It looks like insurance giant Aetna made more than $4M in political donations to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last year (and another $3M to conservative advocacy group American Action Network).
This news emerged in an accidental — and later amended — disclosure. Aetna says it handed over the dollars for educational purposes and not for lobbying — and also says there’s no need to require any additional disclosure of corporate political spending.
Our premium dollars at work?
On May 31, the Alliance for a Just Society joined with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), Make the Road New York, and other immigrant justice organizations around the country to call on the federal government to adopt a strong, inclusive family unity waiver. Continue reading
This spring, the Alliance for a Just Society participated in Shareholder Spring, in which grassroots leaders descended on shareholder meetings to demand an end to corporate dominance of our politics and our increasingly unequal economy. Continue reading
In the United States, the secret ballot is a long-standing tradition. But that refers to our choices as voters remaining secret – not to the idea that we don’t know who we’re voting for.
But now we’re living in the world of Citizens United, in which outside groups can pool rich people’s millions with corporations’ millions to influence elections, all without disclosing whose interests they’re promoting. Continue reading
Foreclosures are devastating the housing market in Colorado. Standing alone, the foreclosure crisis is troubling enough. Making matters worse is the alarming number of home repossessions performed on the basis of fraud or dubious paperwork. Continue reading
A couple of days ago, the New York Times reported that the super PACs backing President Obama had fallen far behind on fundraising, and it’s not clear they’re going to catch up with their Republican counterparts.
According to the Times, “Mr. Obama’s backers on Wall Street are leery of their money being used for attacks on Mr. Romney’s background in private equity, already the topic of millions of dollars’ worth of slash-and-burn advertising this year from a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich.” Continue reading
Across the country, state lawmakers have been slashing their investments in health, education, communities, and families. Continue reading
In the foreclosure saga that continues to rip communities apart, there are two obvious players: banks and homeowners. But the situation is a little more complicated than just banks versus families trying to hang onto their homes. Continue reading
This month, the Alliance for a Just Society, Idaho Community Action Network, and Consortium for Idahoans with Disabilities released Medicaid Matters to Idaho: Real Stories, Real Impacts, Real Communities.This publication describes the human and economic costs of Medicaid cuts and Idaho and shares the stories of Idahoans across the state whose lives and well-being of this program.
While Fortune 500 corporations duck out of state taxes, legislators continue to put public services on the chopping block, but still the 1% isn’t being told that they need to do their part when it comes to balancing state budgets.
Last week, the Washington Community Action Network fought back at a special session of the legislature:
On Tuesday, Washington CAN! and our allies headed to Olympia to protest the Special Session and the additional $2 billion in budget cuts that are going to be made. Tuesday’s events focused on the personal stories of those affected by the cuts, putting a face to the growing 99% movement.
Click here for Washington CAN’s full report-back.
