From CNN
Washington (CNN) -- Two days before the deadline for a possible U.S. government default, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reached agreement Sunday on a legislative package that would extend the federal debt ceiling while cutting spending and guaranteeing further deficit-reduction steps.
The proposed $3 trillion deal, which still requires congressional approval, brought some immediate relief to global markets closely watching the situation play out and a nation filled with anger and frustration over partisan political wrangling that threatened further economic harm to an already struggling recovery.
However, there was no guarantee the plan will win enough support to pass both chambers of Congress.
Democratic and Republican leaders in both the House and Senate were briefing their caucuses about the agreement on Sunday night or Monday.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, earlier told CNN that cuts to military spending were a final sticking point.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, told reporters that she needs to see "the final product" in writing before she can decide if she supports it.
Pelosi said she would meet with the House Democratic caucus on Monday to discuss the matter.
"I don't know all the particulars of what the final product is in writing and what the ramifications will be," Pelosi said, noting the measure will have an impact for a decade or more. Asked about the outcome, she warned: "We all may not be able to support it or none of us may be able to support it."
In the face of an August 2 deadline to get new authorization to borrow money or face a possible government default, congressional leaders and the White House were trying to complete the agreement that would extend the debt limit through 2012 -- a presidential election year.
Earlier, Reid's Republican counterpart in the Senate said the two parties were "very close" to reaching a deal that would bring $3 trillion in deficit reduction.
"We had a very good day yesterday," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told CNN, adding that the two sides "made dramatic progress" in negotiations on a deal that would cut government spending and raise the federal debt ceiling.
Another Republican senator, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, later told reporters he expected a Monday vote on a compromise.
"It feels like they're going to finish the deal today and then we'll have the vote tomorrow," Isakson said, adding he supports the plan under discussion.
Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration agreed that progress has been made.
"If there's a word right here that would sum up the mood, it would be relief -- relief that we won't default," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on CNN. "That's not a certainty, but default is far less of a possibility now than it was even a day ago."
If Congress fails to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Tuesday, Americans could face rising interest rates and a declining dollar, among other problems.
Some financial experts have warned of a downgrade of America's triple-A credit rating and a potential stock market plunge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped for a sixth straight day on Friday.
Without an increase in the debt limit, the federal government will not be able to pay all its bills next month. President Barack Obama recently indicated he can't guarantee Social Security checks will be mailed out on time.
In Afghanistan on Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen was unable to assure U.S. troops they would get their paychecks following the August 2 deadline without a deal. Mullen said August 15 would be the first payday jeopardized if the United States defaults.
Last week, a Department of Defense official told CNN on condition of not being identified that "it's not a question of whether, but when" military pay gets withheld if no agreement is reached.
Vice President Joe Biden arrived at the White House on Sunday morning, though no additional formal talks involving the administration and congressional leaders have been announced. A Democratic source told CNN on condition of not being identified that Biden was engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations with both congressional legislators and the administration.
Initial news of a possible deal came shortly after the Senate delayed consideration of a debt ceiling proposal by Reid late Saturday night, pushing back a key procedural vote by 12 hours. When that vote occurred on Sunday afternoon, Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on the Reid proposal and move to a vote, extending consideration of the plan while negotiations continue.
The vote was 50-49, short of the super-majority of 60 required to pass.
Reid plans to insert a negotiated final agreement into the proposal once a deal has been reached. When it became clear that Democrats would lose Sunday's vote, Reid voted against his own plan in a procedural move to preserve the ability to bring it up again.
According to McConnell and other congressional and administration officials interviewed Sunday, as well as various sources who spoke to CNN on condition of not being identified, the deal under discussion would be a two-step process intended to bring as much as $3 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.
Some sources provided differing targets for the total, ranging from $2.4 trillion up to $3 trillion.
A first step would include about $1 trillion in spending cuts while raising the debt ceiling about the same amount. The proposal also would set up a special committee of Democratic and Republican legislators from both chambers of Congress to recommend additional deficit reduction steps -- including tax reform as well as reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
The committee's recommendations would be put to a vote by Congress, without any amendments, by the end of the year. If Congress fails to pass the package, a so-called "trigger" mechanism would enact automatic spending cuts. Either way -- with the package passed by Congress or the trigger of automatic cuts -- a second increase in the debt ceiling would occur, but with an accompanying congressional vote of disapproval.
In addition, the agreement would require both chambers of Congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such an amendment would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to pass, followed by ratification by 38 states -- a process likely to take years.
Schumer told CNN that a main sticking point still under discussion was the trigger mechanism of automatic spending cuts in case Congress fails to enact the special committee's recommendations.
According to sources, cuts in the trigger mechanism would be across-the-board, including Medicare and defense spending, to present an unpalatable alternative for both parties in the event Congress fails to pass the special committee's proposal.
"You want to make it hard for them just to walk away and wash their hands," Gene Sperling, the director of Obama's National Economic Council, told CNN. "You want them to say, if nothing happens, there will be a very tough degree of pain that will take place."
Preliminary reaction showed sensitivity to that pain. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, said the automatic spending cuts under a trigger mechanism should not affect Medicare benefits for senior citizens.
"The way we understand it's going to be worded is it does not affect beneficiaries. It would affect providers and insurance companies," Levin said. "That should be the case, because if it hits beneficiaries, you're going to lose lots of Democratic votes."
Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, an aide to former Republican President George W. Bush, warned that automatic spending cuts for the military under the trigger would put national security at risk.
"By exposing critical defense programs to disproportionate cuts as part of the 'trigger mechanism,' there is a clear risk that key defense programs will be hollowed out," Bolton said in a statement.
Overall, the agreement under discussion would increase the debt limit in two stages, both of which would occur automatically -- a key Democratic demand that would prevent a repeat of the current crisis before the next election.
McConnell, who appears to have become the lead Republican negotiator, said he is "very, very close to being able ... to recommend to my members that this is something that they ought to support."
The deal will not include tax increases, McConnell added, expressing a key demand of Republicans. Obama has pushed for a comprehensive approach that would include additional tax revenue as well as spending cuts and entitlement reforms to reduce budget deficits.
Reid, D-Nevada, said Saturday night that the delay in considering his proposal was additional time for negotiations at the White House.
His announcement capped a day of sharp partisan voting in the House and extended talks behind closed doors between congressional and administration officials. Concern continued to grow that Congress will fail to raise the nation's debt ceiling in time to avoid a potentially devastating national default this week.
Earlier Saturday, the Republican-controlled House rejected Reid's plan -- partisan payback for the Democratic-controlled Senate's rejection of Boehner's plan Friday night.
House members rejected Reid's plan in a 246-173 vote. Most Democrats supported the measure; every Republican voted against it.
For their part, Republicans continued to trumpet Boehner's proposal. The measure won House approval Friday, but only by a narrow margin after a one-day delay during which the speaker was forced to round up support from wary tea party conservatives.
Boehner's deal with conservatives -- which added a provision requiring congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment in order to raise the debt limit next year -- was sharply criticized by Democrats, who called it a political nonstarter.
Democratic leaders vehemently object not only to the balanced budget amendment, but also the GOP's insistence that a second debt ceiling vote be held before the next election. They argue that reaching bipartisan agreement on another debt ceiling hike during an election year could be nearly impossible, and that short-term extensions of the limit could further destabilize the economy.
Leaders of both parties now agree that any deal to raise the debt ceiling should include long-term spending reductions to help control spiraling deficits. But they have differed on both the timetable and requirements tied to certain cuts.
Boehner's plan proposed generating a total of $917 billion in savings while initially raising the debt ceiling by $900 billion. The speaker has pledged to match any debt ceiling hike with dollar-for-dollar spending cuts.
His plan would require a second vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling by a combined $2.5 trillion -- enough to last through the end of 2012. It would create a special congressional committee to recommend additional savings of $1.6 trillion or more.
Any failure on the part of Congress to enact mandated spending reductions or abide by new spending caps would trigger automatic across-the-board budget cuts.
The plan also calls for congressional passage of a balanced budget amendment before the second vote to raise the debt ceiling.
Reid's plan, meanwhile, would reduce deficits over the next decade by $2.4 trillion and raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount. It includes $1 trillion in savings based on the planned U.S. withdrawals from military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Reid's plan also would establish a congressional committee made up of 12 House and Senate members to consider additional options for debt reduction. The committee's proposals would be guaranteed by a Senate vote with no amendments by the end of the year.
In addition, it incorporates a process based on a proposal by McConnell that would give Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling in two steps while providing Congress the opportunity to vote its disapproval.
Among other things, Reid has stressed that his plan meets the key GOP demand for no additional taxes. Boehner, however, argued last week that Reid's plan fails to tackle popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, which are among the biggest drivers of the debt.
A recent CNN/ORC International Poll reveals a growing public exasperation and demand for compromise. Sixty-four percent of respondents to a July 18-20 survey preferred a deal with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Only 34% preferred a debt reduction plan based solely on spending reductions.
According to the poll, the public is sharply divided along partisan lines; Democrats and independents are open to a number of different approaches because they think a failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause a major crisis for the country. Republicans, however, draw the line at tax increases, and a narrow majority of them oppose raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances.
Bout fucking time! And to all you 535 members of Congress, vote yes!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sarah Palin still does not get it
For starters, it was George Bush who signed TARP into law. He made this mess not Obama. 99.9% of people agree the debt ceiling should be raised. The reason the Republicans do not want to raise the debt ceiling is in order to impeach Obama since he does not get blow jobs from interns.
Why Mitt Romney would make a crappy president
Mitt had the worst job creation record in the country during his tenure.
Mitt also said his sons helping him get elected president was the most patriotic thing they can do.
Mitt also committed voter fraud
He is also a colossal flip-flopper who will say and do anything to get elected president.
Not a guy I want as president
Reason #77 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
Prisongate
Something doesn't appear to be right at the Alaska's Department of Corrections. Some of the events described below date from April 2008, but one of them is as recent as December 2008. I researched the issues quite fully and could not find references to any substancial changes in procedures or approach since the problems started. As a matter of fact, the excuses offered by the very people in charge suggest that there was never any intention to take any measures to address a number of grievances.
I have separated the issues according to the people responsible, to show the consistency in their responses to criticism. They are: Joe Schmidt, Commissioner for the Department of Corrections, Dr Rebecca Bingham, Clinical Director for the same department and Governor Sarah Palin, who's responsible for the appointments of heads of departments.
I must point out that what brought these issues to my attention was a brief article in the Anchorage Daily News about Governor Sarah Palin choosing Commissioner Joe Schmidt to be next in line to take the reins as governor of Alaska should anything happen to herself or lieutenant governor Sean Parnell. Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt attended Wasilla High School together and she appointed him to the top job in the Department of Corrections when she was elected governor in 2006.
A comment on another article, (Stumper, by Andrew Romano, Newsweek) prompted some more digging into the problems faced by prison staff and inmates.
Posted By: akcorrec (October 8, 2008 at 1:33 AM)
"I am a female and work at Alaska’s only maximum security prison. Sarah Palin appointed a good buddy of hers to be our Commissioner of Corrections, Joe Schmidt. Joe Schmidt has deliberately made management decisions that have made our jobs, as correctional officers, more life threatening.
We tried going to Sarah Palin with our concerns but she wouldn’t listen to us. We then decided to submit a ‘no confidence’ vote in Schmidt. Out of the 733 correctional officers working in the state of Alaska over 500 of us voted. Out of those, less than 20 said they had confidence in Schmidt. The rest of us voted ‘no confidence’ in his leadership. This was unprecedented. At no time, before Schmidt was appointed as our commissioner, had we ever initiated a ‘no confidence’ vote in one of our commissioners.
Surely now, we thought, our governor Sarah Palin will hear and investigate our concerns regarding Joe Schmidt. That didn’t happen. Rather, she publicly said that she stood by Schmidt and that 97% of Alaska’s correctional officers are just a bunch of "disgruntled employees".
MRSA is running rampant in our institutions and we are deliberately being understaffed. Joe Schmidt is not only allowing understaffing but is actively encouraging it.
Prisoners with MRSA are being treated but not officially diagnosed with the bacterium. By not having cultures done, to determine the presence of MRSA, they are then able to be released right back out into the general prisoner population. If they were officially diagnosed then they’d have to be medically isolated. Consequently other prisoners and staff members keep contracting MRSA.
When a staff member contracts it, we’ve had two new cases in the last month and a half alone at my facility, they are told to "pin point exactly" where in the institution they contracted it. It’s a bacterium that can only be seen under an electron microscope yet we’re supposed to say exactly where we got it???
The department, under Joe Schmidt’s leadership, will not pay medical costs or reimburse leave time used, for any staff members that come down with MRSA unless they can prove that they got it at work. The very same place that contagious prisoners are being treated and then sent back home to their cells to expose every other prisoner and staff member they come into contact with.
We are also constantly under staffed. Rather than calling officers in on overtime, when we’re under manned, we’re left short handed. There are many officers willing to come in and work. All the department has to do is ask.
We also have mandatory posts that are never to be left unmanned. They are being manned by "phantom" officers. Which is to say one officer assigned to two posts. The officer’s name will be filled in, on paper, as filling in a certain post when in actuality he or she is working another one as well.
Twice, in the last year, we’ve had "man down" alarms go off in the facility and not enough officers to be able to allow anyone to respond to the emergency. By the grace of God, both times, the alarms were accidentally set off and no officer’s life was in actual jeopardy. But we may not always be so fortunate. When that happens, whether an officer loses his or her life to MRSA or a prisoner assault, we’ll be able to credit Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt with murder."
Prisongate, in three parts.
Joe Schmidt
The Alaska Correctional Officers Association gave the state corrections commissioner Joe Schmidt a "no confidence" censure vote on Tue, April 22, 2008. ACOA union members voted 514 to 19 against Schmidt.
Overcrowded prisons, a drug-resistant skin infection being passed around the prisoner population and staff, plus a no-confidence vote for Commissioner Joe Schmidt are some of the problems faced by Alaska's Department of Corrections.
It is accepted that Alaska's jails are filled beyond capacity. But there are differing opinions about whether the state is doing enough to keep the facilities safe and clean.
There are more inmates than ever at Anchorage Correctional Complex. Alaska Correctional Officers Association, which represents officers, says the state is reducing the number of guards patrolling the jails.
Commissioner Joe Schmidt and his deputy commissioners claim the union is playing dirty to get more control over the department and its management. "I felt bullied," he said.
Schmidt claims he has made a lot of difficult changes since being appointed at the end of 2006 - reducing overtime, promoting rehabilitation programs, and pushing aggressively for ways to reduce costs and the state's staggering 60 percent of offenders who end up back in jail. .
Governor Sarah Palin released this statement at the time:
April 22, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her full support for Department of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt. The Alaska Correctional Officers Association voted today in favor of a "no confidence" measure.
"Commissioner Schmidt has my full support as he and his team continue to bring remarkable reforms to the Department of Corrections," Governor Palin said. "As Commissioner, Joe has emphasized recruitment and hiring new correctional officers, bringing 34 new officers on board in FY 2007 with an additional 43 authorized for FY 2008. Joe’s strength is his respect for the hard work and talent of his department’s employees, and his understanding of the role the department plays in protecting the public, while providing offenders with the opportunity to successfully return to society. Joe has my unconditional support."
Rebecca Bingham
Rebecca Bingham is the Department of Corrections Clinical Director.
MRSA is rampant behind bars in Anchorage. The guards say the administrators are not doing enough to keep them safe in the state's overcrowded prisons. They say the department won't acknowledge dangerous health issues, like constant exposure to MRSA, a difficult-to-treat staph infection.
But the Clinical Director refuted that claim. "Once they are in here, as long as the institution is keeping things relatively clean and the inmates and officers are washing their hands frequently, it really has a much lower level than the outside," said Dr Rebecca Bingham. She also said that although the DOC doesn't track cases of MRSA, she believes there are four unconfirmed cases of the infection.
The state says it is doing its best to keep the jails clean and safe.
A more recent case illustrates Dr Bingham's attitude to prisoners' health.
Joseph Alexie, an Alaska Native, died of tuberculosis on December 9, 2008, while held at Red Rock correctional center in Arizona. Alaska Department of Corrections has a contract with Red Rock to house Alaskan inmates. Although Joseph Alexie was in Arizona when he died, he was governed by the Alaska's department health standards.
"Occasionally villages will have an outbreak of tuberculosis where quite a few people get exposed and go on the INH treatment, but it is pretty rare in the United States for someone to die from it," said Clinical Director Dr. Rebecca Bingham.
Myra Colley, Joseph Alexie's cousin, had a different view."He kept going and trying to get checked up, but they kept sending him away telling him it was bronchitis, or this or that, and they were just giving him a wrong diagnosis every time, without really giving him any medical attention."
His family said no matter what his crimes, he should not have died behind bars from a controllable and treatable disease.
Though bound by federal laws not to talk about the health of specific inmates, Dr Bingham said that if they had known an inmate was that sick, they would have treated him. "Joseph didn't tell anyone he was feeling bad in time."
Joseph Alexie was set to get out of jail in June 2009.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has been sued by a prisoner named Berry L Jack, who claimed he was raped for 3 days, treated at a medical facility, and then denied recommended therapy.
Jack brought the suit against Sarah Palin and Debbie Miller, Correctional Superintendent at the Mat-Su pre-trial facility, Palmer, on March 10, 2008.
Berry Jack's claim and amended claim contain the following passages:
"I was raped and beaten for 3 days while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The Anchorage Sexual Assault Response Team and the State Troopers told the DOC that I needed extensive therapy. The answer was NO.
One mental health worker said to me: "Everyone needs a bit of a stiff dick stuck inside of them from time to time."
I made many requests for treatment and orders came down from Debbie Miller that the answer was no and for me to deal with it.
I wrote a letter to Governor Palin asking for help and her first letter said she supported Debbie Miller. On December 23 I wrote to the governor again and she turned the State Troopers on me.
On March 12 all my evidence court documents were destroyed by the DOC."
The outcome of Mr Jack's civil rights court case, June 2, 2008:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL
Berry L. Jack, a self-represented prisoner, filed a civil rights complaint, which
this Court screened as required under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A.1 Mr.
Jack then filed an amended complaint, as permitted by the Court, but since that
time, mail sent to him has been returned to the Court, and Mr. Jack has filed no
notice of change of address.
It looks like, having made the effort to file a lawsuit, Berry Jack has gone missing while his case was being dealt with by the Court. It's very unlikely that anybody will go to the trouble of finding out what happened to him. Neither Sarah Palin nor Debbie Miller had to respond to his allegations.
***********************
It's interesting to note some similarities in the attitudes of these people in positons of power, as described above.
Joe Schmidt feels victimised and bullied, Dr Rebecca Bingham denies any responsibility for either case and ultimately blames a prisoner for his own death. Sarah Palin famously feels victimised all the time, denies responsibility for anything and is very good at blaming others for her mistakes, ill-judgement and shortcomings. (As seen in her dealings with criticism by members of the media.)
For people who constantly say that they are all about honesty and accountability, they seem to close ranks and collude to deny wrongdoing, suppress any attempts to verify the truth and are very quick to apportion blame to others.
These are the things that seem to define the ethos of Sarah Palin's office. After so many newspapers columns dedicated to Troopergate, perhaps some attention should be given to what, in my opinion, amounts to Prisongate.
**********************
This article appeared on my blog on February 28, 2009. Some readers expressed concern over the fate of Mr Berry Jack, so I did some further research and posted an update:
I found Mr Jack in the system after June 2nd. For court case details, click on link. Navigate through the tabs to find dates, etc. It seems, quite simply, that the prison authoritites couldn't find Mr Jack to deliver mail connected to his civil rights case, but they managed to find him when the time came for him to face criminal charges... he was sentenced to four years behind bars for second degree theft.
Something doesn't appear to be right at the Alaska's Department of Corrections. Some of the events described below date from April 2008, but one of them is as recent as December 2008. I researched the issues quite fully and could not find references to any substancial changes in procedures or approach since the problems started. As a matter of fact, the excuses offered by the very people in charge suggest that there was never any intention to take any measures to address a number of grievances.
I have separated the issues according to the people responsible, to show the consistency in their responses to criticism. They are: Joe Schmidt, Commissioner for the Department of Corrections, Dr Rebecca Bingham, Clinical Director for the same department and Governor Sarah Palin, who's responsible for the appointments of heads of departments.
I must point out that what brought these issues to my attention was a brief article in the Anchorage Daily News about Governor Sarah Palin choosing Commissioner Joe Schmidt to be next in line to take the reins as governor of Alaska should anything happen to herself or lieutenant governor Sean Parnell. Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt attended Wasilla High School together and she appointed him to the top job in the Department of Corrections when she was elected governor in 2006.
A comment on another article, (Stumper, by Andrew Romano, Newsweek) prompted some more digging into the problems faced by prison staff and inmates.
Posted By: akcorrec (October 8, 2008 at 1:33 AM)
"I am a female and work at Alaska’s only maximum security prison. Sarah Palin appointed a good buddy of hers to be our Commissioner of Corrections, Joe Schmidt. Joe Schmidt has deliberately made management decisions that have made our jobs, as correctional officers, more life threatening.
We tried going to Sarah Palin with our concerns but she wouldn’t listen to us. We then decided to submit a ‘no confidence’ vote in Schmidt. Out of the 733 correctional officers working in the state of Alaska over 500 of us voted. Out of those, less than 20 said they had confidence in Schmidt. The rest of us voted ‘no confidence’ in his leadership. This was unprecedented. At no time, before Schmidt was appointed as our commissioner, had we ever initiated a ‘no confidence’ vote in one of our commissioners.
Surely now, we thought, our governor Sarah Palin will hear and investigate our concerns regarding Joe Schmidt. That didn’t happen. Rather, she publicly said that she stood by Schmidt and that 97% of Alaska’s correctional officers are just a bunch of "disgruntled employees".
MRSA is running rampant in our institutions and we are deliberately being understaffed. Joe Schmidt is not only allowing understaffing but is actively encouraging it.
Prisoners with MRSA are being treated but not officially diagnosed with the bacterium. By not having cultures done, to determine the presence of MRSA, they are then able to be released right back out into the general prisoner population. If they were officially diagnosed then they’d have to be medically isolated. Consequently other prisoners and staff members keep contracting MRSA.
When a staff member contracts it, we’ve had two new cases in the last month and a half alone at my facility, they are told to "pin point exactly" where in the institution they contracted it. It’s a bacterium that can only be seen under an electron microscope yet we’re supposed to say exactly where we got it???
The department, under Joe Schmidt’s leadership, will not pay medical costs or reimburse leave time used, for any staff members that come down with MRSA unless they can prove that they got it at work. The very same place that contagious prisoners are being treated and then sent back home to their cells to expose every other prisoner and staff member they come into contact with.
We are also constantly under staffed. Rather than calling officers in on overtime, when we’re under manned, we’re left short handed. There are many officers willing to come in and work. All the department has to do is ask.
We also have mandatory posts that are never to be left unmanned. They are being manned by "phantom" officers. Which is to say one officer assigned to two posts. The officer’s name will be filled in, on paper, as filling in a certain post when in actuality he or she is working another one as well.
Twice, in the last year, we’ve had "man down" alarms go off in the facility and not enough officers to be able to allow anyone to respond to the emergency. By the grace of God, both times, the alarms were accidentally set off and no officer’s life was in actual jeopardy. But we may not always be so fortunate. When that happens, whether an officer loses his or her life to MRSA or a prisoner assault, we’ll be able to credit Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt with murder."
Prisongate, in three parts.
Joe Schmidt
The Alaska Correctional Officers Association gave the state corrections commissioner Joe Schmidt a "no confidence" censure vote on Tue, April 22, 2008. ACOA union members voted 514 to 19 against Schmidt.
Overcrowded prisons, a drug-resistant skin infection being passed around the prisoner population and staff, plus a no-confidence vote for Commissioner Joe Schmidt are some of the problems faced by Alaska's Department of Corrections.
It is accepted that Alaska's jails are filled beyond capacity. But there are differing opinions about whether the state is doing enough to keep the facilities safe and clean.
There are more inmates than ever at Anchorage Correctional Complex. Alaska Correctional Officers Association, which represents officers, says the state is reducing the number of guards patrolling the jails.
Commissioner Joe Schmidt and his deputy commissioners claim the union is playing dirty to get more control over the department and its management. "I felt bullied," he said.
Schmidt claims he has made a lot of difficult changes since being appointed at the end of 2006 - reducing overtime, promoting rehabilitation programs, and pushing aggressively for ways to reduce costs and the state's staggering 60 percent of offenders who end up back in jail. .
Governor Sarah Palin released this statement at the time:
April 22, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her full support for Department of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt. The Alaska Correctional Officers Association voted today in favor of a "no confidence" measure.
"Commissioner Schmidt has my full support as he and his team continue to bring remarkable reforms to the Department of Corrections," Governor Palin said. "As Commissioner, Joe has emphasized recruitment and hiring new correctional officers, bringing 34 new officers on board in FY 2007 with an additional 43 authorized for FY 2008. Joe’s strength is his respect for the hard work and talent of his department’s employees, and his understanding of the role the department plays in protecting the public, while providing offenders with the opportunity to successfully return to society. Joe has my unconditional support."
Rebecca Bingham
Rebecca Bingham is the Department of Corrections Clinical Director.
MRSA is rampant behind bars in Anchorage. The guards say the administrators are not doing enough to keep them safe in the state's overcrowded prisons. They say the department won't acknowledge dangerous health issues, like constant exposure to MRSA, a difficult-to-treat staph infection.
But the Clinical Director refuted that claim. "Once they are in here, as long as the institution is keeping things relatively clean and the inmates and officers are washing their hands frequently, it really has a much lower level than the outside," said Dr Rebecca Bingham. She also said that although the DOC doesn't track cases of MRSA, she believes there are four unconfirmed cases of the infection.
The state says it is doing its best to keep the jails clean and safe.
A more recent case illustrates Dr Bingham's attitude to prisoners' health.
Joseph Alexie, an Alaska Native, died of tuberculosis on December 9, 2008, while held at Red Rock correctional center in Arizona. Alaska Department of Corrections has a contract with Red Rock to house Alaskan inmates. Although Joseph Alexie was in Arizona when he died, he was governed by the Alaska's department health standards.
"Occasionally villages will have an outbreak of tuberculosis where quite a few people get exposed and go on the INH treatment, but it is pretty rare in the United States for someone to die from it," said Clinical Director Dr. Rebecca Bingham.
Myra Colley, Joseph Alexie's cousin, had a different view."He kept going and trying to get checked up, but they kept sending him away telling him it was bronchitis, or this or that, and they were just giving him a wrong diagnosis every time, without really giving him any medical attention."
His family said no matter what his crimes, he should not have died behind bars from a controllable and treatable disease.
Though bound by federal laws not to talk about the health of specific inmates, Dr Bingham said that if they had known an inmate was that sick, they would have treated him. "Joseph didn't tell anyone he was feeling bad in time."
Joseph Alexie was set to get out of jail in June 2009.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has been sued by a prisoner named Berry L Jack, who claimed he was raped for 3 days, treated at a medical facility, and then denied recommended therapy.
Jack brought the suit against Sarah Palin and Debbie Miller, Correctional Superintendent at the Mat-Su pre-trial facility, Palmer, on March 10, 2008.
Berry Jack's claim and amended claim contain the following passages:
"I was raped and beaten for 3 days while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The Anchorage Sexual Assault Response Team and the State Troopers told the DOC that I needed extensive therapy. The answer was NO.
One mental health worker said to me: "Everyone needs a bit of a stiff dick stuck inside of them from time to time."
I made many requests for treatment and orders came down from Debbie Miller that the answer was no and for me to deal with it.
I wrote a letter to Governor Palin asking for help and her first letter said she supported Debbie Miller. On December 23 I wrote to the governor again and she turned the State Troopers on me.
On March 12 all my evidence court documents were destroyed by the DOC."
The outcome of Mr Jack's civil rights court case, June 2, 2008:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL
Berry L. Jack, a self-represented prisoner, filed a civil rights complaint, which
this Court screened as required under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A.1 Mr.
Jack then filed an amended complaint, as permitted by the Court, but since that
time, mail sent to him has been returned to the Court, and Mr. Jack has filed no
notice of change of address.
It looks like, having made the effort to file a lawsuit, Berry Jack has gone missing while his case was being dealt with by the Court. It's very unlikely that anybody will go to the trouble of finding out what happened to him. Neither Sarah Palin nor Debbie Miller had to respond to his allegations.
***********************
It's interesting to note some similarities in the attitudes of these people in positons of power, as described above.
Joe Schmidt feels victimised and bullied, Dr Rebecca Bingham denies any responsibility for either case and ultimately blames a prisoner for his own death. Sarah Palin famously feels victimised all the time, denies responsibility for anything and is very good at blaming others for her mistakes, ill-judgement and shortcomings. (As seen in her dealings with criticism by members of the media.)
For people who constantly say that they are all about honesty and accountability, they seem to close ranks and collude to deny wrongdoing, suppress any attempts to verify the truth and are very quick to apportion blame to others.
These are the things that seem to define the ethos of Sarah Palin's office. After so many newspapers columns dedicated to Troopergate, perhaps some attention should be given to what, in my opinion, amounts to Prisongate.
**********************
This article appeared on my blog on February 28, 2009. Some readers expressed concern over the fate of Mr Berry Jack, so I did some further research and posted an update:
I found Mr Jack in the system after June 2nd. For court case details, click on link. Navigate through the tabs to find dates, etc. It seems, quite simply, that the prison authoritites couldn't find Mr Jack to deliver mail connected to his civil rights case, but they managed to find him when the time came for him to face criminal charges... he was sentenced to four years behind bars for second degree theft.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Starting tomorrow
I will be profiling each of the candidates (declared and undeclared) for the 2012 Republican nomination for president. I will explain why each of them will make a crappy president
Sarah Palin possibly responsible for Norway shooter
OK it's a bit of a stretch but lets talk about it anyway
From Firedoglake.com
Watching the international media on the web and TV change gears Friday, as information started to fasten to the fact that the worst terrorist act in Scandinavia since the 3rd Reich was perpetrated by a right-wing Christian zealot, was fascinating. This, rather than what people like Pam Geller, Daniel Pipes, Dennis Prager, David Horowitz, CNN, Fox News and many others were touting for hours as most likely an act of Muslim Jihad in a country that is way, way too liberal.
I was keyed into paying attention to how this meme might have to morph fairly early in the afternoon, by an item carried by Michael Rivero at What Really Happened, about the major event at the youth camp the day before the massacre:
During the second day of Labour Youth League summer camp at Utøya got the Labour Party’s young hopefuls visit by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Together with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Sidsel Wold and Norwegian People’s Aid Kirsten Belck-Olsen, discussed the Foreign Minister of the deadlock between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
As foreign minister arrived Utøya he was met with a demand from the AUF that Norway must recognize a Palestinian state.
- The Palestinians must have their own state, the occupation must end, the wall must be demolished and it must happen now, said the Foreign Minister to cheers from the audience. [automatically translated from Norwegian by Google translate]
That was an event held Thursday at the summer camp for the children of Norwegian liberals.
As the story developed Friday, almost every news outlet was quick to provide experts on Muslim terrorism and how that might have a growing negative impact on Norway and Europe. On Anderson Cooper, Friday afternoon, as he had his experts on Jihadism on camera, he was being told by another person – a CNN reporter – that the shooter, possibly the bomber, was a blond Norwegian. Cooper seemed to be taken aback, turning back to his Jihad experts, who were dismissive of the new information.
The bombing-shootings took up enormous bandwidth in our media machine until it came out that the alleged perpetrator has more in common with Sarah Palin and Alan Dershowitz than with Rachel Corrie or Furkan Doğan, both of whom have been labelled terrorists by Dershowitz.
As the end-of-the-week-in-midsummer stupor overtakes the media on a hot Friday evening in the USA, will they get around to trying to find out what set Anders Behring off?
The bombing had to be pre-planned, probably for some time. Was the pro-Palestinian event Thursday at the camp where over 70 were killed published on the web, facebook, twitter or somewhere else? Most likely. That may be what pushed this guy’s last button.
And just who created the group that fictitiously took credit for the massacres early Friday?
The ‘Helpers of Global Jihad’ group, of which al-Nasser is a member, made the claims in an email circular issued to various sources. The group does not appear to have any past history.
It is thought that the bombings are a belated response to Norwegian newspapers and magazines republishing cartoons of Mohammed originally published by Jyllands-Posten of Denmark.
I’m not about to go all conspiracy theory on this story. I am bothered, though, that the media was extremely rapid to ramp up the radical Islam run amok meme, yet so unready to deal with what is increasingly appearing to be possible – that the Christian gunman was impelled to kill liberals he may have felt were too sympathetic to Palestinians.
Friday, July 29, 2011
hayley atwell captain america
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born on April 5, 1982 in London, England to a Native-American father, who worked as a massage therapist, and an English mother who was a motivational speaker. Atwell's unusual childhood, which was filled with memories of tarot readings and sweat lodges, helped her get in touch with her feelings, particularly when Hayley Atwell started training to be an actor at The Guildhall School of Drama and Music. After graduating in 2005, Atwell landed a regular role in the miniseries "The Line of Beauty" (BBC, 2006), playing the manic-depressive daughter of a disgraced politician. A few more supporting roles in television movies followed, before Atwell nabbed a major part in the Woody Allen crime drama "Cassandra's Dream," appearing as a stage actress and the scheming love interest of Ewan McGregor's character. In 2008, Atwell earned critical praise for her engaging performances in two high-profile period pieces. Hayley Atwell first starred in "Brideshead Revisited," the big screen adaptation of the 1945 Evelyn Waugh novel about a repressed upper-class family whose beliefs are challenged after they welcome into their home a social climber (Matthew Goode) who becomes the object of affection of both Atwell's oppressed Catholic girl, as well as her brother. Atwell also played a major role in "The Duchess," which chronicled the extravagant life of the 18th century aristocrat, Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightley). In the visually stunning biopic, Atwell's character was involved in a steamy love triangle between the Duchess and the Duke (Ralph Fiennes).
In 2009, Atwell starred in the remake of the 1960s cult sci-fi series "The Prisoner" (AMC, 2009) as one of the prisoners of a mysterious village and the woman who helped the character 6 (James Caviezel) discover the reason why he was sent to the remote island. By 2010, Atwell's talents finally gained attention stateside. Hayley Atwell starred as the lead character's (Matthew Macfadyen) soul mate on the series "Any Human Heart" (Channel 4, 2010), based on William Boyd's 2002 novel about the life of Logan Mountstuart, a writer who encountered many of the 20th century's most significant figures. Atwell also had a lead part in the highly anticipated action-adventure film "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) as the superhero's girlfriend who secretly worked for the French Resistance. But her biggest coup was landing a lead role in the epic miniseries "The Pillars of the Earth," based on Ken Follett's 1989 bestseller of the same name. Set in 12th century England, the story followed the construction of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge during the turbulent period in English history known as The Anarchy. Atwell delivered a star-making performance as a haughty and willful aristocrat defeated by religious and political strife during a civil war, a role that earned her a 2011 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television.
hayley atwell captain america
In 2009, Atwell starred in the remake of the 1960s cult sci-fi series "The Prisoner" (AMC, 2009) as one of the prisoners of a mysterious village and the woman who helped the character 6 (James Caviezel) discover the reason why he was sent to the remote island. By 2010, Atwell's talents finally gained attention stateside. Hayley Atwell starred as the lead character's (Matthew Macfadyen) soul mate on the series "Any Human Heart" (Channel 4, 2010), based on William Boyd's 2002 novel about the life of Logan Mountstuart, a writer who encountered many of the 20th century's most significant figures. Atwell also had a lead part in the highly anticipated action-adventure film "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) as the superhero's girlfriend who secretly worked for the French Resistance. But her biggest coup was landing a lead role in the epic miniseries "The Pillars of the Earth," based on Ken Follett's 1989 bestseller of the same name. Set in 12th century England, the story followed the construction of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge during the turbulent period in English history known as The Anarchy. Atwell delivered a star-making performance as a haughty and willful aristocrat defeated by religious and political strife during a civil war, a role that earned her a 2011 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television.
hayley atwell captain america
Reason #76 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She loves guns waaayyy too much
From Ontheissues.org
Sarah Palin stuck to her guns on guns, in her first major public appearance since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded and six people were killed at a Tucson campaign event. Palin was criticized after the shootings for having published campaign literature that marked some Democratic districts, including Giffords's, with crosshairs, but she pushed back, saying Republicans were being unfairly blamed for the act of a crazed shooter.
Asked if she would support efforts to restrict semiautomatic weapons or multi-bullet clips, like the clips used in the Tucson shooting, Palin responded, "There are already on the books many gun control measures and I do support those that are on the books. I do not support taking away more freedom from the good guy. The people who have no intention of using that weapon to harm another person so, no additional gun control measures could be supported." She added, "Prayers should continue for the full recovery of Gabby Giffords and others who were involved."
Source: Associated Press in ABC News, "Palin Rejects New Gun Laws" Feb 17, 2011
Not far from home, near the Talkeetna Mountains, I learned to hunt. Traveling on skis and snowshoes, we harvested ptarmigan and big game. I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals--right next to the mashed potatoes.
In our northern state, with some communities located hundreds of miles from big grocery stores, Alaskans have for generations lived on local, organic protein sources. Anti-hunting groups are clueless about this. It always puzzled me how some of the people who think killing and eating animals in the wild is somehow cruel have no problem buying dead animals at the grocery store, wrapped in cellophane instead of fur.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p. 18-19 Nov 17, 2009
The Heath house in Wasilla sat near woodlands of birch, willow, and spruce. The woods were a wilderness playground--the kind of place where kids play out the imaginative adventures of childhood.
In both summer and winter, most of the family's activitie took place outdoors. Sarah said that she appreciates the many outdoor adventures she had as a child. Fitness was a big part of family life. "My parents jumped on the bandwagon of the '70s running craze," she said. The whole family ran together, competing in five- and ten-kilometer races throughout the summer.
When the family wasn't running or hiking, it was hunting or fishing. "We could literally go hunting out our back door," [Sarah's brother] Chuck Jr. said. Sarah shot her first rabbit at age ten not far from the back porch. In her teens, she hunted caribou with her father. The family's freezer was always full of fish and game. Chuck Jr. said he didn't eat a beef steak until he was a senior in high school. Gardening helped fill the family larder.
Source: Hockey Mom, by Kaylene Johnson Sep 9, 2008
Hunts and fishes, as did her father
Her father shot the grizzly bear whose hide is now draped over the sofa in her office. She, too, hunts and fishes. She runs marathons. She delivered her fifth child during her first term as governor. They call her husband, the reigning champion in the annual Iron Dog snowmachine race, First Dude.
Though indisputably Alaskan, she rose to prominence by bucking the state’s rigid Republican hierarchy, impressing voters more with gumption, warmth and charm than an established record in government.
Source: New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, “An Outsider Who Charms” Aug 29, 2008
Hunts as much as she can; freezer-full of wild game
Like many Alaskans, Gov. Sarah Palin is a lifelong hunter and strong proponent of Second Amendment rights. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, she told USA Today when she was running for governor as a Republican in 2006 that “We hunt as much as we can, and I’m proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska.” Palin’s favorite food? “Moose stew after a day of snowmachining,” she said.
Source: Q&A with Newsweek’s Brian Braiker Aug 29, 2008
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns
Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision upholding the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense, hunting and other purposes. The high court’s 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller affirmed gun rights by striking down the District’s 32-year-old ban on handguns.
“This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish,“ Governor Palin said. ”I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.“
The state of Alaska in February joined a multi-state amicus brief written by the state of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms.
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Jun 26, 2008
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms
Governor Sarah Palin announced the State of Alaska will join the multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms. The Texas amicus brief in the case Washington, D.C. v. Heller will be filed by February 11, 2008.
Governor Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, has long been a champion of the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth.
“I am proud to join the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment,” Governor Palin said. “We need to send a strong message that law-abiding citizens have a right to own firearms, for personal protection, for hunting and for any other lawful purpose.”
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Feb 8, 2008
Sarah loves guns so much she spoke at the NRA Convention for free yet took money from religious and pro-life groups. She loves guns more than she loves people.
From Ontheissues.org
Sarah Palin stuck to her guns on guns, in her first major public appearance since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded and six people were killed at a Tucson campaign event. Palin was criticized after the shootings for having published campaign literature that marked some Democratic districts, including Giffords's, with crosshairs, but she pushed back, saying Republicans were being unfairly blamed for the act of a crazed shooter.
Asked if she would support efforts to restrict semiautomatic weapons or multi-bullet clips, like the clips used in the Tucson shooting, Palin responded, "There are already on the books many gun control measures and I do support those that are on the books. I do not support taking away more freedom from the good guy. The people who have no intention of using that weapon to harm another person so, no additional gun control measures could be supported." She added, "Prayers should continue for the full recovery of Gabby Giffords and others who were involved."
Source: Associated Press in ABC News, "Palin Rejects New Gun Laws" Feb 17, 2011
Not far from home, near the Talkeetna Mountains, I learned to hunt. Traveling on skis and snowshoes, we harvested ptarmigan and big game. I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals--right next to the mashed potatoes.
In our northern state, with some communities located hundreds of miles from big grocery stores, Alaskans have for generations lived on local, organic protein sources. Anti-hunting groups are clueless about this. It always puzzled me how some of the people who think killing and eating animals in the wild is somehow cruel have no problem buying dead animals at the grocery store, wrapped in cellophane instead of fur.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p. 18-19 Nov 17, 2009
The Heath house in Wasilla sat near woodlands of birch, willow, and spruce. The woods were a wilderness playground--the kind of place where kids play out the imaginative adventures of childhood.
In both summer and winter, most of the family's activitie took place outdoors. Sarah said that she appreciates the many outdoor adventures she had as a child. Fitness was a big part of family life. "My parents jumped on the bandwagon of the '70s running craze," she said. The whole family ran together, competing in five- and ten-kilometer races throughout the summer.
When the family wasn't running or hiking, it was hunting or fishing. "We could literally go hunting out our back door," [Sarah's brother] Chuck Jr. said. Sarah shot her first rabbit at age ten not far from the back porch. In her teens, she hunted caribou with her father. The family's freezer was always full of fish and game. Chuck Jr. said he didn't eat a beef steak until he was a senior in high school. Gardening helped fill the family larder.
Source: Hockey Mom, by Kaylene Johnson Sep 9, 2008
Hunts and fishes, as did her father
Her father shot the grizzly bear whose hide is now draped over the sofa in her office. She, too, hunts and fishes. She runs marathons. She delivered her fifth child during her first term as governor. They call her husband, the reigning champion in the annual Iron Dog snowmachine race, First Dude.
Though indisputably Alaskan, she rose to prominence by bucking the state’s rigid Republican hierarchy, impressing voters more with gumption, warmth and charm than an established record in government.
Source: New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, “An Outsider Who Charms” Aug 29, 2008
Hunts as much as she can; freezer-full of wild game
Like many Alaskans, Gov. Sarah Palin is a lifelong hunter and strong proponent of Second Amendment rights. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, she told USA Today when she was running for governor as a Republican in 2006 that “We hunt as much as we can, and I’m proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska.” Palin’s favorite food? “Moose stew after a day of snowmachining,” she said.
Source: Q&A with Newsweek’s Brian Braiker Aug 29, 2008
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns
Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision upholding the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense, hunting and other purposes. The high court’s 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller affirmed gun rights by striking down the District’s 32-year-old ban on handguns.
“This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish,“ Governor Palin said. ”I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.“
The state of Alaska in February joined a multi-state amicus brief written by the state of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms.
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Jun 26, 2008
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms
Governor Sarah Palin announced the State of Alaska will join the multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms. The Texas amicus brief in the case Washington, D.C. v. Heller will be filed by February 11, 2008.
Governor Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, has long been a champion of the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth.
“I am proud to join the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment,” Governor Palin said. “We need to send a strong message that law-abiding citizens have a right to own firearms, for personal protection, for hunting and for any other lawful purpose.”
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Feb 8, 2008
Sarah loves guns so much she spoke at the NRA Convention for free yet took money from religious and pro-life groups. She loves guns more than she loves people.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
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