Robin Hood Alive and Well in Spain

Robin Hood mayor vows to occupy banks

By Miles Johnson in Madrid

Financial Times, UK

Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, the mayor of Marinaleda, a southern town with a population of 2,600, has been catapulted to cult hero status in Spain.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f1b089d2-e885-11e1-8397-00144feab49a.html

Saving Reagan HS in Austin TX

‘Saving the School’ by Michael Brick: The Fight for Education in America

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/13/saving-the-school-by-michael-brick-the-fight-for-education-reform-in-america.html

POTUS declares partial "Dream Act" Weds

DREAM Act Lite: DHS Releases Deferred Action Forms for Undocumented Immigrants - Phoenix - News - Valley Fever

Sikhs: Part of the American Melting Pot

10 Things You Should Know About Sikhs | Care2 Causes

Conservatives Not As Happy With Ryan As One Might Think

Rep. Paul Ryan VP Choice Draws Criticism From Some Conservatives

HuffPost http://huff.to/RIJOAz

MITT DISSES RYAN BUDGET IMMEDIATELY AFTER PICKING HIM AS VEEP

Mitt Romney: Paul Ryan Budget Is Not His, Candidate 'Putting Together His Own': via HuffPost http://huff.to/RIu7td

ITS RYAN ?????

BREAKING NEWS: Sources seem to confirm RYAN as Mitts Veep.......verification and analysis to follow soon, stay posted.....

Tea Party Remains Unenthusiastic About Gathering

Republican National Convention.

Tea Party Remains Unenthusiastic About Gathering.

via HuffPost http://huff.to/PJibRB

Harry Reid's Mitt Romney Tax Source A Republican, Says Top

Harry Reid's Mitt Romney Tax Source A Republican, Says Top

Ryan Grim @ Huffinton Post.
08/09/12

WASHINGTON - A top aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) provided new details Wednesday on the identity of Reid's source for

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/harry-reid-mitt-romney-tax-returns_n_1762255.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications

The (Possible) Coming Obama Landslide

The (Possible) Coming Obama Landslide 

 by Michael Tomasky

The Daily Beast

Liberals don’t want to jinx it. It terrifies the right. And the press would prefer a nail-biter. But the fact is that finding Romney’s path to victory is getting harder every day.

.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/04/michael-tomasky-on-the-possible-coming-obama-landslide.print.html

Carrots and Sticks for School Systems

Carrots and Sticks for School Systems

New York Times – editorial

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been pushing the states to create rigorous teacher evaluation systems that not only judge teachers by how well their students perform but also — when the results are in — reward good teachers while easing chronic low performers out of the system.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/opinion/carrots-and-sticks-for-school-systems.html

Middle Class? Working Class? What’s the Difference?

Middle Class? Working Class? What’s
the Difference?

BY DAVID MOBERG In These Times

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/11576/middle_class_working_class_differences_words_make/

Miami Dade County Early Voting Going On Now - Make Sure our Voices are Heard!

Miami Dade County Early Voting-----


As public school educators, we must make sure our voices are heard and we have elected officials that respect what we do each day in the classroom.


The way you can do that is to VOTE for candidates that support public education. Early voting began yesterday Saturday August 4th and continues until August 11th. If you have not already voted by absentee ballot, you can beat the rush and vote now!!! 


To find out what polling places are open for early voting click here. Early voting sites are open from 7 am to 7 pm. 

Still Puritan after All These Years

Still Puritan after All These Years

By MATTHEW HUTSON

New York Times

“I THINK I can see the whole destiny of America contained in the first Puritan who landed on those shores,” the French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville wrote after visiting the United States in the 1830s.

Matthew Hutson is the author of the book “The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/are-americans-still-puritan.html

Five myths about the middle class

Five myths about the middle class

By Lane Kenworthy
Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-middle-class/2012/08/03/ae5ad584-cf58-11e1-b630-190a983a2e0d_story.html

Mitt Romney's tax plan doesn't add up.

Mitt Romney's tax plan doesn't add up.

By Howard Gleckman
Christian Science Monitor

Mitt Romney's tax plan may not hike taxes for the middle class, as the Obamam camp claims. Still, the plan is so full of contradictions that Mitt Romney won't be able to do everything he promises.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2012/0803/Mitt-Romney-s-tax-plan-doesn-t-add-up

AMERICA'S FUTURE IS TAKING SHAPE IN THE SUBURBS by Joel Kotkin New Geography blog

http://www.newgeography.com/content/002992-americas-future-is-taking-shape-in-the-suburbs

More Teaching, Less Testing on Path to Certification

To Earn Classroom Certification, More Teaching and Less Testing.
(source MER, thanks Brian)

By AL BAKER New York Times

Brief excerpts:

New York and up to 25 other states are moving toward changing the way they grant licenses to teachers, de-emphasizing tests and written essays in favor of a more demanding approach that requires aspiring teachers to prove themselves through lesson plans, homework assignments and videotaped instruction sessions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/nyregion/with-new-standards-going-beyond-paper-and-pencil-to-license-teachers.html.

What Can Mississippi Learn From Iran?

What Can Mississippi Learn From Iran?  (source MER, thanks Brian)

By SUZY HANSEN New York Times Sunday Magazine.

This is a wonderful story which shows how backward Mississippi’s health program for the rural poor is as compared to that in Iran.

The Fundamentalist Islamic revolution of Ayatollah Khomeini brought much better medical care to impoverished people than they had previously.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/magazine/what-can-mississippis-health-care-system-learn-from-iran.html\

Peace with the Taliban is Possible

Lessons from my talks with the Taliban
By Anatol Lieven

(source M.E.R. thanks Brian)To judge by discussions I had with figures close to the Afghan Taliban in Dubai last week, on certain key issues the Taliban leadership and the US administration are far closer than most analysts believe.

The writer is a professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London. His latest book is ‘Pakistan: A Hard Country’

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/45b83f50-d59b-11e1-af40-00144feabdc0.html

“By some estimates, more than half of all college grads under age 25 are either looking for work or stuck in jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree.”
 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/07/25/why-kids-today-have-it-worse-than-their-parents/tab/print/

Chicago Public Schools to hire 477 teachers for longer school day

Chicago Public Schools to hire 477 teachers for longer school day

Agreement between CPS and teachers union ------BOTH sides give and take...more teachers added (500) instead of layoffs but school day extended....strike probably averted, negotiations over raises are last remaining sticking point.....

WHEN BOTH SIDES NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH, WITH GIVE AND TAKE, BOTH BENEFIT....

more to come soon....


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-ctu-longer-school-day-being-scaled-backat-least-for-teachers-20120724,0,1125149.story

Elizabeth Warren: 'Libor Fraud Exposes Rot At The Core Of The Financial System': via HuffPost http://huff.to/Pkm0xl

Matt Taibbi: 'I Can't Imagine How A Sane Person Could Possibly Describe This As A Victimless Crime': via HuffPost http://huff.to/PjUD6C

David Letterman On Fracking: 'We're Screwed' (VIDEO): via HuffPost http://huff.to/O0SI5F

Mitt Romney Bain Capital Document Lists Him As 'Managing Member' In 2002: via HuffPost http://huff.to/NARpKy

Spain Defeats Italy, 4-0, In Euro 2012 Final: David Silva, Fernando Torres Among Goal Scorers (VIDEO): via HuffPost http://huff.to/MLXzv7

Mississippi Abortion Law Temporarily Blocked By Federal Judge: via HuffPost http://huff.to/MMpPOl

SCOTUS UPHOLDS ACA.
http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe6913717464027f7511&ls=fde716787c67067b7c1c7373&m=fef511737c6c05&l=fec51577736c007d&s=fe281773706c017d7d1370&jb=ffcf14&t=

It’s Time to Halt the FCAT | Doral.
It’s Time to Halt the FCAT By Karen Aronowitz

18% of Americans Won't Vote for Qualified Mormon President | Care2 Causes

Perry Ally: Mormonism "A Cult"; Romney's Faith In Spotlight | Care2 Causes

Why the ACA (Romney/Obama Care) MAKES SENSE

Why the ACA (Romney/Obama Care) MAKES SENSE !!!

Regardless of what SCOTUS decides Thursday about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) somebody is going to be upset. The most recent ABC News Poll shows that while only 36 percent of Americans express a favorable opinion of ACA yet the same sample group's opinion is almost equally unfavorable at about 39 percent. Most of those polling against claim their biggest single objection is the "individual mandate". This may be due to misinformation or legitimate values but either way, the numbers show that the American public overwhelmingly feel our healthcare system as is needs a major overhaul.

In my opinion ACA gets Americans much closer to universal healthcare. Most would be covered so basically those in this country that are undocumented would be excluded by definition. As for smaller sized companies who will be forced to provide health care are will continue to receive tax credit subsidies for affordable coverage. IF YOU HAVE IT NOW THRU YOUR EMPLOYER, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE IT....

ACA is a VERY VERY overdue reform which is going to greatly help the American public, even as most people are misunderstand its key provisions, many of which have not even gone into effect.

The fact is that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right. It is thus the moral imperative of any country to insure that its people will be taken care of. ACA may not be perfect but it is the best of all possible paths to universal healthcare coverage in the currently highly partisan climate of Washington.

Obama Leads Romney In Polls Of Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania: via HuffPost http://huff.to/LPTKTK

R.I.P. Nora Ephron......you will be missed but your words will live on forever....

NYTimes: Committee Approves College Football Playoffs http://nyti.ms/OoKERp

SCOTUS Citizens United and Drunken Sailors

While the pundits were having a field day Monday with SCOTUS decisions on immigration, another decision was announced with just as important ramifications. SCOTUS declined to revisit its infamous campaign finance decision (aka Citizens United). This was, of course, with the usual 5-4 conservative vs liberal margin. The Court reversed a decision Montana's Supreme Court which had upheld a state law limiting political spending by corporations. In fact SCOTUS used the its own 2010 Citizens United decision as precedent. The majority opinion claimed that “The question presented in this case is whether the holding of Citizens United applies to the Montana state law,” the opinion said. “There can be no serious doubt that it does.” Montana’s arguments, the opinion continued, “either were already rejected in Citizens United, or fail to meaningfully distinguish that case.”

Justice Stephen G. Breyer, in the dissenting opinion, stated that "Citizens United itself had been a mistake".

“Even if I were to accept Citizens United,” Justice Breyer added, “this court’s legal conclusion should not bar the Montana Supreme Court’s finding, made on the record before it, that independent expenditures by corporations did in fact lead to corruption or the appearance of corruption in Montana. Given the history and political landscape in Montana, that court concluded that the state had a compelling interest in limiting independent expenditures by corporations.”

This decision upholding Citizens United is a travesty. The unprecedented amounts of money pouring into the presidential campaigns and races for Congress via the socalled "Super Pacs" is probably the single biggest threat to our democratic system. To uphold the idea that corporations have 1st Amendment rights of freedom of speech (remember Romney's famous "corporations are people too" comment?) would be comical if it were not so very very serious. These "Super Pacs" spend money indirectly on campaigns, with little or no federal or state oversight like drunken sailors on leave. Regardless of party, these "Super Pacs" constitute a clear and present danger to the survival of our republic. They spend spend spend, mostly with the goal of smearing the opposition with no direct linkage to whomever they are supporting. This is mudslinging at its finest and it cuts out the 1st Amendment right of freedom of speech for the 99% of the American people that DO NOT give to "Super Pacs".

As citizens and taxpayers, all we can do is continue to vote and give whatever we can to whomever we want but as INDIVIDUALS.......lets just hope we have a democracy to leave to our children.

Oh and as an afterthought, remember when I stated that the "Super Pacs" spend money like drunken sailors? Well it doesnt take a whole lot of imagination to figure out who these drunken sailors used to spend their money on. Is that what we want our politics to be all about, the "world's oldest profession" ? I sure as heck hope not.

Just my two-cents worth.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/supreme-court-declines-to-revisit-citizens-united.html?_r=1&ref=politics