Michigan Democratic Party State Convention - February 11, 2017

Do not fret if you were not able, or willing, to attend the Michigan Democratic Party State Convention to elect party leadership because I have brought to you, via, your favorite hand held device, a synoptic overview of why Democratic leadership, not just across the state, but across the nation, just does not get it.

The 13th Congressional District completely ignoring the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives for the sole purposes of showboating to get some free campaign time in front of the entire district.

Here we have the traditional chaos of groups fighting to keep power and money within their own constituencies after the gerrymandering of the congressional district.

It must be noted that we left about 5 minutes into the meeting due to cacophony of audible hallucinations of religious locutions of the "The Elected Ones" leadership entitlement syndrome.

There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

Sander Levin:  There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

Debbie Dingell tossed a great "word salad" using DNC failed talking points, again.  Please note her comments at the Labor Caucus on Japan, right in front of representatives from Toyota.

There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

Gretchen Whitmer:  There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

Dan Kildee:  There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

I would love to request his working papers on the creation of Land Banks and why they are not regulated.

Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow:  There was no mention of plans for health care, education, child poverty, or public corruption.

Stabenow did invite the public to follow Michigan Senate Democrats but the communication system is set up to be one-directional, a closed system devoid of public discussion.

And, of course, not to boast, but you know darn well I will not be invited to consult on setting up their newly desired, grassroots, social media, communication network.

Pshaw!  The thought of me and my hot boyfriend soiling their financial and political hegemonic establishment!  (improper grammar, intended).

The videos and pictures, below, are of the Michigan Progressive Democratic Caucus meeting earlier in the day.

I would say that this was the largest, collectively, congregation of participants.

What many people may not know is that the Progressive movement came out of Detroit in the trenches of labor.

Bob Alexander has dedicated much of his life to its work.  He was the one who personified "I love my ObamaCare".

It seems there was a growing chasm between the new Bernie movement and the old guards of Labor due to the lack of knowledge in the history of the Progressive movement.

Many, perhaps the majority of new Progressive members, are unable to name the founders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.  (homework assignment)



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The National Federation of Democratic Women Sucks

If you ever wanted to know why I have always stated that the Democratic National Party sucks, well, here is just another fine example to sway the general public into concurrence.

The National Federation of Democratic Women Sucks

To begin, you really have to click the link to experience the arrogance.

Look at the fade outs of the beautiful pictures of the women with facial symmetry.  

Every group is represented, neatly packaged into the main 4 "racial" campaign talking points.

So much for that "right of association" thing.

Of course, it would be too, oh my, how shall I ever say this without insulting national leadership of the Democratic Party, progressive, to acknowledge that the world is getting smaller and everyone is "making babies" now-a-days.

Some will call it "multiculturalism", but the progressive mind would just refer to it as a technological advance.

I bet there is a secret blood quantum test one must endure, after shelling out exorbitant amounts of fees to join the Democratic Party, to see if a member is lumped into the "one-drop-rule" category.

See, the internet has no borders, nor does it promote an anti-amalgamation mindset, like the #DNC.

Then, do I even dare ask where are the token Muslim women?  I believe that would be just a tad bit too progressively controversial considering Muslim women come in all shades, shapes and sizes, with and without hijab.

What about representation of our sister candidates trapped in men's bodies?  Too progressive?

The best part of this site is the list of women candidates for the 2016 election cycle.

Look at all the names of female candidates the Democratic National Party will be endorsing.  Wow!

Either this is an #EpicFail on the part of the tech staff, or the tech staff is too busy playing collateral damage control of its recent hacking and FBI investigation.

#DNCsucks and so does the National Federation of Democratic Women.

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Progressive Caucus, Judiciary Dems to Hold Forum Hearing on Family Detention

WASHINGTON, DC – The Congressional Progressive Caucus, along with Democratic Members of the House Judiciary Committee and support from the Congressional Tri-Caucuses, are holding a forum on Family Detention this Tuesday, July 28^th at 2 PM in Rayburn 2226.

Witnesses include two formerly detained women, a whistleblower who worked at a family detention center, and experts who will speak to the psychological, developmental and legal implications of current family detention policies.

~~~~~For Planning Purposes~~~~~

WHAT

CPC/Judiciary Democrats’ Forum on Family Detention

WITNESSES

2 formerly detained women

Whistleblower who worked at a family detention center

Dr. Luis Zayas, Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin

Barbara Hines, Former Clinical Professor at the University of Texas School of Law

MEMBERS

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva

Rep. Keith Ellison

Rep. Zoe Lofgren

Rep. Judy Chu

Rep. Luis Gutierrez

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard

Rep. Grace Napolitano

Rep. Mark Takano

Other CPC, Judiciary and Tri-Caucus Members

WHEN

Tuesday, July 28^th from 2-4 PM

WHERE

2226 Rayburn House Office Building

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Conyers Speaking on Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality

Co-founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, John Conyers, Jr. speaking at the news conference on combating income inequality.

Find out more at:  http://progressiveagenda.us/


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CONYERS: GOP BUDGET PLAN IS DESTRUCTIVE AND DISINGENUOUS

WASHINGTON – Following his vote against the House GOP’s federal budget resolution, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) issued the following statement:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“Congressional Republicans’ federal budget proposal is a decisive step in the wrong direction.  The budget plan seeks to reduce investments in retirement security, education, infrastructure, and healthcare while attempting to hide irresponsible increases in Pentagon spending through accounting gimmicks.  While this measure is a guiding framework for Congressional action—and not binding law—it nonetheless paints a disturbing picture of Republican priorities for the upcoming federal funding process.  I will continue to reject Republican efforts to cut funding for key national priorities and call on President Obama to veto any efforts to put struggling seniors, students, and families at risk.  

“At a time of rising insecurity for America’s retirees, the Republican budget resolution seeks to turn Medicare into—of all things—a voucher program.  Republicans are trying, in other words, to turn Medicare’s healthcare guarantee into mere coupon clippings for seniors.  Their proposal also undercuts struggling families and young Americans, attempting to turn Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programs into limited “block grants” to states that can be diverted to other programs and priorities.   

“At a time when America’s students are struggling with unsustainable debt, the GOP budget proposal seeks to eliminate nearly $85 billion in Pell Grants, making higher education more expensive for students in need.

“At a time when families across the country are struggling to put nutritious food on the table, the GOP budget proposal also seeks to turn essential food security programs including the SNAP program into “block grants” that can be compromised or cut by states.  Just when 16 million previously-uninsured Americans finally receive quality healthcare through Obamacare, the GOP budget seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act without offering recourse to people who need coverage.   

“The Republican budget seeks to protect the Pentagon from budget cuts through a disingenuous accounting maneuver:  shifting up to $187 billion over the next several years into a shadowy war spending account known as Overseas Contingency Operations Fund.  In other words, the GOP budget seeks to shift the burden of deficit reduction away from weapons-makers and well-funded Pentagon programs onto struggling seniors, students, and families. 

“There’s a better way.  As a proud co-author of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget, I believe we must strengthen our safety net and invest in 21st-century infrastructure, manufacturing, education, and environmental protection.  We need investment—not austerity.” 

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A Progressive Answer to the GOP's Regressive Budget

By John Conyers, Jr.

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Je.

A federal budget is a statement about our society's values.

If you believe in this notion as I do, there's a conclusion we can't help but reach: The GOP's new House budget proposal makes some troubling assertions about what's right and wrong.

In a time of unprecedented retirement income insecurity and student debt, the GOP budget cuts funding for the elderly, the ill, and students in order to boost bloated Pentagon budgets, offer tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans, and protect corporate welfare for multinational firms that ship American jobs overseas.

While this troubling budget plan will likely win approval in the GOP-led House of Representatives, the regressive proposals it contains have little chance of making it past President Obama's desk.

But we have a bigger task than blocking the conservatives' backward march. Our task is to present and implement our own positive progressive vision that elevates the interests of jobs, justice, and peace.

This week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) presented just such an actionable vision.

By strengthening the safety net and investing in 21st-century infrastructure, manufacturing, education, and environmental protection, the CPC's "People's Budget"will create 8.4 million new jobs and give low- and moderate-income Americans a much-needed raise.

The CPC budget focuses like a laser on achieving full employment. This is essential because, though the official headline unemployment statistics show the jobless rate at 5.5 percent, more than 20 million Americans are either unemployed, underemployed, or unwillingly out of the labor force.

Taking all these factors into account, the real unemployment rate is closer to 13 percent. In both rural and urban pockets of the country, including my hometown of Detroit, the rate is closer to 25 percent.

The investments in the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget will boost employment while addressing the most pressing challenges of our time: repairing America's rapidly aging roads and bridges, upgrading our energy systems to address climate change and adapt to its impacts, keeping our communities safe, and preparing our young people to thrive as citizens and workers.

By restoring full employment, the People's Budget addresses the persistent problem of stagnant wages, ensuring that working people have the purchasing power needed to sustain balanced economic growth. The last time our country achieved full employment -- under the Clinton administration in the late 1990s -- workers across the country gained the power to bargain for higher wages, and working families' share of the nation's income rose precipitously.

It's important to note that the Progressive Caucus budget achieves all this without breaking the bank.

By cutting excessive Pentagon spending, enacting fair marginal tax rates for millionaires and billionaires, equalizing the tax treatment of capital income and labor income, making the estate tax more progressive, abolishing inefficient corporate tax loopholes, putting a fee on too-big-to-fail banks, and enacting a tax on Wall Street transactions, our proposal expands safety net programs like Medicare while reducing the nation's deficits. The budget's tax proposals are sound ways to not only raise revenue but restore fairness in our economy. It's unconscionable that, in the 21st century, a major multinational firm like GE could pay no federal tax, or that a billionaire like Warren Buffett could enjoy a lower marginal tax rate than his secretary.

If we believe that budgets are "moral documents," then the dueling budgets released this week present a remarkable contrast in values. Having served in Congress for the past half-century, I can say with authority that the values that define this country are not "survival of the fittest" and "winner takes all."

The values our budget should reflect are the values that the Reverend Martin Luther King spoke of 50 years ago and that the People's Budget reflects today: jobs, justice, and peace.

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Rep. Keith Ellison presents to Rep. John Conyers with John Nichols, Tim Carpenter

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