Burbank Democratic Club

California just passed a law to study this, too: public banks!

2011-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

In the U.S., North Dakota has long been the oddity of the states—aside from the "tiny little North Dakota" cold, "Fargo", underpopulated, all-farm flat plains, quasi-Canada jokes—to have its own public bank... just like a co-op utiliity or health clinic. California just passed a bill to authorize a study for one... the same thing that saved postwar Germany. Talk about bootstraps...

I dunno, it somehow seemed TOPICAL:

The Public Banking Option: The German Model
October 15, 2011 By Ellen Brown
One of the demands voiced by protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement is for a “public option” in banking. What that means was explained by Dr. Michael Hudson, Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, in an interview by Paul Jay of the Real News Network on October 6:

[T]he demand isn’t simply to make a public bank but is to treat the banks generally as a public utility, just as you treat electric companies as a public utility. . . . Just as there was pressure for a public option in health care, there should be a public option in banking. There should be a government bank that offers credit card rates without punitive 30% interest rates, without penalties, without raising the rate if you don’t pay your electric bill. This is how America got strong in the 19^th and early 20^th century, by essentially having public infrastructure, just like you’d have roads and bridges. . . . The idea of public infrastructure was to lower the cost of living and to lower the cost of doing business.

We don’t hear much about a public banking option in the United States, but a number of countries already have a resilient public banking sector. A May 2010 article in The Economist noted that the strong and stable publicly-owned banks of India, China and Brazil helped those countries weather the banking crisis afflicting most of the world in the last few years. ...

2011-09-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

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Wow—some SCIENCE as to why we're screwed

2011-07-11T15:29:00.001-07:00

We never give accurate mental health and neuroscience enough shake in this country when it comers to politics and public policy (see Bush on the Couch—duh), much less any other aspect of society...

But here's a quick-n-easy chart —i.e., PRETTY PITCHERS—and story that uses a poll about socialization via brain wiring to reflect on why we have the current polarized mess in Washington:

Explaining The Debt Ceiling Debate

The Bush Tax Cuts' Decade of Damage. In Visuals. Again.

2011-06-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

How many more times does the CBPP need to make this so obvious?

Once again--it's in pictures (10 charts) even a ______ —fill in your own political epithet—can understand:

10 Years Later, How Bush-Era Tax Cuts Changed America

... What [the graphs and charts] find is unevenly distributed benefits. The percentage increase in after-tax income tilts greatly in favor of those making over $1 million, for one, especially when compared to Americans making between $40,000-$50,000. And at a time when the country is sunk in $14.3 trillion worth of debt, it's adding vastly to deficit, too. Indeed, the cost of the upper-income tax cuts is roughly equal to the Social Security shortfall in that span, CBPP says.
...

The Republican Agenda

2011-04-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

The list of riders attached to the budget bill H.R. 1 is pretty ugly.

However, one thing I started to realize as I went through the list of prohibitions against funding, is that none of this changes the actual law. For instance, one rider:

Prohibits funds to carry out the medical loss ratio restrictions in the health care reform law. These provisions require insurers to spend at least a certain percent of their premium revenues on medical care.

But they haven't repealed the Health Care bill at all. And if this goes through and then the medical loss ratio restrictions are phased in - a court will have to do the work on a case by case basis. Because it's still the law, right? Am I crazy?

Read the rest on the Daily Kos home of the Burbank Democratic Club

standup economist

2011-03-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Numbers don't lie: Wisconsin protests, NOT the Tea Party, had bigger turnout

2011-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

But who got the bigger mainstream news coverage?

Oh yeah. If ONLY those simple, All-American middle-class cheese-state protestors had used racist and misspelled signs and banners... and had goofy hats. Yep, it's they're own fault they outlasted their 15 minutes of fame...

Madison Rally Bigger Than Biggest Tea Party Rally

from Think Progress via AlterNet

... But yesterday’s rally in Madison is noteworthy because at 85,000-100,000, it was bigger than the biggest tea party protest, the September 12, 2009 rally in Washington, D.C., which turned out only an estimated 60,000-70,000.

Jane Harman resigns and the race for CD36 is joined

2011-02-09T01:25:00.001-08:00

After a nasty fight to beat Marcy Winograd, Jane Harman quits congress to get paid to head up a Washington DC Think Tank. Yay! Two front runners emerged the very same day (or the day after, or something) Debra Bowen and Janice Hahn.

News that Democratic Rep. Jane Harman will give up her 36th Congressional District seat to become president of a Washington think tank sparked speculation over who will run for the Los Angeles County coastal district she has held for much of the last two decades.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn didn't waste any time jumping in the race. The San Pedro Democrat announced her bid with an afternoon press release and is up and running with a revamped version of the website from her failed lieutenant governor campaign.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen, a Democrat who represented an overlapping state legislative district for more than a decade, is "very, very seriously considering" a run of her own.

California Democratic Party Chair John Burton added fuel to the Bowen candidacy chatter, calling the elections chief the "only candidate that has officially informed the California Democratic Party that they are running in the 36th congressional district" in an e-mail blast late yesterday.

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/02/am-alert-who-is-and-isnt-runni.html#ixzz1DS6th94H

BIG picture: Why the Rich won the tax-cut war

2010-12-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

That's my title. above. Maybe the short-term sop to Dems' programs (which should have been non-partisan no-brainers) is important. But the Big Picture is in ruins, and both Teddy AND Franklin R. are rolling over in their graves on each side of the partisan divide—per this blog post at C&L ...

In simple words, here's what the "Bush tax cuts extension" and the little-mentioned estate tax rollback did, among other aspects of the "compromise" bill:

Your Tax Dollars at Work
By Jon Perr

On Friday, the House approved the $801 billion "compromise" tax bill, sending it on to the White House for President Obama's signature.

Over the next two years, that budget-busting, gilded class giveaway will cost the Treasury $70 billion in revenue lost from the top 2% of taxpayers and another $25 billion uncollected from the richest estates in America. But sooner or later (sooner, if born-again deficit hawks get their way), that bill will come due and it will be paid by everyone else. In the meantime, here's a picture of your tax dollars at work - for the rich and famous.

For openers, it's worth noting who will not benefit from the extension of the top Bush income tax rate and the gutting of the estate tax. Certainly not small business owners. Now-abandoned Democratic proposals to end the Bush tax cuts for families earning over $250,000 a year affected only 2% of all households, and an even smaller fraction of small businesses. (The Republican claim that Democrats want to "raise taxes on roughly half of small business income in America" is contingent on Bechtel, Coors, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and other multinational "S corporation" being categorized as small businesses.)

And from the beginning, the winners of the successful Republican crusade against the estate would never included family farmers. ...

Pérez announces leadership, committee assignments

2010-12-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, was assigned assistant speaker pro tempore, a spot previously held by Assemblyman Isadore Hall, D-Compton.

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/12/perez-announces-dem-leadership.html#ixzz18FHuNetj

A turkey that wasn't pardoned

2010-11-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

DeLay convicted of laundering corporate money into political donations!

Former House Majority Leader faces up to 99 years in prison, fines; sentencing set for Dec. 20.

Finally some justice.

Republicans Anti-Military?

2010-11-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

well, sure, but pro Military contractor!

Here's the short version

Democrats Sweep!

2010-11-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Steve Cooley conceded defeat today to Kamala Harris in the political slugfest for California attorney general.

It was really way too close.

Machin wins West Virgina!

2010-11-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Rally in the Valley

2010-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it -- please enjoy the following videos:

Barbara Boxer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieiIYqLq37o

Jerry Brown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcCc7Yxdbrc

Gavin Newsom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb9qzDPMpkA

Kamala Harris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFc6NegAu54

Courtesy of Bruce McFarland @ DP-SFV

Here's my Vote

2010-10-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

These are my own choices, not the endorsed position of the Burbank Democratic Club (unless stated.) On Thursday, Oct 28th, the club will meet and discuss the propositions. We will consider voting on endorsements then.

For propositions:

19 YES (decriminalize and tax marijuana)
20 NO (don't expand scope of ridiculous citizens' redistricting commission to include congressional districts.)
21 YES (save our state parks)
22 YES (Prevent the State from taking local funds.)
23 NO (Let California lead the green tech revolution)
24 YES (Overturn absurd tax breaks for corporations that were added to last years budget by minority republicans.)
25 YES (Let's have a majority Vote for State Budget and get them done on time (so schools will know how much money they will be getting.))
26 NO (let's NOT require a 2/3rds vote for everything else, then what's the point of majority rule? )
27 YES (get rid of the ridiculous citizens' redistricting committee (because it's unfair to democrats who have a BIG majority in this state.))

Judicial
Office 28 Randy Hammock (met him, really good guy, endorsed by Burbank Democratic Club!)
Office 117 Alan Schneider (also endorsed by Burbank Democratic Club.)

School Board: Tom Torlakson
County Assessor: John Noguez (endorsed by DPSFV.)

I am voting yes for all the judges - I really don't like that judges get regularly re-voted in - it makes them more political and less independent - so I will vote they all keep their positions.

Straight Dem for all the rest.

Meg on Script

2010-10-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hat Tip to "Montana" for this link:

Bill Gates AGAINST Prop 23. Yay!

2010-10-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates, the nation's wealthiest man, has donated $700,000 to the campaign opposing the rollback of the state's landmark climate change law.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/20/3119818/bill-gates-contributes-700000.html

Here's Hoping!

2010-10-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/10/ppic-poll-brown-leads-whitman.html

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown has opened up an eight-point lead over Republican Meg Whitman, according to poll results released tonight by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The statewide survey of 1,067 likely voters showed Brown leading Whitman 44 percent to 36 percent, with 16 percent of respondents undecided.

Brown and Whitman were in a dead heat in PPIC's September survey, with Whitman ahead 38 percent to 37 percent.

Jon and Stephen Combine Their Rallies -- Watch Now!

2010-10-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Announcement

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

Budget Watch 2010

2010-09-28T20:32:00.001-07:00

"In non-debate news: Republicans negotiating the state budget are demanding tax breaks for companies such as cable television providers and oil producers."

Cooling Centers Open Mon/Tue

2010-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Cooling Centers Open Mon/Tue

Posted Date: 9/27/2010 12:00 PM

Cooling Centers Open Monday and Tuesday
Joslyn Adult Center, Buena Vista and Central Libraries will serve as sites

BURBANK, Calif. (September 27, 2010) - With high temperatures expected over the next several days, the City of Burbank is establishing three designated cooling centers on Monday and Tuesday.

The Joslyn Adult Center (1301 W. Olive) will operate from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Residents 55 and older are encouraged to visit the center and seek relief from the heat.

The Buena Vista Library (300 N. Buena Vista Street) will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the Central Library (110 N. Glenoaks Blvd) will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information on summertime safety and precautions in the extreme heat, visit www.burbankusa.com

Joslyn Adult Center
818-238-5353

Buena Vista Library
818-238-5620

Central Library
818-238-5600

###

WHY IS THIS CHART NOT PLASTERED EVERYWHERE?

2010-09-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

You REALLY want to "cut the deficit"?

Then get rid of the reason why we have one in the FIRST place—aside from, but an even bigger drain than, those two off-the-books (until now) wars.

By the way—what's the tiniest, TINIEST sliver in the deficit make-up? Yep—that barely effective stimulus and other recovery measures. A watered-down New Deal costs a lot less.

Obama working on that change we can belive in

2010-07-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

The New York Times: ‘President Obama signed a sweeping expansion of federal financial regulation on Wednesday, signaling perhaps the Democrats’ last major legislative victory before the midterm elections in November, which could recast the Congressional landscape.”

Corrupt Judge?

2010-06-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

REPORT: Judge Who Ruled Against Moratorium Owned Stock In Exxon, Transocean, Other Drilling Companies

ThinkProgress reported on Tuesday that Judge Martin Feldman, the U.S. District Court Judge who declared illegal the Obama administration’s blanket, 6-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, had income in 2008 from a host of energy stocks. ThinkProgress has now obtained Feldman’s latest financial disclosure report — for calendar year 2009. The disclosure, which was filed just earlier this month, reveals that Feldman may still own Transocean stock. The report also indicates that Feldman owns a new stock that was not listed in his 2008 report: Exxon.