Forum Post: Could Bernie be the next FDR? Thom Hartmann thinks so.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Update: Senator Lisa Murkowski's bill to export crude oil, and expand domestic drilling is only five votes shy of a super majority. Contact your senators and tell them "the ban on crude oil exports must stand!"

Lisa Murkowski's bill to lift the ban on oil exports is sliding toward the finish line. If it crosses, millions of acres of federal lands will be open to oil and gas drilling. Not to mention the risk to our oceans from Shell's Arctic drilling to new proposals to open the Atlantic coast. Murkowski's bill now has 13 co-sponsors including Climate-Denier-in-Chief Senator James Inhofe. A recent count put her only five votes shy of attaining a senate super majority -- all but assuring passage.1

But for all of her talk about job creation and lower energy prices, Murkowski is not as slick as her bill. For example, she doesn't want anyone to know that gas prices would actually increase if this bill passes. You see, by dismantling the surplus of oil in our reserves, Murkowski's slick plan forces us to compete with other countries for our own oil.2 Even Big Oil representatives contend that lifting the ban would raise prices and, as such, are against Murkowski's bill.3

But Murkowski and Inhoffe aren't interested in our pain at the pump. Just like they're not interested in climate chaos, oil spills and public health. They're only interested in drilling up every bit of carbon under the ground and selling it, because that's what Big Oil wants. And Big oil has donated over $300 million in three years to oil disciple candidates.4

You know Murkowski and her Big Oil backers are going to grease ever Senator's palm they can to get this bill through. That's why I need you to contact your senators today and tell them plain and simple, "The ban must stand!"

Murkowski has also failed to let the public know about what economists call the "resource curse," which Stanford economist and Professor Terry Karl breaks down like this: "Oil dependent countries eventually become among the most economically troubled, most authoritarian and most conflict ridden."5 And none of the proponents of this bill have discussed the climate implications of digging up more oil than our planet's carbon budget can afford at the exact moment we're trying to lead the world in the fight to stop climate change ahead of the Paris Climate Conference this December.

President Obama has made some big commitments to the entire world about reducing U.S. emissions. This week he announced a plan with Brazil to generate 20 percent of our energy from renewable sources in the next 15 years.6 If Murkowski's bill passes the Senate, we'll be leading the world in the exact opposite direction by exporting more fossil fuels we simply cannot afford to burn, and which will only make the transition to clean power more costly.

That's why Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) along with 12 other senators including Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Barbra Boxer (D-CA) recently sent President Obama a letter outlining their concerns with this petro-pernicious bill. Among other things the letter discusses rising domestic gas prices that would disrupt the $11.4 billion in savings Americans have already enjoyed.7 Markey also highlights the idea that oil exports would increase the number of bomb trains that traverse our country -- and we already know that more bomb trains means more explosions in our communities.

But 13 Senators is not enough to stop Murkowski's bill and keep the oil in the ground -- we need every Senator we can get. Contact your senators today and tell them to keep the oil export ban intact.

Thanks for taking action,

Anthony

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[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8342) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

If the oil companies write us a check for the cost of the past 30 years in the middle east, then maybe, how many trillions do you think it would be if we added it all up?

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[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

To get there we need Bernie - AND - we need many others to be put into office that are like Bernie and are Like Elizabeth = consistently fighting "FOR" the People.

This is so unpopular to the 1% - that their supporters are trying to get people to opt-out and do nothing - claiming that both parties in office are exactly the same - they want people to be apathetic - and where the people are trying to fight back for a better government - they try to remove their right to vote and/or gerrymander the voting districts to support the rethuglican agenda.

These supporters of the 1% also try to paint all members of the dem party with the damning brush of Obama the sell-out. Regardless of the fact that the dems have overwhelmingly voted against Obama's push for the TPP and fast tracking it.

These supporters of the 1% are truly pathetic - as - all they have is empty rhetoric - they couldn't supply a fact to support their stance to save their own lives because there aren't any that they could present.

These supporters of the 1% even try to call Bernie a typical dem (if only Hey?) - this they see as being derogatory to Bernie - I look at it as being extremely complimentary to the other dems who are in office.

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[-] 2 points by factsrfun (8342) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

The big test now will be if the "far left" will move into the party and push it left, you can't do that sitting on the sidelines.

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[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

There will no doubt be growing "talk" by many who want to remain in office I just hope That public awareness grows so that they start looking at voting record past history and note those who consistently vote against the people regardless of what they say and vote em out of office.

This is what really scares the 1%. An educated voting public.

It is why their mutts go so crazy trying to shoot it down.

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[-] 2 points by factsrfun (8342) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

We need more people to participate in the primaries, after the primaries, it's time to defeat the GOP, I don't care about voting records after that because ALL GOP support their leadership and the GOP leadership is all about making rich people richer and if we don't stop that, and stop it soon it really will be game over.

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[-] 0 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

Education is key. Its why the Dept of Education is so important to them, streamlined indoctrination on very important topics like US history and government.

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[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

There are two kinds of people who want to cut Social Security—liars, and people who believe the lies. They’ve heard the conservative talking points. “Social Security is going broke.” “Social Security won’t be there for me when I retire.” “The only way to save Social Security is to cut benefits.”

Unfortunately, these Wall Street funded lies have gotten plenty of traction in recent years. So much so that a recent survey shows that 43 percent of young people believe that Social Security won’t be there for them when they retire—no matter how much that same survey shows that these same young people want it to.

It’s time to set the record straight. This 4th of July weekend, when you’re speaking with your Chris Christie-loving cousin at the family BBQ, you have the facts on your side:

Social Security has a $2.8 trillion surplus and can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible person for nearly two decades. After that, even if we do nothing, it will pay out approximately 80% of benefits owed for the next 75 years. Social Security has not contributed one penny to the deficit because it is independently funded by the FICA payroll tax. Proposed “tweaks” to Social Security would hurt seniors, disabled veterans and people with disabilities. All we need is to ask millionaires and billionaires to start paying into Social Security at the same rate as the rest of us and we not only extend the life of the Social Security trust fund, but we can expand benefits to the majority of Americans.

With the facts on our side, we have begun to see a dramatic shift in the national conversation around Social Security. It wasn’t that long ago that we were still fighting a “chained CPI” benefit cut being proposed by President Obama, all Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. Today, 44 out of 46 Senate Democrats and 116 out of 188 House Democrats have gone on record supporting expansion. And 79% of likely voters – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – support expansion!

The shift that we are seeing is a direct result of your hard work.

Together we have rallied and educated the American people around protecting and expanding our earned benefits. But, while we have made significant strides, we are not at the finish line yet. On this 4th of July, please support Social Security Works with a donation of $4 to make 2015 the year of Social Security Expansion!

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Express Donate: $4

Express Donate: $15

Express Donate: $25

Or, donate another amount.

This year we can end the constant Wall Street drum beat of benefit cuts and replace them with the American people’s call for expanding benefits.

Please, donate to Social Security Works today to grow our national campaign to expand, not cut Social Security!

Thanks for all that you do.

Michael Phelan Social Security Works

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[-] -1 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

I can handle my own retirement just fine, thank you.

Unless you are willing to admit that its all one big trough, and the letters that they send you declaring what you are "entitled to" when you retire is really just a scam.

Pile it all in, inflate away the value, pool it all and build the machine, and then do some nonsense letter to the people whom you have been taking it from their entire lives and let them know what they are "entitled" on a monthly basis, knowing damn well most are going to die before they receive the vast majority of it.

Take it from them for 45 years and then let them touch it once they turn 62.

Its either a personal program or its a pooled program. The fact they send letters letting you know what "you deserve" if you make it to retirement would mean they are pitching as a personal program.

But you seem to be suggesting something different. Which one is it?

Program or no program, I have a serious problem with people lying. Which is why I have a serious problem with government.

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[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8342) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

The average wage is around $12/hr how you going to handle your own retirement on that? or do you just care about taking care of the top few percent?

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[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

See? I knew that you struggled with this subject.

Try again: