justplainsomething: abaldwin360: inothernews: blossom-bamford: stfuconservatives: smdxn: Eliz. Warren wants to cut student interest rates to near zero Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has introduced her first piece of legislation. It’s called the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, and would reduce the rate students pay on federally-subsidized student loans for one year, from 3.4% to 0.75%. Without congressional action, on July 1 the rate is set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. Warren brings up an interesting point – her bill simply asks students to pay the same rates that big banks pay for borrowing. She’s literally just asking if college grads can get the same deal as bank CEOs. The exact same interest rate. Not even a bailout or anything fancy (pipe dreams!) - just the same interest rate. BLESS YOU ELIZABETH WARREN. YOU GOTTA FIGHT!  FOR OUR RIGHT!  To pay no interest on our bullshit college loans. I wish politicians gave as much of a shit about us as Elizabeth Warren does. We definitely need more politicians like Warren. It’s almost like she understands that putting new professionals in crippling debt before they even secure a job in their field is you know … BAD for the economy.
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justplainsomething:

abaldwin360:

inothernews:

blossom-bamford:

stfuconservatives:

smdxn:

Eliz. Warren wants to cut student interest rates to near zero

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has introduced her first piece of legislation. It’s called the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, and would reduce the rate students pay on federally-subsidized student loans for one year, from 3.4% to 0.75%.

Without congressional action, on July 1 the rate is set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%.

Warren brings up an interesting point – her bill simply asks students to pay the same rates that big banks pay for borrowing.

She’s literally just asking if college grads can get the same deal as bank CEOs. The exact same interest rate. Not even a bailout or anything fancy (pipe dreams!) - just the same interest rate.

BLESS YOU ELIZABETH WARREN.

YOU GOTTA FIGHT!  FOR OUR RIGHT!  To pay no interest on our bullshit college loans.

I wish politicians gave as much of a shit about us as Elizabeth Warren does.

We definitely need more politicians like Warren.

It’s almost like she understands that putting new professionals in crippling debt before they even secure a job in their field is you know … BAD for the economy.

(via invisiblecake)

Source: smdxn

She argues there’s another way to fight crime. “We ought to invest a lot more in our public schools. You know, feed the kids breakfast, lunch, and dinner; have after-school activities; keep the schools open until nine o’clock in the evenings and on weekends; invest in things like the Boys and Girls Club and the Park District—I mean, everything, basically, to dramatically ramp up the investments in our children.”

But even in Democrat-dominated Cook County, it’s hard to imagine that happening. “I was at an event last week, a fund-raising event, actually, where somebody said, ‘All my neighbors are Republicans—people who live on my block who I like, who wouldn’t support the idea you were just promulgating,’” Preckwinkle recalled. “And he said the people on his block he knew would rather pay to keep somebody incarcerated than to support music lessons or soccer team memberships or basketball team uniforms for kids in poor neighborhoods. “We’ve got in this country such distorted values. In the last 30 or 40 years we’ve invested all this money in our prison system, and our schools are starving for money.”

County board prez: Why are we closing schools and packing the jail? | Bleader

that first paragraph up there—the stuff about investing in after school activities and keeping the schools open until 9pm, etc. —I’m thinking about that in context to of the Emergency Managers in Michigan. And how if they were *really* invested in fixing economic problems rather than privatization, they’d be figuring out ways to do *exactly* what she is suggesting. Making the schools an essential part of the community means that youth don’t drop out and people don’t transfer to other districts. it means that people *move into* that district. 

another example, what would happen if community groups were trained and paid to go to houses in the community and clean up lead? not only would it provide jobs, but when there’s a proven correlation between lead levels and low achievment in school—what effect would it have on student’s test schools and ability to focus and stay in school if their bodies aren’t being poisoned? there are seriously NO foundation grants for this sort of thing? why aren’t city mayors, councils, EMs, etc working their asses off to find foundation grants and corporate investment in cleaning up lead so that public schools can stay open—instead of building a whole new building to stick a charter school in?

(via iinventedeverything)

“people on his block he knew would rather pay to keep somebody incarcerated than to support music lessons or soccer team memberships or basketball team uniforms for kids in poor neighborhoods.”

Next time I hear that we should fight racism with cool, calm logic, I will be thinking about this. 

(via jhameia)

(via wilwheaton)

Source: chicagoreader.com

This does not sound like the kind of thing that’s going to make everyone realize what a great president George W. Bush was. In fact, it sounds to me like the world’s easiest video game. Invade a country for no reason or don’t invade a country for no reason? Don’t invade a country for no reason. Celebrate John McCain’s birthday while a deadly storm hits New Orleans or don’t celebrate John McCain’s birthday while a deadly storm hits New Orleans? Don’t celebrate John McCain’s birthday while a deadly storm hits New Orleans. I could do this all day. Torture people or don’t torture people? Don’t torture people. Deregulate and tax cut the country into financial ruin or don’t deregulate and tax cut the country into financial ruin?

There is no reason, people, to overthink the Bush presidency. It was just as bad as you thought. As Bush himself might advise, when you’re considering his legacy, go with your gut.

— Chris Hayes on the “Decision Points Theater” at the Bush library

(via janf)

(via cwnerd12)

Source: MSN

Encouraging polling on civil liberties

wilwheaton:

It seems majority support for civil liberties may be rooted in increasing resignation about terrorism. The Time/CNN poll finds that only 32 percent of Americans believe the US can prevent all major attacks — which is down from 2011. Meanwhile, only 27 percent say they won’t attend a major event because of the bombings. Yet concern over civil liberties has grown. A plurality of 49 percent — a new high – say they wouldn’t trade civil liberties for security. The effort by Graham and McCain to recreate those glorious post-9/11 anti-civil liberties atmospherics in the wake of the Boston bombings seems to have flopped.

I wonder what percentage of those 27% believe that we must do whatever it takes to make sure “the terrorists don’t win”?

shycustis:

Do you remember SOPA? The bill that would give government the right to spy on internet activity without warrant, and let them censor “unwanted” sites by blocking people’s access to them?

Meet its twin. But this time it’s all the more frightening; the House has passed it despite Obama’s threats to veto. And by an alarmingly large margin, at that. CISPA threatens the US constitution’s guarantees of due privacy and free speech, permitting any government agency to access and transfer of vast amounts of data- from internet records to even the content of personal e-mails, and all without obtaining a warrant.

What’s even more disgusting than this bill actually making through the House is some of the arguments used to help it’s passage, and comments made by one of the bill’s biggest supporters admitting the bill helps big business while insulting opposers (whose is also speculated to have personal reasons for wanting CISPA made into law).

This threatens every element of your online presence. From personal emails to general activity, any government agency will have the ability to go fishing without consequence.

Please, PLEASE, sign the following petitions. You don’t even have to be a US citizen to sign most of them or act against CISPA, and please keep in mind that if this shit flies in America, who knows what country might use its example to do it, too.

Petition: Avaaz: Save the Internet from the US
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)

Petition: Sites Not Spies
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)

Petition: CISPA is Back: Write Congress

Petition: Tell Mike Rogers more that 14-year-olds oppose CISPA
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)

Twitter: Tweet @RepMikeRogers with your age
Twitter: Tweet @BarackObama and tell him to veto CISPA
Twitter: Tweet reps like @RepDelBene, @GovHankJohnson, @KeithEllison and @GovGaryJohnson and thanks them for acting against CISPA. Look for other reps that have spoken against it, and thank them.

Call your reps: and tell them you strongly oppose the bill. You can look up your reps using the form on the lower portion of this page.

Resource: Fight for the Future

Reblog: This and other posts like it to raise awareness of this threat to internet freedom and privacy.

I will be posting more petitions and resources as I become aware of them.

(via fuckyeahillustrativeart)

Source: shycustis

newsweek:

So who voted “NO” on gun control? These guys. Now you know.

(via cwnerd12)

Source: newsweek

“I am simply unable to comprehend how assault weapons and large capacity magazines have a role in your vision,” he said. “The NRA I see today has undermined the values upon which it was established. Your current strategic focus clearly places priority on the needs of gun and ammunition manufacturers while disregarding the opinions of your 4 million individual members.”

“One only has to look at the makeup of the 75-member board of directors, dominated by manufacturing interests, to confirm my point. The NRA appears to have evolved into the lobby for gun and ammunition manufacturers rather than gun owners.”

Adolphus Busch IV resigns NRA membership (via wilwheaton)

(via cwnerd12)

Source: ksdk.com

A Senate in the Gun Lobby’s Grip

wilwheaton:

I watch TV and read the papers like everyone else. We know what we’re going to hear: vague platitudes like “tough vote” and “complicated issue.” I was elected six times to represent southern Arizona, in the State Legislature and then in Congress. I know what a complicated issue is; I know what it feels like to take a tough vote. This was neither. These senators made their decision based on political fear and on cold calculations about the money of special interests like the National Rifle Association, which in the last election cycle spent around $25 million on contributions, lobbying and outside spending.

Our democracy’s history is littered with names we neither remember nor celebrate — people who stood in the way of progress while protecting the powerful. On Wednesday, a number of senators voted to join that list.

Very powerful op-ed from Gabby Giffords in yesterday’s NYTimes.

I don’t understand why these kinds of articles don’t list the Senators’ names that killed this legislation. Call them out! Make sure everyone knows their names and that they’re fucking the country.

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