country will call-in their Senators to support a progressive budget.
During the Congressional recess people just like you gathered all over the country to host events and lobby meetings, urging Members of Congress to support investments in health care reform, access to higher education, and green jobs. These bold priorities are strongly supported by President Obama, however the right-wing, conservative “Tea Party” Tax Protests, also held during recess, show how much opposition we face with a progressive agenda.
It is vital that the final budget includes reconciliation so Congress can vote up or down on the budget and avoid a block on progress. Conservatives are not holding back their opposition to spending in the budget and they are prepared to make significant budget cuts that will affect our future. So we won’t hold back either.
Take action and call your Senators today!
Tags: action, budget, conference, congress, reconciliation, senators
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
In an op-ed published in today’s Inside Higher Ed, CP’s Pedro de la Torre and USSA’s President Carmen Berkley advocate on behalf of students over banks, arguing that “Our country faces too many challenges for us to be providing pointless corporate welfare to loan companies.”
Here is an excerpt:
“The president’s plan will save taxpayers $94 billion over 10 years by ending pointless subsidies to loan companies and using government funds to lend directly to students. Because loan repayment is guaranteed by the federal government, private lenders assume very little risk under the FFELP and yet are rewarded handsomely — a subsidy that makes little economic sense. Much of the savings from the move to direct lending would be used to increase the maximum Pell grant award to $5,550 for the 2010-11 school year, and make the Pell grant a mandatory government program guaranteed an increase — inflation plus 1 percent — every year.
There are other important reasons to make the change. For one, the FFELP program is prone to corruption. A 2006 audit of the student lender Nelnet by the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general revealed that the company had received more than $1 billion in taxpayer subsidies by gaming the system. Another investigation in 2007 led by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found that lenders were lavishing gifts, payments, and other inducements on college financial aid officers in order to encourage them to recommend their loans to unwitting students.”
Check out the full op-ed here!
Tags: budget, college affordability, congress, house, lobby, News, obama, press, student loans
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Monday, April 20th, 2009
In today’s Washington Post, US Student Association President, Carmen Berkeley, clarifies the choice that is now before Congress when it comes to college affordability in a letter to the editor. Members of Congress can either vote to maintain corporate welfare for banks, or they can vote for more (and more reliable) student aid for low and middle income students.
The choice really is that simple. Here is the best part:
In the past year, while students have been drowning in debt, Sallie Mae awarded its chief executive $4.6 million in cash and stock and its vice chairman more than $13.2 million in cash and stock, including the use of a company plane.
We cannot continue to allow students and their families to take out loans from private companies that push students further into debt with few options for making affordable payments. We support the president in making a commitment to passing a federal budget that bolsters Pell grants, not private loan companies.
Tags: budget, college affordability, student loan
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Monday, April 20th, 2009
Check out this new story from CQ Politics about where the administration stands on passing energy legislation this year, and then click here to find out how you can take action to support this legislation in the budget!
Here’s an excerpt:
When asked about resistance to the cap-and-trade proposal — those opposed have argued it will lead to a tax increase — Emanuel said, “When you have something of this magnitude, there’s going to be people that raise objections, because it’s a big change. Our goal is to get that done. We will see.
“You’re asking me right before the legislative process starts to make that prediction. I do think this, that even those who object to particulars know that we have to deal with this part of our energy policy and that the challenge now is, rather than to criticize and rather than say no, rather than to say never, is to provide ideas. And that has yet to happen from the other side.”
Tags: budget, clean energy, Global Warming, house, News, obama, senate
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Friday, April 17th, 2009
 Governor Mark Sanford has been all over the news this past month for his anti-stimulus position. Since governors are responsible for applying to receive the federal stimulus money allocated to their state, Gov. Sanford claimed he would reject the $8 billion that was slated for South Carolina – which, by the way, suffers from the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation- and only accept the money if he could use it to pay off state debt. This would be instead of spending it to create jobs, invest in schools, and help lift the people of South Carolina out of this economic downturn, hence the term “stimulus”.
Alas, after a heated debate, Gov. Sanford finally receded and was the last governor to accept the federal stimulus money. However, he is still contesting the $700 million required for investment in education, which will save teachers from layoffs and renovate crumbling schools. It is this specific investment that he now wants to trade off to alleviate state debt.
Well, Casey Edwards, a high-school student, decided there is no trade off when it comes to the future of her and her fellow students. Edwards is taking her future into her own hands and filing a lawsuit asking the S.C. Supreme Court to decide who – Gov. Sanford or the Legislature – will control whether the $700 million goes to schools or not. This brave Chapin High School student is apparently not about to sit back and have someone else take away funding that was specifically allocated to help her and thousands of students across the state.
Edwards has been involved in helping needy schools in the past by fund raising and campaigning to improve the S.C. education system. This activism came after seeing a documentary on the poor conditions of schools along the Interstate 95 corridor in her state. She says her school district- Lexington-Richland District 5- is already laying off teachers, including one that tutored her to improve her math score.
Read more about the lawsuit and Recovery fund issues in South Carolina:
“Teen sues S.C. on stimulus standoff”
“Sanford gives in on stimulus”
Tags: economic recovery, Gov Sanford, schools, stimulus
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Friday, April 17th, 2009
Today, three more papers followed the New York Times, coming out in support of the President’s plan to end the FFELP program for student lending and save taxpayers $94 billion:
Las Vegas Sun:
“The purpose of student loans is to ensure that academically qualified students have access to higher education, not to subsidize private lenders with taxpayer money. Congress should jump at this chance to use billions of dollars in savings to increase federal educational grants.”
Sacramento Bee:
“Just who is supposed to be the beneficiary of federal financial aid for college, anyway? By ending unnecessary subsidies to private lenders, Americans get reduced costs and students get more direct aid – a win-win solution.”
San Antonio Express News:
“The move to restructure the student loan business is not just about banks and jobs. It’s about education and students who generally don’t have high-priced lobbyists looking out for their interests in Washington.”
Tags: budget, college affordability, News, obama, student loans
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
From trains to electric cars, this has been an exciting week for investments in climate friendly transportation.
 In Michigan, home of the fossil fuel friendly and bankrupt American automakers, Governor Jennifer Granholm put her money where her mouth is when it comes to green jobs. The green Governor announced tax breaks for advanced battery companies to set up shop in her state, and firms are swarming. Along with help from Federal stimulus money, four companies already committed to invest $1.7 billion to set up their assembly lines in the state and create 6,700 much needed jobs.
Another exciting development in green recovery happened this morning when Vice President Biden introduced the $8 billion dollar federal plan to expand high speed rail as allocated in the recovery package. High speed rail has the potential to create thousands of jobs and drastically reduce our transportation carbon footprint. Many people (me, Europeans, Joe Biden) would also argue that it improves quality of life and inter-city trade by reducing traffic congestion, providing stress-free inter-city travel and providing a low-cost travel alternative. Check out the map of proposed routes below the fold to see if you’ll have access to high-speed rail.
(more…)
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
 The Economic Recovery Act allocated $11 billion for smart grid technology, which will modernize and enhance the nation’s electricity grid. Obama’s budget proposal, along with both the House and Senate budget resolutions, have addressed the need to build on these initiatives in the Economic Recovery package, by investing in clean energy and the modernization of our electricity infrastructure for improved efficiency and reliability.
This is good news, and it looks like the city of Boulder, Colorado has already begun investing in smart grid technology.
A clean-energy smart grid can not only improve our energy efficiency and reliability, but it can build our capacity to transmit renewable energy across the country. Not to mention, by rebuilding our energy infrastructure, we will create green jobs for Americans.
We need to spark a national movement in support of a clean-energy smart grid and generate the political will to make sure this investment happens!
Check out what I Am Progress is doing to build this movement at Get Wired for Progress:
Building a clean-energy smart grid is a critical first step in the transition to a green energy economy. (more…)
Tags: clean energy, economic recovery, progress, smart grid
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