Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Conservative economic policies fail EVERY time!

Wisconsin's middle class is shrinking faster than in any other state

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Rss@dailykos.com (laura Clawson)
Friday, March 27, 2015, 10:19 pm
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Inequality is rising and the American middle class is shrinking. But nowhere is it shrinking faster than in Wisconsin:

In 2000, 54.6 percent of Wisconsin families fell into the middle class category but that has fallen to 48.9 percent in 2013, according to U.S. Census figures compiled by Pew.

All other states showed some decline but none as great as Wisconsin's 5.7 percent figure.
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Wisconsin's median household income fell 14.7 percent during those years.
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Obviously this decline pre-dates Scott Walker's election as governor, but it's safe to say that Walker's terrible job creation record, a poor record even according to the Chamber of Commerce, isn't helping. Neither is saying the minimum wage "doesn't serve a purpose," or attacking the unions that reduce inequality, or slashing education funding. Walker was able to get elected by playing on the fears of voters in a shrinking middle class, but his agenda was always aimed at accelerating the decline.
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Read more...

The war on teachers continues as the monied-class fights for the elimination of the public school system

New York State teachers in limbo as they wait for test results: 'Your Stories' Investigation

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03/30/2015 06:46 PM
Syracuse (WSYR-TV)
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When you take a test, you typically get a grade.
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But that has not been the case for a number of New York State teachers.
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The State Education Department has rolled out a new series of exams called 'Content Specialty Tests,' which teachers have to take to get certified in a particular subject, ranging from English, to Mathematics, to Physical Education.
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In our NewsChannel 9 'Your Stories' investigation, we've learned the State Education Department has not established passing grades for 17 of their 40 Content Specialty Tests -- leaving some teachers in limbo.
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"Coming in to a field, you try to do everything right. You get a four-year degree, you get your Masters, you get your paperwork set, and then all of a sudden, you're at this standstill because of these tests being held up," says Amanda Cizenski, still waiting for test results.
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Cizenski is currently a certified Physical Education teacher, but in today's competitive job market, she's had trouble landing a permanent position.
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That's why she took a certification test that would allow her to teach 'Students with Disabilities.'
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She took that exam six months ago, and she is one of many, who have not received results.
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NewsChannel 9 asked the State Education Department why they administered a test without having a passing grade in place?
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Spokesperson Dennis Tompkins says, "The first time an exam is given the passing scores are not set until standard setting has been done and an initial group of exams have been taken. The panels of Higher Ed and P12 practitioners for standard setting have met and made recommendations. The performance of the initial test takers is another factor in final decision making about cut scores. This is standard test-making procedure."
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But the United University Profession Union - who represent faculty and staff at the State University of New York - tells NewsChannel 9 that this is not standard protocol.
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"I think it's a nationwide attack on the profession of teaching," says Fred Kowal, president of the United University Profession Union. "Typically, if you roll-out something new, you establish a pilot program. And during that pilot program, that's where you establish a passing grade. What the State Education Department has done or Pearson; they did not set up a pilot program and instead, they are literally using our students as guinea pigs to find out what the passing grade is going to be. This is totally inappropriate."
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So when will test-takers get their results?
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The State Education Department would not give us a timeline.
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Source

Re-post of an OBG (Eternal war)


Re-post of an OBG (Controlling the gays)


Re-post of an OBG (Freedom and voting)


Heaven - what is it really?


Suppresion - it's about spreading the faith


War - it's about spreading the faith


Religion - it's mostly about self-importance and ego.


Love God - or else!


Shooting report. A call for better gun control laws.






Calling on gun control! Calling on gun control!


Political poster dump - two dozen images

 
























Addressing the issue of war


Maintaining the attack on religious bigotry - the Indiana Chronicle







Monday, March 30, 2015

Walmart and 20 other companies are lobbying hard to gut workers' comp

[Is there anyone out there still not believing that coporations are out to own your sorry ass? ---Bozo]
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Rss@dailykos.com (laura Clawson)

Saturday, March 28, 2015, 6:26 pm
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One more thing to protest Walmart over.
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Many states have gutted workers' compensation laws in recent years, but that's not enough for a group of major corporations-including Walmart, Safeway, and, as a "sponsoring member," Whole Foods-that are trying to rewrite workers' comp laws around the country, Molly Redden reports:
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The companies have financed a lobbying group, the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers' Compensation (ARAWC), that has already helped write legislation in one state, Tennessee. Richard Evans, the group's executive director, told an insurance journal in November that the corporations ultimately want to change workers' comp laws in all 50 states. Lowe's, Macy's, Kohl's, Sysco Food Services, and several insurance companies are also part of the year-old effort. [...]
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ARAWC's mission is to pass laws allowing private employers to opt out of the traditional workers' compensation plans that almost every state requires businesses to carry. Employers that opt out would still be compelled to purchase workers' comp plans. But they would be allowed to write their own rules governing when, for how long, and for which reasons an injured employee can access medical benefits and wages.
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Workers' comp is supposed to take care of workers who are hurt on the job. But already, more than half of workers who might be eligible never even apply, and workers' comp pays for just a small share of the expenses injured workers face. That's still too much for these massive, highly profitable corporations, though. Already, the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers' Compensation has helped write a bill in Tennessee:
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The bill as introduced does not require employers to pay for artificial limbs, hearing aids, home care, funeral expenses, or disability modifications to a home or a car for injured workers. All of these benefits, notes Gary Moore, president of the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council, are mandated under the state's current workers' comp system. [...]
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Under the current system, employers must cover a worker's medical expenses for as long as he needs treatment. Green's bill would allow companies to stop paying lifetime benefits after three years or $300,000, whichever comes first..
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Not a bad deal for employers! No matter how badly a worker is hurt on your watch, working to create profit for you, you know your expenses will be limited according to legislation you paid to have written. Not such a good deal for workers, though, who may be unable to find work without the prosthetic, hearing aid, or modified car they need, and who may be stuck with huge, ongoing medical bills long after the company responsible for their injuries has bailed. Not such a good deal for taxpayers, either-already, federal, state, and local governments bear nearly as much of the cost for workplace injuries as workers' compensation does. Under corporate-written laws, how long do you think it would take for taxpayers to be paying significantly more of the costs than the companies responsible?
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Source

Thousands Rally Against Cuomo's Billionaire-Backed Education Scheme [NY]

Saturday, March 28, 2015
Lauren McCauley, staff writer
8 Comments
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Thousands of parents, teachers, and students from across the state flooded the streets of Manhattan on Saturday to call out Governor Andrew Cuomo for selling out the public school system.
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"Wall Street got a bailout. Public schools were sold out," was the message as protesters blocked traffic outside Cuomo's 3rd Avenue office building. The group is calling on the state government to fully fund public schools, limit high-stakes testing, support struggling schools, fairly evaluate teachers, and stop the expansion of charter schools.
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Organized by a coalition of groups, the demonstration included former progressive gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout, as well as other members of the Hedge Clippers-a recently founded campaign, backed by Teachout, as well as the American Federation of Teachers, and other prominent labor and community groups.
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According to the group's site, the Hedge Clippers seek to "expose the mechanisms hedge funds and billionaires use to influence government and politics in order to expand their wealth, influence and power" by calling out the politicians who do their bidding.
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During Saturday's protest, the group wielded large paper scissors and held signs accusing Cuomo of being the "number one recipient of hedge fund cash." Throughout the day, images from the demonstration were shared widely on Twitter as well as on the United Federation of Teachers
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Read more

Re-post of an OBG (The futility of our recent wars)


Re-post of an OBG (Getting to know the terrorists)


Re-post of an OBG (Israel)


Locating your god.


The flying spaghetti monster - the newest god.