I’m on dozens of Email lists, everybody from the New York Times to Victoria’s Secret (great articles over there) sends me Email and I spend way too much time scanning and deleting most of it daily. I subscribe to Email lists from news organizations, campaign committees, government watchdog groups and all kinds of public service organizations. I also get stuff addressing me as Dear One, with great investment opportunities in Nigeria and missives that promise to make me larger, but I delete them all summarily as I have nothing to invest and…, never mind.

Most of what I receive is of a “progressive” or “liberal” nature but in the interest of knowing what the adversary is up to, I also subscribe to publications from conservative groups, the spectrum runs from the Coulter, Limbaugh breed of invertebrates to the American Enterprise Institute and other large lizards. I”ll tell you, a little of this stuff goes a long way.

I got a real dandy this morning from the Heritage Foundation, you know, the conservative think tank that has worked so tirelessly for the Bush administration, embroiling us in various wars of empire and providing invaluable aid and advice in support of administration efforts to relieve American citizens of such pesky irritants as habeas corpus, civil liberties and due process of law, while conducting additional studies aimed at relieving us of our money.

Heritage has long fought the good fight for corporate rights and limited government. These are the guys who burn the midnight oil to come up with ways to help corporations pocket employee pension funds without exposing themselves to criminal liability while working diligently to ensure that federal regulatory agencies are toothless, and in all ways impotent. The effectiveness of their efforts on behalf of corporate America can be measured in such events as the Crandall Canyon mine collapse.

The organization, which came into existence in 1973 was bankrolled by Joseph Coors, of the Coors Brewing Company and billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, Paul Weyrich was one of it’s founders, there were no wild eyed leftists in that circle unless they were carrying a rake, polishing the crystal or cleaning the pool.

Heritage is now funded to the tune of 30 to 40 million annually by obscenely wealthy individuals and cash bloated corporations. They also receive large sums from foreign governments and such entities (it has been reported) as the Korean Intelligence agency. In return for their generosity Heritage spends about twenty percent of the take lobbying government on their behalf and publishing studies which tell them things that they want to hear and helping them market bullshit and lies to the rest of us.

In this morning’s Email from Heritage was a featured article written by “Senior Fellow” (please pause to genuflect) Robert Rector (Photo at right) at the National Review Online and titled “Poor Politics” in which he offers the following nuggets of conservative think tank wisdom regarding persons in this country who are classified as poor. From Mr. oops, “Senior Fellow” Rector:

“The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau, taken from a variety of government reports:”

“46 percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

I don’t know the actual numbers but I’m guessing that most of the 46% quoted own nothing more substantial than a 30 year mortgage which they struggle mightily to pay while staying ahead of such wolves as the costs of daily living and working in America. The idea that forty percent of those below the federal poverty level “own” their homes is nonsense and “Senior Fellow” Rector knows it.

In addition, what happened to the legions of people who live in houses with fewer than 3 bedrooms and the gazillions of apartment dwellers, not to mention the many people who call the porch or patio “home.”

“80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

I suppose that “Senior Fellow” Rector would feel more comfortable with the poor if they were sweltering in their “three bedroom houses” and dying quietly and unobtrusively of heat prostration. It must also be noted that those who rent houses or apartments don’t “own” their air conditioners any more than they own their homes. Either way they pay dearly in utility bills and taxes for the meager comfort of not sweating through their shorts.

“Only six percent of poor households are overcrowded; two thirds have more than two rooms per person.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

I currently live in a five room house with my cat, which I suppose places us above “Senior Fellow Rector’s” mandatory squalor requirement average. I will soon be forced to move (due to poverty) from this spacious splendor to share an apartment with my brother and his Grandson. We will then share 5 rooms, I am doing my part to “walk the walk” of the poor by cramming myself into smaller accomodations so that the ruling class may have more room to ride their horsies.

“The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

It should be noted that America as she was growing in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, had so many more times the available land area than most European countries that there can be no comparison. Except for those unfortunate millions who were crammed into urban tenements and company “housing” “provided” by railroad, mining, factory or mill owners we have historically been able to spread our elbows regardless of economic status. It does look bad though, I admit it, all those so called poor people with so much wasted space between them. Inefficiency.

“Nearly three quarters of poor households own a car; 31 percent own two or more cars.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

I own a car, It’s 12 years old and I bought it used back when I was not disabled and working six days a week to stay just above the poverty level. I still drive it to my physical therapy appointments at the VA hospital and the grocery store when I can afford to pay the fuel prices that Heritage helped to arrange.

“97 percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

I have two, one is 8 years old and works well, the other was given to me by a friend and sometimes works as well, there is nothing on them but lying news people reading scripts prepared at the Heritage foundation. If that violates my status as “poor” I’ll be happy to turn one over to the “unnecessary entertainment police.”

“78 percent have a VCR or DVD player.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

My wife made me buy a DVD player a couple years before she died. She was an invalid those last several years but found joy and laughter in rented Disney movies. She’s gone now, a year next month. I do feel a bit guilty for the extravagance and promise to atone.

“62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

Got me again, and, I have wireless internet as well. I must have these things, they allow me to stay abreast of those who wage this unrelenting war against the middle and lower economic classes in this and other countries. I also need it to get my Email from the Heritage Foundation and Victoria’s Secret. (good articles over there)

“89 percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a more than a third have an automatic dishwasher.”

“Senior Fellow” Rector still quoting from a “variety of government reports.”

In all his quoting of vague “government sources,” “Senior Fellow” Rector doesn’t mention wage stagnation, the continually rising cost of living in all areas, outsourcing and offshoring of jobs in all sectors of the economy, community crippling layoffs, pension defaults, natural disasters, catastrophic illnesses, death, war and a host of other legitimate reasons why good, honest, working people have fallen into poverty yet still have that embarrassing  dishwasher in their kitchen and still reside in the three bedroom house with a patio that they lived in before their jobs were shipped off to Timbuktu.

There may be a difference between the face of poverty in Dorothea Lange’s hauntingly beautiful “Migrant Mother” from 1940 at the top of this rant and the modern version in this new century but I doubt it, you have to look at the eyes, close up, and personal to see, to know the despair.

I don’t know, Maybe “Senior Fellow” Rector hasn’t heard about those things, yeah that’s probably it.

Anyway, I’m off the hook on the last one, (is he still running on?) my ten year old nuke died and I can’t afford another, that damn poverty thing again, and alas, no dishwasher. I’ve been waiting a long time for a veteran’s disability pension to show up in my mailbox and I’m sure that it will, probably the day after they plant my butt at the VA cemetery. I’ll celebrate, maybe buy a new microwave or a … they still sell “stereos?”

Bob Higgins

Worldwide Sawdust

Written by Former Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson of Speak Out California

With three elections scheduled for 2008 in California, we’ve seen a tidal wave of initiative offerings announced and plunked into the expensive signature gathering process. Most of these measures come from cash-abundant corporations and their front groups trying to impose their will on the public. They include ideas designed to balloon corporate profits to the detriment of the environment, public health or individual rights (over-reaching eminent domain actions), advance the interests of the wealthy corporate accountability dodgers, repackage measures that have been tried and rejected in the past (such as anti-reproductive choice initiatives that incessantly appear), and programs that benefit special interest groups, but not the public. Many of them are funded by out-of-state groups or mega-millionaires who want to impose their personal philosophies on California, often as “test cases” for future efforts in the rest of the country. Or, in the case of the most recent initiative proposal by the Republican Party, to steal the next Presidential election by trying to divide up California’s electoral votes.

One such unwanted effort comes from the big-business front group called the Civil Justice Association of California or “CJAC“. Earlier this summer it announced it was proposing a ballot measure that would virtually eliminate class action lawsuits in California. The goal is to deny individuals harmed by the unlawful behavior of big corporations the right to come together to sue in order to end the behavior and be made whole from the wrongful conduct.

Obviously, big corporations, like Wal-Mart, want to be able to stiff their workers if they can get away with it, but under current law they can be brought into court and made to pay for the wages and benefits they promise their employees. (Wal-Mart is currently defending just such a case). Certainly not a radical notion, but in this pro-business, consumer and worker-be-damned atmosphere, it isn’t surprising that the corporate-controlled CJAC would try to thwart the little guy’s right to access the court system for protection and justice. What CJAC and its big bosses didn’t realize was that the surprise was going to be on them.

Shortly after announcing the introduction of this class-action killer initiative, leading consumer, labor and civil rights groups got together and initiated a series of hard-hitting responses to this brazen attempt to further weaken the rights of the people who suffer from corporate wrong-doing. Among those efforts was the filing of a series of counter-initiatives designed to hold corporate CEO’s and other fat-cats personally liable and accountable when they engage in misconduct of their own.

Groups that haven’t always walked the same path or shared the same vision soon came together, recognizing that progressive values require cooperation and coordination in fighting off the well-organized and well-financed corporate influences. Organizations representing seniors, the poor, the environment, consumers, workers and civil rights groups came together with the Consumer Attorneys of California to present an intimidating and forceful united front against the brunt of corporate greed and irresponsibility.

And when the good guys unite, they win. Yesterday corporate-backed CJAC announced that it was withdrawing its ill-conceived initiative. In response, Consumer Attorney President Ray Boucher acknowledged that this victory is just part of a much larger battle, saying:

  “We will continue to fight for the rights of Californians who need a voice in the civil
  justice system. We will continue to stand up to oil, tobacco, insurance,
  pharmaceutical and HMO-backed CJAC and we will fight to protect consumers
  and employees against corporate fraud, dangerous products, and the pilfering
  of worker and investor profit-sharing plans. We won’t let Corporate America
  take away any more of our legal rights and we won’t stand for its profit-over-people
  agenda.”

This is the call-to-action that the progressive movement needs to come together to battle a well-heeled political and financial machine that wants to take away the hard-fought gains of the past decades. Motivated by nothing other than profit, these well-organized corporate interests have been successfully working to erode our consumer, worker and environmental protections. It is time we, the people, worked together to counter their well-oiled attacks on our rights and defenses. The progressive community and its lead organizations must coordinate their efforts to make sure corporations are held accountable when they engage in misconduct or misdeed.

Progressives must focus on what unites us, not what divides us if we are going to be successful in a partnership to advance good corporate stewardship and social responsibility among our many and varied entrepreneurial interests. We must also work hard to protect the public interest but can only do so if we work together. We have seen yet another glimpse of what success can look like if we do.

Today it’s one bad initiative down –but several more to go. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Sincerely,

Hannah-Beth Jackson

Intel hasn’t been doing the greatest work on the PR end of things recently. You see, it started with this ad, where 6 black sprinters are crouching before a dorky white dude. (H/t to Jamie Court at HuffPo) That was particularly poor timing when you look at that in context with Intel’s ballot initiative that they decided to put into play for one of the many 2008 elections. (Or rather the initiative of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), which Intel leads with several notable anti-consumer corporations.)  The ballot initiative would essentially eliminate class action lawsuits for civil rights cases.

As you might expect, civil rights groups did not take kindly to such a move. Class actions were the vehicle that desegregated the schools in Brown v. Board of Education and forced Denny’s to stop denying service based on skin color.  Check out this letter (PDF) sent by some of the state’s leading civil rights advocates to Intel’s Board. A quote:

Your initiative removes vital class action protections specifically intended to allow U.S. citizens to defend their civil rights (see attached analysis).  The extreme procedural burdens placed on plaintiffs and the endless appeal rights granted to defendants will prevent most civil rights class actions in the future.  We must view this initiative as an attack on the civil rights of Californians.

Well, now Intel and the CJAC have pulled the measure off the ballot.  You can send the Intel Board a thank you note at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.  By the by, the FTCR is an excellent organization and is well worthy of our support.

(While you’re signing the Courage Pledge, think about signing the petition to get all the Prez. candidates on record about dirty tricks. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

(also up at daily kos)

That was the title of a Courage Campaign email that just went out to their list.  David Dayen (dday) and myself had the same idea, which turned into that email.  Since Arnold said last week that he hadn’t read the initiative, and therefore could not take a stance on it, we should send him a bunch of copies of the initiative.  That way he had no more excuses the next time he was asked about it.

The text of the email is below the fold.  If you have not signed the pledge to fight this please do that and send Arnold an email.  Our Facebook group is now up to 336 members and growing.

I am personally going to head up with a stack of emails to Arnold’s office later this week and hand deliver them.  Don’t worry, I will report back with all of the details.  We are working hard to marry the best of the netroots and online activism with this campaign and simultaneously build up long term progressive infrastructure in Courage Campaign.  You can support this work by donating to Courage.

Educate Arnold about the Republican attempt to steal the White House in 2008.

Dear Julia,

“In principle, I don’t like to change the rules in the middle of the game.”

That’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, actually talking common sense in Sunday’s Washington Post about an infamous Republican ballot initiative to steal twenty of California’s 55 Electoral College votes.

If a few of Arnold’s former lawyers bamboozle voters into falling for this dirty trick initiative, the 2008 presidential election will be decided on the June ballot in California – five months before the November general election. So, when asked what he thinks of the cynical double-speak of the “Presidential Electoral Reform Act,” what does Arnold say?

“I haven’t looked at the language and I’m not saying I’m against it or I’m for it or anything.”

Huh?

Why is Arnold playing dumb about this “Dirty Trick Act”? After all, Arnold knows that he could kill this right-wing California coup in its cradle by coming out against it. The initiative is public, about three pages long, and only takes about five minutes to read. So let’s educate Arnold and take action before it’s too late…

By clicking here, you can send Arnold a copy of the actual three-page initiative right now (Courage’s deadline: Thursday at noon). Then use our comment tool to tell Arnold what you think about his failure to terminate this dirty trick:

http://www.CourageCa…

When the New York Times published a scathing editorial last week calling this initiative an “elaborate dirty trick” designed by a “shadowy group” to “do serious damage to our democracy,” Courage Campaign knew it was time to act.

Not Arnold.

He has to just say “No.” Otherwise, he’s telling the dirty tricksters who stole Florida in 2000 and lied us into Iraq in 2003 to steal twenty of California’s electoral votes in 2008 – virtually guaranteeing that a Republican is our next President.

Click here and you can make sure Mr. “Post-Partisan” receives a full copy of this partisan initiative masquerading as “reform” – along with a few of your (optional) choice words for the Governor:

http://www.CourageCa…

Let’s flood Arnold’s office with copies of the three-page initiative so he doesn’t have any more excuses. With the help of our blogger friends in the netroots, we will print out your emails, blog posts, and faxes and hand-deliver them to his office in the Capitol.

While the White House hangs in the balance, Arnold is playing games. Will you stand up to him right now by sending Arnold the Dirty Trick Act with a personal note?

http://www.CourageCa…

Because of you, our campaign is catapulting the wall of the mainstream media. To keep the pressure up on Arnold and his former lawyers, we need you to respond to this message no later than Thursday at noon.

Thank you again for everything you do to support the Courage Campaign and its “No Dirty Tricks” campaign to protect California’s Electoral College votes.

Rick Jacobs,
Courage Campaign

P.S. Given how long – and important – this battle will be to the future of America, Courage Campaign needs your financial support to take the fight to the Republicans today. Will you chip in whatever you can afford right now to our campaign for change?

http://www.CourageCa…