Accountability Conservativism Freedom Foundation Regressives Unions

Freedom Foundation protest coverage by the Bellevue Reporter

On September 28, hundreds of people protested the annual dinner of the Freedom Foundation in Bellevue, where the guest speaker was renowned racist Dinesh D’Souza. The Bellevue Reporter print edition had an excellent piece about the protest, including content critical of D’Souza and Trump. Oddly, though, the Bellevue Reporter website doesn’t, as of the time […]

Corruption Economic Justice Politics Taxation

Lawmaker Accountability, please!

Is it unconstitutional or even criminal when our elected leaders give more of our tax money to the rich and corporations than they do in serving and protecting the health and welfare of the American people? Corporate tax breaks are already twice as much than Medicare and Social Security combined, and corporate tax breaks are […]

Corruption Environment Peace War Washington State Politics

The Trillion Dollar Death Machine… And What You Can Do to Stop It!

Part 1 The Navy Plan to Turn the Olympic Peninsula into a War Zone David Spring M. Ed. Director, Washington Environmental Protection Coalition November 18 2014   Everything is connected to everything else…. The health of our State’s economy cannot be separated from the health of our States environment. And the health of our environment […]

Boeing Citizens United Corporations Corruption Defense spending Economic Justice Government Justice Libertarianism Microsoft Military Spending Music Politics Socialism for the rich Supreme Court Taxation Tea Party Walmart

Plutocracy is comin, to the USA

New, alternative lyrics for Leonard Cohen’s “Democracy is coming, to the USA” (see videos below) Lyrics (c) Donald A. Smith D G D It’s coming from corruption that’s profane D A D From Grover Norquist’s government-hating brain G It’s coming from the spiel G_sus G That makes your head reel D G D when you […]

Corruption Economic Justice Jay Inslee Ross Hunter Taxation Washington State Politics

Not just Republicans are to blame for economic inequality

Oxfam released a report recently about economic inequality, World’s 85 richest people own nearly half of global wealth: Oxfam report. “In the US, the wealthiest 1 per cent of the population grabbed 95 per cent of post-financial crisis growth between 2009 and 2012, while the bottom 90 per cent became poorer.” “Wealthy elites have co-opted […]

Corruption Economic Justice Economics Politics Regulation TPP Trade

Trade Talks Open In Utah, Secrecy Spurs Protests

By Tom Harvey, www.sltrib.com Above photo: (Jim McAuley | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bill Moyer, executive director of the Backbone Campaign, and Raphael Cordray of the Utah Tar Sands Resistance speak to demonstrators gathered to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Note: The […]

Citizens United Corporations Corruption Election integrity Politics

Dollarocracy: John Nichols and Robert McChesney speak at Seattle Town Hall

Monday evening I went to a great Town Hall in Seattle with John Nichols and Robert McChesney.  The topic was Dollarocracy: how money has corrupted politics. Dollarocracy is their name for what’s become of America’s democracy.   Instead of one person, one vote, we now have one dollar, one vote.  Jimmy Carter was overheard saying that […]

Corruption Taxation Washington State Politics

Boeing demands, and gets, more tax breaks

The Seattle Times is reporting: “Gov. Jay Inslee has asked state legislators to pass a package of bills that include granting Boeing after 2024 estimated state tax savings of $8.7 billion.”  They’re also asking for $10 billion in transportation funding, and for concessions from the unions. Boeing threatens that unless the state and unions give […]

Citizens United Corporations Corruption Election integrity Elections Politics

Happy Halloween: right-wing fog machine miring America

Recently, western Washington (the genuine one here in the Pacific Northwest, not that other Washington back east where it seems to be the “trick” side of Halloween every doggone day) muddled through a long period of dense fog. Unusual for this time of year in this neck of the woods, where autumn generally finds us […]