crony capitalism

Furor Growing Against Obama Over ‘Monsanto Protection Act’

"The protests come on the heels of a massive petition campaign organized by the advocacy group Food Democracy Now, which gathered the signatures of more than 200,000 people who wanted Obama to veto HR 933 in order to stop Section 735 -- the so-called 'Monsanto Protection Act' -- from being codified into law. But Obama ignored it, instead choosing to sign a bill that effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of GMO or GE crops and seeds, no matter what health consequences from the consumption of these products may come to light in the future." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFuror Growing Against Obama Over ‘Monsanto Protection Act’

Russians prepare to quit Cyprus; Northern European bankers descend

"There were the two Andorran bankers who called offering to open bank accounts for the Cyprus-based businessman in the Pyrenees, and then Mr Mikhin's Swiss bank, which announced it would be sending representatives to Limassol to poach Russian clients on Tuesday, the day Cyprus is due to reopen its banks for the first time in over a week. While last week saw dozens of well-heeled Russians and their representatives fly down to Cyprus to check on bank accounts and confer furiously with Cypriot officials, they are being closely followed by another wave of visitors: the European bankers who hope Cyprus' loss will be their gain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussians prepare to quit Cyprus; Northern European bankers descend

Retired EPA attorney leads the opposition to ‘smart meters’ in Maryland

"Tea partiers and Green Partiers, liberal Californians and conservative Texans have argued that the meters can cause health problems, or can be hacked, or give utilities too much information about customers' daily lives, or can overheat and cause fires, or underdeliver on financial benefits. The attorneys general of Connecticut, Illinois and Michigan have said in the past few years that smart-meter plans in their states do not clearly benefit consumers, given the multimillion-dollar installation costs. BGE, which began installing smart meters last year and expects to finish in 2014, will have to ask for reimbursement of the $282 million not covered by a federal grant." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRetired EPA attorney leads the opposition to ‘smart meters’ in Maryland

New Hampshire House Votes To Prohibit Private Prisons

"The move is an abrupt shift in New Hampshire, where just last year the legislature had considered a bill to send its entire male prison population to private prisons. The problems with private prisons are too numerous to spell out in full, but here are a few highlights. At its core, the entire private prison industry profits when people are imprisoned, meaning stricter drug and immigration laws produce larger profits. Private prison operators know this, and have spent more than $45 million on lobbying federal and state lawmakers over the past decade, including top Republicans influencing the immigration debate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Hampshire House Votes To Prohibit Private Prisons

The Drug Warriors Cashing In on Pot Prohibition

"When eight former DEA chiefs signed a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder earlier this month, demanding that the feds crack down on Washington and Colorado, there was more than just drug-war ideology at stake. Two of the elder drug warriors, Peter Bensinger (DEA chief, 1976–1981) and Robert DuPont (White House drug chief, 1973–1977), run a corporate drug-testing business. Their company, Bensinger, DuPont & Associates, holds the pee stick for some 10 million employees around the US, including Kraft Foods, American Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, the Federal Aviation Administration and even the Justice Department itself." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Drug Warriors Cashing In on Pot Prohibition

Senate embraces Internet sales tax

"The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly today to endorse levying Internet sales taxes on American shoppers, despite warnings that the proposal is antibusiness, harmful to taxpayers, and will be a 'bureaucratic nightmare.' Senators adopted an amendment to a Democratic budget resolution that, by allowing states to 'collect taxes on remote sales,' ushers in the first national Internet sales tax. The vote follows a week of fierce lobbying from the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represent companies including Walmart, Target, AutoZone, Best Buy, Home Depot, OfficeMax, Macy's, and the Container Store." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSenate embraces Internet sales tax

Cost of New Virginia Bus Stop: $1 Million

"A new bus stop on Columbia Pike cost more than $1 million to build, according to a county spokeswoman. The new prototype 'Super Stop' at the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive cost $575,000 for construction and fabrication and $440,000 for construction management and special inspections, according to Arlington County Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. Of the $1 million cost, just over $200,000 was paid for by the county, with the rest coming from VDOT, Whalen McDaniel said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCost of New Virginia Bus Stop: $1 Million

US Infrastructure’s Disastrous Solution

"It is a US scandal that the country's infrastructure is not just degrading but seriously degraded. While this is not a regular topic for mainstream reporting, every now and then it rises to the surface. Of course, the real issue is seldom dealt with, which is how the combined US government can spend trillions and more trillions while the country's infrastructure continues to collapse. There are accidents big and small as the result of this evolving condition, often never reported unless they rise to the level of serious injury or even death." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS Infrastructure’s Disastrous Solution

Congratulations! Michigan Liberty Lovers!

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Wendell Phillips, (1811-1884), abolitionist, orator and columnist for The Liberator, in a speech before the Massachusetts Antislavery Society in 1852,   The Level One Federal funding appropriation bill for the (Obama Care) Health Insurance Exchange did NOT come up before the Senate for a vote and the Senate …

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Continue ReadingCongratulations! Michigan Liberty Lovers!