Illinois Democrats http://il-democrats.org Illinois Democratic and Progressive Organizations and News Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:37:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Ruling Class 10% of the 1% makes more money in a year than 97 million Americans do. The same people due to differed dividends, off shore tax haven banking, stock options in lieu of cash, loopholes, tax rebates on capitol investment and depreciati­on write offs, clever accounting and tax lawyers pay ... http://il-democrats.org/2012/02/the-ruling-class/ GOP says Keeping Teacher Pay Low ‘A Biblical Principle’ The Huffington Post Alana Horowitz First Posted: 02/ 1/2012 4:03 pm Updated: 02/ 1/2012 4:07 pm Someone alert the unions: raising teacher pay will actually make for worse teachers--according to one GOP lawmaker. Alabama state Sen. Shadrack McGill said that increasing teacher pay ... http://il-democrats.org/2012/02/gop-says-keeping-teacher-pay-low-a-biblical-principle/ U.S. Jobless Claims Fall Sharply The number of people seeking unemployment benefits for the first time plummeted last week to 352,000, the fewest since April 2008, the Labor Department said Thursday. The decline added to evidence that the job market is strengthening. Read More... http://il-democrats.org/2012/01/us-jobless-claims-fall-sharply/ American privilege rots an empire from within Well-paid professionals are contributing to U.S. economy’s demise A rising empire rewards people who contribute to its growth and invest in its future. The empire’s decline begins when certain members of society are over-rewarded by means of privileges, and the empire’s money is wasted on outdated endeavors. Against this backdrop, the United States is experiencing a ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/12/american-privilege-rots-an-empire-from-within-well-paid-professionals-are-contributing-to-us-economy%e2%80%99s-demise/ The 1% nearly triple their income, CBO says October 25, 2011, 4:09 PM, MarketWatch.com More fuel for the Occupy Wall Street protests: “The distribution of after-tax household income in the United States was substantially more unequal in 2007 than in 1979,” the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday in a special report. Read the CBO’s analysis of income inequality. The top ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/10/the-1-nearly-triple-their-income-cbo-says/ The study that shows why Occupy Wall Street struck a nerve By Eugene Robinson, Thursday, October 27, 6:53 PM The hard-right conservatives who dominate the Republican Party claim to despise the redistribution of wealth, but secretly they love it — as long as the process involves depriving the poor and middle class to benefit the rich, not the other way around. That is ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/10/the-study-that-shows-why-occupy-wall-street-struck-a-nerve/ Anti-Wall St. movement grows to dozens of cities [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="341" caption="Demonstrators in NY City"][/caption]Over the course of what was billed as "a global day of protest" Saturday, demonstrators gathered in cities throughout the world to rally against what they see as corporate greed and Wall Street's role in the financial crisis. In Rome, rioters hijacked what ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/10/anti-wall-st-movement-grows-to-dozens-of-cities/ What class warfare really looks like By: Dee Dee Myers, Politico.com July 11, 2011 10:22 PM EDT Here we go again. Democrats single out glaring examples of tax preferences or spending priorities that favor the wealthy and Republicans cry "class warfare!" The latest round came in the wake of President Barack Obama’s calls to eliminate tax breaks for ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/07/what-class-warfare-really-looks-like/ Howard Dean to Obama: Get Out of Afghanistan! The former Democratic boss says the Afghanistan war is not winnable, the Kabul government is corrupt, and Karzai is almost as bad on women’s rights as the Taliban. In an interview with The Daily Beast’s McKay Coppins, the emboldened pol also blasts Tea Party radicals on the budget. FULL ARTICLE ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/04/howard-dean-to-obama-get-out-of-afghanistan/ In 30 minutes, 18 state Senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press Scott Bauer, Associated Press – 5 mins ago FULL ARTICLE HERE... MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, approving an explosive proposal that had rocked the state and ... http://il-democrats.org/2011/03/in-30-minutes-18-state-senators-undid-50-years-of-civil-rights-in-wisconsin-their-disrespect-for-the-people-of-wisconsin-and-their-rights-is-an-outrage-that-will-never-be-forgotten/