Taxation Without Representation

Washington crossing the Delaware. What the painting could not record were the cries of  "Sit down! You'll knock us over!"

Taxation Without Representation

by Coast Watcher

The Battle of Trenton was a small but crucial engagement which took place on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. In the hour before dawn of that morning, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River using boats to convey 2,400 men of his army. Conditions were hazardous, with deep snow covering the ground and large ice floes in the river preventing the rest of Washington’s troops – a little more than half his total force – from crossing. Nevertheless, due to these very weather conditions his opponents had lowered their guard, believing themselves safe from attack.

The Hessian mercenaries employed by the British were shocked to find a rebel army bearing down on their winter encampment. After a short but fierce struggle, most of the Hessians surrendered and the remainder retreated in confusion.

Although it was small engagement as military conflict goes, it served to inspire the army to continue the fight and attracted a growing number of volunteers to the Colonists’ cause.

The American Colonists fought a war against unjust levels of taxation imposed by Britain. Most people today know their battle cry: "No taxation without representation!" 

Why is the war, and the two hundred and forty-first anniversary of this particular battle, relevant today? Because once again we’re seeing an unjust level of taxation being imposed by our supposed superiors and masters, a level of taxation that imposes an unbearable burden on a populace already struggling with ever-shrinking income and ever-increasing debts. Once again we’re seeing a rising level of opposition to this inequality.

On Friday, December 22 the GOP’s tax bill passed into law with a stroke of Trump’s pen as he sat in the great Oval Office. It followed the active connivance of the Republican-dominated Congress to prevent the details of the bill from becoming public. Even Senators were not allowed to view the document before voting on it.

The whole bill was fabricated by over 4,000 lobbyists working on behalf of the rich, and big business. I think we’ve all seen images of the shoddy presentation

of the bill, with handwritten notes tailing off into illegibility alongside the printed text. It’s an effort that would shame a third-grader and would rightly earn an F  in any school worth the name. This sorry mess was handed to the GOP millionaires in Congress, who fell over themselves with slavish eagerness to do their masters’ bidding. The whole thing was passed with reckless speed, with no thought nor care taken to consider the consequences to ordinary Americans.

A last-ditch effort to delay the passage of the bill came when Senator Bernie Sanders challenged it on the basis of incorrect parliamentary procedure. The whole shambolic process has now introduced additional hardship on the majority of the American populace in the form of additional expenditure. As if that wasn’t enough it also deprives 13 million people of healthcare through defunding the Affordable Care Act’s and makes provision for oil drilling within the Arctic Circle. Oh, and the rich – including Trump and his family – get a massive tax break and easement on inheritance taxes. How nice – just in time for Christmas!

The new law eliminates the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that most people must have health insurance or else pay a penalty. It should be noted that this very clause was introduced by the GOP during the wrestling over the ACA in order to make it toxic to the general population. By eliminating the harmful clause they themselves created, the GOP thinks they can gain approval from voters.

Even if this is the case, it may not help them.

Due to the indecent haste with which this bill was rushed through Congress some of the most harmful effects will be felt in this coming year – 2018 – rather than 2019 when the mid-term elections are over and the people have presumably forgotten the new tax law. What effect this will have on a Republican party and President already struggling with growing unpopularity remains to be seen. Trump’s first year in office has been marked by chaos and dramatic shifts in policies which seem caused by what he sees on Fox news.

As we go about our daily rounds in these post-Christmas days, spare a thought

for those brave men who, two hundred and forty-one years ago, struggled through snow and ice to defeat an enemy determined to keep the Colonists under the boot of unbearable taxation. Are their ghosts looking on now and wondering why you, their descendants, are doing nothing to oppose the modern incarnation of that oppressive power?

Related Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/22/us/politics/trump-tax-bill.html
http://time.com/5041919/donald-trump-tax-reform-bill/
http://time.com/5068961/republicans-tax-bill-trump/
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-trenton-and-princeton

Still confused about what's what in the "GOP Tax Scam" and how it will affect you? Here are some helpful facts followed by a short video from Robert Reich who explains things simply through illustrations.

Trump's Trojan Horse Tax Plan
https://youtu.be/BfHjzp0PxMI

BIO: Coast Watcher looks into the past and sees where we've gone both the right way and the wrong way. But will we learn  from our Founders' example and overturn the current corrupt system which taxes us without representation and gives power to a hereditary aristocracy of the 1%? The answer to that question remains to be seen in 2017, but in the new year perhaps we'll be the change we've been looking for.

***

  

Other stories this past week that mainstream media didn't really cover because they didn't really want you to know:

NPR does a hit piece on alternative media journalist/comedian Lee Camp:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/12/lee-camp-create-nprs-propaganda-seen-hit-piece.html 

Jill Stein interview with Democracy Now after a smear campaign is started against her, reminiscent of McCarthyism: 

https://www.democracynow.org/2017/12/20/broadcast_exclusive_jill_stein_says_senate

How the US Government Hid Fracking Risks to Drinking Water:

 http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/47504-how-the-us-government-hid-frackings-risks-to-drinking-water

***

From Sierra Club:

I'm angry, and I'm sure you're angry, too.

Congressional Republicans just passed their massive tax scam -- the worst piece of legislation in a generation -- despite its deep unpopularity. There's no way of sugar coating it: This law will have far-reaching negative consequences for families across the country and our environment.

It's an outrageous giveaway to the richest of the rich and corporate polluters at the expense of the rest of the country, and at the cost of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But we're not giving up, we're fired up. On this bill alone, Sierra Club supporters like you sent tens of thousands of emails and made thousands of calls to key members of Congress. And we won't stop in 2018.

If you're angry about this bill, join me in pledging to continue the fight for progress in 2018. Together we can win.

Republican leaders rammed this disastrous legislation through at a breakneck pace, with no public hearings or input. There were late night, last minute changes and secretive backroom deals designed to give even more away to their corporate pals. Here are some of the worst parts of this bill:

• Opens the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling, which could have a devastating impact on the Porcupine caribou herd and the Alaska Native tribes that rely on it for subsistence
• Gives massive handouts to corporate polluters and other corporations
• Balloons our deficit by about $1.4 trillion which will force funding cuts to public health and environmental programs in the months to come¹
• Repeals a key part of the Affordable Care Act, leaving 13 million people without healthcare in the next 10 years, increasing premiums, and creating uncertainty for many hardworking families¹
• Imposes a devastating excise tax on Puerto Rico, as if it wasn't part of the United States, that would kill job-creating industries on the hurricane-ravaged island while it's still recovering²

Sign our pledge today to continue to fight for all communities, our planet, and our future.

In the face of an uphill battle with a president, cabinet, and congressional leaders that are anti-science and pals of corporate polluters, we've done a lot of pushing back. At every turn, the Trump administration or Congress has tried to pull a fast one on us. 

But we have been paying attention, and we have successfully pushed back, delayed, and even stopped some of the worst plans from being implemented. We're delaying their attempts at repealing the Clean Power Plan. We've protected the Affordable Care Act from a full repeal. We've rallied by the thousands to protect our public lands and waters. We've exposed their racist travel ban, and so much more.

This year has been an amazing show of strength of the environmental and progressive movements -- thanks to you. We have shown our real power, and we will continue into next year.

Join me in saying "I'm in" for continuing the fight for a cleaner, safer, and more just and equitable future for all. Sign the pledge.
 
Thanks for all you've done,
Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club

1 - "GOP, with tax bill finalized, makes its case to a skeptical public" Washington Post
2 - "The Final Republican Tax Bill Screws Over Puerto Rico" Mother Jones

***

From Jobs With Justice:

When you leave a tip at a restaurant, you expect it to go to the server who waited on you. Unfortunately, Trump’s Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta wants to make it easier for employers to steal people’s tips. 
 
We can’t let these business owners and the Trump administration get away with legalizing wage theft. Tell the Department of Labor to halt their proposed rollbacks NOW!
 
Restaurant owners and the National Restaurant Association (‘the other NRA’) have made it clear that they don’t think working people have a right to keep the tips they receive from customers. Corporate lobbyists pushing this proposal represent NRA executives of well-known brands like Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster and Olive Garden. These greedy companies see tips as another way to line their pockets. In fact, the latest analysis shows that employers would pocket $5.8 billion if this ‘tip stealing’ rule moves forward. 

These profitable corporations are promoting a policy that will make it harder for their employees to provide for their families. This is unacceptable. Make your voice heard before it’s too late.
 
American eateries are far from being great places to work, even with the legal protections in place today. Twelve percent of people working in restaurants report stolen tips, and the majority-female workforce faces overwhelming rates of sexual harassment. In fact, the restaurant industry is the single largest source of sexual harassment complaints in the U.S. 

Secretary Acosta and the NRA are on a mission to make restaurants even worse places to work. But we know that if enough of us come together, we can stop these corporate lobbyists in their tracks. The federal comment period only is open for a limited time. Act now to fight back and stand with working people. Send a message to the Department of Labor today!
 
In Solidarity,
Ethan
Jobs With Justice 

***

From Friends of the Earth:The Trump administration is poised to hand Monsanto a license to pollute our environment, harm our health, and wipe out monarch butterflies. It could renew the registration for glyphosate, a.k.a. Roundup®, moving us further away from organic agriculture.

Roundup® is linked to a 90% decline in monarch butterflies in the last 20 years. And it’s bad for us as well -- the World Health Organization has called this pesticide is a “probable carcinogen.”

But Trump’s EPA just released a report based heavily on industry studies that contradicts the strong science showing links between glyphosate and cancer. This is a clear signal that the agency intends to allow Big Ag to keep dousing our food in this toxic chemical. We need your help to stop it!

Tell the EPA: Don’t let Monsanto wipe out monarch butterflies and poison our communities!

Over the last two decades, what used to be a roaring river of butterflies migrating to Mexico each year has become a trickle.

At the same time, the amount of Roundup® being used each year has gone from 25-30 million pounds to 180-185 million. That’s more than half a pound of pesticides for every American. The impacts on our health and the environment have been huge.

The evidence is clear: we must stop supporting a food system built on toxic pesticides like Roundup® and instead build a future of organic for all. The EPA could start by revoking the license for glyphosate. But we need your help to push it to act.

Add your name: Stop Monsanto from poisoning our environment and communities with Roundup®!

Roundup® is wiping out butterflies and putting our health at risk -- but it’s making $5 billion every year in profits for Monsanto. So surely the company is pushing the EPA to protect those profits.

Instead of caving to Monsanto, the EPA should be helping us shift toward healthy, sustainable, organic farming. After all, organic farmers don’t use glyphosate or a whole host of other toxic pesticides. Organic farming helps bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects flourish. It promotes biodiversity and is better for your health. And it improves farmers’ incomes and boosts local economies.

With Trump in charge of the EPA, it’s going to be an uphill battle to defend our food system from Monsanto. But the agency still has to consider public input. If enough people like you speak up, you can force it to help shift to a food system that works for pollinators, people and the planet.

Help save monarchs from extinction: Tell the EPA to revoke Monsanto’s license to pollute!

Standing with you,
Lisa Archer,
Food and Technology Program Director,
Friends of the Earth

***

From Politics Reborn:

Like many of you, Politics Reborn is deeply disappointed to see the Republicans pass a tax bill that will only benefit the wealthy while only worsening the situation for many lower-income communities. We could rant and rave, listing the various reasons why this tax bill is a terrible piece of legislation, but we aren't going to do that. We aren't going to tell you things you know and think about the bill. 

Instead, we are going to talk about something that we surely need more of in this movement, and that is hope. 

What’s happening in the United States right now is neither unique nor extraordinary. It is a continuation of the many sins that our history books erase. For as long as America has existed, there has been injustice. Nevertheless, there have always been people who have stood up, organized, and fought for a more just society.  

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice." The question we must ask ourselves is this: What are we doing to better assure the arc bends towards justice? 

This movement can not simply be a series of reactions to each and every horrible change that the Trump Administration has implemented. We must be proactive, not reactive. It is time to build from the ground up. It is time to organize our communities!
Volunteer for Politics Reborn Now!

We are creating something that will make a lasting impact on society but we need your help on the amazing projects we are involved in. Will you join us in our vision in implementing the programs necessary to create systemic change?

Michael Blecher
President
PoliticsReborn.org

Free Your Mind! Common Sense 2.0

Free Your Mind!

by Cindy A. Matthews

The Founding Fathers didn't pull any punches when it came to calling out corruption and coercion caused by organizations  pretending to have their voters' needs in mind while craving more power and wealth for themselves.
George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disapproved of political parties, especially a system built around two major parties.

In his Farewell Address, Washington referred to, “The alternate domination of one faction over another" as a “frightful despotism.” Adams said, “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties… This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”

Jefferson went beyond a mild dislike of political parties. He held them in outright contempt: “If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.”

Yeow! I wonder, if we hooked a turbine up to George, John and Tom in their graves, could we power a city with the power generated by their spinning?

It amazes me still that in this day and age we have American voters brainwashed into thinking they "have to vote" for either the Democrat or the Republican on their ballot. Sure, they may have noticed an occasional strange party listed after the name of a candidate farther down the list, but they paid it no mind. There are only two parties after all, right?

Are they blind or simply deluded?  No one takes Civics classes in high school anymore, obviously, but it can't be the only reason we have so many minds enslaved to this limiting and destructive philosophy.  It just can't be.

Why are so many convinced this myth is true--along with the myth of  voting for one candidate will somehow elect another one? Have these misguided voters deliberately locked their common sense away to keep their conscious mind from realizing they've been duped? Is the psychic pain so great they've willingly laid down their  power of the vote and freely given it over to untrustworthy and undeserving individuals?

It's time to break free, people! We must break the chains that enslave us to a corrupt and broken system. Free our minds and use our votes to empower a true democracy, free from the influences of private corporations and their bribed lackeys, free from the one establishment party masquerading as two.

It reminds me of the chorus of a popular song: "Free your mind and the rest will follow."  In order to see positive change in our society, we must think positive and break the chains of ignorance, myth and superstition.

In other words, first we'll have to resurrect good ol' common sense. Bern Notice reminds us what another famous Founding Father had to say about it.

Common Sense 2.0

by Bern Notice

Common Sense was a book written by Thomas Paine in 1776.  US History.org describes it:  

"Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain."

Reference:
http://www.ushistory.org/paine/commonsense/

More than 200 years later the United States is no longer a colony to England. However, everyday voters have been subservient to the two big parties. It may be time to resurrect and update Common Sense for the 21st century. This will not be written to advocate for war, but to advocate for reform in the political process. It will be far from a literary masterpiece, but why not have a little fun with it?

Common Sense 2.0

The current state of affairs in modern politics is reflective of a truly corrupt institution. Lobbyists and multimillionaires get policy that is to their benefit. Politicians and other elitists are not accountable to the laws that they create. This is unconscionable.

Yet many are willing to allow those whom are appointed to political office to ignore our needs. We, the millions of working class citizens of The United States must demand reform and redress to the following grievances:

One: Overturn Citizens United and reduce the influence of money in politics. It

is one thing to accept money to win a nomination. It is quite another to be a slave to it. When the influence of money grows so great, as it has, that it makes public servant serve private interests instead, then this is neither a truly representative republic nor a democracy.

Two: End the two party stranglehold on the political system. We live in a nation of over 320 million people. 42% of voters in the U.S. identify as independent. This is a sizable chunk of the voting population. Roughly 30% identify as Democrat. 26% identify as Republican. This is not a nation that simply has two viewpoints. With that being the case, why do we insist on holding on the archaic two party model when it is reasonably clear that there are a number of citizens that want another option?

Reference:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/180440/new-record-political-independents.aspx

The UK and Canada have a number of political parties with representation in the government, and the world has not come to an end. Why must we settle for two?
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_Kingdom#Political_parties_with_elected_representation_at_local_government_level_onlyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_parties_in_Canada

Three: Equal justice under the law is paramount to a civilized society. When

politicians and billionaires get away with crimes that your average citizen would be crucified for, we have lost control of our society. When police kill a citizen when the subject has been neutralized, regardless of ethnicity or gender, there need to be held accountable and face consequences for their actions. We cannot permit a two tiered justice system.

Four: There must be time allocated on the public airways for journalism that informs and educates. There is a vast difference between journalism and infotainment. Journalism documents the facts and events that affect the lives of citizens. Infotainment is geared towards ratings and deliberately placing bias on events. We currently have the latter.

Five: We want domestic policy to become the priority again. If we could find the money to spend $2 trillion per year on the war in Iraq, then how can you argue that you can't increase spending on schools ($621 Billion) and infrastructure ($416 Billion)?

References:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSBRE92D0PG20130314

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/49910

If you are tired of being ignored, if you are tired of the needs of the few being served at the expense of the many, then this is the moment where the working class citizens of all ethnic and political stripes must unite and make our public servants serve us again. We should make this nation be about "We the people" as is written in the preamble of our constitution. It is either reform and equality, or its corruption and oligarchy. You can't have both. After all, isn't that common sense?

Bio: Bern Notice rallies the troops with his progressive insights on Google+.

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The song continues, "Free your mind and the rest will follow. Be color blind--don't be so shallow."

Unfortunately this year we're seeing a lot of shallow individuals taking the stage in the political realm. This Ohio Trump campaign chair gives us an excellent example of a truly shallow mind in this video clip.  

We'll touch more upon this topic in next week's blog. Suffice it to say, we must free our minds from the bondage of racism and bigotry. It truly kills all growth in the garden of common sense. It kills all attempts to encourage brotherhood and compassion toward our fellow human beings, too.

Prejudice takes many forms. One of its disguises is when another demands you to think or vote "their way or the highway" without regard to your common sense and values. This is demonstrated by those who believe Bernie supporters cannot vote for Jill Stein of the Green Party for president "because Bernie Sanders forbade us to."  And yet, we have evidence that Bernie does, in fact, actively support our right to vote our conscience--and he even supports Greens running for office, as this next piece shows...

Bernie Sanders Supports a Green Candidate

by A. J. Matthews

It isn't easy being Green. Larry Sanders, big brother of US Senator Bernie Sanders, is standing for election to the constituency of Witney, Oxfordshire, England. Recently vacated by former Prime Minister David Cameron, the constituency isn't the most fertile ground for a Green revolution. Cameron successfully defended his seat in the 2015 General Election with a 22,700+ majority for the Conservative Party, but retired social worker Larry, 82, has hopes of expanding Britain's awareness of the Green movement. In a recent interview with the Guardian newspaper, Sanders said “Because of Bernard, I’ve become famous, and I will get more attention from the media, and that’s to be used to get the Green Party’s policies across.”

The Green Party has one Member of Parliament, the party's co-leader, Caroline Lucas. She won the Brighton Pavilion seat in the 2010 General Election. In keeping with other so-called "minor" parties the Greens do well at the local level, and have a number of councilors in towns and cities across the UK. Much like the United States it is a struggle for other parties to make themselves heard over the blanketing effect caused by the two "big" parties. In Britain's case these are the Conservative (Tory) Party and the Labour Party. Unlike the US, though, it's far easier to run for election in the UK, something the minor parties take full advantage of.

People wishing to stand as an MP must be over 18 years of age, be a British citizen or citizen of a Commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland. Candidates must be nominated by ten parliamentary electors of the constituency they wish to stand in. Authorisation is required to stand for a specific party, otherwise candidates will be described as independent or have no description. In order to encourage only serious candidates to stand, a £500 deposit is required when submitting the nomination papers - returned if the candidate receives over five per cent of the total votes cast.

http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/electing-mps/candidates/

Larry states that the focus of his efforts in this by-election campaign will be on matters which would not normally considered part of the Green manifesto, but which nevertheless have a major impact on the lives of ordinary people. He opposes the privatization of social care and Britain's much-loved National Health Service (NHS), a policy the Conservatives have pursued to little success for decades. The furor generated by the Brexit vote has created a smokescreen behind which the Conservatives appear to be plotting to privatize the NHS. Strikes by medical staff and protests by concerned citizens have erupted against the move across the UK.

The neo-liberalism of the Labour Party under the premierships of Tony Blair and, later, Gordon Brown is also a target for Sanders' ire. Under the Labour government and the later coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, corporations and the very rich have been able to avoid paying taxes. The lowest 10% in income pay a higher proportion of tax than the highest 10%.

More traditional Green concerns for the environment will also be addressed by Larry Sanders. Under the previous UK governments climate deterioration and sensible policies to switch to renewable energy were ignored. A recent vote against fracking in the county of Yorkshire showed an overwhelming opposition to the move at 99.2%, yet Cameron's government gave the go-ahead in spite of this. Sanders wants to promote better insulation in British housing and green measures to further the use of renewable energy.

Much like his brother's campaign in the United States, social inequality is also a target for Sanders. He points to an increase in inequality in Britain over the last 30 years that’s having serious consequences, particularly in the housing market where many people can't afford houses who once would have experienced little trouble.

He faces a fierce fight from the other candidates who will contend the Oxfordshire seat on behalf of the Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour parties. With the Labour party in disarray over the leadership challenge by Blairite neoliberals against Jeremy Corbyn, a man much like Bernie Sanders in political outlook, Larry Sanders may well stand a chance of gaining ground. 

Bernie Sanders may not get involved in the election on his brother's behalf due to conventions against foreign politicians seeking to influence domestic government. Even so, his fame in the UK is an asset his brother will capitalize on.

It remains to be seen if Larry Sanders can make headway against an entrenched mindset in a traditional Tory seat, or if he can break through an make a successful case for Green policies. In any case, I wish him luck. His younger brother has certainly shaken the American Establishment to its core, and I hope Larry will do the same in Britain.

http://www.greenoxfordshire.com/larrygreenoxfordcom

 Bio: A. J. Matthews is a Brit living in the United States. He watches the candidates closely on both sides of the Atlantic and says, "Free your mind--vote Green."

Watch the video at the bottom of this blog page or click this link to hear Bernie's exact words on the subject. Always vote your conscience, your values. After all, it's your mind. Free it from the enslavement of establishment thinking.