Thursday, October 06, 2011

We want "Perp Walks" and Taxes !






A group of about 100 locals gathered on Wednseday night in hopes of bringing Occupy Wall Street-style protests to Iowa City. The group met at Public Space One discuss specifics of the event. The group came to the consensus
the event will kick off concurrently with the Rally to End the War in Afghanistan at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Protesters will then march to College Green park at 6 p.m.

Local organizers say corporate greed doesn't only impact those living in New York — it hits here in the Midwest as well.
One of the group's main concerns was how quickly they would act. With Friday being the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan, most people who attended the meeting agreed it would be in their best interest to act sooner rather than later.
Tyler Anthony, who traveled from Waterloo to attend the event, agreed....


Obama: Occupy Wall Street protests show Americans' frustration (click title to entry - thank you)

President Obama said Thursday that the Occupy Wall Street protests show a "broad-based frustration" among Americans about how the U.S. financial system works.

Speaking at an East Room news conference, Obama said he has monitored the movement, which has spread to dozens of cities nationwide.

"I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country ... and yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place," he said.

Obama said he used "a lot of political capital" to prevent a financial meltdown and ensure banks remained solvent after he took office. He also touted the financial reform legislation he and Democrats in Congress moved through in 2010.

He criticized Republican presidential candidates whose economic plans, he claimed, gut those reforms....

Writers Guild East Joins Occupy Wall Street March (click here)

The Writers Guild of America East will join scores of other unions and community groups in a demonstration today.   Do you think more writers should join this growing movement?
The solidarity march will move from Foley Square to the Financial District in New York City at 3 p.m. ET. Writers Guild of America East executive director Lowell Peterson had this comment: “We are proud to join the Occupy Wall Street protests to hold Wall Street and corporate America accountable for the financial crisis and growing economic inequality in our country.  Occupy Wall Street shows that people don’t have to sit on the sidelines.  Like the other labor unions that are participating in these protests, WGAE advocates on behalf of its members to insure they receive appropriate compensation and benefits.  No union can do this in a vacuum.  The economic crisis affects everyone.”...



Connecticut is getting involved at protests against corporate greed.

By Jennifer Sposato and Shirley Chan.





Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011

    Updated 12:58 PM EDT
\




.Wall Street protesters are now "occupying" Connecticut
Groups in Hartford and New Haven are organizing events tied to the ongoing Wall Street protests in New York City and a planning meeting is being held in Bushnell Park in Hartford on Wednesday morning.
The "Occupy Wall Street" movement centers on corporate greed and economic inequality. It began on Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators. Since then, hundreds have set up camp.
In Hartford, organizers are asking people to help them plan their "occupation." According to the group's Facebook Page.
About 50 people attended an "Occupy Hartford" public meeting on Wednesday morning in Bushnell Park to discuss how and when to hold a demonstration in Hartford....


Occupy Wall Street movement reaches OK (click here)


NORMAN, Okla. -- A group of about 15 members of "Occupy Norman" gathered at noon at the Bizzell Library to participate in a nationwide "campus walkout" to show solidarity with the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

"Freedom, freedom, freedom," the group chanted, walking across the campus.

Organizers say the "Occupy Wall Street" protest has grown so huge, they had to take part.

"We are trying to get back to the American dream, of well, of not just an individual succeeding, but as a whole succeeding. We're definitely on the decline," OU student Emma Baker said.

She brought signs, markers and called her friends about the protest.
A number of them gathered at noon, while others fell into the march once it started....



Making Room for Racial Justice in the People Power Exploding Around Us (click here)


Wednesday, October 5 2011, 12:00 PM EST

Over the last few weeks I see a certain poetry in two movements that have emerged: one to save Troy Davis, and end the death penalty. And another to control corporations, especially those of the financial industry, with Occupy Wall Street. The first speaks to social control, the latter to economic control—two sides of the same coin.
The intense protests have been riveting as both online and on-the-ground activism have gained momentum and been covered by mainstream media. The efforts to save Troy Davis were tragically unsuccessful, and Wall Street continues to operate, business at usual. Still, policy and institutions that perpetuate inhumane capital punishment and corporate greed are, for the time being, under scrutiny.
While the racial dimension of the criminal justice system is obvious to many people, the movement to reform Wall Street may be less so. In economic justice, it is particularly tempting to ignore the links between race and poverty, as well as the profound influence of sexism and sexuality on economic hierarchies. 
Everybody’s suffering, and these wedge issues are so often used to divide the working class that many activists lean toward a universal framework for making change. The problem with a universal framework is that what is dominant also gets called universal....
The Repuglicans have no defense or ideas or solutions, they can only call it names to attempt to make it go away by adding stigma.  I don't think so.  Not this time.  Not ever again !


October 6, 2011 10:01 AM EDT
Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Herman Cain showed themselves to be no fans of the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement, dismissing the critique of corporate power and economic inequity as "class warfare."...


99 Percent Protesters Joined In Foley Square By Union Members (click here)


...Members of the United Federation of Teachers, National Nurses United, and other unions joined the thousands of protesters camping out in lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park during a rally in Foley Square. Some came from as far away as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and planned to stay the weekend.
College students across the country walked out of classes to show their support, The Associated Press reported. Protesters have also grown increasingly organized, with medical care and their own newspaper.
Tax Wall Street,” said Karen Higgins of Boston, co-president of the nurses' union, who joined the protest. “Those who make all the money need to start paying their fair share.”

Occupy Wall Street protests spread to Main Street (click here)

Occupy Wall Street protests spread to cities across the United States Thursday, including St. Louis, Dallas, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Wall Street protestors were arrested in St. Louis.

By Associated Press / October 6, 2011
...On Thursday morning, Occupy Wall Street (or 99 percent) protestors gathered in St. LouisDallas,Philadelphia and other large and small cities nationwide.
Hundreds of protesters marched in Dallas, Houston andAustin to join the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations demanding an end to corruption in politics and business.
Several hundred marchers worked their way to theFederal Reserve Building in Dallas. A similar number marched from the J.P. Morgan Chase building in Houston to City Hall. Several dozen demonstrators also gathered at Austin's City Hall....

Ever heard of "Mind Speak?"  This is the speech of the ONE percent!


Their answer to "Occupy Wall Street" is to be the ONLY ONE PERCENT and cut out all the employees on suspicion of discontent !


They call us ignorant and then accuse us of using state of the art technology.  It isn't confusion though, it is desperation.


 ...The protesters claim to be fighting for freedom and liberty and the only way to achieve these liberties is with more regulation. Let me try to understand this, to gain freedom, we need more laws? They are blocking the roads that lead to Wall Street preventing people from getting to work. Do they realize that they are also blocking all of the janitors, secretaries, maintenance workers, restaurant workers and the thousands of non-millionaires who work at the firms on Wall Street? Alas, the final example of their ignorance is the claim that Barack Obama must be re-elected to ensure the completion of this called-for revolution. I wonder how many of these geniuses know that Wall Street funded Obama's campaign in 2008 and unless they find it again in 2012, his chances of getting re-elected are slim....

SUBTITLE F -- BUILDING AND UPGRADING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT


SEC. 243. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.


(a) Findings- Congress finds that--


(1) infrastructure has always been a vital element of the economic strength of the United States and a key indicator of the international leadership of the United States;


(2) the Erie Canal, the Hoover Dam, the railroads, and the interstate highway system are all testaments to American ingenuity and have helped propel and maintain the United States as the world's largest economy;


(3) according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, the United States fell to second place in 2009, and dropped to fourth place overall in 2010, however, in the `Quality of overall infrastructure' category of the same report, the United States ranked twenty-third in the world;

I want to comment on the use of global references in US legislation.  It is very appropriate for the USA to measure itself in a global context.  US Justice Ginsberg is always criticized about including global measures where appropriate when writing opinion.  I saw her speak about many topics, but, the question came up as to why such references were made in US judicial decision making.  She stated very clearly that the US courts lack the interaction with its place in the world in judicial decisions.  She went on to say, other countries, including Canada, refer to global references to understand a dynamic that is a real part of life.  She stated to truncate authority without such a measure is to leave the USA floundering without a beacon.  


Justice Ginsberg is more than correct.  We hear how our educational system is deteriorating with the global competition our young people now face.  We here about how the USA has to compete for 'talent' and 'economic markets' on a global basis.  The reality of the USA is that we have lost much of our economy to global interests through outsourcing and the like that a reference to these events only increases the understanding of our laws that protect our people.  In other words, how is labor suppose to measure their quality of life if the reference is not made to child labor in other countries, to others minimum wage, such as Japan and the list goes on.  Making reference to the standing of the USA on a global picture is to preserve our sovereign right to elevate the wages, working conditions and benefits to US Labor and maintain a high quality of life.

I don't know if the quality of life of the American Dream is understood by legal document anywhere in USA law either.  The exception is probably the measure of the cost of living.  Those values are standardly American and measurable.  At least that is a beginning to define The American Dream in a capacity rather than a cultural understanding.  Perhaps, The Dream Act needs to carry such language to insure those young people are measured by American standards and not any other standard.

(4) according to the World Bank's 2010 Logistic Performance Index, the capacity of countries to efficiently move goods and connect manufacturers and consumers with international markets is improving around the world, and the United States now ranks seventh in the world in logistics-related infrastructure behind countries from both Europe and Asia;


(5) according to a January 2009 report from the University of Massachusetts/Alliance for American Manufacturing entitled `Employment, Productivity and Growth,' infrastructure investment is a `highly effective engine of job creation';



(6) according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the current condition of the infrastructure in the United States earns a grade point average of D, and an estimated $2,200,000,000,000 investment is needed over the next 5 years to bring American infrastructure up to adequate condition;


(7) according to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, $225,000,000,000 is needed annually from all sources for the next 50 years to upgrade the United States surface transportation system to a state of good repair and create a more advanced system;


(8) the current infrastructure financing mechanisms of the United States, both on the Federal and State level, will fail to meet current and foreseeable demands and will create large funding gaps;


(9) published reports state that there may not be enough demand for municipal bonds to maintain the same level of borrowing at the same rates, resulting in significantly decreased infrastructure investment at the State and local level;

I have to laugh when I realize how two-faced Republicans are.  They take monies from huge Wall Street firms to finance their elections.  These firms send American jobs overseas and they have Republican legislators facilitating that.  Where did the disconnect happen?  Where did the American people start to believe Republicans had the answer for the economic problems we all face?  Hippocrits all.



(10) current funding mechanisms are not readily scalable and do not--


(A) serve large in-State or cross jurisdiction infrastructure projects, projects of regional or national significance, or projects that cross sector silos;


(B) sufficiently catalyze private sector investment; or


(C) ensure the optimal return on public resources;


How did this happen?  How is it that the financial infrastructure that provides monies to our states and cities fall apart?  Republcans state they are on the side of the PRIVATE SECTOR.  Which one, the one connected with the Central Bank of China?  They are such liars.  This bill is attempting to REBUILD all the failed mechanisms to allow USA businesses to flourish.  


Americans have to realize they have been duped in a very real way and their country is hurting because of 30 years of Republican neglect and exploitation of their treasuries and their good will.


PASS  THIS  BILL !


I saw an ad the other day for "The Nation."  It is a great magazine.  But, it states there were profound losses to the media infrastructure and what emerged were extremist new agencies in its wake.  That is what has happened to the financial infrastructure in the USA.  Vast amounts of banks have closed their doors since 2007 and we are left with the Rif-Raf of the global banking network.  Think about it.


(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to facilitate investment in, and long-term financing of, economically viable infrastructure projects of regional or national significance in a manner that both complements existing Federal, State, local, and private funding sources for these projects and introduces a merit-based system for financing such projects, in order to mobilize significant private sector investment, create jobs, and ensure United States competitiveness through an institution that limits the need for ongoing Federal funding.


SEC. 244. DEFINITIONS.


(1) AIFA- The term `AIFA' means the American Infrastructure Financing Authority established under this Act.


(6) COST- The term `cost' has the same meaning as in section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 


Cited Law:



2 USC 661 - Sec. 661a. Definitions (click here)


(8) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- The term `eligible entity' means an individual, corporation, partnership (including a public-private partnership), joint venture, trust, State, or other non-Federal governmental entity, including a political subdivision or any other instrumentality of a State, or a revolving fund.

The partners to the fund that will bring the monies to invest in the projects.  That means if the DNC wants to be as patriotic as they can be or any labor union they can invest in this fund for a return on their investment while protecting the productivity of the country.  Not bad.


(9) INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT-


(A) IN GENERAL- The term `eligible infrastructure project' means any non-Federal transportation, water, or energy infrastructure project, or an aggregation of such infrastructure projects, as provided in this Act.


There are provisions for transportation, water and energy.  Where is the subdivisions for these divisions for funding AIR QUALITY intrastructure?  Why is that always forgotten in government except for complaints by the Republicans on regulation?  Can't see it or touch it or what?  Where is Barbara Boxer and John Kerry on a provision for Air Quality Infrastructure?


(E) BOARD AUTHORITY TO MODIFY SUBSECTORS- The Board of Directors may make modifications, at the discretion of the Board, to the subsectors described in this paragraph by a vote of not fewer than 5 of the voting members of the Board of Directors.



(10) INVESTMENT PROSPECTUS-.


(A) The term ‘investment prospectus’ means the processes and publications described below that will guide the priorities and strategic focus for the Bank’s investments. The investment prospectus shall follow rulemaking procedures under section 553 of title 5, United States Code.


Cited Law:
  

5 USC 553 - Sec. 553. Rule making (click here)



(B) The Bank shall publish a detailed description of its strategy in an Investment Prospectus within one year of the enactment of this subchapter. The Investment Prospectus shall--

(D) The Bank shall update the Investment Prospectus on every biennial anniversary of its original publication.



(13) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP- The term `public-private partnership' means any eligible entity--


(A)(i) which is undertaking the development of all or part of an infrastructure project that will have a public benefit, pursuant to requirements established in one or more contracts between the entity and a State or an instrumentality of a State; or


(ii) the activities of which, with respect to such an infrastructure project, are subject to regulation by a State or any instrumentality of a State;


(B) which owns, leases, or operates or will own, lease, or operate, the project in whole or in part; and


(C) the participants in which include not fewer than 1 nongovernmental entity with significant investment and some control over the project or project vehicle.


(14) RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT- The term `rural infrastructure project' means an infrastructure project in a rural area, as that term is defined in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).


Other citations of stated law reference:


Public Notice - Area Rural in Character Provision (click here)





TITLE VI—RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Subtitle A—Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (click here)




SEC. 6018. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) RURAL AREA.—Section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (13) and inserting the following: 


‘‘(13) RURAL AND RURAL AREA.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraphs (B) 
through (G), the terms ‘rural’ and ‘rural area’ mean any 
area other than



7 U.S.C. § 1991 : US Code - Section 1991: Definitions (click here)


(a) As used in this chapter:
(13) Rural and rural area. - 
(A) In general. - Except as otherwise provided in this
paragraph, the terms "rural" and "rural area" mean any area
other than - 
(15) SECRETARY- Unless the context otherwise requires, the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Treasury or the designee thereof.

(16) SENIOR MANAGEMENT- The term `senior management' means the chief financial officer, chief risk officer, chief compliance officer, general counsel, chief lending officer, and chief operations officer of AIFA established under section 249, and such other officers as the Board of Directors may, by majority vote, add to senior management.

(17) STATE- The term `State' includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory of the United States.


This brings up to page 40 and the next section where I will pick up tomorrow.

PART I--AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING AUTHORITY


SEC. 245. ESTABLISHMENT AND GENERAL AUTHORITY OF AIFA.


end

(h) TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS AND FINANCING.—

(1) IN GENERAL.--There is made available to the Secretary of Transportation $5,000,000,000 for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure. The Secretary shall distribute funds provided under this subsection as discretionary grants to be awarded to State and local governments or transit agencies on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region....


The parameters are similar if not the same as the other methodologies in this bill.  The funding can be 100% federal funding to begin projects without delay.  The 50/50 split over two years.  There is a PRIORITY SPECIFICATION in that projects to be completed in three years have higher priority than others.  That is determined by the Transportation Secretary.  Grants are to be awarded in 90 days after the passage of this bill, the criteria for grants to be completed within 180 days and all the projects to be funded within one year of passage of this bill.  There are other special provisions for these projects as well, but, below are the eligibility requirements.



(4) PROJECT ELIGIBILITY.--Projects eligible for funding provided under this subsection include--


(A) highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23, United States Code, including interstate rehabilitation, improvements to the rural collector road system, the reconstruction of overpasses and interchanges, bridge replacements, seismic retrofit projects for bridges, and road realignments;


(B) public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, including investments in projects participating in the New Starts or Small Starts programs that will expedite the completion of those projects and their entry into revenue service;


(C) passenger and freight rail transportation projects; and


(D) port infrastructure investments, including projects that connect ports to other modes of transportation and improve the efficiency of freight movement.


I am fairly sure the above cited law is already posted in other entries on this blog, but, Title 40 enters into this provision.

(8) APPLICABILITY OF TITLE 40.--Each project conducted using funds provided under this subsection shall comply with the requirements of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.


Cited Law


TITLE 40 > SUBTITLE II > PART A > CHAPTER 31 > SUBCHAPTER IV



SUBCHAPTER IV—WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS (click here)



(9) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.--The Secretary may retain up to one half of one percent of the funds provided under this subsection, and may transfer portions of those funds to the Administrators of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration, to fund the award and oversight of grants made under this subsection. Funds retained shall remain available for obligation until September 30, 2015.


(i) LOCAL HIRING.--


(1) IN GENERAL.--In the case of the funding made available under subsections (a) through (h) of this section, the Secretary of Transportation may establish standards under which a contract for construction may be advertised that contains requirements for the employment of individuals residing in or adjacent to any of the areas in which the work is to be performed to perform construction work required under the contract, provided that--


This is interesting and completely dispels all the lies by the Right Wing Media which is stating there is no purpose to this bill in the way of providing jobs for the unskilled laborer.  Projects are encouraged to provide training where reasonable to the unemployed.  The Right Wing is so very, very "W"rong about all this.  And today, because of their failure to prove their methodologies are based in fact with workable solutions for the American economy Gretchen Carlson of  FOX and ? Friends ? has stated calling the President's Bus Tour names.  They have no real solutions so they espouse hate in the way of negativity toward the President.  Amazing, they will resort to any childish game that exists.


What I found interesting about the CNN segments of Rove's Anti-American TV and internet Ads is the fact his all time favorite FOX Network can't be used for negative attack ads based in falsehoods to maintain less operating costs when they have to hire lawyers to defend their statements and also Rove's Ad person probably could not find any facts to include in the ad at Murdoch's media empire.  


Rove calls it politics.  Rove won't know politics if it bit him where the sun don't shine.

(A) all or part of the construction work performed under the contract occurs in an area designated by the Secretary as an area of high unemployment, using data reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics;


(B) the estimated cost of the project of which the contract is a part is greater than $10 million, except that the estimated cost of the project in the case of construction funded under subsection (c) shall be greater than $50 million; and


(C) the recipient may not require the hiring of individuals who do not have the necessary skills to perform work in any craft or trade; provided that the recipient may require the hiring of such individuals if the recipient establishes reasonable provisions to train such individuals to perform any such work under the contract effectively.


Guiding Principle for training unskilled workers:


(B) AVAILABLE PROGRAMS.--The Secretary shall make available to recipients the workforce development and training programs set forth in section 24604(e)(1)(D) of this title to assist recipients who wish to establish training programs that satisfy the provisions of section (c)(1)(C). The Secretary of Labor shall make available its qualifying workforce and training development programs to recipients who wish to establish training programs that satisfy the provisions of section (c)(1)(C).


Cited Law:



Paragraph 24604(e)(1) Capacity-Building (click here) —authorizes the Secretary to provide financial 
assistance for technical assistance and training activities that advance the development of 
professional expertise and institutional capacity in the field of rail transportation.  To 
build institutional capacity across both the public and private sectors, States, Amtrak, 
Regional Rail Development Authorities (section 24607), universities, the Transportation 4
Research Board, and rail carriers, among others, are eligible to receive funding under this 
The Federal share of costs under this paragraph may be up to 100 percent of paragraph.the total cost.



Subsection 24604(c) Station Development—authorizes the Secretary to provide financial 
assistance to plan, construct, and rehabilitate stations on Core Express, Regional, and 
Emerging Corridors.  The intent of this subsection is to strengthen community 
connectivity to the national passenger rail system by developing intermodal stations that 
integrate access to passenger rail service with other transportation options. To achieve 
this goal, projects that provide direct and convenient connections to multiple other modes 
of transportation and that promote livable communities objectives in the area proximate 
to the station will be given priority for financial assistance.  The share of total project 
costs provided under this subsection may not exceed 80 percent, but the total Federal 
share may be up to 100 percent to encourage coordination with other Federal agencies‘ 
objectives.

"Buy American" a previously cited provision of this law applies to this section of the bill.