Just a few protests taking place across the country today, in addition to the protests in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana.
Truckers Rally Against Fee, Tax Proposals
During the rally, the truckers encircled the Lowe House Office Building while industry representatives told lawmakers on Lawyers Mall how proposals to raise revenue will cripple their businesses, inflate consumer prices and stall the economic recovery.
"When trucks can no longer afford to operate in Maryland -- and it's a very small geographical state -- if you raise those fuel taxes, I can promise you the fuel won't be bought in the state of Maryland. It will be bought before drivers get here and after they leave the state," said Mel Fair of the Maryland Motor Truck Association.
http://www.wbaltv.com/r/27037397/detail.html
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Students plan walkouts to protest budget cuts
Students are promising you'll see quite a commotion around the state's universities and colleges this week.
The Washington Student Associations says there will be walkouts and rallies at every major Washington university and college on Tuesday.
Students say they're protesting budget cuts that state lawmakers are considering.
The Legislature has asked college and university presidents to estimate the impact if the state has to cut higher education by $180 million more than the $600 million Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed for the next two years.
http://www.mynorthwest.com/category/local_news_articles/20110301/Students-plan-walk~outs-to-protest-budget-cuts/
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USD Students Rally Against State Budget Cuts To Education
When Gov. Dennis Daugaard presented his budget in January for fiscal year 2012, he proposed cutting at least 10 percent from each state-funded program, including education.
That leaves the University of South Dakota’s budget an estimated $4.9 million short — a difference that may be made up with a tuition increase.
To express their opposition to the governor’s proposal, a group of roughly 30 students staged a “Cut Class for Budget Cuts” rally on the lawn of the Muenster University Center over the noon hour Monday.
http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/03/01/community/doc4d6c73f35e1d9702476675.txt
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Social Security offices across U.S. to protest cuts
Social Security workers around the country will take the path of their counterparts in state governments, picketing Wednesday to protest budget cuts.
While tensions continue in Wisconsin and at statehouses elsewhere over Republican efforts to restrict union rights and reduce state workers' pay, demonstrations are planned at 75 Social Security offices from Rhode Island to Montana over a House Republican plan to cut $1.7 billion from the Social Security Administration's $11.4 billion budget.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022806314.html
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Unions, students rally against state budget cuts to higher education
Public employee unions and student activists around California are organizing protests today at college campuses statewide. They say they're rallying to "defend public education" and protest Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to cut $1.4 billion from public colleges and universities next year.
Demonstrators will gather at 11 a.m. at Sacramento State to illustrate how budget cuts are affecting students in the California State University system, which Brown has proposed cutting by $500 million. Other protests are planned at Cal State campuses in Fresno, Fullerton, San Francisco, Sonoma, Northridge and Los Angeles.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/02/3441728/unions-students-rally-against.html#
Slowly but surely these protests will grow larger in size. Already congress is having a hissy fit over $60 billion in proposed cuts. Too bad the federal deficit is 1.65 trillion dollars for fiscal 2011. I can't imagine how people are going to freak out when the shit hits the fan. Now is the time to prepare while we still get to enjoy a somewhat functioning economy.
I would also like to point out the unintended consequences of the bankster bailout. When the big banks had their orgy of packaging subprime CDO's and other derivative timebombs making their billions in loot, as soon as the chickens came home to roost they screamed "give us money or the economy will die!!!" As we all know the banksters got their $$$$$ and are back in the business of "earning" their multibillion dollar bonuses despite the fact that these parasitic institutions don't even produce a pencil, let alone anything of value. Herein lies the rub: assistance for the oligarchy, austerity for the peasants. This theme will continue to verberate around the country as continued cuts means layoffs, and layoffs equate to pissed off people. Moreover, with the media on full blown recovery blitz, which would make Goebbels proud, people are left with the impression that the economy is getting better. When distorted perceptions meet a harsh reality, a even harsher reaction ensues. All things revert to the mean.
Subprime
Subprime JD: A blog dedicated to exposing the law school and higher education scam.
Enjoy reading your insights, very informative.
ReplyDeleteI'm struck by how many people, well-educated people, honestly do not believe there is a real problem, and that real adjustments will have to be made.
As regrettable as the coming reductions are, they are in the main unavoidable. The best course will be to do as much of this painful process in the light of day, as opposed to our normal manner of legislation and governance.
The drama in Wisconsin does have an upside, in that at the end of the day, no one will be able to claim they were denied the opportunity to speak their mind on the subjects addressed by the pending bills. It's ugly, but there could be much worse alternatives.
To Old South - Adjustments could and should isntead be made on the revenue side by restoring progressive taxation. What really galls in some instances is that adjustments are called necessary on the heels of additional tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy (which is precisely what occured in Madison, WI).
ReplyDeleteGreat blog.
ReplyDeleteOld South - the f*ck they're unavoidable. As the cat above said, get some progressive taxation moving again in that sinkhole of a nation. And wind down the attack machine your government nonsensically calls 'defense'.
to paraphrase your own H.L. Mencken, comes a time when every man feels the urge to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and start slitting throats. That time's fast coming stateside.
keep up the good fight SJD.
@subprimejd
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking for maybe 6 months and Will now become a follower. I'm 50 and looking at a my son, now 15. I am paying ATTENTION to your blog. When I went through professional school in the early 80's, an undergrad and grad degree cost me 50K total in loans, and THAT was tough to pay while getting married, having kids, house, car, health insurance, et al. while self-employed. All service professions are seeing massive deterioration of earning power in "real" income. Twenty six years of practice has brought it home clearly. At first I thought it was me. But I have looked up, paid attention and I see it among all of my peers. It is not just among lawyers. Needless to say, my kids will NOT borrow themselves into servitude. I can't fund their educations, but another, perhaps slower method of education will be pursued. Community college for the first 2 years with concurrent jobs, etc.
This blog is helping everyone see the light. For years I could sense there was a problem, now I am convinced of it. You are making a difference with this work. Thank you. BTW, thanks for the video blog. Everyone can now see that you are not a "crank", but rather a concerned American.
PS: Checkm out the Primers and Secial Reports at this site, especially the Hyper Inflation Report. Notice how the CPI is calculated, how those calculations have been modified to lower the result, and how the number becomes alarming when using the true indicators of Inflation.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shadowstats.com/primers-and-reports
Don't forget about the truckers in Maryland who drove to Annapolis to confront state lawmakers on proposed tax increases on gas to pay for road repairs/construction.
ReplyDeleteCuts alone will never close the budget shortfall. It's like claiming that not buying starbucks will fix your household budget when you're underwater on your mortgage and unemployed. At that point, you might as well have the damn extra grande latte with a shot of caramel and whipped cream, because whatever you don't consume, the bank will get anyway.
ReplyDeleteFederal tax rates went too low in the last decade, and they're going to have to go up. Defense spending doubled, and it's going to have to go down.
Liz - sing it, sister.
ReplyDeleteHilarious post - keep them coming!
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ReplyDelete