Curry County Democratic Central Committee

January 18, 2012
Today's Theme: Fighting SOPA and PIPA, the Evil Twins of Internet Censorship
	Protect IP Act / Stop Online Piracy Act - An infographic explaining the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA).
	DeFazio on SOPA and PIPA - "Concealed behind these really benign names and embedded in the text is something like what we call malware ... Now we all know what malware can do to our computers. Well this a little bigger than malware that gets on your computer, steals your data, crashes your computer. It could crash the entire Internet ..."
	Senator Merkley Comes Out Against SOPA and PIPA - "Thank you for all the calls, emails, and facebook posts. I will be opposing SOPA and PIPA. We cannot endanger an open internet. Protecting intellectual property is important, but we need to carefully tailor the solution. PIPA and SOPA don't cut it."
	All Democrats in Oregon congressional delegation now oppose SOPA/PIPA - "That leaves [Republican] Congressman Greg Walden as the lone holdout in the delegation. I'm not aware that he's announced his position either way. Of course, he's got a pretty powerful perch on the issue. Not only is he a key ally for Speaker John Boehner, but he's also the chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee."
	Ron Wyden's "Dear Internet" Letter - Senator Wyden is leading the fight against corporate interests that want to take over the Internet. Support him by signing his petition to stop SOPA and PIPA.

January 11, 2012
	Quote of the Day ... "I’ve worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves the lives of others on a battlefield with a medal, rewards a great teacher with thank-you notes from parents, but rewards those who can detect the mispricing of securities with sums reaching into the billions." - Warren Buffett, June 16, 2010
	Research Suggests Wall Street Bankers Knew They Were Cheating Their Customers - "The research provides strong support for the idea that banks -- with the help of pliant ratings agencies -- put together the CDOs and sold them to investors in a premeditated effort to get rid of some of their most toxic assets, or to provide vehicles for clients who wanted to bet against the worst possible assets."
	Over Two-Thirds Of Corporations Pay No Federal Corporate Income Tax - "In 1986, about 24 percent of corporations were what's known as nontaxable businesses -- meaning the companies themselves pay no federal income taxes -- instead passing on the earnings to individual investors to pay taxes on. By 2008, these businesses accounted for about 69 percent of all corporations, a designation that can save companies hundreds of millions of dollars in a single year."
	Kitzhaber makes Rolling Stone's top 12 list of "leaders who get things done" - Rolling Stone magazine has identified twelve "quiet" leaders "who get things done" and are "demonstrating just how effective government can be". In particular, they contrast these twelve with "GOP fire-breathers" like Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio's Gov. John Kasich, and Florida's Gov. Rick Scott whose politics have already failed just one year in."

IN PERSPECTIVE . . . December 3, 2011
What Abraham Lincoln Said About the #Occupy Movement ...150 Years Ago Today
Your conservative friends have probably seen a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln defending the wealthy saying that "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong..." It's completely FALSE. Here's what Abraham Lincoln really had to day about the #Occupy movement, 150 years ago today.

IN THE NEWS . . .
The Staffer Who Came In From the Cold
Mike Lofgren is a respected veteran Congressional staffer who served 28 years as a specialist in defense and budget issues. He retired on June 17, disillusioned with a Republican Party that he describes as "full of lunatics", bearing no resemblance to the party of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Lofgren's article describes in clear, powerful language the how Republican Party of the 21st century is "becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult" that "cares solely and exclusively about its rich contributors."
This is a must read article.

IN THE NEWS . . .
World's Largest #Occupy Demonstration is Held in Curry County
Event organizer Gary Wickham reports that about 100 people gathered for the first Occupy Port Orford event at the chain link fence in front of the Driftwood Elementary School playground in an exuberant and peaceful demonstration supporting economic justice for the 99% of Americans who have been left behind by the American economic and political system over the last 30 years.

VIDEO LOG . . .
The Occupy Wall Street Movement: Peter DeFazio Gets It
Congressman DeFazio delivered a barn burner of a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives on one of his favorite subjects -- how Wall Street is destroying the American dream.

VIDEO LOG . . .
The Reagan Rule
Ronald Reagan: "Do you think the millionaire ought to pay more in taxes than the bus driver, or less?"

VIDEO LOG . . .
Kitzhaber and Hanna on Chinese TV - Oregon Open for Chinese Investment and Business
Governor Kitzhaber and Bruce Hanna, Republican Co-Speacker of the Oregon House of Representatives, discuss Oregon trade relationships and opportunities in an interview on Chinese television.

IN THE NEWS . . .
President Obama Proposes Tax Increase for the Wealthy, Rejects Republican "Class Warfare" Rhetoric
"I reject the idea that asking a hedge fund manager to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or a teacher is class warfare."

IN PERSPECTIVE . . .
American Pie: Wealth and Income Inequality in America
No matter how you slice it, when it comes to income and wealth in America the rich get most of the pie and the rest get the leftovers.
-- FREQUENTLY UPDATED --

The Democratic Party of Oregon is committed to seeking a better future for the present generation and for generations to come.

As Oregon Democrats, we assert that the citizens of our state and our country are the government, we hold up the Bill of Rights and derived civil liberties as the enduring standard of liberty, and we firmly oppose abrogation of those rights and liberties in the name of governmental convenience or security. Where these rights and liberties are not fully realized, we pledge to help everyone within our borders to regain them. We invite all Americans to join with us to re-establish our two-century old democracy as a beacon of virtue that is admired all over the world.

The Democrats of Curry County have adopted a mile of 101 in Curry County between mile markers 347and 348.

With the placements of these signs, comes the responsibility to clean both sides of the highway at least two times per year.

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