If you see Jim DeMint this Halloween, you'd better have lots of candy. He'll take plenty. And please, don't leave a "just take one" sign out with your candy bucket. He won't like that.
This ghoul of a senator has already scared a lot people with his actions recently. Halloween will be no different.
Since 2005, DeMint has failed middle class Americans and continues to do so. A frightening statistic. If you notice the "thumbs down" beside his vote, it means it went against the middle class.
It's a simple question. I am about to lay out facts on why you should not vote for such a person who has a dismal record in supporting the middle class of America - specifically South Carolina. Brown has poor ratings this year in regards to looking out for the middle class: 25 percent. Pathetic.
But you people vote him in anyway.
Brown has failed the middle class four times between the years 2003-2008.
In response to messages from MomsRising members last week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, primary architects of the healthcare reform plan, were the first Members of Congress to be photographed wearing the MomsRising Pacifier pin to show that they also won't be pacified until healthcare reform is done right for children and families (Click here to see their photos and others)
But just because we have head honchos on our side doesn't mean we're done yet… there's more work to do. Right now, Congress is making monumental decisions about health reform: Make sure every Member of Congress shows that they'll also stand up for affordable and comprehensive coverage for all kids and families.
By clicking the easy link above, you'll be able to send your Members of Congress a letter now asking them to wear our MomsRising pin, and to send us a quick photo of themselves wearing our pin so we can post it on our website to celebrate their support for children and families.
It only takes one minute to email a letter.
Why are we pinning down Congress? The MomsRising pins, which were delivered to all of Congress last week along with a book of MomsRising member healthcare stories, help raise awareness among elected leaders in Congress that kids and families can't be forgotten when corporate insurance lobbyists start talking. Imagine sitting around a table negotiating who's covered by healthcare reform and who's not with industry lobbyists, and then looking up to see a Congressional colleague's pin as a reminder that many need coverage who don't have a powerful lobby, i.e. kids.
Our MomsRising pins put kids in the healthcare negotiating meetings-right on the lapels of decision makers!
Health reform is getting a lot of attention, but the headlines focus on adults. Even with great public healthcare programs like Medicaid and CHIP, millions of children remain uncovered and under-insured. Congress needs to make sure all kids benefit from health reform.
We have momentum now. Let's keep pushing! Getting U.S. Senate Majority Leader Reid and Speaker of the House Pelosi to wear our pin is a huge victory; now we all need to make sure that others in Congress follow their examples and stand up for kids and families.
*Don't forget to tell your Congressional Representatives to stand up for kids and families too and show their support by wearing the MomsRising pin!
If you haven't noticed, I have added two new widgets to this blog. One is from GovTrack.us that shows how Henry Brown, Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham vote on every bill that comes by them. It is towards the bottom, located on the left side.
The other is from TheMiddleClass.org. This widget actually scores all our U.S. lawmamkers on their accomplishments for the middle class. As you'll see at the bottom under the blog posts, all Republicans but one get an "F" for 2008 (Henry Brown got a "D") and are scoring poorly for 2009. You are given the opportunity to see the full review as well.
And, not really a widget, I added a link to Flu.gov - towards the top left.
In a follow-up to the story I did earlier of the man with the anti-science sign, I dug deeper into who actually runs the site he was referring to, FluScam.com. Turns out the anti-science part is right on the money. The person credited with the site is Dr. Leonard Horowitz, a well-known "spiritual" healer of sorts. He even calls himself a "prophet" of all things, claiming an "angel" guided him in writing his 2006 book, Walking on Water.
Here's what he pushes:
• 5-steps you can take to prompt miraculous healings. • The LOVE frequency to radiate affection and resolve troubled relationships. • Key changes you can make to overcome self-defeating patterns to prosper in all ways. • How to sustain and celebrate LOVE as a core creative force. • Master the mystery of sex, love and your true male/female identity. • Easily and inexpensively produce “holy water” critical for natural healing. • The use of music, foods, language, prayer and faith to heal your life. • The true meaning of your life. • How to prosper, more than ever, by understanding the laws of nature, attraction, giving and receiving.
So, the message is forget science, create your own healing. He'll show you how. Just pay him to do so. It sounds to me it's more of a religious thing, being forced down people's throats as fear. Are you going to pay someone to tell you "your true meaning of life" and more idiotic rhetoric?
Be weary of people like this. So-called prophets using fear to attract people. I do remember something in the Bible telling me to watch out for such people.
If your children mean so much to you, do the homework and find out who these people are that are pushing such an agenda.
I was picking up my child today from Maryville Elementary School when I noticed this strange figure, spreading anti-DHEC information in regards to the H1N1 flu shot. I am weary myself of the flu shot, but I am in no way this anti-science. I would much rather wait on more study and more successful achievements. But, to spread this type of fear to keep people from finding out the truth is totally absurd.
(Pastor Ken Moran, the pictured sign guy, is also a birther - and runs this site.)
Right now, there is a site that sheds light on the flu and all that is involved. The local media should have jumped on this and printed the site, with examples of truth. Instead, we have people like this who are allowed under our Constitution to spread fear amongst people who are already scared. Here's some info for people specifically in S.C.
The person was witnessed handing out fliers to people pulling out of the North horseshoe. He walked into the middle of the street, stopping the person pulling out and waved a flier for the person to take. This interferes with the school, its pick-up policy and the safety of children walking home because of sudden stops in traffic.
The sign he's holding refers to the FDA being the approved site for vaccine information. Does he mean the site that claims "the FDA ensures the safety, effectiveness and supply of the H1N1 flu vaccine."
Here's more truth that should be shown the light of day:
“This new vaccine is not safe and is untested.”
Clinical trials conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have shown that the new H1N1 vaccine is both safe and effective. The FDA has licensed it. There have been no safety shortcuts.
It is produced exactly the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is produced every year. It is simply a new virus strain. In fact, had H1N1 struck this country earlier than this spring, the H1N1 strain probably would have been included as part of this year’s seasonal flu shot.
Millions of Americans get the seasonal flu vaccine each year without any problems. Still, understanding that some Americans have concerns about “new” vaccines, the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have conducted more rigorous tests on the H1N1 vaccine than they do on other flu vaccines, and there have been no red flags from these clinical trials.
Also, CDC has stepped up surveillance efforts to track the H1N1 vaccine and any possible adverse events. Since it is so closely related to the seasonal flu vaccine, we do not expect to see serious side effects. But we are taking all the necessary steps to promote and monitor safety.
Our top doctors and scientists believe the risk of the flu, especially for pregnant women, children, and people with underlying health conditions, is higher than any risk that might come from the H1N1 vaccine.
While I am in favor of a company like Boeing bringing desperately needed jobs to our state, I find is very alarming on how we got them to expand here.
I was asked on Facebook my take on this:
I think it sends the message to workers that in order to get jobs, we'll shed protection for employees. This economy and this state provide the ample opportunity for people to sell unions down the river for the mere acceptance of a job. It looks good for the short run, but the long run is in jeopardy.
There is an existing Boeing plant - nowhere near the scale of the proposed addition. But what did they do to make themselves more attractive? Here it is:
Workers at Boeing's 787 fuselage assembly plant in Charleston, S.C. have decisively voted to get rid of the Machinists union as their bargaining representative with the company. The vote was 199 for decertification of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union against 68 for retaining it.
The vote means that Boeing Charleston becomes a non-union plant. It will compete with Boeing Everett, an IAM stronghold, to be the site of a second 787 Dreamliner assembly line. A decision on that site selection is expected by year end.
Boeing spokesman Tim Healy said the company is pleased with the outcome. "Boeing Charleston can now move forward to focus on excellence and meeting commitments on the 787 program," Healy said in a statement.
So, enjoy it all you can people. South Carolina is back in business, as House Speaker Bobby Harrell said - telling workers they have to sell themselves out in order to attract new business.
The real story is South Carolina supporting companies that sell out workers' rights and benefits in exchange for new jobs. New jobs that will pay what? Provide what benefits? Nothing is concrete.
What is concrete is the foundation South Carolina has against unions.
In the Georgetown Times, union members at ArcelorMittal - Georgetown say they weren't told of the mill closure before it hit the press. Well, I beg to differ.
The union members were told before they voted a second time the mill was indeed going to be closed. It was in black and white. Playing "chicken" with a company that has a lot more to give than lose didn't work.
What was the majority thinking? Their "no" vote meant nothing? The company would just keep coming back?
Workers fretted over no "guarantees" offered by the company. They provided a chance to get back to work and catch the market before it comes back strong. The guarantee, however, was provided by the majority of "no" voters: The mill will shut down.
I wonder whether these people realize this isn't 1980 anymore. Dealing with ArcelorMittal in this situation was our first dance with the company. Applying the same attitude applied yesteryear did not work.
Now, people who wanted to go back to work can't. Others blame the union.
The union's stance was in favor of concessions from the beginning. The workers themselves made their decision. The union did not force them to vote no. They happily voted down the chance to go back to work.
In this economy, I would take a chance to go to work over a guarantee to shut the mill down.
Today is an exciting day for our movement to restore real leadership to South Carolina!
As you may have heard, this morning my hometown newspaper here in Camden, the Chronicle-Independent, reported that I have officially kicked off my campaign for governor.
After early television and and radio interviews with stations around our state, this morning we held our official grand opening for our Statewide Campaign Headquarters.
I’ve been traveling the state preparing for this day, speaking with hundreds of South Carolinians who are eager to restore leadership and vision to our state. I’ve been working hard to spread our message of getting our state moving again, and the hard work is paying off.
Today in Columbia I held a press conference outlining my plan to bring quality jobs to South Carolina, and to restore prosperity to our state.
I’m running for governor because I know we can bring South Carolina’s economy back from the brink and create jobs here again. We can be successful, but only if we have real leadership committed to attracting businesses, new development and good jobs to our state.
I look forward to hearing from you as I continue to travel our great state, and I look forward to your support in getting our state moving again and realizing our tremendous potential.
Tonight we saw the Senate vote 87-13 in favor of the unemployment benefits extension. This benefit extension stands to help over 2 million unemployed American workers.
Guess who voted against the start of this debate. That's right... Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham.
They don't even want this moving off the ground.
The unemployment rate in the United States is currently 9.8 percent. South Carolina's? 11.6 percent.
All those who are unemployed and voted Republican, please thank your senators for voting against you.
The 2010 statewide elections are approaching pretty fast. In order to make some headway with our "Goodbye Minimally Adequate" initiative, we need manpower, womanpower and kidpower.
Out of the 1 million signature goal set, we have electrically captured about 68,000. There are some that have not been entered into the system - to which we need volunteers to do so.
By signing the petition you are voicing your support of a constitutional amendment to replace South Carolina’s dismal standard of “minimally adequate” with a new expectation of “high quality education” for our public school children. Read more here.
South Carolinians can act on behalf of our state public school system. By signing the petition, you can join other South Carolinians in support of establishing “a high quality education, allowing every student to reach their highest potential” as our state standard for public education in our state constitution.
This new language will replace South Carolina’s current state standard of “a minimally adequate education” established by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1999. Legislation to change the state constitution must be passed by a 2/3rds vote of the Senate and House of Representatives in order to put the amendment on the general election ballot for public vote in November, 2010. Sign the petition today and encourage others to join this effort to uplift public education in South Carolina!
A report released in October shows that 10,440 children in the U.S. are known to have died from abuse and neglect between 2001 and 2007, but experts say the real number may be as much as 50 percent higher. The difference is due to varying definitions of abuse and neglect in the states, as well as inconsistent record-keeping and data collection methodologies. Child protection leaders say the situation makes it impossible to provide an accurate assessment of abuse and neglect of children in America.
The report from the Every Child Matters Education Fund shows that more than 1,760 U.S. children are documented to have died from abuse or neglect in 2007 – a 35 percent increase since 2001. It says that the combination of millions of vulnerable children and inadequate resources leaves states stretched too thin to protect all children who need it.
This report serves as a wake-up call for federal lawmakers. National leaders in child protection, law enforcement, educators, policy makers and others gathered in Washington, DC, October 21 to kick off two days of intensive discussions among diverse organizations to identify the policies and resources needed to reduce deaths from child abuse and neglect. Congress must soon take up work to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA, which provides federal funding to states to address child abuse and neglect.
While there is no funding level or formula that guarantees a reduction in child deaths, states that invest in a strong social safety net for children – including health, social services, education, plus child protection – experience fewer child abuse/neglect deaths, on average. Experts suggest that this is because fewer families experience difficulties in the first place, and that if child abuse does occur, case workers can investigate more cases more thoroughly, thus protecting more children from potential harm.
The report finds that Rhode Island spends the most per capita – spending $181.34 per person to protect children. Other states that make significant investments in comparison with their counterparts include Pennsylvania ($137.89), Alaska ($129.02), Vermont ($126.31), and California ($121.16). The five states spending the lowest amount on child protection per person include South Carolina ($14.72), Mississippi ($28.82), Maine ($31.88), Nevada ($34.02) and Arkansas ($35.99).
And seeing the fact that our state doesn’t invest heavily in our children, it should be no surprise that we see high levels of abuse. It is sadly noted in Greenville.
“Parents and families are under much more stress than they ever have been,” said Shauna Galloway-Williams, executive director of the Greenville Rape Crisis and Child Abuse Center. The center saw 435 children in the first eight months of this year, a 33 percent increase over 2008, Galloway-Williams said. The number of children under 2 years old more than doubled from 10 to 22, she said.
However, child abuse and neglect death rates have dropped. In 2007, South Carolina had a 1.81 rating, down from 2.26 in 2001.
Kentucky had the highest rate of death due to child abuse and neglect in 2007 – 41 deaths, or a rate of 4.09 per 100,000 children in the state. Other states topping the list include South Dakota (4.08), Florida (3.79), Nebraska (3.59) and Missouri (3.51). States with the lowest rate of child death from abuse or neglect in 2007 are Delaware Rhode Island, Idaho, Maine and Montana.
Experts say stopping deaths due to child abuse and neglect requires addressing poverty, particularly during challenging economic times. While no level of household income or educational level makes a family immune to this issue, a child living in poverty is 22 times more likely to be abused than children living in families with an annual income of $30,000 or more.
We can do better.
Urge your lawmakers to make stopping child abuse and neglect deaths a priority in Washington. The current child protection system is stretched too thin to help all children. Congress needs to adopt new policies and commit new resources to safeguard vulnerable children all across the country. They need your help.
Today is an exciting day for our movement to restore real leadership to South Carolina!
