“President Obama talks about his belief that a rising, thriving middle class is the true engine of economic growth, and that to reignite that engine and continue to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, we need to invest in three areas: jobs, skills and opportunity.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/18/weekly-address-president-talks-about-how-build-rising-thriving-middle-cl

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
The White House
May 17, 2013

“Hi, everybody.  Over the past few months, I’ve laid out a series of commonsense ideas to reignite the true engine of our economic growth: a rising, thriving middle class.

The way I see it, there are three areas where we need to focus.  One: making America a magnet for good jobs.  Two: making sure our workers have the education and skills they need to do those jobs.  And three: making sure your hard work leads to a decent living.

I’ve also been visiting cities across the country that are doing some interesting and creative things along these lines.

On Friday, I stopped by a factory in Baltimore that’s creating good jobs here at home by exporting digging equipment abroad.

I read with young kids in a pre-K program, where kids are getting a head start learning the skills they’ll need to succeed in life.

And I stopped by a program that’s helping folks in tough circumstances – especially low-income dads – get the training and guidance they need to find work and support their families.

That’s why I like getting out of the Washington echo chamber whenever I can – because too often, our politics aren’t focused on the same things you are.  Working hard.  Supporting your family and your community.  Making sure your kids have every chance in life.

More than anything, the American people make me optimistic about where we’re headed as a nation.  Especially after all we’ve been through the past several years.  And that should encourage us to work even harder on the issues that matter to you.

In a little over three years, our businesses have created more than 6.5 million new jobs.  And while our unemployment rate is still too high, it’s the lowest it’s been since 2008.  But now we need to create even more good, middle-class jobs, and we need to do it faster.

Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time highs.  But now we need to get middle-class wages and incomes rising too.

Our housing market is healing.  But we still need to help a lot more families stay in their homes, or refinance to take advantage of historically low rates.

And our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades.  But now we need to budget in a smarter way that doesn’t hurt middle-class families or harm critical investments in our future.

So in a lot of sectors, things are looking up.  The American auto industry is thriving.  American energy is booming.  And American ingenuity in our tech sector has the potential to change the way we do almost everything.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to visit more cities like Baltimore, and Austin, Texas – where I was two weeks ago; places where Americans are coming together to strengthen their own communities and economies – and in the process, making this country better for all of us.

And I’m going to keep trying to work with both parties in Washington to make progress on your priorities.  Because I know that if we come together around creating more jobs, educating more of our kids, and building new ladders of opportunity for everyone who’s willing to climb them – we’ll all prosper, together.

Thanks. And have a great weekend.”

***

Realizing America is superglued to scandal obsession these days, keeping our eyes on the core, key issues (infrastructure & employment, a main few) is essential.

Infrastructure! Employment! Infrastructure! Employment! Infrastructure! Employment!  IDECLAIR IT!~ 

“President Obama Speaks on Rebuilding Our Nation’s Infrastructure”

May 17, 2013

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/17/remarks-president-ellicott-dredges

Remarks by the President at Ellicott Dredges

Ellicott Dredges
Baltimore, Maryland

1:20 P.M. EDT

“THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Baltimore!  (Applause.)  Well, it is wonderful to see all of you.  Give Duncan a big round of applause for the great introduction.  (Applause.)  I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome, the great hospitality.  And I tell you what, I’m going to return the favor by hosting your Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens at the White House this summer.  (Applause.)  We’ll have Ray Lewis in the China Room -– what could go wrong?  (Laughter.)

I want to thank your CEO, Peter Bowe, and your plant manager, Robert Croom, and your entire team for showing me around this great facility.  I was told that one of your customers once named a dredge after President Clinton, so I’ve got my fingers crossed.  (Laughter.)  Never had a dredge named after me, so I’m looking after — looking forward to that.

I’ve come here today to talk about our single most important priority as a country right now.  And that is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth, and that is a rising, thriving middle class.  (Applause.)  And as I said in my State of the Union address this year, that’s our North Star.  That’s what we have to focus on.  That’s what has to guide all our efforts.

And we’ve got some great people who are championing middle-class families every single day.  First of all, your outstanding Governor — come on — Martin O’Malley.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding Mayor — Madam Mayor.  (Applause.)  You’ve got some outstanding members of Congress, led by your senior Senator, Barbara Mikulski.  (Applause.)  And your own leader in the House of Representatives — he is doing a great job every single day and he loves this state — Steny Hoyer.  (Applause.)

So we’ve got just some extraordinary folks here.  Let me make sure I’ve — Elijah Cummings is here.  (Applause.)  But more importantly, Elijah’s mom is here.  (Applause.)  And we are so proud of Elijah, but his mom apparently prays for me every day, so I’m very grateful for her as well.

And all of these — all of your members of Congress, every single day, are working, fighting on your behalf in terms of making sure that we’re growing an economy that creates outstanding middle-class jobs.  That’s the challenge that we should be rallying around every single day.  And I know it can seem frustrating sometimes when it seems like Washington’s priorities aren’t the same as your priorities.  I know it often seems like folks down there are more concerned with their jobs than with yours.  Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by.  But the middle class will always be my number-one focus, period.  Your jobs, your families, your communities — that’s why I ran for President.  That’s what drives me every day as I step into the Oval Office.  That’s what I’m going to keep fighting for over the next four years.

And that’s why I’m so proud to have these partners.  John Sarbanes I saved for last, because Congressman Sarbanes, he himself is doing a great job, but when I first came in, his father was one of the people who I so admired in the Senate.  He had served for a long time.  And I remember just a conversation that we had — he probably doesn’t remember it — but I asked him — I came and paid him a visit, and I asked him, “What’s your advice?”  He says, “Just keep in mind the people who sent you.”  Because here in Washington, sometimes people get distracted.  But you’re here to work on behalf of your constituencies.  And if you stick to that, you’re going to be just fine.

And that’s what’s happening here in Maryland.  Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland has won back almost 100 percent of the jobs that were claimed by the recession.  (Applause.)  So you might not know it if you were just watching the news and you’re exposed to all these partisan battles and brinksmanship in Washington, but the truth is there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about where this country is headed, especially after all we’ve been through over the past several years.  And that’s got to encourage us to roll up our sleeves, and work together, and take on the challenges that are still holding back the economy and holding down working families.

Now, the good news is in a little over three years, businesses like this one have created more than 6.5 million new jobs.  And while our unemployment rate is still too high, it’s the lowest it’s been since 2008.  (Applause.)  That’s good news.

But that’s not enough because we’ve also got to create even more good, middle-class jobs, and we’ve go to do it even faster.

Corporate profits have skyrocketed at an all-time high. Now we’ve got to make sure that middle-class wages and incomes are going up too -– because families all across America haven’t seen their take-home pay rise for nearly a decade.  That’s the next phase.  It’s good that companies are profitable.  I want you to be profitable.  I want you to be taking a little more home in your paycheck.  (Applause.)

Our housing market is healing.  But that’s not enough.  Now we’ve got to help more families stay in their homes, or refinance to take advantage of these historically low interest rates.

Our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades.  That’s the truth.  That’s worth an applause, sure.  (Applause.)  Because you wouldn’t always know that listening to folks in Washington.  But the fact is our deficits are going down faster than they have gone down in decades.  But we still have to create a budget that is smart and doesn’t hurt middle-class families or harm our critical investments into our future.

Barbara Mikulski is on the Appropriations Committee; she’s fighting hard to make sure that this sequester that is slowing down growth, and we’re starting to see growth slowing down because of furloughs and cuts in defense spending, and a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t well thought through — we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a budget that doesn’t push our economy back down.  We need a budget that pushes our economy back up.

The American auto industry is thriving.  American energy is booming.  American ingenuity in our tech sector has the potential to change the way we do almost everything.

And thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, we’ve been able to clear away the rubble of the crisis.  We’re now poised for progress, but our work is not done, and our focus cannot drift.  We’ve got to stay focused on our economy, and putting people back to work, and raising wages, and bringing manufacturing back to the United States of America.  That has to be what we’re thinking about every single day.  (Applause.)

The middle class has taken a beating for more than a decade.  You deserve folks in Washington who are willing to fight back on your behalf every single day.  Because every single day, you and Americans like you all across the country are working hard and living up to your responsibilities.  So you’ve got to have the same seriousness of purpose in your leaders.

Now, I see three areas where we need to focus if we’re really going to keep the recovery going but take it to new heights.  Number one, we’ve got to make America a magnet for good jobs.  Number two, we’ve got to make sure that workers are able to get the education and skills they need to do those jobs.  Number three, we’ve got to make sure that, if and when you’re working hard, that that leads to a decent living.

And that’s why I wanted to come to Baltimore — because a lot of people here in Baltimore, they work hard.  Baltimore has gone through tough times in the past, but Baltimore has come bouncing back.  (Applause.)

I started a few hours ago at a pre-K program at Moravia Park Elementary School.  (Applause.)  There, kids are getting a head start learning skills they need to succeed in college and the workplace.  And, by the way, this is a center that was named after Steny Hoyer’s late wife, Judy, because she and Steny share my belief in the importance of giving every kid every chance as early as possible.

I got to help with one of the lessons — we were having to draw zoo animals.  (Laughter.)  And I’ve got to say, my tiger was not very good.  (Laughter.)  The kids were unimpressed.  They kind of looked at it, they said, that doesn’t look like a tiger.  (Laughter.)  But they were amazing.

And later today, I’m going to visit with a program that helps people who have gone through some tough circumstances, especially low-income dads, and this program is now helping them get the training and the guidance they need to find work and support a family, which is a priority.  (Applause.)  And probably some of these folks who I’m meeting, they didn’t get that early childhood education that put them on the right track.  And what we want to do is, first of all, make sure our kids are getting the training they need, but if they missed out early on, we still want to give them opportunity on the backend.

But obviously, the training of kids, giving them a good education, training older workers — none of that is going to make a difference if we don’t have great companies that are hiring.  And that’s why I wanted to come to Ellicott.

Ellicott Dredges, you guys are an example of what we can do to make America a magnet for good jobs.  After all, you all know a thing or two about growing the economy — you’ve been doing it for more than a century.  This company was founded in 1885.  You’ve been right here on Bush Street since 1900.  This company built dredging equipment that helped dig the Panama Canal.  (Applause.)  That’s impressive.

What that means is this company, right here in Baltimore, literally helped create our global economy, because that was one of the first connectors that started to allow us to ship goods and cut the distances that integrated the world economy.

And yet, after all this time, this company still has a set of core values that’s lasted for generations.  Just like the folks who came before you, you’ve got that drive to make the best machines that money can buy; to sell products all over the world; to grow not just a business, but a community, and by doing that, you’re growing our country.

And these values have seen you through an era of enormous change.  Your leaders saw the potential in developing markets like China and India and Brazil and Bangladesh.  So you ramped up your focus on airports — on exports — maybe on airports, too — (laughter) — but on exports.  And the federal government has worked with you as a partner to sell dredging equipment right out of this shop all over the world.  You maintained your quality.  You built a sales force that travels everywhere, outhustling the competition in search of new business.

All that hard work has paid off.  Today, this company, you have sold equipment to more than 100 different countries.  You’ve made new investments here at home.  You employ more than 200 people in Baltimore and Wisconsin and Kansas.  And over the past few decades, during some of the tough times for our workers, you were able to keep building equipment stamped with those three proud words:  Made in America.  And you’re selling it around the world.  (Applause.)

As Steny Hoyer and some of these House members like to say, that means you’re making it in America.

MR. HOYER:  All right.

THE PRESIDENT:  See, Steny gets excited.  (Laughter.)  You’re actually making stuff here in America, but it also means that we’re all making it here in America when you do what you’re doing.  And this is a great example.

And the good news is, more and more companies are following your example.  After shedding jobs for 10 years, our manufacturers have added more than 500,000 jobs over the past three years.  Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico.  Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan.  (Applause.)  After placing plants in other countries like China, Intel, which is making the chips in your smartphone and your iPad, all of these gizmos everybody is holding up right now — (laughter) — Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home, right here in America.

Washington should be helping these kinds of success stories take root all across the country.  That’s why we’ve boosted — my administration has boosted our efforts to help businesses export more of their goods and services.  That’s why we signed trade agreements that will protect American workers, but open up new markets and support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.

That’s why we reauthorized the Export-Import Bank.  And we are proud to have the bank’s chairman right here, Fred Hochberg.  He’s here this afternoon.  He’s helping this company as we speak sell more goods overseas.  And so today, exports are at an all-time high.  We are selling more stuff around the world.  We’ve added more than a million export-supported jobs since I took office.  (Applause.)

So all these steps are making a difference, but there’s more we can do.  We need to pursue new trade agreements with Europe and the Pacific region.  We need to invest in high-tech manufacturing centers, because I want the next revolution in manufacturing to be made here in America.

Our workers are at our best when we’re building stuff.  So today, I’m also announcing the next step in our effort to cut through red tape that keeps big construction projects from getting off the ground.

Now, some of you, if you’ve heard me, I’m really big on us rebuilding our infrastructure in this country.  (Applause.)  I want to put people back to work improving our roads, our bridges, our airports, our ports.  (Applause.)  We were talking about the Panama Canal.  The Panama Canal is being revamped down in Panama so that it can accommodate even bigger ships.  And these cargo ships are so big that if we don’t remodel our ports here in the United States, they can’t dock at our ports.  They’ll dock someplace else.  We’ll lose that business.

So we’ve got to up our game when it comes to infrastructure.  And the good news is, when you do that, you’re putting people back to work right away, operating dredging equipment and doing other stuff, and you’re also laying the foundation for future economic growth.

Now, the problem is we’ve had some trouble out of Congress just going ahead and funding –

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I know, it’s surprising, isn’t it?  (Laughter.)  But we’ve had a little difficulty getting our Republican friends to work with us to find a steady funding source for these projects that everybody knows needs to happen.  But in fairness, one of the problems we’ve had in the past is, is that sometimes it takes too long to get projects off the ground.  There are all these permits and red tape and planning, and this and that, and some of it’s important to do, but we could do it faster.

So a while back, what I did was I ordered everybody who was involved in approving projects to speed up the permitting process for 50 different big projects all across the country, from the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina.  And we’ve been able to, in some cases, cut approval times from seven years down to a year.  So we’ve made progress.  (Applause.)

Today, I’m directing agencies across the government to do what it takes to cut timelines for breaking ground on major infrastructure projects in half.  And what that will mean is, is that construction workers get back on the jobs faster.  It means more money going back into local economies, and it means more demand for outstanding dredging equipment that is made right here in Baltimore.  (Applause.)

Now, as some of you know, one of the guys who has been working on this, he’s Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari, your former transportation secretary here in Maryland before Governor O’Malley generously agreed to share him with the entire country.  (Laughter.)

So those are some of the ways that we can create the conditions for businesses like this one to generate even more good jobs.  And these are the kinds of ideas that we have to stay focused on every single day.  This should be our principal focus:  How are we making ourselves more competitive; how are we training our workers so that they can do the jobs that need to be done; how can we make sure that we stay on the cutting edge in terms of technology; how are we making it easier for businesses to succeed.

And I’m going to keep trying to work with both parties in Washington to make progress — because our challenges are solvable.  I travel all around the world, and I meet people from all walks of life.  And I can tell you, there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America.  That’s really true.  (Applause.)  They know we’ve got all the ingredients to succeed.  We’ve got the answers.  The only thing that’s holding us back sometimes is a lack of political will.  Sometimes our leadership isn’t focused where we need to be focused.  And that’s where you come in.  It’s up to you and all the people across the country to tell the people in Washington, focus on getting stuff done.  We may not agree on the way to do certain things, but I think we all love our country.  We all want what’s best for our kids and our grandkids.

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could find a good job that pays the bills and lets you afford a home, and maybe take a vacation, put some money away to retire?  Wouldn’t we be better off if we knew that all of our kids were getting a good education from an earliest age; if we reformed our high schools for this new economy; if we’re helping more young people afford to go to college?

Wouldn’t we be better off if every worker’s wage was a wage you could live on?  Nobody wants to be on welfare.  Nobody wants to have to rely on a handout.  They want to work.  But let’s make sure that work pays.

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could afford quality healthcare, and the peace of mind that comes with it?  That’s why we passed health care reform.  (Applause.)  Wouldn’t we be better off if we did what’s necessary to protect more of our children from the horrors of gun violence?  (Applause.)

There are going to be disagreements about how we get there.  But let’s remind ourselves that when we work together nobody can stop us.  When we do the right thing — that’s what I believe.  That’s what I’m going to keep fighting for.  That’s what drives me — is all the stories of people like you that I have the great honor of meeting and working with every single day.  You deserve leaders with the same dedication and commitment and focus that the people who work at this company bring to their jobs every single day.  And you look at those dredges up there — and I met folks who have worked here 38 years, some who worked 40 years, and the pride that they take in their product and the way they all work together, that’s the attitude that we’ve got to bring to bear here.

I think about a woman here, Myrna LaBarre.  Myrna LaBarre — where is Myrna?  (Applause.)  There’s Myrna right here.  (Applause.)  Myrna LaBarre.  Myrna has been at Ellicott for more than 50 years.  (Applause.)  Now, that means she started when there were no child labor laws, because it was clearly illegal.  (Laughter.)  She was about four or five, and they started putting her to work, put a broom in her hand.  But when somebody asked Myrna what lessons she learned after 50 years working at the same company, she said, “Be honest, be helpful, accept your mistakes and improve upon them, be good to people, keep a good sense of humor, have the best work ethic possible, and handle the good times and get over the bad.”  That’s a pretty good recipe for success right there.  That’s who we are.  That’s who we are.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Myrna.

I mean, that pretty much sums up everything.  (Laughter.)  That’s who we like to understand America to be, who we are as Americans.  We’re honest and helpful.  We work hard.  We’re good to others.  We handle the good times, and we get over the bad times.  If we keep that in mind, if we just all keep Myrna’s advice in mind, keep plugging away, keep fighting, we’ll build an even better America than we’ve got right now.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We’re praying!

THE PRESIDENT:  And I know you’re going to — we can pray too, we’ll add that in there.  (Laughter and applause.)

If we work to create more jobs, if we give every American the tools that they need for those jobs, if we make sure that hard work pays off and that responsibility is rewarded, then once again America is going to be the place where you can always make it if you try.  And we’ll all prosper together.  And we’ll make sure that America remains the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)”

***

 Maybe it’s the ‘momma’ in me… but the preciousness of this is eternal.  America’s Precious & Brilliant PROMISE.  

Enjoy this.  IDECLAIR IT!~

“President Obama Talks to Pre-K Students”

May 17, 2013

***

Life. Work. Policy & YOU.  IDECLAIR IT!~

YOU Are The CEO of YOU. PERIOD. 

ENGAGEMENT Is Core, Key, Critical, Cool & ESSENTIAL.  

Your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… Circle of Encouragement, Inspiration, Responsibility, Outreach, ReachOut, Uplift, LiftUp, ScrubDown, Information, Insight, Empowerment, & HEALING!  Pass It ALL On & Repeat!  IDECLAIR IT!~

The WORK Is Ours & ETERNAL.  

IDECLAIR MEDIA, THE IDECLAIR SHOW…

REAL. RAW. RIGHT NOW…

IDECLAIR IT!~

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theideclairshow/

No Matter What… Know YOUR Value!  No Matter What… Know YOU Matter! 

No Matter What… Know The Power of YOUR ENGAGEMENT. 

No Matter What… VOTE. 

IDECLAIR IT!~ 

“Four Better Ways To Spend The $55 Million Wasted On Votes To Repeal The Affordable Care Act”

“This week, the U.S. House will vote on a bill to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, also known as simply health care reform or Obamacare. Here are the top five things you need to know about the Affordable Care Act.

1. What Did The Affordable Care Act Do? The Commonwealth Fund has an outline of all of the major provisions in the Affordable Care Act and when they will be (or were) implemented, including:
   1. 2010: Children were able to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they are 26 and insurance companies can no longer deny health insurance to children with preexisting conditions.
   2. 2013: New Medicare tax and limits on health savings accounts took effect.
   3. 2014: Individuals will be required to have health insurance or will be forced to pay a fine. Businesses that employ more than 50 full-time employees will be have to provide health insurance to them or face fines. Medicaid is expanded for states that opted to participate in this portion of the law. (The Kaiser Family Foundation has tracked which states will participate.)
   4. 2018: Tax on high-cost insurance plans will take effect.
2. How Much Will The Affordable Care Act Cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office’s most recent estimate, the Affordable Care Act will cost taxpayers $1.3 trillion over the next decade. That figure is up about $170 billion from the CBO’s previous estimate, which was released in August 2012. (The most recent estimate was released in February 2013.)
3. Did The Affordable Care Act Raise Taxes? Yes, it included 18 tax increases that are estimated to cost taxpayers about $675 billion over ten years. (Other sources say the increases could total as much as $1 trillion.) The New York Times says one of the new taxes will hit married couples especially hard and another may also make it more difficult for consumer to get tax refunds for medical expenses. One of the most controversial tax increases – and one for which there is bipartisan agreement that is should be repealed – is the tax on medical device manufacturers. According toForbes contributor Grace Marie Turner this tax could result in jobs being shipped overseas. She said, “Many firms say this tax – slated to collect $29 billion over 10 years – will soak up virtually all of their research budgets. The medical device industry employs more than 400,000 people in 12,000 factories across the country, often small, entrepreneurial firms with a small product line.  Many say that to survive, they will have no choice but to relocate abroad – taking much-needed, high-tech jobs with them.
4. Will All Americans Have Health Insurance After The Affordable Care Act Is Implemented? No. According to the Congressional Budget Office, while the percentage of the population without health insurance coverage will fall under the Affordable Care Act, at least 30 million people will still be without health insurance by 2023. Also, according to The Washington Post, the CBO expects seven million Americans will lose their employer-based coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
5. How Do Americans Feel About The Affordable Care Act? The Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking views on the law since it was signed. While support for the Affordable Care Act has dropped, opposition to it has remained about the same as when it was passed. According toKaiser, 35 percent of adults have a favorable opinion of the 2010 health care law, down from 42 percent in April 2012 and from 46 percent in April 2010, right after the law was passed. Forty percent currently have an unfavorable opinion, down from 43 percent one year ago, and the same as in April 2010. According to Gallup, small business owners are some of the most wary of the effects of the bill. According to Gallup, 39 percent of small business owners think the law will have no effect on their business; nine percent think it will have a positive effect; and 48 percent think it will have a negative effect. Specifically, 37 percent of small business owners think the bill will have no impact on their health care costs; five percent think it will cut costs; and 55 percent think it will increase costs.”

***

Screw the Right Wing WET DREAM of OBSTRUCTION & Never Ending  Republican Scandal rotisserie!  THIS is (just some of ) what American’s are not discussing! 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-15/u-dot-s-dot-banks-set-to-win-rollback-in-dodd-frank-swap-trading-rules 

“U.S. Banks Set to Win Rollback in Dodd-Frank Swap-Trading Rules”
May 15, 2013

***

***

***

America’s Epidemic & Horror of Military Sexual Assault:  

“Defense Department Briefing”  

May 17, 2013

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DefenseDepartmentBriefing399

“Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Martin Dempsey spoke to reporters and answered questions on a number of topics. Among the topics they addressed were sexual assault in the military.”

***

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=120054

“Dempsey: Sexual Assault Constitutes Crisis in Military” By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service “ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, May 15, 2013 – Sexual assault in the force constitutes a crisis in the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. “We’re losing the confidence of the women who serve that we can solve this problem,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters as he returned from NATO meetings in Brussels. “That’s a crisis.” Dempsey has actively been researching this issue since he became the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command chief in 2008. He continued the research as Army chief of staff, and now as chairman. “I tasked those around me to help me understand what a decade-plus of conflict may have done to the force,” he said. “Instinctively, I knew it had to have some effect.” The chairman still cannot articulate what 10 years of war has done to the force, but he does think the increase in sexual assaults, the rise in suicides, and the increase in instances of misconduct and indiscipline are in some way related. “This is not to make excuses,” he said. “We should be better than this. In fact, we have to be better than this.” All of the Joint Chiefs share his concern, Dempsey said, which was why the chiefs issued direction to the Joint Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response in May 2012. “That’s why we are very open to some of these legislative recommendations on changing the [Uniform Code of Military Justice],” he said. “I just want to make sure I understand the second- and third-order of effects of them.” Dempsey said the Joint Chiefs of Staff will work with all parties to find solutions to this crisis. “But we also are trying to look at this in the broader context of what we’ve asked this all-volunteer force to do,” he said. “We’ve asked this all-volunteer force to fight a decade-long conflict, and we’ve asked them to deploy repeatedly. We need to understand the effect on the health of the force.” Meanwhile, the service branches are studying the effects of multiple and prolonged deployments on their military members. “I would like each service to look at this and then bring back to the Joint Chiefs to see what we can learn among us all,” he said. Dempsey has a letter from the chairman and minority leader of the Senate Armed Service Committee to assess the various legislative proposals geared to prevent sexual assault in the military. “There are a lot of good ideas out there. There are some I don’t think are good ideas, and there are some I really don’t understand,” he said. “I’m hoping to provide my best advice back to those making the proposals. But I assure you that we are open-minded to see if there are opportunities to do better out there.”

Biographies: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey Related Sites: Special Report: Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Special Report: Travels With Dempsey Related Articles: Dempsey Pledges to Eliminate Sexual Assault Within the Ranks Obama to Military Sexual Assault Victims: ‘I’ve Got Your Backs’ Hagel Initiatives Take Aim Against Sexual Assault DOD Unveils New Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy

***

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/05/17/hagel-sexual-assault-solution-wont-come-quickly.html?comp=7000023317828&rank=1

Hagel: Sexual Assault Solution Won’t Come Quickly

May 17, 2013

By Richard Sisk

***

Back live Monday.  

Life. Work. Policy & YOU.  IDECLAIR IT!~

YOU Are The CEO of YOU. PERIOD. 

ENGAGEMENT Is Core, Key, Critical, Cool & ESSENTIAL.  

Your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… Circle of Encouragement, Inspiration, Responsibility, Outreach, ReachOut, Uplift, LiftUp, ScrubDown, Information, Insight, Empowerment, & HEALING!  Pass It ALL On & Repeat!  IDECLAIR IT!~

The WORK Is Ours & ETERNAL.  

IDECLAIR MEDIA, THE IDECLAIR SHOW…

REAL. RAW. RIGHT NOW…

IDECLAIR IT!~

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theideclairshow/

No Matter What… Know YOUR Value!  No Matter What… Know YOU Matter! 

No Matter What… Know The Power of YOUR ENGAGEMENT. 

No Matter What… VOTE. 

IDECLAIR IT!~ 

“Good afternoon, Chairman Goodlatte; Ranking Member Conyers.  I appreciate this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Justice Department’s recent achievements and to provide an overview of our top priorities.

Particularly in recent years, the Department has taken critical steps to prevent and combat violent crime, to confront national security threats, to ensure the civil rights of everyone in this country, and to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society.  Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of my colleagues – the nearly 116,000 dedicated men and women who serve in Justice Department offices around the world – I’m pleased to report that we’ve established a remarkable record of progress in expanding our nation’s founding promise of equal justice under law, and ensuring the safety and security of our citizens.

The need to continue these efforts – and to remain vigilant against a range of evolving threats – was brought into sharp focus last month, in the most shocking of ways, when a horrific terrorist attack in Boston left three innocent people dead and hundreds injured.  In the days that followed– thanks to the valor of state and local police, the dedication of federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, and the cooperation of members of the public – those suspected of carrying out this terrorist act were identified.  One suspect died following a shootout with police and the other has been brought into custody and charged in federal court with using a weapon of mass destruction.  Three others have been charged in connection with the investigation of this case, which is active and ongoing.

As we continue working to achieve justice on behalf of our fellow citizens and brave law enforcement officers who were injured or killed in connection with these tragic events – and to hold accountable, to the fullest extent of the law, all who were responsible for this heinous attack – I want to assure you that my colleagues and I are also committed to strengthening our broader national security efforts.  Over the past four years, we’ve identified, investigated, and disrupted multiple potential plots involving foreign terrorist organizations as well as homegrown extremists.  We’ve secured convictions – and tough sentences – against numerous individuals for terrorism-related offenses.  We’ve utilized essential intelligence-gathering and surveillance capabilities in a manner that’s consistent with the rule of law, and with our most treasured values.

Beyond this work, my colleagues and I are enhancing our focus on a variety of emerging threats and persistent challenges – from drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, to cyber-threats and human trafficking.  We’re moving to ensure robust enforcement of antitrust laws, to combat tax fraud schemes, and to safeguard the environment.  We’re building on the significant progress that’s been made in identifying and thwarting financial and health care-related fraud crimes.  For example, in FY 2012, our fraud detection and enforcement efforts resulted in the record-breaking recovery and return of roughly $4.2 billion.

Over the last three fiscal years alone – thanks to the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force and its federal, state, and local partners – we have filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 14,500 defendants, including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants.  As these actions prove, our resolve to protect consumers and seek justice against any who would take advantage of their fellow citizens has never been stronger.

The same can be said of the Department’s vigorous commitment to the enforcement of key civil rights protections.  Since 2009, this commitment has led our Civil Rights Division to file more criminal civil rights cases than ever before – including record numbers of human trafficking cases.  Using new tools and authorities, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, we’ve improved our ability to safeguard our civil rights and pursue justice for those who are victimized because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  We will continue working to guarantee that – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; in our immigrant communities and our voting booths – the rights of all Americans are protected.

But all of this is only the beginning.  As we look toward the future, my colleagues and I are also determined to work closely with Members of Congress to secure essential legislative changes – including commonsense steps to prevent and reduce gun violence, and comprehensive legislation to fix our nation’s broken immigration system.

It’s long past time to allow the estimated 11 million individuals who are here in an undocumented status to step out of the shadows, to guarantee that all are playing by the same rules, and to require responsibility from everyone – both undocumented workers and those who hire them.  Like many of you, I am encouraged to see that these basic principles are reflected in the bipartisan reform proposal that is currently being considered by the Senate.  The Department will do all it can to help strengthen that proposal, and to advance a constructive, responsible dialogue on this issue.  I understand that this Committee and other Members are working on immigration reform proposals as well, and I look forward to working with you as those efforts move forward to enact comprehensive reforms.

However, I must note that our capacity to continue building upon the Department’s recent progress is threatened by the long-term consequences of budget sequestration and Joint Committee reductions, which will worsen in Fiscal Year 2014, unless Congress adopts a balanced deficit reduction plan.  Should Congress fail to do so, I fear that these reductions will undermine our ability to deliver justice for millions of Americans, and to keep essential public safety professionals on the job.

We cannot allow this to happen.  This afternoon, I ask for your support in preventing these cuts and ensuring that the Department has the resources it needs to fulfill its critical missions.  I thank you, once again, for the chance to discuss our current efforts with you today.  And I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

***  

Republicans Waste (Tax Payer) Millions Voting To Repeal ACA (37/38) Times:  Thank you THINKPROGRESS.ORG!  

May 13, 2013

For more: http://to.pbs.org/129axrV

“Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters during a news conference Tuesday that he ordered an investigation on the IRS’ extra scrutiny on tea party groups. Holder also said he had no involvement in the leak probe in which the Department of Justice seized phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors.

Holder also said the DOJ charged 89 people with healthcare fraud and that the resulting sequestration cuts would slow any further clampdowns.”

***

The ‘Society of Professional Journalists,’ makes the serious case (again) for the need for the ‘Shield Law.’  Your thoughts on this law?  

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/493483-SPJ_AP_Phone_Record_Collection_Highlights_Need_for_Shield_Law.php

“SPJ: AP Phone Record Collection Highlights Need for Shield Law”

“Society president calls DOJ actions unwarranted intrusion”

By John Eggerton — Broadcasting & Cable, 5/14/2013 10:16:35 AM

“Society of Professional Journalists president Sonny Albarado has condemned the Justice Department’s alleged secret collection of AP reporter and editor phone records and said it highlights the need for a federal shield law.

“The Justice Department’s secret acquisition of two months of the business and personal phone records of AP’s reporters and other employees is shameful and outrageous,” Albarado said in a statement.

“This incident proves once again the need for a federal shield Law. Prosecutors, unlike reporters, have subpoena power to compel testimony, yet lazy prosecutors often prefer to go after reporters’ notes and records rather than do the hard investigative work to dig out information without trampling on the First Amendment,” he said.

SPJ has for years been pushing for a federal shield law, aided by a number of legislators including notably the late Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter. Those attempts have been resisted by various administrations, including the present one.”

***

The REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… on the Real IRS (behind the scandal) MESS:  

The link below are sizzling MUST READS.  THANK YOU TheNation.com, & WashingtonPost.com. 

http://www.thenation.com/blog/174320/irs-fallout-real-scandal-secret-money-influencing-us-elections#

“IRS Fallout: The Real Scandal Is Secret Money Influencing US Elections”

Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/174320/irs-fallout-real-scandal-secret-money-influencing-us-elections#ixzz2TN5ROKz0

* * *

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ruth-marcus-irs-has-been-too-lax-on-tax-exempt-status/2013/05/14/bd7404b6-bcb8-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html

“IRS has been too lax on tax-exempt status”

Ruth Marcus May 14

***  

The issue of republican obstruction is at the root of so many problems in our governing process, and policy implementation today.  Please see the blog posting below for references heard on today’s program. 

http://ideclairmedia.com/republican-senators-on-environment-public-works-committee-abuse-rules-of-senate-w-obstruction-blocking-not-showing-up-anti-woman-republicans-disrespect-epa-admin-nominee-gina-mccarthy-amer/

“NO SHOW REPUBLICAN Senators on Environment & Public Works Committee “Abuse Rules of Senate” OBSTRUCTS/ BLOCKS / INSULTS ALL Americans!”

***

Think Agriculture policy doesn’t connect to you, and your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… ?  THINK AGAIN! 

Senate Farm Bill Slashes & Cuts Billions in Food Stamps: 

A super serious issue, event, and concern not in the news is on our REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… to do list today.

‘The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013′ is legislation ALL Americans should know about, make themselves familiar with, and contact your elected official regarding your perspective.  

There are massive cuts coming, and reforms in place.  The links below are MUST READ. 

http://www.ag.senate.gov/about/jurisdiction  

http://www.ag.senate.gov/newsroom

http://www.ag.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/the-agriculture-reform-food-and-jobs-act-of-2013

“The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013″

U.S Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman

Thursday, May 9, 2013

“The Senate’s bipartisan 2013 Farm Bill represents the most significant reform of American agriculture policy in decades.

With the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act, the era of direct payments is over. Instead of subsidies that pay out every year even in good times, the bill creates risk management tools that support farmers when they are negatively impacted by weather disaster or market events beyond their control.

By ending unnecessary subsidies, streamlining and consolidating programs and cracking down on abuse, the bill reduces the deficit by billions. Passing the Farm Bill will yield a total of $23 billion in cuts to agriculture programs (including cuts made due to the sequester). 

$23 billion is over double the amount the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission ($10 billion) and Gang of Six ($11 billion) recommended in total agriculture cuts.

Agriculture is a bright spot in America’s economy. The Senate’s 2013 Farm Bill strengthens top priorities that help farmers, ranchers and small business owners create jobs.

The current Farm Bill expires September 30^th.  A new Farm Bill must be passed this year to provide farmers the certainty they need to keep driving our economic recovery.

Sixteen million jobs hang in the balance.

Last year’s similar Senate Farm Bill passed the Senate with a wide bipartisan vote, 64-35.  The Farm Bill is broadly supported by Democrats and Republicans across the country for its major reforms, common sense deficit reduction and strengthened job creation initiatives.

Major Reform: Ending Direct Payments; Creating Responsible Risk Management

Farmers face unique risks unlike other businesses. Weather and market conditions outside a producer’s control can have devastating effects. Responsible risk management tools help ensure that farmers – and farm jobs – are not wiped out by disasters, and protect all American families from sudden spikes in food prices.

However, for too long farm programs have existed as subsidies that provide payments even when farmers are already doing well. The 2013 Senate Farm Bill reforms farm programs to save taxpayer dollars, while providing farmers with a responsible risk management system that only helps farmers when they experience substantial losses due to events beyond their control.  This proposal:

• Eliminates direct payments. Farmers will no longer receive payments when prices are rising and support is not needed. Ending these subsidies and creating responsible risk management is a major shift in American farm policy
• Caps remaining risk management support at $50,000 per person
• Ends Farm Payments to Non-Farmers. This bill closes the “management loophole,” through which people who were not actually farming—in many cases not even setting foot on the farm—were designated as farm “managers” so they could receive farm payments
• Strengthens crop insurance and expands access so farmers are not wiped out by bad weather
• Includes disaster relief for producers hurt by drought, spring freeze, and other weather disasters

• Reforming farm programs, ending direct payments and implementing market-oriented programs to help farmers manage risk saves $16 billion dollars ($12 billion in the bill, $4 billion through sequestration)

Consolidating and Streamlining Programs

By eliminating duplicative programs, funds are concentrated in the areas in which they will have the greatest impact, reducing the deficit while strengthening top priorities.  The Senate Farm Bill eliminates over 100programs and authorizations under the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction.  For example:

• The bill consolidates 23 existing conservation programs into 13 programs—while maintaining existing tools to protect and conserve land, water and wildlife
• Streamlining programs provides added flexibility and focuses conservation around four primary functions: working lands conservation, the Conservation Reserve Program, regional partnerships, and easements to help prevent sprawl and protect wetlands
• These reforms save money while still increasing resources for top priorities
• Because we are truly doing more with less, changes to conservation policies are supported by nearly 650 conservation organizations from all 50 states

Improving Program Accountability 

At a time when many out-of-work Americans are in need of food assistance for the first time in their lives, it is more critical than ever that every dollar go to families in need. By closing loopholes, cracking down on abuse and improving program integrity, the Farm Bill reduces the deficit without cutting standard benefits or removing any needy family from the program.  The Senate Farm Bill increases accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by: .

• Stopping lottery winners from continuing to receive assistance
• Preventing states from providing $1 per year in home heating assistance to individuals who do not have a heating bill for the sole purpose of providing extra benefits above what they would normally receive
• Ending misuse by college students whose families are not truly low-income
• Cracking down on retailers and recipients engaged in benefit trafficking
• Increasing requirements to prevent liquor and tobacco stores from accepting food assistance benefits
• The above savings reduce the deficit while continuing support for food banks, seniors’ food programs and healthy school lunch initiatives

Continuing Growth in America’s Diverse Agricultural Economy

The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act increases efficiency and accountability, saving tens of billions of dollars overall, while still strengthening agricultural jobs initiatives through:

• Export opportunities to help farmers find new global markets for their goods
• Help for family farmers to sell locally, increasing support for farmers’ markets and spurring the creation of food hubs to connect farmers to schools and other community-based organizations
• Training and access to capital to make it easier for beginning farmersto get off the ground
• Initiatives to help American veterans start agriculture businesses
• Growth in bio-based manufacturing (businesses producing goods in America from raw agricultural products grown in America) to create rural agriculture and urban manufacturing jobs
• Innovation in bio-energy production, supporting non-food based advanced biomass energy production such as cellulosic ethanol and woody biomass power
• Research to promote the commercialization of new agricultural innovations
• Rural development initiatives to help rural communities upgrade infrastructure, extend broadband internet availability and create a better environment for small businesses”

***  

Think Agriculture policy doesn’t connect to you, and your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… ?  THINK AGAIN! 

Senate Farm Bill Slashes & Cuts Billions in Food Stamps: 

A super serious issue, event, and concern not in the news is on our REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… to do list today.

‘The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013′ is legislation ALL Americans should know about, make themselves familiar with, and contact your elected official regarding your perspective.  

* * *

Thank you Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  The below link is MUST READ. 

http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/gillibrand-statement-on-committee-passage-of-senate-farm-bill-

“Gillibrand Statement on Committee Passage of Senate Farm Bill”

“Senate Farm Bill Slashes $4.1 Billion in Food Stamps For Veterans, Seniors, and Food Insecure Families Over Next Decade — Half of Food Stamp Beneficiaries Are Children”

May 14, 2013

“Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement today after voting against the Farm Bill that passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee with $4.1 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

“Just as important as the health of our agriculture industry, is the health and nutrition of our children and families. I am deeply concerned with the drastic cuts this bill makes to SNAP that will literally take food away from hungry children, while protecting corporate welfare for insurance companies based in Bermuda, Australia and Switzerland who don’t need it. These are the wrong priorities.

“The Americans who rely on SNAP are not nameless, faceless people looking for a handout. They are children, hard-working adults, struggling seniors, veterans, active duty troops and the families that stand by them.  That’s who suffers in this callous political fight. 

“Losing ninety dollars a month in food assistance may not sound like a lot to some people. But if you’re a parent who’s trying to protect your children and feed them good, wholesome, nutritious food, or a senior on a fixed income, it means everything in the world.

“As a mother and a lawmaker, watching a child go hungry is something I just will not stand for. Families who are living in poverty – hungry children, seniors, troops and veterans who are just trying to figure out how to keep the lights on and put food on the table — they did not spend this nation into debt and we should not be trying to balance the budget on their backs. They deserve better.””

***

All this, more, and your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… Join us.  

***

Life. Work. Policy & YOU.  IDECLAIR IT!~

YOU Are The CEO of YOU. PERIOD. 

ENGAGEMENT Is Core, Key, Critical, Cool & ESSENTIAL.  

Your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… Circle of Encouragement, Inspiration, Responsibility, Outreach, ReachOut, Uplift, LiftUp, ScrubDown, Information, Insight, Empowerment, & HEALING!  Pass It ALL On & Repeat!  IDECLAIR IT!~

The WORK Is Ours & ETERNAL.  

IDECLAIR MEDIA, THE IDECLAIR SHOW…

REAL. RAW. RIGHT NOW…

IDECLAIR IT!~

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theideclairshow/

No Matter What… Know YOUR Value!  No Matter What… Know YOU Matter! 

No Matter What… Know The Power of YOUR ENGAGEMENT. 

No Matter What… VOTE. 

IDECLAIR IT!~ 

 

“The head of the New Orleans Police Department says investigators have made significant progress in their investigation of a Mother’s Day parade shooting that wounded 19 people.”

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/police-man-19-sought-no-parade-shootings

“POLICE: MAN, 19, SOUGHT IN N.O. PARADE SHOOTINGS”

Juliet Eilperin  May 13, 2013

“President Obama discusses the housing market and urges Congress to confirm Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency and take action to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance and save money on their mortgage.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/11/weekly-address-growing-housing-market-and-supporting-our-homeowners

WEEKLY ADDRESS: “Growing the Housing Market and Supporting our Homeowners”

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
May 11, 2013

“Hi, everybody.  Our top priority as a nation is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class.  And few things define what it is to be middle class in America more than owning your own cornerstone of the American Dream: a home.

Today, seven years after the real estate bubble burst, triggering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and costing millions of responsible Americans their jobs and their homes, our housing market is healing.  Sales are up.  Foreclosures are down.  Construction is expanding.  And thanks to rising home prices over the past year, 1.7 million more families have been able to come up for air, because they’re no longer underwater on their mortgages.

From the day I took office, I’ve made it a priority to help responsible homeowners and prevent the kind of recklessness that helped cause this crisis in the first place.

My housing plan has already helped more than two million people refinance their mortgages, and they’re saving an average of $3000 per year.

My new consumer watchdog agency is moving forward on protections like a simpler, shorter mortgage form that will help to keep hard-working families from getting ripped off.

But we’ve got more work to do.  We’ve got more responsible homeowners to help – folks who have never missed a mortgage payment, but aren’t allowed to refinance; working families who have done everything right, but still owe more on their homes than they’re worth.

Last week, I nominated a man named Mel Watt to take on these challenges as the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.  Mel’s represented the people of North Carolina in Congress for 20 years, and in that time, he helped lead efforts to put in place rules of the road that protect consumers from dishonest mortgage lenders, and give responsible Americans the chance to own their own home.  He’s the right person for the job, and that’s why Congress should do its job, and confirm him without delay.

And they shouldn’t stop there.  As I said before, more than two million Americans have already refinanced at today’s low rates, but we can do a lot better than that.  I’ve called on Congress to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance, and with it, the opportunity to save $3,000 a year.  That’s like a $3,000 tax cut.  And if you’re one of the millions of Americans who could take advantage of that, you should ask your representative in Congress why they won’t act on it.

Our economy and our housing market are poised for progress – but we could do so much more if we work together.  More good jobs.  Greater security for middle-class families.  A sense that your hard work is rewarded.  That’s what I’m fighting for – and that’s what I’m going to keep fighting for as long as I hold this office.

Thank you.  And have a great weekend.”

***

Life. Work. Policy & YOU.  IDECLAIR IT!~

YOU Are The CEO of YOU. PERIOD. 

ENGAGEMENT Is Core, Key, Critical, Cool & ESSENTIAL.  

Your REAL RAW RIGHT NOW… Circle of Encouragement, Inspiration, Responsibility, Outreach, ReachOut, Uplift, LiftUp, ScrubDown, Information, Insight, Empowerment, & HEALING!  Pass It ALL On & Repeat!  IDECLAIR IT!~

The WORK Is Ours & ETERNAL.  

IDECLAIR MEDIA, THE IDECLAIR SHOW…

REAL. RAW. RIGHT NOW…

IDECLAIR IT!~

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theideclairshow/

No Matter What… Know YOUR Value!  No Matter What… Know YOU Matter! 

No Matter What… Know The Power of YOUR ENGAGEMENT. 

No Matter What… VOTE. 

IDECLAIR IT!~ 

“At Least 71 Kids Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown”

MAY 7, 2013

“WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren is advocating for the Job Preservation and Sequester Replacement Act, a bill sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse that would repeal sequestration by closing corporate tax loopholes and passing the Buffett Rule. This legislation would level the playing field so that middle class families, children and seniors, are no longer supporting tax breaks for millionaires and billion dollar companies.

“Sequestration is ugly.  It attacks our most vulnerable families, while it halts the investments that build our future.  This fight is about economics, but it is also about our values.  I am not willing to stand by while billion dollar corporations benefit from tax breaks and funding for food assistance, education, and medical research is slashed,” said Senator Warren. “Republicans and special interests are working together to keep the game rigged in favor of the richest and most powerful corporations.  Head Start, Meals on Wheels, medical research, programs that support our veterans don’t have lobbying muscle, but they represent the core of who we are.  I encourage my colleagues to support the Job Preservation and Sequester Replacement Act so that we can repeal the sequester immediately.”

***  SISTER MOTHERHOOD:  As these are tough times for most Americans, for Black American Moms, things are distinctly grim according to the data reported below.  Your thoughts.  MUST READ. 

http://naturallymoi.com/2013/05/news/research-shows-quality-of-life-for-black-mothers-is-extremely-low/

“Research Shows Quality of Life for Black Mothers Is Extremely Low”

 

***

Rick Perlstein May 6, 2013

“Obama in Plunderland: Down the Corporate Rabbit Hole”

“In this speech from May 8, 2013, Senator Whitehouse rebuts the notion, recently expressed by one of his colleagues, that “God won’t allow us to ruin our planet.”"

05/07/2013

***

Rep. Chaffetz defends his criticism of the handling of Libyan consulate security despite voting to cut embassy funding.

For more CNN videos, check out our YouTube channel athttp://www.youtube.com/cnn

Or visit our site at http://www.cnn.com/video/

“Speaking about sexual assault in the military, President Obama says, “and for those who are in uniform who’ve experienced sexual assault, I want them to hear directly from their commander in chief that I’ve got their backs.”"

***

President Obama’s transcribed remarks re: military sexual assault. 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/07/remarks-president-obama-and-president-park-south-korea-joint-press-confe

“Remarks by President Obama and President Park of South Korea in a Joint Press Conference”

“Christi Parsons.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  The Pentagon said today that there may be as many as 70 sexual assaults a day in the military — up by 35 percent during your term in office — and also that many sexual assaults may not be reported, in fact.  Given what we know about an Air Force officer in charge of preventing sexual assault recently being charged with sexual assault, and also the recent cases of a couple of Air Force generals who’ve set aside convictions of instances of sexual assault, can you speak to the culture in the U.S. military that may be at play here and talk about your response to that and what you can do going forward to improve things?

And if I may, President Park, I would ask you — yesterday you said that if North Korea does not change its behavior, we will make them pay.  I wondered if you could elaborate on that comment a little bit.  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, let’s start with the principle that sexual assault is an outrage; it is a crime.  That’s true for society at large.  And if it’s happening inside our military, then whoever carries it out is betraying the uniform that they’re wearing.  And they may consider themselves patriots, but when you engage in this kind of behavior that’s not patriotic — it’s a crime.  And we have to do everything we can to root this out. 
 
Now, this is not a new phenomenon.  One of the things that we’ve been trying to do is create a structure in which we’re starting to get accurate reporting.  And up and down the chain, we are seeing a process, a system of accountability and transparency so that we can root this out completely. 
 
And this is a discussion that I had with Secretary Panetta. He had begun the process of moving this forward.  But I have directly spoken to Secretary Hagel already today and indicating to him that we’re going to have to not just step up our game, we have to exponentially step up our game, to go at this thing hard.
 
And for those who are in uniform who have experienced sexual assault, I want them to hear directly from their Commander-In-Chief that I’ve got their backs.  I will support them.  And we’re not going to tolerate this stuff and there will be accountability.  If people have engaged in this behavior, they should be prosecuted. 
 
And anybody in the military who has knowledge of this stuff should understand this is not who we are.  This is not what the U.S. military is about.  And it dishonors the vast majority of men and women in uniform who carry out their responsibilities and obligations with honor and dignity and incredible courage every single day.
 
So bottom line is I have no tolerance for this.  I have communicated this to the Secretary of Defense.  We’re going to communicate this again to folks up and down the chain in areas of authority, and I expect consequences.
 
So I don’t want just more speeches or awareness programs or training but, ultimately, folks look the other way.  If we find out somebody is engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable — prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged.  Period.  It’s not acceptable.” 

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* Thank you Senator Gillibrand (D-NY), and all women Senators bringing voice, accountability, responsibility, and PUNISHMENT to the perpetrators of military sexual assault.  

“Gillibrand Demands Action to End Military Sexual Assault”

May 7, 2013

http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/gillibrand-reacts-to-new-defense-department-report-showing-26000-sexual-assaults-in-the-military-in-fy-12

“Gillibrand Reacts to New Defense Department Report Showing 26,000 Sexual Assaults in the Military in FY ‘12″

“Will Introduce Legislation Next Week to Reform the Military Justice System, Increase Accountability by Removing Decision Making for These Crimes Outside of the Chain of Command”

May 7, 2013

“Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement today after the Defense Department released its annual report on sexual assaults in the military. Gillibrand will be introducing legislation next week to remove decision making from the chain of command, which is the step necessary to create real accountability for assailants and justice for victims.

“Today’s report on the increased number of sexual assaults in the military is alarming. Despite pledges of zero tolerance from the military, and a number of positive steps that were taken last year by the Armed Services Committee, this report provides troubling evidence that we are going in the wrong direction. 

“Rather than arresting a crisis of 19,000 reports in 2011, the scourge of assaults increased to an unacceptable 26,000 in 2012. Equally as troubling is the fact that we did not see a tangible increase in the number of servicemembers who felt comfortable enough that justice would be served without retaliation to report the crime committed against them. The fact remains too many servicemembers are afraid of retaliation, 47% according to the Defense Department, and there isn’t a climate where they feel they can get justice in the system. 

“We must do more and we must do it now. While the changes proposed in the report is a small step forward, we need real reform that takes decision making over these cases outside of the chain of command which is the step necessary to create real accountability for assailants and justice for victims. I will urge my colleagues to support me in this effort when I introduce legislation next week. 

“The issue of sexual violence in the military is not new. And it has been allowed to go on in the shadows for far too long. “Too often, women and men have found themselves in the fight of their lives not in the theater of war – but in their own ranks, among their own brothers and sisters, and ranking officers, in an environment that enables sexual assault. 

“Our best, brightest, and bravest join our armed forces for all the right reasons – to serve our country, protect our freedom, and keep America safe. The United States has the best military in the world and the overwhelmingly vast majority of our brave men and women serving in uniform do so honorably and bravely. But there is also no doubt that we have men and women in uniform who are committing acts of sexual violence and should no longer be allowed to serve.  

“Congress would be derelict in its duty of oversight if we just shrugged our shoulders at these 26,000 sons and daughters…husbands and wives…mothers and fathers…and did nothing. We simply have to do better by them.”"

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* Cleveland, OH:  In the huge case of 3 missing women (and a child), missing for 10 years… the fallout is serious, and widespread.  

Many are speaking to the dismissive tone of the 911 operator.  Is this case overall further proof of how the poor, and people of color are treated in America by law enforcement?  The dismissive tone, and the lack of police work by law enforcement in Cleveland, is clearly being called out.

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/castro-brothers-missing-women/2142993/

“Dark picture of Castro family emerges”

May 8, 2013

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http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/298579/396/Investigator-Castro-accused-in-2005-of-beating-threatening-to-kill-woman

“Investigator: Castro accused in 2005 of beating, threatening to kill woman”

May 7, 2013

* * *

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/cleveland_police_facing_questi.html

“Cleveland police facing questions after Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight found alive”

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* American Apparel Industry, Offshored Slave Labor & American Consumers:  The issue of “Fast Fashion” is one we will continue to explore.  

MUST READS: 

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