Owner: The Cyberbeggar Times URL:http://youandicandoit.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:55:01 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: From Riches to Rags in this Globalized Economy. Site statistics:Click here
Energy Deregulation 2007-06-22 12:48:00 I came across this story in the Baltimore Sun today and got to thinking about the whole issue of energy deregulation. Customers of Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. saw their rates increase by 50%. Many believe the reason for this to be energy deregulation. The rules require utilities to buy their power from wholesale suppliers. But when these markets operate in total secrecy without any oversight whatsoever, the temptation to skim a few bucks always proves to be too irresistible.Remember Enron? Read more:Energy
The Promises of Globalization 2007-06-21 21:02:00 Many promises have been made by politicians, economists and various business leaders about the benefits of globalization. Under this system, we were told that the extraordinary wealth produced by it would in turn 'trickle down' to everyone. To those whose jobs would be outsourced, they were told that the 'new' jobs that would be created would be better and high paying. Take a look at the reality. The corporations and their executives have, in fact, grown more wealthy. Workers, on the other hand, have seen a different side. High skilled manufacturing and tech jobs have been outsourced to low wage countries and this process shows no sign of changing. In fact, the trends show that companies are ever looking for the next lower wage country to do business in. Many of the jobs that have been created are low paying service jobs. Imagine that after working in a textile plant for the last 15 years that suddenly you find that your job no longer exists and you are forced to work in the garden Read more:Promises
NAFTA 2007-06-21 21:01:00 A trail of broken promises...
Bye Bye 2007-06-21 20:58:00 Budget Director Rob Portman is leaving to 'spend time with the wife and kids'. He also hinted that he may reenter public life as a candidate for Governor of Ohio or Senator in the future. I most remember him during his tenure as US Trade Representative. It was during the crucial fight for approval of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that he met with some wavering House members in a closed-door meeting in Cheney's Capitol Hill office to 'convince' them to vote for its passage. Thanks to his efforts, the bill passed the House on a 217-215 vote.So long Rob. Don't let the door..... Read more:Bye Bye
Four Mile Island? 2007-06-21 20:52:00 Bush announced today in Alabama that "It's time for the country to start building nuclear power plants again." He proposes utility companies add up to 30 new plants to supply future energy requirements. Bush is pushing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to take action on nuclear power plant applications and says that "We're beginning to make some progress" and "that's good news for the American consumer."Until we find a better way to safely dispose the waste generated by these plants, I cannot support this approach. Burying it in a mountain, shipping it off to space or dumping it in the oceans is not the solution. Just my opinion. Read more:Island
Gallup Survey: Americans think Economy is Getting Worse 2007-06-20 20:29:00 A new Gallup
poll shows that Americans
aren't at all optimistic about the economy. Nearly 7 in 10 feel that the economy is getting worse. This is the most negative reading in almost six years. Gallup adds: "For the first time this year, a majority of Americans are negative about the employment market, saying it is a bad time to find a quality job."Other findings: only one in three believe that the economy is good or excellent and the percentage who believe that the economy is getting better fell from 28% to just 23%."When asked about the most pressing financial problems their family faces today, Americans mention healthcare costs, lack of money or low wages, and oil and gas prices," Gallup reports. "Healthcare costs are mentioned by 16% of Americans while 13% say low wages and 11% say oil and gas prices. These percentages are virtually unchanged from last month."The survey was performed June 11-14.You may hear all the fluff on TV about the rising stock market, tax cuts and the suppose Read more:think
A New Currency? 2007-06-20 12:21:00 Check out what a town in Massachusetts has done! Read more:Currency
Clouds on the Horizon 2007-06-20 12:14:00 In his recent article entitled "The Takeover Boom, About to Go Bust" Stephen Pearlstein, economic writer for the Washington Post, talks about the recent spate of company buyouts and the amount of debt versus the operating profits of companies that have been bought out. He writes “It is impossible to predict when the magic moment will be reached and everyone finally realizes that the prices being paid for these companies, and the debt taken on to support the acquisitions, are unsustainable. When that happens, it won't be pretty. Across the board, stock prices and company valuations will fall. Banks will announce painful write-offs, some hedge funds will close their doors, and private-equity funds will report disappointing returns. Some companies will be forced into bankruptcy or restructuring. Falling stock prices will cause companies to reduce their hiring and capital spending while governments will be forced to raise taxes or reduce services, as revenue from capital gains taxes de Read more:Clouds
Globalization- A Win-Win? 2007-06-19 21:36:00 The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) on Tuesday issued its report on jobs policies and the effects of globalization. Their conclusion? Globalization is good but people are earning less of the wealth generated by economic growth and integration. Got that? Screw what you make, it's all good.Although they reasserted their support for 'free trade', 'free markets' and investment, they did acknowledge that perhaps it was time to look at the darker side of globalization. As OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria stated, "Millions are benefiting from globalization but at the same time there's a feeling that something is wrong with the process" and believes that governments need to address public concerns over jobs and pay in a ever rapidly changing world that is seeing the rise of cheap labor from countries such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. This 'it's really good but has bad side effects' take was also reflected by the author of this report, Raymond To
A Tragic Legacy 2007-06-26 12:37:00 The latest book by Glenn Greenwald A Tragic Legacy
: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency is one of my must reads for this month. I remember reading his blog Unclaimed Territory first thing in the morning to get an idea of what was really going on in the world of politics. Here is how Amazon describes it:"What will be the legacy of President George Walker Bush? In this fascinating, timely book, Glenn Greenwald examines the Bush presidency and its long-term effect on the nation. What began on shaky, uncertain ground and was bolstered and propelled by tragedy, has ultimately faltered and failed on the back of the dichotomous worldview—good versus evil—that once served it so well. In A Tragic Legacy, Greenwald charts the rise and steep fall of the current administration, dissecting the rhetoric and revealing the faulty ideals upon which George W. Bush built his policies.On September 12, 2001, President Bush addressed the nation and presented a very clear view
The toxic cloud that was Ground Zero 2007-06-25 21:56:00 At a hearing today, ex EPA chief Christie Whitman was on the hot seat regarding the EPA's handling of the immediate aftermath and cleanup of Ground Zero. Decisions that were made by that agency and others in the Federal Government have since directly affected the health and safety of rescue workers and residents there following the September 11, 2001 attacks.As you may remember, the EPA certified on September 12th that the air quality in and around Ground Zero posed no health risks and that the cleanup operations should proceed as quickly as possible. They also assured area residents that it posed no health risks for them to return to their homes. This at a time when reliable information on air quality was not available and asbestos levels were known to be three times higher than national standards.We now know that these statements were false and the health risks were, sadly, all too real. A study conducted by the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan has revealed that almost 70% of Read more:toxic
The Health Care Industry 2007-06-24 22:44:00 Much has been made about the upcoming release of Michael Moore's documentary SICKO. There has been a lot of praise from those that work in the health care field, including many doctors, nurses and care givers. There is also the usual outcry from the right wing media, led by FOX News and the like screaming that Michael Moore is distorting the reality of the world's 'greatest health care system' and they are sadly trying to muddle the issue .I would like to take a moment and share my own personal experiences. I worked in the health care field as an Administrator and know first hand how broken the system really is. Insurance companies making vital health care decisions, crooked physicians on the take from the large pharmaceutical companies, overpriced medications and procedures, hospitals neglecting the true need of their patients in the name of profit. When health care 'facilities' are making decisions regarding patient care on such factors as Medicare/Medicaid or insurance reimbur Read more:Health
Please Don't Flame Me! 2007-06-23 21:57:00 Although my traffic is decent here at this blog, no one ever left comments. I decided to remove them for this reason and simply do my regular posts. What a mistake! I have received lots of mail asking why I took them off and some suggested that they will not return because of it. Well, now they are back. I don't care if I never receive a comment, this feature will stay active!I know that for many people, the economy and the effects that free trade and globalization have on everyday life is not the sexiest and most titillating topic. But my life experiences have proven to me that it is a something that everyone should know more about. Thanks to everyone that takes a moment of their day to stop by and read. Please
feel free to comment...
The G-4 Breakdown 2007-06-23 14:06:00 The G-4 talks in Potsdam reached an abrupt end this week when Brazil and India literally walked away from the negotiating table leaving the EU and US behind and bewildered. This could make future WTO talks a bit more complicated. The WTO’s Director-General, Pascal Lamy, was more hopeful. “Prior convergence among the G-4 members would have been helpful to pave the way towards multilateral convergence but helpful does not mean indispensable.”Only time will tell how the future WTO negotiations will develop. While the WTO's Lamy is optimistic, the reality is that the setback that took place in Potsdam will have grave implications for the future of the Doha Development talks.
The Corporate Hall of Shame 2007-06-29 12:40:00 Corporate Accountability International have just released their annual Corporate Hall of Shame poll. The results are in. Just who do people think is the world's worst corporate abuser? Here were the choices:ExxonMobilNestléCoca-ColaHalliburtonWal-MartKimberly-ClarkFordMerckAnd the winners are...ExxonMobilHalliburtonWalMartFrom their website, Corporate Accountability International "is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns that challenge irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For 30 years, Corporate Accountability International and our members have scored major victories that protect people's lives by forcing corporations like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria to stop abusive practices". Read about the nominees here and see the results page here.
The Apple iPhone 2007-06-29 11:33:00 The iPhone
finally arrives today after extensive media coverage. The anticipation of this new gadget has resulted in long lines of people waiting for their chance to buy one and many have camped out for days. I personally have no plans to get one (truthfully, I need my money more!), but if I were, I would wait until the initial hype died down and the bugs are ironed out a bit. Just my two cents... Read more:Apple
Domestic Surveillance Documents Subpoenaed 2007-06-27 14:23:00 According to Think Progress, the Senate Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, the Justice Department, and the National Security Council for documents related to President Bush’s warrantless domestic surveillance program. This should get interesting... Read more:Domestic
, Documents
Ann Coulter The Monstress of Hate 2007-06-27 12:33:00 I find it incredible that one of the nation's top morning shows, Good Morning America, gives the despicable and vile 'pundit' Ann Coulter
a platform in which to spew her hate and bile. During the breakfast hour, viewers were treated to this 'woman' almost gleefully telling the audience that her wish was that John Edwards would die in a terrorist attack. What political discourse! When this country has nothing better to offer than Ann Coulter
and her insane rants, the state of our nation cannot be that good. Where are the ABC reporters on the latest Cheney scandal? Maybe a little coverage about the many wars that this country is presently involved in? What about the faltering economy, the sad state of health care...I could go on and on. Instead, the national media focuses on this millionairess, this hate spewing woman who has no relevance in the national discourse. As far as I know, she holds no elected office and serves in no advisory capacity in the government. So why waste our t
Mr. 'Law and Order' Fred Thompson Speaks 2007-07-02 22:15:00 So what did the upstanding 'Law and Order
' guy Fred Thompson
have to say about the pardon of Scooter Libby?"I am very happy for Scooter Libby. I know that this is a great relief to him, his wife and children. This will allow a good American, who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life".These Republicans love to shout about transparency, justice, tough on crime, the rule of law, etc., etc. but when it comes to one of their own...
FDR and the New Deal- The 75th Anniversary 2007-07-02 12:30:00 It was 75 years ago today that Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the nomination to run as the Democratic candidate for President. It was in this nomination speech that the idea was born of the New Deal. On this day, I encourage you to read it.The speech is fascinating in that in it Roosevelt expresses his humanity, his brilliance, his leadership and vision. It is also quite unsettling as the comparisons to those economic times he speaks about almost mirror what we see now. His talk of how the famous trickle down theories were not working and how corporations of the time were so corrupt and greedy is almost like reading the papers today. These so-called 'policies' thrown out by the corporatists in Washington are nothing new. It's the same now as it was then.I was personally moved by his words and wished that today we had our own FDR around to run for President of our troubled nation. For so long now, we have settled for mediocricy, failure and the tired 'lesser of two evils' charade. Read more:Anniversary
Bush and Putin 2007-07-01 20:11:00 Tonight I was catching up on the news about the Bush-Putin
meeting in Maine when I came across this story from ABC News entitled Father Knows Best. After serving seven years in office, I'm now reading that our 'president' needs pep talks and advice from his father on how to deal with a foreign leader?! WTF?Remember the cries from the right about Democratic 'girlie men' and all that crap? Well now we see George W. Bush coddling under his father's wing seeking help in dealing with Putin. Give me a break....
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