Don't let Lancaster County turn back the clock on civil rights

Lancaster County is about to turn back the clock on civil rights-back to 1964!

Two Lancaster County Commissioners, Scott Martin and Dennis Stuckey, are trying to close down the Lancaster County Human Relations Commission, the body responsible for enforcing civil rights since 1964.

If they succeed, they will eliminate the ability of the county to enforce civil rights protections. This would be the first step of its kind to roll back civil rights in Pennsylvania's history. We can't let this happen!

This will be devastating to people who are victims of discrimination in Lancaster County. It will also send a message that discrimination is once again acceptable in the county. This will have a chilling affect on tourism and new business development in the region.

The vote to eliminate the Human Relations Commission will take place this Thursday night, July 29.

We are asking people of goodwill to send a message to the Lancaster County Commissioners: Don't turn back the clock on civil rights! Keep the Human Relations Commission! http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/palabchrc

You can send your message in two ways:

First, Click here to send an email to the Commissioners. You can use our pre-written email or compose your own.

Second, if you live near Lancaster, come to the Unity Rally to Defend Civil Rights. It will be this Thursday, July 29 at 5:30pm at
Binn's Park, 100 N. Queen Street, Lancaster. There will be great inspirational speakers representing the diversity of Lancaster County, all testifying to the importance of keeping a strong Human Relations Commission.

This will be followed by the Lancaster County Commissioners meeting at 7:00pm at the County Administration Building, Room 102, 150 N. Queen St., Lancaster, PA 17603.

Please do all you can to help protect civil rights in Lancaster County. We can't let hate win the day!

Keystone Progress files appeal of Office of Attorney General denial of healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request

Calls OAG’s reasoning “bizarre,” for claiming this information could create a “risk of physical harm” to Corbett; asks for immediate release of documents.

(HARRISBURG)—Keystone Progress (KP) has filed an appeal of Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General denial of its Right to Know request. KP filed its request seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. This is the second request for this information by Keystone Progress and its second denial.

The appeal by Keystone Progress rebuts each of OAG’s reasons for denying KP’s appeal.

The first reason given by OAG for denying this information is that it “would compromise the personal safety and security of not only the Attorney General and his security personnel but other staff acting on behalf of the Attorney General in the furtherance of the responsibilities and law enforcement duties of this agency. Additionally, the dissemination of such daily activities would allow the general public to discern a pattern of destinations which could easily be utilized for purposes of causing intentional harm to an individual, thus creating ‘a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm to or the personal security of an individual.’

This reason for denial is bizarre on its face, unless OAG is suggesting that there are so many relevant emails by the Attorney General and his OAG staff that the public could determine a pattern of behavior by the AG or OAG staff. If this is indeed the case, then the Right to Know Officer (Robert A. Mulle) and the Right to Know Appeals Officer are under obligation to turn this information over to the appropriate legal authorities since every correspondent in this request is a political organization or operative and would have no legitimate reason for being in correspondence with the AG or OAG staff using the time and resources of the Commonwealth.

The second reason for denying KP’s request is that the documents are exempt if they are records that reflect “internal, predecisional deliberations.” This is irrelevant because the records requested are correspondence between OAG and political operatives and organizations.

The third citation used by OAG claims that the documents are protected by attorney-client privilege. This citation does not apply because none of the entities in our request qualify as clients. Therefore, no attorney-client privilege exists. All of the individuals and organizations in our request are purely political entities and have no expectation of attorney-client privilege.

Furthermore, each of the organizations and individuals in our request are in the public arena. By sharing information with these organizations and individuals, the Office of Attorney General has placed this information in public, thereby waiving any claim of attorney-client privilege.

Keystone Progress is seeking all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This was KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office. The second request was the same as the first except that it named specific individuals and entities.

Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to overturn the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, the federal healthcare reform law. Corbett has repeatedly denied that his efforts are political, despite the fact that he agreed to join the suit even before he had read the healthcare reform law. The lawsuit was filed just seven minutes after President Obama signed the bill into law.

The staff of the attorneys general have been working with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level. RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

The request seeks all correspondence between OAG and the following:

• Republican State Leadership Committee
• Republican Attorneys General Association
• Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Republican National Committee
• American Justice Partnership
• Caleb Consulting
• Tom Corbett for Governor
• Tim Barnes, Chairman, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Scott Ward, President, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Ben Cannatti, Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Erin Berry, Associate General Counsel, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Casey Phillips, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Luethy, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Adam Temple, Press Secretary, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Robert Sechrist, Director of New Media, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Steele, Chairman, Republican National Committee
• Karl Rove
• Chirag Shah, Campaign Manager for JB Van Hollen WI Attorney General
• Rob Gleason, Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Joyce Haas, Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Christine J. Toretti, Republican National Committeewoman
• Robert Asher, Republican National Committeeman

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

Iraq's unions are once again under attack, with union offices across the country raided by police this week.

Those unions have asked all of us to take a moment to send off a quick message of protest to the Iraqi government - click here.

Please do so today -- and then share this message with your networks.

Meanwhile, it's been nearly two weeks since the LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference and we know that a lot of you who couldn't be there will be interested to read more about it, to see photos and videos and presentations. We're putting all of this material online usingUnionBook, the social networking site for trade unionists. To see it, you have to sign in to UnionBook if you're a member, or if not, set up an account there. Once you're logged in, go here.

Finally, my latest podcast on labour and technology is now online. This time it's about how unions can use globalization to our advantage when bargaining with employers. You can hear it by clicking on this link. You can also find it on iTunes where you can subscribe to all my podcasts. Just search for "Eric Lee's Labour and Technology" podcast.

Have a great weekend.

Eric Lee

Rick Smith Show hosts Harrisburg event on Saturday

Saturday on the Rick Smith Show Rick will be live from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore located at 1302 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg, PA from noon-2pm to talk about the budget, jobs, and how the people of Pennsylvania must fight back the massive cuts and corporate giveaways. We ask everyone to come out and join us. This is an opportunity to have your voice heard to make a difference.

Sunday on the program Rick will be talking with the Head On Radio Network’s Bob Kincaid about Net Roots Nation and what the progressive/labor community needs to do to take back the message and move forward. Also on the program Truthout executive director Maya Schenwar will join Rick to discuss Buzz Flash and Truthout organizing their workforce and what that means for progressive bloggers, websites, and alternative media. Your Calls, 1-877-960-0960 and much more.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Saturday August 7, 2010 7:30 pm at the Carlisle Theatre The Rick Smith Show is sponsoring the critically acclaimed film, Casino Jack and the United States of Money. Come out and join the Rick for a night of eye opening corruption an see the need for oversight and regulation. For a free pair of tickets come out to the Midtown Bookstore on Saturday July 24, 2020 or email [ Rick@thericksmithshow.com ]

GOP Leader McConnell Plays Politics With America’s Students

July 23, 2010 by khart 


http://neatoday.org/2010/07/23/republican-leader-mcconnell-plays-politics-with-america’s-students/

By Kevin Hart

Last night Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocked the Senate from even discussing how to help America’s schools avoid a looming crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to bring to the Senate floor an amended version of a $10 billion House education fund that would prevent 138,000 educator layoffs nationwide. School districts across the country are dramatically increasing class sizes, cutting school weeks to four days, and eliminating crucial programs because of budget shortfalls. The new Senate amendment would have used different offsets than the House package and would have been fully paid for.

McConnell, who previously supported a massive, tax-payer funded bailout of the banking industry, blocked the amendments from even bring considered. McConnell has been the leader of a series of obstructionist moves in the Senate, in an effort to halt legislation that would help ease unemployment in the United States.

Recently, McConnell tried to block a Senate effort to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans. This time, McConnell’s victims are millions of American school children, who are certain to feel the pinch from an estimated 300,000 teachers, bus drivers, custodians, counselors, and other essential school staff who may not return to work for the coming school year if the education jobs fund does not pass. Furthermore, the loss of this number of jobs in communities will lead to a ripple effect of an additional 90,000 private sector jobs being lost, according to economic analysis.

Many parents and students return to schools across this country in just a few weeks and they’ll find class sizes of 40, four-day school weeks, no after school programs, and fewer course selections.

“The Senate can avert this crisis for students and communities, but Sen. McConnell won’t even let the Senate debate this question,” said Kim Anderson, Director of Government Relations for the National Education Association. “Parents expect bipartisan solutions, and right now Sen. McConnell is in the way.”

NEA and a coalition of more than 120 education and community groups continue to push for a real, unobstructed vote on the education jobs fund in the Senate. The White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Majority Leader Reid have all expressed their desire to pass this critically needed legislation before Congress leaves for recess. Educators, parents, students, and communities across the country are calling upon Sen. McConnell to allow an up-or-down vote.

To urge the Senate to pass this important funding, click here. http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=15205681

Corbett’s office again turns down healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request, but tacitly admits political contacts

Corbett’s office again turns down healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request, but tacitly admits political contacts

OAG’s reasoning is bizarre, saying this information could create

a “risk of physical harm” to Corbett.

(HARRISBURG)—Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General has once again turned down a Right to Know request by Keystone Progress (KP). KP filed its request seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. This is the second request for this information by Keystone Progress.

The following is the organization’s response.

Keystone Progress is troubled by the lack of transparency by Attorney General Corbett concerning the obvious political nature of his lawsuit to overturn federal healthcare reform, known as the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The filing of the suit reveals once again that Mr. Corbett has a serious lack of concern about the needs of Pennsylvania’s working families by trying to deny them access to affordable healthcare. The response to our request for information reveals an even deeper lack of respect for the people and their need for an open, honest and impartial Attorney General.

Specifically, we are concerned about the following items in Corbett’s response to our request for information:

• The Office of Attorney General tacitly admits that there have been political contacts between the OAG and overtly political entities concerning Corbett’s lawsuit to overturn healthcare reform. OAG did not say they did not have political correspondence. Instead, they used four legal citations to assert that it was not public information. This clearly indicates that there has been political correspondence since we only asked for emails between OAG and overtly political entities (see list below). We believe that political correspondence is not protected. Furthermore, we believe that political correspondence by the OAG is illegal and should be investigated by someone outside of the OAG.
• OAG has even refused to turn over already publicly available records provided to Keystone Progress by the Wisconsin Attorney General. Keystone Progress recently released emails that revealed Corbett’s office has been working with a Republican campaign organization to plan to overturn the recently enacted federal healthcare reform law. KP uncovered the relationship in a series of emails released by the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice under a similar request by One Wisconsin Now. These emails were not released by OAG. Since they are already available to the public, there is no need to keep them hidden. Refusing to release these documents also reveals disdain for the people of Pennsylvania.
• The first reason cited for declining KP’s request for information for their political correspondence is that it would create “a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm to or the personal security of [the Attorney General].65 P.S. §67.708(b)(1)(ii).” This reasoning is bizarre, and suggests once again that Mr. Corbett holds the people of Pennsylvania in contempt. How does releasing email correspondence about political decisions put Mr. Corbett at risk of physical harm? Is Corbett suggesting that his interactions, while on the job, with political entities such as Karl Rove and Michael Steele are so frequent that it will incite people to violence? It is hard to fathom what prompted the OAG to use this absurd reason to deny us access to this information.
• OAG also missed the required RTKL deadline by a week, citing the size of KP’s request. OAG is required to reply to a request within five working days. They met this deadline by saying they needed an additional 30 days to review the legality of the request. This extension was unnecessary since they had already reviewed KP’s almost identical first request a few days earlier. It is now 116 days since we first asked for this information. On July 2, OAG told KP that they could not meet the deadline because the request for information was so large. This is a clear violation of the Right to Know Law.

Keystone Progress is therefore demanding the following:

1) The Office of Attorney General must release all materials as requested.

2) The United State Department of Justice should initiate an investigation into the use of the Office of the Attorney General for partisan political purposes.

3) Attorney General Tom Corbett must resign immediately to protect the integrity of the Office of Attorney General.

Keystone Progress is seeking all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This was KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office. The second request was the same as the first except that it named specific individuals and entities.

Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to overturn the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, the federal healthcare reform law. Corbett has repeatedly denied that his efforts are political, despite the fact that he agreed to join the suit even before he had read the healthcare reform law. The lawsuit was filed just seven minutes after President Obama signed the bill into law.

The staff of the attorneys general have been working with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level. RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

The request seeks all correspondence between OAG and the following:

• Republican State Leadership Committee
• Republican Attorneys General Association
• Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Republican National Committee
• American Justice Partnership
• Caleb Consulting
• Tom Corbett for Governor
• Tim Barnes, Chairman, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Scott Ward, President, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Ben Cannatti, Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Erin Berry, Associate General Counsel, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Casey Phillips, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Luethy, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Adam Temple, Press Secretary, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Robert Sechrist, Director of New Media, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Steele, Chairman, Republican National Committee
• Karl Rove
• Chirag Shah, Campaign Manager for JB Van Hollen WI Attorney General
• Rob Gleason, Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Joyce Haas, Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Christine J. Toretti, Republican National Committeewoman
• Robert Asher, Republican National Committeeman

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

Two More Trade Unionists Assassinated in Colombia

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
ITUC OnLine
July 6, 2010

Brussels

The trade union world is again in mourning after the
assassination of two more trade unionists in Colombia.
The ITUC, together with its Colombia affiliates the
CUT, the CGT and the CTC, has roundly condemned the
murders, expressing its deep shock at the news of the
killing of Nelson Camacho González, a member of the oil
industry's united workers' union USO (Unión Sindical
Obrera) and of Ibio Efrén Caicedo, an activist from the
Antioquia teachers' association ADIDA (Asociación de
Institutores de Antioquia).

Ibio Efrén Caicedo, who had a strong track record as a
trade union activist, was assassinated on the day
before the 20 June presidential elections. The murder
of Ibio Efrén brings to seven the number of unionised
teachers assassinated in Antioquia in 2010 so far.

Three days earlier, Nelson Camacho González died after
being shot at repeatedly at the bus stop on his way to
work. The murder of Nelson Camacho González is another
in a series of systematic attacks and threats against
members and leaders of the oil workers' union during
industrial disputes. The union has been in conflict
with the multinational British Petroleum in Casanare,
with Ecopetrol-UT on the Andean pipeline, with TGI on
the departments of Boyacá y Casanare, and with
Ecopetrol over various other labour disputes.

In two protest letters to the Colombia authorities, the
ITUC demands that President Uribe and his government
immediately initiate a full investigation to identify
and bring to justice those responsible for these two
murders that have further weakened the credibility of
Colombian democracy.

GOP Rep. Inglis takes on Beck, Palin

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0710/Inglis_takes_on_Beck_Palin.html?showall

Inglis takes on Beck, Palin

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), who lost his primary in part because he was openly critical of Glenn Beck and told his conservative constituents not to believe everything they hear on Fox, is letting loose now that he's not on the ballot.

Pointing a finger at Beck, Sarah Palin and such conservative figures, Inglis told AP:

“There were no death panels in the (healthcare) bill … and to encourage that kind of fear is just the lowest form of political leadership. It’s not leadership. It’s demagoguery,’’ said Inglis, one of three Republican incumbents who have lost their seats in Congress to primary and state party convention challengers this year.

Inglis said voters eventually will discover that you’re “preying on their fears’’ and turn away.

I think we have a lot of leaders that are following those (television and talk radio) personalities and not leading,’’ he said. “What it takes to lead is to say, ‘You know, that’s just not right.’’’

Keystone Progress adds Jonathan Saidel and Wendell Young IV to its board of directors

(HARRISBURG, PA)—Keystone Progress has added two new members to its board of directors at its board of directors meeting. Wendell Young IV, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, and Jonathan Saidel, former controller of the City of Philadelphia.

“We are thrilled to have Wendell and Jonathan join the leadership of Keystone

Progress,” said Eileen Connelly, the chair of Keystone Progress’s board. “Their addition is an indication of the growing influence of Keystone Progress in passing legislation and creating a progressive majority in Pennsylvania.”

Young has served as the president of 24,000-member UFCW 1776 since 2005. He has spearheaded a number of initiatives as a union negotiator to establish affordable child care and education benefits for working families in the changing economy.

Saidel is an attorney with Philadelphia law firm Cohen, Placitella and Roth. He served as

Philadelphia's City Controller for sixteen years, where he won local and national plaudits forreforming and professionalizing the Controller's office, his dedication to fiscal discipline and proposing innovative ideas to grow Philadelphia. He recently ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, coming within 2,000 votes.

The Keystone Progress Education Fund, an organization related to Keystone Progress also added a new board member, Eron Lloyd of Reading. Lloyd is best known for his public policy work. He is the author of Reinventing Reading," a

comprehensive policy reform package to improve the political, economic, and environmental conditions in the City of Reading.

Keystone Progress was founded in August of 2008 with the twin goals of 1) using the internet and new media to organize online at the state and local level; and 2) to use cutting-edge earned media strategies to promote a progressive agenda and counter right-wing misinformation. In less than two years, Keystone Progress has built a network that exceeds 220,000 and has generated hundreds of stories in the traditional press and online media, reaching an audience of more than 5 million.

Keystone Progress Board of Directors

Eileen Connelly, Chair
Mary Shull, Secretary
Jonathan Fox, Treasurer

Rick Bloomingdale
Lorenzo Canizares
Michael Fedor
Jeff Garis
Pedro Rodriguez
Hal Rosenthal
Eric Russell
Jonathan Saidel
Sari Stevens
Ritchie Tabachnick
Chuck Williams
Wendell Young

Keystone Progress Education Fund Board of Directors
Rabbi Carl Choper, Chair
Pat Clark, Secretary
Eron Lloyd, Treasurer

Pedro Rodriguez
Rob Stuart
Sharon Ward

Give It Back: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Calls on Tom Corbett to Return Donation from One of the Companies Responsible for the Gulf Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars in damage, destroy thousands of jobs and cause incalculable damage to the environment. BP, which owns 65% of the well, set aside $20 billion in escrow to help compensate the victims of the spill and will spend billions more for the cleanup. Anadarko Petroleum, which owns 25% of the well, has thus far refused to contribute to the costs of the cleanup. It has, however, contributed to gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Tom Corbett.

On May 13, 2010, three weeks after the oil spill began, Corbett accepted a $3,000 contribution from the Texas based Anadarko Petroleum PAC. Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania calls on Mr. Corbett to return those funds and to refuse any further contribution from Anadarko until that company has fulfilled its responsibility to those affected by the tragedy in the Gulf.

“You don’t get to light your neighbor’s house on fire and then use the hose to water your rose bushes,” Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Executive Director Josh McNeil said. “Mr. Corbett has a responsibility to rebuke this company for its failures and to help ensure that every dollar at Anadarko’s disposal is spent to help the victims of the Gulf spill.”

Anadarko Petroleum PAC has contributed more than $279,000 to federal candidates in the 2010 election cycle, including donations to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and to the Friends of Arlen Specter. Anadarko’s contribution to the Corbett campaign was its first contribution to a state-level candidate in Pennsylvania in 2010 and was reported by the Corbett campaign on June 17, 2010.

Despite the spill in the Gulf and disasters such as the explosion of a natural gas well in Clearfield County last month, Corbett continues to advocate for a rapid increase in gas drilling in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. Though Pennsylvania is one of few states that lets companies take its natural resources for free, he opposes the creation of a severance tax on natural gas drillers. In most severance tax proposals, a portion of the revenue would be used to ensure better regulation of drill sites and to create a clean-up fund for future disasters. Drilling companies oppose such a tax for obvious reasons and political contributions to Pennsylvania candidates from individuals and PACs related to the drilling industry have significantly increased in the last few election cycles.

“Mr. Corbett’s energy plan calls for the ‘responsible development of Marcellus Shale’ but doesn’t give us many specifics as to what that means,” McNeil said. “What he does with this contribution will give us a hint about Tom Corbett’s real commitment to responsible drilling.”

Built on the model of the national League of Conservation Voters, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting the health and safety of Pennsylvanians and their environment by holding politicians accountable for their actions. For more information, visit www.conservationpa.org

GOP Member of Congress apologizes TO British Petroleum

This morning a Republican Member of Congress apologized to BP. Yes, you heard it right. Congressman Joe Barton (R, TX) apologized to British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward because the White House got BP to create a $20 billion escrow account to pay for the ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

I’m astonished. Rep. Barton and his Republican colleagues are more upset that President Obama is forcing BP to pay for its devastation than they are at BP for pouring hundreds of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf.

Not one Republican Member of Congress from PA has said they disagree with Barton. So we’re going to give every Senator and Representative to answer this simple question: Whose side are you on? BP or the American people?

Click here to send your Senators and Representative an email asking them to take a stand: http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/pabarton

Barton is the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. He should be overseeing BP and other drillers, but instead of holding them accountable, he’s apologizing to them. Perhaps it’s because of the millions in contributions flowing from the oil companies into their campaign coffers.

Here’s exactly what Barton said this morning:

“I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown -- with the attorney general of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that's unprecedented in our nation's history, which has no legal standing, which I think sets a terrible precedent for our nation's future.

"I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for anyone else, but I apologize," Barton added. "I do not want to live in a county where anytime a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong, [it is] subject to some sort of political pressure that, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown."

I’m angry at Barton. But I’m also angry that not one Republican Member of Congress has repudiated what Barton said. Email Congress NOW: http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/pabarton

Michael Morrill
for the Keystone Progress Team
www.twitter.com/keystoneprogres

Democratic Congressman Assaults Tea Party Student

We obviously don't support the Tea Party agenda or their lies and propaganda, but no one has the right to assault someone for trying to get their Member of Congress on record.

That is clearly what Rep. Bob Etheridge (D, NC) has done in this video.

This is outrageous and arrogant behavior and we condemn it. Ask Etheridge to apologize immediately.

What's Tom Hiding?

Corbett stalls again on Right to Know Request
filed by Keystone Progress

“What’s Tom Hiding?” website created to highlight his lack of openness.

(HARRISBURG)—Keystone Progress (KP) filed a detailed and specific Right to Know Request with Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General, seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. Once again, Corbett’s office has refused to honor that request, using a legal loophole to delay providing the information for another 30 days..

The request seeks all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This is KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office.

This request sought more specific information, including emails between his office and the Republican State Leadership Conference (RSLC) and other Republican Party campaign operatives.

Emails released by the Wisconsin Attorney General revealed that Corbett’s office received emails from RSLC, which was organizing the lawsuit. The RTK request is seeking those and similar correspondence. RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level.

RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

“We’re beginning to think that Corbett is delaying because he thinks no one cares about this,” said Michael Morrill, executive director of Keystone Progress. “That’s why we’ve started another petition; this time to get Corbett to tell the truth.”

The website, www.WhatsTomHiding.com, has a simple petition that allows people to express their outrage at Corbett’s stonewalling.

The website has a “Corbett Disclosure Clock,” which shows the time since the initial request, now at 75 days.

The test of the website reads:

Attorney General Tom Corbett is thumbing his nose at routine requests for basic information that he is required to provide under Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. Keystone Progress has been seeking information about illegal contacts between the Office of Attorney General and Republican Party and campaign operatives about his politically-motivated lawsuit that will deny healthcare coverage to Pennsylvanians. So far, Corbett has refused to comply with this simple request, stretching deadlines, using legal loopholes and refusing to accept a hand delivered request.

Voters across Pennsylvania are demanding that Corbett come clean immediately. Join us by signing our petition. Tell Corbett to come clean now!

The petition will be delivered to Corbett in the near future.

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

###

"Whose side are you on? Gas companies, or our state's seniors?"

Nursing home caregivers from across the state converged on Harrisburg today to ask their Senators, "Whose side are you on? Gas companies, or our state's seniors?"

The members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania are urging the Senate to close corporate tax loopholes and enact a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction, before drastic cuts to the nursing home care in this year's state budget. Pennsylvania spends close to $2 Billion in Medicaid funds to provide nursing home care to the elderly.

"If you cut the Medicaid dollars coming to our nursing home, then veterans and other seniors will be left without the care they need. It’s time to make big oil companies who make money in our state pay their fair share,” said Michelle Stewart, a certified nursing assistant who works in a Montgomery County nursing home.

About 200 caregivers and other union members marched through the streets around the Capitol carrying giant, green dollar signs and a huge black cloth representing the oil and gas spills that could threaten our environment and economy. They also tried to deliver an invoice for unpaid taxes to the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association and the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, but there was no answer at their offices.

“I’ve flown over some of these wells with my boyfriend and I’ve seen the amount of water used to break the rock and release the gas. I’ve read about the chemicals mixed with the water and I wonder where it will end up,” said Kathy Shaner, a certified nursing assistant from Washington County, PA. “The residents I care for are not getting rich from all the gas in their county, but they could benefit if these big corporations paid their fair share.”

On May 28, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to acquire Marshall, PA-based East Resources Inc. for $4.7 billion. And last December, Exxon Mobil Corp. announced a $41 billion acquisition of XTO Energy Inc., including its extensive Marcellus Shale holdings.

"Unless Pennsylvania begins collecting revenue from big corporations that profit in Pennsylvania, we’re on the road to a $1.1 billion budget deficit over the next 2 years,” said Kevin Hefty, Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. “Senators, when we ask whose side you are on, the choice is clear: be on the side of our local communities, working families, and seniors who need long term care.”

Last week, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (www.pennbpc.org) launched an online ticker showing the tax dollars lost by not enacting a severance tax on drilling in the Marcellus Shale. At the time of the rally, the ticker showed Pennsylvania had missed out on $55,756,000 that could have been used to help fill in the revenue gap in the budget.

The rally today is part of a larger campaign by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania and other labor unions to ensure that a state budget that doesn't cut essential services is passed before the June 30th deadline.

For more information, visit www.closetheloopholes.org.