Get informed: America’s top 50 WORST charities

By on June 13, 2013 in Things That Make You Go Hmmm

This is truly an outrage

The Tampa Bay Times teamed with The Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN to create an exhaustively-researched list of the fifty worst charities in the country. What you’ll read in the Times‘ reporting and CNN’s reporting will blow your mind.

From the Times:

Carol Smith still gets angry when she remembers the box that arrived by mail for her dying husband.

Cancer Fund of America sent it when he was diagnosed with lung cancer six years ago. Smith had called the charity for help.

“It was filled with paper plates, cups, napkins and kids’ toys,” the 67-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., resident said.

…


Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Richard Baird, Rick Snyder’s “Transformation Manager” – the governor’s enforcer behind the scenes

By on June 13, 2013 in Rick Snyder

The Dick Cheney of Michigan?

Immediately after he was elected in 2010, Michigan governor Rick Snyder brought Richard Baird on board to be his “Transformation Manager”. It’s a new title and position for the state of Michigan and is paid for from the governor’s secret-donor slush fund called the New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify Fund (NERD). Baird, who had recently retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers, set up a consulting firm called MI Partners and took on one client: Governor Rick Snyder. He makes $100,000 year, paid for by unknown donors to the NERD fund, and sits at the right hand of the governor.…


Read full story • Comments { 3 }

There’s more hope than ever for Medicaid expansion in Michigan

By on June 12, 2013 in Conservatives, Michigan Republicans, Tea Party

Forward momentum and signs of compromise are promising.

Supporters of Medicaid expansion — which is pretty much everyone except the Tea Party and staunch conservatives, by most accounts — will be happy to hear some positive news.

The House Michigan Competitiveness committee voted 9-5 to approve a Medicaid expansion bill, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Opponents and supporters were advocating strongly leading up to Wednesday’s vote.

The efforts of pro-Medicaid expansion activists like the Michigan Nurses Association are having a positive impact. State Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clark Lake) and chairman of the committee, was quoted in the Detroit Free Press on his change of heart:

I was a hard no to begin with.…

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Snyder aide denied use of executive privilege, judge laughs at use of Nixon precedent, Schauer calls for release of NERD donors

By on June 12, 2013 in Detroit, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, GOPocrisy, Mark Schauer, Rick Snyder

Wow, they are getting seriously desperate

As I have written about before, Governor Rick Snyder has a pal of his working in the office next to his. Rich Baird is not paid by the taxpayers of Michigan. He’s paid out of Governor Snyder’s New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify Fund (NERD). This slush fund is financed by undisclosed corporate donors, likely the DeVos family and other wealthy corporatists.

Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette is overseeing a lawsuit filed by Robert Davis accusing the governor of violations of the Open Meetings Act during the hiring of Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.…


Read full story • Comments { 1 }

Michigan Republican Colbeck still worried kids are being kept from learning American history

By on June 12, 2013 in Conservatives, Education, Michigan Republicans, Tea Party

Draped in a flag, carrying a cross

The funny thing about so-called “small government” Republicans is their hypocritical desire to pass more and more laws, many of them with no purpose (like the Senate resolution that was passed last week “to express support for the state of Michigan officially recognizing September 19, 2013, as International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.) Michigan Senator Patrick Colbeck introduced legislation earlier this year to prevent what he sees as the censorship of American history in our schools. He’s back at it again with a new bill that authorizes the teaching of American history. It’s yet another solution looking for a problem to solve.…


Read full story • Comments { 13 }

AUDIO: Grassroots organizers talk about the Save Michigan’s Public Schools rally

By on June 12, 2013 in Education, Events, First Shift, Teachers

Save Michigan’s Public Schools

As I wrote about yesterday, two friends of mine, Rochelle Noel and Betsy Coffia, have organized a huge rally in support of Michigan’s public schools. It happens next Wednesday, June 19th, 2013.

Last night, Rochell and Betsy appeared on the Night Shift with Tony Trupiano radio show to talk about the rally. Tony will be the Master of Ceremonies at the rally. Listen to it after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 1 }

Senate votes to kill 56,243 jobs with $4.1 billion in cuts to food stamps, House GOP would like to cut $135 billion

By on June 12, 2013 in GOPocrisy

Austerity is supposed to be dead but Tuesday night the Senate voted to cut $4.1 billion from the “Heat and Eat” programs that supplement food assistance for seniors and those with disabilities.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) offered legislation last month that would block any cuts to the SNAP program. It was soundly defeated after Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Agriculture Committee, opposed it — unfortunately.

The Nation’s George Zornick points out that food assistance not only provides essential nutrition for the most vulnerable, it also is the most effective form of stimulus the government can offer:

Aside from being, well, cruel, the food stamp cuts in the Senate bill are also damaging to the economy.

…


Read full story • Comments { 1 }

Working America unveils “FixMyJob.com”, an online tool for workers to get help

By on June 12, 2013 in Labor

Working America is the largest coalition of non-union workers in the country. In fact, although it is a project of the AFL-CIO union membership precludes you from being a Working America member yet their ranks are swelling. This week, my pals at Working America unveiled a new website called FixMyJob.com. The site is simple to use; a series of screens walks you through the process to help you learn how to deal with problems that workers across America face on a daily basis. There’s even help to get organized with other workers if that option interests you.

Here’s Working America’s description of FixMyJob.com:

We spend a big part of our life at work—but for too many of us, that time is spent bumping up against challenges that make it hard to deal with.…

Read full story • Comments { 0 }
eXTReMe Tracker