Category Archives: Big Government

Congress Values Own Paychecks More Than Workers

Posted on July 14, 2006 by bfiacarolinevernon

Congress values own paychecks more than workers by Holly Sklar Holly Sklar is a widely published op-ed columnist and author. Her op-eds for the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service have appeared in hundreds of newspapers.Call your Elected Officials Today! Capitol … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Corporate Greed, Jobs, Labor, Main Page, National News, Progressive Community | 3 Comments

Iowa Blog Roundup (and other things also)

Posted on June 22, 2006 by bfiasamgarchik

Iowa Blog Roundup (and other things also) By Sam Garchik It's been a very hectic week with the convention and all, but I wanted to bring you up to speed on a bunch of different issues and happenings. Courtesy … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Bruce Braley, Calls to Action, Candidates, Clean Elections, David Loebsack, Denise O'Brien, DFQC, Great Tools: IOWA, How You Can Help, ICCI, Iowa Blogosphere, Joyce Schulte, Local Events, Main Page, National News, Progressive Community, Russ Feingold | Comments Off

Iowa Blog Roundup

Posted on June 15, 2006 by bfiasamgarchik

Iowa Blog Roundup By Sam Garchik I'm headed to the state convention on Saturday, so here's an early taste of what's going on this week: Firs off: The Iraq War Issue is Being Debated Today! You can send a letter to … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Bruce Braley, Calls to Action, Candidates, David Loebsack, Iowa Blogosphere, Main Page, National News, Progressive Community, Russ Feingold | 2 Comments

Stop Invasive Data Collection Now!

Posted on May 22, 2006 by bfiasamgarchik

Stop Invasive Data Collection Now! Dear Supporter, In order to get the truth about the National Security Agency's secret collection of the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, we need to keep pushing our leaders to expose … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Civil Liberties, Main Page, National News | Comments Off

Quick! Fly now while it’s still safe!

Posted on May 11, 2006 by bfiasamgarchik

Quick! Fly now while it’s still safe! By Robin Roseman <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> The FAA has walked out of contract negotiations with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The problem has been turned … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Jobs, Labor, Main Page, National News | Comments Off

Tax-Day Wal-Mart Demonstration in the Quad Cities

Posted on April 14, 2006 by bfiacarolinevernon

Tax Day Walmart Demonstration by Caroline VernonTax- Day Walmart Demonstration – in the Quad CitiesMaking a push for the Fair Share For Health Care Bill Saturday, April 15th12:30pm – 1:30pmNortheast corner of 53rd & Elmore(parking at Staples)DavenportFriends,Iowa needs our … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Corporate Greed, DFQC, Environment, Health Care & Medicare, How You Can Help, Iowa in the News, Jobs, Labor, Local Events, Main Page, National News, Progressive Community | Comments Off

New Bankruptcy Law Fails; Vast Majority Can’t Repay Debts

Posted on February 23, 2006 by bfialindathieman

New Bankruptcy Law Fails; Vast Majority Can't Repay Debts

Hastings Group

At the time that Congress passed the infamous bankruptcy law, Chuck Grassley said the bankruptcy changes would clean up “a convenient financial planning tool where deadbeats can get out of paying their debt scott-free.”

NACBA Analysis of More than 60,000 Consumers Processed Under New Law Asks: “Where Are the Deadbeats” Congress Expected to Find and Stop With Onerous Rule Changes?

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The first analysis of tens of thousands of consumers seeking protection since a new federal bankruptcy law went into effect last October concludes that the changes put in place by Congress are not working as intended. The report by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) finds that of the 61,355 consumers seen so far by credit counseling firms – the required first stop under the new bankruptcy law – nearly all (97 percent) are unable to repay any debts and that four out of five would-be filers (79 percent) were forced into dire financial straits by circumstances beyond their control, such as the loss of a job, catastrophic medical expenses or the death of a spouse.

Entitled “Bankruptcy Reform's Impact: Where Are All the Deadbeats?,” the NACBA analysis is based on data provided by a cross-section of six large and small credit counseling firms that have been authorized by the U.S. Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Trustees to provide bankruptcy screening. The credit counseling firms responding to the NACBA survey were: Money Management International (Houston, TX), GreenPath Inc. (Farmington Hills, MI), Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management (Riverside, CA), Hummingbird (Raleigh, NC), Institute for Financial Literacy (Portland, ME) and ByDesign Financial Solutions (Los Angeles, CA).

Brad Botes, executive director, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, said: “Contrary to the claims of proponents of bankruptcy law changes that they would zero in on the alleged legions of 'deadbeats' who supposedly were crippling the U.S. economy with 'billions of dollars in losses associated with profligate and abusive bankruptcy filings,' the federal bankruptcy law changes that went into effect on October 17, 2005 are doing no measurable good whatsoever. Instead, they have put new hurdles in the path of people who are already flat on their back due to financial crises over which they have no control, such as the loss of a job, catastrophic health care bills, and so on.”

Botes noted that bankruptcy filings are down because many Americans may mistakenly believe that the courthouse doors are barred to them. The NACBA executive director said, “Credit counseling organizations now know what bankruptcy lawyers and other experts said all along: Congress got it dead wrong when it passed the bankruptcy law. Even though the process is now more cumbersome, time consuming and expensive than before, consumers who need help should still seek out a bankruptcy attorney to explore their options and figure out how to navigate this trickier and more confusing process.”

John Rao, attorney, National Consumer Law Center, said: “Bankruptcy judges, attorneys, academic researchers and others warned Congress that the bankruptcy filing rate was a 'symptom' and not the 'disease' itself. So long as people lose their jobs, have uninsured medical problems, and face other catastrophic circumstances, they will need the protection of the bankruptcy system. This data is evidence of that. All Congress has succeeded in doing with the new law is to delay and drive up the cost of bankruptcy protection for those who desperately need it.”
Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Corporate Greed, Jobs, Main Page | Comments Off

IOWA’S WATER WOES

Posted on February 19, 2006 by bfiamollyreagan

IOWA'S WATER WOES Last Sunday, February 12th, the headlines of the Des Moines Register read: 'NO CLEAR SOLUTIONS TO STATE'S TAINTED WATER' This article by Perry Beeman/Register staff writer goes on to say that recreation and more businesses would come … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Calls to Action, Environment, Farming, How You Can Help, Iowa in the News, Main Page | Comments Off

ETHICS HALL OF SHAME

Posted on February 10, 2006 by bfiacarolinevernon

ETHICS HALL OF SHAME From publiccitizen.orgAn unprecedented wave of corruption, cronyism and special-interest sleaze has gripped our nation’s capital in recent years. To bring greater public attention to the individuals involved in these ethics scandals – in the hope … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Clean Elections, Corporate Greed, GOP, Main Page, National News | Comments Off

Nussle Uses False Arguments to Defend Soaring Federal Deficits

Posted on February 7, 2006 by bfialindathieman

Nussle Uses False Arguments to Defend Soaring Federal Deficits IowaDemocrats.org Nussle Claims 9/11 is to Blame; Facts Show Tax Cuts, Increased Spending Are the Real Cause DES MOINES – Jim Nussle once again tried to justify soaring budget deficits to … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Bush Tax, Candidates, GOP, Main Page, National News | Comments Off