Tag Archives: human rights

Democracy Day at the Capitol

Posted on January 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

 (cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)

February 1 is “Democracy Day” at the Utah State Capitol.  Three groups are sponsoring this event:  AARP Utah, Utah Housing Coalition and the Community Action Program of Utah.

Com to the State Capitol on Monday, February 1 for a unique opportunity to get involved in the state legislative process!

On February 1, AARP Utah, along with the Utah Housing Coalition and the Community Action Program of Utah, will bring citizens together for “Democracy Day” at the State Capitol. At this special event – held just once a year – you will learn how to become an advocate for community causes you care about, how to follow the legislative process, and how to organize a citizen coalition.

The day will begin with breakfast with state legislators in the Capitol Rotunda, where you can discuss issues one-on-one with your representatives. Later in the day, Lt. Governor Greg Bell and Nancy Amidei, advocate and Director of the Civic Engagement Project at the University of Washington in Seattle, are scheduled to speak.  The event will conclude with tours of the Capitol.

Please join us on February 1 for this exciting event.  Click here to register now.

The event is free, but please click here to reserve your spot today.

 


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Legislators, listen to the people: No raised taxes on food!

Posted on December 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

(cross-posted on Utah Legislature Watch)

A poll conducted by the Deseret News/KSL-TV on raising taxes on food has yielded these results (published in the Deseret News):

….65 percent of Utahns say they definitely or probably oppose increasing the food tax. The survey of 408 Utahns, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, found 33 percent definitely or probably approve of raising the tax.

Two polls published on Utah Legislature Watch support these results as well (here and here).
Despite what some legislators say will be a “break” with a credit at income tax time for low income earners, this will hit those in need more on a daily basis since this population spends a higher percentage of their wages on basic necessities.

Utah legislators, listen to the people: Do not support a reinstatement of the former rate of sales tax on food!

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Buttars at it again….

Posted on November 19, 2009 | Leave a comment

(cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)
Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, is quoted in the Desert News as saying that the recently passed ordinance (supported by the LDS church) to protect the rights of gay people with regards to housing and employment could result in “unitended consquences”.

“There’s a lot of questions. I’m not jumping to conclusions. I’m going to stand still and let the dust settle,” he said. “I haven’t changed my mind about anything, but I do believe people have fundamental human rights. All people do, and that includes the gays. But you’ve got to do it in a way that doesn’t give all those unintended consequences.”

I’m not sure what Buttars means by “unintended consequences”. Could he possibly mean “unforseen”????
Besides, just what are “unintended consequences”? The article fails to quote the anit-gay Utah Senator on that.

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Food Sales Tax Saga: Continued

Posted on November 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

(cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)

Who benefits from food sales tax breaks? Why, everyone of course. Food is a basic human right, whether you are rich or poor. Everyone must had food and must have it accessible.
But there are legislators who feel that the food sales tax break was too much of a benefit to the wealthy and therefore should be reinstated. The state’s Tax Review Commission announced its support for the restoration of the food sales tax rate an, in an article published in the Salt Lake Tribune, the chair of the commission stated:

Like the other groups endorsing the idea of restoring the full food sales tax, the commission said it sought to create a more stable, sound tax base and was not motivated by the desire to increase revenues to help plug an estimated $850 million budget deficit.
“In my mind, the real issue — in spite of the emotional effects — is efficiency,” said Commission Chairman Keith Prescott. “There’s an efficiency issue that doesn’t reach its target audience. By taking the sales tax off food, it gives too much benefit to the wealthy — an unintended, not well-thought-out result of what we got.”

Huh? Excuse me?
The article continues:
While consumers have enjoyed the reduced sales tax on food, implemented in January of last year, state coffers have missed out on an estimated $160 million in revenues.
The commission preferred revenue refunds that would be cost-effective and easy to implement. Several options were discussed, such as tying the benefit to the federal earned income tax credit, adding a few lines on the state’s tax return or increasing the pool of food stamps.
Again: Huh?
This would clearly hurt struggling families and citizens living at the poverty level. Get a credit when they file their taxes? How would that help with daily needs and cash flow? It wouldn’t!
Using the excuse that the sales tax on food must be raised for everyone in order for the wealthy not to be able to “get away” with that benefit is really, really lame. Don’t impose what I consider a sanction on everyone to get revenue from the wealthy. Tax the wealthy on other things such as luxuries. A luxury tax (skiing, recreational vehicles, etc.) would certainly be more in line that with the mindset that the wealthy need to be paying their relative share of taxes in this state.

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**Whose** rights are being violated? Legislative session hot spot on GLBT issues

Posted on November 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

(Cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)

Last week Salt Lake City passed an ordinance that protects persons seeking employment and housing from discrimination because of sexual orientation.
Done deal? Not a chance. According to a Deseret News Article last week state legislators are gearing up for what promises to be once again a hot topic for the 2010 legislative session.

Government and civic leaders said Wednesday the fight will be much tougher in the conservative Legislature, though the odds of passing an anti-discrimination law may get a boost from the Mormon church’s endorsement Tuesday of the Salt Lake City Council’s ordinances. Lawmakers could do three things when they come into January’s general session: They could adopt a statewide law similar to the city’s; they could actually repeal the city ordinance and ban all other local governments from doing likewise; or they could do nothing, which would let the city ordinance stand.

Rep. Chris Johnson, D-Salt Lake will be introducing a bill much like the Salt Lake City’s passed ordinance to afford all persons equal protection with regards to housing and employment.

There are, of course, conservative legislators, ironically property owners, outspoken on the issue:

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Housing and employment protections for gays and lesbians

Posted on November 11, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Salt Lake City Council has become the first Utah City to pass ordinances that will prevent unfair housing practices based on sexual orientation.

In a rare move, the LDS church attended last night’s council meeting to support the ordinances.

THE LGBT community has been working hard to foster a relationship with church officals.  Progress has been made and this is a step in the right direction.

Read the Deseret News article here.

Read the text of the LDS church’s statement here.

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Robbing from the poor to make the poor poorer

Posted on November 11, 2009 | 2 comments

The Deseret News reported today that two Utah Senators are pushing for a restoration of the 6+% (from the current 1.75%)  sales tax on unprepared food.

 

Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, in separate statements said it was a mistake when Utah legislators bowed to the “influence” of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and cut the food tax.

This tax restoration would place undue burden on poor people.  Why should there be a tax on something everyone must have?

One legislator doesn’t think that such a tax would impact poor people:

 

For more than a year, Rep. Kay McIff, R-Richfield, has been trying to get lawmakers to put the tax back on food and, through other means, give tax cuts to low-income Utahns.

 

McIff says the food tax cut really didn’t help low-income Utahns that much, but instead went to large Utah families or more well-to-do Utahns who buy a lot of food — people who likely really don’t need that kind of a tax cut.

From what source does McIff get his data?  What does he mean “didn’t help low-income Utahns that much“? Where is the evidence to back such a statement?

I’m willing to bet that poor people spend most of their income on food while rich people spend a fraction of their income on food.

Taxing food is preposterous.  Don’t hurt families this way.

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Cynthia McKinney finally reaches Gaza

Posted on July 17, 2009 | 1 comment

Cynthia McKinney finally made it to Gaza, leaving just  day from the U.S. after she got back from being deported from Israel after being arrested.  She had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza when the ship she was on was seized and its members arrested by Israeli military.

Here is the note from Cynthia she sent out yesterday:

From Cynthia:

The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, is about to leave Gaza after having been permitted to enter for a period of 24 hours after waiting 11 days in Cairo for permission to enter Gaza. That in and of itself is a major story when expanded to include the inability of Gazans to exit The Strip–even if only to enter another part of their country, the West Bank or to move about freely in the fictional "Palestinian State." I say fictional because it continues to dwindle even while peace talks are underway. Fictional, because Palestinian elections deemed by international observers to be free and fair, don’t count if the US- and Israel-approved party loses, and the winners get to sit for
years in an Israeli jail. Fictional, because they use Israel’s currency here, the shekel, and the international roaming on our US cell phones indicates calls are from Israel.

Gaza is beautiful. Gaza is full of life, despite Israel’s Operation Cast Lead. And now, I have seen, Gaza has been bombed to smithereens. I think I’ve mastered my video camera enough to share some images with you. I’ll post them on the sites below when I return. In the meantime, my fellow Americans and citizens of the world, we have a lot to do to put right all the wrong things done in our name. Much love to all of you who helped me, guided me, prayed for me, to make this successful entry into Gaza happen.

Viva Palestina!!
Free Gaza!!

—
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

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Single Payer Healthcare

Posted on July 10, 2009 | Leave a comment

HR676 call your congresspeople, sign Bernie Sanders’ petition on the legislation for Single Payer Health care.

There is also a blog called Single Payer Action for more information and up to date news on this very crucial issue.

The Green Party‘s platform also advocates for Single Payer Health Insurance.

It’s time we the people took better action on this and stop the corporate corruption between the U.S. Government and the private insurance industry!

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Health care reform roundtable didn’t include Single Payer Health Care

Posted on May 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

Kevin Zeese, an attorney from Maryland, not only spoke out for single payer health care reform yesterday, but was arrested for doing so.

Zeese was among the 8 doctors and attorneys arrested at yesterday’s Senate Finance Committee “roundtable” on Healthcare Reform in the U.S. Zeese has written an article about the event at OpEd News.

According to Zeese, constituents of members of the committee had been voicing their desire (via email, telephone) to have single payer healthcare on the table at this meeting. The answer? A resounding “NO”. It will not be on the table.

Zeese is Executive Director of the Campaign for Fresh Air and Clean Politics (www.FreshAirCleanPolitics.net) whose projects include Voters for Peace (www.VotersForPeace.US., True Vote (www.TrueVote.US and http://www.TrueVoteMD.org) and Climate Security (www.GlobalClimateSecurity.org). He is also president of Common Sense for Drug Policy (www.csdp.org).

Press release with additional links to video:
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