the Sugar Conspiracy 

Blog - Info - Archive - Contact - Links

Friday, May 30, 2003 Endangered species becoming more endangered Conservation groups have learned that the Bush Administration is planning to undermine one of the most important protections offered by the federal Endangered Species Act: critical habitat designation. -clip- This week, the Bush administration will launch its latest attack on critical habitat by arguing that studying and protecting the places that are essential to species survival is unnecessary. Specifically, the Department of Interior is planning to insert language into all future critical habitat designations that argues that these protections have no value in species protection. Critical habitat designation is one of the three essential legs on which the federal Endangered Species Act stands; the others are the listing of threatened and endangered species, and the development of recovery plans. Current rules require that habitat be designated for all species. "Essentially, the administration is claiming that species don't need a home," said Holmes. "We know that the number one reason why wildlife becomes endangered is loss of habitat. If we don't protect the places where these species live, these plants and animals may be lost." More here. posted by chris at 4:31 PM   ------------------ Thursday, May 29, 2003 It gets worse While Bush signed his recent tax cut bill into law, two other very significant incidents occured (without so much fanfare) behind the opaque curtain of the White House. First, the president quietly signed a bill on Friday, immediately after the tax-cut bill was passed, allowing a record $984 billion increase in the amount the federal government can borrow. This was necessary, you see, so that the government can actually pay for all these tax cuts they're giving the american public, aka "the wealthy". Second, the Financial Times reports that the Bush administration shelved a Treasury report that shows the US currently faces a future of chronic federal budget deficits totalling at least $44,200 BILLION. The study, the most comprehensive assessment of how the US government is at risk of being overwhelmed by the "baby boom" generation's future healthcare and retirement costs, was commissioned by then-Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill. But the Bush administration chose to keep the findings out of the annual budget report for fiscal year 2004, published in February, as the White House campaigned for a tax-cut package that critics claim will expand future deficits. Interesting how everything worked out, isn't it? From Tom Tomorrow. posted by chris at 1:40 PM   How I envision the Sugar Conspiracy playing out in the real world Candy Purchase Puts Yet More Money In Raisinets' Bloated Coffers GLENDALE, CA—The already overflowing coffers of Nestlé subsidiary Raisinets were further fattened Monday, when Atlanta resident Jonathan Graber, 11, purchased a bag of the candy at a local convenience store. "Ah, very good... that's another 75 cents for us," said Raisinets president William Koenig, as he observed the Graber purchase on closed-circuit television at the company's Glendale headquarters. "With every bag of our delicious chocolate-covered raisin treats that they buy, we only grow more powerful." Koenig then opened a bag of Raisinets and tossed a handful into the air, laughing maniacally. from The Onion. posted by chris at 1:26 PM   Instant tax-credit skips those who need it most A last-minute revision by House and Senate leaders in the tax bill that President Bush signed today will prevent millions of minimum-wage families from receiving the increased child credit that is in the measure, say Congressional officials and outside groups. Most taxpayers will receive a $400-a-child check in the mail this summer as a result of the law, which raises the child tax credit, to $1,000 from $600. It had been clear from the beginning that the wealthiest families would not receive the credit, which is intended to phase out at high incomes. But after studying the bill approved on Friday, liberal and child advocacy groups discovered that a different group of families would also not benefit from the $400 increase — families who make just above the minimum wage. Because of the formula for calculating the credit, most families with incomes from $10,500 to $26,625 will not benefit. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal group, says those families include 11.9 million children, or one of every six children under 17. from The New York Times via Josh. posted by chris at 1:13 PM   ------------------ Wednesday, May 28, 2003 Fight the FCC USPIRG has a quick and easy way to email the FCC commissioners and Chairman Powell about the FCC's decision to weaken the rules limiting media monopolies. The FCC is probably going to make a decision on June 2, so it's important to let them know what you think. If this proposal goes thru, we will have lost any semblance of media competition in the United States. It's not a good thing. You can also email Chairman Powell directly as well as the other commissioners. Update: United for Peace is planning protests on Thursday, May 29 at a Clear Channel station near you. And Holy Monoploy, Batman! Clear Channel already owns half the world. Check out this link to see what stations are owned by Clear Channel in your city. Do they really need to own more media outlets? posted by chris at 6:38 PM   Going against the grain ActionAid just published a study on GM crops, saying they will not alleviate world hunger like Bush and the GM companies claim. Among the findings are that GM seeds are more suited to the needs of large-scale commercial, rather than poor farmers, and that expansion is driven by corporate profit of four multinationals - Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience and DuPont. Farmers are not allowed to save GM seed from one harvest to the next. "Terminator technology", which produces sterile seeds, is also being developed. There is also "no consistent evidence" that GM crops yield more and require fewer chemicals. Article here. posted by chris at 1:54 PM   US finds WMDs! Unfortunately, they were found in Maryland. . . posted by chris at 1:20 PM   ------------------ Tuesday, May 27, 2003 Trial, Conviction, Execution all in one The US has floated plans to turn Guantanamo Bay into a death camp, with its own death row and execution chamber. Prisoners would be tried, convicted and executed without leaving its boundaries, without a jury and without right of appeal, The Mail on Sunday newspaper reported yesterday. The plans were revealed by Major-General Geoffrey Miller, who is in charge of 680 suspects from 43 countries, including two Australians. The suspects have been held at Camp Delta on Cuba without charge for 18 months. General Miller said building a death row was one plan. Another was to have a permanent jail, with possibly an execution chamber. Article here. posted by chris at 11:32 PM   ------------------

    

Blog - Info - Archive - Contact - Links   2005 © Designed by Chris. Take what you want.