Tax Revenues Plummet in 2010

These numbers reveal that incessant repetition of GOP tax-cutting rhetoric is not only disingenuous and misleading but also malicious and destructive. The misinformation campaign is relentless and insidious and has taken hold through disciplined message control by way of a compliant corporate media. The GOP strategy for years has been to "starve the beast" and they are doing it by creating a revenue problem through persistent tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. This is forcing state budget crises throughout the nation, resulting in layoffs and reduced services. Democrats are guilty of the taxation ruse as well but the GOP has made it the cornerstone of their game.
http://www.truth-out.org/tax-revenues-plummet-201068659

Germany's Solar Panels Produce More Power Than Fukushima Nuclear Complex

Germany is the world leader in installed photovoltaic panels and they also just shut down seven of their oldest nuclear reactors. Of course, France is still a huge supporter of nuclear power...
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-22-germanys-solar-panels-produce-more-power-than-japans-entire-fuku

The Dangers of Whistleblowing in India

11 Right To Information activists have been killed over the past couple of years in India. This story speaks to the power and importance of information transparency, as well as our collective obligation to protect whistleblowers in the US.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12696470

The article above doesn't go into the devastating effect that Industrial Ag and Monsanto's GM seeds have had on Indian agriculture, something that has spurred over 5,000 suicides. I've provided a link to this story here.

Industrial Agricultural and its' chemically intensive applications have wreaked havoc and spurred cancer claims in farming communities throughout India.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-13-india-cancer-train

Indian farmers accuse Monsanto of pushing cotton "Seeds of Death."
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/indiacotton012406.cfm

Tallest Skyscraper in the US to Become a Vertical Solar Farm

The former Sears Tower, now the Willis in Chicago, will be retrofitted with new solar technology in the form of transparent glass windows that generate energy that will be used to operate the building.
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-22-tallest-skyscraper-in-u.s.-will-cool-itself-with-a-vertical-sola

Strong Plurality of Michiganders Want to Amend State Constitution to Protect Collective Bargaining Rights

In Michigan just 10% of the electorate can place an amendment to the state's constitution on the ballot.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/poll-supports-collective-bargaining-amendment/

Watchdog Demands DOJ Release Records of DeLay Investigation

I'd love to see what's in those documents and hope the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics suit somehow prevails. I recently watched Casino Jack-The United States of Money, a documentary by the prolifically talented Alex Gibney, and it had a major segment on the unscrupulous 'Hammer.'
http://www.publicintegrity.org/blog/entry/3065/

The Law for Big Bankers Is Different than for the Rest of Us

The bankers are gaming the system in business as usual. 

http://www.alternet.org/news/150328/the_law_for_big_bankers_is_different_than_for_the_rest_of_us/?utm_

Bingaman Tells The Truth About Gas Prices, Is Lonely Doing So

Puts all the hoopla about US policies impacting gasoline prices to rest. 
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-22-bingaman-tells-the-truth-about-gas-prices

The Republicans Big Lies About Jobs (And Why Obama Must Repudiate Them

Reich hits on a lot of familiar rhetoric coming from the GOP and refutes them all.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-republicans-big-lies-_b_839341.html

Settling the Afghan War

It's time to bring our troops home and negotiate an end to the war in Afghanistan. I watched the documentary, Restrepo, recently and that brought the war much closer to home in these days of media control of images from American battlefields.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/opinion/23brahimi.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

"The US Chamber of Commerce Doesn't Speak for Me" - Small Businesses Take A Stand

A scathing historical review of the anti-regulatory activity and lobbying of the US Chamber of Commerce. Fascinating piece.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-mckibben/the-gang-that-couldnt-lob_b_839047.html

Jeremy Scahill on America's Covert War in Yemen - Video

I admit this was news to me; that the US is deeply entrenched militarily in Yemen and has conducted secret bombing missions there. The covert relationship began under Bush after 9-11 and has been accelerated under the Obama Administration. 
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/jeremy_scahill_on_americas_covert_war_in_yemen_20110322/?utm_

Raytheon, AT&T and Koch Industries Lobbying Highlighted by OpenSecrets Blog

A daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/03/ceo-3-21-2011.html

The Daily Show and Jon Stewart Reporting on Humanitarian Interventions

Jon Stewart and Daily Show Correspondent John Oliver deliver a hilarious segment illuminating the hypocrisy of the US in responding to humanitarian disasters around the world.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/john-stewart-not-intimida_b_839064.html

The Hypocrisy of War

This piece presents a compelling critique on the Libyan military action in the context of the budget turmoil going on all over the US. There always seems to be money for war...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-hypocrisy-of-war_b_839178.html

Gov. Kasich's Plan: Drink More Booze and Hand the Profits to a Private Development Company

Privatizing strikes again, as Ohio Governor Kasich pushes to sell state alcohol leasing rights to JobsOhio at a steep discount of $4.5 billion. Wall Street and private industry may benefit but the people of the state will lose, again.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/kasich-jobs-plan-booze/

Haphazard Government Approach Undermines Undermines National Strategy of Food Regulation

The Center for Public Integrity's report details how US food safety system is fragmented among 15 different regulatory agencies.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/daily_watchdog/entry/3060/

Behind the Battle Over Hidden Debit Card Fees - Propublica Backgrounder

Banks are fighting retailers to continue transaction fees on debit card purchases. The Dodd-Frank bill was to reduce these charges from 44 cents per transaction to 12 cents. There is virtually no risk to banks in these transactions and their fees amount to gouging retailers who then pass costs onto consumers.
http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/backgrounder-behind-the-battle-over-hidden-debit-card-fees

Chemical Security Bills Fail To Remove Chemicals From Terror Targets

It is incomprehensible to me that we so readily strip civil liberties from Americans to 'fight' terror but because of the power of the Chemical Lobby we do nothing about the threats to the population of unsecured chemicals and water treatment facilities. It's another clear example of how profits trump common sense in industry and politics.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Republican-Led-Chemical-Security-Bills-Fail-To-Remove-Nations-Chemical-Plants-From-Terror-Targets/

Three States Propose Massive Tax Cuts for Millionaires, Tax Hikes for Middle Class

More evidence of conservative efforts to further shift the tax burden from corporations and the wealthy to middle class and poor families. 
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/estate-tax-vs-middle-class-report/