Who will refuse private-equity and hedge-fund money in their campaigns?

Robert Reich via Facebook.com

5 hrs · 

Even Jeb Bush is now urging an end to the “carried interest” loophole that allows partners at private-equity and hedge funds to treat their income as capital gains for the purpose of getting the lower capital gains tax rate – even if they haven’t risked a dime of their own money. The loophole has been in place for years, surviving both Republican and Democratic majorities in Congress. Bill Clinton didn’t end it when he had a Democratic majority, and Barack Obama didn’t eliminate it when he had a Democratic majority. Why has the loophole proved so durable? Because private-equity and hedge-fund executives make gigantic campaign contributions, to both Republicans and Democrats.

Interestingly, Donald Trump has also called for an end to the loophole (which is probably gave Jeb his courage) as has Hillary Clinton and, of course, Bernie Sanders. But the real test is whether Jeb and Hillary will refuse private-equity and hedge-fund money in their campaigns.

For some background you might find useful our video, below.

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What the HPG proved 

CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 11, 2015 - 12:00am

The PNP-HPG or Highway Patrol Group has certainly lived up to their billing as the formidable and to be feared law enforcers of Philippine highways even along the lawless corridor known as EDSA. They’ve managed to make an embarrassment of the inutile MMDA and have shown everyone how traffic management is done in a matter of 72 hours.

But beyond the realms of traffic management, the Highway Patrol Group proved many things, a number of which many of us already knew or suspected but were constantly denied or ignored by the authorities and people concerned. The HPG proved that traffic laws are not applied equally and fairly. The HPG proved that contrary to the claims of LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez, EDSA is still a playground for so many colorum buses. The HPG proved that many Mayors have been doing nothing about the traffic problem in Metro Manila except to give lip service. At the top of the list are the Mayors of Quezon City, Pasay, Makati, Manila, Taguig and Parañaque and Mandaluyong. The HPG proved that illegal terminals along EDSA and parallel to EDSA are protected by LGUs and MMDA traffic enforcers. The HPG proved that “Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw maraming dahilan” (Where there’s a will – there’s a way) for the MMDA. The HPG “experiment” also proved that Filipinos will cooperate, will obey and will believe in a plan or a solution if those implementing the plan or solution do so to the full letter of the law. Finally the HPG also proved that Metro Manila needs an elected Governor to place the house and all its Mayors in order and in line.

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Abaya caught in 3 rail controversies

Abaya caught in 3 rail controversies

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 11, 2015 - 12:00am

Defying Congress calls for openness, transport officials continued this week secret contracting for a P4.25-billion rehab of the MRT-3 commuter rail.

Transport Sec. Joseph Abaya also figured in two more storms over Metro Manila’s railways. He was caught contriving a P7.5-billion reimbursement to the LRT-1 extension contractor who wasn’t even asking for it. And the MRT-3 prototype coach he has been bragging about finally arrived from China – but would not run because engineless.

 Subalterns representing Abaya at Monday’s House of Reps hearing refused to divulge what companies they were talking with for the MRT-3. U-Sec. Jose Perpetuo Lotilla and Director Renato San Jose invoked the Government Procurement Reform Act of 2004 for their secrecy.

This drew jeers from congressmen and other attendees of the committee on Metro Manila development, chaired by Rep. Winston Castelo (Quezon City). Lawyers among them pointed out that the law was passed precisely to make government contracting more transparent. Party-list Reps. Jonathan dela Cruz (Abakada) and Terry Ridon (Kabataan) called for a new hearing exclusively on the validity of the closed-door negotiating.

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Republicans Hold Planned Parenthood ‘Show Trial’ Based on Videos They Haven’t Seen

Republicans Hold Planned Parenthood ‘Show Trial’ Based on Videos They Haven’t Seen   “Joseph McCarthy would be proud of this committee today,’’ said one Democrat.   ZOË CARPENTER

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What Do You Get When You Remix the Confederacy for 2015?   Hint: It’s not just biscuits and magnolias.   PATRICIA J. WILLIAMS

Hillary Clinton Isn’t the First Government Official to Send Secret Messages   From Hoover’s FBI to George W. Bush’s White House, officials have been hiding their communications for decades.   ATHAN G. THEOHARIS

Restoring the Voting Rights Act Now Has Bipartisan Support   Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska becomes the first Republican to support ambitious legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act.   ARI BERMAN

Tell the United States to Accept More Refugees and Asylum-Seekers From Syria   Join The Nation, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and MoveOn in calling on the United States to take in more Syrian refugees.   NATIONACTION

What Candidates Talk About When They Talk About Equality   Americans are deeply worried about wealth and income gaps. But the issue evinces only confusion on the campaign trail.   ERIC ALTERMAN

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Black Tennis Star Tackled By 5 White Police Officers

In New York City, former tennis star James Blake was tackled to the ground by 5 cops. He was handcuffed, detained, and injured -- despite cooperating immediately. Bath & Body works has announced that it will end on-call scheduling, a practice which wreaks havoc on employees lives. And while California is on the verge of passing historic climate change legislation, on Wednesday Democrats dropped a major component of the bill. This news and more, in our top stories of the day.

Black Tennis Star Tackled By 5 White Police Officers

The latest accusation of racial profiling and police brutality comes from a familiar face in the sports world: Former tennis star James Blake....(read more)

GRAPHIC: Debunking The ‘War On Police’

California Lawmakers Abandon Key Part Of Climate Legislation, Blaming Oil Industry Lobbying

Another Retailer Is Caving To Pressure To Stop On-Call Scheduling

The Next Generation Of Solar Panels May Be Inspired By Ancient Japanese Papercraft

Solar designs have been inspired by leaves, windows, spray paint, and cloth. Now, a new innovation in solar technology means we can add one more inspiration to that list: the Japanese art of paper cutting, kirigami....(read more)

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Are Journalists Safe in Mexico? Benefit Concert to Support Independent Journalism in Mexico

Are Journalists Safe in Mexico? Benefit Concert to Support Independent Journalism in Mexico Posted: 10 Sep 2015 11:18 AM PDT By Anna Daniels  On Saturday September 12, virtuoso leona player and poet Laura Rebolloso will perform in a special San Diego benefit concert in which all proceeds will go to support the efforts of independent journalists in Mexico. Pianist Alonso Blanco and percussionist Vladimir Coronel will accompany Ms. Rebolloso. The urgency of support for Mexican journalists not only within that country but in every country that values freedom of the press is summed up in The Guardian's horrifying headline "'Journalists are being slaughtered'- Mexico's problem with press freedom." This is an issue that we are not watching closely enough in this country, primarily because it receives so little main stream media coverage.   [Read more...] San Diego Free Press shared from

Creative Protests Mark Planned Parenthood ‘Show Trial’ in DC, Anti-Choice Group Meeting in San Diego Posted: 10 Sep 2015 10:10 AM PDT By Doug Porter Battles over abortion, a key element in the right’s war against women, continue on both coasts this week. In Washington DC, the House Judiciary Committee opened hearings expressly designed to garner publicity for a coming effort to defund Planned Parenthood. Today’s Washington Post quotes a former top Republican congressional budget aide saying there’s about a 60% chance of a government shutdown over the issue. This week Care Net, an umbrella organization claiming more than 1,100 faux “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) around the country, is having its 2015 National Conference at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina on Harbor Island. A pro-choice group placed ads in the Daily Aztec and Union-Tribune yesterday touting a “tourist guide” filled with the kind of unreliable information they say women receive when visiting Care Net’s crisis pregnancy centers.   [Read more...]

Back to Homeless and Hopeless in San Diego Posted: 10 Sep 2015 07:38 AM PDT By Jeeni Criscenzo A week ago, I was sitting in the Denny’s across the street from Howard Johnsons in Chula Vista, waiting for Tracy (name changed), an Army veteran Amikas had been assisting for almost a year. The good news was that Amikas, a non-profit that I started five years ago to help homeless women and children, was going to cover the next five days at the hotel for Tracy and her three children. But I wasn’t looking forward to this conversation – where this family would go after those five days was anybody’s guess. This situation was all the more frustrating because Amikas had helped Tracy to get into permanent supportive housing six months earlier. The system had worked.  [Read more...]

California Lawmakers Seek Local Oversight of Downtown Planning Posted: 10 Sep 2015 06:56 AM PDT Murtaza H. Baxamusa, Ph.D., AICP / San Diego UrbDeZine “Downtown is for people” wrote legendary urban planner Jane Jacobs in 1958, in response to building-centric redevelopment that was a byproduct of politics and economics seeking to rebuild cities across America. During her lifetime, she advocated for citizens to decide what end results they wanted, pioneering concepts like “social capital,” and advocating for planners to steer the rebuilding machinery to serve the community. Yet, even today, downtown San Diego is being built as a collection of projects, with an approval process that consistently favors developers. Today, the large-block redevelopment is back in full force. The older, affordable housing stock is being demolished, and replaced with luxury high-rises. Economic development agreements are benefiting projects that do not pay living wages to the workforce. And taxpayers across the city are subsiding the mitigation of environmental impacts of downtown projects.   [Read more...]

In ‘Win for Public Schools,’ Washington Supreme Court Rules Charter Schools Unconstitutional Posted: 10 Sep 2015 06:39 AM PDT By Andrea Germanos / Common Dreams Public education advocates are welcoming the Washington State Supreme Court's ruling late Friday that the state's charter school law is unconstitutional. The Seattle Times reports that "The ruling — believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country — overturns the law [I-1240] voters narrowly approved in 2012 allowing publicly funded, but privately operated, schools."   [Read more...]

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THE PRAIRIE FIRE WE ARE STARTING IN IOWA CAN'T BE STOPPED

Bernie Sanders via Facebook.com

1 hr · 

"When we entered this race, people thought there was no way we could compete in New Hampshire. Now we're ahead in New Hampshire. Then people said there was no way we could win Iowa. Now we're ahead there, too. Let's show them the prairie fire we are starting in Iowa can't be stopped." - Jeff Weaver, Campaign Manager

Bernie has the lead in Iowa! Help us keep up the momentum

First Bernie pulled ahead of Hillary in New Hampshire, and now the latest poll shows he's taken the lead in Iowa! Bernie Sanders: 41% Hillary Clinton: 40%

WWW.BERNIESANDERS.COM

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“Because in Bernie they’re discovering someone who isn’t afraid to tell the truth or to propose big solutions.”

Robert Reich via Facebook.com

1 hr · Edited · 

“I don’t understand it,” a political reporter I’ve known for years told me this morning. “A new poll shows Sanders leading in Iowa. He’s leading in New Hampshire. It makes no sense.”

“It makes sense to me,” I said.

"Well then, explain it to me."

“Bernie is speaking about what’s true and important – the plundering of our economy and the pillaging of our democracy by big corporations and Wall Street and billionaires.”

“But that’s been going on for years,” he said. “Why now? Why are Americans suddenly waking up to it?”

“Because it’s reached a tipping point.” I explained. “There hasn’t been this much inequality of income, wealth, and political power since the Gilded Age of the 19th century. Americans are fed up.”

“But they’re disillusioned with politics. Few even vote. So why are they suddenly becoming involved now? How do you explain the crowds?” he asked.

“Because in Bernie they’re discovering someone who isn’t afraid to tell the truth or to propose big solutions.”

“Maybe you’re right,” said the reporter. “But I’ll believe it if he wins Iowa and New Hampshire.”

“Stay tuned,” I said.

What do you think?

Bernie Sanders Takes the Lead in Iowa Poll

He surpassed Hillary Clinton in a Quinnipiac survey.

TIME.COM

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Every Californian Gets Sick Pay!!

Every Californian Gets Sick Pay!! Rosemary Jenkins:Everywhere I go I am asking the staff if they know about California's new sick pay law. To the person, each has responded with a resounding and incredulous NO! READ MORE shared from THURSDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 Uber and Airbnb: A ‘Sharing’ Economy for Whom? Julie Gutman Dickinson: In the age of rampant income inequality, the overhyped promises of the sharing economy are running headlong into a growing desire by Americans for a caring economy. READ MORE Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Does Criminalizing the Homeless Create Criminals? Eddie Rivera: Criminalizing the homeless through laws and policies is only creating more criminals, and is a poor use of resources that results in more costs to cities. READ MORE Trafficking Fiction Diane Lefer: With advocacy journalism, we're often addressing people who already agree with us, but a good novel can reach and influence readers who have never before stopped to think about the issues we try so hard to bring to public awareness. READ MORE Every Californian Gets Sick Pay!! Rosemary Jenkins:Everywhere I go I am asking the staff if they know about California's new sick pay law. To the person, each has responded with a resounding and incredulous NO! READ MORE Holding a Candle to Peace Marcy Winograd: Today, local constituents will hold a candlelight vigil at Rep. Ted Lieu's office in support of peace and diplomacy right before the congressional vote scheduled this week on the nuclear agreement with Iran. READ HERE (Sponsor this newsletter) Our email address is:  dick_and_sharon @yahoo.com Mt. Washington, California 90065 Copyright ©2015, LA Progressive, All rights reserved.

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