July 2011 – kimi blog

2011072020131213

Christie Claims Budget Cuts Backpedalling As Increases

Republicans are masters of brainwashing.

Christie’s claiming $850 in “new aid” to schools but the reality is that the $850 million allocated includes $820 million Christie’s first budget draft took away from New Jersey schools. This is how Christie math works:

Christie ignored a state Supreme Court ruling from last May calling for $500 million more for the state’s neediest school districts. After restoring $820 million of funds he himself cut in his original budget proposal, Christie’s present budget added only $30 million of school aid: he must still add $470 million to comply with Supreme Court ruling. read more

2011071920131213

Report on Adolescent Girls and Climate Change

Plan International’s new report, Weathering the Storm: Adolescent Girls and Climate Change, calls for better integration of the needs of adolescent girls in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.

The findings presented in the report are based on interviews with girls involved in Plan International’s programmes in Ethiopia and Bangladesh. We were particularly keen to learn from girls themselves how climate change is impacting their lives, and what they think policy makers should do differently. read more

2011071020131213

One Issue Voter

I was chatting with a fascinating guy today. (Son) Ivan and I met him at a Latino culture event at Puffin‘s Teaneck location. Morty was telling Ivan that he should get into ballroom dancing instead of ballet (which Ivan has thought about trying) – said that if a workout is what he’s looking for, doing the Lindsey and throwing his partner out in spins is maybe more physicality than he’ll get in ballet. Impressive statement coming from a guy who’s 80 years old but looks and sounds like someone 20 or so years young. Morty also grows orchids. Wow! read more

2011070920131213

Christie Declares War On the Poor

I can’t really add anything to this succinctly phrased statement by William Colon. He lays out for easy review, the drastic funding cuts Christie has enacted, which strike blow after blow to the most vulnerable of our state.

(Read article in Spanish)

Christie’s War On The Poor

Written by William Colon, executive director of the Latino Institute, Inc. and a contributing writer for the Hall Institute of Public Policy.

“We had a ‘war on poverty’ once, and we lost it, and since poverty is still here, let’s eliminate the poor amongst us.” read more

2011070820131213

Bad News Reporting

This is a companion piece to my post Media Outlets Serving Up REAL News. Bad news are reports that mislead, misinform and manipulate readers and viewers. I realized that it’s just as important to understand what bad news reporting is, as it is to know where to find real news. This post will also be added to over time.

How To Use:
Under each bad news agency you’ll find a list of articles and posts that explain why we know that these organizations don’t serve up truth to their audiences. read more

2011070520131213

Investigative Journalism Suppressed During Bush Era

As I often say, the challenge to people becoming aware that major media outlets have become co-opted representatives of major corporate interests is that most people get their news from them. As a fellow #rootstriker pointed out recently, major media executives have absolutely no incentive to talk truth to themselves or to report against their own corporate interests. That’s why many people eventually want to know, “If I truly can’t find real news through major media outlets, how can I find it? To answer that question, I put together a brief list of Media Outlets Serving Up REAL News, and I’ll add to it over time. read more

2011070220170213

Media Outlets Serving Up REAL, accurate News

Telling the truth, Orwell — Source: Twitter

Here’s a running list of media and advocacy organizations that are courageously bringing you the hard-hitting truths you can’t see on TV and in most newspapers any more. It will receive additions – hopefully, many of them …

Please also take a look at companion piece on which organizations are serving up bad news, and what it is about their news that makes it bad.

Campaign for America’s Future

The Campaign for America’s Future is the strategy center for the progressive movement. Our goal is to forge the enduring progressive majority needed to realize the America of shared prosperity and equal opportunity that our country was meant to be. read more