RESTORING AMERICA…TO WHAT, EXACTLY?

I want to begin today by explaining to everyone that I will no longer be writing columns for the Russell County News-Register.  On Thursday morning, I submitted my latest column for Saturday's paper (which follows this explanation) and they refused to print it.  The following is the email I received from the editor of the paper after he received my submission:

Kathy,

I have talked with you in the past about writing columns on local folks or issues and it is something we'd rather not participate in at this time. We feel it is in the best interest of the newspaper, and its current management since Mr. Davenport passed, that we steer from this type of column at the present time. We welcome columns for the News-Register on national issues, and as I've told you before you're welcome to continue writing on those topics. Thanks.

Derek Aaron
Managing Editor
Times Journal/Russell County News-Register
270-866-3191 phone
270-866-3198 fax
editor@tjrcn.com
PO Box 190
120 Wilson Street
Russell Springs Ky, 42642

 

I responded to him by saying that I didn't realize that the Kentucky gubernatorial election was a "local" issue.  I am no longer interested in spending my time to contribute to the local paper.  But, I will continue to write and post by blog.  The following is the column that was rejected:

 

 

            As of the last few days, we have been inundated with campaign ads on television bashing Governor Beshear—all of them paid for by a PAC called “Restoring America”, the ONLY donor of this PAC being our own local gazillionaire, Terry Stephens of Stephens Pipe and Steel, the daddy-in-law of governor-wannabe David Williams.  Like Democratic State Chairman, Dan Logsdon said, “Now we know why Restoring America fought so hard to hide its donors, because Restoring America has one donor — Terry Stephens, David Williams’ father-in-law…Now we know why they set up shell committees, laundered money and fought restraining orders. It's become clear that Williams and his father-in-law wanted to avoid Kentucky's campaign finance laws and hide their scheme to funnel money into the support of Williams’ campaign,”

            Of course, Williams’ campaign chairman, Donald Storm denied the allegations saying, “This outrageous allegation is 100 percent false.  Senator Williams does not take lightly these reckless, defamatory comments and believes that those making them should be held to personal account.”  In an email to reporters on Wednesday, Stephens said he didn’t direct Restoring America to support any particular candidate or campaign and denied that there was any collusion or cooperation to support any candidate’s campaign.

            Yeah, right.  The only thing “outrageous” is that either one of them could make those statements with a straight face.  That must be why Stephens addressed it in an email instead of speaking directly to the reporters.  His contribution of nearly $1.4 million came after a $1 million contribution to the Republican Governors Association and only 15 days after he hosted a fundraiser at his home for his son-in-law that garnered nearly $63,000.  It’s difficult to imagine that Stephens is spending all these millions just because he thinks sonny is such a fine man or because he wants to see Robin as Kentucky’s First Lady—no, methinks he might be expecting a much more tangible return on his investment.

            Perhaps it is time for an Occupy Russell County event because this is the perfect example of what the 99% are demonstrating about.  Oh, I forgot, that won’t work because too many people in this county are beholden to the Terry Stephens’es of this county for a job—even if that job only pays minimum wage with no benefits, while he spends the massive profits off their nearly slave-labor on attempting to buy an election for his son-in-law—hopefully, a futile attempt.

            But let’s look at the content of the ads that Pops has funded.  The one I have seen the most often claims that Governor Beshear has pardoned convicted felons.  "When Steve Beshear became governor, one of his early actions was to grant pardons to convicted felons. Governor Beshear has granted partial pardons to at least eight convicted murderers and 14 rapists, allowing them to vote and even run for office." At this point in the ad, you see a grainy black & white video showing men walking out of a prison cell. 

Although the governor has the ability to issue pardons, Governor Beshear has NOT issued any pardons since being in office.  He has, like many of his predecessors, issued “partial pardons” which are also known as a restoration of civil rights, to convicted felons cited in the commercial, all of whom had completed their sentences.  Not mentioned in the ad is that in 2001, David Williams as a state senator, voted with the majority in the General Assembly to make it easier for convicted felons to apply for partial pardons after they left prison or parole.  Those convicted felons mentioned in the ad did just that, and they were able to do it because of the legislation that David Williams help to pass.  The partial pardon does NOT clear their record or restore all their rights, as the commercial attempts to make you believe.

It remains to be seen whether or not Stephens’ millions will pay off the way he wants it to, but we don’t have to wait to see whether or not it was money honorably spent.   I wonder if he’s ever thought of becoming a philanthropist and spending some of those millions on doing something good for his community.  Nah, after all, he’s part of the 1%.

O.W.S. MOVEMENT TERRIFIES REPUBLICANS

            At this writing, we are now in day 26 of the Occupy Wall Street movement and it shows no sign of waning.  In fact it is gaining momentum every day it seems.  There have now been over 250 protests in communities large and small across the nation.  One way you can tell for sure that this movement has legs is by watching and listening to the Republicans.  At first, they were dismissive and barely paid attention.  Then, it was obvious that they were becoming nervous about it and now they are terrified.  This is evidenced by their public comments:

            Peter King, Republican Congressman from New York and Chairman of Homeland Security Committee, called the protestors a “rag-tag mob” and “anarchists” and “anti-American”.  Additionally, he would rather that the media didn’t even cover them.  "[W]e have to be careful not to allow this to get any legitimacy," he warned. "I'm taking this seriously in that I'm old enough to remember what happened in the 1960s when the left-wing took to the streets and somehow the media glorified them and it ended up shaping policy," he said. "We can't allow that to happen."

            After all, the protests in the 60s against the Vietnam War that killed over 56,000 young (mostly poor & middle class, by the way) soldiers that eventually resulted in shaping policy that got us out of Vietnam has been proven to have been a major mistake, right?  And the Civil Rights protests of the 60s that shaped policy so that Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act has been nothing but a major disaster!  I mean, God forbid should we allow average Americans to unify, peaceably assemble and actually shape public policy—now that is REALLY un-American!   Besides, shaping policy is only to be done by the super-wealthy and big corporations.  [Sarcasm added.]

            Republican presidential hopeful, Herman Cain said it plainly enough:  "I don't have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration," Cain said Wednesday to the Associated Press during a book signing event. "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!"

            However, the very best indicator that the 99% movement is real and is growing and that the Republicans are scared to death is the way that they are starting to sing a different song in just a matter of days…sometimes hours.  Read on.

            Eric Cantor, GOP House Majority Leader, on Friday said, “I for one am increasingly concerned about the growing mobs occupying Wall Street and the other cities across the country,” Cantor said on Friday. “And believe it or not, some in this town have actually condoned the pitting of Americans against Americans.”  A mere 4 days later, his tune had changed a bit.  “People are upset and justifiably frustrated.  They’re out of work.  The economy is not moving.  Their sense of security for the future is not clear at all.  People are afraid and I get it.”  (Source:  CNN)

            Then, there is Mitt Romney, who on Monday at 12:36 pm at a town hall in Milford, New Hampshire criticized the Wall Street protestors and defended the investment bankers.   “One of the things that has made America’s economy the most powerful in the world is that we have a very capable financial services sector that makes loans and allows businesses to start and thrive…finding a scapegoat, finding someone to blame is not the way to go…”

            Romney, who founded Bain Capital, a private investment equity firm and estimated to be worth over $250 million, then said exactly 6 hours later at another town hall meeting in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, “I don’t worry about the top one percent. I don’t stay up nights worrying about ‘gee we need to help them.’ I don’t worry about that. They’re doing just fine by themselves. I worry about the 99 percent in America. I want America, once again, to be the best place in the world to be middle-class. I want to have a strong and vibrant and prosperous middle-class. And so I look at what’s happening on Wall Street and my own view is, boy I understand how those people feel…The people in this country are upset.”

            Personally, I think what he really understands is that the polls show that now might not be the right time to be singing the praises of Wall Street big-wigs even if his most recent endorser is former New Hampshire senator, Judd Gregg, who is now an international advisor for Goldman Sachs.

            Sadly, the Republicans in the Senate led by our own Mitch “#1 goal is to defeat Obama” McConnell and the ever comical Rand Paul doesn’t yet get it.  Yesterday, every single Republican in the Senate and 2 Democrats voted to filibuster the American Jobs Act, thus preventing it from being passed with a simple majority.  This is an act which would have put thousands back to work re-building our infrastructure and educating our children and all of it would have been paid for by a sur-tax on the super wealthy—a tax that would have been placed on the 2nd million dollars and above they make—not the 1^st million.  That amounts to a tax on .1% of Americans—not 1%--POINT ONE PERCENT.

            If that doesn’t tell you where Mitch “#1 goal defeat Obama” McConnell and the rest of the Republicans stand where you and I and the other 99% are concerned, then I’m afraid you are beyond hope of ever understanding anything.

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN ACTION!

            I’m back!  To all of you who thought I’d been “fired” – NOT SO!  It just so happens that I have had a very busy summer and could find no time to write.

As I return, I am so excited about the events taking place in New York and around the country by the average “everyman”, the 99% of the population who have finally had enough and found their voice.  For those of you in Russell County who insist on only getting your news from FOX, I’d like to point out that whether you like it or not, whether you recognize it or not—YOU ARE a part of that 99% even if you are doing the bidding of the other 1% (of which there are only less than a handful here in Russell County).

            The following is the transcript of the Declaration and Call to Action issued by those participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement.  If you really want to be informed about what is happening in New York, other American cities and around the world, you’ll read this because you won’t hear it on FOX News.

  As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, formerly divided by the color of our skin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or lack thereof, political party and cultural background, we acknowledge the reality: that there is only one race, the human race, and our survival requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their brethren; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.

They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give CEO’s exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated gender inequality and discrimination in the workplace.

They have poisoned the food supply, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have continuously sought to end the rights of workers to negotiate their pay and make complaints about the safety of their workplace.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.

They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.

They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.

They have sold our privacy as a commodity.

They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.

They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.

They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.

They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.

They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty book keeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.

They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.

They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.

They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.

They have participated in a directly racist action by accepting the contract from the State of Georgia to murder Troy Davis.

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard!