shadowproof--2020-01-29--DNC Defends Diverse Group Of Corporate Democrats Appointed To Convention Committees

Faced with a backlash , the Democratic National Committee defended the secretive manner in which dozens of lobbyists , corporate consultants , party insiders , think tank board members , and pro-Israel Democrats were nominated by DNC Chair Tom Perez to committees for the 2020 national convention .
Seventy-five individuals were appointed to the platform , rules , and credentials committees on January 25 during a DNC executive committee meeting .
Who currently is part of this executive committee is unclear .
Two chairs and four vice-chairs were appointed to oversee each of the committees .
Thirty-one spots on each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the individuals appointed endorsed Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign .
Many endorsed Clinton early in 2015 , but the DNC said it does not consider “ past endorsements ” when filling committees .
The DNC claimed “ high-profile ” supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders were appointed to the committees , but that is false .
Only one “ high-profile ” supporter was appointed to the Platform , Rules , and Credentials Committees .
Larry Cohen , the former union president of the Communications Workers of America , was appointed .
He founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolution .
According to The Hill , “ DNC officials said they look for policy experts to help shape the platform or for experienced Democratic hands who know their way around party bylaws to assist in the rules and credentialing process.
” But positions were not merely filled with people capable of grasping Robert ’ s Rules of Order .
These so-called “ policy experts ” have exhibited open hostility toward a leading presidential candidate , who may potentially be the Democratic Party ’ s nominee .
They have also represented business interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the expense of policies and ideas that will presumably be championed in the Democratic platform in 2020 .
“ Some DNC members complained that they were only alerted to the appointments late on Friday ahead of the executive committee ’ s Saturday vote , ” even derisively referring to the appointments as the “ midnight convention committee picks , ” according to The Hill .
Terry Tucker , a DNC member and Sanders supporter from Colorado told The Hill , “ The subject of transparency and notice has been broached in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the full DNC , ” and , “ Lack of transparency and input from the members continues to be a source of irritation.
” But the DNC maintained it was completely normal to give members less than a day to consider nominees before they were ratified .
At least 26 of the people appointed are superdelegates , who will be able to vote for the presidential nominee if no candidate wins on the first ballot .
Seventy-five percent of the appointments were “ at-large ” appointments , meaning they are not elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party is not dependent on voters in any particular state or in any state party .
“ Most of the members will be allotted in proportion to the number of delegates the candidates win over the course of the primaries and caucuses , ” The Hill noted .
“ There will be 187 people on each committee , and the winner ’ s supporters should make up a majority.
” If Sanders is the nominee , his supporters may make up the majority , but they would potentially have to deal with chairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
Back in 2017 , Perez purged prominent progressives , who backed former Representative Keith Ellison in the race for DNC chair .
Barbra Casbar Siperstein , the first transgender DNC member , lost her position as an at-large member .
James Zogby , a prominent Sanders supporter , was removed from the executive committee .
A previous report from this author published at The Grayzone described some of the more repugnant people selected by Perez , including Barney Frank , Maria Cardona , Heidi Heitkamp , John Podesta , Bakari Sellers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Jake Sullivan .
One individual omitted was Elaine Kamarck .
She is deeply emblematic of the corruption within the Democratic Party that the Sanders campaign is struggling to overcome .
Kamarck was part of the Hunt Commission that established the superdelegate system in the early 1980s .
She joined the DNC in 1997 .
She was one of the founders of the New Democrats , the neoliberal movement that helped elect President Bill Clinton .
She worked for the Clinton White House from 1993-1997 , according to In These Times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institution , Kamarck wrote about five issue “ minefields ” that could “ blow up ” Democratic candidate ’ s campaign .
One of them was allowing prisoners to vote , and citing Sanders , she suggested in a reactionary way that Democrats should not be “ rope-a-doped into giving rights to terrorists.
” She also pushed her opposition to “ Medicare for All , ” “ [ Telling ] suburban moms who voted in Democratic members of Congress in 2018 that they will lose their private health insurance is a high-risk strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point that Vice President Joe Biden has repeated .
Wildly , Kamarck argued against “ embracing socialism ” by invoking decades-old fears of a Soviet nuclear attack that existed during the Cold War .
“ There are still millions of baby boomers in the electorate who hid under their desks in elementary school out of fear that the Soviets would drop an atom bomb on them .
Democrats would be wise to lay off the term and talk about what has always been a plus for the party : an expanded and sturdy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is but one example of who will be influencing the political direction of the Democratic Party , whether it embraces a neoliberal status quo or accepts the transformative change that is happening at the grassroots level .
DNC national press secretary Brandon Gassaway celebrated the process .
“ These appointments reflect the rich diversity of our party.
” In fact , this is true .
The appointees are one of the most diverse groups of corporate Democrats ever handpicked by a DNC chair for the convention committees .
One of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic strategist , who is a white upper class transgender woman .
She was part of President Barack Obama ’ s National LGBT Policy Committee .
But she ’ s also a vice president of global product marketing for “ one of the world ’ s leading eCommerce companies.
” Stabler is a board member for the Democratic Majority For Israel ( DMFI ) .
This lobbying group was founded in 2019 , and its reason for existing is to prevent Palestinian rights advocacy from gaining traction in the Democratic Party .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the lobbying group spent $ 681,000 on a right-wing ad campaign intended to convince voters that the country will never elect an old democratic socialist over President Donald Trump .
“ In one version of the ad , an Iowa resident brings up the 78-year-old ’ s heart attack as a concern about his candidacy , according to a person familiar with the ad , ” POLITICO reported .
Remember when Democrats were in an uproar in 2016 after opponents weaponized Hillary Clinton ’ s health scare against her ?
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing to the Sanders campaign days before the Iowa caucuses .

Faced with a backlash, the Democratic National Committee defended the secretive manner in which dozens of lobbyists, corporate consultants, party insiders, think tank board members, and pro-Israel Democrats were nominated by DNC Chair Tom Perez to committees for the 2020 national convention.
Seventy-five individuals were appointed to the platform, rules, and credentials committees on January 25 during a DNC executive committee meeting. The current membership of this executive committee is unclear.
Two chairs and four vice-chairs were appointed to oversee each of the committees. Thirty-one spots on each committee were filled.
Nearly all of the appointees endorsed Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign. Many endorsed Clinton early in 2015, but the DNC said it does not consider “past endorsements” when filling committees.
The DNC claimed “high-profile” supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders were appointed to the committees, but that is false. Only one “high-profile” supporter was appointed to the Platform, Rules, and Credentials Committees.
Larry Cohen, the former union president of the Communications Workers of America, was appointed. He founded the pro-Sanders political action organization, Our Revolution.
According to The Hill, “DNC officials said they look for policy experts to help shape the platform or for experienced Democratic hands who know their way around party bylaws to assist in the rules and credentialing process.”
But positions were not merely filled with people capable of grasping Robert’s Rules of Order, and these so-called “policy experts” have exhibited open hostility toward a leading presidential candidate, who may potentially become the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Several presently work for or with corporations, like Blue Cross Blue Shield. They are likely to dilute progressive policies and ideas that will presumably be championed at the party’s national convention.
“Some DNC members complained that they were only alerted to the appointments late on Friday ahead of the executive committee’s Saturday vote,” even derisively referring to the appointments as the “midnight convention committee picks,” according to The Hill.
Terry Tucker, a DNC member and Sanders supporter from Colorado, told The Hill, “The subject of transparency and notice has been broached in the past with Chairman Perez in open meetings of the full DNC,” and, “Lack of transparency and input from the members continues to be a source of irritation.”
But the DNC maintained it was completely normal to give members less than a day to consider nominees before they were ratified.
At least 26 of the people appointed are superdelegates, who will be able to vote for the presidential nominee if no candidate wins on the first ballot.
Seventy-five percent of the appointments were “at-large,” meaning they are not elected officials. Their status in the Democratic Party is not dependent on voters in any particular state or state party.
“Most of the members will be allotted in proportion to the number of delegates the candidates win over the course of the primaries and caucuses,” The Hill noted. “There will be 187 people on each committee, and the winner’s supporters should make up a majority.”
If Sanders is the nominee, his supporters may make up the majority, but they would potentially have to deal with chairs and vice-chairs that are opposed to their agenda.
Back in 2017, Perez purged prominent progressives, who backed former Representative Keith Ellison in the race for DNC chair. Barbra Casbar Siperstein, the first transgender DNC member, lost her position as an at-large member. James Zogby, a prominent Sanders supporter, was removed from the executive committee.
A previous report from this author published at The Grayzone described some of the more repugnant people selected by Perez, including Barney Frank, Maria Cardona, Heidi Heitkamp, John Podesta, Bakari Sellers, Wendy Sherman, Daniel B. Shapiro, and Jake Sullivan.
One individual omitted was Elaine Kamarck. She is deeply emblematic of the corruption within the Democratic Party that the Sanders campaign is struggling to overcome.
Kamarck was part of the Hunt Commission that established the superdelegate system in the early 1980s. She joined the DNC in 1997. She was one of the founders of the New Democrats, the neoliberal movement that helped elect President Bill Clinton. She worked for the Clinton White House from 1993-1997, according to In These Times.
In May 2019, for the Brookings Institution, Kamarck wrote about five issue “minefields” that could “blow up” Democratic candidate’s campaign. One of them was allowing prisoners to vote, and citing Sanders, she suggested in a reactionary way that Democrats should not be “rope-a-doped into giving rights to terrorists.”
She also pushed her opposition to Medicare for All, claiming that “[Telling] suburban moms who voted in Democratic members of Congress in 2018 that they will lose their private health insurance is a high-risk strategy.” This is a health insurance industry talking point that Vice President Joe Biden has repeated.
Wildly, Kamarck argued against “embracing socialism” by invoking decades-old fears of a Soviet nuclear attack that existed during the Cold War.
“There are still millions of baby boomers in the electorate who hid under their desks in elementary school out of fear that the Soviets would drop an atom bomb on them. Democrats would be wise to lay off the term and talk about what has always been a plus for the party: an expanded and sturdy social safety net,” Kamarck declared.
This is but one example of who will be influencing the political direction of the Democratic Party, whether it embraces a neoliberal status quo or accepts the transformative change that is happening at the grassroots level.
DNC national press secretary Brandon Gassaway celebrated the process. “These appointments reflect the rich diversity of our party.”
In fact, this is true. The appointees are one of the most diverse groups of corporate Democrats ever handpicked by a DNC chair for the convention committees.
One of them is Meghan Stabler. She is a Democratic strategist, who is a wealthy white transgender woman. She was part of President Barack Obama’s National LGBT Policy Committee. But she’s also a vice president of global product marketing for “one of the world’s leading eCommerce companies.”
Stabler is a board member for the Democratic Majority For Israel (DMFI). This lobbying group was founded in 2019, and its reason for existing is to prevent Palestinian rights advocacy from gaining traction in the Democratic Party. DMI’s source of funding for the ad campaign is unknown.
With Sanders surging in the polls in Iowa, the lobbying group spent $681,000 on a right-wing ad campaign intended to convince voters that the country will never elect an old democratic socialist over President Donald Trump.
“In one version of the ad, an Iowa resident brings up the 78-year-old’s heart attack as a concern about his candidacy, according to a person familiar with the ad,” POLITICO reported.
Remember when Democrats were in an uproar in 2016 after opponents weaponized Hillary Clinton’s health scare against her? That is what a group of lobbyists for Israel are doing to the Sanders campaign days before the Iowa caucuses.


shadowproof--2020-01-29--Meet The Cops: Inside Donald Trump’s New Commission On Policing

Attorney General William Barr swore in 18 members of a White House commission on policing .
Comprised entirely of law enforcement officials , the commission claims it will study how to “ make American law enforcement the most trusted and effective guardians of our communities.
” Amid historic low crime rates and a protracted national struggle against the violence of everyday policing , commission members will study subjects such as how to expand and strengthen police forces , how to modernize training and technology , and how to counter criticism and reforms aimed at law enforcement to rebuild the legitimacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice was established on October 28 , 2019 , through an executive order .
According to Barr , the scope and membership of the commission is narrow by design .
“ While many topics and aspects of the criminal justice system merit study , ” Barr wrote in a memo on January 21 , 2020 , “ the commission will focus on the national issues that most impact the efficacy of American law enforcement to safeguard the public and maintain a positive relationship with their communities.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with addressing the consequences of social ills—including drug addiction , mental illness , and homelessness—for which the criminal justice system is not always the best solution , ” Barr wrote .
“ While facing these challenges , many public voices express distrust and disrespect for the law enforcement community , resulting in a corresponding decline in officer morale and health , as well as the willingness of Americans to volunteer to become law enforcement officers.
” Barr argued that “ a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives is important for gaining an effective understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of the 18 people appointed to the commission , 17 are active members of law enforcement agencies , prosecutors , and judges .
One is a city councilman from McKinney , Texas , who has a background in law enforcement and is the president of the local police association .
The commission “ may host listening sessions ” with people who do not work in law enforcement , soliciting input from “ government service providers ; businesses ; nonprofit entities ; public health experts ; victims rights ’ organizations ; other advocacy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and other public and private entities and individuals with relevant experience or expertise.
” Recommendations to “ prevent , reduce , and control crime , increase respect for the law , and assist victims ” will most likely reflect the perspectives of law enforcement .
The commission must report its recommendations to the attorney general no later than October 28 , 2020 .
They will be sent to President Donald Trump no more than 60 days thereafter .
The commission will terminate within 90 days of submitting its report .
Who Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every single member of the commission works in or has ties to law enforcement .
The majority are white men .
Phil Keith will chair the commission .
He was the police chief in Knoxville , Tennessee from 1988 to 2004 .
During that time , repeated acts of violence by police against the city ’ s Black residents precipitated a movement that established a civilian review board and put surveillance cameras in police cruisers .
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Keith “ called the reforms necessary , estimating the videos upheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time.
’ ” Keith was also a driving force behind the creation of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS ) within the Department of Justice , and he is currently its director .
COPS came out of the notorious 1994 crime bill .
The office is essentially a slush fund for police departments on the state and local level that has doled out $ 14 billion since it was founded .
The goal of COPS is to advance a “ community policing ” model that is a sibling to “ broken windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as strategies to strengthen bonds between police and neighborhoods , but in reality , they promote increased violence , harassment , surveillance , and violations of constitutional rights .
As the collective , World Without Police , explains , the strategy tends to lead to increased funding and “ extended police presence and surveillance into everyday life , ” turning “ social problems into police problems.
” In 2018 , when Keith took over COPS , he told local news outlets , “ My first priority will be carrying out the mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime plan .
We ’ ll primarily be going back to basics , listening to law enforcement in the field , which has not been occurring for a while.
” Law enforcement is eager to tout the crime reduction benefits of community policing .
But despite flooding departments with cash and significantly increasing the number of police officers and the intensity of their patrolling , there is no significant evidence that it is effective in reducing crime .
Robert Gualtieri , Pinellas County Sheriff in Florida , is another member of the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps of other departments around the country and reduce the use of electroshock weapons like Tasers , which can be deadly .
When Reverend Al Sharpton held a rally in Florida following the deaths of black men shot by police , Gualtieri told Sharpton to “ go back to New York and mind your own business.
” He led the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission following the 2018 mass shooting and came out in support of arming teachers on the National Rifle Association ’ s ( NRA ) television network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to a policy that helped Florida sheriffs duck sanctuary city rules and work with ICE to detain and deport immigrants .
He also faced criticism for requesting more information on real-time facial recognition software for his department .
Though he later claimed the request was made “ inadvertently , ” the fact remains that he has briefed legislators on the subject and is the chair of a sheriffs ’ working group on the technology .
Barr appointed Gina Hawkins , the police chief in Fayetteville , North Carolina .
Activists have called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations into the department since 2018 , when members of the community alleged police planted evidence to arrest a couple on drug charges .
She was also a delegate in the 23rd Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange ( GILEE ) , an Islamophobic and unabashedly Zionist law enforcement training partnership with Israel , in which police travel to the country to study its infamously racist and militarized police force .
Craig Price , Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety , was appointed to the commission as well .
Price supervised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it played a key role in brutally suppressing the Dakota Access Pipeline protests .
His department was reimbursed over a half-million dollars for its efforts to surveil and attack protesters .
Price is part of the executive board of the International Association of Chiefs of Police ( IACP ) , a professional association that has publicly rebuked Trump for his celebration of violence by police and has apologized for the “ historical mistreatment of minorities by police.
” At the same time , IACP ’ s leadership oversees police departments routinely engaged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rory Fleming dug into the record of commission member and Virginia prosecutor Nancy Parr .
Fleming noted Parr leads the National District Attorney Association , “ which [ champions ] fake forensic science in court and continues to argue that marijuana legalization will cause its underage use and use while driving to skyrocket.
” Parr ’ s presence on the commission should serve as a warning sign for any recommendations it may have pertaining to drug criminalization .
Parr told members of a House subcommittee that there is a “ big difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunked claim that prosecutors are fond of making to justify incarcerating drug users .
Parr prosecuted a woman for drug possession after she overdosed .
She also illegally registered homeless people as “ habitual drunkards , ” which as Fleming put it , enabled “ their incessant harassment by police.
” Ashley Moody is another soldier in the “ War on Drugs.
” She advocated against a ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis and stood with the NRA against a gun law in Florida .
According to Fleming , Moody opposed voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her office “ runs an official website dedicated to ‘ Black-on-Black ’ crime.
” David Rausch , director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation , also opposes cannabis legalization , and Barr appointed him to the commission .
He led the Nashville police union , which aggressively fought efforts to establish a police oversight board .
Rausch worked with the State Department to train police in Jamaica on so-called “ tactical responses to terrorism.
” Such trainings have a dark history as a tool of foreign intervention with roots in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1970s .
Suburban Texas City Councilman Frederick Frazier is the only person on the commission , who is not an active member of law enforcement .
He is , however , the first vice president of the Dallas Police Association .
The organization has pushed for increasing police headcounts and was the target of protests in 2019 after activists accused its president of participating in an attempted cover-up after police killed Botham Jean .
Frazier is also notable for having joined the effort to recall a colleague named La ’ Shadion Shemwell—the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shemwell pushed to declare a “ black state of emergency ” following the deaths of two North Texas residents at the hands of police officers .
Trump ’ s policing commission will approach what it calls “ social ills , ” not in terms of the needs of those who use drugs , endure mental illness , or face homelessness , but rather in terms of how to better police them .
It will ponder how government resources like education , business , and social services may be incorporated into policing instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The commission will explore how to “ improve and increase ” enlistment , training , and retention of police officers at the state and local level .
It will scrutinize refusals by state and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes .
The commission will also study policing in rural areas and indigenous people .
The commission will issue recommendations to address the mental and physical health of officers , evaluate the efficacy of federal grants to state and local police departments , and investigate the challenges and opportunities new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with businesses and community development organizations will be explored , as well as the roles they can play in fostering “ prosperous and safe communities , ” including through tax incentives created under Trump ’ s 2017 tax bill .
The commission will evaluate trends in crime and the use of “ targeted deterrence ” approaches , which dovetail with community policing .
Targeted deterrence , or focused deterrence as its sometimes called , is popular among law enforcement and also deeply unjust , involving racist and inaccurate gang profiling , collective punishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but mandatory “ services.
” The law enforcement officials on the commission will weigh in on “ juvenile delinquency ” and youth crime , victims services , and re-entry programs and initiatives to see “ how prisoner programming and post-custodial rehabilitation initiatives can reduce recidivism and improve the quality of life for criminal offenders and their communities.
” They will also look into how data is being used and collected , and how law enforcement should “ address evolving threats to national security in the sphere of domestic and international terrorism.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , is emphasized in both the executive order and the memo from Barr .
“ This group shall focus on the trend of diminished respect for law enforcement and the laws they enforce , ” Barr declares .
“ The group should specifically evaluate how under-enforcement of the criminal law in certain jurisdictions affects public safety ; perception of law enforcement and the laws they enforce ; police resources and morale ; and rule of law.
” With the exception of the prison reform bill known as the FIRST STEP Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participated in a backlash against criminal justice reforms .
This commission can be best understood as part of his efforts to salvage law-and-order politics in the U.S. Trump is one of only a few presidents in the last 60 years to form a commission like this .
Barack Obama convened the “ Task Force On 21st Century Policing ” in 2014 , roughly a year after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement .
Unlike Trump , Obama tapped people who did not work in law enforcement for his commission .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct at some of the most notorious local police departments .
But similar to Trump ’ s commission , Obama ’ s ultimately recommended community policing , restoring trust and legitimacy of policing , and more officers and training .
President Lyndon Johnson also established a policing commission in 1965 toward the end of the civil rights movement and as part of his “ war on crime.
” That commission shares its name with Trump ’ s and has been credited with helping kickstart the “ tough-on-crime ” mentality that dominated American politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Professor Alex Vitale , who covered the history of policing and analyzed reforms in his book “ The End Of Policing , ” told Shadowproof that , unlike Trump ’ s commission , “ the Johnson commission was actually designed with a clear problem in mind and the belief that they could stage a meaningful intervention by coordinating with leading experts and government leaders.
” “ While that commission made important mistakes that led to intensified policing in the U.S. , it did have a major impact on American policing .
In contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in symbolic politics .
He has selected a group of ideological supporters from mostly small and southern departments , who are in line with his political base.
” “ He is basically signaling to that base that he supports the most conservative and authoritarian segments of the law enforcement community such as the Fraternal Order of Police and rural sheriffs , ” Vitale argued .
The Trump administration has directly rebuked the rising tide of criminal justice reform , even celebrating the violence of policing .
Upon taking office in 2017 , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that strengthened police powers .
He celebrated the violence of policing in speeches .
And his campaign to aggressively harass , arrest , detain , and deport migrants should be understood as part of the same program .
Trump ’ s efforts have lent momentum and legitimacy to the backlash around the country .
In Philadelphia , for example , decarceral DA Larry Krasner has faced intense pushback on his efforts to develop a different culture of prosecution—so much so that lawmakers have moved to diminish his authority .
A ballot initiative called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portions of the sentence reduction provisions of Proposition 47 .
And in New York , modest bail reforms were barely in effect for a week before law enforcement and lawmakers clamored for provisions to be rolled back .
“ This kind of commission has very little chance of having much actual impact on policing , ” Vitale said .
“ Their recommendations lack legitimacy in the eyes of many law enforcement insiders , especially the big city police chiefs who are the most important actors in this world , but who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The lack of any outside experts will further undermine the credibility of the commission and even its ability to come to any credible conclusions about the many issues it ’ s been tasked with undertaking.
” Vitale added that “ the mandate for the committee is completely out of touch with the actual challenges facing law enforcement and will do little to advance meaningful conversation , much less policy about how to reduce the harms caused by policing.
” Additionally , there ’ s only so much influence the federal government can truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices .
Scholars like Professor John Pfaff have pointed to the general weakness of federal funding as an incentive for change within law enforcement agencies .
But others , like Dr. Heather Schoenfeld , have argued that local , state , and federal jurisdictions follow trends , and with the help of media , they create feedback loops that amplify and spread harmful ideas and practices .
Given the makeup , background , and stated focus , it is likely the Trump administration will use the commission to promote police propaganda in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing .

Attorney General William Barr swore in 18 members of a White House commission on policing.
Comprised entirely of law enforcement officials, the commission claims it will study how to “make American law enforcement the most trusted and effective guardians of our communities.”
Amid historic low crime rates and a protracted national struggle against the violence of everyday policing, commission members will study subjects such as how to expand and strengthen police forces, how to modernize training and technology, and how to counter criticism and reforms aimed at law enforcement to rebuild the legitimacy of the institution.
The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice was established on October 28, 2019, through an executive order.
According to Barr, the scope and membership of the commission is narrow by design.
“While many topics and aspects of the criminal justice system merit study,” Barr wrote in a memo on January 21, 2020, “the commission will focus on the national issues that most impact the efficacy of American law enforcement to safeguard the public and maintain a positive relationship with their communities.”
“Law enforcement is frequently tasked with addressing the consequences of social ills—including drug addiction, mental illness, and homelessness—for which the criminal justice system is not always the best solution,” Barr wrote.
“While facing these challenges, many public voices express distrust and disrespect for the law enforcement community, resulting in a corresponding decline in officer morale and health, as well as the willingness of Americans to volunteer to become law enforcement officers.”
Barr argued that “a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives is important for gaining an effective understanding of these problems and formulating solutions.”
Of the 18 people appointed to the commission, 17 are active members of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and judges. One is a city councilman from McKinney, Texas, who has a background in law enforcement and is the first vice president of the local police association.
The commission “may host listening sessions” with people who do not work in law enforcement, soliciting input from “government service providers; businesses; nonprofit entities; public health experts; victims rights’ organizations; other advocacy and interest groups; reentry experts; academia; and other public and private entities and individuals with relevant experience or expertise.”
Recommendations to “prevent, reduce, and control crime, increase respect for the law, and assist victims” will most likely reflect the perspectives of law enforcement.
The commission must report its recommendations to the attorney general no later than October 28, 2020. They will be sent to President Donald Trump no more than 60 days thereafter. The commission will terminate within 90 days of submitting its report.
Who Is On Trump’s Policing Commission?
Every single member of the commission works in or has ties to law enforcement. The majority are white men.
Phil Keith will chair the commission. He was the police chief in Knoxville, Tennessee from 1988 to 2004. During that time, repeated acts of violence by police against the city’s Black residents precipitated a movement that established a civilian review board and put surveillance cameras in police cruisers.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Keith “called the reforms necessary, estimating the videos upheld officers’ actions ‘99 percent of the time.’”
Keith was also a driving force behind the creation of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) within the Department of Justice, and he is currently its director.
COPS came out of the notorious 1994 crime bill. The office is essentially a slush fund for police departments on the state and local level that has doled out $14 billion since it was founded.
The goal of COPS is to advance a “community policing” model that is a sibling to “broken windows” policing. Community policing efforts describe themselves as strategies to strengthen bonds between police and neighborhoods, but in reality, they promote increased violence, harassment, surveillance, and violations of constitutional rights.
As the collective, World Without Police, explains, the strategy tends to lead to increased funding and “extended police presence and surveillance into everyday life,” turning “social problems into police problems.”
In 2018, when Keith took over COPS, he told local news outlets, “My first priority will be carrying out the mission of the attorney general’s violent crime plan. We’ll primarily be going back to basics, listening to law enforcement in the field, which has not been occurring for a while.”
Law enforcement is eager to tout the crime reduction benefits of community policing. But despite flooding departments with cash and significantly increasing the number of police officers and the intensity of their patrolling, there is no significant evidence that it is effective in reducing crime.
Robert Gualtieri, Pinellas County Sheriff in Florida, is another member of the commission. He refused to follow in the steps of other departments around the country and reduce the use of electroshock weapons like Tasers, which can be deadly.
When Reverend Al Sharpton held a rally in Florida following the deaths of black men shot by police, Gualtieri told Sharpton to “go back to New York and mind your own business.”
He led the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission following the 2018 mass shooting and came out in support of arming teachers on the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) television network.
Gualtieri was the first to sign on to a policy that helped Florida sheriffs duck sanctuary city rules and work with ICE to detain and deport immigrants. He also faced criticism for requesting more information on real-time facial recognition software for his department. Though he later claimed the request was made “inadvertently,” the fact remains that he has briefed legislators on the subject and is the chair of a sheriffs’ working group on the technology.
Barr appointed Gina Hawkins, the police chief in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Activists have called for her resignation or firing and demanded investigations into the department since 2018, when members of the community alleged police planted evidence to arrest a couple on drug charges.
She was also a delegate in the 23rd Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), an Islamophobic and unabashedly Zionist law enforcement training partnership with Israel, in which police travel to the country to study its infamously racist and militarized police force.
Craig Price, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, was appointed to the commission as well. Price supervised the South Dakota Highway Patrol, as it played a key role in brutally suppressing the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. His department was reimbursed over a half-million dollars for its efforts to surveil and attack protesters.
Price is part of the executive board of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), a professional association that has publicly rebuked Trump for his celebration of violence by police and has apologized for the “historical mistreatment of minorities by police.” At the same time, IACP’s leadership oversees police departments routinely engaged in violence and misconduct.
For Filter Magazine, Rory Fleming dug into the record of commission member and Virginia prosecutor Nancy Parr. Fleming noted Parr leads the National District Attorney Association, “which [champions] fake forensic science in court and continues to argue that marijuana legalization will cause its underage use and use while driving to skyrocket.”
Parr’s presence on the commission should serve as a warning sign for any recommendations it may have pertaining to drug criminalization. Parr told members of a House subcommittee that there is a “big difference” between possessing and distributing drugs—a widely debunked claim that prosecutors are fond of making to justify incarcerating drug users.
Parr prosecuted a woman for drug possession after she overdosed. She also illegally registered homeless people as “habitual drunkards,” which as Fleming put it, enabled “their incessant harassment by police.”
Ashley Moody is another soldier in the “War on Drugs.” She advocated against a ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis and stood with the NRA against a gun law in Florida.
According to Fleming, Moody opposed voting rights for people with nonviolent felony convictions, and her office “runs an official website dedicated to ‘Black-on-Black’ crime.”
David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, also opposes cannabis legalization, and Barr appointed him to the commission. Rausch also worked with the State Department to train police in Jamaica on so-called “tactical responses to terrorism.” Such trainings have a dark history as a tool of foreign intervention with roots in the United States’ forays into Latin America in the 1970s.
James Smallwood leads the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police, which aggressively fought efforts to establish a police oversight board.
Suburban Texas City Councilman Frederick Frazier is the only person on the commission, who is not an active member of law enforcement. He is, however, the first vice president of the Dallas Police Association. The organization has pushed for increasing police headcounts and was the target of protests in 2019 after activists accused its president of participating in an attempted cover-up after police killed Botham Jean.
Frazier is also notable for having joined the effort to recall a colleague named La’Shadion Shemwell—the only black member of the City Council—after Shemwell pushed to declare a “black state of emergency” following the deaths of two North Texas residents at the hands of police officers.
What Will Trump’s Police Commission Research?
Trump’s policing commission will approach what it calls “social ills,” not in terms of the needs of those who use drugs, endure mental illness, or face homelessness, but rather in terms of how to better police them. It will ponder how government resources like education, business, and social services may be incorporated into policing instead of how they may entirely replace policing.
The commission will explore how to “improve and increase” enlistment, training, and retention of police officers at the state and local level.
It will scrutinize refusals by state and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes. The commission will also study policing in rural areas and indigenous people.
The commission will issue recommendations to address the mental and physical health of officers, evaluate the efficacy of federal grants to state and local police departments, and investigate the challenges and opportunities new technologies bring to policing.
Public-private partnerships with businesses and community development organizations will be explored, as well as the roles they can play in fostering “prosperous and safe communities,” including through tax incentives created under Trump’s 2017 tax bill.
The commission will evaluate trends in crime and the use of “targeted deterrence” approaches, which dovetail with community policing. Targeted deterrence, or focused deterrence as its sometimes called, is popular among law enforcement and also deeply unjust, involving racist and inaccurate gang profiling, collective punishment strategies, and a regime of inadequate but mandatory “services.”
The law enforcement officials on the commission will weigh in on “juvenile delinquency” and youth crime, victims services, and re-entry programs and initiatives to see “how prisoner programming and post-custodial rehabilitation initiatives can reduce recidivism and improve the quality of life for criminal offenders and their communities.”
They will also look into how data is being used and collected, and how law enforcement should “address evolving threats to national security in the sphere of domestic and international terrorism.”
The issue of trust and respect in policing, however, is emphasized in both the executive order and the memo from Barr.
“This group shall focus on the trend of diminished respect for law enforcement and the laws they enforce,” Barr declares. “The group should specifically evaluate how under-enforcement of the criminal law in certain jurisdictions affects public safety; perception of law enforcement and the laws they enforce; police resources and morale; and rule of law.”
Trump Fans The Flames Of A Black Lives Matter Backlash
With the exception of the prison reform bill known as the FIRST STEP Act, Donald Trump’s presidency has participated in a backlash against criminal justice reforms. This commission can be best understood as part of his efforts to salvage law-and-order politics in the U.S.
Trump is one of only a few presidents in the last 60 years to form a commission like this. Barack Obama convened the “Task Force On 21st Century Policing” in 2014, roughly a year after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Unlike Trump, Obama tapped people who did not work in law enforcement for his commission. He also permitted the Justice Department to review misconduct at some of the most notorious local police departments. But similar to Trump’s commission, Obama’s ultimately recommended community policing, restoring trust and legitimacy of policing, and more officers and training.
President Lyndon Johnson also established a policing commission in 1965 toward the end of the civil rights movement and as part of his “war on crime.” That commission shares its name with Trump’s and has been credited with helping kickstart the “tough-on-crime” mentality that dominated American politics for much of the 20th century.
Professor Alex Vitale, who covered the history of policing and analyzed reforms in his book “The End Of Policing,” told Shadowproof that, unlike Trump’s commission, “the Johnson commission was actually designed with a clear problem in mind and the belief that they could stage a meaningful intervention by coordinating with leading experts and government leaders.”
“While that commission made important mistakes that led to intensified policing in the U.S., it did have a major impact on American policing. In contrast, the Trump commission is an exercise in symbolic politics. He has selected a group of ideological supporters from mostly small and southern departments, who are in line with his political base.”
“He is basically signaling to that base that he supports the most conservative and authoritarian segments of the law enforcement community such as the Fraternal Order of Police and rural sheriffs,” Vitale argued.
The Trump administration has directly rebuked the rising tide of criminal justice reform, even celebrating the violence of policing.
Upon taking office in 2017, Trump issued three executive orders on law enforcement that strengthened police powers. He celebrated the violence of policing in speeches. And his campaign to aggressively harass, arrest, detain, and deport migrants should be understood as part of the same program.
Trump’s efforts have lent momentum and legitimacy to the backlash around the country.
In Philadelphia, for example, decarceral DA Larry Krasner has faced intense pushback on his efforts to develop a different culture of prosecution—so much so that lawmakers have moved to diminish his authority.
A ballot initiative called Keep California Safe could potentially undo significant portions of the sentence reduction provisions of Proposition 47.
And in New York, modest bail reforms were barely in effect for a week before law enforcement and lawmakers clamored for provisions to be rolled back.
Will Trump’s Law Enforcement Commission Impact Criminal Justice Reform?
“This kind of commission has very little chance of having much actual impact on policing,” Vitale said. “Their recommendations lack legitimacy in the eyes of many law enforcement insiders, especially the big city police chiefs who are the most important actors in this world, but who have been totally excluded from the process.”
“The lack of any outside experts will further undermine the credibility of the commission and even its ability to come to any credible conclusions about the many issues it’s been tasked with undertaking.”
Vitale added that “the mandate for the committee is completely out of touch with the actual challenges facing law enforcement and will do little to advance meaningful conversation, much less policy about how to reduce the harms caused by policing.”
Additionally, there’s only so much influence the federal government can truly exert on state and local law enforcement practices. Scholars like Professor John Pfaff have pointed to the general weakness of federal funding as an incentive for change within law enforcement agencies.
But others, like Dr. Heather Schoenfeld, have argued that local, state, and federal jurisdictions follow trends, and with the help of media, they create feedback loops that amplify and reinforce harmful ideas and practices. This is largely self-perpetuating, building momentum behind their own ideas of which issues and available solutions matter, regardless of how experience, evidence, and scholarship might disagree.
Given the makeup, background, and stated focus, it is likely the Trump administration will use the commission to promote police propaganda in response to a well-deserved crisis of confidence in the system.


shadowproof--2020-01-30--Dissenter Weekly: ‘Luanda Leaks,’ Amazon Whistleblowers Defy Threats From Management—Plus, Assange L

Dissenter Weekly: ‘Luanda Leaks,’ Amazon Whistleblowers Defy Threats From Management—Plus, Assange Leaves Solitary

On this edition of the “ Dissenter Weekly , ” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights police whistleblowing in Houston , “ Luanda Leaks , ” and retaliation faced by Amazon workers defying threats from management for speaking out on how the corporation fuels climate change .
Gosztola walks viewers through the struggle to form a police whistleblower committee in Houston .
Activists with We The People Organize want the Houston City Council to appoint a body that can support anonymous complaints from officers .
Later in the program , Gosztola highlights efforts by Amazon workers to protest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made against their jobs .
He also discusses a few stories on the ‘ Luanda Leaks ’ that detail corruption by Isabel dos Santos , the richest woman in Africa .
He also highlights how dos Santos is suing reporters in an attempt to silence them .
After exploring Donald Trump administration ’ s efforts to retaliate against whistleblowers in the Department of Defense , Gosztola provides an update on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ’ s extradition case .
Assange was moved from solitary confinement at the Belmarsh prison in London with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners .
He also draws attention to a new website in support of Chelsea Manning , ReleaseChelsea.com Gosztola will travel to London in February to cover a crucial extradition hearing for Assange .
The case the United States has brought against him threatens global press freedom .
Help us fund his trip by making a donation or becoming a Shadowproof member .
“ Dissenter Weekly ” airs every Thursday at 4pm ET on YouTube and Facebook , and covers whistleblower and press freedom news from that week .
Officials under Trump increasingly retaliate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in jail for 323 days .
She owes $ 214,000 in fines .
Julian Assange has been in jail for 294 days , since he was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in London .
This show is brought to you by Shadowproof.com , a 100 % reader-funded press organization .
If you enjoy our work , you can support us with a donation or by subscribing for $ 5/month or more : https : //shadowproof.com/donate

On this edition of the “Dissenter Weekly,” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights police whistleblowing in Houston, “Luanda Leaks,” and retaliation faced by Amazon workers defying threats from management for speaking out on how the corporation fuels climate change.
Gosztola walks viewers through the struggle to form a police whistleblower committee in Houston. Activists with We The People Organize want the Houston City Council to appoint a body that can support anonymous complaints from officers.
Later in the program, Gosztola highlights efforts by Amazon workers to protest the company’s climate policy despite threats made against their jobs. He also discusses a few stories on the ‘Luanda Leaks’ that detail corruption by Isabel dos Santos, the richest woman in Africa. He also highlights how dos Santos is suing reporters in an attempt to silence them.
After exploring Donald Trump administration’s efforts to retaliate against whistleblowers in the Department of Defense, Gosztola provides an update on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition case. Assange was moved from solitary confinement at the Belmarsh prison in London with the help of his legal team and fellow prisoners.
He also draws attention to a new website in support of Chelsea Manning, ReleaseChelsea.com
Gosztola will travel to London in February to cover a crucial extradition hearing for Assange. The case the United States has brought against him threatens global press freedom.
Help us fund his trip by making a donation or becoming a Shadowproof member.
“Dissenter Weekly” airs every Thursday at 4pm ET on YouTube and Facebook, and covers whistleblower and press freedom news from that week.
This week’s stories:
Advocacy Group Wants Whistleblower Committee For Houston Police
Hundreds of Amazon Workers Defy Rules To Protest Corporation’s Climate Policy
Luanda Leaks and the Global Wealth Defense Industry
Angola’s dos Santos to sue reporters’ consortium behind ‘Luanda Leaks’
Officials under Trump increasingly retaliate against whistleblowers with impunity
***
Chelsea Manning has been in jail for 323 days. She owes $214,000 in fines.
Julian Assange has been in jail for 294 days, since he was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in London.
Send tips and feedback to editor@shadowproof.com
This show is brought to you by Shadowproof.com, a 100% reader-funded press organization. If you enjoy our work, you can support us with a donation or by subscribing for $5/month or more: https://shadowproof.com/donate


shadowproof--2020-02-05--In Spite Of Industry-Backed Disinformation Around Health Care, Largest Nurses Union Mobilizes Voters

In Spite Of Industry-Backed Disinformation Around Health Care, Largest Nurses Union Mobilizes Voters For ‘Medicare For All’

In Phoenix , Arizona , Don Ameden lost his job as a driver for a tourist bus service in July 2018 after he spent a month in a hospital following an emergency surgery during a route in California .
“ I had to get a bus ride back to Phoenix with an open wound from surgery .
When I got here , I found out the company let me go , ” Ameden shared .
Unable to work , jobless , and in need of post-surgical care , Ameden found himself evicted from the room he was renting at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s stayed in homeless shelters in the Phoenix area while working for an airline catering company .
Ameden currently purchases health insurance coverage through his employer , LSG Sky Chefs , but can ’ t afford the copays he ’ s charged to receive care for Type 2 diabetes and heart issues as often as he requires it .
“ I avoid going to the doctor because it costs so much , ” he added .
Health care is one of the most important issues for voters across the United States because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
Six-in-ten Iowans , who participated in the Iowa Caucuses , said they supported the elimination of private health insurance .
But much of the debate within the Democratic presidential primary has focused on criticizing and dismissing “ Medicare For All , ” which would create a national health insurance program where the government became the single-payer for health care .
Millions of Americans can not afford the costs of health care in the United States , even with health insurance coverage .
Over 80 million Americans have inadequate or no medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 500,000 Americans , who file bankruptcy , cite medical debt as a contributing factor .
Each year , more than 250,000 Americans rely on GoFundMe campaigns to help cover medical expenses .
Polls repeatedly show millions of Americans avoid or delay medical care due to the costs , and most Americans report struggling at least once with financial hardship due to medical care .
Despite the fact that the U.S. spends by far the most money on health care than any industrialized nation , the country lags behind other industrialized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only industrialized nation in the world without universal health care .
Health care spending is expected to increase substantially .
Meanwhile , corporations in the U.S. health care industry continue to report record profits .
“ When you have a system where profit is the goal , the only way to make that profit is to deny care .
That ’ s what we ’ ve seen over the years ” said Jean Ross , a co-president of National Nurses United ( NNU ) who has been a nurse for 45 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , and it has led a grassroots Medicare For All campaign over the past several years .
Ross contended , “ What we have right now is unsustainable .
It ’ s imploding .
We already have one of the most unequal societies on Earth and health care is a huge part of it .
It ’ s beyond tweaking .
You don ’ t tweak a bad system .
You replace it.
“ This would provide universal health care coverage and eliminate bureaucratic costs in the health insurance industry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiums currently paid by those with private health insurance .
The plan was a hallmark of Senator Bernie Sanders ’ 2016 presidential campaign , which helped galvanize national support for the proposal .
“ Call me simplistic , but I think when you put forward a plan , you ought to put forward how to pay for it , too , ” South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg told reporters about Sanders ’ Medicare For All plan .
Former Vice President Joe Biden repeated similar criticisms while campaigning in Iowa : “ Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass something through the Senate , saying , ‘ I don ’ t know how much it ’ s going to cost.
’ ” Indeed , Sanders noted the exact costs of Medicare For All are unknown , but critics omit the context of the response .
His remark was a response to CBS anchor Norah O ’ Donnell during a January interview .
“ You don ’ t know .
Nobody knows .
This is impossible to predict.
” Sanders added in a follow-up question on whether he would provide the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know exactly what health care costs will be , one minute , in the next ten years if we do nothing ?
It will be a lot more expensive than a Medicare For All single-payer system.
” As former Harvard Medical School faculty member Dr. Donald Berwick stated in an op-ed for USA Today , “ The cost would depend on many implementation decisions that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders ’ bill , for example , leaves open for thoughtful exploration , careful choice , and adjustments over time : payment rates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit package , details of price negotiations with drug companies , design of simplified administration , and more.
” Along with Biden and Buttigieg , Medicare For All has been consistently criticized as “ too expensive ” and “ unrealistic ” by billionaire Koch-funded researchers , former Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker , the Republican National Committee , and anti-Medicare For All group , Partnership for America ’ s Healthcare Future , an alliance of health insurance and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists .
Industry-backed critiques steer discussion away from the rising costs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of Americans are denied or face financial burdens to afford life-saving medical treatment .
As Sanders previously stated , the answer to the persistent question of “ how are you going to pay for it ?
” is “ we already are.
” Deborah Burger , president of the California Nurses Association and co-president of NNU , declared , “ We are already spending the money .
It ’ s just the fact we ’ re giving a huge chunk of our health care dollars , anywhere from 20 to 30 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a middle man that doesn ’ t provide any real health care service other than trying to make sure patients don ’ t receive treatment their own doctors recommend.
” According to NNU , grassroots organizers focus on personal experiences with the U.S. health care system in mobilizing and rallying support for Medicare For All .
The union ’ s campaign often relies on nurses from Canada , the United Kingdom , and other countries with universal health care to explain to Americans through town halls what a Medicare For All system could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate interests defend the existing system by helping people see they ’ re not alone in the problems they ’ re having with health care , ” argued Jo Beardsmore , an adviser from the U.K. to the NNU ’ s Medicare For All campaign .
“ We know from history the only way you achieve positive change is by concerted organized action from the grassroots.
” Filiberto Lares Cordova , another airline catering worker in Phoenix , Arizona , recently had to travel to Mexico with his daughter to have gallbladder surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for it in the United States , even after paying $ 500 monthly premiums to cover his family .
“ Here in the US , for a hospital stay of one day , I paid $ 7,000 with health insurance .
I ’ m still paying monthly payments to cover that , ” Cordova said .
“ There I spent $ 5,000 for a complete surgery , medicine , and over a week in the hospital .
It ’ s a lot cheaper.
” In Los Angeles , California , Margarita Hernandez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because she couldn ’ t afford it , but she recently was forced to purchase coverage through her employer after she developed severe liver problems .
“ I didn ’ t have health care because I couldn ’ t afford it .
I wasn ’ t able to receive preventive screenings or exams .
I don ’ t make enough money , but I have no other choice but to buy my employer ’ s health insurance because I ’ m facing all these health issues , ” Hernandez shared .
Hernandez pays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in premiums , and she still pays 20 percent of her bill as copays .
She is required to meet a $ 1000 copay to receive out-of-network treatment .
Under “ Medicare For All , ” private health insurance would be eliminated , and in doing so , excessive costs associated with maintaining the for-profit industry would disappear .
“ Those who claim that Medicare for All is too expensive are simply not being honest about what we are currently spending and what we will spend to maintain the most expensive health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , does not produce the healthiest residents , ” said Lindsey Sabadosa , a state representative in Massachusetts who is co-author of a state bill to create a single-payer , Medicare For All system for Massachusetts .
State Representative Paul Mark , the other co-author of the Massachusetts single-payer bill , emphasized Medicare For All would have benefits for local economies .
“ When someone is paying out of their paycheck every week for a deductible or paying out of pocket for an office visit or to fill a prescription , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the local economy , ” Mark said .
“ When we talk about the costs it is essential that the total costs are examined as they are now and how they would be under an improved system , and that means public money now being spent on health care but also private economic activity that would be unleashed by reducing the non-tax related health care burden families are facing today.
” A study from a Koch Brothers-funded think tank estimated costs of reform would total $ 32.6 trillion over 10 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on health care ( Note : Costs were $ 3.5 trillion in 2017 .
So , over ten years , that would be $ 35 trillion , without taking into account significant and constant increases in health care costs under the current system ) .
The same study showed “ Medicare For All ” would save $ 5.1 trillion over a ten-year period , a conservative savings estimate based solely on eliminating excessive administrative costs within the private health insurance industry .
In fact , in 2017 , health insurance providers spent $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per person , on administrative costs .
“ When critics talk about [ how ] we ’ re going to spend trillions of dollars in health care for ‘ Medicare For All , ’ we ’ re already paying for that .
What will happen is when we transition to ‘ Medicare For All ’ [ spending ] will go to providing real access to health care , not health care insurance , ” Burger concluded .

In Phoenix, Arizona, Don Ameden lost his job as a driver for a tourist bus service in July 2018 after he spent a month in a hospital following an emergency surgery during a route in California.
“I had to get a bus ride back to Phoenix with an open wound from surgery. When I got here, I found out the company let me go,” Ameden shared.
Unable to work, jobless, and in need of post-surgical care, Ameden found himself evicted from the room he was renting at the time. Since then, he’s stayed in homeless shelters in the Phoenix area while working for an airline catering company.
Ameden currently purchases health insurance coverage through his employer, LSG Sky Chefs, but can’t afford the copays he’s charged to receive care for Type 2 diabetes and heart issues as often as he requires it.
“I avoid going to the doctor because it costs so much,” he added.
Health care is one of the most important issues for voters across the United States because of growing issues with the American health care system.
Six-in-ten Iowans, who participated in the Iowa Caucuses, said they supported the elimination of private health insurance.
But much of the debate within the Democratic presidential primary has focused on criticizing and dismissing “Medicare For All,” which would create a national health insurance program where the government became the single-payer for health care.
Millions of Americans cannot afford the costs of health care in the United States, even with health insurance coverage. Over 80 million Americans have inadequate or no medical insurance coverage at all.
Every year, more than 500,000 Americans, who file bankruptcy, cite medical debt as a contributing factor. Each year, more than 250,000 Americans rely on GoFundMe campaigns to help cover medical expenses.
Polls repeatedly show millions of Americans avoid or delay medical care due to the costs, and most Americans report struggling at least once with financial hardship due to medical care.
Despite the fact that the U.S. spends by far the most money on health care than any industrialized nation, the country lags behind other industrialized nations in health outcomes and remains the only industrialized nation in the world without universal health care.
Health care spending is expected to increase substantially. Meanwhile, corporations in the U.S. health care industry continue to report record profits.
“When you have a system where profit is the goal, the only way to make that profit is to deny care. That’s what we’ve seen over the years” said Jean Ross, a co-president of National Nurses United (NNU) who has been a nurse for 45 years.
NNU is the largest nurses union in the U.S., and it has led a grassroots Medicare For All campaign over the past several years.
Ross contended, “What we have right now is unsustainable. It’s imploding. We already have one of the most unequal societies on Earth and health care is a huge part of it. It’s beyond tweaking. You don’t tweak a bad system. You replace it.“
This would provide universal health care coverage and eliminate bureaucratic costs in the health insurance industry, including the copays, deductibles, and premiums currently paid by those with private health insurance.
The plan was a hallmark of Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, which helped galvanize national support for the proposal.
“Call me simplistic, but I think when you put forward a plan, you ought to put forward how to pay for it, too,” South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg told reporters about Sanders’ Medicare For All plan.
Former Vice President Joe Biden repeated similar criticisms while campaigning in Iowa: “Well, that’s not a likely way to pass something through the Senate, saying, ‘I don’t know how much it’s going to cost.’”
Indeed, Sanders noted the exact costs of Medicare For All are unknown, but critics omit the context of the response. His remark was a response to CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell during a January interview.
“You don’t know. Nobody knows. This is impossible to predict.” Sanders added in a follow-up question on whether he would provide the costs of the plan. “Do you know exactly what health care costs will be, one minute, in the next ten years if we do nothing? It will be a lot more expensive than a Medicare For All single-payer system.”
As former Harvard Medical School faculty member Dr. Donald Berwick stated in an op-ed for USA Today, “The cost would depend on many implementation decisions that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ bill, for example, leaves open for thoughtful exploration, careful choice, and adjustments over time: payment rates to hospitals and doctors, content of the benefit package, details of price negotiations with drug companies, design of simplified administration, and more.”
Along with Biden and Buttigieg, Medicare For All has been consistently criticized as “too expensive” and “unrealistic” by billionaire Koch-funded researchers, former Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker, the Republican National Committee, and anti-Medicare For All group, Partnership for America’s Healthcare Future, an alliance of health insurance and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists.
Industry-backed critiques steer discussion away from the rising costs of the current and inherently cruel system, where millions of Americans are denied or face financial burdens to afford life-saving medical treatment.
As Sanders previously stated, the answer to the persistent question of “how are you going to pay for it?” is “we already are.”
Deborah Burger, president of the California Nurses Association and co-president of NNU, declared, “We are already spending the money. It’s just the fact we’re giving a huge chunk of our health care dollars, anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of our health care dollars, to a middle man that doesn’t provide any real health care service other than trying to make sure patients don’t receive treatment their own doctors recommend.”
According to NNU, grassroots organizers focus on personal experiences with the U.S. health care system in mobilizing and rallying support for Medicare For All. The union’s campaign often relies on nurses from Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries with universal health care to explain to Americans through town halls what a Medicare For All system could look like.
“It makes those corporate interests defend the existing system by helping people see they’re not alone in the problems they’re having with health care,” argued Jo Beardsmore, an adviser from the U.K. to the NNU’s Medicare For All campaign. “We know from history the only way you achieve positive change is by concerted organized action from the grassroots.”
Filiberto Lares Cordova, another airline catering worker in Phoenix, Arizona, recently had to travel to Mexico with his daughter to have gallbladder surgery because he couldn’t afford to pay for it in the United States, even after paying $500 monthly premiums to cover his family.
“Here in the US, for a hospital stay of one day, I paid $7,000 with health insurance. I’m still paying monthly payments to cover that,” Cordova said. “There I spent $5,000 for a complete surgery, medicine, and over a week in the hospital. It’s a lot cheaper.”
In Los Angeles, California, Margarita Hernandez went years without any health insurance coverage because she couldn’t afford it, but she recently was forced to purchase coverage through her employer after she developed severe liver problems.
“I didn’t have health care because I couldn’t afford it. I wasn’t able to receive preventive screenings or exams. I don’t make enough money, but I have no other choice but to buy my employer’s health insurance because I’m facing all these health issues, ” Hernandez shared.
Hernandez pays a little over $50 every week in premiums, and she still pays 20 percent of her bill as copays. She is required to meet a $1000 copay to receive out-of-network treatment.
Under “Medicare For All,” private health insurance would be eliminated, and in doing so, excessive costs associated with maintaining the for-profit industry would disappear.
“Those who claim that Medicare for All is too expensive are simply not being honest about what we are currently spending and what we will spend to maintain the most expensive health care system in the world that, sadly, does not produce the healthiest residents,” said Lindsey Sabadosa, a state representative in Massachusetts who is co-author of a state bill to create a single-payer, Medicare For All system for Massachusetts.
State Representative Paul Mark, the other co-author of the Massachusetts single-payer bill, emphasized Medicare For All would have benefits for local economies.
“When someone is paying out of their paycheck every week for a deductible or paying out of pocket for an office visit or to fill a prescription, that’s money that is effectively being removed from the local economy,” Mark said. “When we talk about the costs it is essential that the total costs are examined as they are now and how they would be under an improved system, and that means public money now being spent on health care but also private economic activity that would be unleashed by reducing the non-tax related health care burden families are facing today.”
A study from a Koch Brothers-funded think tank estimated costs of reform would total $32.6 trillion over 10 years, less than what the U.S. spends annually on health care (Note: Costs were $3.5 trillion in 2017. So, over ten years, that would be $35 trillion, without taking into account significant and constant increases in health care costs under the current system).
The same study showed “Medicare For All” would save $5.1 trillion over a ten-year period, a conservative savings estimate based solely on eliminating excessive administrative costs within the private health insurance industry. In fact, in 2017, health insurance providers spent $800 billion, or nearly $2,500 per person, on administrative costs.
“When critics talk about [how] we’re going to spend trillions of dollars in health care for ‘Medicare For All,’ we’re already paying for that. What will happen is when we transition to ‘Medicare For All’ [spending] will go to providing real access to health care, not health care insurance,” Burger concluded.


shadowproof--2020-02-05--Protest Song Of The Week: ‘Silver Tongued White Man’ By Jason Camp And The Posers

Cover for Jason Camp And The Posers ' `` First Contact '' album ( Photo from Bandcamp ) The post was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs .
Canada is often portrayed as the more progressive and less racist neighbor of the United States .
Overlooked in that perception is the country ’ s ongoing troubled history in dealing with its indigenous population .
Shedding a light on indigenous issues is Jason Camp and the Posers , a Haida Nation punkabilly band .
The band ’ s mission statement is described on the album ’ s Bandcamp page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Contact , ” “ After 15,000 years of indigenous occupation and 150 years of colonization we are prepared to bring you the very finest in post-colonial rage rock.
” One of the highlights of the raucous album is “ Silver Tongued White Man.
” Both the song and accompanying video addresses the various proposed pipelines that do irreparable harm to the environment and violates sacred land .
The lyric , “ Sure look pretty while you ’ re making a deal .
Shake hands for the cameras on the land that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , who presents himself as a champion of native rights , but the actions of his administration belie those claims .
“ You wan na reconcile but won ’ t say genocide ” also carries a lot of power .
Because true reconciliation comes from acknowledging the past .
If history continues to be whitewashed , nothing changes .

The post was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs.
Canada is often portrayed as the more progressive and less racist neighbor of the United States. Overlooked in that perception is the country’s ongoing troubled history in dealing with its indigenous population.
Shedding a light on indigenous issues is Jason Camp and the Posers, a Haida Nation punkabilly band.
The band’s mission statement is described on the album’s Bandcamp page for their 2019 debut album, “First Contact,” “After 15,000 years of indigenous occupation and 150 years of colonization we are prepared to bring you the very finest in post-colonial rage rock.”
One of the highlights of the raucous album is “Silver Tongued White Man.” Both the song and accompanying video addresses the various proposed pipelines that do irreparable harm to the environment and violates sacred land.
The lyric, “Sure look pretty while you’re making a deal. Shake hands for the cameras on the land that you steal,” a scathing indictment of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who presents himself as a champion of native rights, but the actions of his administration belie those claims.
“You wanna reconcile but won’t say genocide” also carries a lot of power. Because true reconciliation comes from acknowledging the past. If history continues to be whitewashed, nothing changes.


shadowproof--2020-02-07--Dissenter Weekly: Democratic Party Whistleblowers In Milwaukee And Iowa—Plus, Trump To Expand Oil An

Dissenter Weekly: Democratic Party Whistleblowers In Milwaukee And Iowa—Plus, Trump To Expand Oil And Gas Drilling In Colorado

On this edition of the “ Dissenter Weekly , ” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights whistleblowers within the Democratic Party , who have exposed malfeasance in the Iowa Caucuses and alleged “ toxic workplace ” culture in the 2020 Milwaukee DNC Host Committee .
Gosztola highlights women staffers who sent a letter to the board of directors for the host committee that led to the firing of two individuals .
He also shares the example of Chris Schwartz , a Black Hawk County supervisor who provided a delegate count from his county yet received no explanation from Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also embarrassed state Democrats .
“ The state party is now being forced to walk back their error of giving Bernie Sanders delegates to Deval Patrick , who received zero votes in Black Hawk County , ” Schwartz wrote on Twitter .
Later in the program , Gosztola describes how the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) plans to open around a million acres of land in southwest Colorado to oil and gas drilling .
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility ( PEER ) , a group known for its work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published records that how the regulatory agency is ignoring objections from Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the public .
BLM is overruling field managers because it is line with the administration ’ s agenda to decrease regulations as a service to the fossil fuel industry .
The episode concludes with an update on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ’ s extradition case .
Prominent Germans appealed for his release from the Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom .
Gosztola will travel to London in February to cover a week-long extradition hearing for Assange .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against him threatens global press freedom .
Help us fund his trip by making a donation or becoming a Shadowproof member .
“ Dissenter Weekly ” airs every Thursday at 4pm ET on YouTube and Facebook , and covers whistleblower and press freedom news from that week .
DNC Host Committee Remove Two Leaders For Creating ‘ Toxic Workplace ’ After Whistleblowers Complain Bureau Of Land Management Overrules Staff And Orders More Colorado Drilling U.S. Education Department Whistleblower Forced Out After Exposing Push Against Transgender Student Athletes FAA Whistleblower Says He Was Prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor Department Orders Michigan School District To Pay , Reinstate Whistleblower Who Warned Of Asbestos Hazard Chelsea Manning has been in jail for 330 days .
She owes $ 221,000 in fines .
Julian Assange has been in jail for 301 days , since he was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in London .
This show is brought to you by Shadowproof.com , a 100 % reader-funded press organization .
If you enjoy our work , you can support us with a donation or by subscribing for $ 5/month or more : https @ @

On this edition of the “Dissenter Weekly,” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights whistleblowers within the Democratic Party, who have exposed malfeasance in the Iowa Caucuses and alleged “toxic workplace” culture in the 2020 Milwaukee DNC Host Committee.
Gosztola highlights women staffers who sent a letter to the board of directors for the host committee that led to the firing of two individuals. He also shares the example of Chris Schwartz, a Black Hawk County supervisor who provided a delegate count from his county yet received no explanation from Democrats as to why those were not reported. He also embarrassed state Democrats.
“The state party is now being forced to walk back their error of giving Bernie Sanders delegates to Deval Patrick, who received zero votes in Black Hawk County,” Schwartz wrote on Twitter.
Later in the program, Gosztola describes how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to open around a million acres of land in southwest Colorado to oil and gas drilling.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a group known for its work representing environmental whistleblowers in government agencies, published records that how the regulatory agency is ignoring objections from Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the public. BLM is overruling field managers because it is line with the administration’s agenda to decrease regulations as a service to the fossil fuel industry.
The episode concludes with an update on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition case. Prominent Germans appealed for his release from the Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom.
Gosztola will travel to London in February to cover a week-long extradition hearing for Assange. The case the United States has brought against him threatens global press freedom.
Help us fund his trip by making a donation or becoming a Shadowproof member.
“Dissenter Weekly” airs every Thursday at 4pm ET on YouTube and Facebook, and covers whistleblower and press freedom news from that week.
This week’s stories:
DNC Host Committee Remove Two Leaders For Creating ‘Toxic Workplace’ After Whistleblowers Complain
Bureau Of Land Management Overrules Staff And Orders More Colorado Drilling
U.S. Education Department Whistleblower Forced Out After Exposing Push Against Transgender Student Athletes
FAA Whistleblower Says He Was Prevented From Inspecting Helicopter Before Hawaii Crash
US Labor Department Orders Michigan School District To Pay, Reinstate Whistleblower Who Warned Of Asbestos Hazard
Prominent Germans appeal for Julian Assange’s release
***
Chelsea Manning has been in jail for 330 days. She owes $221,000 in fines.
Julian Assange has been in jail for 301 days, since he was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in London.
Send tips and feedback to editor@shadowproof.com
This show is brought to you by Shadowproof.com, a 100% reader-funded press organization. If you enjoy our work, you can support us with a donation or by subscribing for $5/month or more: https://shadowproof.com/donate