1Miami

Miami Corruption Will Not Hold Us Down

Mojo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:26:49 +0000

It’s not hurricane season yet but a quick glance at recently released surveys about Miami might easily give the casual observer the impression that Miami is atleast thunder-struck – and not in the good kind of way, in case you are wondering. Over the past month, Miami has been hit by a maelstrom of surveys, polls, and studies that have rated it the “most miserable city in America,” “most vain city in America,” and “the second most rude city in America.” To add to this downward-spiraling media trend, a recent study (“Leading the Pack in Corruption”) by University of Illinois has ranked Miami the “5th most corrupt city” in the country. You might also find it interesting that Florida was ranked “4th most corrupt state.”

The study based its findings on an analysis of the number of “public corruption convictions” in different cities and states across the United States. On a regional level, it might seem weird that Miami would be ranked so high – after all, in 2010 only 21 public corruption convictions were logged. Compared to many other cities listed in the top 15, for that time period, Miami’s number of corruption convictions ranks relatively low. To get a better picture, though, take a look at the number of public corruption convictions in Miami between 2000-2009 – a whopping 404 convictions! During those critical years, Miami ranked — narrowly — in 2nd place, only slightly behind the most corrupt city for that period of time: Newark, NJ.

Many experienced Miamians, who were born and raised here, might reflexively and whimsically remark: “What? Only 5th most corrupt? I’m surprised we’re not #1.” Others might balk at the notion that Miami became less corrupt over the past couple of years – “Perhaps it wasn’t that Miami became any less corrupt but that other cities are just experiencing an unusual spike in corruption.” Still others might jokingly (or seriously) wonder whether the fact that Miami was ranked #5 is an indication of how truly corrupt Miami is (Did corrupt officials in Miami rig the study?).

All sarcastic speculations aside, this study highlights one important fact that could probably be ranked as the “least shocking revelation” about our region: South Florida has serious corruption that has yet to be effectively tackled. For too long, many Miamians have felt overwhelmed not only about the corruption but also the degree of income inequality, rate of foreclosures, and slew of other economic and political non-goodies. But within that feeling there is a frustration that can be channeled into hope. That hope recognizes that the problems we face are inter-connected and that in order to confront these problems we must bring various communities together to form one Miami. That hope begins, in this case, with a firm collective self-affirmation: Miami corruption will not hold us down.

We at 1Miami firmly believe that the various collective problems that we face will not hold us down, as long as we realize that we are not isolated atoms. We are not alone; we are intricately connected. Despite the seemingly intimidating power of corrupt officials and the range of interests which seem to facilely array themselves against our working families, the power of hope and the reality of our collective power should inspire and is inspiring more Miamians to put aside their doubts and move forward in protest and civic engagement. We look forward to providing more opportunities for Miamians to plug in to mobilize their hopes to combat the corruption that afflicts us.

Miami desde el Punto de Vista del 1%

alex — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:21:27 +0000

La revista Miami Today lamento el hecho que los bancos actualmente todavía están ajustado por dinero. Ahora en vez de continuar haciendo ejecuciones hipotecarias, los bancos están haciendo más hipotecarias reestructurados. En diciembre, el país logro 224,395 ejecuciones hipotecarias, con Florida segunda solo a California, y Miami, tercero de las ciudades las más grandes, detrás de Las Vegas y Chicago.

¿Por qué hacer hipotecarias reestructurados en vez de ejecuciones hipotecarias?

¿Tal vez porque no es bien sacar la gente de su casa?

¿Tal vez porque no es justo vender hipotecas fraudulentas?

No. La razón por la cual decidieron hacer mas hipotecarias reestructurados en ves de ejecuciones es porque así no se necesita aguantar atrasos judiciales, impuestos de propiedad, costos de mantenimiento, problemas de documentos de préstamos y evita el victima ocasional que destruye su casa antes de devolverla.

El proyecto Making Home Affordable Program, un programa que tiene por objetivo hacer las casas más asequible y implementado por el Presidente Obama, ayudo a bajar la tasa de ejecuciones hipotecarias por 8.6% en el fin del 2011, ofreciendo más de 571,000 ofertas de modificación de préstamos.

Además, algunos bancos grandes hicieron “robo-signing”; una práctica ilegal en la cual un banco firma miles de documentos y declaraciones juradas sin verificar las informaciones. Esto resulto en tela de juicio de muchas ejecuciones hipotecarias, como la de Angela Sammuels en Miami. Los bancos grandes que participaron en el escándalo “robo-signing” eran JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo y Bank of America.

Su castigo: ¡Subsidios, Rembolsos y Exenciones de Impuestos!

En un caso similar, Lender Processing Services, la compañía de exclusiones más grande del país y basada en Tallahassee, está actualmente acusado de fraude hipotecario y soborno. La compañía esta afrentando demandas en todo el país, incluyendo los estados de Nueva York y Nevada. Dos investigadores bien respetados de la Oficina del Fiscal General de Florida investigando las actividades de Lender Processing Services eran despedidos por Pam Bondi, la Fiscal General de la Florida. Bondi recibió dinero de Lender Processing Services por su campaña política. En noviembre 2011, Tracy Lawrence, de 43 años, el denunciante en el caso criminal contra Lender Processing Services, era encontrado muerto en su apartamento en Nevada. Unas semanas antes, Lawrence testifico a la Oficina del Fiscal General de de Nevada que firmo 25,000 documentos fraudulentos.

Sin embargo no todo va mal. Ayer, el Senado de Florida voto contra la privatización de veintiocho prisiones en el estado. EL contracto iba ir a la compañía Geo Group, la corporación de prisiones privadas más grande del país con ingresos de $1.27 mil millones y basada aquí and el sur de la Florida, en Boca Raton. Actualmente una otra corporación de prisiones privadas, CCA, están construyendo el centro de detención de inmigración más grande del país aquí en Broward a pesar de la oposición de los residentes. Estas compañías, intenta privatizar mitad de las cárceles y prisiones en el país. (Geo Group van tener su reunión de accionistas en Boca Raton en mayo).

¿Si no hay trabajo y techo, tal vez intentan poner todos los pobres en la cárcel? Actualmente, grupos como Somos Florida (We are Florida ) y la Coalición de Florida para la Restauración y Derechos (Florida Rights and Restoration Coaltion FRRC) continúan a luchar contra la privatización de prisiones.

Veintiuno senadores, nueve republicanos, votaron contra el plan por varias razones. Algunos porque si se aprueba, dejara sin empleo 4,000 empleados correccionales y el estado necesitaría pagar $16.5 millones en benefícianos de desempleo. Las cárceles privatizadas dan empleos con sueldos bajos, sin beneficios, menos formación y más volumen de negocio. Otros senadores son contra la idea de la privatización de prisiones. Geo Group hace su dinero por cortar servicios, como los del cuidado médico y salud de los detenidos. Han salido informes de malo trato, cuidada de salud mala y muerte de los inmigrantes y los detenidos. El hecho que demócratas y republicanos podrieron unirse para derrotar este plan muestra que si es posible que los dos partidos políticos grandes pueden trabajar juntos.

La lucha para una mejor sociedad continúa. Este martes en Alabama, el estado con unas de las leyes inmigratorias más draconianas del país, cientos de activistas hicieron una manifestación enfrente del Palacio de Justicia. Entregaron bombones en forma de corazón por el Día de San Fermín.

Pero no son solos: ¡muy pronto van estar apoyado por los activistas de 1Miami!

Banks Got Bailed Out, Miamians Still Getting Foreclosed

Jose — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:17:25 +0000

Ask a random person in Miami what issues have a highly negative impact on local communities and it would be near impossible not to hear: Foreclosures. Especially since the so-called “housing bubble” busted years ago, Miami has been thrown into chaos, with families frantically struggling to figure out not only how to put food on the table but also how to keep a roof over their heads. When the massive bank bailout took place years ago, millions of Americans were shocked when the U.S. government used our tax dollars to bail out the very banks that were complicit in causing the economic recession and foreclosing our homes. Not any less shocking, the very banks that are ripping families out of their homes are continuing to put profit before people. However, recent events have created a lot of buzz about an “end” to the foreclosure crisis; whether we will see the end to this crisis or not, struggling Miamians, such as Angela Samuels, are still eeking it out and seeking comprehensive solutions.

Last week, the newspaper headlines were flooded with talk about a “successful” settlement between federal/state authorities (including 49 state attorneys) and some of the nation’s biggest banks, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Ally Financial. The settlement aimed to address bank involvement in foreclosure fraud and banks ended up doling out a total of $26 billion dollars. The money will be divided up between the states, with Florida receiving the largest chunk (at around $7 billion); most of the money, $17 billion, will be dispensed to help reduce loan principals and to assist in loan re-modifications; and $5 billion will come in the form of direct cash/penalties. These numbers have been chopped and discussed in many ways and numerous controversies have been dissected. One of the controversial aspects of the settlement includes an agreement that protects banks from state and federal lawsuits citing “robo-signing” abuses, but individuals still retain the right to bring a lawsuit. On the other hand, numerous figures across the political spectrum underscore the importance of a mechanism to reduce loan principals during such critical times. In general, the settlement has been widely acclaimed as a solution that the 99% have been waiting for, but before we celebrate let’s take a look at the numbers more closely.

26 billion dollars, upon first glance, seems like a big chunk of cash – that is, until you take a look at the numbers more closely and consider the predicted impact of that money on 99% communities struggling to keep their homes. First, let’s take a look at that “direct” cash number – it turns out that only $1.5 billion of the $5 billion (slated for direct cash) will go directly to homeowners foreclosed upon, but keep in mind that this only holds true folks foreclosed on between September 2008 and December 2011. If you didn’t get foreclosed on within that time-frame, you’re out of luck. If you do qualify, then you can look forward to $1,800 to $2,000 – hardly an amount that will greatly assist the burgeoning number of folks living in “underwater” properties. Second, Consider the fact that about 4 million Amer icans have been foreclosed upon since 2007. Now, consider that about 1.5 million homeowners can expect to benefit, in some way, from this settlement, with 1 million receiving some form of loan modification and only half of those (750,000) qualified to receive direct payments (again, $1800-$2000 per household). That means that the majority of people who have faced a foreclosure, over the past 5 years, are not even covered by the settlement; and, as for the people who are covered: considering that affordable health care is not a reality, that student debt is soaring upwards, and that good jobs are hard to find, the benefit doled out by the banks is like a drop in the bucket.

In fact, $26 billion as a “drop in the bucket” seems to aptly describe the reality on a number of different levels, especially considering that homeowners across the country are “underwater” to the tune of $700 billion. Nasdaq.com columnist Daniel Pereira recently stated that the $26 billion amount is about half the amount of money that the banks involved in the settlement made in just over the past year. He stated: “The $26 billion represents a significant settlement, but it clearly won’t stagger the banks too much. Together, the four banks mentioned above took in a total profit of $47.6 billion in 2011. It’s not as if the banks will be paying the settlements out of pure profits, either; they’ve all set aside a fair amount of capital to pay for their mistakes. Still it’s telling that the banks will be paying just about half of their annual profits to walk away from the foreclosure mess.” But that’s not the only context that raises concerns about the future of South Floridians who are facing foreclosures. Recent reports indicate that Florida’s fore closures continue to climb (up 14% over the past year) and some predict that this increase in foreclosures may continue despite the impact of the settlement. Just to make things worse…

While some housing relief can be gained from the recent settlement, by no means will the settlement provide a panacea to calm the unsettling waters of the larger foreclosure crisis. Owners of “underwater” homes, young debt-ridden students, and people of color, in particular, will continue to face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. So, it is clear that much work lays ahead. Don’t be surprised if people on Miami streets continue to yell: “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.” Until we secure sufficient bank regulations and until we achieve a fundamental shift in the relationship between tax payers and our government, comprehensive solutions will be out of grasp. To grasp these larger changes, more people across our various communities must make demands. As Frederick Douglass once said: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Stay tuned for some upcoming 1Miami actions. We are organizing new opportunities for the 99% to move America forward by bringing our demands into the corridors of power.

Miami: Los “trabajadores más contentos” en “la ciudad más miserable”

alex — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:34:44 +0000

Como siempre, las revistas están tratando a designar las ciudades más felices. La revista Forbes recientemente clasifico a Miami como la ciudad más miserable en el país, la razón la cual es el enorme número de ejecuciones de hipotecas y la disparidad entre los ricos y pobres. La revista Travel + Leisure clasifico Miami como la segunda ciudad más grosera del país. Y la revista Living Social clasifico Miami como la ciudad más vanidosa del país.

Miserable. Vanidosa. Grosera.

Esto es una descripción no muy invitadora, especialmente para aquellos que desean trabajar, invertir en su futuro o hacer su vida en Miami. Al nivel de miseria económica, muchos residentes de Miami están en la actualidad de acuerdo ya que por la falta de trabajos, un sistema de salud roto, corrupción política, y la onda de ejecuciones de hipotecas indica la ciudad no va en la dirección buena. Aunque siempre ay gente que va a decir que los estudios no eran hechos propios, la hecho es que los residentes de Miami están en la mísera.

Pero una página de web, Careerbliss.com a paramente piensa diferentemente. Careerbliss.com clasifico Miami como la ciudad con los “trabajadores más contentos en el país”.

¿Cuáles son los trabajadores a los que se están refiriendo?

Tal vez están refiriéndose a los de la hospitalidad, la industria la cual Miami esta conocida mundial. Pero Restaurant Opportunities Center reporto que muchos trabajadores en restaurantes y hoteles no tienen beneficios de salud, no tienen días pagados cuando se enferman, ni sueldos justos. Agregarle la ansiedad de no tener un buen empleo y la corrupción política que impide el desarrollo, y es claro que mientras queramos tener a los “trabajadores más contentos en el país”, hoy en día, no es el caso. ¡Y con buena razón!

Ahora lo que necesitamos hacer, es atacar la raíz del problema: ¡tales como políticas malas y con un claro sistema estatal controlado por dinero y políticos corruptos! Muchos reportages van a salir diciendo que todo se esta arreglando….por el 1%. Necesitamos educar a los residentes de Miami para que tengan un mejor entendimiento el por qué la causa de sus problemas y proporcionarles oportunidades para acciones que cada vez nos acerca más a nuestros objetivos.

¡Mientras que nos acercamos al Día del San Valentín, Nosotros estamos preparándonos para actuar en solidaridad con el 99%!

Marco Rubio y Su Amorío con el 1%

alex — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:33:17 +0000

Hoy es el Día de San Valentín. La tradición es a pasar el día romántico con su amor. Abrazos, besos, caminadas por la playa a la puesta del sol. Pero por algunas parejas, no necesitan esperar hasta el Día de San Valentín; se dan cariños durante todo el año. Por ejemplo el amorío entre los bancos, las corporaciones, el 1% y el Partido Republicano.

Regalos como subsidios, rembolsos, exenciones de impuestos, contribuciones financieras y contratos sin licitación cambian manos diariamente. Los políticos que controlan el presupuesto, el presupuesto hecho de los impuestos colectados de nuestro dinero, lo reparten a sus más grandes contribuyentes, que son el 1%. Todo mientras nosotros no tenemos nada.

Así es porque no queda casi nada para nosotros.

Si nuestros políticos, que nos deberían representar a nosotros y no solo al 1%, no nos van a dar regalos por el Día de San Valentín igualmente con lo hacen por el 1%, entonces nosotros los vamos darles uno a ellos.

Hoy, 1Miami presento, de la parte de Wells Fargo y Carnival Cruise Lines, una carta de Día de San Valentín a Marco Rubio. Muchas personas están bien apasionadas a empujar que Rubio hace lo que es bueno por las comunidades locales. Muchos que votaron por él en 2010 están se sienten traicionados por Rubio, y con buena razón.

El senador necesita trabajar para todos sus constituyentes y no solo por el 1% y dejar de romper el compromiso que hiso con los residentes de Florida hace dos años. Este es el mensaje de 1Miami este Día de San Valentín.

Miamians Sent Marco Rubio A Not-So-Sweet Valentine

Mojo — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:06:32 +0000

Passion was in the air yesterday, as residents joined together on Valentine’s Day to pointedly address U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s lack of love. Yesterday, Miamians flooded Rubio’s Miami office, delivering a special Valentine’s Day treat in order to lampoon his over-committment to the super-rich and to call out his under-committment to working families of the 99% who struggle to achieve the very “American Dream” that Rubio himself touts as the paramount achievement. Several dozens of passionate Miamians sent their message by flooding his district office, delivering an over-sized and sarcastic Valentine’s Day card from the 1%: “The tax breaks and loopholes have been great for a few, but none of it’s possible without politicians like you!”

This action came in the context of communities continuing to face massive foreclosures, lack of good jobs, burgeoning student debt, lack of affordable health care, and numerous other woefully unresolved problems. As the “Great Recession” continues to make life tougher for the 99%, Marco Rubio continues to push for policies that benefit the rich and special interests at the expense of the poor, while pushing the “American Dream” further and further out of reach for increasing numbers of residents. “As one of our elected representatives, Senator Rubio has an obligation to work on behalf of all his constituents, not just a few wealthy individuals and powerful corporations,” said Rosalba Campos, a 1Miami member and unemployed security guard. “We are delivering this not-so-sweet Valentine to remind our senator about the vows he is breaking here at home when he’s cuddling up to special interests in Washington.”

In addition to expressing outrage over Senator Rubio’s skewed priorities, community residents and leaders also voiced solutions to the economic heartbreak that Rubio-backed policies are causing. “We want Marco Rubio to know that we are heartsick over his unwavering support of the 1%, said Jose Suarez, Communications Director for 1Miami. “He refuses to even consider a tax increase on millionaires or closing any of these giant tax loopholes loved by giant corporations, such as Carnival and Wells Fargo. That makes it clear to us who are his true sweethearts.”

Rain or shine, holiday or no holiday, 1Miami is on the ground bridging the various economic, social, and political divides in our community to deliver an unwavering message: It’s time to respect the 99% of Americans who are struggling for dignity during this recession. It’s time to mobilize all of our local communities and hold accountable all politicians who misuse their power to marginalize the majority of our county’s residents. And it’s time for the super-rich to pay their fair share in order to build an economy that can provide good jobs. Stay tuned for upcoming actions and opportunities to get involved in 1Miami’s actions!

Valentine from the one percent

jonthompson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:42:22 +0000

Marco Rubio: Miami’s Valentine Heart-Breaker

Mojo — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:33 +0000

Love is in the air. As we approach Valentine’s Day, couples across Miami-Dade County are stocking up on chocolates, roses, and an assorted variety of treats to express their loving sentiments. Here in our own backyard, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio got an early start on expressing his love – however, the way he’s “pouring out the love” should give every beating heart pause. Here are a few samples of the pre-valentine day gifts that Rubio has thoughtfully prepared for us. If you find your pulse slowing to a halt, don’t be surprised.

(Warning: The following might cause heart-break)

Gift #1: The Smile of a 40-year-old VP-hopeful. Recent polls indicate that Marco Rubio is leading the GOP pack of VP “liklies.” Behind Rubio are New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. He recently flashed his smile while criticizing proposals demanding that the wealthy 1 percenters pay their fair share. As tax-dodgers continue to evade paying their fair share, Marco Rubio is nothing but smiles.

Gift #2: A Loving Embrace on Center-Stage. Last Thursday, Marco Rubio eagerly stepped into the lime-light at the Conservative Political Action Conference, expressing his love for what he called “the single greatest nation in all of human history” by implying that taxing the rich — the sort of political love needed to keep our country great — is equivalent to making “people do worse.” By worse, of course, he is referring to the “outrageous” demand that the 1% pay their fair share to improve our economy, something that should certainly make all of our hearts throb. Unfortunately, Rubio is only interested in winning over the hearts of the super-rich.

Gift #3: A Full-Frontal Attack on Moochers. Last month, Rubio fired off a scathing criticism of the current administration, warning against the perils of America becoming a “dead-beat nation.” But, in his valiant quest to rid America of the specter of “dead-beats,” his record betrays his passion for virtue. One example: “Rubio Charged Over $100,000 On His Republican Party Of Florida Credit Card Between 2006 – 2008, Mostly For Travel And Meals.” Here’s some no-brainer advice: Before you start laying down the prophetic fire and brimstone in your condemnation about the vice of loafing around, try to avoid doing it yourself.

If these pre-valentine gifts didn’t move you, don’t be surprised. The hoopla over the Vice-Presidential nomination seems to have occupied Rubio’s mind more than the serious economic problems facing our country. If there’s any lesson to be learned about Rubio it is that political ambition all too often outpaces a passionate committment to express his love for his constituents by backing compassionate and humane policies. Since Rubio has failed to share his love with local constituents, we will be hitting the grass-roots with a Valentine message of our own. Stay tuned!

No todos los republicanos son iguales

alex — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:52:13 +0000

En esta temporada de elecciones nacionales, es fácil empezar a ver todo a través del lente de los partidos políticos. Pero en general la verdad es más complicada y matizada. Por ejemplo el senador estatal René García, republicano por Hialeah, actualmente preside la Comisión de Salud del Senado estatal.

García presento el proyecto SB 1294 Programa Florida KidCare, que tiene como objetivo permitir a niños que son residentes permanentes legales acceder al programa. Bajo una cláusula en las leyes actuales de la Florida, estos niños tienen que esperar por 5 años para poder entrar a KidCare. René García quiere eliminar esta cláusula ya que el Gobierno Federal también la eliminó. Florida KidCare subsidia los gastos médicos de menores de 19 años que no están por debajo del nivel de pobreza. Los fondos provienen principalmente del gobierno federal y las familias deben pagar una cuota mensual dependiendo de sus ingresos.

La razón del proyecto de ley es sobre todo por razones pragmáticas. Ahora, los niños de padres residentes legal permanentes utilizan la sala de emergencias del Sistema de Salud Jackson como su médico de atención primaria, contribuyendo al déficit del Jackson. Pero si estos niños pudieran participar en el programa Florida KidCare, el gobierno federal cubriría parte de estos gastos, reduciendo el déficit de Jackson mientras que provee servicios de salud accesibles para miles de niños de padres residentes legal permanentes.

García también presento un proyecto de ley que permite que los niños niños de la Florida, que son ciudadanos estadounidenses pero hijos de padres indocumentados, de de padres residentes legal permanentes se matriculen en las universidades estatales al igual que como todos los niños del estado. Actualmente se matriculan como estudiantes externos del estado, pagando un precio dos tresprecio tres veces más alto. Según García, hoy en día ay una discriminación institucional al nivel de la legislatura contra los latinoamericanos. Esta discriminación institucional legislativa es evidente en la resistencia a leyes intentadas a reformar el sistema de inmigración e integración.

“No se trata de algo ideológico, sino financiero” dijo García, mostrando que es posible encontrar soluciones que prestan atención al déficit sin dejar caer a los que dependen de programas sociales. García está haciendo su trabajo de líder elegido; ósea quiere decir que está haciendo requieren sus constituyentes. Esto es una posición mucho más evolucionada que la de Mitt Romney, que dijo que a él “no le importan los pobres”.

Pero los residentes de Miami están de acuerdo con García; en una encuesta online reciente, 75% de los que respondieron dijeron que si, ósea creen que se “debe ofrecer seguro medico estatal a niños indocumentados”. Además, haciendo su parte para apoyar al Jackson, el Local 1991 del sindicato SEIU, otorgaron muchas concesiones en un esfuerzo para llegar a un compromiso que funciona para sus miembros y Jackson. De su parte, el sindicato está de acuerdo ha:

-contribuir 3% a pensiones y 5% a seguro de salud

-a renunciar $1,000 por trabajador al año que iban a la cuenta flexible de gastos médicos

-bajar sus días de vacaciones a cinco días

-no recibir aumentos automáticos.

¡En total, SEIU y 1991 hicieron $52 millones de concesiones, más que Romeny paga en impuestos!

No es cierto que a muchos republicanos no les importe la comunidad latina. Y no todos están tratando de hacer las cosas más difíciles para nosotros. Muy contrario al senador estatal René García, el candidato presidencial Romney, que paga una tasa de impuestos sobre sus cientos de millones más baja que la clase media, dijo que vetara el “Ley de Sueños”, o “Dream Act”, que permitiría a 55,000 menores de edad, que llegaron a EEUU traídos por sus padres, a ir a la universidad.

“Esta clase de comentarios pone fin muy rápido a la discusión” dijo David Damore, profesor de política en la Universidad de Nevada en Las Vegas. Damore tiene razón: ¿cómo podemos apoyar un candidato que no tiene la voluntad hacer compromisos y que promete hacer las cosas más difíciles para nosotros?

When corporations give more to lobbyists than taxes

jonthompson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:57:23 +0000

A few weeks back, we mentioned that Wells Fargo might be a really bad person. That is, if you believe that corporations are people. Our exhibit A was a report by the Public Campaign highlighting how the company paid –1.8% in taxes but $11 million to lobbyists, and got over $25 billion dollars in bailouts before raking in $50 billion in profits. While it was creating jobs for lobbyists and increasing pay to its executives by 180%, it also laid off over 6,000 workers. But that is old news…if you are paying attention.

If you read the whole report, it seems like Wells Fargo is not alone. At least 29 of the America’s other big corporations paid more to lobbyists than they did in taxes in the same period, a period in which they all made profits. But despite all the talk of the rich being job creators, at least seven of those corporations (including Wells) laid off workers while they were hiring lobbyists!

And while we all know that elected officials are public servants, should their political campaigns get more from those corporations in campaign money than the government does in taxes?! Well they certainly think so. Wells, for example, gave over a half million dollars to political campaigns in the same period that it paid a negative percent in taxes. But the Honeywell Corporation takes the cake, paying over $5 million dollars into campaign contributions in the same period it paid –1% in taxes.

Now lets go back to this whole “corporations are people” idea again. What would happen if we decided that we didn’t want to pay our taxes and would rather contribute to political campaigns and lobbyists instead? Would we be considered “job creators” too? Well, we guess you can consider some corporation “job creators”…if you are a lobbyist.