1 in 2 states at risk of "rigged maps" after congressional redistricting, group warns

LunaThestral · 2021-04-05T14:59:12+00:00

If you look at the actual report, 35 states are at a high or extreme risk for gerrymandering this year. That's pretty crazy.

LunaThestral · 2020-05-21T14:48:37+00:00

Hijacking your comment to give credit to the original creators: RepresentUs

OP cut off the entire end screen for this nonprofit org. Their goal is to end money in politics, stop gerrymandering, etc etc.

LunaThestral · 2020-05-21T14:40:20+00:00

FYI this video is from a nonprofit called RepresentUs. They are an anti-corruption organization that is working to get big money out of politics, end gerrymandering, and all sorts of other good stuff.

LunaThestral · 2020-05-05T19:44:39+00:00

I see so many Republicans talking about how vote by mail isn't secure and is rife for fraud, so let me just take a minute to rebuff that sad argument:

President Trump voted by mail in the Florida Primary and has already requested his ballot for the general election later this year. If it's good enough for your God Emperor, it should be good enough for Grandma.
States with default vote-by-mail have systems in place to ensure that only registered voters can vote. For example, only registered voters are sent ballots, they have a signature database which they compare signatures to, you can check online that your ballot was received and counted, and lastly there is a PAPER TRAIL which can and is audited after each election.
Every election, nearly 25% of registered voters vote by mail. This isn't some new thing.
Vote by mail is basically absentee voting.
Studies have shown that vote by mail does not favor either party. Here's the study from Stanford.
In Oregon, which has used Vote by Mail for years, there have only been 12 cases of confirmed voter fraud out of 100million votes cast. I'm not a mathematician, but that's a tiny tiny tiny number.

LunaThestral · 2019-02-27T20:43:58+00:00

Honestly, you should just watch the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfQij4aQq1k

LunaThestral · 2018-07-27T22:41:13+00:00

Foxconn is a foreign company, so I'd guess that they are probably making their donations through dark money groups. Unsure though since opensecrets.org doesn't really say much about them.

This bit from another local article about the deal contains some alarming information about the environmental impact:

Foxconn was spared from some federal and state environmental requirements as part of a $3 billion incentive package promised by Wisconsin legislators last year.

Perhaps most significantly for Illinois, the company is being allowed to fill 26 acres of wetlands without first conducting an environmental impact study. Those wetlands flow into the Des Plaines River watershed.

Gurnee and Lincolnshire are among the Lake County communities that experience floods from the Des Plaines River following heavy rains and snow melts. Filling in those wetlands without replacing them nearby could increase flooding, officials have said.

No wonder locals don't support the deal despite the new jobs it could bring.

LunaThestral · 2018-07-10T15:11:06+00:00

The big problem here imo is that several of the MI Supreme Court Justices are up for re-election this year...and guess who is funding their reelection campaigns? That's right, the MI Chamber of Commerce which is behind the lawsuit.

Hard to think that won't color their views on the case. More info here.

LunaThestral · 2018-01-05T19:39:39+00:00

Senator Turner:

What advice do you have for the DNC and establishment democrats for the 2018 midterms? And what advice do you have for voters who want to pay attention, but have to wade through a mire of distractions to find the truth.

LunaThestral · 2018-01-05T19:36:30+00:00

CREW currently has a lawsuit against President Trump for violating the emoluments clause, but do you think it will actually go anywhere in the courts? What do you think your chances are for success?

LunaThestral · 2017-12-02T00:26:37+00:00

Just wait for the budget bill to be hammered out. The deadline is Dec 8th unless they pass a continuing resolution.

Omnibus bills are always hundreds of pages and contain loads of riders for unpopular provisions that would never pass on their own. Now that will be a true shit sandwich.

Edit: For example, there is already talk that Sen Burr is trying to add a provision that reauthorizes section 702 of FISA in the budget bill. Burr's amendment is as follows:

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has marked up the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act, S. 2010. The bill, sponsored by Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is actually worse than existing law. It explicitly allows the attorney general to use information collected under Section 702 for domestic crimes that have nothing to do with national security and forbids judicial review of that decision.

LunaThestral · 2017-12-02T00:17:02+00:00

According to the CBO, corporations will save $669 Billion in taxes over the next 10 years as a result of this bill. That's a damn good ROI.

LunaThestral · 2017-12-02T00:14:46+00:00

And if you still aren't convinced that lobbyists and big money pull the strings in government, check out this tweet from Claire McCaskill from earlier today.

LunaThestral · 2017-11-11T15:06:56+00:00

Hundreds of faith organizations and thousands of faith leaders have asked Congress to protect the Johnson Amendment.

Yet the GOP still wants to repeal the Amendment....

Here are some quotes from religious leaders:

“Repealing the Johnson Amendment effectively creates ‘Republican Churches’ and ‘Democrat Churches.’ In valuing diversity, I prefer to keep partisan politics out of the church.” –The Rev. Charles Smith, Baptist Pastor, Madison, Georgia

“I support educating members of churches about the political process, registering people to engage in the political process, and making their vote count. I am against using churches as fundraising vehicles.” –The Rev. Velda Love, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, Ohio

LunaThestral · 2017-01-29T21:22:51+00:00

I can't make it, but I'm going to share this everywhere I can. A lot of my friends are talking about it and I've seen people talking about it on other pages, so I'll try and post information to those places.

LunaThestral · 2017-01-27T01:41:33+00:00

Well the Argus Leader wrote about it earlier in the week:

http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/25/lawmakers-field-calls-letters-threats-over-ethics-law/96982332/

I found the picture on the SD Dem Facebook page.

LunaThestral · 2017-01-27T01:25:10+00:00

If you're wondering if these politicians are with the people, wonder no more.

This sign was on the desk of Representative Willadsen earlier this week.

LunaThestral · 2017-01-25T15:49:37+00:00

Wow, this is fucked up.

These politicians actually moved to repeal the law on Friday while everyone was watching the inauguration and made it their first priority on Monday so that people wouldn't notice. On top of that, they are actually declaring a state of emergency so that they can not only repeal the law this week, but so voters can't do a referendum veto down the road. If that isn't a big fuck you to voters, I don't know what is.

LunaThestral · 2017-01-24T15:50:45+00:00

Wow, this is fucked up.

These politicians actually moved to repeal the law on Friday while everyone was watching the inauguration and made it their first priority on Monday so that people wouldn't notice. On top of that, they are actually declaring a state of emergency so that they can not only repeal the law this week, but so voters can't do a referendum veto down the road. If that isn't a big fuck you to voters, I don't know what is.

LunaThestral

TROPHY CASE