Cheney returns AMD list

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Steve Landers

There are lots of dangerous people wandering around in right-wing America, but here are the most dangerous of all:

5. Dick Cheney. The Senate Intelligence Committee report is brought Dick out from under the rock where lives to give us a foul-mouthed endorsement of torture. His wacky ideas and serially bad advice are about to infect our national debate again.

4. Ted Cruz. The skillful demagogue commands following in both the Senate and the House, and he is lining up for a run at the presidency in 2016.

3. Antonin Scalia. The bombastic lead singer of the Supremes’ arch conservative majority has thrown discretion to the winds and is commenting on all manner of political issues, most recently the Senate intelligence report.

2. The Koch Brotheras (a double entry). Along with their wealthy ultra-right friends, the K boys are now free to give $8 million per election under legislation sneaked into the recent budget compromise bill by the GOP.

1. John Roberts. Still the most, the Chief continues to lay groundwork ultra-right court rulings down the road that will make this a very different country, one less fair, list free, and less secure.

OUTRAGE OF THE DAY: Poverty’s iron grip in Charlotte

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Steve Landers

Shocking statistics on poverty in Charlotte from Carol Hardison, CEO of Crisis Assistance Ministry:

• A recent ranked Charlotte 50th out of 50 major US cities in people’s ability to lift themselves out of poverty. It is harder for a child born into poverty to escape that life as an adult in Charlotte than in cities like Indianapolis, San Jose, Washington, DC or Atlanta.

• Mecklenburg County has the largest number of people living in poverty in our history: more than 15% of the population (over 150,000 people.) These families survive on an annual household income of $23,850 or less for a family of four.

• The Brookings Institution reported that Charlotte tied for 4th out of all US cities in increasing poverty. Brookings noted our city’s poor population grew by 97% since 2000 – growth that predominantly occurred in neighborhoods that were already impoverished.

Clearly Charlotte’s brand new anti-poverty task force has its work cut out.