The Kochs Win Some and Lose Some in 2013 Elections
The Kochs had a hand in numerous local and state races in yesterday's elections. CMD runs down some of the races, results and known spending of the Koch brothers or Koch-funded entities.
News Articles By Mary Bottari
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Nightmare on Main Street: ALEC Policies Harm Working Americans
Just in time for Halloween, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has produced the most in-depth study yet conducted on the plethora of legislative initiatives pursued by the American Legislative Exchange Council and its allies to suppress wages and undermine the ability of low-wage and middle-wage workers to earn a decent living and support their families.
Monterey Peninsula Fights For-Profit American Water for Public Control
While high profile privatizations have dominated the news in recent years, a new trend is quietly emerging -- communities taking public assets back under public control. The trend is most pronounced in the area of water resources. In communities across the country, people are deciding that water is just too precious to subject to the profit motive.
A Field Guide to the Koch O’ Nuts Behind the Near Government Default
Here's a field guide to some of the Koch-O'-Nuts and what is known about their funding from the Koch family fortune.
Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson Reach New Heights of Hypocrisy in "Fix the Debt" Ad
The Campaign to Fix the Debt, the $40 million dollar astroturf “supergroup” that CMD exposed on the cover of the Nation magazine, has shifted into high gear in an effort to leverage the debt ceiling crisis into cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Dear WWII Vets, Forget About the Monument, They Are Gunning for Your Social Security
Apparently the only thing both Democrats and Republicans can agree on in Washington, DC, is that they can't deal with bad press involving Honor Flight vets.
This led to absurd images of Republicans -- who had shut down the federal government, including all monuments and museums -- rushing to "aid" veterans shut out by monument closures. In the most revolting display, Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) publicly berated a National Park Service Ranger for a situation created entirely by Congress.
From Junk Bonds to Junk Schools: Cyber Schools Fleece Taxpayers for Phantom Students and Failing Grades
The data is in and K12 Inc.'s brand of full-time public "cyber school" is garbage. Not surprising for an educational model kicked off with a $10 million investment from junk-bond king Michael Milken.
Koch Bros Retainer to PRWatch: “Bring It!”
Some interesting emails were released as part of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's ongoing investigation of a $500,000 taxpayer grant awarded to the Koch-tied United Sportsmen's group. The grant was tailor-made for United Sportsmen and slipped into the budget by State Representative Scott Suder as one of his last acts as a state legislator. (Suder, who also served as ALEC's Wisconsin State Chair, was given a new job at the Public Utilities Commission and a $45,000 pay raise by Governor Scott Walker.)
Failing Up to the Fed, A Reporters' Guide to the Paper Trail Surrounding Larry Summers
The Washington Post's Ezra Klein reports that Larry Summers is the "overwhelming favorite" of the Obama team for the job as Federal Reserve chairman.
ALEC 2013 Agenda Harkens Back to a Bygone Era
The year was 1973. Richard Nixon said he was "not a crook." John Dean said there was "a cancer on the presidency." Pinochet was taking over Chile; George Wallace was still in charge of Alabama. Gasoline was 40 cents a gallon and the minimum wage was $1.60 an hour.
In Illinois, a group of legislators gathered to remake America. On their minds: "limited government," "free markets," "federalism" ... and let's not forget the girls.