Tucson

11 European countries pass Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions

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Robin-h-05-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Eleven European countries, who collectively account for two-thirds of the EU's economy, have passed a new financial transaction tax.

Also known as the Robin Hood Tax in the US, a financial transaction tax charges a small percentage fee for every stock market deal. The new European law will charge a rate of 0.1% on any trade of shares or bonds and 0.01% on any financial derivative contract, according to an article in Think Progress. These tiny percentages would raise an estimated 57 billion euros per year if all 27 of the European countries adopted the law. (At an exchange rate of 1 EU = $1.33, that is an estimated $75.8 billion in US dollars per year of revenue generation.) In addition to raising funds, the financial transaction tax discourages speculative computerized trading. Also know as "rent seeking," computers are set up to buy stocks and sell them quickly– sometimes when the profit is just pennies. If you do enough of this automated micro-trading, you can make a bundle of money; but this speculative behavior adds volitility to the market and produces nothing except fot the gamblers who are in the game. The Ed Schultz Show has a great explanation here. 

 In all, 40 countries worldwide have adopted a financial transaction tax. The 11 countries who have passed the Robin Hood Tax recently include two European powerhouses– Germany and France– plus Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, and Estonia. The financial problems facing Greece, Spain, and Italy have been in the news for years. This tax will help cash-strapped governments to become more stable. 

Gosh, what other country is facing dire financial choices and needs an infusion of cash? Find out how the Robin Hood Tax would help the US economy after the jump.

Gun Appreciation Day: Did it backfire? (video)

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AZ-pl-2-nolayers-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Gun Appreciation Day was observed nationally on Saturday, January 19. Gun owners were encouraged to hold rallies, go to gun shows, go to shooting ranges, or participate in other activities in support of lax gun regulation … er… unfettered gun ownership.

In Phoenix, a motley crew of gun nuts …er… group of patriots rallied at the state capitol. I can't think of a better place for the rally, since Arizona Republicans are proposing a bill that would make any federal laws aimed at curbing gun violence… er… limiting 2nd Amendment freedoms unenforceable in Arizona. 

Here in Tucson, there was no Gun Appreciation Day rally, but KGUN managed to find a few guys on the shooting range. 

For me, the biggest news coming out of Gun Appreciation Day are the stories of shootings at gun shows held that day. Five people shot themselves or someone else at three different gun shows (accidently, of course). And they think guns make them safer?

Did Gun Appreciation Day backfire? (Videos after the jump.)

PDA Tucson’s Phil Lopes runs for Dem Party Vice Chair

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

On Saturday, January 26, 2013, the Arizona Democratic Party will hold its reorganization meeting in Phoenix. New state party officers will be elected by elected precinct committee (PC) people. If you are a progressive and an elected, please consider voting for Phil Lopes. If you are a PC and can't make the meeting, contact your legislative district chair and give someone your proxy vote. Here is the proxy form. 

Below is Lopes' candidate statement…

Phil Lopes for Vice Chair

Dear AZ State Democratic Committee member,
This letter is to ask for your vote for the position of Vice-Chair of the AZ Democratic Party. I would be honored to have your support and vote. I am running for Vice-Chair to:
  • strengthen the party, especially in public policy advocacy, and,
  • to improve the public’s perception of the Party

We elected Barack Obama to be the People’s President (video)

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Obama_inauguration_2013_commemorative_post_cards-p239098298749090121en84n_325by Pamela Powers Hannley

Today, President Barack Obama, our 44th president, started his second term.

Last November, in overwhelming numbers, a diverse coalition of Americans said we want this black man to be our president for another four years– not that hollow representative of the 1%, that child of privilege, that flip-flopping liar with the hidden corporatist agenda.

President Obama won the presidency by a larger majority than John Kennedy or Ronald Reagan, and he did so by inspiring a rainbow of Americans that he can better lead all of us through these challenging times to a better, stronger, fairer America. He continued the theme of togetherness in his inaugural address– specifically calling for unity, while giving a nod to groups who elected him– gays, Latinos, blacks, women, middle class workers.

We, the people, believe that induring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war…

This morning during the mainstream media banter leading up to the inauguration ceremony, corporate talking heads– one after another– parroted their gloom-and-doom meme about Obama's second term. Don't believe them. We the people will build our future– not the media talking heads, not the corporatists, not the Congress, not the state legislatures, not the courts. We the people must take responsibility to be the change we want to see in our country.

During the next four years, there will be times when we agree with President Obama and times when we don't. But we must remember that we the people chose him, and only we the people can help him be the best president he can be.

Our work is not over. This country faces many social and economic challenges. As the President said this morning, we must move forward together. In the coming years, let's help the President and our elected officials make the right choices– choices that will further equality, justice, and liberty for all Americans. We elected Barack Obama to be the People's President. Let's help him earn that title during the next four years. Watch the video below and remember how hard we worked for today and how jubliant we were on the evening of November 6, 2012. 

‘Ray Theon, where are you?’: Tucson bride seeks corporate master for domination

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Tucson bride051by Pamela Powers Hannley

In tough times, even the most independent woman may find herself turning to traditional feminine tactics to secure her financial future– like marrying a sugar daddy.

And what better sugar daddy could a woman find than a corporate person? As reported earlier by this blogger, seven New York City brides married and pledged allegiance to seven corporate masters… er… grooms on the steps of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, January 19, the third anniversary of the Citizens United decision by the US Supreme Court.

Occupy Tucson activist and former mayoral candidate Mary DeCamp had hoped to find her corporate master– Ray Theon— at the federal building in downtown Tucson on Friday, but alas the lovely bride and her "father" (pictured here) were disappointed when the groom didn't show. (Did "Ray" think he was not worthy of Mary when he saw her "father" holding the "Corporations are not people" sign?)

According to DeCamp, she searched around the federal building and the Bank of America building for "Ray" but couldn't find him. 

"Excuse me sir, you look very corporate, are you a corporation?  I hear corporations are 'persons' now, and they have free speech," DeCamp asked passersby.  "I want to find one, hopefully Ray Theon, who will marry me and make me a rich bride. Yoo Hoo, Raaaay!  Ray Theon!  Come out, come out, wherever you are!  I want to get married now." 

Approximately 24 activists from Move to Amend, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom (WILF), Occupy All Streets, Code Pink, Raging Grannies, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson were on hand to help DeCamp find a corporate person to own and dominate her for the rest of her life. More photos after the jump.