Romney’s indifference to the poor - The Washington Post

Romney’s indifference to the poor - The Washington Post
Robinson writes: "What our society ought to be concerned about is making sure that poor people have the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Liberals and conservatives might disagree on how best to accomplish this goal. ... What we cannot do is simply write off up to one-fifth of the nation’s human potential, as if it were a footnote in a corporation’s annual report."

Business & Technology | Jobs report: 'Game-changer' | Seattle Times Newspaper

Business & Technology | Jobs report: 'Game-changer' | Seattle Times Newspaper

OK, so Mitt said, "Unfortunately, these numbers cannot hide the fact that President Obama's policies have prevented a true economic recovery. We can do better." And Newt even said, "Give him some credit. If it makes you happy, give him some credit." But:
"It is a fantastic jobs report, not a single blemish," said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics, a forecasting and consulting firm. "Jobs were up big, and unemployment was down big. All the leading indicators in the report suggest continued solid job growth at least into the spring." And:
"This is a game-changer," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "The payroll numbers validate, in the market's eyes, what all the other data are saying." And:
"The collective psyche seems to be turning a bit more optimistic," said Marisa Di Natale, director of economic research for Moody's Analytics. "We're certainly going to revise our forecast." And:
"Is it good that the unemployment rate is dropping for Obama? Yes, it's good," said Lynn Vavreck, an associate professor of political science and communications at UCLA. "Does it matter what it drops to? No. That's actually pretty irrelevant."

FAIR Blog » Blog Archive » 'Bard of the 1 Percent' Sings the Same Tune

Naureckas writes: "So while the share of income claimed by the upper middle class has stayed about the same since 1979, the poor and middle class have gotten substantially less while the piece of the pie taken by the 1 percent has more than doubled in size. As it turns out, the real driver of inequality and unfairness--is the financial elite who hog society resources."

Just the Facts: Churches and the Contraceptive Coverage Mandate | Truthout

Just the Facts: Churches and the Contraceptive Coverage Mandate | Truthout
Ludwig writes: "Misinformation on how the rules works has leaked into the media. For instance, pro-life and religious groups continue to claim the rule would force employers to pay for drugs that cause abortion, which the administration says is not the case. ... Here's a rundown of the most important facts according to those who actually wrote the rule."

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dempsey Told Israelis US Won't Join Their War on Iran | Truthout

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dempsey Told Israelis US Won't Join Their War on Iran | Truthout

Good news: "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey told Israeli leaders Jan. 20 that the United States would not participate in a war against Iran begun by Israel without prior agreement from Washington ...."
Terrible news: "But the Israeli government remains defiant about maintaining its freedom of action to make war on Iran, and it is counting on the influence of right-wing extremist views in U.S. politics to bring pressure to bear on Obama to fall into line with a possible Israeli attack during the election campaign this fall."

Plain language in a crisis | Kastan Consulting, LLC.

The moral of the story: Communication in a crisis is important and the language you use makes a difference. Use plain language in a crisis to improve understanding and response time. It may save the life, or limb, of someone you love.

Garbl's Pencil: Ready to write, edit and teach for you

If people can't, don't or won't read your brochure, newsletter, report, letter or website, why publish it? And if people read it but don't do anything as a result, what was the point of publishing it?

My goal as an editor and writer--or as a writing trainer and coach--is to help you connect with people through the written word and prompt your readers to take action that meets your needs--and theirs. I will strive to write or edit documents for you that people will read, keep readers interested, and prompt them to respond while they're reading or afterward.

With more than 38 years of work experience in journalism, communications and marketing, I can help you with all your writing or editing needs. My commitment to you is to write or edit materials that are clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically correct with consistent editorial style, spelling and word use. I also can teach your staff a practical, effective approach to clear, concise writing.

Corporate Rule Is Not Inevitable by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine

Corporate Rule Is Not Inevitable by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine: "7 signs the corporatocracy is losing its legitimacy ... and 7 populist tools to help shut it down."

Van Gelder writes: "In the past few months, YES! Magazine has been researching ways that ordinary people can challenge corporate power .... And we found that there are actually a lot of tools at our disposal." Check them out at this site!

Opinion | Corporate spending and U.S. elections: counteracting the super PACs | Seattle Times Newspaper

Opinion | Corporate spending and U.S. elections: counteracting the super PACs | Seattle Times Newspaper: "A vigilant Washington citizenry must brace for an onslaught of super-PAC-driven attack ads as voters choose a president, governor and other elected officials in 2012, warns Congressman Jim McDermott."

All U.S. citizens--Democrat or Republican or nonpartisan, progressive/liberal or moderate or conservative, urban or suburban or rural--WILL benefit from reducing, if not eliminating, the corrupting power of super PACs on our elections. Legislation or a constitutional amendment or both MUST be one of the highest priorities of Congress, political candidates, and each of us as concerned citizens.

Gingrich and Romney Want to Say Adios to Bilingual Ballots | Mother Jones

Gingrich and Romney Want to Say Adios to Bilingual Ballots | Mother Jones: "We used to have poll taxes, we used to have whites-only primaries, we used to not let women vote," says Myrna Perez, senior counsel with the Brennan Center's Democracy Program. "Policies that would make our ballots less accessible to Americans based on what language they speak would be at odds with that historical arc towards expanding the franchise."

When Twitter Blocks Tweets, It’s #Outrage - NYTimes.com

This article raises a provocative issue for social networking tools around the world: "The announcement signals the choice that a service like Twitter has to make about its own existence: Should it be more of a free-speech tool that can be used in defiance of governments, as happened during the Arab Spring protests, or a commercial venture that necessarily must obey the laws of the lands where it seeks to attract customers and eventually make money?"

Twitter allows users to manually set their locations -- outside restrictive countries, for example -- or choose "worldwide" and see everything. That circumvents the blocking system.