Category Archives: Uncategorized

Forcing through this profoundly damaging budget in the dead of night is shameful

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

Together NC Statement on Budget Veto Override Forcing through this profoundly damaging budget in the dead of night is shameful RALEIGH (June 15, 2011) – Just past midnight, while the majority of North Carolinians slept, the state House overrode the Governor’s veto of the state budget with no debate. While the Senate is yet to act, it’s almost certain that this profoundly damaging state budget will become law. Many news … Continue reading →

Medicare: The obvious public option

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

Medicare works. That’s the fact that Republicans headed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) want us to conveniently ignore. It has successfully delivered medical coverage to Americans since its inception in 1965, with lower overhead than private insurers. As Sen. Ted Kennedy observed during the debate leading to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, Medicare was imperfect at first and has … Continue reading →

Corporations Get Tax Refunds, the Wealthy Get Tax Breaks

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

by Tula Connell, Jun 2, 2011 Two quick hits here on how the rich aren’t like you and me. From 2008 to 2010, a sample of major corporations showed they earned $173 billion in combined profits—yet not only did they not pay taxes, but they actually got money back from the federal government in the form of tax benefits. In the study, Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) looked at a … Continue reading →

New Boston Green PLA Means Jobs, Clean Energy Homes

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

by Mike Hall, May 27, 201 It’s going to be a bit crowded and quite green in the winners’ circle created by a new Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in Boston to retro-fit more than 4,000 older area apartments. Not only will it put hundreds of area construction workers on the job, residents, many of them lower-income families will see lower utility bills, young people will have new job training opportunities … Continue reading →

BlueGreen Alliance, Apollo Alliance Merge To Strengthen Push for Green Jobs

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

by James Parks, May 26, 2011 The BlueGreen Alliance and Apollo Alliance today announced a merger to strengthen and unify the movement to build a clean energy, good jobs economy to fuel U.S. job creation. The newly unified organization will call on Washington to focus anew on creating good jobs, securing America’s energy future and preserving the environment for future generations. Beginning July 1, the two organizations will combine to … Continue reading →

We should be glad to pay taxes!

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

The only person I ever heard say that he was glad to pay taxes was my father. He had needed work during the depression and the only job he could get was with the WPA. Millions of people got work the same way. My father worked under a mason and was part of building the High School that I graduated from. My father said if you are not working you … Continue reading →

Taxing Family Health Care for Deficit Reduction is Wrong

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

by Mike Hall, May 6, 2011 More than 156 million Americans get their health care coverage through their employers. Employer and most worker contributions to health insurance premiums are excluded from workers’ taxable incomes. Even after health care reform is fully phased in, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that nearly 160 million people will hold employer-sponsored insurance plans. But recent proposals—under the guise deficit reduction—have called for ending or … Continue reading →

Republicans Aiming to Take Away Voting Rights in 36 State

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

by James Parks, May 23, 2011 More evidence that Republicans are determined to grab as much power as they can at the expense of everyone but the rich. Not satisfied with attacking the rights of workers, Republicans in 36 states are going after the most sacred American right—the right to vote. The We Party reports that through a myriad of proposals, they are trying to suppress the votes of traditionally … Continue reading →

Wis. Voter ID Bill is Voter Suppression in Disguise

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

Not satisfied with attacking the collective bargaining rights of public employees, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republican legislators have set their sights on voting rights with a so-called “Voter ID” bill that opponents call voter suppression. The bill was passed by the state Assembly last week and the state Senate is expected to approve it today. Both chambers have a Republican majority. The legislation will make it much more … Continue reading →

Voters Reject Extremist in New Hampshire Special Election

Asheville Progressive Posted on by

AFL-CIO National Field Communications Director Jennifer Kauffman reports on some good news out of the states. Last night, Democrat Jennifer Daler won a special election, 58 percent to 42 precent, in New Hampshire’s House District 4—the 14th most Republican district in the Granite State. The seat, vacated by Robert Mead who resigned to become Speaker Bill O’Brien’s chief of staff, was not a race about partisan identity as much as … Continue reading →