Public Citizen

Campaigns

• President Obama: Whip It, Whip It Good

  President Obama has dismissed legitimate concerns about Larry Summers' suitability to be Federal Reserve Chairman, saying that progressives are just making Summers their "whipping boy." But consider: 1. As Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, Larry Summers was one of the men most responsible for the misguided policies that led directly to the financial crash of 2008. 2. As chief economist at the World Bank, Larry Summers argued that "under-populated countries in Africa are vastly under-polluted.” He later claimed that his remark was meant to be ironic. 3. As president of Harvard University, Larry Summers claimed that “issues of intrinsic aptitude” may be why relatively few women have tenured positions in science and engineering. 4. As director of the White House National Economic Council under President Obama, Larry Summers drafted the plans that resulted in the inadequate stimulus and premature deficit reduction that have made the Great Recession worse and longer. You almost have to wonder if Larry Summers has ever had a job he's done well!

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  Created by Glenn
• Tell the IRS: Enforce the Law, Stop Secret Campaign Spending

  In the wake of the Supreme Court’s horrendous Citizens United ruling, some tax-exempt special interest groups are exploiting an IRS rule to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into elections from undisclosed sources. Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS alone spent more than $70 million in “Dark Money” in the 2012 elections. These so-called “social welfare” organizations, which qualify as tax exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, give the super-rich and corporations a way to secretly spend unlimited amounts of money on campaign advertising. The victims of attack ads from these groups are hamstrung in fighting back, because they are unable to identify and publicize the vested interests that are attacking them. But here’s the thing: Federal law says that 501(c)(4) organizations must be devoted *exclusively* to social welfare. By permitting these groups to operate as tax exempt despite spending as much as half of their revenue influencing elections, the Internal Revenue Service is enabling — even encouraging — them to flout the law. If the IRS enforced the law that Congress enacted, 501(c)(4) organizations would not be permitted to engage in substantial election-related activities. Instead, people who wanted to contribute to influence elections would have to give money to political committees, which are set up for that purpose and which must disclose their donors. Reform advocates have filed a lawsuit to force the IRS to change its rules to comply with the law. But no lawsuit should be necessary. The IRS can and should correct its position on its own. Tell the IRS to enforce the law and end Dark Money election spending.

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• President Obama: Come Clean About Domestic Spying

  We’re learning more and more about National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance of a massive percentage of domestic phone and Internet communications involving ordinary Americans. National security has not suffered one bit — because any terrorists already assume that everything they do is being monitored — but these revelations have initiated a vital discussion over Americans’ legitimate concerns about their privacy. All major phone companies turn over vast quantities of data for government surveillance. The U.S. Postal Service photographs the exterior of every piece of mail it handles. The NSA can touch 75% of all Internet traffic in the country. What else is the government tracking indiscriminately: credit card transactions, medical records, who flosses and who doesn’t? There is no conceivable danger to national security in revealing how much our own government is spying on us. But we are in grave peril if we don’t know the true extent to which our constitutional rights to privacy, freedom of speech and freedom of association are subject to the prying eyes of Big Brother.

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• Break Up the Big Banks: They Were “Too Big to Fail” Then, They Are Even Bigger Now

  It has been five years since Lehman Brothers collapsed, bringing the house of cards known as Wall Street crashing down and catalyzing a global economic catastrophe. While the people of Main Street have barely even begun to recover, the banks on Wall Street — after getting bailed out by the American taxpayers — are back to business, and profits, as usual. In fact, the very banks that cried “too big to fail” have only gotten bigger. In 2008, the four biggest banks in America — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wachovia/Wells Fargo — held $6.4 trillion in assets. Today, those four banks have grown nearly 22% bigger, with $7.8 trillion in assets. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We simply must break up these colossal institutions so that they can never again hold us hostage to their own greed and shortsightedness.

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• Do NOT “Negotiate” Over Medicare and Social Security to End the Shutdown or to Raise the Debt Cei...

  The extreme right wing of the Republican Party engineered the shutdown — and is further maneuvering to ransom the full faith and credit of the United States government — in a desperate ploy to force their radical, regressive policies on the Democrats, the American people, and the global economy. Now, Republican leaders like Paul Ryan are proposing “reforms” of Medicare and Social Security if only President Obama would deign to “negotiate” with them. If I steal your bicycle, and then tell you that I’ll only give it back if you let me keep the wheels and the handlebars, would it be reasonable for me to accuse you of refusing to “negotiate” because you want your bike back completely intact? This is not negotiation. It is not democracy. It’s kindergarten. And the radical right still doesn’t play will with others. Make no mistake, the Medicare and Social Security “reforms” that Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders have in mind include raising eligibility ages, cutting benefits, limiting participation or even excluding some seniors altogether, and, ultimately, privatizing both of these essential programs right out of existence. We simply must not allow this.

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• Wait, The NSA Thinks Its Rights Have Been Violated?

  If you’re going to secretly spy on millions of American citizens, you should probably learn to live with some criticism once your operation is exposed. But the National Security Agency — despite conducting a massive, unprecedented, and possibly unconstitutional domestic espionage operation where it monitors the phone calls and emails of most of the American people — is bent out of shape over a T-shirt. You read that right. The NSA has forced an entrepreneur in Minnesota to stop selling T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and other products featuring a design that adds the parody slogan “Spying On You Since 1952” to the agency’s official seal. Apparently, the NSA — which may well be snooping on you right now — thinks a parody T-shirt will be the thing that damages its reputation. The First Amendment clearly allows for this kind of “fair use” of logos associated with federal government agencies. It is the NSA, and its extensive spying on the American people, that may be in violation of the Bill of Rights. Sign the petition to tell the NSA to stop harassing Americans who are exercising their constitutional rights.

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• Tell Toys R US to End its Anti-Education, Anti-Environment Ad Campaign

  Nature is lame. Plastic toys are better than science and environmental education. That’s the message conveyed by the new Toys “R” Us commercial about the “best field trip” kids could “wish for.” The ad depicts bored, yawning kids on a school bus labeled “Meet the Trees Foundation” as they begin a nature-oriented field trip. The kids are then showered with confetti as they jump for joy at the guide’s announcement that they’re actually taking a trip to Toys “R” Us — where the fun is, according to the ad. Children are already constantly bombarded with commercial messages suggesting that fun and childhood go hand in hand with an endless supply of plastic toys and violent video games. But we can’t recall an ad that so mocked education and nature in order to promote material consumption. The marketing campaign not only focuses children in the wrong direction, it burdens parents by undermining their efforts to make their children enthusiastic about school activities. The commercial is irresponsible and contrary to American values.

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• Tell the Federal Communications Commission: Do NOT Allow Cell Phone Calls on Airplanes

  For years, the government has prohibited cell phone use on planes for fear of interference with essential communications. But with technological improvements, that is no longer a concern. So, the Federal Communications Commission may lift the 22-year-old ban on cell phone use during flights. If being stuck in a metal tube miles above the earth amid the cacophony of other passengers’ phone calls sounds dreadful to you, sign the petition right now. Using cell phones in-flight for texting, email and the Internet is fine. But phone calls should wait until the plane has landed. Let’s mobilize for a little peace and quiet: Tell the Federal Communications Commission to continue prohibiting cell phone calls on airplanes.

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• Iowa: Take a Stand Against Corruption of Our Democracy

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in 'Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission' struck down some laws restricting corporate and union spending in elections. The ruling enabled an explosion of election spending, often from secret sources. Americans of all political stripes were outraged. Iowa saw more than $13.5 million in new super PAC election spending in the 2012 Republican presidential primary alone — most of it spent on negative ads. Such influxes of election cash stand to have the greatest effect on state and local elections, where huge spending increases can dwarf local resources. With our democracy in crisis, the time to act is now. Americans across the political spectrum are concerned about the impact of 'Citizens United' on our democracy and our way of life. Together, we have an opportunity to reach out — across the aisle or across town — to undo the ruling with a constitutional amendment. It’s time for Iowa’s city and county governments to join some 500 municipalities nationwide that have called for a constitutional amendment to limit outside spending and keep local elections local. And it’s time for the General Assembly to make Iowa the 17th state to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn 'Citizens United' and related cases.

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• Tell Congress to Make Advertisers Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes

  Under one provision of a tax bill in Congress, businesses would no longer be able to take one-time tax deductions for all of the billions and billions they spend on marketing. A top advertising industry lobbyist said it was "a dreadful idea." So we know it would be effective. With advertising spending expected to increase, just in the U.S., to $160.8 billion in 2014 -- much of it targeting children, promoting unhealthy foods and products, or encouraging over-consumption -- closing this loophole that incentivizes excessive marketing would be a much-needed reform. Business expenses such as rent and utilities are immediately and fully deductible because at any moment in time they are essential to being in business. But because money spent on advertising can pay off over many years, this reform would require tax write-offs for advertising to be spread out over time as well. The reform is projected to increase federal tax revenue by $169 billion over the next ten years. That's revenue that could help fund important education, health care and other government programs.

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