Forum Post: The Cost of Not Voting: The wars on Women, Poor, Environment... Unleashed
Posted 9 years ago on Jan. 7, 2015, 9:55 a.m. EST by WSmith
(2698)
from Cornelius, OR
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
The (surprising?) Cost of Not Voting:
APOCALYPTIC, RETROGRESSIVE, PRO-1%, ANTI-99% CONSEQUENCES
Who knew?
231 New Abortion Restrictions Enacted Since the 2010 Elections
By: Sarah Jones more from Sarah Jones
Monday, January, 5th, 2015, 2:53 pm
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/05/cost-staying-home-231-abortion-restrictions-2010-midterm-elections.html
The Guttmacher Institute released frightening numbers Monday morning. These numbers are a real slap in the face to those who stayed home from midterm elections but have an interest or stake in women’s freedom and liberty. All in all, they have determined that 231 new abortion restrictions were put into place since the 2010 midterm elections brought us a wave of the Republican extremists.
Via a Guttmacher press release Monday morning: During the 2014 state legislative session, lawmakers introduced 335 provisions aimed at restricting access to abortion. By the end of the year, 15 states had enacted 26 new abortion restrictions. Including these new provisions, states have adopted 231 new abortion restrictions since the 2010 midterm elections swept abortion opponents into power in state capitals across the country.
One cost of staying home is that “The large number of recently enacted abortion restrictions has dramatically reshaped the landscape for women seeking an abortion,” according to Guttmacher. Indeed, “The entire South is now considered hostile to abortion rights, and much of the South, along with much of the Midwest, is extremely hostile to abortion rights.”
We are going backward. “In 2000, 31% of women of reproductive age lived in a state hostile to abortion rights, with no women living in a state with enough restrictions to be considered extremely hostile. By 2014, 57% of women lived in a state that is either hostile or extremely hostile to abortion rights.”
To those who oppose abortion this might seem like good news, but taken in tandem with the Republican push to restrict access to birth control — the single best way to prevent abortion — what this amounts to is restrictions on women’s rights. It amounts to back alley abortions by desperate women and a resulting the threat to their lives.
Over and over again, attempts to legislate morality or impose morality from an external source fail to provide the same results as stressing internalizing morality. But Republicans prefer instead to use false claims of divine authority in order to limit and steal women’s freedom in efforts to perpetuate and sustain the patriarchal system that benefits them.
If Republicans really cared about abortion, they would do everything in their power to push birth control and to incentivize choosing giving birth, including government funded food and health care for infants. Instead, Republicans punish women who give birth, while restricting their access to birth control and abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. This isn’t a pro-life agenda, it’s a pro-patriarchy agenda.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/05/cost-staying-home-231-abortion-restrictions-2010-midterm-elections.html
How Having a Baby Can Land a Woman in Jail
Medical professionals contend that drug addiction is a disease. So why do we throw women in jail for being addicted to drugs while pregnant?
By Tana Ganeva / AlterNet
January 6, 2015
http://www.alternet.org/gender/why-giving-birth-child-landing-poor-moms-jail
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One Million Americans Are About to Lose Their Food Stamp Benefits
Unemployed adults without children will lose food assistance.
By Cliff Weathers / AlterNet
January 6, 2015
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/one-million-americans-are-about-lose-their-food-stamp-benefits
One million of the nation’s poorest people will be cut from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program by the end of 2016 even if they're actively pursuing work, according to Center of Budget Policy and Priorities. Better known by its former name, the Food Stamp program, in some areas SNAP will reinstate a three-month limit on benefits for unemployed adults between 18-50 who are not disabled or raising children. These individuals will lose SNAP even if they unable to find jobs and not part of job training programs that meet the requirements for food assistance benefits. Many states do not have such programs.
The report urges Congress to revise the current welfare laws to allow for benefits to continue for those who are pursuing work, allowing a job search or job training to count toward a requirement. However, the reports authors think such action is unlikely given the make-up of the incoming 114th Congress.
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Republicans Begin New Congress By Standing With Racist Sympathizer Steve Scalise
By: Sarah Jones Tuesday, January, 6th, 2015, 1:49 pm
Republicans are upset that Steve Scalise (R-LA) might have trouble raising money for the party, because some donors might not want to be seen giving cash to a racist, neo-Nazi sympathizer.
If ever you wondered just how far gone this Republican Party is, their response to the scandal of Majority Whip Steve Scalise speaking at and supporting the ideas of a 2002 gathering of white supremacist, neo-Nazi enthusiasts says it all.
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According to Republicans The 114th Koch Congress Is Focused On Koch Priorities
By: Rmuse
Tuesday, January, 6th, 2015, 12:14 pm
After the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans promised to follow through on their pledge to the American electorate to immediately begin “focusing on the people’s priorities” when the new session of Congress was convened. However, within a couple of weeks of the new session of Congress with a Republican majority in the House, the GOP revealed they had no intent to honor their solemn pledge and began a terror campaign against women’s reproductive rights and a serious job-killing crusade that revealed they never considered the people’s priorities.
Fast forward four years and Republicans again promise, according to Speaker John Boehner, that “nothing is going to get in the way of our team’s focus on the American people’s priorities.” But like January 2011, Republicans have already exposed their disinterest or lack of intent to even begin focusing on the people’s priorities. What Boehner, or any Republican, fails to admit is that in their minds the billionaire Koch brothers are the American people because they bought and paid for the Republican-controlled Congress. Subsequently, Republicans are beginning the 114th Congress with the mindset that “nothing is going to get in the way of our team’s focus on the Koch brothers’ priorities” in quickly passing two bills the Koch brothers demand be acted on.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/06/republicans-114th-koch-congress-focused-koch-priorities.html
They feign inability to comprehend, when they have nothing. Who does that work for?
Rudy Giuliani Uses Charlie Hebdo Tragedy To Demand America Become A Police State
By: Justin Baragona more from Justin Baragona Thursday, January, 8th, 2015, 1:20 pm
During an appearance on Fox & Friends Thursday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani used the terrorist attack on a French newspaper to insist that the United States needs to have a police presence inside all Muslim places of worship. Giuliani and the hosts also used the segment to criticize both President Obama and current NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for their apparent unwillingness to condemn the religion of Islam for the attacks and fully embrace Islamophobia. Specifically, the former Republican Presidential candidate said de Blasio made an “irrational” act by pulling police out of Muslim mosques in New York.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/08/rudy-giuliani-charlie-hebdo-tragedy-demand-america-police-state.html
House Republicans Pass Bill That Would Take Away Health Insurance From 1 Million Workers
By: Jason Easley more from Jason Easley Thursday, January, 8th, 2015, 4:28 pm
House Republicans passed a bill would take away health insurance from at least 1 million workers by a vote of 252-172.
The deceptively named Save American Workers Act would do the exact opposite. According to the CBO, the Republican backed change in the ACA would cause 1 million workers to lose their private health insurance. Half of the workers impacted would not be able to get new health care coverage so that they would have no health insurance. During the debate on this bill, Republicans trotted out some familiar Obamacare lies.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/08/house-republicans-pass-bill-health-insurance-1-million-workers.html
The Anti-Science Climate Denier Caucus: 114th Congress Edition
by Tiffany Germain - Guest Contributor, Kristen Ellingboe - Guest Contributor, Kiley Kroh Posted on January 8, 2015 at 10:51 am
This week Congress returns to the nation’s capital with 71 new members in its ranks. Those additions will bring little improvement in the views of congressional Republicans regarding the scientific reality of climate change, however. Over 56 percent of Republicans in the 114th Congress deny or question the science behind human-caused climate change, according to an analysis by CAP Action.
On the heels of what looks to be the warmest year in recorded history, with the global carbon dioxide levels that drive climate change reaching unprecedented levels, 53 percent — 131 members — of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives deny the occurrence of human-caused global warming and 72 percent — 39 members — on the Senate side sing the same tune.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/08/3608427/climate-denier-caucus-114th-congress/
The GOP's Coming Horror Show: Why the New Congress May Be Worse than You Think
My advice: Get the popcorn ready! By Heather Digby Parton / Salon January 8, 2015
If there is one thing on which I wish I’d laid a bet over the past few years it’s that despite their successful strategy to make the economic recovery as weak as possible, the minute it started to substantially improve, the conservatives would be standing at the head of the line taking credit for it. It was as predictable as the sun coming up tomorrow that they would claim their obstructive tactics resulted in Morning in America. After all, it just rewarded them with a Republican majority in the Senate and enlarged their majority in the House so they must be on the right track, right?
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/01/07/3608887/social-security-disability-reallocation/
Republican Congress Launches With Back-Door Attack On Social Security Benefits
by Alan Pyke Posted on January 7, 2015 at 12:39 pm
Republicans are starting the new Congress by attacking Social Security funding through a subtle, obscure policy measure buried in the gigantic bill that establishes parliamentary rules for the new session.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/01/07/3608887/social-security-disability-reallocation/
Senator Credits Day-Old Republican Congress With Last Year’s Economic Growth
by Bryce Covert Posted on January 7, 2015 at 3:35 pm Updated: January 8, 2015
The 114th Congress was just sworn in on Tuesday, but by Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave it credit for last year’s positive economic data. [Can't make this shit up]
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/01/07/3609140/mcconnell-gdp-republicans/
Congress Introduces A National Abortion Ban On Its Very First Day Back
by Tara Culp-Ressler Posted on January 7, 2015 at 11:36 am
Republicans in Congress are wasting no time following through on the anti-abortion agenda the GOP laid out after winning significant gains in the 2014 midterm elections.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/01/07/3608821/congress-20-week-abortion/
Flashpoint Issue For 2015: Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
In courtrooms and in Congress, battles over the tar sands pipeline will rage.
http://www.alternet.org/environment/flashpoint-issue-2015-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline
Ironic thing about the pipeline construction is that without it now, the oil is still moving down to the coast regardless. All the pipeline will do is automate it, and put a lot of workers who currently have jobs out of work permanently.
Republicans always say this is about jobs, but those jobs are only temporary. Once its constructed, the pipeline reduces costs, mainly labor and transportation, which is why the oil companies want it.
Republicans are getting duped on one end, and Democrats on the other. One thinks its a job creator (I guess maybe short term it is, but why are we planning everything short term these days?) The other thinks the oil isnt already moving down at the rate of demand already.
Divide and conquer working like a charm again.
With Keystone the GOP (Grand Oil Party) is faithfully servicing one of its main corporate masters. The "Jobs" hype is just BS for its braindead Zombies, the uninformed masses, and talking points for RW pundits and trolls. That Big Fossil is shipping tar sands by train and truck is just another of the plethora of un-or-under-reported stories by the 1% MSM.
Divide and conquer is definitely a standard Con MO, but this is more like distraction and profit! While they railroad Keystone through the newly Con occupied Congress. Way to be played, non-Voters!
resources are secondary
the question is are the people laboring ?