Poor // Current TV

Risky interview in the deep gettos of columbia medellin 2009

Did you know there are really loving and friendly people in serious dangerous gettos?... more

travelindave
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

4.8 Minutes: Innocent Coed Kidnapped by PLAETR

Mary Lou Williams taken from her home by radical evildoers: People's Liberation... more

Progresshiv
added this
1 year ago
|
5 comments

Poor to pay for higher food costs

More than a billion people across the world who survive on less than $1.25 a day will... more

suzane
added this
1 year ago
|
2 comments

Obama's Economic Report Card: A+ for Helping the Wealthy -- Failing the Rest of Us

A higher stock market is of little comfort to the millions who don't have jobs, are facing foreclosure, fraudulent or otherwise, or have no health coverage.
January 3, 2011 |

There are two potential ways to measure the economic performance of a political leader. One is by the profitability, stock prices and executive bonuses of a nation’s corporations. The other is by the financial condition of the majority of its population. Since he came to power, President Obama and his economic team have propped up the former and failed miserably to aid the latter. (For the record, ever since the first paragraph of Obama’s pre-primary website economics plan put free markets before people, this is where we were going, but it still hurts to get there.)

The S&P 500 index is up 50% since Obama took office. But unemployment remains higher than it was when he entered the White House, home foreclosures continue to mount to the detriment of borrowers and entire neighborhoods, health insurance companies responded to his health care “reform” bill by raising premiums, and the financial system’s largest banks continue to prosper in the wake of a multi-trillion dollar bailout with no strings attached to share their subsidizations with the rest of American citizens. To top it all off, as he approaches the midpoint of his first, and likely last, term, Obama bowed to the pressure of the Republican Party and extended tax cuts for the richest Americans in order to be able to also extend them for everyone else more sorely in need. There’s only so long you can blame another administration for your actions.

Obama’s economic policies have either been continuations of his predecessor’s, as in the case of taxes and bank bailouts, or bills so watered down to appease corporations, notably banks and insurance companies, that they are ineffective. In the process, he continues to alienate his supporters—individual voters, not the companies that funded his candidacy—leaving their economy in shambles. Here’s the recap.

Taxes

Just in time for Christmas, we got Obama’s big tax-cut compromise. Obama’s reverse Robin Hood deal with the Republicans disproportionally takes from the poor to give to the rich. The plan adds another $1 trillion to the record United States deficit, $700 billion of which would be the cost of extending tax breaks to the wealthiest 2 percent of the country, the rest going toward jobless benefits—necessary to help those victims of the wider economic problems, but not complemented with a job-creation program.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, American millionaires would get 22 percent (or $200 billion over two years) of the benefits of the deal, while the bottom 20 percent of American workers would get less than one-half of one percent. According to David Cay Johnston, the 45 million households that make less than $20,000 a year will be slapped with a tax increase of $150 to $200.

Even though the majority of his own Democratic Party supported extending cuts only to Americans making less than $250,000 a year (on TV anyway, apparently not at their seats once the compromise was inked, notables with balls like Sen. Bernie Sanders aside), Republican “all-or-nothing” pressure was met by Obama’s capitulation. He could have bargained harder—say by suggesting that tax cuts not be extended for people making more than a million dollars, rather than punting the tax cut issue into the 2012 presidential election period.

What Obama effectively did was adopt George W. Bush’s tax policy in total rather than come up with a better deal, even though the Bush tax cuts increased the net worth of the wealthiest Americans while the wages of the rest of Americans (the ones that had jobs) stagnated or decreased per hour worked. The Republicans obviously considered the deal a victory, to hell with any Republican voters in the bottom 98 percent of the country. Wall Street thought it was better than expected. Jamie Dimon was all but salivating. Even though the majority of Americans wanted to end tax breaks for the wealthiest, plus extend unemployment benefits, Obama couldn’t pull it off.

To go to the next page:
http://www.alternet.org/news/149394/obama's_economic_report_card:_a%2B_for_helping_the_wealthy_--_failing_the_rest_of_us/A higher stock market is of little comfort to the millions who don't have jobs,... more

gerardange
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Tony Destructo: Congress Works

Destructo teaches Congress a lesson about taking too many breaks.

TonyDiGerolamo
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Why should you let somebody else get a free ride on your labor?

TALKING POINTS ON WELFARE PART 4 Taxation is theft, why should I have my pay... more

asherp
added this
1 year ago
|
38 comments

Poorhouses....GOP's future plan for the elderly, low income and the unemployed!!

Social Security operates at a surplus and has not contributed one dime to our... more

harleyblueswoman
added this
1 year ago
|
1 comment

Cuts to council funding 'deeper in poorest areas'

With budget cuts to local councils, local government Eric Pickles stated the cuts... more

Mcellie
added this
1 year ago
|
2 comments

The Rich Threw A Party: Ted Rall Cartoon

I thought this was a pretty accurate statement of the recent situation here in... more

adamvelvetu
added this
1 year ago
|
6 comments

Wall Street bonuses cashed in for sex, food and art

Mike Norman, the chief economist at John Thomas Financial explained there is an... more

maasanova
added this
1 year ago
|
17 comments

American justice in Black and White....North and South. - Lexington courts | Examiner.com

Racism may be more common in the Deep South but the court system has remained unchanged in the North and the South.

Lexington Kentucky and Vail Colorado are 1182.37 miles apart when talking about distance. Lexington sits at 1000 ft above sea level while Vail runs between 8022 and an impressive 11570 ft above sea level. On the map Lexington sits at Latitude 38.03 N and Longitude 84.44 W with Vail appearing at Latitude 39.64 N and Longitutde 106.39 W.

However, when the subject of racism in the criminal justice system is discussed, elevation and latitude make little, if any difference. It seems in the North they're just more honest about it. Two similar criminal cases, one in Lexington and one in Vail, demonstrate this in BLACK and WHITE.

Here are the similarities:

* Martin Joel Erzinger tragically ran over a cyclist on July 3 in Vail Colorado with his Mercedes and fled the scene of the accident.
* Glenn Rahan Doneghy tragically struck a police officer in April in Lexington Kentucky with his SUV and fled the scene of the accident.
* Erzinger was later arrested at his home address.
* Doneghy was later arrested at his home address.
* Erziner alledgedly veered from his course onto the side of the road and hit Dr. Steven Milo.
* Doneghy alledgedly veered from his course and struck Officer Bryan Durman near the side of the road.
* Erzinger's victim, Dr. Steven Milo suffered extensive injuries. "Milo suffered spinal cord injuries, bleeding from his brain and damage to his knee and scapula, according to court documents," Randy Wyrick for Vail Daily reported. "Over the past six weeks he has suffered 'disabling' spinal headaches and faces multiple surgeries for a herniated disc and plastic surgery to fix the scars he suffered in the accident." "He will have lifetime pain," Milo's lawyer, Harold Haddon, wrote. "His ability to deal with the physical challenges of his profession -- liver transplant surgery -- has been seriously jeopardized."
* Doneghy's victim, Officer Bryan Durman, tragically died from his injuries.

This is where the stories go in opposite directions:

* Erzinger oversees over $1 billion in assets for "ultra high net worth individuals, their families and foundations," according to Worth. Erzinger is white.
* Doneghy has a criminal history, mental health history, drug abuse history and has a modest income. Doneghy is black.

Follow the rest of the article at the link: http://www.examiner.com/courts-in-lexington/american-justice-black-and-white-north-and-southRacism may be more common in the Deep South but the court system has remained... more

Monkey_Films
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Lexington detective lies to grand jury in case regarding police officer’s death. - Lexington courts | Examiner.com

I wrote an article in July titled, 'Does Glen Rahan Doneghy's life matter?'. In that article I discussed local prosecutorial racism, propaganda in favor of police, prosecutorial misconduct and police corruption as some of the reasons Doneghy may not get a fair trial. Recent events in the case have made that article just shy of prophetic. The case involves a driver that struck a police officer who was tragically killed.

Lexington detective David Richards testified to the grand jury and at an earlier preliminary hearing providing false information. He falsely claimed that a witness at the scene claimed that Doneghy's vehicle was the only one on the street at the time. He also claimed that this witness saw Doneghy's vehicle deviate from it's course of travel and then struck officer Durman.

Doneghy's attorneys, Kate Dunn, Sally Wasielewski, and Gayle Slaughter attempted to talk to any witnesses to prepare their case. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, Lori Boling, falsely claimed that there were no witnesses, thus, denying them their right to interview the witness. I've personally seen this type of mis-direction and prosecutorial misconduct time and time again in my own cases.

The witness, Ronnie Hood, however claims that while sitting on his porch his bushes obstructed his view. Mr. Hood claims that he did not know about the accident until after he heard a loud noise. Additionally, Mr. Hood's home is several doors down the street from where the accident took place.

Our founding fathers understood a number of things about criminal accusations. It’s difficult if not impossible to prove a negative. It’s better to free a guilty man than to punish an innocent one. Government cannot be trusted or supported if it doesn’t respect the rights of the accused. Finally, they gave us a Constitution to protect our rights and provide confidence to the court system.

Because it is nearly impossible to prove a negative the accused is never required to prove his innocence. To do so would require the accused to prove he did not do something. The burden of proof rests with the prosecution who must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Commonwealth Attorney, Ray Larson, states on his website and on WLAP radio and internet sites that he believes 99% of accused are guilty. This guilty until proven innocent mindset has permeated our criminal justice system all the way down to the beat cops. It is because of this that prosecutors hide witnesses and evidence and overzealous police officers lie to grand juries. They believe that the accused is guilty anyway so what does it hurt to lie or hide evidence if it speeds up the process of conviction. What we wind up with are thousands of falsely accused being imprisoned by a system gone awry.

Ray Larson also makes no secret of his personal feelings about minority criminals on his website or in his lengthy rants on the radio. While portraying white collar criminals as tragic situations of wrong decisions he resorts to name calling and slander when referring to cases involving working class crime and especially minorities. White collar criminals are wished a better future after learning a minor lesson, usually without jail time. However, Larson tends to claim that minorities fit into the once a 'thug' always a 'thug' category and they will always re-offend, he states.

Doneghy is a poor black man and officer Durman was a middle-class father and husband and member of local mega-church, Southland Christian Church. He was also caucasian. Believe it or not, in 2010 going on 2011, that still matters in Kentucky. Very rarely, 10 times in the last 25 years, has someone been prosecuted for vehicular homicide in Fayette County. However, this case involved a police officer and a black man with a criminal record lacking the money for Johnny Cochran.

Read the rest of the article at the link: http://www.examiner.com/courts-in-lexington/lexington-detective-lies-to-grand-jury-case-regarding-police-officer-s-deathI wrote an article in July titled, 'Does Glen Rahan Doneghy's life... more

Monkey_Films
added this
1 year ago
|
43 comments

Rather Than Investigating Foreclosure Fraud, House Republicans Vow To Investigate Loans To Poor People

The Republican party will launch aggressive inquiries into alleged abuse of mortgages... more

bundlebear
added this
1 year ago
|
6 comments

Obama to Nominate Jesus Christ to Supreme Court

President Barack Obama is expected to nominate Jesus Christ, an immigrant originally... more

Progresshiv
added this
1 year ago
|
15 comments

Top 10 Items You Should Donate Instead of Ditch

Every time we clean house, the seemingly useless items we discard could make a huge... more

Maryleaf
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Jan Brewer Denies Health Coverage To 70,000 KIDS And Counting, Pocketing The Savings

Yesterday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) held a press conference to announce that the... more

toyotabedzrock
added this
1 year ago
|
2 comments

Court overturns US tycoon's will that left fortune to Panama's poor

Wilson Lucom decided to leave his fortune of $50m (£32m) to the poor of Panama,... more

Mcellie
added this
1 year ago
|
15 comments

Census finds Record Gap between Rich and Poor

The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest amount on record as young adults and children in particular struggled to stay afloat in the recession.

The top-earning 20 percent of Americans — those making more than $100,000 each year — received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the U.S., compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line, according to newly released census figures. That ratio of 14.5-to-1 was an increase from 13.6 in 2008 and nearly double a low of 7.69 in 1968.

A different measure, the international Gini index, found U.S. income inequality at its highest level since the Census Bureau began tracking household income in 1967. The U.S. also has the greatest disparity among Western industrialized nations.

At the top, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, who earn more than $180,000, added slightly to their annual incomes last year, census data show. Families at the $50,000 median level slipped lower.

Lower-skilled adults ages 18 to 34 had the largest jumps in poverty last year as employers kept or hired older workers for the dwindling jobs available, Smeeding said. The declining economic fortunes have caused many unemployed young Americans to double-up in housing with parents, friends and loved ones, with potential problems for the labor market if they don't get needed training for future jobs, he said.

The census figures also come amid heated political debate in the run-up to the Nov. 2 elections over whether Congress should extend expiring Bush-era tax cuts. President Barack Obama wants to extend the tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 and joint filers making less than $250,000; Republicans are pushing for tax cuts for everyone, including wealthy Americans.

The 2009 census tabulations, which are based on pre-tax income and exclude capital gains, are adjusted for household size where data are available. Prior analyses of after-tax income made by the wealthiest 1 percent compared to middle- and low-income Americans have also pointed to a widening inequality gap, but only reflect U.S. data as of 2007.

Among the 2009 findings:

_The poorest poor are at record highs. The share of Americans below half the poverty line — $10,977 for a family of four — rose from 5.7 percent in 2008 to 6.3 percent. It was the highest level since the government began tracking that group in 1975.

_The poverty gap between young and old has doubled since 2000, due partly to the strength of Social Security in helping buoy Americans 65 and over. Child poverty is now 21 percent compared with 9 percent for older Americans. In 2000, when child poverty was at 16 percent, elderly poverty stood at 10 percent.

_Safety nets are helping fill health gaps. The percentage of children covered by government-sponsored health insurance such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program jumped to 37 percent, or 27.6 million, from 24 percent in 2000. That helped offset steady losses in employer-sponsored insurance.

The 2009 poverty level was set at $21,954 for a family of four, based on an official government calculation that includes only cash income. It excludes noncash aid such as food stamps.

Arloc Sherman, a senior researcher at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, noted the effects of expanded government programs in cushioning the impact of skyrocketing unemployment. For example, the Census Bureau estimates that 3.6 million people would have been lifted above the poverty line if food stamps were counted — a number that would have reduced the 2009 poverty rate from the official 14.3 percent to 13.2 percent.The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest... more

Future_America
added this
1 year ago
|
52 comments

3rd World America?? Income Gap Widens: Census Finds Record Gap Between Rich And Poor

WASHINGTON — The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest amount on record as young adults and children in particular struggled to stay afloat in the recession.

The top-earning 20 percent of Americans – those making more than $100,000 each year – received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the U.S., compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line, according to newly released census figures. That ratio of 14.5-to-1 was an increase from 13.6 in 2008 and nearly double a low of 7.69 in 1968.

A different measure, the international Gini index, found U.S. income inequality at its highest level since the Census Bureau began tracking household income in 1967. The U.S. also has the greatest disparity among Western industrialized nations.

At the top, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, who earn more than $180,000, added slightly to their annual incomes last year, census data show. Families at the $50,000 median level slipped lower.

"Income inequality is rising, and if we took into account tax data, it would be even more," said Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in poverty. "More than other countries, we have a very unequal income distribution where compensation goes to the top in a winner-takes-all economy."

Lower-skilled adults ages 18 to 34 had the largest jumps in poverty last year as employers kept or hired older workers for the dwindling jobs available, Smeeding said. The declining economic fortunes have caused many unemployed young Americans to double-up in housing with parents, friends and loved ones, with potential problems for the labor market if they don't get needed training for future jobs, he said.

Rea Hederman Jr., a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, agreed that census data show families of all income levels had tepid earnings in 2009, with poorer Americans taking a larger hit. "It's certainly going to take a while for people to recover," he said.

The findings are part of a broad array of U.S. census data being released this month that highlight the far-reaching impact of the recent economic meltdown. The effects have ranged from near-historic declines in U.S. mobility and birth rates to delayed marriage and the first drop in the number of illegal immigrants in two decades.

The census figures also come amid heated political debate in the run-up to the Nov. 2 elections over whether Congress should extend expiring Bush-era tax cuts. President Barack Obama wants to extend the tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 and joint filers making less than $250,000; Republicans are pushing for tax cuts for everyone, including wealthy Americans.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/income-gap-widens-census-_n_741386.htmlWASHINGTON — The income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last... more

Nocturnus
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

10 Best Dumpster-Diving Blogs

It’s common knowledge that dumpster-diving has long been a favorite pastime of... more

Maryleaf
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

select your country

Community Spotlight

TAGS

tagged w/ Poor

top videos

find current on tv

find current online

recent comments

© 2012 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

the basics

follow us online

tools

stay in touch

© 2012 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved