Mark Maynard | corporate takeover of politics

In a last ditch effort to satisfy their donors, Republicans attempt to kill the ACA and transfer billions of dollars to America’s super-rich by calling it a “middle class tax cut”

By Mark | November 14, 2017

Remember how, this past summer, we all came together, fought like hell, and killed the Republican health care plan that would have robbed some 22 million Americans of their coverage? Well, it looks like it’s time for us to get back in fighting shape, as the Republicans seem hellbent on pushing legislation through Congress before […]

Posted in Corporate Crime, Health, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Affordable Care Act, Alan Greenspan, American aristocracy, asshole CEOs, budget deficit, call to action, campaign finance, campaign finance reform, Chris Collins, corporate tax breaks, corporate tax cheats, deficit, deficit spending, Donald Trump, estate tax, Gary Cohn, Gene Sperling, health care reform, John McCain, Lindsay Graham, Lisa Murkowski, mandates, middle class tax cuts, Mitch McConnell, National Economic Council, Obamacare, Paul Ryan, student loan debt, student loans, Susan Collins, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, tax policy, tax reform, threats to the middle class, trickle down economics, Trumpcare, wealth inequality | 30 Comments

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Emergency Manager takeover of Michigan, and how we allowed it to happen

By Mark | July 29, 2014

I had the good fortune a week or so ago to attend the Netroots Nation conference in Detroit. Among the people that I met while there was attorney Alec Gibbs, who, in recent years, has been keeping busy representing retired public employees left without adequate insurance in the wake of the Emergency Manager takeover of […]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Corporate Crime, Michigan, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged 1990, ACLU, Alec Gibbs, Ardesta, bankruptcy, big banks, busing, Chris Christie, David Koch, David Sirota, Dayne Walling, Democracy Defense League, Detroit, Detroit Public Schools, Ecorse, Elliott Management Corporation, Emergency Financial Control Board, Emergency Financial Manager, Emergency Manager, Flint, grand experiment, Greg Kaza, Headlee Amendment, Highland Park, Jennifer Granholm, John Engler, looming receivorship, Louis Schimmel, Mackinac Center, MEDC, MERS, MI Partners LLC, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Municipal Employees Retirement System, Michigan's aging cities, Miliken v Bradley, money in politics, Municipal Assistance Corporation, Municipal Loan Board, Nayyirah Shariff, NERD fund, New Jersey, New York City, Oakland County, P.A. 72, PA 4, pensions, Pontiac, privatization, Public Act 4, Public Act 72, public pension crisis, race and poverty, revenue sharing, RGA Michigan 2010, Rich Baird, Richard Dunn, Rick Snyder, Robert Perry, SAC Capital Advisors, socializing loss and privatizing gains, steel, Steve Cohen, suburbs, The Plot against Pensions, Tom Zernick, unfunded mandates, union busting, venture capital, water, Wendy Baxter | 41 Comments

Calling what happened during Michigan’s lame duck session “very, very bad,” former State Senator Joe Schwartz blames term limits and the unprecedented influence of corporate money

By Mark | January 22, 2013

As we recently discussed, Michigan Radio, as part of their Issues & Ale series, hosted a panel discussion in Ypsilanti late last week on the subject of Michigan’s newly passed right-to-work legislation. The panel, which included former Republican State Senator Joe Schwartz, Kristin Dziczek, the Director of the Labor & Industry Group at the Center […]

Posted in Media, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Ave Maria, Ave Maria graduates, Center for Automotive Research, collective bargaining, Community Capital Forum, Corner brewery, F. Vincent Vernuccio, get the money out of Washington, Gretchen Driskell, Issues & Ale, Jack Lessenberry, Koch brothers, Kristin Dziczek, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, MEDC, Michael Shuman, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan Radio, Michigan Senate, Mike Finney, money in politics, partisan politics, Proposition 2, Pure Michigan, right-to-work, Ron Weiser, tea party, term limits, Tom Monaghan, union busting, unions | 28 Comments

Winning in November isn’t enough, says Van Jones. We also have to mobilize against Obama.

By Mark | June 11, 2012

I know he’s a big hero to many on the left, but Van Jones sometimes rubs me the wrong way. He’s too smiley, or something. Maybe it’s a reaction to having been taken in by John Edwards, but I now prefer my heros to be a bit more wonky, and bit less telegenic. But, at […]

Posted in Church and State, Civil Liberties | Also tagged Antonin Scalia, Bush tax cuts, Citizens United, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, fear, gay marriage, get the money out of Washington, Grover Norquist, hope, John Edwards, money as free speech, money in politics, Netroots Nation, Obama, Occupy Wall Street, Pell grants, political organizing, Scott Walker, slickness, Supreme Court, tax the rich, tea party, Tea Partyfication, Trayvon Martin, unions, Van Jones, Wisconsin | 11 Comments

Koch brothers, with Citizens United behind them, announce their intention to buy election

By Mark | June 1, 2012

According to a new report in Politico, the Koch brothers, through their various front organizations, are set to funnel $400 million of their personal wealth into this year’s presidential campaign. It’s an absolutely staggering amount. To put it in context, these two men will be investing more than John McCain raised during the course of […]

Posted in Corporate Crime, Free Speech, Other, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged 2008, Ben Cohen, Bernie Sanders, Brawny paper towels, buying elections, campaign finance reform, Citizens United, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations are not people, corporatocracy, disclose act, election reform, get the money out of Washington, John McCain, Koch brothers, Koch Industries, money as free speech, money in politics, Move to Amend, Quilted Northern, RootStrike, Saving American Democracy Amendment, Supreme Court, toilet paper | 22 Comments

Tag Archives: corporate takeover of politics

In a last ditch effort to satisfy their donors, Republicans attempt to kill the ACA and transfer billions of dollars to America’s super-rich by calling it a “middle class tax cut”

Calling what happened during Michigan’s lame duck session “very, very bad,” former State Senator Joe Schwartz blames term limits and the unprecedented influence of corporate money

Winning in November isn’t enough, says Van Jones. We also have to mobilize against Obama.

Koch brothers, with Citizens United behind them, announce their intention to buy election

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