BP's Ugly Past and Present

                                      Visualizing the BP Disaster as
IfItWasMyHome.com Thanks to this site for bringing home the reality of the enormity of this disaster.

Almost three months after the explosion that left 11 dead and resulted in the worst environmental catastrophe in our nation's history, BP has capped the gusher that has spewed over 200 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. But don't break out the party hats any time soon- no one really knows what the effect all that oil will have on this fragile marine ecosystem AND there are signs that oil and gas could be coming up now through the seabed floor. The government is worried. They have asked BP to monitor the situation carefully, but the news is BP is already ignoring the warning signs.http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/03/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100803

The use of Corexit is also an unprecedented environmental experiment. In the trade it is known as Hides It- because that is all it does- break oil into little globules so it is less visible on the ocean surface. Its main ingredient is a neurotoxin pesticide four times more toxic to human and aquatic life than oil. In the beginning government officials asked BP not to use it, but again BP listens to no one. Over 2 million gallons of Corexit have been dumped in the Gulf. BP writes their own rules, not to mention their own faked safety reports.

Here is just a small sampling of their criminal behavior-

• BP had 760 citations for "egregious, willful and flagrant violations" of OSHA's rules over a three year period. In comparison Exxon Mobil had 1citation and Citgo had 2 over the same period.
• They were fined $108 million for willful negligence that resulted in the deaths of 15 workers and injured 170 more at the Texas refinery in 2005.
• BP had to pay $363 million in penalties and settlements for price gouging US consumers
• Fined $20 million for ignoring leaks in the Alaska pipeline. 

Speaking of the Alaska pipeline you may have missed that a BP leak there in May released 100,000 gallons of oil. State inspectors said "procedures were not properly implemented". In the past when a whistle blower complained of conditions at the Alaskan pipe's tanker facility BP's CEO of Alaskan operations got right to work. Fixing the deplorable conditions? No, no. The BP executive hired a former CIA expert who broke into the whistle blower's home. His phone was tapped and they ran a smear campaign against him. A US federal judge called BP's actions "reminiscent of Nazi Germany."

The video below from WKRG in Mobile, Alabama took water and sand samples from beaches that people were told are safe. The amount of oil should be no more than 5 ppm (parts per million). Oil is toxic at 11ppm. The water that tested the highest came out of a hole a little kid was digging in the sand. It was 221 ppm. Even more ominous, one of the beakers exploded in the lab indicating high levels of  methanol or methane gas in the water.



There seems no end to the damning evidence against BP- like the allegation that emerged recently that they helped to free a terrorist who was the mastermind of the Lockerbee bombing to get their hands on Libyan oil. But what can we expect from a company that has its roots in the overthrow of a democratically elected leader in a sovereign nation? I'm referring to BP's beginnings as the Anglo Iranian Oil Company in 1928. British personnel lived lives of luxury while Iranian laborers were paid 50 cents a day and lived in squalor in a shanty town with no water or electricity The company was to pay Iran just 16% from selling that country's oil, but they never let anyone audit the books, so it was probably much less. By the 1950's Iran's prime minister Mohammad Mossadeq tried to nationalize the oil company so that his country could benefit from their own resources. Eisenhower's Sec of State Foster Dulles, a lawyer for multinational corporations viewed this as a dangerous example, so our CIA intervened. Mossadeq was overthrown and the US friendly Shah (with his dreaded SAVAK secret police) was installed. This brought about the rise of Islamic extremists who took over the country in the 1979 revolution.

If BP is a person like the Supreme Court Five insist then it is a psychopath.

The neo-con mantra of "deregulate and allow the free markets to take care of all" is now exposed as the sham it always was.  BP is all about greed and it is the people and marine and coastal life that are left paying dearly.

85% of Public Disagree with the Supreme Court

From People for the American Way- pfaw.org


An important new poll commissioned by People For the American Way shows that Americans of every political stripe resoundingly reject the Roberts Court's dangerous decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which opened the floodgates of unlimited corporate cash in our elections.


We should have a government of, by and for the people. The polling results show increasing concern among Americans that, in part because of the Court's decision, which equates corporations with people, we are becoming a government of, by and for the corporations. The poll also shows broad awareness that when corporations spend unlimited amounts to influence the outcome of elections, it infringes on the rights of the rest of us by drowning out the voices of the average citizen.


The Court's decision in Citizens United was so disastrous that voters overwhelmingly support a constitutional amendment to correct it.


Three-quarters of voters said that they support a constitutional amendment to limit the amount that corporations can spend in elections. A similar majority are more inclined to support a candidate who has spoken out in favor of an amendment. This support cuts across party and ideology, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents in support of the measure.


Leading up to Election Day, People For the American Way, along with Public Citizen and other allies, will be asking congressional candidates to pledge to support a constitutional amendment, and sharing that information with voters.


Here are some of the polling specifics:

• 85% of voters say that corporations have too much influence over the political system today while 93% say that average citizens have too little influence.
• 95% agree that "Corporations spend money on politics mainly to buy influence in government and elect people who are favorable to their financial interests." (74% strongly agree)
• 85% disagree that "Corporations should be able to spend as much as they want to influence the outcome of elections because the Constitution protects freedom of speech." (63% strongly disagree)
• 93% agree that "There should be clear limits on how much money corporations can spend to influence the outcome of an election." (74% strongly agree)
• 77% think Congress should support an amendment to limit the amount U.S. corporations can spend to influence elections.
• 74% say that they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who pledged to support a constitutional amendment limiting corporate spending in elections.

Some Good News

From People for the American Way- pfaw.org

Florida Special Election Shows Strength of Opposition to Citizens United
Deutch made a Constitutional Amendment to fix Citizens United a centerpiece of his campaign

Democrat Ted Deutch decisively won a special election yesterday to fill the open seat in Florida's 19th congressional district. Deutch made his supprt for a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC a centerpiece of his campaign.

Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:

"I congratulate Senator Deutch on his decisive win, and wish him well as he continues his work on behalf of the people of Florida. Senator Deutch's vocal support of efforts to fight back against corporate influence in elections, and his advocacy for a Constitutional Amendment to undo the Supreme Court's devastating decision in Citizens United, earned him overwhelming support from Florida voters. He'll be a strong leader in the fight to preserve the power of everyday Americans in our democracy.

"Deutch's opponent attempted to paint the election as a referendum against the President and Democratic congressional leadership. Instead, he was roundly defeated by an electorate fed up with the growing corporate influence in elections and determined to take back the democratic process. This election sends a strong signal that the public won't stand for the Supreme Court handing outsized influence to wealthy corporations, and that voters are ready to take powerful steps to reclaim their power over the electoral process."

What We Can Do to Oppose Corporate Domination of Our Elections!

What We Can Do to Oppose Corporate Domination of Our Elections!

Sunday, April 18 was a great day for democracy in New Paltz, NY. Approximately 200 people came to "We, the People: A Forum to Defend Democracy at SUNY New Paltz. Congressman Hinchey and our presenters did an excellent job of outlining the challenges before us and how we can meet them. Here is our "What You Can Do" flier so you can get started with action steps to defend our democracy! Thanks to all who attended and hope to see even more at future events!

What We Can Do to Fight against Corporate Domination of Our Elections!

Congress must once and for all put to rest the idea that corporations are people and reassert Congressional power to regulate campaign finance. This can only be accomplished through a Constitutional amendment.

Pass a Constitutional amendment
Progress to date:
Congressman Hinchey, Co-sponsor of H.J. Res. 74
Senator Gillibrand, Call and ask her to support S. JR. 28
Senator Schumer, Call and ask him to support S. JR. 28
(See below for other requests for Senator Schumer)
Capitol Switchboard- 202 224-3121

Sign petitions for a Constitutional amendment:
FreeSpeechforPeople.org
MovetoAmend.org
People for the American Way- pfaw.org

Tell your elected officials to pass legislation to immediately mitigate this ruling’s effects.
Senator Schumer and Representative Van Hollen are proposing legislation that would:
Exempt corporations 20% or more foreign owned from electioneering.
Exempt corporations receiving federal contracts.
Require disclosure. It needs to be strong (ie I’m John Dough, president of Halliburton and I approve this ad.)
Require shareholder approval. The New York Times reported that this has been dropped. Let Senator Schumer know that wording of HR 4790 to protect shareholders must be in any final bill.

Tell your elected official to pass the Fair Elections Now Act
Progress to date:
Congressman Hinchey, Co-sponsor of H.R. 1826
Senator Gillibrand, Co-sponsor of S. 752
Senator Schumer, ask him to Co-sponsor S.752

Pass State and Local Resolutions
Urge your state legislators to pass a resolution calling on Congress to pass a Constitutional amendment and to send to states for ratification. This is already happening in Massachusetts and Maine. Pass a similar resolution at a local level.

Work for clean elections in New York State
Support Democracy Matters.org and Citizen Action.org, which are working to pass NY S. 7506.
Establish Democracy Matters chapters in your high school or university and apply for an organizing internship with Democracy Matters.

Join FaceBook Pages
Amend the Constitution so Corporations Can Not Buy Elections
We, the People, NOT We, the Corporations
Abolish Corporate Personhood Now!
Free Speech for People, People for the American Way and Democracy Matters

Personal Actions:
Write Letters to the Editor
Call in to Talk Radio (WVKR, WKNY, WAMC)
Host a house party
Engage people
Blog about it
Sign up here or at HudsonValleyProgressives.org to stay informed and involved!

CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD- 202 224- 3121

For more information:
FreeSpeechforPeople.org, People for the American Way-pfaw.org,
DemocracyMatters.org and stay tuned to this blog.

In a Democracy the People Rule!
We Can Do This!

We, the People: A Forum to Defend Democracy

We, the People: A Forum to Defend Democracy

Video of "Defending Democracy Street Rally" April 10, 2010

This Sunday, April 18, something good is happening in New Paltz,NY. Citizens are fighting back against the Supreme Court decision that will allow corporations with their mega-wealth to spend unlimited amounts of money to overwhelm our elections.

"We, the People: A Forum to Defend Democracy" will feature Congressman Maurice Hinchey (NYCD 22) who will talk on the growing dominance of corporations and the need to restore voters at the center of the electoral process.

A panel of national experts will talk about the consequences of this ruling and what we can do to mitigate its effects and eventually overturn it. Let's put out a red carpet Hudson valley welcome to: Margery F. Baker, executive vice-president of People for the American Way; John Bonifaz, legal director of Voter Action and director of Free Speech for People and Joan Mandle, PhD, executive director of Democracy Matters.

If you are on Facebook- please sign up here
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114025838607474
and click on "invite other people" in the upper right corner to invite your friends to this important event.

This forum appears to be one of the first in the country to take on the Supreme Court ruling and how we can challenge and overturn it. The question is simple- Should Congress represent and be accountable to the people or the big corporate, special interests?

People from across the political spectrum are upset with this ruling and all are welcome Sunday. Let's start a grassroots movement to rein in the abuses of big corporations with their bail-outs, multi-million dollar bonuses, lobbyists and disregard for workers, public safety or the environment.

In a democracy- the people rule!

See you Sunday.

85% of Democrats, 81% of Independents and 76% of Republicans Agree!

85% of Democrats, 81% of Independents and 76% of Republicans Agree!

Polarized America just came into alignment in their opposition to the Robert's Court decision Citizens United v FEC.  With a one person majority, the Supreme Court overturned a century of law and precedent to give corporations the right to overwhelm our elections with their massive wealth.

Approximately, eight out of ten people across the political spectrum (85% of Democrats, 81% of Independents and 76% of Republicans-Washington Post/ABC poll) see this as a threat to our democracy. President Obama called it an "assault on our democracy" and that he could "think of nothing more devastating to the public interest." Justice Stevens in a blistering dissent said the ruling  "threatens to undermine the integrity of elected  institutions across this Nation."

We are facing a Constitutional crisis, yet mainstream media (MSM) moved on almost immediately (it was only Justice Alito's injudicious reaction to being called out on the ruling by Obama that kept it there a little longer).  It shouldn't be a surprise that corporate owned media are not reporting the disastrous consequences of this decision. Allowing corporations to spend whatever they want on political ads will send TV advertising revenue into the stratosphere. So you cannot depend on CNN to inform you on this issue (or much else for that matter). A sterling exception to MSM ignoring this is Bill Moyers Journal that has done five segments on this ruling and plans one more. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02052010/watch.html

The good news is there is a massive grassroots movement growing to counter the threat of this decision. FreeSpeechfor People.org, MovetoAmend.org, People for the American Way (pfaw.org) Public Citizen (citizen.org) and many more are leading the way. People are getting steamed up, organized and mobilized to say no to this democracy-killing ruling.

Think your elected officials are too remote now? Ha! Wait until they begin raking in the megabucks of ExxonMobile (bye-bye green energy) Halliburton (can you say "endless war"?) Aetna (don't get sick!) and Citibank (hello next economic meltdown).

In a democracy we, the people are supposed to be the center of the electoral process. We are guaranteed one person- one vote, a sacred right for which people have died. It ensures the poor and the middle class that they have a voice and that they will be protected against corporate tyranny. The Supreme Court just took a sledge hammer to that bedrock principle of democracy.

We will be organizing a forum in New Paltz, NY on April 18 to educate and mobilize people to fight this ruling. We hope it will empower, activate, connect and organize us to defend our democracy. Details to follow, but save the date now!

And remember- 85-81-76! Together we can stop this.

The January Supreme Court Ruling in Pictures

The January Supreme Court Ruling in Pictures

 

 

Daniel Kurtzman 

  

We, the people must rise up against this! 

Alito's Milder "You Lie!"

Alito's Milder "You Lie!"

Most of us have seen Justice Alito shaking his head, grimacing and mouthing the words, "Not true" in response to Obama calling out the Court in his State of the Union  for their recent decision that will radically upend democracy in America.

Our President said, "With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that, I believe, will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections.

"I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests or, worse, by foreign entities.They should be decided by the American people."

Everything Obama said was true. Looks like Alito doesn't want to own up to what he and four others have done. His face registered disgust and I find disgust the appropriate reaction to this ruling- but in Alito's case it should be self-directed!

Glen Greenwald in Salon said, "Alito is now a political (rather than judicial) hero to Republicans and a political enemy of Democrats which is exactly the role a Supreme Court Justice should not occupy."

Greenwald went on to say, Alito has been "unmasked as a politicized and intemperate Republican."

I'd say the ruling itself unmasked five of them.

The Silver Lining in the SCOTUS Decision

The Silver Lining in the SCOTUS Decision

I've decided to look at last Thursday's Supreme Court ruling in a new light, one that strengthens rather than depresses me!

It is true- our most cherished American values and our very democracy are under assault. A radical, one person majority of the Court has ruled that corporations (including foreign ones) can spend their billions to buy Congress and the Presidency, removing the American people from the center of the electoral process. If left unchallenged, our country would be ruled by an unchecked corporate oligarchy- not what our Founders or the thousands who have died for American freedom had in mind.

So although this threat is very real, so is this; corporations already wield democracy-killing power in our political system. All you have to do is look at the past year. Those who engaged in criminal behavior on Wall Street have used taxpayer money to award themselves billions in bonuses, and to block consumer protection and reform, profiteering insurance companies have largely written health care "reform" that will not provide the universal and affordable coverage we need  and clean energy and energy independence seem doomed to failure by the fossil fuel industry.

The average legislator is spending more time dialing for dollars than in understanding the issues, meeting with constituents or even reading the bills they are voting on. The system is already corrupt, ineffectual and antithetical to the American peoples' interests. The new ruling will remove the last shreds of democracy we have left. (The problem is so bad that even the CEO's of Delta Airlines, MetLife and about 38 other companies came out against the SCOTUS ruling. Their reasoning? They already get hit by Congress members too often for money!)

But here is the hope. I agree with Ezra Klein of the Washington Post , who said this Supreme Court decision is "so deeply objectionable" and so clearly shows how sick and broken our current system is, that it has the power to arouse everyday Americans to rise up and demand it be fixed! The five activist, extremist judges who threw out 100 years of established law and precedent may have finally pushed too far and done us all a favor. A mass mobilization of millions has the power to take our country back. People from the left and right need to come together to face the real enemy of democracy- corporate tyranny. As Thomas Jefferson said in 1816, “I hope we shall… crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and to bid defiance to the laws of our country.” 

It is clear to me that a Constitutional Amendment is necessary to return government to "We, the People" and there are many petitions you can sign and movements to join to push for this (see below). But that is long-range and we need to also work today to get big money out of politics through fair election reform. Let's get a massive grassroots movement going to pass The Fair Elections Now Act (S.752, H.R.1826). Legislation is also in the works to blunt the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, like; requiring shareholders to sign off on corporate spending on elections, requiring companies to identify themselves in paid campaign ads and restricting the ability of corporations that receive big government contracts to run ads.

Citizens also can have a great impact by writing Letters to the Editor, gathering people together to talk about the implications of this abominable ruling and taking to the streets to demand change.  Go to movetoamend.org/takeaction for letter samples and other ideas for action.

Last year the top 100 companies had profits of $600 billion. If they used just a measly 1% of it, they would have six thousand million dollars to elect political sellouts and to oppose those who stand for the people (freespeechforpeople.org). Free speech is no longer free when only the corporations are heard. Make a stand for democracy today!

Support bold action to ensure fair elections- In response to the ruling, President Obama has promised to work with leaders in Congress to "craft a forceful response that protects the voices of ordinary citizens." Show him we have his back-

http://my.barackobama.com/FairElections 


Affirm that money is not speech and corporations are not people! movetoamend.org (42,000 signatures and growing!

Petition Stop the Corporate Takeover of Our Democracy!

http://www.uspirg.org/action/citizens-united?id4=es

Sign the Free Speech for People Amendment at Public Citizen

http://action.citizen.org/t/10315/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2190

Powerful Video Response to SCOTUS Inc.
Jamin Raskin, professor of constitutional law and the First Amendment at American University, has spoken out powerfully on behalf of a new campaign at FreeSpeechForPeople.org that aims to undo the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to remove limitations on corporations' election spending.
Here's a short video made together with Congresswoman Donna Edwards.
Here's Raskin on Democracy Now!
And here's Raskin debating a corporatist chump on C-Span.

Sign petition for public financing of elections

http://pol.moveon.org/fairelectionsnow/?r_by=18678-1880962-g16Hqlx&rc=paste

40,000 signatures and counting. Rep Alan Grayson's SaveDemocarcy.net

Amend the Constitution 

pfaw.org

Posted by Barbara Upton at 1:25 PM

The "Disastrous," and "Devastating" SCOTUS Decision

The "Disastrous," and "Devastating" SCOTUS Decision

 

"I can't think of anything more devastating to the public interest." President Obama 
referring to the Jan 21 Supreme Court decision that will replace government of, by and for the people to one ruled be a corporate plutocracy.

The Court’s Blow to Democracy  NY Times Published: January 21, 2010
With a single, disastrous 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has thrust politics back to the robber-baron era of the 19th century. Disingenuously waving the flag of the First Amendment, the court’s conservative majority has paved the way for corporations to use their vast treasuries to overwhelm elections and intimidate elected officials into doing their bidding.    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/opinion/22fri1.html

Citizens ruling: an intellectually dishonest power grab  Washington Post  

In opening the floodgates for corporate money in election campaigns, the Supreme Court did not simply engage in a brazen power grab. It did so in an opinion stunning in its intellectual dishonesty.

Corporate Personhood Should Be Banned, Once and For All  By Ralph Nader
This corporatist, anti-voter decision is so extreme that it should galvanize a grassroots effort to enact a Constitutional Amendment to once and for all end corporate personhood and curtail the corrosive impact of big money on politics.    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24478.htm

Grayson: Court's Campaign Finance Decision "Worst Since Dred Scott"     In citizens United v. FEC, decided Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled "that only huge corporations have any constitutional rights," Grayson said. "They have the right to bribe, the right to buy elections, the right to reward their elected toadies, and the right to punish the elected representatives who take a stab at doing what's right."http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/01/grayson-courts-campaign-finance-decision-worst-dredd-scott

Bob Kerrey: the Supreme Court Election Funding Decision Is Wrong      http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/bob-kerrey-on-the-supreme-court-election-funding-decision/

From MovetoAmend.org

From the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling:

Majority Opinion (Justice Kennedy, joined by Thomas, Roberts, Scalia and Alito)
http://bit.ly/5VdnbB

Dissenting Opinion (Justice Stevens, joined by Sotomayor, Ginsburg, and Breyer)
http://bit.ly/5MEPOJ

Other Justices' Dissents or Concurrences
http://bit.ly/6zasOH

Justice Stevens, in dissent, was compelled to state the obvious:

. . . . corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their “personhood” often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of “We the People” by whom and for whom our Constitution was established.

More tomorrow on what we can do. We cannot let this stand!

 

 

For Sale- The US Government

These five activist Supreme Court justices; Alito, Kennedy, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas, overruled a century of standing law and precedent today to begin the dismantling of our democracy. They have ruled that there can be no checks to a corporation's ability to spend all they want to buy candidates who will do their bidding; the people be screwed.

It is a "major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and other powerful interests that marshal their power everyday in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, " said President Obama. Justice Stevens called it a "grave error" and a "radical change in the law".

As special money swamps the political landscape- our little donations will mean nothing, our voices will be drowned out, our interests and needs will be buried. There is already too much money corrupting our system. This tsunami of corporate billions will buy legislators and presidents who will only do the bidding of their corporate masters- like reducing taxes even more for corporations and the rich, keeping defense contractors swimming in money from endless war, destroying the safety net, allowing defective and unsafe products on the market with no accountability, making it harder (or impossible) for workers to organize for fair pay and safe conditions, allowing more pollution and the degradation of our environment... the list is depressingly and dramatically long.

Obama is asking Congress to fight back and Rep. Alan Grayson from FL (who called the ruling "the most irresponsible decision of the Supreme Court since the Dred Scott decision over a century ago")  got right on it. He has introduced six bills to counter the "corporate coup". In a short time 25,000 signed his petition "to save our democracy" Sign it here- SaveDemocracy.net.
http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4

This is a revolutionary decision with ominous implications for generations to come. As Rep. Barney Frank said tonight on the Rachel Maddow show- "No functioning democracy allows this unlimited corporate spending in campaigns." Senator Schumer called it "poisonous" for democracy. I'm not sure exactly what we need to do- (start with the petition and let everyone you know know about it) but I know we have to speak with one voice to oppose this terrible ruling. Stay tuned.