Inequality For All
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 3rd, 2013
Good morning!
Coming To A Theatre Near You!
BY CAP ACTION WAR ROOM ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 AT 4:38 PM
Inequality for All: Coming To A Theatre Near You
Today, opening in theaters across the country is a new documentary Inequality for All that explores the widening income gap in America. Narrated by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, the film profiles people from different walks of life – Costco employees, wealthy venture capitalists and middle class professionals – to demonstrate how our economy is set up to work for the wealthy few but not for all of us.
From Secretary Reich: “This movie is critically important. It exposes the heart of our continuing economic problem. The problem has been growing for over thirty years, but we’re coming to a tipping point. The problem is widening inequality. We’re still in the gravitational pull of the biggest economic slump since the Great Depression because so much of the nation’s income and wealth are going to the top. The vast middle class doesn’t have the purchasing power to get the economy back on track.”
Inequality today is as extreme as it was right before the Great Depression. The valley in between those two peaks of inequality, which shows up repeatedly on screen in Inequality For All, represents a time of broad prosperity from which the country can draw lessons. The Great Recession has not produced the same kind of policy shift Reich points to as a key to that prosperity, and inequality is only getting worse. Eroding investments in education and children undermine the future workforce, low union membership undermines present-day workers, and weak financial industry oversight allow the sector that drives inequality and creates economic crises to regain its footing while leaving the middle class behind.
To find theaters and times near you, click here.
Watch the trailer here.
Facts on Income Inequality:
- The top 5 percent made $191,157 or more in 2012, while the bottom fifth made $20,599 or less.
- The top 10 percent of earners took home half of the country’s income, the largest amount on record.
- The gap between the employment rate for the highest income Americans and the lowest income ones is the widest in a decade.
- Income for households in the top five percent of American earners have grown by more than five percent over the past three years.
- From 2009 to 2012, income for the 1 percent grew by 31.4 percent, while everyone else only saw it grow by 0.4 percent.
- Income inequality in the U.S. is worse here than in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, the Ivory Coast, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.
- Through the 2000s, the richest 20 percent of Americanssaw their incomes grow by $2,550, while the bottom 20 percent just saw $1,330 in growth.
- The top 10 percent now has 15.9 times the income of the bottom.
The progressive plan to grow the economy from the middle class out stands in marked contrast to the failed and even dangerous “trickle down” tax cut and draconian austerity spending plans championed by conservatives. Conservatives want to cut even more from education, medical research and infrastructure in order to give even more tax cuts to the rich and huge corporations in the hopes that it trickles down to the rest of us.
Instead of continuing the trickle down policies that created income inequality in the first place it is time to put policies in place that will create an economy that works for everyone.
Policies to grow the economy from the middle class out:
- Investments in growing the middle class: Investing in education, infrastructure, energy, and innovation boosts the economy today and helps create the job creators and strong middle class that will fuel economic growth tomorrow.
- Everyone paying their fair share: Tax cuts for the wealthy and huge corporations don’t grow the economy. If the wealthy aren’t paying their fair share, we simply cannot afford to make the investments in the middle we need to in order to grow the economy.
- Minimum wage: Nobody who works full time in America should have to live in poverty. Raising the minimum wage will lift people out of poverty and create more consumers to help fuel the economy.
- Health security: Millions of Americans will soon have access to quality, affordable health care for the first time and the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance are seeing new benefits and better coverage as a result of Obamacare.
- Retirement security: We need to strengthen both Social Security and our private retirement system so middle-class Americans can afford to retire and live with dignity, a promise beyond the reach of too many.
- Affordable housing: The housing market is recovering, but we need to implement additional policies and reforms to help those who are still underwater and the millions who can’t get a loan to buy a home today.
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Readers: Hey there…thoughts? What’s up? Let me know if you go and see this and then blog me your opinion.
Social Butterfly: Done. Thanks.
Aurora: Right on sister. I admire her too.
Zen Lill: Yes he does. Too funny.
Peace out baby.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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October 3rd, 2013 at 10:50 am
Dear MM Blog Readers:
It has been a while since I commented on MM Blog. I do not care for Anti-Semitism in the world media. If you feel that Israel is being demonized by the Press, especially countries in the EU (European Union) — then please go to the Honest Reporting site and sign the petition in favor of Israel not being portrayed as evil. It is not honest reporting because many European countries have huge Muslim populations, such as England, France and Spain and fear terror which can easily be aimed at their respective nations.
It is easier to blame the Jew — It has been done so many times before throughout history.
Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, and denying Israel the right to exist is simply wrong. To find out more about this dire situation, read beneath the petition . . . You may learn something.
No one is obligated to sign this petition. One can simply read about the unjust reporting occurring around the world just to pacify the Muslim populations of many nations.
http://honestreporting.com/a/petition/petition-media-antisemitism.html#.Uk2oMitAKQc
HOWIE
P.S.
Hi Scott.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:21 pm
I’m with you Howie.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Hafa adai Howie. Good to see you back. You have my support.
The Shutdown has hit Guam hard. Hundreds of federal employees in Guam have been furloughed after the federal government partially shut down yesterday, affecting not only the employees, but also some services provided to the public.
The first shutdown in close to two decades came yesterday after the president and congressional Democrats refused to yield to Republican demands to change the nation’s health care law, according to reports by The Associated Press.
With no money to pay them, federal employees deemed non-essential will be placed on furlough until a budget bill or extension of federal funding is passed.
While many federal services, such as mail delivery, will continue, several federal agencies in Guam won’t be open for business.
Also, several programs have funding for several weeks to months.
The Women Infants and Children food coupons has enough funding for three weeks.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can be sustained for six months, according to James Gillan, Department of Public Health and Social Services director. He said Medicare and Medicaid won’t be affected.
Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo responded to the furlough, saying the shutdown was the result of “partisan politics.”
Guam National Guard
Approximately 140 military technicians, airmen and soldiers on temporary orders and civilian workers will be furloughed as a result of the shutdown, according to Guam national Guard Adjutant General Benny M. Paulino.
However, active military personnel will stay on duty.
“Our federal technician staff as well as civilian personnel play significant roles in our daily operations,” said Paulino. “Losing them even for a short period places more stress on our full-time soldiers and airmen as they have to take over some of these responsibilities.”
National Park Service
Officials at the National Park Service still were awaiting word yesterday afternoon about how they will be affected by the shutdown.
Acting Superintendent Ron Borne said 21 employees at the Park Service could be furloughed as a result of the shutdown.
He said, unless some action is taken to resolve the shutdown, all of the park’s units will be closed to the public today.
Borne added that the plan would be to close the gates at the units that can be closed and post signs at areas such as Agat to notify the public that the parks have been closed as a result of the shutdown.
Joint Region Marianas
Lt. Matt Knight, public affairs officer for Joint Region Marianas, said local military officials still were awaiting official guidance prior to the shutdown, but said only positions considered to be “essential to safety, protection of human life and property as well as the protection of our national security” are exempt from the furlough.
Military members and civilian workers who are exempt from the furlough will continue their normal duties, but won’t be paid until Congress passes funding.
Coleen San Nicolas-Perez, deputy public affairs officer, confirmed later that about 170 Air Force civilian workers and 100 Navy civilian workers will be placed on furlough.
About 300 Navy civilian workers and 200 Air Force civilian workers will not be furloughed.
Several services will continue despite the shutdown.
Knight said Department of Defense Education Activity schools will continue, as will services that aren’t funded by congressional appropriations like the bowling alley and movie theater.
San Nicolas-Perez added that the Visitor Control Center also will continue to operate.
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This is a senseless waste of money and income for people who need every dime to make ends meet these days.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:24 pm
Glad to have you back Howie. I will definitely sign.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Howie I prayed you would be alright. Good to hear from you. You are right about slander good people should get behind you.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Howie, I wish I could sign your petition. But they would kill me. I agree it is shameful what is happening to the Jews.
We are the women of these self only men.
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Howie, it happens often here in Greece also. Everyone is so after the money that they suck up to the arabs and say anything negative about jews they can think of.
I have signed your petition.
Ianthe
October 3rd, 2013 at 12:38 pm
זה נהדר לראות את אחד מבניו האהובים של ישראל בחזרה.
And as one would expect of you it is for a good cause.
Return and contribute to this community voice, you were missed.
AAliyah.
October 3rd, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Welcome back, Howie. I’m out and about now but I will look at your link later. Luv, Zen Lill
October 4th, 2013 at 8:05 am
Howie, ellie called me to say your were back. Of course I’ll sign your petition. Welcome Back Howie!
October 4th, 2013 at 8:16 am
Dangerous Food Additives That Sound Safe
Appeared originally as “Tricky Food Labels: Dangerous Food Additives That Sound Safe”
A bottle of Gatorade sounded like the perfect thirst quencher to 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh on a hot, humid day in her Mississippi hometown.
But this teenager, a committed label-reader, was surprised to learn from an Internet search that the popular sports drink contained brominated vegetable oil, an ingredient that comes with a long list of possible side effects, including changes in thyroid hormones and function and neurological disorders.
The additive, used in some citrus-flavored drinks to keep the fruit flavoring evenly distributed, does not sound ominous—how bad could it be with “vegetable” in the name?
But Kavanagh, whose story was told in The New York Times, had done her research and started a petition to convince Gatorade-maker PepsiCo to change the drink’s formulation.
Other food additives (some even healthy-sounding) that are bad for us—along with some scary-sounding additives that are good for us…*
ADDITIVES TO AVOID
Cottonseed oil.
Made from the seeds of the cotton plant, cottonseed oil is used to thicken food or add texture. Cottonseed oil is found in many fried snack foods, especially potato chips, as well as in salad oil, sauces, marinades and baked goods.
Some individuals are allergic to cottonseed oil. Cotton crops also tend to be genetically modified and grown with high levels of pesticides.
Diacetyl.
This additive, which provides a buttery aroma and flavor, is most often found in microwave popcorn.
And its pairing with hydrogenated fats, also typically found in microwave popcorn, equals an extremely unhealthy combination that increases LDL “bad” cholesterol and lowers HDL “good” cholesterol.
In addition, a preliminary 2012 lab study suggests that consuming diacetyl may worsen the effects of beta-amyloid accumulation, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
This meaty-tasting flavor enhancer, classified as a “natural flavoring” on some labels and used in soups, meats, sauces and stews, often masks the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Found in many canned, packaged and prepared foods, MSG is known to trigger headaches and may lead to weight gain.
MSG is sometimes also a hidden source of wheat, which should be avoided by people who are sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Potassium bromate.
Potassium alone is an essential mineral for health, but potassium bromate (found in bromated flour) has been linked to cancer in lab animals.
The threat is strong enough to have prompted all European countries as well as Canada and China to ban bromated flour, an additive that helps dough rise.
In the US, the FDA has stopped short of such a measure, instead only encouraging commercial bakers to voluntarily stop using it.
Many national manufacturers of baked goods, such as Arnold and Pepperidge Farm, switched to nonbromated flours years ago, but others have not. Check the label.
ADDITIVES THAT ARE SAFE
Alginate.
It may sound like it comes from algae, but seaweed is the source of this additive, which serves as a thickener in jellies, salad dressings, custards, ice cream and soups. Its ability to trap cholesterol in its gel-like structure may lower cholesterol, and some studies suggest it also can help us feel full.
Canthaxanthin.
Healthful food colorings are difficult to find, but this orange-red pigment—found in crustaceans, fish and mushrooms—is an antioxidant.
Canthaxanthin is sometimes added to fruit spreads, syrups and drinks and may have benefits similar to those found in other antioxidants such as beta-carotene.
Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.
This food stabilizer and thickener is known for its stool-softening and laxative properties. The white, waxy solid, which is added to dairy-based cheeses, beverages and sauces, has been researched extensively in animal studies and is considered essentially nontoxic.
Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS).
Just trying to pronounce this additive scares some people away, but don’t let it deter you if you spot it on a food label.
FOS are plant sugars derived from such healthful foods as asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes.
FOS, typically added to certain dairy products such as some yogurts and ice cream, act as healthful “prebiotics,” which promote the production of “good” bacteria in your gut.
*To research potential health risks of food additives, consult the Web site of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, http://www.CSPInet.org.
Source: Deanna Minich, PhD, CN, a Port Orchard, Washington–based nutritionist and author with more than 20 years of experience in nutrition, wellness and healing.
She has written four books on nutrition and health, including An A-Z Guide to Food Additives (Conari), in which she gives an “A to F” safety rating for widely used food additives. http://www.FoodAndSpirit.com
Listing Details
October 4th, 2013 at 8:21 am
Social Butterfly, I signed your petition. Great idea!
October 4th, 2013 at 8:58 am
Thanks Michelle, ZL and Paula for signing.
Today, HuffPo says over 170,000 Americans have signed the petition.
It’s a great start but I now see, it may not mean much.
Reading over the proposed bill by Rick Nolan (D. Minn.) – the “No Government – No Pay Act” – I learned that his bill may violate the 27th Amendment, which states no law changing congressional compensation may take effect until an election in the House of Representatives.
At least we are on record giving an opinion about this whole mess, for whatever it’s worth.
/SB