Wednesday Must Reads

In honor of Earth Week please read Taking America back from the Polluters  aka the gop.

We must finally put an end to the days when dirty interests — who put their own short-term profits before the long-term health of our country — have more influence than the people.

America belongs to everyone. It’s time to take our power back from the polluters.

On the first anniversary of the BP/Gulf Oil disaster please read Lax Congressional Response to BP Oil Disaster Another Gulf Tragedy?

One year ago today, an explosion aboard the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig claimed the lives of 11 workers and initiated the worst oil disaster the U.S. has ever seen. Thousands of animals in the Gulf of Mexico were killed, many of which were endangered or threatened already, and oil and toxic dispersants continue to impact coastal communities and natural habitats.

Despite recommendations from the Presidential Oil Spill Commission, Congress has yet to pass legislation that ensures safer operations in any water depth, provides better spill response, lifts the existing liability cap or secures funding for restoration efforts in the Gulf.

There is no pretty way to say it...women, strike that, poor women are under attack by rich white men aka republicans. Read Give me your money and your conscience , then read how the gop wants poor women to Trust their Twat to Walgreen's big H/T to Writechic.

Not content to have a go at gutting tenure, the red TeaPublican Alabama state legislature is also looking into having a go at the Teachers Retirement System too. If you can read this thank a Teacher. If you can't read this thank the TeaPublicans.

Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, the House leader, praised the bills, which are set for review Wednesday by the House Ways and Means -- General Fund Committee.

"I believe we've long needed to update the members of the boards overseeing those funds, to make sure they make sound, professional decisions and ... look out for the taxpayers," he said. The state expects to pay a total of $964 million to support the TRS and ERS this year.

Mac McArthur, executive director of the Alabama State Employees Association, said the ERS board doesn't need fixing. "I don't know why anybody would want to fix something that's not broken," McArthur said.

The Birmingham Skews is back with a vengeance after it's Hack Attack! Read, Don't Take it Out of the Oven-It's Half Baked
Power to We the People!

Recently, I wrote a post about the difference between blogs and the big newspapers and why I favored blogs. Reading Archibald’s column today, it occurred to me that blogs allow us (as in “we, the people”) to serve the function that the newspapers once ostensibly served: holding those with power accountable. I see no reason that the Birmingham News and its journalists should be exempt. They have power. And influence.

Check out this headline from The Birmingham News (not to be confused with the Birmingham Skews)Birmingham's Nation of Islam leaders call for firing of officers involved in latest video-taped incident which prompted comments like this;

The Nation of Islam is a joke. Who really gives a rip what they say?

And this

Religious leaders are social gagsters (sic) prey on the weak of mind.

And this

"Granted the police shouldn't have kicked his tail . . . " - I happen to disagree with you: They SHOULD have kicked his tail! They should have kicked it longer and harder! They should have kicked it enough for him to be coming forth with an apology instead of a lawsuit!

Notice how public opinion is focused on the Nation of Islam and not the actions of the Birmingham Police Department?

What are you reading today? Knowledge is power. Share the knowledge.