Network Archives

Occupy debt-relief campaign buys, forgives $100,000 worth of debt

"Members of a debt relief project borne from the Occupy Wall Street campaign said Wednesday they have purchased more than $100,000 worth of medical debt in a second trial run for their efforts. Thomas Gokey, a spokesperson for the Rolling Jubilee campaign, said the debt was purchased for $5,000. Earlier this year, the group bought $14,000 worth of debt for $500. 'We are buying debt that is being sold on the secondary market for pennies on the dollar,' Gokey said in a conference call. 'We are doing it in exactly the same way that [debt collectors] do it, with one big difference: we are abolishing the debt as we buy it.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOccupy debt-relief campaign buys, forgives $100,000 worth of debt

The Nearly-Free University

"The entire education industry on the U.S. is based on an inflexible, increasingly marginal-return 'factory model.' We are 'training' millions of people in an assembly-line based on the assumption that academia is a limitless growth industry, when in fact it has reached the zenith of diminishing-return complexity and cost. Student would be encouraged to earn money via the work projects undertaken. Instead of owing $120,000 after four years of passive study, students might complete their University experience with earnings in the bank. The Nearly Free University model would educate the 95% who do not need PhDs." Continue reading →

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Is a college degree worth the cost? You decide.

"Here is an example of some of the plumb jobs college grads were able to land during the Obama administration. Not just liberal arts majors mind you, but graduates with degrees in mathematics, robotics, neuroscience, engineering, accounting, business administration, economics, biology, communications, graphic design, marketing, and linguistics." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIs a college degree worth the cost? You decide.

Boulder DA Stops Marijuana Possession Prosecutions

"The district attorney in Colorado's Boulder County announced Wednesday he will dismiss all pending small-time marijuana and paraphernalia possession cases, saying that given overwhelming support for Amendment 64 in Boulder County he would be hard pressed to find a jury to convict. Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner told the Daily Camera that his department would now stop issuing tickets or making arrests for mere marijuana possession of less than an ounce and paraphernalia." Continue reading →

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Police Taser Homeowner For Trying To Save Burning House With Garden Hose

"The 42-year-old commercial fisherman is still struggling to comprehend exactly how things deteriorated so quickly Thursday. He said he doesn’t understand why police shot him with a Taser that night as he tried to battle a house fire at 3420 Beechwood Ter. N. Jensen’s family, friends and neighbors have been quick to defend him and accuse police of crossing a line." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Taser Homeowner For Trying To Save Burning House With Garden Hose

Ron Paul and Barney Frank tell Obama: Respect state marijuana laws

"Reps. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Barney Frank (D-MA) on Thursday called for the Obama administration to respect state marijuana laws, as California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) did on Sunday. Voters in Colorado and Washington state both approved referenda legalizing the limited recreational use of marijuana. However, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies marijuana as a schedule I drug: the most restrictive classification, reserved drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal value." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul and Barney Frank tell Obama: Respect state marijuana laws

City Of Orlando Orders Man To Dig Up Vegetable Garden

"The city of Orlando has ordered a College Park man to get rid of the vegetable garden in his front yard, calling it a code violation. Jason Helvenston said he never dreamed his garden would get him in trouble, and he is refusing to get rid of it. He said the garden saves his household hundreds of dollars in groceries, and it’s a source of pride. The city left a notice on Helvenston’s door saying the garden showed 'failure to maintain ground covers.' The notice said to dig up the garden by Nov. 7 or actions would be taken." Continue reading →

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Police In ‘Riot Gear’ Raid Poker Game With $0 Buy-In, Organizers Arrested

"State and local authorities raided a monthly poker tournament at a bar in the city of Largo, after an investigation into unlawful gambling. The Nutz Poker League, which was running a free game open to the public at Louie’s Grill and Sports Bar at the time of the crackdown, said on its Facebook page that some of the police were in 'full riot gear' and had their 'weapons drawn.' Felony charges have been filed, according to the league. Under Florida law, the felonies would be in the third degree and could carry a prison sentence of up to five years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice In ‘Riot Gear’ Raid Poker Game With $0 Buy-In, Organizers Arrested