Environment

We have been watching with great interest the activities going on in Madison, Wisconsin and other cities in the Midwest.

The swell of support for the working people is echoed with our resounding “we’re mad as Hell and we’re not going to take this anymore”. This is way bigger than teachers and municipal employees giving up (once again) more of their earnings to pension funds and healthcare. This is about the American people standing up for our founding fathers vision that we be fairly and equitably represented.

We empathize with the workers wanting to maintain the right to sit down and work out a resolution. We understand the budget issues each and every one of us has had since the financial meltdown of 2008.  However, to place the burden on the backs of individual working people is not only unwarranted but totally misguided.

Let’s sit back and objectively analyze why we’re at a cross roads in our country’s history.

1. It all started when the Glass-Steagall Act (separated commercial and investment banking) was repealed (1999). This enabled the Wall Street banks to raid the stock market (running down the value of our pensions over 50%) to place bets on collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) and derivatives – they lost those bets. Then in an attempt to “double down” on their bad bets they crashed our financial system in 2008. WE the taxpayers had to bail them out to avert another depression. All so these folks can continue to receive their $20.8 Billion bonuses (2010).

2. These moves have led to a concentration of wealth in this country and a 10%+ unemployment rate. Companies do not want to add jobs to preserve their capital (one of the largest corporate cash holdings in the history of our country) and these economic woes continue to have rippling effects on every one of us.

3. Many of the contracts now being “reworked” with workers were negotiated in good faith and based upon tax revenues of a growing economy (municipalities, individuals & companies – those companies that actually pay taxes unlike Exxon Mobil that made $8 Billion in the 4th quarter of 2010 and did not pay one cent of Federal tax). Those tax revenues have been greatly reduced on the Federal, State and local levels over the past three years.

4. The tax breaks for the most wealthy people of this country were initiated and have been recently extended. Another huge drain on the revenue side of the income statements.

Now comes along Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin saying the workers have to give to fix this financial mess. Mr. Walker was heavily subsidized in the 2010 election campaign by the Koch Brothers who have coal, gas and energy holdings. They have deep pockets (estimated $43 Billion in net worth)  and want control of Wisconsin’s electricity market (a little known provision of the bill being challenged in  Wisconsin that allows if it is in the best interest of the State, Wisconsin can privatize the electricity business) . Why? Electricity prices keep rising and will continue to rise as demand increases. The Koch brothers will make billions more. This was all exposed this past Wednesday when Walker was “punked” by a call that he thought was David Koch. Interestingly, the Koch brothers have set up a lobbying firm in Madison this week. Surprise – surprise.

Don’t tell us budget woes must be fixed on the backs of 98% of the American people! Tell us you will stop catering to the most wealthy people and companies in this country and their influence (lobbyists) on our legislative process.  Tell us you will spend our money to create good paying jobs. Tell us you will spend our money to educate our Children so we can compete in the global economy. Tell us you will spend our money to clean up our environment with clean, renewable energy – not coal Mr. Koch.

Tell US that democracy is still we the people and not we the privileged few that have the most money and influence!

What is going on in Wisconsin and other States is way bigger than a budget or a contract – it’s about preserving the right of every citizen in this country to still have a voice.

This is not about being in a union (we are not members of a union) it’s about US. We will be in Madison, Wisconsin tomorrow. We will support the people. It’s about US.

Thank you Governor Walker – you have given WE the people the stimulus to stand up for our rights.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont once again exhibits he is the Senator for all of this United States and it’s people, not just Vermont.

Sanders Calls Republican Budget Cuts Hypocritical

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today on negotiations to keep the government running past March 4:

“At a time when this nation already has the most unequal distribution of income at any time since 1928, and after Republicans just passed huge tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, it is hypocritical that they now want to balance the budget by cutting desperately-needed programs for hard-working Americans. Democrats must fight back and say no to continued attacks on working families.”

Contact: Michael Briggs or Will Wiquist (202) 224-5141

We recently wrote Illinois Senator Dick Durbin urging his support of legislation to address our energy policy by supporting clean energy generation with renewable energy technologies while reducing the environmental impact and climate disruption caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The added benefit is creating clean energy jobs.

Below is Senator Durbin’s response – we appreciate Senator Durbin’s support!

Today the White House released the fiscal year 2011 Budget. The numbers call for a $3.8 Trillion dollar budget that projects an estimated $1.2 Trillion dollar deficit.

Some key areas getting financial attention are: Job Creation; Small Business tax credits; support of  our Educational system, the military and clean energy. We agree that addressing each of these will begin to put a fix on issues that have all too long been ignored. Not much being said about Health Care as it relates to this budget – we wonder why.

Now the real question – What will Congress do to, and with this budget?

Mired in the most significant economic downturn since the 1930’s, we have an opportunity that can put people to work and create a new era of economic prosperity.

Each time we have had an economic crisis, there has been a development (private and/or governmental) that gave us new life. Examples of this were the New Deal and World War II preparation; building the interstate highway system; and the proliferation of the Internet and the resultant dot com technology boom. The aforementioned developments turned an economic crisis into a new era of prosperity creating jobs.

We hear that 70% of our economy is based upon consumer spending. When people don’t have, or are concerned about having a job, they don’t spend. We have reached a point in our country’s life cycle that calls for a paradigm shift away from the 70% consumer spending model. We need to begin building the foundation of a new model based less on consumer spending and more on consumer conservation.

Every single day, 8,000 people are turning 60 years old – the baby boomers – the largest segment of the population that has shaped our economic profile since the end of World War II. When people enter, what I call the “conservation stage” of their life, they are not spending as in the prime earning years of their life cycle. The children and grand children of the baby boomers do not appreciate the greed and waste exhibited by past generations – the deficits and debt with which they will have to deal.

This new model is about how we consume, conserve and create energy with renewable, clean resources. This is the single most significant development that can lift our economy out of the tank and usher in a new era of prosperity and job growth.

This will take a cooperative effort by government and the private sector to stimulate (economic incentives) an energy strategy based upon the reduction and eventual elimination of fossil fuel based energy. Every individual, business and government entity will economically benefit from a comprehensive strategy of energy conservation and the generation of clean, renewable energy. The added benefit of this strategy is the massive reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide we have been emitting into our environment that may be the cause of the disruption in our climate – I won’t call it “global warming” yet.

Let’s all get on board and together revitalize our economy based upon our new found energy resources, like the sun and the wind.