All posts by randyshannon

elections

Did an American Mine Sink South Korean Ship?

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BEIJING – South Korean Prime Minister Lee Myung-bak has claimed “overwhelming evidence” that a North Korean torpedo sank the corvette Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 sailors. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that there’s “overwhelming evidence” in favor of the theory that North Korea sank the South Korean Navy warship Cheonan.

But the articles of proof presented so far by military investigators to an official inquiry board have been scanty and inconsistent.
There’s yet another possibility, that a U.S. rising mine sank the Cheonan in a friendly-fire accident.

In the recent U.S.-China strategic talks in Shanghai and Beijing, the Chinese side dismissed the official scenario presented by the Americans and their South Korean allies as not credible. This conclusion was based on an independent technical assessment by the Chinese military, according to a Beijing-based military affairs consultant to the People Liberation Army.

Hardly any of the relevant facts that counter the official verdict have made headline news in either South Korea or its senior ally, the United States.

elections

Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans Are Out to Kill Social Security and Medicare

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Wall Street Propaganda: Blame Social Security

Posted By Mike Hall On May 26, 2010 @ 5:04 pm In Economy, Legislation & Politics | 8 Comments

The President’s Fiscal Commission is holding its second pubic meeting today and when commission members say “everything is in the table,” the biggest things they are talking about are Social Security and Medicare.

The commission was created by an [1] Executive Order from President Obama in February after a move to create a commission with much broader powers [2] failed in the Senate. The current commission’s charge is to propose ways to address the nation’s growing debt. The 18-member commission will meet throughout the year and then present its recommendations to Obama after the fall elections. (For more information, visit [3] Social Security Works.)

Conservative groups and Wall Street insiders, says [4] Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research ([5] CEPR),

are spending more than $1 billion dollars to convince the public that slashing these programs [Social Security and Medicare] is the only way to protect our children and grandchildren from poverty.

Continue reading Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans Are Out to Kill Social Security and Medicare →

elections

Joe Hoeffel: Public Money for Public Schools – no private school vouchers

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[Hoeffel Banner]

Dear Progressive Democrat,

There are just 7 days to go until the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary.

With a third of primary voters undecided, we can still achieve an upset victory. But I need your help to get my progressive message out in the closing days.

Unlike my opponents, I have offered bold, detailed, plans to meet Pennsylvania’s challenges:

  • a moratorium on new drilling permits in the Marcellus shale until we know our drinking water is safe;

  • a graduated income tax so we can fund our schools based on ability to pay, rather than the regressive property tax;

  • protection of a woman’s right to choose;

  • support for strong public schools, and a commitment that public dollars be used for public schools and not private school vouchers.

Democratic primary voters will support my candidacy for governor if they are reminded of the differences between my opponents and me.

I ask that you make a final contribution of $100, $50, $35 or another amount to my campaign so I can get this critical information to undecided voters before next Tuesday.

Voters have a real choice in this election. You have the power to give them the information to make their decision. With your continued support, we will be successful on May 18th and go on to victory in November.

Thank you,

[Joe's Signature]

[Donate Now] [Volunteer Now]

P.S. If you have not already seen my TV Ad, you can view it at http://joehoeffel2010.com/splash/flip-flops

If you prefer to donate by check, please send to:
     Joe Hoeffel 2010
     1420 Walnut Street
     Suite 1300
     Philadelphia, PA 19102
elections

Pickets Demand Clinic at Closed UPMC Braddock Hospital

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elections

PDA Endorsed Democrat for Governor Joe Hoeffel will stop in Beaver County on Friday May 14th

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Progressive Democratic candidate for Governor Joe Hoeffel will meet and greet Beaver County voters on Friday May 14th in a swing through western Pennsylvania before the May 18th primary election.

Meet and greet Joe Hoeffel at the following locations on Friday May 14th:

8:00-8:40 Challenges Senior Center, 2706 Mercer Rd., New Castle

9:10-9:30 Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe, Route 68, Vanport

9:45-10:05 George’s Family Restaurant, 2477 Brodhead Rd., Hopewell Township

10:20-11:20 Ambridge Nationality Days, 8th & Merchant Streets, Ambridge

 

Economy, elections

61 US Senators Vote to Preserve Dominance of MegaBanks that wrecked the economy

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Financial Oligarchy Prevails As 27 Senate Dems Join GOP To Defend ‘Too Big to Fail’ Banks

 
By John Nichols
May 7, 2010
Published by The Nation.

Roll Call Vote

Whatever the final form of federal financial services reform legislation, one thing is now certain: The biggest of the big banks will still be calling the shots.

That was confirmed Thursday evening, when the Senate by a 61-33 vote rejected a move to eliminate the danger posed to both the federal treasury and the U.S. economy by “too-big-to-fail” banks.

Democratic Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Ted Kaufman of Delaware had proposed an amendment to limit the size of the nation’s largest banks as a means of reining in the financial sector.

They lost. And so too did the prospect that the federal government might establish meaningful control of the banking sector.

What does the defeat mean? The “financial oligarchy,” as economist Simon Johnson described the big banks, will remain in place. And, to further quote Johnson, the federal government will remain “helpless, or unwilling, to act against them.”

Continue reading 61 US Senators Vote to Preserve Dominance of MegaBanks that wrecked the economy →

elections

Deepwater Horizons blowout + Upper Big Branch mine explosion + Marcellus Shale destruction = Bush criminal bureaucrats still at work

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Tom Delay

 

Call for Criminal Investigation of MSHA and MMS

 

by Randy Shannon 

The Justice Department is investigating the Bush bureaucrats in the Mine Safety and Health Administration – MSHA. They rewrote regulations so full of loopholes that Massey Coal could operate a mine that was a ticking time bomb that killed 29 workers. 

The Justice Department must investigate the Minerals Management Service- MMS, that rewrote the safety regulations for the Deepwater Horizon drilling operation. They exempted BP from filing a safety plan to deal with a blow out.  The Bush hacks and the oil companies agreed that it “wasn’t likely to happen” so there was no need to prepare for it. Eleven roughnecks died on that rig, blown to kingdom come, just like the miners. 

The despicable 109th Congress, led by Tom DeLay and Bill Frist, and full of criminals now serving time, passed the Halliburton exemption in 2005. This allows the gas drillers to run roughshod over Pennsylvania and other states in complete disregard of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and other laws to protect our lives and property from poisoning and destruction. In Pennsylvania, what the gas drillers are doing would be a crime if done by any other enterprise. But the Bush era Congress of criminals gave them a get out of jail free card. This law must be repealed. The gas drillers must be held accountable for the destruction of human lives, animals, forests, crops, land, infrastructure, water, and air. 

Continue reading Deepwater Horizons blowout + Upper Big Branch mine explosion + Marcellus Shale destruction = Bush criminal bureaucrats still at work →

Environment

PA DEP: Impose tougher regulations on Marcellus shale drilling “yesterday”

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PA DEP Commissioner John Hanger
Red flags raised over gas wells

DEP secretary issues warning at Marcellus shale conference at Duquesne University

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania needs tougher regulations for Marcellus shale gas drilling, aggressive, independent enforcement, and a severance tax on the gas extracted, according to state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

And yesterday would not be soon enough to get all of that done and “done right” to protect the state’s water resources, said Mr. Hanger in a forceful keynote speech opening the Marcellus Shale Policy Conference at Duquesne University on Monday.

“Let me be clear: Self-regulation doesn’t work. That’s not contestable,” Mr. Hanger told the audience of about 250, including a significant number of gas industry representatives. “We’ve made mistakes before. We have to get this right or the costs will overwhelm the benefits.”

Continue reading PA DEP: Impose tougher regulations on Marcellus shale drilling “yesterday” →