For opinion pieces on any topic.
Washington, DC. (June 6th, 2013)- After recent reports that the government has been seizing millions of telephone records of US citizens from service providers, Rep. Welch made the following remarks:
“I cannot fathom a reason for the federal government to cast such a wide and indiscriminate net in the name of national security. This confirms the worst fears of those of us who oppose the Patriot Act.
WASHINGTON, June 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today criticized a secret domestic surveillance program that swept up millions of telephone records on calls by Americans who were not suspected of any wrongdoing.
A court order demanding the records be turned over was obtained under a controversial interpretation of a provision in the so-called Patriot Act, which Sanders voted against when it was first enacted in 2001 and when it was reauthorized in 2006 and 2011.
“As one of the few members of Congress who consistently voted against the Patriot Act, I expressed concern at the time of passage that it gave the government far too much power to spy on innocent United State citizens and provided for very little oversight or disclosure. Unfortunately, what I said turned out to be exactly true.
Fear of Speaking Freely
Being afraid to speak, is a Civil Rights issue. Students, Teachers, Journalists and the Public should have the freedom to speak freely and to assemble, yet they do not.
Students and citizens need to know, to see and hear alternatives to mainstream media and decide for themselves what is fact and what is fiction. Important issues of fact are being intentionally omitted; key items of history are being rewritten and replaced with contrived innuendo. Few who are normally relied upon for investigation or debate, dare to stand up to these forces.
WASHINGTON, June 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today congratulated the Senate Judiciary Committee for drafting an immigration reform bill that would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million immigrants in the United States and help their children become citizens.
He also supported provisions in the measure that would strengthen border enforcement, prevent unscrupulous employers from hiring illegal workers and give legal status to foreign workers needed to keep Vermont’s dairy farms and apple orchards in business.
Sanders, however, expressed strong concern that large American corporations in the midst of very high unemployment were using immigration reform to lower wages and benefits for American workers.
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Obama War Criminal? What About Investors, CNN, Clergy, Soldiers, You & I? by jay janson
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David Swanson, of War Is A Crime.org, although endorsing, along with almost every serious antiwar journalist and organization, the King Condemned US Wars International Awareness Campaign, wrote recently: US Presidents Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes and Military Aggressions” Readers in nations bombed, invaded and murderously occupied by America and Americans will sense or suspect a ‘fall guy’ trick to absolve everyone else
Here’s a headline from today’s New York Times:
“China Is Reaping Biggest Benefits of Iraqi Oil Boom”.
Wow.
So the USA topples Saddam and China gets the oil. Pat yourself on the back if you saw that coming in 2003.
I think back to the run up to this war when officials from the Bush administration were spreading manure (synonym for a pithier word) about the war not costing America anything because the oil would pay for it. I think one man went so far as to say (when told that some in Washington were suggesting that the war would cost at least $22 billion) that that was reckless and irresponsible, treasonous, even. That at most the war would cost $2 billion and was more likely to see a profit.
It was 2016, and I had been moved into a nursing home. My deaf room-mate had Alzheimer’s, and he insisted on watching TV whenever he was awake, which seemed like always. His favorite show was Fox News, so it was easy for me to keep on top of things in the “real” world.
As I mentioned, it was 2016, and the presidential campaigns were in full swing. The Dems had nominated Hilary Clinton, and in a surprise move, offered the VP slot to a newly minted Democrat, Chris Christie, Gov. of New Jersey. The Repubs chose Jeb Bush, and in a strategy to capture the Hispanic vote, selected Sen.Ted Cruz of Texas (dubbed the “Cruz Missile” by Geraldo Rivera).
BURLIGTON, Vt., May 31 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Senate Budget Committee member and founder of the Defending Social Security Caucus, issued the following statement after Social Security trustees today released their annual report on the retirement system’s finances:
“The report from the Social Security trustees confirms what many of us have known, that Social Security is not ‘going broke,’ that it can pay every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 20 years and that after 2033 there is enough in reserve to pay three-quarters of future benefits.
Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, political critic and activist. He is an institute professor and professor emeritus in the department of linguistics and philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. History educator Daniel Falcone spoke with Chomsky in his Cambridge office on May 14.
He has some interesting, iconoclastic ideas on a lot of things. Here are a few excerpts from this interview.
Wilmington, where my house is got 2 inches of snow, northern Vermont received between 4 and 15 inches of snow, and Whiteface Mountain in New York received 3 feet of snow!!
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BURLINGTON, Vt., May 26 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement today in honor of Memorial Day:
“Memorial Day must not simply be a day for picnics and ballgames. It is a time to remember and cherish the lives of service members who have died in defense of this nation and appreciate the unimaginable loss their families have experienced. But Memorial Day is not just a time to reflect upon the past. It’s important that we also focus on the present and dedicate ourselves to do all that we can to protect the interests of today’s veterans – many of whom came home from war wounded in body and in spirit.
This veteran is waiting for the year in which the Veterans For Peace, in its Memorial Day Press Release, states that Veterans mourn first, the lives America took in poor countries, both the civilian men, women and children and the patriots that fought our illegal and criminal invasions since 1945. Only then should come bitterly mourning GIs who were duped by our elected officials and the CIA and Pentagon fed, corporate-controlled war-promoting media cartel fooling them with lies, misinformation, disinformation and psyop techniques that deceived them into proudly following homicidal criminal orders. Orders given, as Martin Luther King Jr. cried out, “for atrocity wars and covert homicide meant to maintain unjust predatory investments overseas.”
[see Beyond Vietnam – a Time to Break Silence sermon]
On Saturday, just after 1 PM, WVEW played a very long selection of dissonant vocal noise that could not be called music in any way.
I tolerated it for 10 minutes, and then complained to the disk jockey, who thought my assessment of it as “noise” was just an opinion.
The Nuclear Plant in Paducha, Kentucky is set to shut down at the end of May (less than a week).
Les Montgomery and Susan Avery both had recent LTEs in the Reformer about the proposed skateboard park at the Crowell location, and cited several reasons to explore an alternate site.
Ms. Avery further suggested that no alternate site solution had been offered. She went on to say: “Neighbors of the Crowell Lot and concerned citizens of our town must continue to collaborate in working toward finding alternate locations for this activity. We need a better place; better yet, we need to come together for a “win-win” resolution.”
Here’s my suggestion:
To the editor,
I’m pleased that legislators have agreed to decriminalize possession of marijuana, but the conversation shouldn’t end here. Marijuana is a much safer substance than alcohol or hard drugs, and that’s one reason legislators should move swiftly to begin regulating-and taxing-this market similarly to the way we regulate alcohol.
As Attorney General William Sorrell explained at public hearings on the decriminalization bill, it would be better if users had a legal way to obtain marijuana rather than continuing to buy it from the illicit market. Sorrell suggested decriminalizing possession of a small number of plants, which would make a lot of sense, but ultimately the best solution is to allow regulated cultivation and sale of marijuana to adults who wish to use it.
How Well Is Medicare Plan D Working For You? How well is Medicare Plan D working for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Congressman Peter Welch? (all over age 65)
I received this letter from my current Medicare Plan D today, simply dated, “May 2013” so I have no idea what day of the month they actually sent it.
WASHINGTON, May 22 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today proposed an amendment to the farm bill that would let Vermont and other states require clear labels on any food or beverage containing ingredients that have been genetically modified.
“All over this country, people are becoming more conscious about the foods they are eating and the foods they are serving to their kids and this is certainly true for genetically engineered foods,” Sanders said. “I believe that when a mother goes to the store and purchases food for her child, she has the right to know what she is feeding her child.”
I took my family to the Top of the Hill Grill for dinner on Tuesday night around 7:00 pm. Just before we arrived, apparently someone walked off with the staffs tip money, jar and all!
If anyone at that time noticed that happening, I would hope that they would tell someone anything that might bring the theives to justice. Maybe a description or a licence plate #.
WASHINGTON, May 21 – With gasoline prices rising rapidly, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today proposed an amendment to make U.S. federal regulators follow the lead of Europeans and investigate oil and fuel price manipulation.
Sanders also proposed a 30-day deadline for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use its emergency powers to curb excessive speculation in crude oil markets.
“We must do everything that we can to make sure that oil and gasoline prices are transparent and free from fraud, manipulation, abuse and excessive speculation,” said Sanders, a member of the Senate energy committee.
