About 30 enthusiastic people attended a House Party in East Asheville for Bernie Sanders this evening. There was consensus that Bernie is for the people, says it like it is, and can win. All in all, we were told via teleconference, that there were around 3500 such gatherings, involving over 100,000 persons in all of the States of the USA. Bernie spoke simply, quietly, about the disappearing middle class, the … Continue reading →
Why Social Security Beats All Rivals — And the Case for Expanding It This is the season when we hear calls to cut Social Security. That’s because of the annual trustees report on the system’s financial condition. Last week, the trustees reported that Social Security can pay all of its projected obligations through about 2034. To keep faith with today’s workers and tomorrow’s retirees, Social Security will need additional funds, … Continue reading →
Next time a Republican tells you Social Security is broke remind them that President Bush “borrowed $1.37 trillion” of Social Security surplus to pay for his tax cuts for the rich and his war in Iraq…and never paid it back. Occupy Democrats Ashevilleprogressive.com
From William Falk in THE WEEK, July 17, 2015 [I have added paragraphing and emphasis]: At a Fourth of July barbecue last weekend, my buddy Tom was mocking the absurdity of Hillary Clinton’s attacks on the wealthy elitists she usually calls donors and friends, when my other buddy, Aron — Tom’s usual foil — said Clinton’s hypocrisy didn’t really matter. The next presidential election, he said, “is all about the … Continue reading →
Matilda, August 6th is the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, but we will not be celebrating because two years ago the Supreme Court eviscerated a key protection of the landmark voting rights legislation. Fortunately, our allies in Congress, led by Rep. John Lewis and Sen. Patrick Leahy, have introduced the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) which aims to fix the problems caused by the Supreme Court. Please, sign … Continue reading →
Two twin girls who did everything exactly alike until age 65 except that one had a Defined Contribution Retirement Plan 401(k) and the other had a Defined Benefit Retirement Plan or Social Security. The one with a Defined Contribution Retirement Plan 401(k) would have 4 times less money than the other at the age of 65. WHY? With a Defined Contribution Retirement Plan 401(k) Wall Street takes out, as you … Continue reading →
John Kaisak won every single Ohio County the last time he ran. No Republican has ever won the Presidency without carrying Ohio. There are two Republican Presidential candidates from Florida. That makes 47 electoral votes from the Obama coalition. The next in importance states would be Virginia and North Carolina. The pressure will b on us to GOTV. Carrying NC is critical. Tom Ashevilleprogressivw.com
New polling from the Pew Research Center has to be discouraging. The Republican Party’s image has grown more negative over the first half of this year. Currently, 32% have a favorable impression of the Republican Party, while 60% have an unfavorable view. Favorable views of the GOP have fallen nine percentage points since January. The Democratic Party continues to have mixed ratings (48% favorable, 47% unfavorable). The Democratic Party … Continue reading →
From Economic Policy Institute Email on 7/24/15 Last week, alongside our coalition partners and 72 members of Congress including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative John Conyers, EPI’s Christian Dorsey helped deliver 2.5 million signatures calling on the White House to expand Social Security benefits. ”The message has certainly been heard. This is certainly an issue that has been raised at the White House,” said Nora Super, Executive Director of the … Continue reading →
July 23, 2015 Dear Advocate, Three quick items – all very important. 1. Precinct Judges: The best way to protect the integrity of elections is to be inside the polling place as a precinct judge. County boards of elections will appoint these officials very soon, in early August, for the 2016 election. They are trained and paid. Please step up and become a precinct official. Contact your county board today … Continue reading →