LOVE ANGELES

Want a Real Economic Stimulus and Jobs Plan?

By Robert Applebaum (Contact)

To be delivered to: The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate and President Barack Obama

Forgiving the student loan debt of all Americans will have an immediate stimulative effect on our economy. With the stroke of the President's pen, millions of Americans would suddenly have hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of extra dollars in their pockets each and every month with which to spend on ailing sectors of the economy. As consumer spending increases, businesses will begin to hire, jobs will be created and a new era of innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity will be ushered in for all. A rising tide does, in fact, lift all boats - forgiving student loan debt, rather than tax cuts for corporations, millionaires and billionaires, has a MUCH greater chance of helping to rise that tide in a MUCH shorter time-frame. The future economic success of this country is wholly dependent upon a well-educated, prosperous middle class. Instead of saddling entire generations with debt from which there is no escape, let's empower the American people to grow this economy on their own! 

Therefore, we, the undersigned, strongly encourage Congress and the President to support H. Res 365, introduced by Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI), seeking student loan forgiveness as a means of economic stimulus.

For over 30 years, the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and the middle class is slowly but surely being squeezed out of existence. Instead of more of the same corporate welfare/"trickle-down" economics that have been an abysmal failure for the middle class, why not try a trickle-up approach to rebuilding our economy by targeting relief at those most likely to actually help grow the economy?

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION 

Schwarzenegger Folly at the Ballot Box

Source: LAist - The Governor of California ran into some trouble yesterday while casting his ballot in the Statewide Direct Primary. After filling out his ballot at Kenter Canyon Elementary School, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger found it was rejected by the machine since he'd mistakenly marked votes for two Republican Senate candidates, explains KTLA.

Pollworker Keta Hodgson explained the issue to Schwarzenegger, and offered him the option to override the rejection and have his Senate vote not be counted, or destroy the ballot and vote on a new one. Schwarzenegger opted for the "do-over," and went back to the booth to mark a fresh ballot--this time one that was accepted without issue.

Obama’s Remarks at the Health Care Bill Signing

Source: NY Times - Following is a transcript of the remarks by President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Tuesday before Mr. Obama signed a landmark health care bill into law, as released by Federal News Service:

Vice President Biden: Thank you. Mr. President, I think we got a happy room here. (Laughter.) It seems ridiculous to say thank you all for being here. (Laughs, laughter.)

Ladies and gentlemen, to state the obvious, this is a historic day. (Cheers, applause.) In our business, you use that phrase a lot, but I can't think of a day in the 37 years that I have been a United States senator and the short time I've been vice president that it is more appropriately stated this is a historic day.

And history -- history is not merely what is printed in text books. It doesn't begin or end with the stroke of a pen. History is made. History is made when men and women decide that there is a greater risk in accepting the situation that we cannot bear than in steeling our spine and embracing the promise of change. That's when history's made. (Applause.)

History -- history is made when you all assembled here today, members of Congress, take charge to change the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Through the efforts of those of us lucky enough to serve here in this town, that's exactly what you've done. You have made history.

History is made when a leader steps up, stays true to his values and charts a fundamentally different course for the country. History is made when a leader's passion -- passion -- is matched with principle, to set a new course.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, you are that leader. You have -- (cheers, applause). You deserve it, man. You deserve it. (Applause.)

Mr. President -- (applause) -- Mr. President, your fierce advocacy, the clarity of purpose that you showed, your perseverance, these are in fact -- it is not hyperbole to say these are the reasons why we're assembled in this room together today.

But for those attributes, we would not be here. Many, many men and women are going to feel the pride that I feel in watching you shortly, watching you sign this bill, knowing that their work -- their work has helped make this day possible.

But Mr. President, you're the guy that made it happen. And so Mr. President -- (applause) -- all of us, press and elected officials assembled in this town over the years and we've seen some incredible things happen.

But you know, Mr. President, you've done what generations of not just ordinary but great men and women have attempted to do, Republicans as well as Democrats. They've tried before. Everybody knows the story. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt, they've tried. They were real bold leaders.

But Mr. President, they fell short. You have turned, Mr. President, the right of every American to have access in -- to decent health care into reality -- (cheers, extended applause) -- for the first time in American history.

Mr. President, I've gotten to know you well enough. You want me to stop because I'm embarrassing you. (Laughter.) But I'm not going to stop for another minute, Mr. President, because you delivered on a promise, a promise you made to all Americans when we moved into this building.

Mr. President, you are, to repeat myself, literally about to make history. Our children and our grandchildren, they're going to grow up knowing that a man named Barack Obama put the final girder in the framework for a social network in this country to provide the single most important element of what people need, and that is access to good health -- (applause) -- and that every American from this day forward will be treated with simple fairness and basic justice.

Look, the classic poet Virgil once said that the greatest wealth is health. The greatest wealth is health. Well, today America becomes a whole lot wealthier, because tens of millions of Americans will be a whole lot healthier from this moment on.

Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States of America, Barack Obama. (Cheers, applause.)

President Obama: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. (Applause continues.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you. (Cheers, whistles.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Please, have a seat.

Thank you, Joe. (Laughter.) Continue reading at NY Times

Mr. Biden: Good to be with you, Mr. President.

Fear Strikes Out

Source: NY Times By Paul Krugman - The day before Sunday’s health care vote, President Obama gave an unscripted talk to House Democrats. Near the end, he spoke about why his party should pass reform: “Every once in a while a moment comes where you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes that you had about yourself, about this country, where you have a chance to make good on those promises that you made ... And this is the time to make true on that promise. We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.”

And on the other side, here’s what Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House — a man celebrated by many in his party as an intellectual leader — had to say: If Democrats pass health reform, “They will have destroyed their party much as Lyndon Johnson shattered the Democratic Party for 40 years” by passing civil rights legislation.

I’d argue that Mr. Gingrich is wrong about that: proposals to guarantee health insurance are often controversial before they go into effect — Ronald Reagan famously argued that Medicare would mean the end of American freedom — but always popular once enacted.

But that’s not the point I want to make today. Instead, I want you to consider the contrast: on one side, the closing argument was an appeal to our better angels, urging politicians to do what is right, even if it hurts their careers; on the other side, callous cynicism. Think about what it means to condemn health reform by comparing it to the Civil Rights Act. Who in modern America would say that L.B.J. did the wrong thing by pushing for racial equality? (Actually, we know who: the people at the Tea Party protest who hurled racial epithets at Democratic members of Congress on the eve of the vote.)

And that cynicism has been the hallmark of the whole campaign against reform.

Yes, a few conservative policy intellectuals, after making a show of thinking hard about the issues, claimed to be disturbed by reform’s fiscal implications (but were strangely unmoved by the clean bill of fiscal health from the Congressional Budget Office) or to want stronger action on costs (even though this reform does more to tackle health care costs than any previous legislation). For the most part, however, opponents of reform didn’t even pretend to engage with the reality either of the existing health care system or of the moderate, centrist plan — very close in outline to the reform Mitt Romney introduced in Massachusetts — that Democrats were proposing.

Instead, the emotional core of opposition to reform was blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency.

It wasn’t just the death panel smear. It was racial hate-mongering, like a piece in Investor’s Business Daily declaring that health reform is “affirmative action on steroids, deciding everything from who becomes a doctor to who gets treatment on the basis of skin color.” It was wild claims about abortion funding. It was the insistence that there is something tyrannical about giving young working Americans the assurance that health care will be available when they need it, an assurance that older Americans have enjoyed ever since Lyndon Johnson — whom Mr. Gingrich considers a failed president — pushed Medicare through over the howls of conservatives.

And let’s be clear: the campaign of fear hasn’t been carried out by a radical fringe, unconnected to the Republican establishment. On the contrary, that establishment has been involved and approving all the way. Politicians like Sarah Palin — who was, let us remember, the G.O.P.’s vice-presidential candidate — eagerly spread the death panel lie, and supposedly reasonable, moderate politicians like Senator Chuck Grassley refused to say that it was untrue. On the eve of the big vote, Republican members of Congress warned that “freedom dies a little bit today” and accused Democrats of “totalitarian tactics,” which I believe means the process known as “voting.”

Without question, the campaign of fear was effective: health reform went from being highly popular to wide disapproval, although the numbers have been improving lately. But the question was, would it actually be enough to block reform?

And the answer is no. The Democrats have done it. The House has passed the Senate version of health reform, and an improved version will be achieved through reconciliation.

This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America’s soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out.

Scarlett Johansson Asks Congress For Healthier School Lunches

Source: Ecorazzi - Scarlett Johansson is joining First Lady Michelle Obama in urging Congress to pass legislation that would make America’s school lunches healthier.

In her letter, Ms. Johansson says, “I’ve been involved with efforts to feed hungry children for years. Millions of families in America rely on subsidized school lunches, and these meals are absolutely crucial to children’s well-being. That’s why I’m asking you to support the Healthy School Meals Act of 2010, a bill recently introduced by Rep. Jared Polis.”

“A means to a healthy diet and a nutritional education must begin in the school cafeteria, on the lunch line,” she added.

According to a press release, Johansson grew up in a household without a lot of money, and she knows from firsthand experience that many children depend on subsidized school lunches. The Healthy School Meals Act would ensure that the meals provided to low-income students are healthful.

For more information, check out the official site here.