Blog For Arizona

GOP austerity economics is undermining the economy

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Greg Sargent makes an astute observation in the The Morning Plum today:

It’s been widely pointed out by liberals that much of the discussion of fiscal issues conducted by supposedly “neutral” reporters actually does take sides in a pernicious way. It often treats it as a given that near term deficit reduction is a good thing — sometimes even cheerleading for that outcome – when in fact there is an actual policy dispute over this point, with many arguing that immediate deficit reduction is destructive to the recovery, and that dealing with the deficit should be deferred until the economy is stronger.

And that’s why today’s big New York Times piece quoting a range of economists arguing that Washington’s deficit obsession has proven a drag on the recovery is so important and welcome. The piece states clearly and unequivocally that the consensus view among economists is actually the one that’s often marginalized — i.e., that short term deficit reduction and spending cuts hurt the economy:

The nation’s unemployment rate would probably be nearly a point lower, roughly 6.5 percent, and economic growth almost two points higher this year if Washington had not cut spending and raised taxes as it has since 2011, according to private-sector and government economists.

After two years in which President Obama and Republicans in Congress have fought to a draw over their clashing approaches to job creation and budget deficits, the consensus about the result is clear: Immediate deficit reduction is a drag on full economic recovery.

New York Times

Now it’s true that Obama and Democrats are heavily complicit in the 2011 decision to agree to a big deficit cutting deal that continues to harm us to this day (though it’s an open question whether Obama had any choice). And it’s also true that Obama and Dems agreed to end the payroll tax holiday, another drag on the recovery.

NALC 'Stamp Out Hunger' Food Drive this Saturday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Reminder from NALC 'Stamp Out Hunger' National Food Drive:

“On the second Saturday of May each year, thousands of letter carriers step forward and join our co-workers, family members, friends and community partners to pick up those all-important and often heavy sacks of donated non-perishable food items left by mailboxes,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “To get us there takes the dedication of hundreds of branch food drive coordinators, who have spent the last few months ordering and mailing countless customer-reminder postcards, putting up food drive flyers and posters, and so much more—often after spending the day delivering the mail.”

“When we decided to take our food drive nationwide more than two decades ago, food banks and community service organizations told us that the best time for us to do it would be when people aren’t really thinking about it—to remind people that, sadly, the need for food is year-round.

Despite GOP sequester to harm the economy, April jobs numbers are up

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This is due to the incremental nature of the GOP sequester taking place over time, but so far the economy and job creation have not been dramatically slowed by the withdrawal of federal spending in the economy (public sector employment continues to decline unabated). The "summer doldrums" that have dogged the Obama presidency may be just around the corner, however, with the lagging factor of the  GOP sequester finally beginning to have an impact on the economy.

Steve Benen reports on the April jobs report, U.S. job creation improves, unemployment rate drops:

The U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in April, more than expected, and overall unemployment rate dropped to 7.5%, its lowest point in four-and-a-half years. As is usually the case, there was a gap between the two major sectors -- America's private sector added 176,000 jobs last month, while spending cuts caused the public sector lose 11,000 jobs.

Of course, these are preliminary totals that will be updated in the coming months, and therein lies the key importance to this new jobs report: the revisions. February, for example, was revised up from 268,000 jobs to 332,000, making it the single best month for job creation since 2005 (excluding temporary Census hiring). March was also revised up, from 88,000 to 138,000. In other words, as of this morning's report, the previous two months added an additional 114,000 jobs we didn't previously know about. (Update: Also note, the February job totals, the best in eight years, came after January's tax hikes, but before the sequester.)

Gov. Jan Brewer appeases her GOP crazy base

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

So how's that "De-Kook the Capitol" thing working out for ya, Laurie Roberts? Gov. Jan Brewer, engaged in a civil war in the Tea-Publican Party over her Medicaid (AHCCCS) restoration plan, appeased her GOP crazy base by signing several bills on Monday.

HB 2455 clarifies that local law-enforcement agencies must sell guns they acquire in situations such as gun-buyback programs -- even when the gun owner desires that their weapon be destroyed, in violation of their private property rights.

House Bill 2326 would prohibit local governments from keeping a list of gun owners (there is no evidence that any city is keeping such a list). This is prophylactic paranoia.

It is now official. Idolatrous gun worship is the official state religion in Arizona. Guns are sacred objects and holy relics that are protected from destruction.  Bill signed preventing Tucson from destroying 'buyback' guns:

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation aimed specifically at halting Tucson's practice of allowing police to destroy guns that people voluntarily surrender through buyback programs.

Instead, the state law, which takes effect later this year, will require that any weapons that come into a city or county's possession must be sold off, with the profits used to bolster the local treasury.

May 1st Rally at the Arizona State Capitol

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from Mi Familia Vota, May 1st Rally!: International Workers Day:

Join:

AFL-CIO | Arizona Center for Empowerment | Arizona Worker Rights Center | Black and Brown Coalition | CASE | Campaign for Citizenship | La Campesina Radio Network | LUCHA | Mi Familia Vota | Promise Arizona | PUENTE | SEIU Arizona | UFW Foundation | Arizona Immigration Ministry/ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix | Somos America | Unite Here | Arizona Dream Act Coalition | ACLU of Arizona | Organizing for Action | Border Action Network | UFCW | CWA

In a march of action for dignity and respect for all American workers through immigration reform.

It is time to stand united and fight together!

Who Is Homeland Security Watching? Off-the-grid Fertilizer Plant vs On-the-Grid Citizenry

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Last week was an outrageous news week for our country with the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday, the explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant on Wednesday, and the shoutout, manhunt, killing, and capture of the bomber brothers at the end of the week. Whew.

This Monday on MSNBC, Chris Hayes offered an interesting look back at these events. (Video link below.) During the week of the bombings, there was continuous coverage of the "terrorist attack" in Boston and continuous pundit chatter about terrorism, but relatively little coverage of the chemical plant explosion in West, Texas.

Apparently, workplace casualties caused by corporate neglect and lack of government oversight are not as sexy as pressure cooker bombers, even though, as Hayes pointed out, people are far more likely to be killed on the job than in a terror attack. Citing 2000-2010 data, Hayes reported that in that 10-year period, there were 3033 deaths from terrorist attacks, 60,394 workplace deaths, and 335,609 firearm deaths.

Given these statistics, it is ironic (and somewhat sad) to see what Congress has chosen to regulate. Not firearms and not workplace safety. They are working on further immigration regulations and further militarization of the border-- just in case some of those Mexican laborers might be terrorists.

In a stunning omission of oversight, Hayes also reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-- the same group that found the two Boston bombers in a matter of days-- didn't know the fertilizer plant in Texas existed! (Don't they know about Google Earth?)

Quoting Reuters, Hayes further reported that the plant had "1300 times the amount of amonium nitrate fertilizer that would normally alert DHS" and "100 times more than the Oklahoma City bombing."

So, who is DHS watching? Us. They're watching real people-- not corporate people. 

Watch Chris Hayes here: Willfully off the Grid

What Would Jesus Do? He'd Pay Unemployment Tax for His Workers

by Pamela Powers Hannley

HB2645, which was advanced by the Arizona Senate this week, would allow churches and religious schools to avoid paying unemployment tax for teachers and day care workers. Passed by the Arizona House in March, this bill would deny unemployment benefits to these workers if they were laid off or if the institutions closed.

Republicans, conservative groups, and religious schools are backing the bill. According to ABC Channel 15, "The measure marks the latest Republican-led effort to expand tax subsidies for religious institutions and limit unemployment insurance at a time when the state's jobless benefits fund is millions of dollars in the hole because of the struggling economy." [Emphasis added.] More details after the jump.

March jobs report suffers from Tea-Publican austerity measures

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Following the "sequester" that everyone in Washington, D.C. said would never happen -- ignoring the evil desires of the GOP to see it happen, and even giving the V-sign to claim victory when it did happen -- and the GOP's renewal of its threat to take the country hostage again over the federal debt ceiling, Americans have lost faith in the ability of Congress to govern.

Remember that GOP talking point about "uncertainty" in the economy (in the context of taxes) affecting decisions to invest and hire more workers? Uncertainty is what we have right now with the Tea-Publican economic terrorists in Congress imposing their failed economic theory of austerity. So the March jobs report really should come as no surprise to anyone. Steve Benen reports, Job totals stumble to 10-month low:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that the U.S. economy created just 88,000 jobs in March, the worst in the last 10 months. As is usually the case, there was a gap between the two major sectors -- America's private sector added 95,000 jobs last month, the public sector lost 7,000 jobs, though most of those totals were driven by Post Office layoffs.

The news is awful, but there was a silver lining: totals from January were revised up to 148,000 jobs (from 119,000), while February was revised up to 268,000 (from +236,000). The additional 61,000 jobs helped push the unemployment rate to 7.6%, its lowest point since December 2008.

Arizona's lawless legislature smacked-down in the courts again

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona's Tea-Publican controled legislature is a lawless legislature; they do whatever they please without regard for the Constitution or the rule of law. Many of them suffer under the delusion that "I AM the law!" As a result, nearly every piece of substantive legislation passed by our lawless legislature winds up in court where, far more often than not, the courts hand them a smack-down for their lawless conduct. And we the taxpayers get the "privilege" of paying for their legal fees and costs.

Today, the courts handed our lawless legislature yet another defeat, this time in their war on organized labor. (Bonus: Also a defeat for the "Kochtopus" ALEC and Goldwater Institute, who drafted these bills). The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Federal judge rules in favor of Arizona labor unions:

A federal judge handed Arizona unions a legal victory by finding two 2011 bills regulating paycheck deductions and picketing unconstitutional.

The United Food and Commercial Workers and the Arizona Education Association challenged laws passed as SB1363 and SB 1365.   U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow granted an injunction against SB1365, which never went into effect because of the legal challenge, and voided most of SB1365.

GOP war on the unemployed: Governor signs mean-spiritied UI bill

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Buried in a report on another topic today by Howard Fischer in the Arizona Daily Star comes this bad news for the unemployed in Arizona. Brewer signs bill eliminating state AIMS test:

Separately, Brewer signed legislation altering laws on unemployment benefits, shifting the burden to prove eligibility to those seeking compensation when a company claims the person quit or is otherwise ineligible. Until now, the burden has been on the employer to prove someone should be denied a weekly check.

Brewer gave no reason for her decision.

The measure was approved by the Republican-controlled House and Senate on a party-line vote.

Brewer gave no reason, and the political media took little note of her action. As I have previously posted, this is a major change in unemployment insurance compensation to which an employee who loses his or her job through no fault of their own was presumptively entitled to receive benefits. That presumption at law has now been eliminated by mean-spirited Tea-Publicans who demonize the unemployed.

If employees now bear the burden of proof, then there needs to be a law that says employees are entitled to a copy of their employee file(s). No more protection for "proprietary information." It's only fair.

Lobbyists against a 'living wage' and local government control

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Restaurant Association, the main protagonist behind HB 2147, which would require people applying for unemployment benefits to provide documentation that they are eligible, and if they don't provide that information, their benefits could be denied, Contact Governor Brewer, tell her to veto HB 2147, is also the main protagonist behind HB 2280, a bill that would make it illegal for Arizona cities to mandate a "living wage" for companies that operate within city limits.

That's right, because everyone should be working for $2.13 per hour plus tips with no employee benefits.

Once again, it is yet another example of our "big brother" Tea-Publican overlords in the Arizona legislature overriding local government control. So much for Tea-Publican "small government" rhetoric.

Howard Fischer reports, Arizona Senate gives early approval to 'living wage' ban:

[T]he restaurant industry has persuaded state lawmakers to prevent cities and counties from dictating how much employers have to pay their workers.

On a voice vote, the Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that would make it illegal for Arizona cities to mandate any employee benefits for companies that operate within city limits. That includes not only compensation but also paid leave, allowable absences, meal breaks and rest periods.

The House already has approved HB 2280. That means it requires only a final Senate roll-call vote before going to Gov. Jan Brewer.

Contact Governor Brewer, tell her to veto HB 2147

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I previously explained Arizona's Unemployment Insurance (UI) program in The GOP war on the unemployed in the Arizona Lege. The key point:

Under Arizona law, the burden of proof has always been on the employer to establish disqualification from unemployment insurance benefits. The public policy reason for this is that the employer enjoys control over employment records (proprietary information). Employees are not entitled to records in their employee file (several bills to give employees a right to documents in their employee file have failed in the Arizona legislature).

This is the way it has always been. Now comes along  Rep. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, who wants to change this burden of proof by shifting the burden to the unemployed worker, adding insult to the injury of being unemployed. Petersen wants the worker to prove that he or she is eligible to receive benefits, rather than the employer prove that the worker is ineligible.

This is a major change in the long-standing public policy behind unemployment insurance, and gives unscrupulous employers an unfair advantage to deny workers unemployment benefits to which they are presumptively entitled.

UI benefits are insurance for workers who have lost their job through no fault of their own, not "welfare" to lazy couch potatoes who watch TV all day and do not want to work as so many Tea-Publican members of the Arizona legislature have demonized the unemployed. (In order to receive benefits, workers must submit records each week of actively seeking employment in order to continue to receive UI benefits).

Arizona Dems Split on 'Back to Work' Budget Vote

by Pamela Powers Hannley

On Wednesday, March 20, 2013, the US House of Representatives voted on a series of amendments to the Republican Majority Budget, penned by Rep. Paul Ryan. 

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) amendment, dubbed the Back to Work Budget, was one of yesterday's votes. It lost 84 to 327, with no Republicans voting for it (not surprising) and 102 Democrats voting against it. 

How did Arizona's Democratic Party representatives vote on an amemdment spearheaded by one of their own-- Rep. Raul Grijalva? Not so good. Grijalva and Rep. Ed Pastor voted for the Back to Work Budget-- which would create jobs, reduce the debt, and protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. 

Representatives Ann Kirkpatirck, Ron Barber, and Kirsten Sinema voted against the Back to Work Budget-- despite letters and phone calls by members of the Arizona Chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA). Nationally, PDA hand delivered letters to 100 Congressional representatives and made 1000 phone calls. 

Frankly, I'm not surprised by Blue Dogs Kirkpatrick and Barber, but I am surprised and disappointed by Sinema. The three of them can expect to hear more from PDA.

Tucson Progressives & Democrats Back the 'Back to Work' Budget

The following guest commentary about the current budget battles in DC was submitted to the Arizona Daily Star for publication. Since the Star chooses to primarily publicize Republican budget plans-- and no other ideas, including those proposed by Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva-- they didn't publish this commentary about the Congressional Progressive Caucus' Back to Work Budget. So, here you go...

On Tuesday, March 12^th, the Congressional Progressive Caucus released its proposed federal budget. Dubbed the “Back to Work Budget”, it will be presented as an amendment to the already discredited Paul Ryan and Congressional Majority budget. The CPC budget will reduce the Federal Budget Deficit by more than $4.4 trillion over the next 10 years, will create 7 million new jobs in its first year, and preserve existing benefits for Social Security and Medicare. The Congressional Progressive Caucus’ “Back to Work” budget will also make public healthcare affordable to the nation by offering a public option.  

More after the jump.

Progressive Caucus Releases 'Back to Work' Budget

by Pamela Powers Hannley

On Wednesday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) released its "Back to Work" Budget. Think of it as the polar opposite of the Republicans' "Stab Americans in the Back" budget penned by Congressman Paul Ryan and released earlier in the week. Special thanks to Congressman Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the CPC. Each year, the CPC releases a common sense budget plan. When will Washington DC listen, when will the Lame Stream Media cover it? Go to this link to tell your Congressional representative to vote for the Back to Work Budget.

Here is the summary from the CPC...

7 million new jobs in one year

$4.4 trillion in deficit reduction

We’re in a jobs crisis that isn’t going away.  Millions of hard-working American families are falling behind, and the richest 1 percent is taking home a bigger chunk of our nation’s gains every year. Americans face a choice: we can either cut Medicare benefits to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, or we can close these tax loopholes to invest in jobs.  We choose investment.  The Back to Work Budget invests in America’s future because the best way to reduce our long-term deficit is to put America back to work.  In the first year alone, we create nearly 7 million American jobs and increase GDP by 5.7%. [Details and graphics after the jump.]

John Nichols: Don't Let the 'Crooks' Roll Back Years of Progress (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Author and historian John Nichols warned a packed house of Tucson progressives and unionists that now is not the time for complacency. Now is the time to rise up and fight against the forces of greed who are trying to rob the American people of their rights and their earned benefits.

Nichols, writer for The Nation and frequent commentator on MSNBC, held the audience in wrapped attention for 90 minutes as he carefully explained what the current Washington DC budget and debt reduction talks could mean for the American people if right wing conservatives like Congressman Paul Ryan and the Fix the Debt Coalition get their way.

The Fix the Debt Coalition is a group of 127 billionaires, "lesser millionaires", and corporate CEOs who are rolling out a $60 million advertising campaign to promote the new Simpson-Bowles Plan for debt reduction, according to Nichols. The original Simpson-Bowles Commission-- dubbed the Cat Food Commission because of its cuts to senior citizen benefits-- was infamously unpopular when it was proposed originally. The Simpson-Bowles redux may be even worse.  

How would the billionaires' club "fix the debt"? By reducing Social Security payments to the elderly and disabled, by raising the eligibility age for Medicare, by dramatically cutting Medicaid support for the poor, by eliminating the Affordable Care Act and changing Medicare to a voucher program for future recipients, by imposing austerity on 99%, and by [wait for it] lowering taxes on billionaires and corporations. 

"They are proposing to take from our vulnerable seniors, from our disabled-- and let's be honest they're probably going to take the lunch money from the poor kids. They're going to take all that, so they can give the rich guys a tax cut," Nichols warned. More details and a video clip of Nichols' talk after the jump.

Better than expected February jobs report

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Steve Benen has the monthly jobs report for February. Job growth picks up steam, unemployment drops:

Heading into today, most expected a fairly encouraging jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but few expected it to be this good.

The economy in February added 236,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate dropping to 7.7% from 7.9%. As is usually the case, austerity measures undermined the employment landscape -- America's private sector added 246,000 jobs in December, the public sector lost 10,000 jobs. (It'd be easy for Washington to improve the latter number and lower the unemployment rate, but congressional Republicans still won't allow it.) Update: the 7.7% jobless rate is the lowest in the U.S. since December 2008.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal calculates that if we hadn’t had the government job cuts Republicans say are good for the economy, the unemployment rate would be 7.1 percent, not 7.7 percent.

[T]oday's report is genuinely good news on its own terms. The 236,000 jobs created in February is the second best total in a year, and the seventh best month of the last five years. Glancing through the report, it was also encouraging to see improving data from the construction and housing sectors.

Dealing with the Devil: Should Maricopa County Latinos 'Play Nice' with Arpaio? (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Earlier in February, Maricopa County Latino leaders, organized by Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski, met with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and offered prayers and support-- not protest signs or recall petitions. 

Should Latinos play nice with Arpaio in hopes of winning him over, or should they work to recall the "toughest sheriff in the US", stop deportations of hard-working, law-abiding people, and push for immigration reform?

If there is any doubt in your mind that we all should fight back against the racism that Arpaio embodies, check out this video by Dennis Gilman after the jump. 

John Nichols: What Challenges Face Labor & Progressives in the Future? (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

John Nichols, political writer for The Nation and regular contributor to MSNBC, returns to Tucson on Saturday, March 9, 2013, to discuss the progressive movement, our mutual goals with labor, and the challenges ahead. 

With intransigence in the Congress and sequestration cuts swirling around our heads, Nichols will provide us with lively commentary and new insights into American politics. 

Nichols spoke to a packed house last year in Tucson. If you attended that event, you know he is both entertaining and thoughtful in his analyses of the news and the political climate.

This free event is sponsored by the Tucson Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), in collaboration with the Pima Area Labor Federation (PALF). It will be 6-8 p.m. at the IBEW Hall, 570 South Tucson Blvd. 

For a taste of what you will hear, check out this video from last year's event-- after the jump.

Ed Asner explains wealth inequality

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

One of the least discussed political issues in this country is wealth inequality, partly because the wealthy own the media. (Media consolidation, the illusion of choice Infographic). Wealth inequality is at its greatest disparity since the end of the Gilded Age, just before the Crash of 1929.

This is how Pete Peterson and his corporate CEO buddies and the politicians of both political parties whom they have bought are able to exert such undue influence over political discourse in this country, and to argue that average working Americans must give up their pensions and accept reduced benefits in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- intoning "there is no other choice" -- so that the wealthy can enjoy another tax break and greater wealth accumulation because, well, "just because, that's why!"

Ed Asner, a great actor and union activist, narrates this video created by the California Federation of Teachers entitled "Tax the Rich: An animated fairy tale," explaining wealth inequality in the U.S. (Video below the fold).

The GOP war on the unemployed in the Arizona Lege

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Unemployment benefits are provided by state unemployment insurance programs within guidelines established by Federal law. Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are available are determined by state law (approved under federal guidelines).

Arizona's unemployment law is based on the public policy that involuntary employment "is a serious menace to health, morals and welfare of the people of this state." A.R.S. §23-601. The law has always contained a public policy preference that workers are entitled to receive unemployment insurance compensation unless otherwise disqualified.

Disqualification from benefits typically involves (a) a voluntary resignation (there are exceptions for justifiable resignations for compelling personal reaons), and (b) discharge for misconduct in connection with the work (this is a legal term of art defined by regulations and case law).

Under Arizona law, the burden of proof has always been on the employer to establish disqualification from unemployment insurance benefits. The public policy reason for this is that the employer enjoys control over employment records (proprietary information). Employees are not entitled to records in their employee file (several bills to give employees a right to documents in their employee file have failed in the Arizona legislature).

The 'Kochtopus' and Arizona GOP war on public-sector unions continued on Monday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Tea-Publicans in the Arizona Legislature continued their unhinged assault on public-sector unions on Monday. Bills target public-sector unions:

Republicans at the Arizona Legislature are continuing efforts to restrict [destroy] public-employee unions.

Three bills to restrict unions passed a Senate committee on Monday. Another is scheduled for a House committee vote [Tuesday]. Several other bills are at various stages in the legislative process.

On Presidents Day, when most public employees had the day off, the Senate Government and Environment Committee held public hearings on three union-related bills. Sen. Rick Murphy, R-Peoria, sponsored all three bills. The committee passed:

SB 1348, which would prohibit a public employee from doing union activities during paid work time.

SB 1349, which would prohibit outside groups, such as unions, from deducting money from public-employee paychecks unless the employee provides written or electronic permission annually.

SB 1350, which would prohibit any individual who contracts with the state, counties or local governments from being able to strike.

The votes were all along party lines, with Republicans supporting them and Democrats opposing them.

Arrests, deportations, protests: Is Tucson an immigrant-friendly city or not?

by Pamela Powers Hannley

On Sunday, Tucson Police and the Border Patrol arrested Rene Meza Huertha, in front of his wife and children, and arrested activist Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa, who was trying to prevent the arrest of Huertha. This action by TPD is in direct violation of the City Council's vote in August 2012-- making Tucson an "immigrant friendly" city. From the Arizona Daily Star...

"We don't want people to feel fear when traveling to work, to school, to the store," [City Councilwoman Regina] Romero said before the meeting. "We also don't want people to be afraid to call the police to report a crime."

She said a conversation now will begin among the city, immigrant communities, businesses, the Tucson Police Department and others about how to make the city more welcoming.

Activists are calling for a protest and press conference today, Monday, February 18 at 4 p.m., outside of TPD. 

On a related note, the American Friends Service Committee, Border Links, Derechos Humanos, and other immigrant supporters, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, will hold a press conference and protest of Operation Streamline on Tuesday, February 19, at 12:30 at the Federal Courthouse. The Operation Streamline action leads up to a Congressional hearing on this policy on February 22 in DC. Details and background on both of these actions after the jump.

About that minimum wage increase proposal

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In his SOTU Address last night, President Obama said, "let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour." (The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour).

Now that may sound like a dramatic increase in the minimum wage, but if the policy goal is that "no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty," that $9.00 an hour will still not achieve this goal.

Dean Baker writes at Firedoglake today, The Minimum Wage and Economic Growth:

The purchasing power of the minimum wage peaked in the late 1960s at $9.22 an hour in 2012 dollars. That is almost two dollars above the current level of $7.25 an hour. Most of the efforts to raise the minimum wage focus on restoring its purchasing power to its late 1960s level, setting a target of around $10 an hour for 2015 or 2016, when inflation will have brought this sum closer to its previous peak in 2012 dollars.

Building a Sustainable Economy in Tucson: Public Forum Tonight

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Tonight-- February 11-- Sustainable Tucson will host a panel discussion and public forum focusing on creative ideas for building a sustainable economy in Tucson.

Tucson is one of the poorest cities in the southwest, has a fragile desert ecosystem, and relies far too heavily on defense, the University of Arizona, and tourism for its vitality. We need diversification and creativity in our economic development efforts.

Tonight's speakers represent wide-ranging ideas from public banking and time trading to TREO's efforts in building Tucson's economy. The meeting will be held in the downtown library's lower level meeting room. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; program begins at 6 p.m. Details after the jump.

Labor's Day of Action at The Capitol

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from the Arizona AFL-CIO:

NNU: Where There is Struggle, Nurses Will be There (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

National Nurses United (NNU) is one of the most creative and most activist unions in the US.

Long before anyone was talking about the financial transaction tax (AKA the Robin Hood Tax), NNU and its members were in the halls of Congress-- pushing for this innovative revenue-generating tax on Wall Street-- and in the streets bringing attention to it.  

When Wisconsin rose up against anti-union "austerity" measures proposed by Governor Scott Walker, the nurses were there.

When the Occupy Movement needed support, the nurses were there in solidarity.

After the jump, watch a short Loneprotestor video featuring Karen Higgins, head of NNU.

The 98 Year Old Activist

Posted by Bob Lord

I read this post by Thomas Hedges at Truthdig because I've had a concern that Labor is getting complacent at the top. The post is a quick read, and more or less does bear out my concern.

But what I learned was quite inspiring, at least for me. Hedges writes about Harry Kelber, who is challenging Richard Trumka for the Presidency of the AFL-CIO. Kelber believes Trumka has done precious little to advance the cause of union members. 

Kelber, you see, is doing this at the tender age of 98. He's been a union activist since the '30s. Here's why he's running:

The federation’s leaders have lost themselves in the glow of Washington, he contends. Obama “invites them for dinner at the White House and they love it,” Kelber notes. “That’s their reward.

“I’m 98 years old,” Kelber says. “I’m not the kind of leader that they’re looking for. But no one else is coming up. I’m raising questions that have never been raised before.”

Despite his age, Kelber writes three columns a week and speaks with undiminished clarity.

“There are times that you have to go into battle and know that you are going to lose,” he concludes. “But you have to lay a foundation down for the future.”

So, he's 98 and he's laying a foundation for the future. Not his future, of course, our future. Pretty inspiring, if you ask me. 

A solid January jobs report

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Despite the fact that GDP declined in the fourth quarter due mostly to the Pentagon substantially reducing spending in anticipation of the fiscal cliff austerity crisis negotiations and the pending sequester cuts (which has now been delayed), the economy continued to add jobs in January. Steve Benen reports, Economy adds 157k jobs in January, revisions way up:

Expectations for job creation were pretty close to perfect according to the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the economy adding 157,000 jobs in January. The big news, however, is in the revisions.

First, let's note the basics. The unemployment rate was effectively unchanged at 7.9%, and as is often the case, austerity measures undermined the employment landscape -- while America's private sector added 166,000 jobs in December, the public sector lost 9,000 jobs. Indeed, over the last three months, the nation's private sector added 624,000 jobs, while 24,000 government jobs were lost.

It'd be easy for Washington to improve the latter number and lower the unemployment rate, but congressional Republicans won't allow it.

Regardless, today is the day the BLS publishes its revisions for all of 2012, and that's where we see the genuinely good news. Not only were the job totals for November and December revised up considerably -- 127,000 jobs combined -- but for the entire 2012 calendar year, we learned this morning of an additional 335,000 jobs that had not been previously reported.

That means 2.17 million jobs were created just last year, which is the best annual total since 2005, and tops seven of the eight years Bush/Cheney was in office.

The 'Kochtopus' and Arizona GOP declare war on public employees

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Goldwater Institute, a charter member of the billionaire bastard Koch brother's web of corporate funded far-right think tanks and political action committees known as the "Kochtopus," has its Tea-Publican stooges in the Arizona legislature pursuing its anti-union, anti-public employee bills in committee this week.

The Goldwater Institute authored HB2330, a proposal to open up collective bargaining between a representative of a public body and a representative of an employee organization about salaries and benefits subject to the open meeting laws. It would also prevent local government bodies from going into executive session to discuss these issues and would require all discussions to be recorded.

In other words, the Goldwater Institute and other secretly funded corporate lobbyists of the "Kochtopus" want to insert themselves into contract negotiations between public bodies and employee organizations through open meeting laws (employee contracts are done in executive session and are exempt from open meeting laws).

And why should these self-styled government watchdogs secretly funded corporate lobbyists have a seat at the negotiation table you ask? Good question. They shouldn't. This is over-reaching by anti-union, anti-public employee corporate lobbyists.

I have to agree with Roman Ulman from AFSCME. “If you’re going to have open meeting laws, then I want open meeting laws for any time the Goldwater Institute even has a discussion with any of our representatives. I want that to be pre-posted.”

Jan 29: Barber hosts meeting on Border Patrol Operations

by Pamela Powers Hannley

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber (D) will host a meeting to discuss the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Border Patrol Operations-- today. Please RSVP at AZ02.RSVP@mail.house.gov.

The meeting is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Pima Communitiy College East Campus, 8181 E. Irvington Rd.

Here is a link to GAO Report on the Broder Patrol.

Here is a link to the Migration Policy Institute Report.

And some other related links regarding the Border Patrol.

Border Patrol removes blankets, water left by humanitarian aid volunteers (video)

New US immigration report reveals 'formidable' & expensive machinery to secure border

Mr Parraz goes to Washington (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

This past Saturday, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) sponsored the People's Inauguration in Washington, DC. 

Citizens for a Better Arizona leader Randy Parraz was one of the speakers. Thanks to Loneprotestor, you can see a video of his speech after the jump.

Immigration Reform questions for Obama from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Good questions from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network...

Key Questions for the White House on Immigration Reform 

1.  It is widely reported that the Obama administration has deported unprecedented numbers of immigrants, and it is widely suspected that the Department of Homeland Security is operating under a self-imposed a deportation quota.  Is there a deportation quota?  If so, where does it come from, and will it be reduced or eliminated as part of the President’s proposal on immigration reform? [More good questions after the jump.]

PDA People's Inauguration live-- NOW

by Pamela Powers Hannley

The People's Inauguration-- sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)-- is live streaming now here.

Great stuff-- War on Poverty, immigration reform, organizing the unemployed, Robin Hood Tax, eminent domain for economic development.

Jesse Jackson, Randy Parraz, Congressman John Conyers, and labor leaders just spoke.

Randy Parraz: "Change is coming to Arizona."

Jesse Jackson: The US should be as tough on gun manufacturers as we are on tobacco companies.

Bill Fletcher of the government employees union: Unions should organize the unemployed. He also called for the government to use eminent domain to take over forclosures and failing factories (before they close) to save people and communities from crushing poverty. [Why not? We saved GM.]

Congressman Jim McGovern now: "Hunger is a political condition."

More coming. Tune in. Tweets at @pdacommunity, @ProgressiveCentral and @p2hannley. Photos on PDA's Facebook page. Do it. Be the change you want to see. You are not alone in this struggle.

PDA sponsors 'People's Inauguration' in DC on Jan 19: Watch live streaming

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is hosting Progressive Central: The People's Inauguration on January 19 in Washington DC. 

Progressive pundits and politicians from around the country-- including our own Congressman Raul Grijalva-- will be there. If you're like me and will be in Tucson tomorrow, check out the live streaming of Progressive Central on the PDA home page, beginning at 8 a.m. (Eastern Time).  Bisbee's own Loneprotestor will be in DC-- so look for video from her on this blog. I attended Progressive Central in Charlotte while attending the Democratic National Convention, and it was inspiring. More details from after the jump.

New US immigration report reveals 'formidable' & expensive machinery to secure border

by Pamela Powers Hannley

A detailed new report release by the Migration Policy Institute reveals the sophistication and cost-- both human and monetary-- of the United States' immigration policy in recent years.

According to the nearly 200-page report, the US system is based upon 6 pillars: border enforcement; visa controls and travel screening; information and interoperability of data systems; workplace enforcement; intersection between criminal justice system and immigration enforcement; and detention and removal of noncitizens. Each area is described in detail. 

The report includes a wealth of information about the intricacies of the Department of Homeland Security and how immigration enforcement intersects with the criminal justice system, the FBI, and the CIA. Probably the most dramatic finding is:

The US government spends more on its immigration enforcement agencies than on all its other principal criminal federal law enforcement agencies combined. In FY 2012, spending for CBP [Customs and Border Protection], ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], and US-VISIT reached nearly $18 billion. This amount exceeds by approximately 24 percent total spending for the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Secret Service, US Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which stood at $14.4 billion in FY 2012.

Judging by resource levels, case volumes, and enforcement actions...immigration enforcement can thus be seen to rank as the federal government's highest criminal law enforcement priority.

Whoa. More key findings after the jump.

December jobs report holds steady

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Steve Benen reports, US economy adds 155k jobs in December, jobless rate unchanged:

The BLS reported this morning that the overall economy added 155,000 jobs last month, while the revised unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8%. As is often the case, austerity measures undermined the employment landscape -- while America's private sector added 168,000 jobs in December, the public sector lost 13,000 jobs, including over 11,000 teachers. (President Obama's American Jobs Act was intended to prevent this, but congressional Republicans refused to vote on his proposal.)

In terms of revisions, October's numbers were slightly worse than previously reported, while November's totals were revised up by 15,000.

For the 2012 calendar year, the nation added over 1.83 million jobs, which is down slightly from 2011, but is the second best annual total since 2005. The private sector, meanwhile, added over 1.9 million jobs last year.

As Benen says, "focusing on deficit reduction and austerity instead of economic growth and job creation is misguided and counterproductive."

Here's another chart, this one showing monthly job losses/gains in just the private sector since the start of the Great Recession. [There has been 34 consecutive months of private sector job growth.]

The New New Deal ... a book by Michael Grunwald

book review posted by John Denker

The New New Deal is a recent book by Michael Grunwald. It is very interesting, important, informative, readable, thorough, and persuasive. It revolves around the so-called Stimulus Act of 2009. There are three parts to the story: (1) The economic collapse and the election in the autumn of 2008; (2) the drafting and passage of the Stimulus Act in the winter of 2008–2009; and (3) the implementation and the consequences from 2009 to 2012.

I wish everybody would read this book, in order to know what was done and how well it worked. This is important, because many of the same policy issues are still with us, in connection with today’s fiscal negotiations and in the longer term, forever. We need public support for making the right decisions.

Steve Benen called this “the best book on the Obama presidency to date.” It injects some desperately needed reality into the discussion.

<...more...>

2013 Portents: More attacks on public employees

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

Yeah, I know this one is like predicting a sunny day in Phoenix..

Current Arizona Treasurer and rumored 2014 candidate for governor Doug Ducey sent out a press release in late November touting a new study that says that Arizona has underfunded its public employee pension funds by $13 billion. 

The study was put together by the Pew Center for the States, which is part of a "non-profit" organization founded by the children of the founder of Sunoco.  The organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts, was created to support and promulgate "free market" (read: "pro big-business") public policies.  They've toned down the overtness of their position in recent years, but it is basically the Goldwater Institute with even deeper pockets.

Basically, the "study" seems to be intended to provide cover for more GOP attacks on public employees and specifically, in this case, their pensions.

The first salvo in the latest attack is HB2006, introduced by Rep. Michelle Ugenti (R-Date with your Right Hand).

Tea-Publican Tyranny in Michigan - Reviving the Civil Rights Movement: 'Workers Rights Are Civil Rights'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Ed Kilgore captures the Randian philosophy of conservatives towards the working class perfectly in Ancient Battle:

[T]he [right to work] legislation represents an ancient, almost primal cause among conservatives who view unions as both an economic and political threat to a free market society in which workers are independent contractors whose low pay and meager benefits are an accurate benefit of their limited value to the enterprises that make all good things possible.

In other words, your labor is just a unit cost of production that needs to be reduced as low as possible to maximize profits to the ownership class and investor class. When you are no longer of productive value (due to age, illness or disability) you are to be discarded -- a cost to be externalized to society as a whole. It is a race to the bottom to reduce the unit cost of labor.

The ownership class and investor class, however, the so-called "job creators," are to be worshipped as masters of the universe for amassing great profits and personal wealth. They are the only humans who truly matter in their world. Hence the Randian "makers vs. takers" propaganda from the right-wing noise machine.

Tea-Publican Tyranny in Michigan: The billionaire bastard Koch brothers funded ALEC

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Detroit Free Press has another great editorial opinion, this time excoriating the billionaire bastard Koch brothers funded ALEC for the lame-duck session attempt to pass a right to work law in the birthplace of the United Auto Workers. Editorial: Drinking the Kochs' Kool-Aid:

Americans For Prosperity, founded by billionaire tea party titans David and Charles Koch, is heralding Michigan's imminent passage of right-to-work legislation laws in Michigan as "the shot heard around the world" in the fight to weaken unions.

But the group was also a significant financial backer of Proposal 5, an effort to amend the Michigan Constitution to bar tax increases without a two-thirds legislative supermajority. [Prop. 108 (1992) in Arizona.]

So why would Snyder turn from labor unions to a group that was behind a constitutional amendment he described as "bad public policy"?

The answer may lie in another Koch-funded group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which promotes a radical right-wing agenda in states across the country, supplying "model legislation" to sympathetic lawmakers.

Tea-Publican Tyranny in Michigan: D-Day in GOP war on organized labor

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

GOPropaganda wordsmith Frank Luntz is frequently credited with coming up with focus group tested bumper sticker slogans that Republicans have used to great effect with low information voters. But the GOP has been doing this since long before anyone ever heard of Frank Luntz.

A classic example is the so-called "right to work" laws that have been around since 1947, when the first Republican Congress since the Great Depression enacted the National Labor Relations Act (aka Taft-Hartley Act), which outlawed the "closed shop" and gave states the right to outlaw "union security agreements,"  or agreements between labor unions and employers that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees' membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring.

The Taft-Hartley Act allows for "union shop" and "agency shop," i.e., a union may require that employees either join the union or pay the equivalent of union dues. Nonmembers who object to that requirement may be compelled to pay only that portion of union dues that is attributable to the cost of representing employees in collective bargaining and in providing services to all represented employees, but not, with certain exceptions, to the union's political activities or organizing employees of other employers.

Tea-Publican Tyranny in Michigan: lame-duck legislature declares war on organized labor

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Organized labor and civil rights groups were successful on election day in repealing Michigan's anti-democratic emergency financial manager law (economic martial law), but failed in their attempt to pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to collective bargaining. Michigan voters reject all proposals; emergency manager law repealed.

A lame-duck session of the Tea-Publican controlled Michigan legislature met this week to declare war on organized labor by pursuing "right to work" legislation that would end "union shop" agreements and the obligation of non-union members to pay dues for the benefits they receive from union representation.

You may have heard that police used pepper spray on protestors at the Michigan State Capitol on Thursday after Gov. Rick Snyder and GOP legislative leaders unveiled their plan to blitzkrieg “right-to-work” legislation through a fast-track device during a lame-duck session.

Ed Kilgore writes at the Political Animal blog, Racing To the Bottom In Michigan:

It won’t be formal until next Tuesday (thanks to a five-day delay requirement for bills passed by both Houses), but the Michigan legislature has indeed approved “right-to-work” legislation in a lame-duck session blitzkrieg of enormous audacity. There were no hearings, no public debate, and virtually no warning before the famously pro-labor state joined the Greater South in declaring itself union-unfriendly territory, as Gov. Rick Snyder abruptly reversed his prior opposition to consideration of such legislation. That very day the hammer came down in a series of votes.

November jobs report (post Hurricane Sandy) better than expected

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

There were warnings earlier in the week that the November jobs report would be dismal because Hurricane Sandy disrupted the BLS job survey. The jobs report Friday is going to be a giant mess.

Hmmm, maybe not.

Steve Benen writes Job numbers far exceed expectations, unemployment drops:

Just last night, Ezra Klein explained on the show that the new monthly job figures would be released this morning, and a lot of folks would be shocked by how bad the numbers would be. Why? Because of Hurricane Sandy. Most expected to see only 80,000 jobs created.

This morning, everyone's shocked for a very different reason. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the U.S. economy added 146,000 jobs in November, nearly double the projections. What's more, the overall unemployment rate dropped to 7.7%, its lowest point in four years.

On a more discouraging note, job totals from September and October were revised down a bit.

[Last month’s jobs report suggested that the economy had added 148,000 jobs in September and 171,000 jobs in October. That’s been revised down to 132,000 and 138,000, respectively.]

To be sure, 146,000 jobs isn't evidence of a robust economic recovery, but given Sandy-generated expectations, the figures come as a pleasant surprise.

The Insidiously Seductive Nature of Libertarian Philosophy

Posted by Bob Lord

Libertarian philosophy is beautiful in its simplicity. It also is ugly in its simplicity, because, well, things aren't that simple. It's a shame Libertarians are unwilling to stray from their rigid doctrine. It might allow them to capture more of a following. Certainly, on matters of civil liberty, their platform is superior to that of either the Republicans, who seek to legislate morality, or Democrats, who don't have a coherent philosophy. The Libertarian philosophy on foreign affairs also has a lot to say for itself. And the Libertarian philosophy in military affairs contains an element utterly lacking in both the Republican and Democratic philosophies -- a shred of human decency and morality.

I've had significant exposure to Libertarian thinking. My sister was the Libertarian candidate for Vice-President in 1992. We've had numerous conversations on the topic. She knows her principles cold. She can apply them to virtually every policy question that arises, with dependable, predictable results. But when peppered with questions about details and nuance, she has no answers. 

Wal-Mart Black Friday protests statewide in Arizona (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Wal-Mart workers, unionists, and supporters protested Wal-Mart's unfair labor practices and low wages in Arizona and across the country on Black Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. In dueling press releases on Saturday, representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers reported 1000 protests nationwide at Wal-Mart stores, while the retail giant said they had the largest Black Friday ever and that the protests didn't hurt their business.

In Tempe, protesters nearly blocked the flow of traffic in and out of a Wal-Mart parking lot. Representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Church-- dressed in their Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts-- tried to peacefully deliver a letter a letter to the store manager but were quickly stopped by Wal-Mart security, who called in police. (Interestingly, when I was shooting my video on Black Friday in Tucson, store security hopped out of an unmarked beater car in the lot and stopped me from filming by threatening to call the police.)

After the jump, watch Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman's video of protests in Maricpoa County. Tucson video is here.

Tucson Black Friday Wal-Mart protest draws 50 activists, no strikers (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Approximately 50 Tucson activists protested Wal-Mart's labor practices at a southside store on Black Friday.

The usual left-wing groups were represented-- Jobs with Justice, Occupy Tucson, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), and college students. Who was absent? Wal-Mart workers and representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers--the union that played an integral role in organizing the national day of protest. 

Although Wal-Mart is infamous for paying low wages, intimidating workers who want to unionize, discriminating against women in promotion practices, and avoiding offering health care insurance by manipulating employees' hours, the tipping point for yesterday's protest was requiring workers to start Black Friday work schedules on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m.

Video of the Tucson protest and other details after the jump.

The Not So Fuzzy Math on Walmart

Posted by Bob Lord

I posted last week on the plight of workers at Walmart. In that post, I threw out some rough numbers to suggest how painless it would be for Walmart and other retailers to reduce dramatically the financial pain they're inflicting on their workers:

And it would take so little to improve their lives. Assume those Walmart workers average 1500 hours per year. That's 1.5 billion hours. It would cost $3 Billion to give each of them a $2 per hour raise, and $3 Billion is less than one percent of Walmart's annual sales, an amount it easily could pass on to customers. Does anyone stop to think of this trade-off -- a three quarters of a percentage point savings to customers, versus a 20% pay increase to poverty level workers?

Frankly, I thought that my rough math may have overlooked something. But it turns out I'd gotten it just about right. Here's Robert Reich at Truthdig:

Take a Stand: Support the Walmart Black Friday Strike

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Walmart workers across the country are striking on "Black Friday." It's time to take a stand and support the workers who are standing up to live better through an unfair labor practice strike. (h/t Crooksandliars.com). support the Wal-Mart employees as they strike on Black Friday:

Walmart workers decided to strike on Black Friday after they were targeted for retaliation for speaking out about substandard work conditions and treatment last month in the first ever walk out in the history of the company.

We ask you to help us feed the workers who will walk out on the company next week on the biggest shopping day of the year.

https://www.wepay.com/donations/walmart-strikers-food-fund

The workers are demanding the following from Walmart:

Improve Workers’ Lives
Pay a minimum of $25,000/year and guarantee quality, affordable health coverage for all Walmart associates and workers in the company’s US distribution chain.

Rebuild Communities
Sign on to a national community benefits agreement that ensures as Walmart expands into new markets, it strengthens communities, protects the environment and is responsible for the well-being of its employees in its retail stores and US supply and distribution chain.

Put Its Promises in Writing
Agree to a global labor agreement guaranteeing the fundamental human right of freedom of association for all of its associates and instruct their suppliers to do the same, and recognize and negotiate with OUR Walmart.

Elevate Global Living Standards
Establish a legally binding global responsible contractor policy requiring contractors and subcontractors to provide living wages, worker safety protections, and respect basic human and labor rights, including freedom of association and freedom from racial and gender discrimination.

How can I support in other ways?

You can join solidarity actions throughout the United States. Find out which solidarity actions are being organized and the store employees that are participating by going to the Corporate Action Network event page.

Click here and support the Walmart Black Friday strikers today!

----

You can tell Walmart to give their employees the basic respect they deserve by signing the declaration here. Or donate to help the striking workers here, and check here for solidarity actions planned in your area here.

Is there nothing sacred anymore? People should celebrate Thanksgiving Day with their families

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In my first career, I worked in retail management. There were two days of the year that inspired dread: the Friday after Thanksgiving (it was not yet dubbed "Black Friday" by the media at the time) when people bought a bunch of crap that nobody needs, and the day after Christmas when people returned all that crap that nobody needs or wanted. In a word, it is "insanity."

Christmas was once banned in in the colonies and later the United States. The Surprising Truth: Christians Once Banned Christmas:

It may seem like Christmas has always been celebrated in the United States, but that's not the case. In fact, the joyous religious holiday was actually banned in America for several decades – by Christians themselves.

It may seem like Christmas has always been celebrated in the United States, but that's not the case. In fact, the joyous religious holiday was actually banned in America for several decades – by Christians themselves.

The original war on Christmas was waged during the sixteenth and seventeenth century by Puritans, or Protestant Christians who believed that people needed strict rules to be religious and that any kind of merrymaking was sinful.

"Shocking as it sounds, followers of Jesus Christ in both America and England helped pass laws making it illegal to observe Christmas, believing it was an insult to God to honor a day associated with ancient paganism," according to "Shocked by the Bible" (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008). "Most Americans today are unaware that Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681."

All Christmas activities, including dancing, seasonal plays, games, singing carols, cheerful celebration – and especially drinking – were banned by the Puritan-dominated Parliament of England in 1644, with the Puritans of New England following suit. Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and the Plymouth colony made celebrating Christmas a criminal offense, according to "Once Upon a Gospel" (Twenty-Third Publications, 2008).

Christmas trees and decorations were considered to be unholy pagan rituals, and the Puritans also banned traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies and pudding. Puritan laws required that stores and businesses remain open all day on Christmas, and town criers walked through the streets on Christmas Eve calling out "No Christmas, no Christmas!"

On Dec. 25, 1789, the first Christmas under the brand-new Constitution, the United States Congress was in session, with no day off for any holiday. In fact, the U.S. did not even make Christmas a federal holiday until 1870.

It was the rise of the industrial era and a new commercialism that turned the once-banned Christmas holiday into the commercial holiday and economic engine that it is today.