Melvin offers second defenseless defense
April 17, 2010
by David Safier Yesterday I posted about Melvin's response to a takedown in the Republic criticizing his proposal to spend $200,000 in state funds to put vigilantes militia a Volunteer Security Force on the border to replace Melvin's beloved but defunct Minutemen. Melvin, I wrote, defended himself by saying we have an immigration problem. He
Papers Please! The Arizona Police State
April 17, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: David Safier was way too polite in his treatment of this issue. David Neiwert, a reporter who has written extensively about right-wing extremist groups has this post at crooksandliars.com. Papers Please: In attacking illegal immigration, Arizona transforms itself to a police state Well, you gotta figure that if crypto-fascist Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Arizona: Visit for the police state. Stay for the underfunded education.
April 16, 2010
by David Safier Our proposed harshest-in-the-nation anti-immigrant law is getting lots of national press. The latest is this piece on CBS News. Just what we need: Russell Pearce as the face of Arizona. The next logical step: Joe Arpaio in pink underwear on Dancing with the Stars. (Sorry about that image, folks. I hope you're
I’m just sayin’
April 16, 2010
by David Safier I wasn't there, but word from people who were is that the big Tucson Tea Party Tax Day event drew a couple hundred people, and that includes the folks selling stuff and people who wandered by during their lunch hour. The Star story said there were 2,000 people at the rally. I
A day-after-tax-day graph
April 16, 2010
by David Safier Here's a telling graph showing the income of the 400 richest households in the U.S. since 1990 (in blue) and the amount of taxes they've paid over the same period (in red) Looks like the tax rate hasn't exactly been progressive. (h/t to Matt Yglesias)
Paul Krugman: The Fire Next Time
April 16, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Paul Krugman of the New York Times explains the need for financial services regulations in The Fire Next Time (excerpt): [Mr.] McConnell surely isn’t sincere; while pretending to oppose bank bailouts, he’s actually doing the bankers’ bidding. But before I get to that, let’s talk about why he’s wrong on substance. In his
Update: Why do Republicans hate unemployed Americans?
April 16, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: First it was Arizona's Senator Obstruction, Jon Kyl, who blocked the extension of unemployment benefits last fall because he wanted the Paris Hilton Tax (estate tax) for idle rich kids to inherit their parents' fortune to be dealt with first. Then it was Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) who blocked the extension of unemployment
Government sues Goldman Sachs for defrauding investors
April 16, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Think we don't need financial services reforms? Think the "free market" is self-correcting? Think again, Ayn. Goldman Sachs is the most politically powerful Wall Street bank. Alumni from Goldman Sachs are serving at every level of the federal government (and many state governments). Today, the federal government sued Goldman Sachs & Co.
