Showing posts with label Congressional Black Caucus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congressional Black Caucus. Show all posts

Friday, October 30, 2009

Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Investigation




The Washington Post is reporting that House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

Ellen Nakashima and Paul Kane staff writers with the Washington Post are reporting the a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being investigated for defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

The document also disclosed that ethics committee staff members have interviewed House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) about one element of the complex investigation of his personal finances, as well as the lawmaker's top aide and his son.

Rangel said he spoke with ethics committee staff members regarding a conference that he and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended last November in St. Martin. The trip initially was said to be sponsored by a nonprofit foundation run by a newspaper. But the three-day event, at a luxury resort, was underwritten by major corporations such as Citigroup, Pfizer and AT&T. Rules passed in 2007, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the majority following a wave of corruption cases against Republicans, bar private companies from paying for congressional travel.

According to Wapo Rangel said he has not discussed other parts of the investigation of his finances with the committee. "I'm waiting for that, anxiously," he said.

Reps. Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson are seen.

There is more.. According to Wapo, Politico, and The LA Times, the committee did not detail the two newly disclosed investigations. However, according to the July document, Rep. Maxine Waters, a high-ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, came under scrutiny because of activities involving OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, in which her husband owns at least $250,000 in stock. Waters arranged a September 2008 meeting at the Treasury Department where OneUnited executives asked for government money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.

AAPP: Voters in their congressional districts need to take a hard look at these Corrupt Congressional Black Caucus members. It just may be time to throw these folks out of office. I know if any of them were representing me, I would vote them out of office in a heartbeat. I guess Cathy Hughes would do the same thing. If I were Obama I would not meet with the Congressional Black Caucus until they stop standing up for crooks, get there act together and purged those who bring the group into disgrace.

I'm also getting a bit tired of these Congressional ethics inquiries, that have been dragging on for sometime despite vows to end corruption.

I guess I can understand why some democrats are worried that one of their own could cost them their jobs.


Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Black Bloggers urge Congressional U.S. Taser Torture Hearings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Tuesday April 28, 2009
Black bloggers call for "Congressional Taser Torture Hearings"


CONTACT:
Wayne Hicks, Electronic Village,
blog@elecvillage.com
LN Rock, African American Political Pundit
, AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit@gmail.com
Eddie Griffin, Eddie Griffin-BASG, eddiegriffin_basg@yahoo.com

A group of bloggers called the afrospear, a 2 year old coalition of black bloggers from across America (and around the world) held a day of Blogging for Justice standing up against pre-trial capital punishment by electrocution event on Friday. More
Here

The Afrospear also established a p
etition to Congress calling on Senator leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out and organize public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding against black, Latino, Native American and other Americans.

Group member Eddie Griffin, of the blog, Eddie Griffin-BASG, said, "While there continues to be considerable media and congressional attention to torture in Guantanamo, there is comparatively little attention to the mounting evidence of human rights violations in the streets of America by a number of police departments across America, including torture and killings of black children, women and men through-out the United States through the use and abuse of Tasers."

LN Rock, a 2008 DNC Convention Blogger, who publishes the blogs, African American Political Pundit
and Tasered While Black said, "We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men - by taser. He went on to say, "We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions. Most Americans expect an American policing policy that ensures the rights of all individuals regardless of race, greed, color, national origin, sex, disability or political or religious affiliation."

Wayne Hicks, publisher of the blog, Electronic Village, said, "We believe most Americans would favor Congressional hearings as to whether our own U.S. police, policing policies and actions violate Federal and International laws prohibiting human rights violators. Evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is more than enough to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry." He went on to say, " We propose that Congress undertake serious oversight into the extent to which our taxes are funding human rights violations and torture by tasing, and provide an alternative roadmap to the restoration of our democratic values. We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops."

The bloggers are asking for:

1. The U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department to aggressively fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture by tasing is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of the torturing of black children men, women and children by local police jurisdictions throughout the United States. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. (See the use-of-force-continuum provided by the blog Electronic Village) Note: Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continues.

2. Congress should investigate whether US police tasing policies violate Federal or international civil and human right laws, including the U.N. Convention against Torture, and international covenants against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens even in cases of so-called "state emergencies".

3. Congress should require the effective regulation of Taser use and require police/citizen review panels by Federal, state and local police and security agencies, including strict adherence to international human rights standards, or act to defund all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress. No Federal stimulus dollars should be used to purchase tasers.

The bloggers point out UN's Committee against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has an on-going concern about the use of tasers on American citizens. With all the conversation about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States, we the undersigned bring up the issue of torture of black Americans at the hands of police in the United States. We urge you to stand up against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser.

Here is a sampling of what black bloggers are saying about the tasing of so many blacks in the United States.

“A day of blogging for Justice ... What bloggers are saying and thinking:
Wayne Hicks - Electronic Village - http://tinyurl.com/chedrx
LN Rock, African American Opinion - http://africanamericanopinion.ning.com
Kathy - Daily Kos Blogger - Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing
The Kid - Pirate satellite: A Day of Blogging for Justice - http://kid-kidfunkadelic.blogspot.com/
Wayne Bennett, The Field Negro, Major side bar and link highlighting the importance of this day.
Purple Zoe - UltraVioletUnderground - http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-ban-pre.html
April Davis - Around Harlem.com http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2009/04/24/blogging-for-justice-standing-up-against-the-use-of-police-tasers/
PaJoyner - PlezWorld - http://pajoyner.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-death-by.html
Yobachi - Black Perspective.net - http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/act-against-police-taser-abuse/
Ms. Lady Deborah - From my Brown Eyed View - http://msladydeborah.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justicestanding-up.html
Eddie Griffin BASG - http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2009/04/gravest-injustice.html
Rev. Sequoyah Kofi bin-Tomas, Intelligent Aboriginal News Service (IANS) - The Angry Indian - Inteligentaindigena Novajoservo: When "Non-Lethal" Weapons Kill
Wayne Hicks - Villager, OxDown. Firedoglake - http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/4927
Wayne Hicks - Villager - Electronic Village-.. http://tinyurl.com/59jet6 - Use of Force Continuum
SjP - Sojourners Place - http://sojournersplace.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogging-for-justice-stop-taser.html
LN Rock - Post Racial Blog - http://postracial.blogspot.com/2009/04/tasering-and-toturing-black-americans.html
The SuperSpade - http://www.thesuperspade.com/taser-torture/
Anyway I Have To - http://underovr.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
Vanessa Byers- On The Black Hand Side - http://www.blackhandside.net/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice.html
It All Goes Here - http://nateo.blogspot.com/2009/04/call-for-stopping-pre-trial.html
Independent Bloggers Alliance - http://independentbloggersalliance.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
Rover's Morning Glory - http://www.roverradio.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Black-kids-women-and-children-are-being-tasered-to-death-while-black....html&Itemid=382
Assata Shukur Forum - http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/open-forum/37831-4-24-blog-against-pre-trial-electrocution.html
RiPPa - The Intersection between Maddness and Reality - http://rippdemup.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-end-taser.html
Lola - Whatever Lola Wants - http://lolagetslife.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
African American Political Pundit Report - http://aappreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-standing-up.html
African American Political Pundit Blog - http://aapoliticalpundit.blogspot.com/2009/04/blacks-tasers-and-torture-sign-online.html
Electrocuted While Black - http://electrocutedwhileblack.blogspot.com/2009/04/at-least-five-seventeen-year-olds.html
Scotty - Black Talk Radio - http://blacktalkradio.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-day-of-blogging-for-justice?xgs=1
Proud Black Blogger - http://proudblackvoter.blogspot.com/2009/04/congressional-black-caucus-needs.html
Carmen D. - Black Voices - http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/04/27/lets-put-a-stop-to-taser-madness/
Chicago Cop Watch - http://chicagocopwatch.org/2009/04/at-least-five-seventeen-year-olds-suffer-police-pretrial-capital-punishment-by-electrocution-this-year/

Here is a link to the Afrospear
Petition to request Congressional hearings on the Taser torture of Americans: http://www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/

Friday, April 24, 2009

Holding The Police and Black Caucus Accountable - Speak Out Against Tasing!

Today is a special day, it's a day when bloggers from around the United States, Canada, UK, Africa, Europe, Brazil, and other parts of the world have come together for “A day of blogging for Justice - Standing up against the pre-trial electrocution.”

Here is what black bloggers are saying and thinking:

*****

Today, Black bloggers around the web (including Afrospear members and The Electronic Villiage) are setting aside the day to stand up against the use of tasers by the police. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) refers to them as “Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs)”. Some of the bloggers refer to their use as “Police Pre-Trial Electrocution”.

- Villager, Electronic Village

AAPP says: Wayne Hicks has been tracking the tasing issue even before I began publishing the blog, Tasered While Black. Wayne takes a look at the tasing issue and details many of the abuses in todays post:


I've shared other examples on my blog in the past:
  1. Valreca Redden (Trotwood OH) - pregnant Black woman tased by Officer Michael Wilmer when she went to police department for help.

  2. Eugene Snelling (Austin TX) - tased by Officer Thomas O'Connor driving with his mother on Thanksgiving Day.

  3. Donnell Williams (Wichita KS) - deaf Blackman tased in his own home.

  4. Major Lemon (Madison WI) - Blackman tased while holiday shopping at the local mall.

  5. Xavier Jones (Coral Gables FL) - Tasers deployed by two police officers killed this Blackman.

  6. Darryl Turner (Charlotte NC) - unarmed 17-year old Black youth killed when Officer Jerry Dawson decided to fire at him with a taser gun.

  7. James Garland (Miami FL) - unarmed and naked 41-year old Blackman killed by police taser gun while disoriented in the street.

  8. Baron Pikes (Winnfield LA) - Police officer Scott Nugent indicted for murder because he tasered a handcuffed 21-year old Blackman to death.

  9. Terrance Kennedy (Dallas NC) - Police killed another Blackman in North Carolina with their taser guns.

  10. Marcus Moore (Freeport IL) - unarmed 40-year old Blackman killed by police with their taser guns.

  11. Robert Mitchell (Warren MI) - unarmed 16-year old Black youth killed police taser guns.

  12. Gary Decker (Tucson AZ) - unarmed 50-year old naked man killed by police taser guns while in his own hotel room.

  13. Michael Jacobs (Ft. Worth TX) - unarmed, mentally impaired 24-year old Blackman killed by police taser guns on his own front yard in front of his parents.
The successes aren't the problem - the failures are.

How many more Black folks need to be executed by the police before the Congressional Black Caucus does something about it? I encourage all villagers to immediately sign online petition demanding a congressional investigation into Taser Torture in America. More HERE

Meanwile,
Asabagna of the Afrospear Think Tank says:

When I started to contemplate what I was going to write for this day of blogging action on the use of tasers… i.e., “electrocution” to control and/or stop what are considered dangerous, anti-social behaviors… what stood out in the forefront of my mind was that in the past, electrocution (called Electroconvulsive Therapy), was also widely used for a similar purpose: as an approved, standard medical/psychiatric procedure for “supposed” dangerous and anti-social behaviors deemed to be mental illnesses, which included homosexuality and political dissent.

As a police officer (in Canada), my initial point of view is that I will use whatever level of force I deem necessary, when dealing with a violent criminal suspect, to protect the life of others and/or prevent bodily harm, but more importantly… to ensure that I go home to my family at the end of my shift! Presenting my wife and son with a Canadian flag and a hug or handshake at the end of a memorial service in my honor, just isn’t a life-affirming ambition of mine. With that being said, the police organization I work for, like most if not all police services in North America, are mandated and trained to follow some sort of “use of force continuum model”, which dictates what level of force is to be used in a given situation.

However, what this type of model does not show are the individual, environmental and societal factors that may influence how an officer will react to a given situation or person. It does not consider what are the beliefs, values and more importantly, the prejudices that may spur an individual officer’s action or reaction, to a particular situation or person. More HERE


The publisher of AroundHarlem.com says, AroundHarlem.com is strongly against the use of tasers. We have based our decision on information revealed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the fact that the use of tasers are harmful and dangerous to potentially innocent people. The NYCLU states that the NYPD has instituted the use of a leathal weapon without proper research or public dialogue. While the NYPD did conduct a Rand Study, according to Donna Lieberman (NYCLU executive director), the NYPD commissioned the study on important public policies without involving the public or anyone outside the NYPD. As a result, the NYCLU and AroundHarlem.com doubt the thoroughness and objectivity of the study.

The Rand Report, which was supposed to be aimed at evaluating the racial disparities in NYPD practices following the Sean Bell Incident (two black men and one latino man were shot at 50 times by the NYPD [Sean Bell was killed]), focuses on supporting the increased use of tasers as a replacement for handguns. The use of these weapons has been linked to hundreds of serious injuries and fatalities.

Last year police fatally tased Iman Morales, a 35 year old man suffering from mental illness. The police responded to a call by Morales’ mother, who had resorted to calling the NYPD after her son had stopped taking his medication. The incident left Morales standing on a metal box that was on top of a store’s security gate, naked, screaming incoherently with an 8 foot fluorescent light tube in his grasp.

Lt. Michael Pigott issued the order to shoot Morales with a taser which was a clear violation of NYPD guidelines stating that “when possible, the CED (taser) should not be used in situations where the subject may fall from an elevated surface.” As a result of being tased, Morales fell head first onto the pavement below and was killed. The was incident was captured on camera by an onlooker. (Lt. Pigott committed suicide shortly after the incident occurred.)

Months before this tragedy 17 year old Alexander Lombard 3rd, son of a NYPD veteran, was tasered 4 times, hit 15 times with a nightstick and put in a choke hold by a NYPD officer. Lombard suffered serious injuries (video) as the result of excessive use of force by an officer at a community sponsored barbecue in Harlem. No charges were filed against Mr. Lombard indicating that he was neither resisting arrest nor carrying a weapon. The use of the taser against Lombard can only be described as excessive and unnecessary. More HERE

There is plenty more thoughts and opinions regarding the torture and tasering of black Americans. Kathy - a DailyKos Blogger wonders: Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing

Blogger Francis L. Holland provides a history of Naming" it "Police Pre-Trial Electrocution and Execution"

Check out these great bloggers and their thoughts about the torture of black American by Taser, and what they think should be done.

Rock, African American Opinion - http://africanamericanopinion.ning.com
Kathy - Daily Kos Blogger - Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing
The Kid - Pirate satellite: A Day of Blogging for Justice - http://kid-kidfunkadelic.blogspot.com/
Wayne Bennett, The Field Negro, Major side bar and link highlighting the importance of this day.

P
urple Zoe - UltraVioletUnderground - http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-ban-pre.html

April D.
- Around Harlem.com http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2009/04/24/blogging-for-justice-standing-up-against-the-use-of-police-tasers/

PaJoyner - PlezWorld - http://pajoyner.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-death-by.html

Yobachi
- Black Perspective.net - http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/act-against-police-taser-abuse/

Ms. Lady Deborah
- From my Brown Eyed View - http://msladydeborah.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justicestanding-up.html


Eddie Griffin BASG
- http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2009/04/gravest-injustice.html

More Links to come...


Check out The Angry Indian's blog post on When "Non-Lethal" Weapons Kill

*This article is in response and solidarity with the call from fellow Afro-blogger African American Political Pundit's call for editorials concerning the use of Tasers on not just the African population but against free citizens in general. Follow the links immediately after this commentary. Check out more of the post HERE


AAPP: Hat tip to all the afrosprear, and other bloggers who contributed to this day of blogging for justice. Don't forget to sign the online petition demanding a congressional investigation into Taser Torture in America

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Congressional Black Caucus V Barack Obama... why can't they just get along?

AAPP says: I have been trying to understand why the Congressional Black Caucus and Barack Obama seem not to get along. Candidly, this appears to be a case of "old USA negro self-hatred vs new black political thinking and doing."


Outgoing Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, D-Mich.,

The Congressional Black Caucus announced new leaders without mentioning President-elect Barack Obama until asked. Members disputed the notion that his historic presidency would affect their profile or their role. Read more at African American Political Pundit.com

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Congressional Black Caucus "Chumps"

Michelle Singletary has a great article in The Washington Post regarding the bailout “Bait and Switch” and how Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cumming's questioning of Neel Kashkari, the interim assistant Treasury secretary for financial stability, that had me hollering. She writes how she usually don't enjoy watching congressional hearings and how they are often packed with blustering, long-winded, self-serving speeches that are nap-inducing.

She also writes about how a recent hearing before the domestic policy subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was riveting. In part, it was because of remarks by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.).

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings

The subject of the hearing was whether the Treasury Department was using bailout funds to increase foreclosure prevention, as Congress intended. It was Cummings's questioning of Neel Kashkari, the interim assistant Treasury secretary for financial stability, that had me hollering.

During the hearing, Cummings said what I've been feeling for months. In straight-from-the-'hood vernacular, Cummings captured what has been done to American taxpayers.

"Mr. Kashkari, in the neighborhood I grew up in, in the inner city of Baltimore, one of the things that you tried to do was make sure that you were not considered a chump," Cummings said. "And what 'chump' meant was that you didn't want people to see you as just somebody they could get over on."

Corporate America is playing us like chumps. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and the folks he's assembled to try to get us out of the economic tempest are being played like chumps. Read More HERE

AAPP: I have to agree Representative Cummings, Corporate America is playing us like chumps. But, the fact of the matter is he is part of the problem, you see, he is one of the 13 black lawmakers who switched from "no" to "yes" on the bailout bill vote. The question is why a majority of the The Congressional Black Caucus supported the bail out bill from the beginning? I guess Elijah Cummings, Donna Edwards and other Congressional Black Caucus members are the biggest chumps for supporting the bill when voters were saying no!


Cross posted on African American Political Pundit.com


Saturday, October 4, 2008

The Congressional Black Caucus should be renamed - "The Congressional Black Cowards"

AAPP says: Well, it appears that the Congressional Black Caucus are a bunch of bought off cowards and traitors. Yes, Skeptical Brother is right. The Congressional Black Caucus are "selling us out."

First Key Congressional Black Caucus Members Actually Stopped The Bailout Then they fall in line and follow Nancy Pelosiand George W. Bush. Folks the Congressional Black Caucus sold us down the drain. As reported by the Daily Voice, and Skeptical Brother members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted 31-8 in favor of the financial rescue bill that passed the House of Representatives on Friday, with several members swtching their votes. The vote was a dramatic turnaround for the Caucus from Monday, when most members of the group voted against the plan.

The bill passed the full House of Representatives 263 to 171, just one day after the Senate approved the measure, 74 to 25. Senator Barack Obama personally called members of the CBC, some of whom credited him for changing their minds in favor of the bill, according to the Associated Press.

Thirteen CBC members -- Andre Carson (IN), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Elijah Cummings (MD), Donna Edwards (MD), Al Green (TX), Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Barbara Lee (CA), John Lewis (GA), Bobby Rush (IL), David Scott (GA) and Diane Watson (CA) -- who had voted against the bill on Monday switched their votes in favor of it on Friday. Many who switched their votes cited the changes in the proposal made since the Senate passed the measure on Thursday.

Despite tremendous pressure from House Democratic leadership, eight members of the Caucus -- Reps. G.K. Butterfield, William Clay, John Conyers, William Jefferson, Hank Johnson, Donald Payne, Robert Scott and Bennie Thompson -- voted against the final bill on Friday.

Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards, both of Maryland, told AP that Senator Obama had contacted them and pledged to help homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages if he wins the White House and promised to support changes in the bankruptcy law to help consumers. More HERE

AAPP: Lets call it the 700 Billion dollar fleecing of America, without any protections or direct help for homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages. Now I read my own Maryland congressional delegation, including of all people Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards, both of Maryland, told AP that Senator Obama had contacted them and pledged to help homeowners facing foreclosure on their mortgages if he wins the White House and promised to support changes in the bankruptcy law to help consumers. As bigbaby says, WTF

There are also some four dozen small provisions. Among them, with projected costs over 10 years:

_Extending an expired provision that gives Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands a rebate against excise taxes charged on imported rum. The rebate, at $13.50 per proof gallon, helps finance local infrastructure projects. The cost is $192 million.

_Establishing a new tax credit ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for purchasers of plug-in electric-drive vehicles. Cost: $758 million.

_Extending tax credits that expired at the end of 2007 for certain domestic corporations involved in American Samoa economic development. Cost: $33 million.

_Extending a credit of up to $10,000 for the training of mine rescue team members. The credit expires at the end of this year and the one-year extension costs $4 million.

_Enacting President Bush's proposal to erase the debt of the black lung disability trust fund at a cost of $1.3 billion.

_Extending for one year a seven-year depreciation timetable that NASCAR and other motorsport racing facilities have had for some years, the same tax break that amusement parks enjoy. Without the extension, the tracks would have to depreciate the cost of their improvements over 15 years, raising their taxes by $100 million.

_Extending for five years a program that reduces import duties on some wool fabrics. The tariff relief benefits U.S. worsted wool fabric producers that use imported fibers and yarns. Cost: $148 million.

_Increasing the single-year deduction in production costs, from $15 million to $20 million, that film and TV productions may take if the costs are incurred in economically depressed areas. In an effort to keep film and TV productions in the U.S., it also allows more companies to use a domestic production deduction. Cost: $478 million.

_Allowing commercial fishermen and others hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska to average out damage awards over three years rather than taking a one-year hit from the IRS. Cost: $49 million.

_Extending two programs that fund rural schools and rural communities that have been relying on declining income from logging on federal land or have low property tax bases because they are located on or next to federal lands. This is a major issue in the West. Cost: $3.3 billion.

_Exempting wooden practice arrows used by children from an excise tax of 39 cents per arrow. Oregon's two senators and two Wisconsin representatives previously introduced legislation calling for the action, saying the tax was meant for more expensive archery arrows and is untenable for makers of toy arrows that may cost only about 30 cents apiece. The bill would affect about a half-dozen manufacturers nationwide, including one in Oregon; the Oregon senators said they didn't seek its addition to the bailout, however. Cost: $2 million.

_Allowing employers to exempt from taxation what they spend on some fringe benefits for workers who commute to work by bicycle, for example reimbursing the cost of parking the bikes. Cost: $2 million. More HERE

H/Tip Bygbaby and Soul Cast

The Congressional are truly a bunch of bought off cowards and traitors. We need to throw all of them out of office, and get a new group of members.I must say I expected more out the new member Donna Edwards, I guess she is not the new breed of leader I thought she would be.

Cross posted on African American political Pundit.com



Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Another Congressional Black Caucus Failure

Well, It appears that the Congressional Black Caucus Not Bringing Home The Bacon, beef, or veggies. While other lawmakers are getting their special projects from the earmark feast over the past 10 years, black communities have suffered. Check out this important article in diverse education.com

Current Issue : Washington Update
Black Lawmakers Urged to Join Earmark Feast

by Charles Dervarics

Black Lawmakers Urged to Join Earmark Feast
Despite presidential veto, earmarks are likely to stay and be accessible
to minority-serving institutions under Democratic-controlled Congress.
By Charles Dervarics

After a short break, the U.S. Congress again wants to earmark some of its education funds to members pet projects, a commitment to pork-barrel spending that has led to a presidential veto as well as calls for more equitable treatment for minority-serving institutions.

Called earmarks, these special funding requests are tucked into annual spending bills at lawmakers request. Universities successful in this endeavor generally get around the peer review process required to seek funding under federal grant programs.

They're creeping back, and that's an inevitable fact of life, said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of external relations at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Congress took a break from the process when Democrats vowed to cut back on the practice after taking control of the House and Senate. But some projects reappeared in the 2008 education and health spending bill, and President Bush cited the practice as one reason he vetoed the measure last month. The House and Senate could not override the veto, and the spending bill is still languishing in Congress.

But since most earmarks appear to go to large, traditionally White institutions, one expert says Black and other lawmakers should seek a greater share of the pie.

I don't know why Black legislators haven't done it more often, said Dr. Ronald Walters, a political scientist and director of the African American Leadership Center at the University of Maryland.

According to Walters, Republicans broke the bank on earmarks when they controlled Congress from 1994 to 2006. But Democratic control of Congress and, as a result, increased power for minority lawmakers should give MSIs more leverage than before to seek their share of projects. More HERE

AAPP: What should we do to hold the Congressional Black Caucus accountable?