Posts tagged ‘corporations’

The Epstein Report: State Subsidies to Attract Corporate Investment Should be Banned

by , posted on Sunday, December 9th, 2012 at 1:41 pm

from The Real News Network

The money thrown at corporations by states to invite investment is a boondoggle that should be ended by federal law.

Gerald Epstein is the Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute and professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

See also:

General Motors pushed hard for tax breaks in Ypsilanti Township, Mich. Some $200 million later, this is what remains,” b Louise Story, New York Times,December 1, 2012

Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza,” by Louise Story, New York Times, December 2, 2012

Michigan Town Woos Hollywood, but Ends Up With a Bit Part,” by Louise Story, New York Times, December 3, 2012

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CTU: The TRUTH in Black & White

by , posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 at 11:02 am

from the Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Public Schools teachers and parents, current students and recent graduates, and CTU organizers talk about education in Chicago.

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Immokalee Farm Workers

by , posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2012 at 11:28 am

from PDA-IL

Leonel Perez and Claire Lomiskey speak on the Immokalee Farm Workers struggle for fair wages and fair treatment. Join them Saturday, September 15, 2012, at Clark and La Salle at the south end of Lincoln Park as they lobby Chipotle corporation to recognize farm workers. For more information, visit http://www.ciw-online.org/cultivate or contact claire@interfaithact.org

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Political Party Time: Corporations, Donors With Billions at Stake Fund Lavish Events at DNC

by , posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2012 at 6:00 am

from Democracy Now!

The celebratory mood in Charlotte was on display Tuesday night as thousands of delegates kicked off the Democratic National Convention and millions watched on TV. But the political party continues beyond what the public sees on prime time broadcasts or even inside the convention center. There are exclusive events underway that range from corporate-sponsored parties hosted by the powerful Democratic Governors Association to a Super-O-Rama party hosted by the the three top Democratic super PACs, where the recommended contribution starts at $25,000. We’re joined by the Sunlight Foundation‘s Liz Bartolomeo, who has been keeping an eye on the hundreds of events reserved for big donors and powerful figures.

See also: The Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time website

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Heroes on the Streets of Kane County

by , posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 at 8:05 am

Dogged. Indefatigable. Diligent. Determined. Steadfast. And oh my gosh, just plain heroic. The four-dozen or so Kane County residents who circulated petitions to stop special interest money from buying favors from our politicians are my heroes. They were headed by Kaye Gamble, and were part of the national Move to Amend effort.

For days on end, they endured 90 to 100 degree heat. They asked the same question, “Are you a Kane County registered voter?” hundreds and hundreds of times. And when people were willing to stop and talk with them, they explained the same thing over and over and over again. With enthusiasm and patience. They listened and they responded with accurate information.

When people stopped to hear what the petition was about, most people signed it. But sometimes it was difficult to get peoples’ attention. Some passers- by believed the group was trying to register voters or take an opinion survey and didn’t want to get involved. But when people did stop to hear the issue, just about everybody signed the petitions, Gamble said. Some were so enthusiastic they brought their spouses, friends, and voting age children over to sign. All were thankful of the group’s efforts.

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Group Working to Make Democracy Safe for Middle Class Again

by , posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 at 8:00 am

“We’ve never seen this many petitions!” Suzanne Fahnestock, Kane County Director of Elections said with a broad smile as she accepted the tall pile of petitions presented by Kaye Gamble, coordinator of the Kane County Move to Amend effort.

The group of about fifty Kane County citizens spent untold hours standing in record-breaking summer heat collecting signatures in a petition drive to place an advisory question on the ballot this November. Nearly fifteen thousand citizens signed those petitions.

The petition requests this question be placed on the Kane County November ballot– “Should the United States constitution be amended to limit the use of corporate, special interest, and private money in any political activity, including influencing the election of any candidate for public office?”

Gamble’s group is part of the national Move to Amend effort to amend the constitution in order to nullify the 2010 Supreme Court ruling of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This ruling created Super PACs and Hybrid Super PACs, overturning decades of limits to political contributions and opening up unlimited floods of undisclosed corporate, private, special interest and foreign money into politicians’ election campaigns.

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TRS Pension Rally at the State Capitol

by , posted on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 at 8:55 am


The Northern Illinois Jobs With Justice Coalition held a rally in front of the Illinois State Capitol Building on Tuesday May 29th. The purpose of the rally was to point out the failure of Gov. Quinn, Speaker Madigan and the Democratic Party to lead the state toward a positive solution to the teacher pension issue. In addition, the speakers also pointed out that no one in the House or Senate are broaching the subject of the only real solution to the debt problems of the State-new revenue. The Coalition has put forward several proposals to generate the revenue needed to fund our States’ budget. They include a “graduated income tax”, a “transaction tax” on the Commodities Exchange among other solutions. For more information please contact: www.nijwj.org.

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“Make A Ruckus”: Robert Reich Hails Occupy For Exposing Concentration of Wealth and Power

by , posted on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 3:34 pm

from Democracy Now!

In his new book, Beyond Outrage, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich opens with a dedication to the Occupy Wall Street movement. He writes: “To the Occupiers, and all others committed to taking back our economy and our democracy.” We speak to Reich about the success of Occupy in reshaping the national dialogue on the economy and why strong grassroots movements are needed to push elected leaders in Washington to enact a progressive agenda. Reich also discusses why austerity is not the answer to the economic crisis at home, or in Europe.

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