National Conference for Media Reform "Presenters List"
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See comprehensive 50-state campaign contribution details for candidates, political parties and ballot measures at FollowTheMoney.org.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Follow the money really shows what is going on across the nation as it connects the money trail within the power structure of our nation. Delete the scoop?
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The Egyptian president’s Twitter account lashed out in response to a tweet from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Vivian Salama and Mike Giglio report on the social media diplomatic incident. (The U.S.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Ouch! Good reason to include the social media "do and don't do" lessons in schools today. Delete the scoop?
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Reality Check- The Forgotten Lessons of Deregulation and the Unsung Successes of Sensible Safegaurds"Reality Check” provides an in-depth reminder of how deregulation and lax regulation derailed the economy, and puts forth arguments rarely heard in Congress or the media that regulations often exceed their public protection objections for a...
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Grab some coffee, water or tea and find a comfy chair and listen in on this conference session from Public Citizen. This is a meaningful session to listen to and consider. Delete the scoop?
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Eight House Dems are pushing a slate of bills that would roll back key financial-reform laws. 
Monica S Mcfeeters's curator insight,
April 4, 4:25 AM
When we watch what is going on more then the party news we see a fuller view of who we need to change regardless of party. Sadly, both parties often seem corrupted by the money matters in efforts to stay in power. The public needs to step up the pressure to do right on both the officials so we have their backs and on corporations to shine a light on the fact we will no longer support industries that do not support the public interest. When we follow the money trail we usualy find why they support anti-public interest agenda. Delete the scoop?
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Will be enacted in 2015 instead. (Obama Delays Small Firm Healthcare http://t.co/QQkkzOBMLC #cheatsheet)
Coffee Party USA's insight:
so much for Main Street... Delete the scoop?
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Elwin Wilson, who publicly apologized to Rep. John Lewis for beating him in 1961, has died at 76.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
This is an impressive story if you have not heard it you can read it here. Delete the scoop?
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BY JOSHUA HOLLAND originally appeared in Atlernet Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston explains how the economy is rigged to benefit the one percent
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Excerpt: For the lobbyists, they take a very long-term view of this. They get a little change made this year and they say, “It’s no big thing!” A couple of years later, they get another one, and another one, and another one. After 40 years of doing this, you’ve had a very successful career. You’re very wealthy. You can retire. You’ve also managed to totally screw your fellow Americans. JH: I want to talk about one of the practices you describe that I find to be… I don’t know, I’d say shocking, but I’m pretty hard to shock these days. You wrote about this in a Reuters column — how in 16 states, big corporations collect state taxes from their employees and pocket them. DCJ: It’s now up to 21 states. In 21 states, they’ve passed a law that says that taxes withheld from your paycheck, for the state, can be kept by the company. Now, every employer doesn’t get this windfall — you have to have to get a deal from the government to do it — 2,700 big companies, every big company you’ve ever heard of, General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Deutsche Bank, you name it, they’ve got these deals, where they get to keep the taxes. Billions of dollars are diverted this way. You know the best thing for the companies about this? JH: What’s that? DCJ: The workers don’t know, because once the taxes are withheld, the state government treats you as having paid your taxes. You paid your taxes. They just then give a credit to let the company keep the taxes.[MORE] Delete the scoop?
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It may take a couple of elections—but GOP moderation on social issues is inevitable. By Michael Tomasky. (Will evangelicals leave the GOP?
Coffee Party USA's insight:
OK! This really is a new twist in events. This makes a lot of sense. Last I checked evangelism is all about social uplifting and helping others find the right path.... Well, I think I even remember a man that was sacrificed for the eternal life of others to be better. Maybe Easter Sunday got everyone thinking about the idea of putting other people first sometimes and helping them out even if they don’t deserve it.
With that last note I’m off to Mom and Dad’s….I sit there and try to inspire a still active mind to stay engaged as her 86 year old body has been shaken with Parkinson’s, broken by osteoporosis, and slowed by strokes. I will be there for short while, 7 hours away, to uplift my 88 old dad who wears himself out not letting anyone else care give 24/7 and I will listen to his stories as he shares how lonesome it feels to be the last of 10 kids when you once had so many so near. I will be heading up north with 3 dogs in tow and some strong coffee of course. 
Greg Russak's curator insight,
April 7, 9:50 AM
"By 2024, evangelicals will have been up to their armpits in politics for half a century. With what to show for it? A country where (I’m betting) abortion is still legal, and now Adam and Steve are saying vows. And their vehicle for their agenda, the Republican Party, will be walking away from them to a place where they smell more votes (and money)."
I think we sometimes confer too much credit to politicians generally as champions for a set of beliefs and ideals with which we are aligned (or not). Votes, and the money to get them, is really what most of them are about.
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Well, this summer's meeting of the American Legislative Exchange has concluded, and several Mississippi Republican elected officials, including Speaker of the House Philip Gunn (R - Clinton), have returned home with new marching orders from the big corporations who make up ALEC's Board. In celebration of that, here's a music video that explains ALEC:
Coffee Party USA's insight:
It's critical to spot light attention and awareness and make the connections between elected and appointed officials and the behind the scene funders that work to get their agenda passed at the state and national levels if we are to maintain real true local, state and national control by the people of this nation. Most of the corporate interest with the money power behind these efforts are multinational in the sense that they see the people and resources of the world as theirs to own and harvest unto their own pockets and under their own terms. Delete the scoop?
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The State Policy Network is a professional service organization for the "state-based free market think tank movement" whose stated mission is "to provide strategic assistance to independent research organizations devoted to discovering and developing market-oriented solutions to state and local public policy issues."[1] It was formally organized in 1992 by founding chairman Thomas A. Roe, who died in 2000. It was formerly known as the Madison Group. SPN is currently in all 50 states. The current board members are listed below.[1] ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site. SPN offers policy mobilization networks and leadership development. It co-sponsored a summit with the Alliance for School Choice and the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation in 2006. Summit partners included the Agudath Israel of Illinois, Black Alliance for Educational Options, The Center for Education Reform, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy,Parent's in Charge Foundation and School Choice Wisconsin. The SPN reserves the right to "refuse admittance to private events."[4]
Coffee Party USA's insight:
I was searching a group called Acton and ran into this parent group Atlas which is linked to all these other ALEC style mindset groups that attempt to shape public opinion and influence state and national agenda for the advancement of a small group of well-funded interest. From another source watch page: "Atlas has cosponsored Heartland Institute events dedicated to the proposition that climate change is not a crisis and has supported organizations such as the John Locke Foundation which has attacked efforts by state elected officials working on climate solutions with the Center for Climate Strategies.[1]" Delete the scoop?
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A letter signed by 70 congressional representatives over concern for corporate disclosure of political spending will impact SEC chair Mary Jo White's legacy Delete the scoop?
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Eleven states and more than 400 cities and towns have called on Congress to put forward a constitutional amendment to reverse the disastrous Citizens ruling. Delete the scoop?
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The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate-backed organization that creates controversial bills that it pushes through state legislatures.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
If anyone is in Denver right now this is a conference worth catching. Thousands of story collectors and videographers share their hopes and ways for the people to demand a media that makes us better together. I went in 2007 to the Memphis conference and cannot tell you enough how amazing the people behind this effort are in moving others to care. Anyone can attend that cares about anything. They hope to create a network of people that gather truth and spread it around. Had they not been there fighting to keep the net open for the last six or seven years we would have already see the walling off of our connections and the cell phone, cable style service fully in place with ISPs and corporate ad sponsors totally dictating what we have knowledge of. Free Press normally airs as much as they can. Key notes will likely be featured on Democracy now and Link TV (374 direct and 9410 dish or on line) for a while. Powerful...absolutely powerful... Please follow them and join if you agree with this cause of giving all a voice in all media even those we don't agree with and holding on to our open net. This is one of the sessions and I'm sure this group is a key reason we have even been able to hear about ALEC in the media at all. The big media has tried to negatively brand many leaders in this group because this has been a very effective bunch to have to get around but ISPs and Big Media and corporations ofall types keep trying to have it their way. A small army cannot hold a fort forever so get behind them if having free open voices matters to you. Delete the scoop?
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The same Republicans who thought Norquist's infamous comment about "shrinking government small enough to drown it in the bathtub" was witty and wise are now having second thoughts about the idea.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
This is a great blog that ties together how the Sequester is playing out for those that pushed and supported this approach and ends with a very good singing tie in of "Big Yellow Taxi" that fits oh so well into the repeated theme of "You don't know what you've got till its gone". Delete the scoop?
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The Pentagon says it will deploy a missile defense system to Guam.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
This isn't such good Coffee Party News to wake up to this morning so do put your prayers and hopes into working this one out sooner rather than later. I don't think North Korea knows what their inviting if they haven't seen the state of some of our returning soldiers after ten years of re-deployments and that alone should cause them to pause. It was hard on these vets to fight nice in lands where they weren't certain who was an enemy or a friend. North Korea doesn't need to post an enemy target on their chest and dare these soldiers out. Delete the scoop?
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Obscenely wealthy retired hedge fund manager will use strength of money in politics to environmental ends
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Hm-m-m. Now what do we do if billionaires do the "right" thing the "wrong" way? Well, we could pledge to support their products to keep it going.
Monica S Mcfeeters's curator insight,
April 4, 4:14 AM
Nice! Now someone is using money for backing something that really could save the planet we need to sustain us as well as other creatures and plants. Supporting industries that support good goals for everyone (not just investors) is a great idea. I do hope this person and others won't hedge the investment and will invest only on the good and wise plan to get our planet heathty as it can be so the creatures on it (including people) can be heathier as well. Once people put a branding and marketing plan towards getting the planet healthy it really won't be as hard to sale at this point in history. New industries will also rise to meet the needs.
Greg Russak's comment,
April 6, 9:56 AM
Upon reading this and thinking about it some, a couple of quotes by William Tecumseh Sherman came to mind. I think this one fits best for why all of us should embrace and back Tom Steyer in this fight to bring the truth to people. "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want."
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Journalist Chris Hedges marks the day Phil Donahue was fired by MSNBC for opposing the war in Iraq as the day that TV news became a "carnival act."
Coffee Party USA's insight:
We've been bought and sold...so it goes. 
KENNETH B. LANE's comment,
April 4, 8:35 AM
The Rightwing attack upon US Media outlets was amazing to watch. As The Bush Crime Family lied us into the decade long war many reporters and commentators were fired across the land for not touting the Rightwing Propaganda machines views.
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Exclusive excerpt from Neil Irwin's "The Alchemists": How over three days and four nights, the world's leading central bankers came together to try to keep the financial system from the abyss.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
This is a tale about those that control money and how they shape things. Excerpt: He was suggesting that the ECB use its unlimited supply of euros to go onto the financial markets and buy bonds of Greece and the other nations that were having trouble financing themselves. Many of the others in the room were stunned — not just by the suggestion, but also by its source. Weber and the Bundesbank tended to be the staunchest defenders of monetary orthodoxy in the currency union — protectors of the idea that a central bank must never fund governments, lest inflation take hold. The memory of the early 1920s, when runaway inflation rendered savings worthless, was deeply entrenched in the German psyche. Weber, at the helm of the Bundesbank, was charged with making sure that it would never happen again. Delete the scoop?
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Coffee Party USA's insight:
Yet another eye opener about the money that shapes the world that shapes our lives. The time has come when people of our country nor the world can just sit and trust the right things will happen without our personal engagement in the process. 
Portland Coffee Party's comment,
April 1, 11:28 AM
Assuming this is true, how can it be legal? When do we stand together, the 98% and say ENOUGH!
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From Public Citizen :
Coffee Party USA's insight:
Here is more news about money in politics. This is really an area any citizen and whatever age should follow. This affects our lives in very destructive ways when we leave the following current events for someone else to care about while we just look to media as means to escape the unpleasant results of our neglect. Delete the scoop?
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A leading proponent of charter schools may be joining the state Board of Education.
Coffee Party USA's insight:
From PR Source Watch: Joel Bomgar is also vise-chairman for The Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is a conservative think tank in Jackson, Mississippi. Its mission is to "promote and protect the concepts of free markets, limited government, and strong traditional families."[1] It was formerly known as Mississippi Family Council.[2] The MCPP is a member of the State Policy Network. (SPN) From source watch: SPN was a "Chairman" level sponsor of 2011 American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Annual Conference, with a required sponsorship level of $50,000 in 2010.[2] ALEC is also an Associate Member of State Policy Network, as of Aug. 11, 2011.[3] About ALECALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.
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Knowledge of Today: Owned & Operated - A film about Humanity and the World we've built for Ourselves
The real revolution is the Revolution of Consciousness. Join the Global Shift in Awareness!
Monica S Mcfeeters's curator insight,
March 29, 7:46 AM
Powerful!
Share with friends that might care, maybe even a few that don't yet know they should. The language is offensive to many that believe something is just as strong said so that even a 5 year old could repeat it. This is “Pushback” Propaganda for sure...but so was "Smokey the Bear" and is "Just Say No to Drugs".
We willing promoted these propaganda campaigns knowing it was propaganda designed to change behavior we all knew was best to change, but hard to change. That is what I call "pushback" propaganda that society often needs to turn us around to where we know we need to go. We don't see this on mainstream media because this is not the thinking, anti-consumer propaganda they want people to have in their head. This is the push back against the ideas that have been much less obviously placed into our heads that have shaped our less conscious behavior and our lives.
People go to churches and temples much for the same purpose...to help each other remember what's important and repeat those things often enough to shape our lives around those values. That is a push back against ideas and values that misdirect our lives and values.
This film begs people to live life with fuller awareness, not to depress people, but to first see the situation we need to answer. By looking at that situation together we will more likely find solutions and commitments to follow through to shape society and lives where fewer have reasons to be depressed when they look at the world and people around them.
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Here is the not too short of list of presenters at the Media Reform conference that anyone can attend that is going on this weekend in Denver. I see that it continues to grow each year and that is amazing. These are some of faces that fight to keep the net and all types of media and knowledge open and accessable to all people. I call that a democracy top off effort not socialism. I'll bet if you ask them they would also claim to be key players in what someone defined as Aaron's army even if they aren't tech heads..