“I’d rather fight to my last breath than let the fate of my children and grandchildren be dictated by billionaires on Bay Street and Wall Street.” – USW International President Leo W. Gerard, 2011 Convention Opening Speech, Aug. 15, 2011.Dear Sisters and Brothers, Every generation has its moment, its moment to stand up and fight for a better world and brighter tomorrow. Now is our time. As United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard said to open our Constitutional Convention: “We can only win the future if we’re willing to fight for it!” Our union’s fighting spirit has been on display all week at the convention, where thousands of USW members and guests have recommitted themselves to our movement for an economy that works for everybody, for fair trade, the right to collectively bargain, safer workplaces and a dignified retirement. You don’t have to be a delegate to join us in this important battle for our future. Click here to watch our convention theme video, “The Fighting Spirit,” then send it to your friends and family. This is the fight of our lives – of our children’s and grandchildren’s lives – and we need everyone to stand up.   Tell us what you’re standing and fighting foron our convention Web page and stay tuned for future information on how Steelworkers are leading the way as we Stand Up and Fight Back!   Visit the USW on Facebook         Visit the USW on Twitter

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Here are some highlights of the GOP Plan (read full proposal here):

Require congressional review and approval of any government regulations that have a significant impact on the economy or burden small businesses.

Audit existing and pending regulations to identify and address those that hinder economic growth.

The Republicans, since Reagan, have been whittling down any regulations – which includes any green incentives, bank, and hedge funds. What the government needs is actual ethical CEO’s and ethical Government officials. Since that has not been the case regulation is needed.  Regulations do not hurt the general public it creates a dependable economy.  Deregulating for the sake of the economy is like deregulating banks for the sake of selling homes.

Lowering the tax rate for businesses

The US is debt because of spending support for multiple wars, not because honest people working and paying taxes. Corporate taxes are a local tax, not a federal focus.  Walmart and the big corporation do not pay taxes (legal loop holes don’t make it ethical) and it hinders the infrastructure of the state and local.  Let the local tax determine the commercial tax, not the federal government.

Reform the tax code to allow American businesses to bring back their overseas profits without having to pay a tax penalty so they can invest in our economy and create American jobs.

What? The GOP wants those make reward profiteering utilizing cheap labor overseas?

• A simple tax penalty for any company that exports products that only return to the US for greater profit.
• A simple tax penalty for any company for each employee not a US citizen $3.00/hour.
  • That would not only bring jobs back to the US but it would eliminate illegal Alien hiring practices.  The US already has a social security system and all employers must work within that system for tax purposes.
• A simple tax penalty for any company for each 1099 employee – $25,000 year.

Pass the three pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea to create up to 250,000 jobs.

The United States has 11 (free trade agreements) FTAs in force with 17 countries. In addition, the United States has negotiated FTAs with Korea,Panama and Colombia, but these agreements have not yet entered into force. The United States is also in the process of negotiating a regional FTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

U.S. FTA Partner Countries

• Australia
• Bahrain
• Chile
• DR-CAFTA: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, & Nicaragua
• Israel
• Jordan
• Morocco
• NAFTA: Canada & Mexico
• Oman
• Peru
• Singapore

Many of these countries have a FTA with China . . . so turn your labels over . . .when was the last time you saw “Made in the USA”.  China monopolizes our countries with their products.

Continue to open new markets to American made products

What does the US actually make? If you must know . . . food that is processed overseas and returned to us in form of “Hamburger Helper” (read here . . .).

Modernize our patent system to protect our nation’s innovators, discourage frivolous lawsuits, and expedite patent reviews.

That doesn’t create jobs. Remember the US don’t actually make anything anymore. Things are cheaper coming from China.  There is not one product that was invented in the US that isn’t made overseas (better and cheaper I might add).  This patent issue isn’t a domestic one, it is an international one.  Since the US isn’t part of a global economy this is a time-waster and only looks good on paper.

Re-Authorize and improve federal programs and approval processes to streamline development of new products

Again, I have to ask . . . what new products?

Remove barriers to building a first class workforce so that the United States can compete in the global marketplace and lead the way in technological development and growth.

Barriers = Regulations — deregulating is the reason the US economy failed.

Build upon the House Republicans’ Budget by enacting significant spending cuts.

Without tax increases this is just the same old song.  The GOP fails the average american time and time again with magical words of wealth – but only the richer get richer.

Final Thoughts

The GOP platform stands on the concept that wealth is universal and that with the right plan every US Citizen will be the wealthiest in the world.  The problem is History tells us differently.  The failure of the US economy is due to:

• Corporate friendly tax codes,
• Rewarding through our low import tariffs overseas job creation,
• Putting hope into a “trickle down economy”
• Deregulation,
• Lobby Run Government
• Unethical Government Officials.
  • Yes unethical. Just because you can doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.  Just because a Fortune 500 Company can, legally, through loop holes and creative accounting – doesn’t mean it is ethical.

The only solution for true job creation is force job creation on the US by doing the following:

• Raise Import Tax
• Tax Penalty for Employers that
  • Exports products that only returns to the US.
  • Each employee not a US citizen $3.00/hour.
  • Each 1099 employee – $25,000 year.
• Regulate and Enforce Corporations, Government Agencies and Local Government
• Rebuild a strong US Infrastructure (roads, utilities, water supply . . .)
• Mandatory National Broadband
  • The future is cottage industries.

The solutions to job creation is not the responsibility of Corporations (it is profit focused) – it is in our Government. We must demand the Government to stop looking towards Corporations without demanding regulation, tax increases and tax penalties in oversea jobs.Similar Posts:

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It may have taken a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to direct the general public’s attention to automobile use and how it affects everything from the environment to obesity. But some people study it—and how to change that habit and its impacts on energy consumption, air quality, climate, physical activity and more—every day.

A study featured in the summer issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association, and released in advance this week, aims to make decisions easier for those charged with designing and building cities that use less carbon in the future.

“There has been more research on the effect of community design on the amount people drive, walk, and use transit than any other subject in urban planning,” said Reid Ewing, professor of city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah, and co-author of the analysis. “We have attempted to make sense out of the varied findings, and arm planners and policy makers with numbers they can use to justify compact development, mixed use, interconnected streets, accessible transit, and other smart growth measures.”

Research Overview

The researchers performed a meta-analysis of some 200 built environment and travel studies conducted since 1996, in order to measure the magnitude of relationships that influence a person’s travel choices. The statistical technique is a systematic way of combining data from many studies on a given topic to allow common threads to emerge, and also to calculate meaningful averages. The conclusions can then be applied with confidence by planners, policy makers and other professionals working to enhance physical, social and mental health of America’s communities.

Results and Conclusions

Travel variables are generally inelastic with respect to change in measures of the built environment. Of the environmental variables considered here, none has a weighted average travel elasticity of absolute magnitude greater than 0.39, and most are much less. Still, the combined effect of several such variables on travel could be quite large. Consistent with prior work, we find that vehicle miles traveled is most strongly related to measures of accessibility to destinations and secondarily to street network design variables.

Walking is most strongly related to measures of land use diversity, intersection density, and the number of destinations within walking distance. Bus and train use are equally related to proximity to transit and street network design variables, with land use diversity a secondary factor. Surprisingly, it found the find population and job densities to be only weakly associated with travel behavior once these other variables are controlled.

Soapbox Suggestions

• Make all drive-thru illegal
• All automobile GPS gadgets must have an option to eliminate left turns.
• All Employees must offer incentive for car pooling or taking public transportation.
• Make it illegal for parents to drive their children to school when public or school transportation is available.
• Make it illegal for student to drive to school when public or school transportation is available.
• Those who must have fast food should be able to call ahead and pre-pay an order for pick up.  You can do that with any restaurant, why not fast food?
• The United States has to use railways as a way of transporting.  No trucks can transport over 150 miles.
• Reopen all the freight only train tracks to passenger trains.  It is time for bring back the train. The United States has limited passenger tracks but the reality is there is more than triple tracks available for more passenger routes.
• Make it illegal for deliveries between 8:00 am and 20:00 (8:00 pm), irrelevant of the time zone.
• Anyone working a five-day work week must either take public transportation for the 5th day or carpool.
• Start a four-day work week (10 hours days).
• All schools must offer extended hours. (this will allow for the four-day work week for parents)
• Commuter lots must be mandatory for all public transportation.  In Ashland, WI there is public transportation, but no commuter lots.
• Put a “miles traveled” on any item in a store.  This includes food, clothing, electronics and so on . . . If the product is manufactured in the US but parts are not . . . this must all be included detailed information.
• Put the speed limit back to 55 mph on all highways throughout the US with stricter fines for those going 60+ mph, doubled for any truck or automobile with a hitched item.
• Instead of police sitting on the side of the highway, use speeding cameras.  Leave the police to actual emergencies.
• All US automobiles must have a 55 mpg rating by 2012. All other countries have at least that much, why not the US?
• Have a state car tax . . . the less mpg the higher the tax.  Any automobile with 45+ mpg doesn’t have to pay the tax.
• Internet surcharge for all online purchases.
• Retail purchases locally (under 100 miles) get a 1% discount.

If you can’t get it locally do you really need it? The process of a lifestyle change has to start with a simple question . . . what is important to you?  What kind of life do you want? If you have children the only investment should be shoes while the rest of the clothes should be from thrift stores.

If you want to invest and build a portfolio invest in local mutual funds, state funds or even your local city funds. You invest where you live, the returns are more consistent and not relying on any national interest rate.

Stop going to the Mall.

Carpool, public transportation, walk, or bike.  Those in less milder weather (rain, snow, sleet) think about a four day work week, telecommuting, going to one income (take this quiz) or even taking a job close to home (walking distance preferred) or telecommuting position.

The United States has to get out of the “just because I can” attitude. Just because you can buy a huge truck doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can drive yourself to school, doesn’t mean you should.  Just because you it is easier to sit your fat ass in your car and order a hamburger with a diet coke doesn’t mean you should.

The reason the United States has economic problems is due to laziness, greed and unwillingness to see the big picture.  Just because you are told you can afford a home — doesn’t mean you should own a home.  There are more homes for sale than there are qualified buyers . . . that says something.  It is a reflection of the American people are so isolated to their own community that entitlement is more important than the community itself.

Just because you see it on Amazon for $10.00 cheaper than the main street retail shop doesn’t mean you should buy it online.  Buying online doesn’t make a community – it makes you irrelevant to those around you.  The United States has lost the true American spirit.

The American spirit is not patriotism or chanting USA! at the Olympics.  The American spirit has always been about the “I want a better life”.  Better is not bigger, more expensive or hiding behind a keyboard.  The”better life” is about being part of a community, family, and actually being more than just an individual.

Until the United States changes its attitude about what is really important . . . it will never overcome the greed, corrupt politician or death of main street.   The United States needs to not reinvent itself but get back to the big picture.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The United States is no longer free but a slave to commercialism, capitalistic politics and their automobile.  The best form of economy is self sustaining and the most powerful is a strong local economy.

In a couple of weeks, same-sex couples in Wisconsin will be allowed to declare domestic partnerships and take advantage of some of the rights and benefits extended to married couples.

County clerks around the state are preparing to accept domestic partnership declaration applications starting Aug. 3.

The Domestic Partnership Law was included in the 2009-2010 state budget signed by Gov. Jim Doyle June 29. The budget also includes domestic partner benefits for state employees.

The application process will be similar to applying for a marriage license. At least one of the applicants must have lived in the county for 30 days or longer, both must be of the same sex and at least 18, neither may be married or in another domestic partnership, the two must share a residence and they must not be nearer of kin that second cousins.

It was just recently The Contemplation uncovered that Bradley Schreiber, a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has opened his own Homeland Security Solutions, LLC (Read More . . .).

A senior advisor jumping ship? It looks like Schreiber jumped into his own business only to watch the Department of Homeland Security blend with a the National Security council. This is not only smart, but both Homeland Security and National Security Council are both redundent.

One Problem (of many) Bush’s Homeland Security Didn’t Fix

Homeland Security is a joke.  We already have in place the FBI, CIA, INS and Department of State, which with common database and collaboration can easily manage security.  The proper management of these already existing Departments has made Homeland Security redundant.

Fact:

In all US ports container searches are still done in a very lazy fashion.  Did you know that not all containers coming into US ports are searched? U.S. seaports handle over 2 billion tons of freight each year but only about 5% of containers entering the United States are inspected on arrival.  Lets do the math :: 5% of 2,000,000,000 = 100,000,000+.  That is 100 million containers not ever inspected.

Let me clarify what inspected mean . . . it the container looks normal, smells norma (with dogs) and tagging matches all the paperwork it is approved.  The chances of being opened is less than 5%.

There are other areas of vulnerability of ports include:

• The geographical/physical layout of the ports themselves is of concern.
• The protection and security of the landside perimeter of a port is difficult due to their large size.
• orts located in highly urbanized areas allow terrorists a densely populated area in which to hide while infiltrating or escaping the port area at their perimeter.
• The high volume of trucks entering and exiting port facilities pose a threat to the port, as well as surrounding geographical areas. Exiting trucks may contain questionable contents.
• The disabling of a ship at port is enough to halt all activity at that port for an extended period of time, especially if the disabled ship is blocking a throughway for other vessels. Think about a one lane highway and you hold up one car.

Did you know that cargos will never be inspected if it meets one of the following:

• Either as a direct result of Federal Government involvement
• Indirectly through financial sponsorship of a Federal program (indirectly?)
  • There have been many US Government personnel that have imported illegal substance, trafficking and classified information via this “sponsorship program”.
  • This would include Blackwater contractors
• In connection with a guarantee provided by the Federal Government

Now, how many of these un-inspected on each cargo ship?

• Military Cargo  =  100% (governed by Military Cargo Preference Act of 1904);
• Export Import Bank  =  100% (governed by Public Resolution 17);
• Civilian Agencies Cargo  =  at least 50%  (governed by Cargo Preference Act of 1954); and
• Agricultural Cargoes   =  at least 75%  (governed by the Food Security Act of 1985)

Which basically means . . . our ports are the easiest to ship.

Nothing has actually changed and cargo inspection has not changed due to the Bush Administration only real  Except the reputation of the United States being a bulling by imprisoning without due process and fair trial via our military prisons (AKA Guantánamo Gay Bay).

One Port Solution Fits All

One High Port Import Tax – Any company that imports goods or services inside the US will be taxed a high percentage.  Sell the goods here or be willing to pay the price.

There are plenty that do not pay any import or less import tax, here are a few:

Australia Special Rate
Bahrain Special Rate
Trade in Civil Aircraft (duty-free treatment)
NAFTA for Canada (duty-free treatment)
Chile Special Rate
Africa (duty-free treatment)
Israel Special Rate (duty-free treatment)
Uruguay Chemicals for Dyes (duty-free treatment)
Morocco Special Rate
NAFTA for Mexico
Dominican Republic-Central American Special Rate
Singapore Special Rate

Notice anything?  Looks allot like what you see on WalMart’s shelves!

One High Port Export Tax – Any company that exports goods or services outside the US will be taxed a high percentage.  Sell the goods locally or be willing to pay the price.

Where does the money go? – The high tax will pay for 100% container inspection, stimulate the economy and produce jobs without building another bridge.

Final Thoughts

The economy for the US is now so dented that it only a discount buyer will be willing to invest in the US economy.  The only way to react is to strengthen our import/export tax tariffs and let the priority be true independence.

OR

The United States keeps importing and filling Walmart shelves. I remember pre-walmart and if I wanted to get something from Singapore or Chine I went to a specialty store. Now, it is low quality crap.  We will be a WalMart country.  Remember when people said, “I Live in Ford Country”?  Well soon it will be “I live in WalMart Country”.

OR

We start acting and matching globally. Instead of leading the charge into exporting/importing why not follow the lead of other countries that aren’t in debt, in fact one . . . Estonia.