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
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.
Yesterday morning in Washington D.C., the Alliance for a Just Society helped crash a swanky fundraising event where Senator John Kyl was trawling for cash from corporate bigwigs. Kyl sits on the congressional joint committee tasked with reducing the federal deficit. While Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security hang in the balance, corporations and the one percent continue are counting on Kyl and the other “supercommittee” members to protect their outsized tax breaks. Continue reading
The Alliance’s LeeAnn Hall and National People’s Action George Goehl on the nationwide protests in Truthout.
As bad as it is to lose your home, you shouldn’t lose your health along with it. But it seems like that’s what happening, according to new research from economists at Princeton and Georgia State. Continue reading
Have you heard about austerity lately? It’s a fancy word to talk about gutting important public investments in our health care, education, economic well-being, and communities overall. To learn more about why austerity is such a bad idea, economically and morally, watch this video: Continue reading
