US lawmakers push tough new ‘Buy American’ bill
OPS_admin | Dec 19, 2009 | Comments 0
US lawmakers have introduced legislation to tighten “Buy American” rules that often anger major US trading partners by requiring that public sector projects rely on domestic goods and services.
Representative Dan Lipinski and Senator Russ Feingold, both Democratic allies of US President Barack Obama, say their “Buy American Improvement Act of 2009″ will help foster US job growth amid double-digit unemployment.
“For American taxpayer dollars to needlessly wind up in the pockets of workers in China and other foreign countries is indefensible in the best of times. During the worst recession in more than a quarter-century, it’s a disgrace,” Lipinski, who hails from Illinois, said in a statement.
“By purchasing American-made goods whenever possible, our federal government will send a simple message to American workers: We support you,” said Feingold as they introduced the legislation on Wednesday.
Similar provisions in a nearly 800-billion-dollar economic stimulus package approved in February drew European and Canadian complaints of protectionism.
Full Story US lawmakers push tough new ‘Buy American’ bill – Yahoo! Canada News.
Filed Under: Economy - Labor
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If we don't change our ways soon...
A new report by the Royal Society, chaired by Nobel prize-winning biologist Sir John Sulston warns that world population must be stabilized and consumption in wealthy nations must be reduced or the entire planet is in big trouble. As the report reads: "The number of people living on the planet has never been higher, their levels of consumption are unprecedented and vast changes are taking place in the environment. We can choose to rebalance the use of resources to a more egalitarian pattern of consumption... or we can choose to do nothing and to drift into a downward spiral of economic and environmental ills leading to a more unequal and inhospitable future."This is the same warning that President Jimmy Carter gave Americans back in the 1970's - but it was ignored when Ronald Reagan came to power with a "more positive" message basically telling Americans we can do whatever we want. And then after 9/11 - Bush told us all we should go shopping and consume ever more.And now with corporations calling the shots in Washington - long-term sustainability of the planet takes a back seat to short-term profits. If we don't change our ways soon - and embrace clean, alternative energy and educate women around the plant - then we all could be headed for a rough century.-Thom(Is there any chance we will learn in time? Tell us here.) -
LEGALIZE Democracy
" We the corporations" On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. __________
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Help end Corporate personhood
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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. 
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