With Mary Angela. Better Politics. Better Living. Wellness.
Hey, Democratic Leadership! Show You’ll Do What’s Necessary To Stop Kavanaugh from Mary Angela’s Daily Rant.
https://maryangeladailyrants.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/hey-democratic-leadership-show-youll-do-whats-necessary-to-stop-kavanaugh/
— Read on maryangeladailyrants.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/hey-democratic-leadership-show-youll-do-whats-necessary-to-stop-kavanaugh/
“Don’t Let Fascists Win” from Mary Angela’s Daily Rants.
— Read on maryangeladailyrants.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/dont-let-fascists-win/
Hey, Democratic Leadership! Show You’ll Do What’s Necessary To Stop Kavanaugh from Mary Angela’s Daily Rants.
Have you seen Cynthia Nixon’s campaign advertisement announcing her run for Governor of New York? If somehow you missed it, here it is:
How
It’s amazing to me that I had not only an apartment in the Village ALONE for $825/month, I also had a loft overlooking the East River in Brooklyn for just over $1200/month. As I put my daughter in the NYC public school system, the gratitude I always felt for the dedication of the teachers, the special needs department, well, to say they are doing the Lord’s work, is an understatement. I also, along with thousands of parents fought charters like Success Academy in their quest to try and take over public schools.
The city I love, the mom and pop stores, too many replaced. Chain stores everywhere. The charter industry growing. It’s heartbreaking.
When I saw that ad, I was excited. I saw a celebrity I liked talking about issues that resonated with me in a personal way. That made me have a better understanding of why many were excited about a possible Oprah run. As I previously outlined in my piece for Washington Babylon, Oprah has deep ties to the charter school industry, That is just one of many problematic issues with her positions, and the history of her show. In contrast, Nixon has a clear vision and advocacy for public schools and public school teachers. Now as a Democrat, I always thought that was our stance. I saw many of my fellow Democrats, many of which claim to be progressive, embrace Oprah and now are dismissing Cynthia Nixon.
And no one questions this.
As Democrats or left-leaning voters, we have to start asking ourselves an important question every day. And the question is this: we all know that public education is the great equalizer. Obama made a huge mistake by embracing, and taking campaign cash from entities like Democrats For Education Reform. Some centrists Democrats like Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand vying for a possible 2020 presidential run are clearly moving left on issues like Medicare For All and that’s a great start. Unapologetic support for public schools, public school teachers, and public school children MUST be a bare minimum for running as a Democrat. Why should we settle for less?
Thank you, Cynthia Nixon.
While I am reading the inspiring commentary of women I admire, who inspire me, I keep going back to the women closest to me. My daughters are my biggest daily inspiration! My sister and my mother continue to inspire me every day.
My sister and my mom are both incredibly funny, smart and not afraid to speak their minds. I am so fortunate to grow up with a mom that introduced me to great music, art, fashion and her love of reading. All of this majorly shaped me into the person I am today. My mom is truly one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. And so hilarious, every time I talk to her, I have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard!
My sister is amazing. We have conversations that last hours. She’s a wonderful mom, wife and friend. Oh! She’s an awesome cook! While talking to her on the phone the other day, she casually told me that she was making her “half and half” from scratch out of almonds! Things like this, the devotion she has to living a good life. Her wicked sense of humor.
Happy International Women’s Day to everyone out there! And look around at the women in your own life that make you happy, feel loved.
Love them back.
Dear #Resistance:
It's been a while since we talked and we thought it'd be nice to catch up. Have they impeached Trump yet? Hmm…well if you aren't busy let's chat a bit about something we can resist together! The Senate this week is slated to take up the so-called #BankLobbyistBill which is legislation sponsored by the Senate Banking Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) that would rewrite parts of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the landmark financial regulation overhaul enacted in response to the 2008 financial crisis.
“Sixteen Senate Democrats ignored warnings from progressives and joined with Republicans on Tuesday to advance a wide-ranging deregulation bill that lawmakers are expected to pass in the coming days.”
Senate advances bank deregulation bill as Democrats break ranks, Politico, Zachary Warmbodt
Look at these idiotic “moderate democrats” that co-sponsored S.2155 – Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act.
Slow clap to the following "Progressive All Americans," if the combined Progressive Punch Score of this team of cosponsors was a Fraternity they would all be put on academic probation, get kicked off campus and quite possibly lose their charter with national. The only member of this dream team who received an "A" from Progressive Punch is Senator Gary Peters (D-MI).
Democratic Cosponsors of S. 2155
This table includes the name of the Democratic cosponsor, the date they sponsored and their Progressive Punch score. To view the Senator's OpenSecrets.org industry level contributions click their name. If you want to view the Senator's scorecard on Progressive Punch click on their letter grade in the
| Democratic Cosponsor | Date Cosponsored | Score |
| Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN]* | 11/16/2017 | F |
| Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND]* | 11/16/2017 | F |
| Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]* | 11/16/2017 | B |
| Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]* | 11/16/2017 | F |
| Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO]* | 11/16/2017 | D |
| Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]* | 11/16/2017 | F |
| Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]* | 11/16/2017 | D |
| Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]* | 11/16/2017 | A |
| Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]* | 12/06/2017 | F |
| Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE] | 12/06/2017 | F |
| Sen. Jones, Doug [D-AL] | 12/06/2017 | F |
It’s good to see the bastions of banking interests included…you know Alabama, Colorado, WV, MT, ND represented. How many bankers do you work in Montana? Well according to the Montana Bankers Association there are 48 distinct member banks, about 12 of which are just branches of the same bank. Not exactly the type of industry numbers worth turning the financial world on its head for right? It’s not about the community banks, it isn't about their states and it certainly isn’t about you or me.
For a brief explanation of what this bill entails and the ramifications, let’s hear what Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has to say to rally her fellow Senators against the bill:
“"The people in Congress may have forgotten the crash 10 years ago, but I guarantee that people across this country have not forgotten the pain that these giant banks caused,” “They do not want to see Congress move toward deregulating these banks.”
Elizabeth Warren in Comments on Senate Floor
David Dayen of the Intercept has been dissecting and synthesizing the impact of this legislation better than anyone. The whole piece is brilliant but this passage is a must read:
The discussion turned to an obscure congressional bill, S.2155, pitched by its bipartisan supporters mainly as a vehicle to deliver regulatory relief to community banks and, 10 years after the financial crisis, to make needed technical fixes to the landmark Wall Street reform law, Dodd-Frank.
But Citi’s Chief Financial Officer John Gerspach told the trade reporters he thought that some bigger banks — like, say, Citigroup — should get taken care of in the bill as well. He wanted Congress to loosen rules around how the bank could go about lending and
Revenge of the Stadium Banks, The Intercept, David Dayeninvesting . The specific mechanism to do that was to fiddle with what’s known as the supplementary leverage ratio, or SLR, a key capital requirement for the nation’s largest banks. This simple ratio sets how much equity banks must carry compared to total assets like loans.”
David Dayen knows a thing or two about the foreclosure crisis. His book Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street's Great Foreclosure Fraud should be required reading on this topic. Here's what he says about what this means:
“A hopeful nation — and the president himself — expected that the Senate would begin debate on major gun policy reform next week, but instead a confounding scenario has emerged: In the typically gridlocked Congress, with the Trump legislative agenda mostly stalled, members of both parties will come together to roll back financial rules, during the 10th anniversary of the biggest banking crisis in nearly a century. And it’s happening with virtually no media attention whatsoever.Aside from the gifts to Citigroup and other big banks, the bill undermines fair lending rules that work to counter racial discrimination and rolls back regulation and oversight on large regional banks that aren’t big enough to be global names, but have enough cash to get a stadium named after themselves. In the name of mild relief for community banks, these institutions — which have been christened “stadium banks” by congressional staff opposing the legislation — are punching a gaping hole through Wall Street reform.”
Revenge of the Stadium Banks, The Intercept, David Dayen
This is serious business and some Democratic legislators are fighting the good fight. Here is what Senator Warren tweeted out:
The Senate – with the support of some Democrats – is set to start debate on a bill to roll back regulations on the same big banks we bailed out a few years ago. If we lose the final vote next week, we’ll be paving the way for the next big crash. https://t.co/i7HO3AvNJ9
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2018
Warren is hardly the only Democrat who has joined advocacy groups in opposing this horrific bill, which would gut the already limited Dodd-Frank regulations put in place by the Obama administration following the 2008 crash, Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also has come out against the bill asking fellow Senators:
“Are you with the big banks and the Wall Street operators who wrecked the economy and got big bailouts, or are you with families and workers?"
Sherrod Brown in Comments on the Senate Flooor
Here's what Senator Sanders (I-VT) said in a press release:
"This banking bill is a disaster. The Wall Street crash of 2008 showed the American people how fraudulent many of these large banks are. The last thing we should be doing is deregulating them. As the Congressional Budget Office reported today, the bill that the Senate will be considering this week will 'increase the likelihood that a large financial firm with assets of between $100 billion and $250 billion would fail.' Why would any member of Congress vote to move us closer to another taxpayer bailout of large financial institutions? This bill must be defeated," said Sanders, the ranking member of the Budget Committee”
Press Release from Senator Bernie Sanders, "CBO: Bank Deregulation Bill Would Lead to More Bailouts" Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Sincerely,
Mary Angela Perna
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The recent Parkland school shooting was the deadliest school shooting since 26 people were killed at Connecticut school Sandy Hook in 2012. And just like with Sandy Hook, the professional conspiracy theorists begin their insanity and grift, declaring the victim’s families are “crisis actors”. This is exploitation of dead, injured and traumatized children and is poisoning the public debate on guns as well as a number of other political issues. If nothing is ever real how do we ever deal with reality?
In the fever swamps and extremist fringes of the internet, the outspoken student survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are depicted as mouthpieces of the FBI, pawns of left-wing activist billionaire George Soros, stooges of the Democratic Party — or all of the above.
How the internet’s conspiracy theorists turned Parkland students into ‘crisis actors’, NBC News, Daniel Arken & Bob Popken
The students, who have called for stronger gun control measures, are now the subject of conspiracy theories that have spread far and wide, even reaching cable news and spurring the firing of a Florida lawmaker’s aide.
The speed with which these groundless claims spread points to a troubling digital ecosystem in the era of fake news. In this shadow media network, unfounded information shows up on dubious sites, churns through the news aggregation site Reddit, and works its way into Facebook feeds — and to the mainstream media.
David Carroll, associate professor of media design at New York’s New School stated in the same piece,
…a supposed secret cabal that orchestrates the liberal conspiracy against the American right-wing would have to involve paid actors, who allegedly appear at staged school massacres, as an elaborate hoax performance to justify gun confiscation.
David Carroll, Professor at the New School
As the National Rifle Association is under fire, they have gone on the offensive after the Parkland shooting, assailing media, calling for more armed school security.
I was personally told of this “solution” by a friend with a large number of cops in her family; very republican. The LAST thing I want is for my children to go to a school with armed teachers!
This is America, and we have the Second Amendment. This fear of guns being taken away, this insane delusion that people have that somehow there will be law enforcement at their door taking away their guns, it’s quite obvious that there is propaganda involved by gun lobbyists and right-wing media outlets.
I always go back to Sandy Hook with this. Without getting into detail, I have a personal affiliation with one of the parents. I can tell you firsthand the pain the professional conspiracy theorists have caused. I can tell you that conspiracy idiots like Alex Jones, who had Wolfgang Halbig on his show several times, Halbig who at one time was an administrator in a Florida school district, had his own grift. He raised thousands of dollars in his quest to “prove” Sandy Hook didn’t happen at all. He convinced the gullible that he would get FOIA documents to (finally!) show Sandy Hook Elementary School wasn’t even open at the time of the event in December, 2012.
But don't take my word for it here is a great video captured by Media Matters that encapsulates the InfoWars insanity regarding Sandy Hook:
An obvious lie, the school was open and Halbig and the conspiracy profiteers made a lot of cash pushing this ridiculous narrative. The LA times did a great write-up of this scam last year,
Halbig, Jones and the countless conspiracy kooks all spewed the nonsense, claiming Sandy Hook children had been taught to play victims that day, and frequently cruised into town with cameras to "expose" the "child actors." None of this is benign. Aside from not factual, this incites threats and violence from the audience of conspiracy “news” personalities,
“An unemployed waitress was arrested in December in Florida on charges of making death threats against Pozner, with repeated phone calls to his home in which she muttered ethnic and racial slurs and profanities. Another man is in Rikers Island prison in New York fighting transfer to Connecticut for a deluge of harassing phone calls to the home and office of the medical examiner who signed the coroner reports for Sandy Hook victims.
In an age of 'alternative facts,' a massacre of schoolchildren is called a hoax, LA Times, Barbara Demick
At a memorial run in 2015 in honor of slain teacher Vicki Soto, a 33-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man was arrested after police said he shoved a photo in the face of the victim's younger sister, Jillian Soto, and demanded to know whether her sister really died.”
Now, it’s happening to the families of Parkland, Florida. There will be countless YouTube videos, endless tweets and a well-spring of Facebook groups devoted to telling the world that they are acting as “truth-tellers” by saying this event wasn’t real and that the media is lying to you. The kids are paid to play the part of victims.
I’ll just close with this: it’s been FIVE YEARS since Sandy Hook, the parents still have videos made about their “fake kids”. In addition of losing their child, the families will face years of harassment of claims their loved ones didn’t exist.
My heart breaks not just because we MUST have gun control; reform immediately, it breaks because I can say without reservation, the victim’s family and friends of Parkland will go through years not only of grief but campaigns of hate, death threats and intimidation.
This has to stop.
I have had family members and friends who are alcoholics my entire life. I am no stranger to Al-Anon. 12-Steps in program have saved me more times than I can count. I have said many times that the 12 steps can be applied to anything. Well, I didn’t say this, it’s what you learn by regularly going to the rooms. The gun violence in our schools rests fully at the feet of the GOP in America. They need to undergo a massive moral inventory.
Just seven weeks into 2018, there have been eight shootings at US schools that have resulted in injury or death.
How many US school shootings have there been in 2018 so far?, The Guardian, Lois Beckett
Yes, that's more than one school shooting a week THIS YEAR.
“At least 17 people were killed when a teen opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Fourteen others were wounded, five of whom suffering life-threatening injuries, hospital officials said. Authorities said the suspect, identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, concealed himself in the crowd fleeing Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He was arrested in nearby Coral Springs and later charged with 17 counts of murder.
17 killed in mass shooting at high school in Parkland, Florida., NBC News, Elizabeth Chuck, Alex Johnson, Corky Siemazcko
"You come to the conclusion this is just absolutely pure evil," said Florida Gov. Rick Scott, his hands clutched over his chest.
Scott, a Republican whom the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund gave an "A+" rating, didn't address reporters' questions about how the gunman was able to obtain a semiautomatic rifle.”
Well, rest easy, folks. Rick Scott thinks the shooter is evil and sends his thoughts and prayers to the families.
Here's what fashion boot enthusiast and GOP beltway wunderkind had to say.
Just spoke to Broward School Superintendent. Today is that terrible day you pray never comes.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 14, 2018
In fact, nearly ALL republican elected officials said basically the same thing. But that's not surprising given the outsized influence the National Rifle Association has on the GOP.
But the real influence is in the use of outside spending:
Rubio himself has received more than three million dollars over the course of his horrible career from guns rights groups. Governor Rick Scott made history signing 5 pro-gun bills!
But thank GOD for thoughts and prayers! Nah, as we speak, I’m not thinking about my daughter who is about to catch the bus for middle school. Nah, there aren’t countless moms and dads feeling the EXACT same way I am right now.
I truly thought after Sandy Hook, there would’ve been massive reforms and regulations. Nope! Columbine wasn’t enough, Newtown wasn’t enough, the multiple mass shootings after, just WERE NOT ENOUGH.
So, I’m circling back to the 12-steps. This country needs a MASSIVE, COLLECTIVE moral inventory. Whether ALL OF US demanding inequality be majorly addressed or gun control, AND mental health services available to EVERYONE, REGARDLESS of income or anything else.
Step One says we must ADMIT we have a problem. Clearly we do. The Fourth Step for the unfamiliar, is as follows: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
This step requires self-examination that can be uncomfortable, but honesty is essential in this process. The key is to identify any areas of past regret, embarrassment, guilt or anger.
Yep! I’m going there. If we can AS A COUNTRY can honestly look at our children’s faces today and say we’ve don’t need help as a nation; need to look within ourselves, I’m at a loss.
My daughter just asked me if I think her school is safe and “will a bad person come and hurt people? How do you know, Mom?”
After reassuring her, the truth is, I don’t know.
And THAT is where we are.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has just announced as of February, 13th, 2018 she will no longer take PAC money. Here's Gillibrand's statement she made via Twitter:
I will no longer accept donations from corporate PACs, and I wanted to share why I’ve made that decision. I hope you’ll join me in doing everything we can to fight to reform our broken campaign finance system. pic.twitter.com/v2oWvEiUCe
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 13, 2018
Gillibrand went on to say:
“We won't be able to bring down Medicare drug prices, stop companies from outsourcing our jobs or start to rebuild the middle class until we can stem the unlimited influence special interest money applies over politicians.”
Along with cosponsoring Sanders’ Medicare For All Bill in the Upper Chamber, she’s currently at number five as the most progressive senator
There was absolutely a time when Gillibrand, a blue dog democrat during her time in the House of Representatives had an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. She was also not great regarding immigration. A piece from The Atlantic outlines how she shifted once she became a senator,
“Once the proud owner of an A rating from the National Rifle Association, Gillibrand watched her grade plummet to an F after she was appointed to the Senate and began supporting bills to curb gun trafficking. She has shifted her stance, too, on immigration, moving away from the hard-line positions she adopted as a member of the House of the Representatives.”
There’s no question she has a centrist background. Clearly, she has taken a lot of cash from PACs before. According to Roll Call,
“PACs have amounted to about 15 percent of donations over her career in the House and Senate, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. A majority of that political money, 65 percent, has come from business PACs. Labor PACs represented about 14 percent of Gillibrand's PAC dollars, while ideological or single-issue PACs amounted to more than 20 percent, the center’s data showed. She did not say that she would return past donations from corporate PACs.”
So with this announcement, and as more elected officials seem to be taking on a…BERNIE SANDERS stance, even if it’s one issue or position at a time, the question remains for the left/progressive wing of the Democratic Party & left-leaning independents:
Do we forgive? Do we trust?
In my view, the answer is a cautious YES. After all, isn’t the goal of calling one’s representatives, organizing, activism to change the positions of elected officials? Last time I checked, it was. So we can stay cynical at politicians like Gillibrand or be glad they are moving in the right, progressive direction. That means PRESSURE ACTUALLY WORKS.
And, hey! If they go back on their promises- we will give ‘em hell. And that includes Senator Gillibrand.