Does the U.S. Chamber of Commerce speak for small business? Maine small business owner says: “No!”

Melanie Collins, a small business owner and leader with the Maine Small Business Coalition, traveled to Washington, DC on October 19 to speak at a press conference outside the headquarters of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Her message was simple: “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn’t speak for small business, and it doesn’t speak forContinue reading “Does the U.S. Chamber of Commerce speak for small business? Maine small business owner says: “No!””

Does the NFIB represent small business…or big special interests?

Cross-posted from Public Campaign website. Analysis by Public Campaign and Alliance for a Just Society The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), heralded as the “voice” of America’s small businesses, has received renewed scrutiny due to its role as the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit to throw out the Affordable Care Act, which awaits aContinue reading “Does the NFIB represent small business…or big special interests?”

Two Banking Regulations on Small Business Wish List

Mere days before National Small Business Week kicked off it was revealed that JP Morgan Chase and CEO wonder boy Jamie Dimon lost $2B (now $3B by some estimates) on derivative trades meant to mitigate risk. This was a stark reminder for small businesses that nearly 4 years after the economic collapse wreaked havoc onContinue reading “Two Banking Regulations on Small Business Wish List”

Alliance for a Just Society leaders shut down the Wells Fargo Shareholders Meeting

  The next step in our campaign to take on the big banks pay and win relief for homeowners is to disrupt business as usual at shareholder meetings across the country. The goal of these actions is to build off the fall mobilizations and the Occupations to keep up the street heat holding the 1%Continue reading “Alliance for a Just Society leaders shut down the Wells Fargo Shareholders Meeting”

New Main Street Alliance Video: Foxes Guarding the Hen House

The Main Street Alliance has a great new video highlighting the dominating role insurance companies are playing in state health insurance policy.   “Foxes Guarding the Hen House”  is part of MSA’s ongoing campaign to ensure that the health insurance exchanges that are created in each state work for small businesses.  

The Distasteful Politics of Food

How, what, and where we eat everyday is strongly influenced by the federal government, in partnership with major food corporations, through a piece of legislation called the Farm Bill. Many of the social determinates of health that impact our communities find their roots in the Farm Bill a massive piece of legislation up for renewalContinue reading “The Distasteful Politics of Food”

Corporate Interests Dominate List of Top Super Committee Donors

Four banks, two large corporations, a conservative political action committee (PAC), and a law firm serving corporate, industrial, and financial institutions dominate the list of top 10 campaign donors that contributed to members of the bipartisan congressional “Super Committee,” setting the stage for a historic revenue showdown. These entities contributed a total of $4.5 million,Continue reading “Corporate Interests Dominate List of Top Super Committee Donors”

Let’s Not Get Fracked!

If you listen regularly to public radio’s “This American Life” (TAL), you probably weren’t surprised by their recent, in-depth examination of fracking in Pennsylvania, where natural gas companies are now ripping through the Marcellus Shale. The radio program has made a real niche in dissecting the way power works across our country, and fracking –Continue reading “Let’s Not Get Fracked!”

Connecticut Citizen Action Group

This is part fifteen in a series of posts that will explore some of the leading organizations from around the country that are engaged in unearthing and combating the influence of money in the political process. Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG) has used money in politics dirt to escalate a fight against waste incinerators, whichContinue reading “Connecticut Citizen Action Group”