THE HEADLINES

An Iraqi child sits amidst the remains of the US military's "Speicher base" (Photo from The New York Times)

AS AMERICAN TROOPS LEAVE IRAQ, THEY LEAVE BEHIND SOME “TRAITOR TOWNS” OF PEOPLE WHO HAD COOPERATED WITH U.S. FORCES AND ARE NOW PAYING A PRICE FOR IT.

(New York Times)

There were some 500 U.S. military bases in Iraq, many now closing with troop withdrawals. A typical one is Spreicher base near the town of Sokur, whose residents prospered by getting on-base jobs and cooperating with authorities in identifying Iraqi “bad guys.” Their newly precarious situation is illustrated in the observation that their former U.S. employers gave them letters of recommendation for their service, which one such recipient said he would present to an Iraqi employer only if he wanted to die, giving the prevailing local feeling against the “traitors” who sold out to the occupying force.

`

MEMO TO SUPER-COMMITTEE: STOP HAVING GOVERNMENT REIMBURSE PENSION FUNDS OF EMPLOYEES OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS WHEN THEIR EMPLOYERS MAKE BAD INVESTMENTS FROM THOSE FUNDS.

(Mother Jones)

Some $30 billions in taxpayer funds could be saved if employees of these firms were left at the mercy of market fluctuations in their pension funds, as are all other retired employees. Defense contracts require such guarantee of their employees’ pension funds, but there is a serious question of whether their special treatment is justified.

`

“THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES WE FACE DON’T PAUSE FOR AN ELECTION CYCLE.“

(Salt Lake Tribune)

This statement is made in a letter from the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce to members of the Utah delegation in the U.S. Congress urging them to support comprehensive immigration reform, a politically unpopular view but one that local business people see as vital to the labor economy of the state. One Republican Congressman at least shrugs off the urging and says he still favors the stronger border enforcement about which the Chamber is complaining.

`

ANATOMY OF ANOTHER SCANDAL: EMPLOYEES OF MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER HAD UNREPORTED KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN THE FACILITY.

(Memphis Commercial-Appeal)

While the nation anguishes over Joe Paterno and other Penn State employees sitting on knowledge of child abuse on the coaching staff, Memphis officials are uncovering another situation of employees engaging in illegal behavior while enjoying a “protected status.” This is the charge at the city’s animal shelter, already under public scrutiny for widely-distributed pictures of abusive treatment at the facility, now the information that some employees were connected with a local dog-fighting ring.

`

THE GOOD-HEARTEDNESS OF THE CITY OF ORLANDO FOR THE PLIGHT OF WORKERS LOSING JOBS AT AMWAY ARENA BECAUSE OF THE NBA LOCK-OUT.

(Orlando Sentinel)

The Mayor of Orlando, in the good-hearted mode, joins with a local “out-reach” pastor to provide for the essentials of life for parking and concession attendants and others who support the Magic in their games at Amway. Meantime, the good-hearted city hands out pink slips to 70 part time employees whose jobs are being displaced by the “privatization” of support services at the arena.

PRIVATIZATION:

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Quote of the day...

My single most important responsibility as President is to keep the American people safe. That is the first thing that I think about when I wake up in the morning. It is the last thing that I think about when I go to sleep at night.

From 2009 speech by President Barack Obama, cited in an article complaining that Obama has followed the Bush example in using a mandate for national security as a warrant for violating the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens.  

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Do you receive the daily headlines in the form of an early-morning e-mail? If you don’t and you would like to receive them, just send a note to sunstateactivist2@yahoo.com and you’ll be enrolled in the “Progressive breakfast club.”