The Senate now plans to take up a minimum wage increase that excludes certain types of workers, like farmworkers, and includes tax breaks. What part of "no more damn handouts for the wealthy" does the Senate not get? Of course, we the people are not obliged to consider such a bill; we are only obliged to tell our Senators, again, to pass a clean minimum wage increase, unencumbered by any sort of big business candy. Put it to most people and they'd want the Senate to cut the crap already.
The Electronic Freedom Foundation, which is a plaintiff in a wiretapping case against AT&T, encourages us to demand Congressional investigations into Mr. Bush's warrantless wiretapping program using this handy email-writing tool. I am not appeased by Tha Bush Mobb's announcement last week that maybe there ought to be some judicial review to all this wiretapping after all, and neither should you be.
Shock of shocks! The FCC plans to let payola offenders off with only a slap on the wrist, though FCC Chair Kevin Martin might call planned penalties against Clear Channel and CBS Radio (among others) "taking one for the team." You can encourage the FCC to be a little more stalwart against payola (or, for you non-Chuck D fans, the practice of paying radio stations to play certain songs more than other songs) with this email-writing tool. Ever wonder why some songs are hits? Now you know.
Finally, USPIRG has written a letter to the Senate Finance Committee urging them to pass the House's Medicare drug bill, which also permits Medicare to purchase drugs in bulk, and you can sign onto this letter if you like. I'm sure the Senate will play the same games with the Medicare bill that they're playing with the minimum wage bill, all in the name of "getting along" and "reaching across the aisle." If anyone tries to "reach across the aisle" to Republicans, I want it to be because they're trying to slap them upside the head.
Comments