economy

As our economy collapses, it doesn't help to learn that Wall Street insiders have been running Ponzi schemes, bilking investors. Corruption has just been rampant in America during the Republican "deregulation" years. This comes from the Florida Chief Financial Officer's Consumer eViews newsletter:

A grand Ponzi scheme uncovered; Florida investors hurt

Recently an investment scam was uncovered in the investment capital of the world - Wall Street. A respected investment manager allegedly ran a giant Ponzi scheme with a possible loss of $50 billion. Unfortunately many investors put most or all of their funds in this one plan. One of the wisest rules of investing is to spread the risk.

Bernard Madoff ran a vast options game made popular by inviting investors into the fold. Anxious for an invitation to join, investors entrusted their money to Madoff. A part-time resident of Palm Beach, Madoff convinced many neighbors, friends and acquaintances to invest in his funds. This type of affinity fraud grows from the natural trust among friends and relatives.

One of the most important thing you can do to influence society is to make sure your shopping habits fit your personal philosophy. Some companies are particularly bad or particularly good in their environmental policies, labor policies, charitable giving, scandals, etc. The money you spend should, to the best of your ability, go to support your ideals and companies that aren't violating your ideals. This is not easy, unless you have a resource that can give you the information you need to make these decisions.

That resource can be found at Co-op America. It is called "Responsible Shopper." I have been using this resource for some 15 years, back when it was a little boolket called "Shopping for a Better World." From their site:

Co-op America's Responsible Shopper provides you with the real story about abuses by well-known companies, gives you actions to promote corporate responsibility, and helps you green your life and world.

I have been doing carbon offsets of various sorts for 2 years now, trying to make sure my family is carbon neutral or better. I do it for my kids because unless things change radically in terms of carbon emissions, all our kids will have definitively lower standards of living than we had. I encourage you to do the same. I recommend either Carbonfund.org or Native Energy.

But it occurs to me that another way to be green is to patronize companies that do carbon offsets. So I want to direct your attention to the list of business and organizational partners that these two offset programs work with to offset the carbon use of those businesses.

Here are some of the companies that do offsets through Native Energy:

Ben and Jerry's ice cream (YUM!)
Cliff Bar
Dave Matthews Band
Aveda
Green Mountain Coffee
Annie's Homegrown Foods
Stoneyfield Farms
Seventh Generation (we buy lots of their paper and cleaning products)
An Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday was a day of action in Washington, DC and Iowa (and presumably other places) to pressure the new Congress to take action on climate change. This comes from the Iowa chapter of 1Sky.org:

Climate Voters Welcome 111th Congress in Visits Across the State

Constituents encourage Congress, President-Elect Obama to jumpstart a green economy

IOWA – In small groups across the state, citizens welcomed members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation with welcome cards calling for bold climate action and a new green economy. Constituents visited the offices of Representative Loebsack, Representative Latham, Representative Boswell, Senator Harkin and Senator Grassley. Iowans delivered a strong message for drastic cuts in global warming pollution, the creation of five million green jobs, and a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.

“It’s crucial that the new Congress and President-elect Obama know what we expect of them in January,” said Anjuli Kronheim, 1Sky organizer for Iowa. “The economic crisis and the climate crisis can be tackled at the same time with investments in renewable energy and efficiency that create jobs and put people back to work.”

This comes from the Campaign for America's Future:

If you will be in the DC area, please join us for an event on November 18th hosted by the Campaign for America's Future to explore real investment in America, during which U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus - and Representatives Keith Ellison and Rosa DeLauro will be speaking.

The need for increased public investment in our country is apparent. America is literally falling apart and falling behind. Our bridges are collapsing and our schools are overcrowded. We no longer lead the world in broadband speed and coverage. America’s WW2-era infrastructure is breaking down.

In the short term, in the deepening recession, the first task is to put people back to work. Investment in rebuilding should be the first priority of any recovery agenda. In the long term, we need sustained expansion of our investment in our future. It is time for a new green deal.

We will meet to detail the scope of the challenge, and the elements of an adequate response. We’ll look at the investment needs, the economic benefits, and ways of financing increased investment over the longer term.

Click here to see the full agenda and RSVP.

Most Americans have never heard of Section 60, let alone visited it.

These come from Iowa State Rep. Elesha Gayman's newsletter:

"JUMPSTART IOWA" PROGRAMS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Governor Chet Culver announced that Iowans affected by this year's devastating storms, tornadoes, and floods can now apply for the Jumpstart Iowa Small Business Assistance Program and/or the Jumpstart Housing Program. The Governor encouraged all Iowans who may be eligible for assistance through Jump-start Iowa to apply.

Financial assistance is available to Iowans for housing and business recovery. Iowans who are interested in the programs are encouraged to call 1-866-849-0323, or visit www.jumpstart.iowa.gov. for more information. In addition to filling out and submitting the applications online, Iowans can also visit their local Councils of Government (COG), or city government if they live in Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City or Waterloo. For the complete list of COG and city offices, please visit the Jumpstart Iowa Web site. The City of Cedar Rapids has asked that affected residents living within city limits call 211.

John McCain has pulled out of Michigan, effectively ceding that part of the rust belt to Obama. Well, I've been saying it for years now, quite literally: It's STILL the Economy, Stupid! That is something the Bushs and McCain have never understood. Americans do NOT want more trickle down "Voodoo" economics when they can barely afford to heat their homes, feed their children and get healthcare.

But there is more news, not widely covered, that really shows the depth of McCain's problems among working class Americans...you know those "Joe Sick-packs" Palin loves to wink at. From the border between West Virginia and Pennsylvania comes the story that more than 400 mine workers walked out on the job after the mine owners and the NRA started filming an anti-Obama ad at the mine:

More than 440 workers who are members of the United Mine Workers of America took what's called a Memorial Day instead of going to work.

Union officials say they took the day to protest after a film crew from the National Rifle Assocation showed up at the Consol mine last week to interview union workers.

They say the crew tried to get union coal miners to speak out against Barak Obama.

I'd say that backfired on the mine owner and the NRA.