We're At Our Limit

“Using trumped up crisis to raid the public purse and attack the basic rights and benefits is a very old trick - but rarely is the shock doctrine tactic wielded as brazenly as in the pseudo debate about the debt ceiling. This is naked class war, waged by the ultra rich against everyone else, and it's well past time for Americans to draw the line.” - Naomi Klein, author of Shock Doctrine

Never mind the (debt) ceiling. It's time to raise the floor.

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Sign on to this letter to insist our reps recognize the false debt ceiling debate and refocus on meeting the peoples' needs.


Balance the budget on the backs of billionaires.

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Tell every Progressive Caucus member that we expect them to stand by that commitment when it comes time to vote. We want billionaires to pay their fair share, so that programs we need, and have paid for, can be left undamaged.

Meet 11 Billionaires who should help Balance the Budget

billionaireIt's unconscienable that billionaires get huge tax cuts while the rest of us pay a higher tax rate. Not only are they filthy rich, they are undercutting democracy, polluting the environment and war profiteering.Meet the men (and woman) who made our top list.

This week's required reading:

Sam Pizzigati outlines the roots of the federal debt crisis.

"Today, the rich and their corporations no longer bear anything close to their rightful share of the nation's tax burden. The federal government, given this revenue shortfall, is having a harder and harder time funding initiatives that help average working families. The result: a “debt crisis.”
This “debt crisis” in no way had to happen."

David Swanson profiles 11 billionaires who are wreaking our democracy.

"The wealthiest nation on earth is not actually obliged to starve our senior citizens.  We don't need a military 670% more expensive than the next largest one on earth.  We don't need to fund health insurance corporations instead of healthcare.  And we don't need tax breaks for billionaires.  In fact, we don't need billionaires."

Robert Kuttner explains how we must save Obama from himself.

"The worst scenario would be for an outbreak of common sense and self-interest to overtake the extremism of the House Republican caucus. If the Republicans were to accept Obama's proffered deal, they would weaken Social Security and Medicare -- and put the Democrats' fingerprints on the deed -- depriving Democrats of their traditional defense of America's best loved social programs. They would also get a ten-year deficit-reduction agreement that is mostly program cuts. And they would get an austerity package that guarantees high unemployment as Obama heads into a difficult re-election. And a Democratic president is offering this deal!"

Find much more in campaign resources.

We're Not Alone - the Latest Pollsbillionaire_budget_1


Americans have been polled. Now, politicians in Washington want us to believe that the vast majority of us love to pay a higher percentage of income tax than Rupert Murdoch and that Facebook guy.  But, as it turns out, we want to tax the rich (that is, end tax cuts for the rich), protect social security, and cut military spending.  Check it out.

Our favorite video right now:

More of the best videos on the budget problem and solutions on the video page.