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Thom's blog
The Secret Republican Plot
According to a Center for American Progress report, there seems to be a common goal among all these shadowy PACs that are spending tens of millions of dollars in our elections this year -- they want to protect polluters' profits! CAP has identified 13 Republican backed organizations run by the likes of the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, and Ed Gillespie that have spent nearly $70 million to derail clean energy legislation and elect politicians who have the same goal. On top of that, $242 million dollars have already been spent by big oil in lobbying efforts to defend their right to pollute. Time and time again, as energy reform is debated and pressure is put on big oil to take more responsibility for their pollution, you hear the same excuse: "We can't afford to be crippled by government regulations, we can't afford to invest in new, cleaner technology, we'll have to pass on our high costs to the customers." This is absurd. They can't afford to pay fines when they pollute ecosystems, yet they can afford over $300 million dollars to pollute our politicians and elections? The sad thing is, this is not a coincidence. As we discussed earlier in the week, most of these groups will all get together again in Palm Springs in January to plot how to rig the game beyond 2010. Simply put, this is a conspiracy to buy elections, buy politicians, and to buy legislation for the primary reason of preserving polluters' profits indefinitely -- no matter the cost to the American's national security, American's health, or the commons.
-Thom
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Breaking The Tax - Avoidance Corporate Cycle
By threatening to relocate, companies can be aggressive in getting local governments to offer tax breaks that are never offered for local, small businesses.. For example, by the time the decision was announced on May 10, 2001, that Boeing had chosen to move to Chicago from Seattle, the New York Times reported that the winning destination had “promised tax breaks and incentives that could total $60 million” to seal the deal. “No new jobs are created in the process” of most of these sorts of tax breaks, according to former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich, quoted in the New York Times. “They’re merely moved around. Meanwhile, the public spends a fortune subsidizing these companies. But there’s no way that mayors or governors can withstand the heat once a major company announces it is thinking about leaving.”
So how do we stop multinationals from squeezing major subsidies out of local and state governments to move their operations there, or sometimes simply to continue to stay in their town or state (and threaten to move elsewhere if they are not offered subsidies)?
Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont, suggested a simple solution on my radio show in 2008: “Just pass a law denying federal highway matching funds to any state that participates” in these efforts by corporations to play one state off against another.
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Coming up Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program
Hour Two: German Chancellor Andrea Merkel recently declared multiculturalism to be a complete failure in Germany...how about here in America? Thom confronts self described "racial realist" Jared Taylor, President of New Century Foundation, editor, American Renaissance...
Hour Three: Who are "The Monsters" and how did they manage to fleece America and spawn a global crisis? Economist Michael Hudson will be here...
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.
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 "If you're looking for something that connects the dots between the BP oil disaster, the harm it's done to the Gulf of Mexico and the people paying the price, this book is it. In a clear and compelling voice, it explains the worst environmental catastrophe of our time, then shows the way forward to protect this national treasure, safeguard our future and break our destructive addiction to oil." |
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Watch Thom's new show on the RT channel called the Big Picture, or stream it live from 9 to 10pm, and it repeats at 11. You can catch the shows you have missed on Youtube. |
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The Daily Stack 
Quote: "Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom." -- Thomas Jefferson.
Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be here with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...
Hour Two: It's 'Anything Goes Friday!"
Hour Three: Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) talking about the latest on how the Supreme Court's Citizen's United ruling is affecting the midterm elections, and taking listener questions ...
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Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow urgently. Please help if you can. |
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Libertarian Wayne Root says - President Obama's real agenda is super secret scary...socialism?!
Sheriff Joe Arpaio agrees with Thom - let's throw some rich white guys in jail!
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Show Info
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Hello All