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Wyoming faces an ongoing saga of attemps by ALEC to steer legislation
while pretending that all of their actions are homegrown. Local
businessman Brett Glass became dismayed when a telecom "deregulation"
bill was introduced that would destroy his business but would be a
major help to...
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A good place to start in researching your local corporate-backed policy outfits is the State Policy Network;
pick your state on the linked map and you'll be able to see a list of
"free market" think tanks in your local area. While there is a lot of
overlap, you can also check out the map...
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Last Thursday's Dispatch incorrectly stated that the minimum wage ballot initiative in Michigan
would raise the minimum wage to $7.40. In reality, the $7.40 figure
appears in the bill being pushed by rightwing legislators. Rightwing
legislators are attempting to undercut the initiative that ties...
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An old rule of politics is to not let the perfect be the enemy of the
good. A new corrolary may be: Be wary of letting the good become the
enemy of the perfect. In both Michigan and Pennsylvania, conservatives reading the polls are looking to defuse a ticking political time-bomb: the minimum wage...
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Two states, two different stories. Colorado's House just weakened a bill that would allow workers to take a small amount of time off each week for family reasons, such as parent-teacher meetings. Meanwhile, Arizona's legislature is unanimously moving a bill forward to protect the right of mothers...
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A few folks pointed out that in Monday's Dispatch we had given anti-public school activists too much credit for success when we said that Texas, Lousiana, and Kansas had passed the 65% Distraction into law.
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It's no secret that one of the top priorities for the rightwing
movement has been privatization of public education through vouchers
and tax credits. But the raw fact is that the public has consistently
rejected their initiatives when they've come to a vote-- every time the
voters have faced...
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The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently issued its 2006 version of its "Report Card on American Education",
the organization's annual propaganda that public schools are failing
and that more resources for poorer schools won't make a difference.
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And distraction is what the newest rightwing educational campaign -- the so-called "65% Solution" -- is all about.
The proposal requires each district to spend at least 65% of all revenue "in the classroom." It's poll-tested and sounds good -- Georgia has passed it, with many...
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While Ohio and a few other states have established statewide
voucher systems, the voucher movement has generally been moving forward
more incrementally through privately-managed charter schools and what
are known as "virtual charter schools", online teaching programs
combining aspects of...
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While these facts are unlikely to change the minds of rightwing
legislators looking to hand out slices of the education spending pie to
their corporate sponsors, progressive legislators can use them to stand
up against the privatization agenda and push for the education reforms
that really help...
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Following the 2000 election, everyone saw just how flawed an election
could be. In 2004, even without the same closeness, America witnessed
other problems including extremely long waiting times to vote: a sign
that America was no longer even preparing for moderately high turnout
elections....
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