Lets hope that this passes

California wants to legalise and tax marijuana

Speaking at a landmark press conference today, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced comprehensive legislation to tax and regulate the commercial production and sale of cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol.

“With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes”, Assemblyman Ammiano said. “California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana.”

The proposal is the first marijuana legalization bill ever introduced in California.
“It’s time for California taxpayers to stop wasting money trying to enforce marijuana prohibition, and to realize the tax benefits from a legal, regulated market instead,” said Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML, a sponsor of the bill.
As introduced, Ammiano’s measure would allow for the licensed production and sale of cannabis to consumers age 21 and over. Licensed cultivators would pay an excise tax of $50 per ounce of cannabis. In addition, the proposal would impose a sales tax on commercial sales. (Ammiano’s proposal would not affect the state’s medical marijuana law, allowing patients and caregivers to grow their own medicine.)MORE

God knows Cali needs the money what with that anti-tax obstructionists that are the California GOP, who are HELLBENT on smashing the government to bits and thereby royally fucking up the people they serve. Remind me to track down some links for you guys to catch a glimpse of their shenanigans.

THAT FUCKING EVIL PHARISEE

Sanford Offers Unemployed South Carolina Resident ‘Prayers’ Instead Of Stimulus Funds

Following the lead of a number of his fellow Republican governors, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) has given some indication that he will not accept some of the money slated for South Carolina in the $787 billion economic recovery bill President Obama signed into law last week. “At times it sounds like the Soviet grain quotas of Stalin’s time,” Sanford said yesterday on Fox News.
On C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning, Sanford received a call from a Charleston resident who said he lost his job because he has been taking care of mother and sister, both of whom have serious illnesses. The caller told Sanford he is “wrong” to decline the money. “A lot of people in South Carolina are hurting. And if this money can come and help us out we need it.” In response, Sanford could offer him only his prayers:

CALLER: I hope you all are not playing politics with this. People in South Carolina are hurting. You know how unemployment rates are high right now and going up higher. We are running out of money in the unemployment bank — we need money for that, the people that need help. And I’m one of them, I can’t get no help. […]
SANFORD: Well I’d say hello to Charleston because its home and I’d say hello to this fellow this morning and say that my prayers are going to be with him and his family because it sounds like he is in an awfully tough spot.

Watch it:

MORE

And THIS is supposed to be the party of morals and god. Common decency? Compassion? Some idea of serving in the public's interests??? The cold-hearted, evil, ideologue. I hope his prayers choke him, the fucking Scrooge!


EDIT: Oh yeah.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has said he'll reject some of unemployment insurance from the federal stimulus package. Not to be outdone, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) said he'll not only reject unemployment insurance, but will also "not take $42 million in funding for green buildings."
Yes, because there's nothing worse than paying construction crews to make buildings more energy efficient.
There's apparently a race among some far-right Republican governors -- all of whom are already eyeing the 2012 presidential race -- to see who can be slightly crazier than the other. Jindal is clearly a contender, and Sarah Palin and Mississippi's Haley Barbour are obviously in the mix, but Sanford seems especially driven to get out in front of the pack.
It's leading him to make unusually ridiculous decisions affecting the people in his state, while making truly odd policy prescriptions.

Sanford, asked about the stimulus, said he would probably reject some of the funds. "I think it's a bad idea," he said of the package. "Period. Exclamation point."
"Good medicine to the wrong patient ultimately makes the patient sicker," Sanford continued. "What we're dealing with here is a fundamental misdiagnosis of the problem."

MORE

Also,

Think Progress: At Least 22 Lawmakers Have Touted The Money From The Recovery Package They Voted Against Sen: Mike Crapo (R-ID); Kit Bond (R-MO); Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Bob Bennett (R-UT)
Rep: Frank Lucas (R-OK); Greg Walden (R-OR); Glenn Thompson (R-PA); Leonard Lance (R-NJ); John Mica (R-FL); Don Young (R-AK) Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO); Ken Calvert (R-CA); Pete Hoekstra (R-MI); Adam Putnam (R-FL); Cliff Stearns (R-FL); Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL); Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL); Tom Rooney (R-FL); Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Honorary Republican: Heath Shuler (D-NC)

Can we toss the Blue Dogs and the fundamentalist nutcases of the Republican party off a cruise unto some remote tropical island?

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Brian Jones: The Education Crisis

Public schools are facing massive budget cuts. And as they struggle to keep their doors open they aren't getting the money they need. What can be said for a society that allows its public schools to fail while bailing out banks with billions of taxpayer dollars? We need less testing and more stimulating says Brian Jones. And we need more money not for a few select schools but for every school.

They live their lyrics. Rebel Diaz—Lah Tere, G1, and RodStarz—came together in Chicago a few years ago when brothers Rodrigo and Gonzales Venegas teamed up with Teresita Ayaya and let their music and their activism rip. In their songs they have taken on racism, police brutality, immigration, war, the bank bailout and even Barack Obama's politics. These days, they can be found organizing on their home turf of the South Bronx and performing all over the world–using hip hop as a tool for education and change.

PLAYLIST Episode 9 - part 1

Brazil has a long history of international musical fusion. Indeed, almost every style of music has been mixed up, experimented with and enjoyed by a nation of people who adore music, and love to dance. PLAYLIST visits two different acts who are changing the world of electronica as we know it Napalma and Ramiro Musotto.

PLAYLIST Episode 9 - part 2

PLAYLIST visits the USA, where a new musical genre is bursting out Muslim punk rock that goes by the name of Taqwacore. A fusion spotlighted by the novel The Taqwacores, this is a new punk sound political, rousing and just as important as it was the first time around. Al-Thawra is one Muslim punk rock band currently smashing perceptions, and making their mark.

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Rokia Traore Womad-2004

African Divas - Mali - Rokia Traore - Yere Uolo

Rokia Traoré performs 'Sara' from her 2004 Nonesuch release Bowmboï (LIVE).

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Th fuck does Bobby Jindal sound like an actor on Sesame Street!?1?!

discovering Patti Smith

Patti Smith's "Because the Night"

Patti Smith - Horses & Hey Joe

Patti Smith - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Democratic fucking jackass

Tennessee’s Democratic Governor Weighs Rejecting Stimulus Funds

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen says he’s still among the top candidates for a post in the Obama cabinet, but that hasn’t discouraged him from possibly rejecting some of the stimulus money that President Barack Obama is sending his way.

Bredesen, who says he is “on a fairly short list” of candidates for health and human services secretary, told a Chattanooga paper that he is considering turning down federal funds for unemployment insurance included in the economic recovery package signed by the president last week.

He would be the first Democrat to refuse part of the stimulus for states, joining Republican governors like South Carolina’s Mark Sanford and Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, who is giving the GOP response to Obama’s economic address this evening.

Bredesen is concerned that accepting $141 million for Tennessee’s unemployment insurance would force the state to expand the program and leave state taxpayers with the bill in two years’ time.

“We are evaluating this piece of money, whether it makes sense for us to take it,” he said. “We may well be one of the states that say we can’t take on that portion of it.”

In testimony before Congress today, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said it would “reduce the stimulus effect of the package” to leave the unemployment funds unspent. But Bredesen still likes his chances of joining the Obama administration after a breaking with the president on the high-profile issue.

Republican talking points and all. When are the next governor elections again? That fucking jackass needs to be targeted. Will someone please explain to me why the hell it is that our elected officials seem to be increasing forgetting that they are we the people's PUBLIC SERVANTS????

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How the 2003 Bush Tax Cuts were paid for.January 25, 2008

Lou Dobbs talks about a little known fact to the American people about how the 2003 Tax Cuts were paid for. Little to everyone's understanding, the Social Security Taxes was increased while the Rich's taxes were lowered. It was very slick how this was sold to the American People.