"Citizens United" - Yes, Virginia, We Are Losing Our Democracy!
February 22, 2010

The recent decision handed down by the Robert's Court once again proclaims that nothing is sacred with this Court.

Last year they threw away years of precedence when they determined that even if you did not know you were being harmed (in this case discriminated against) you were still out of luck to obtain any justice from this court.  Lilly Ledbetter had won every decision in her case against Firestone, until she got to the Supremes.  Settled law throughout the land has held that statutes of limitations do not begin until the person wronged discovers they have been wronged.  Not so, for Lilly Ledbetter.  According to the court, her statutes of limitations ran before she even knew she had been harmed.  The Court reversed the lower courts and awarded in favor of Firestone who had systematically for years paid Ms. Ledbetter less than her male counterparts for doing the exact same job.

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The Bankruptcy and Consumer Protection Acts of 2002 & 2005 Revisited
February 22, 2010

As we have seen during these past 18 months with rising bankruptcies due to health care expenses, and the bubble bursting economy, bankruptcy laws have become a critical issue for many of our friends, neighbors, and relatives. 

Provisions of the Bankruptcy Act of 2002 included a measure that made it more difficult for debtors to erase their obligations under Chapter 7, and instead forced more debtors into Chapter 13 repayment plans.  While Democrats voted against this bill 2 to 1, Congressman Larsen joined the Republicans and voted to pass this bill.  See Roll Call Vote 484

One of the Reform Act’s controversial provisions was a means test that pushed more Chapter 7 (liquidation) debtors with financial means into Chapter 13 (reorganization). Many argued the policy change “had no public welfare justification. In effect it will be a transfer of income from bankrupt individuals to very profitable corporations.” William Waller, Kickin’em While They’re Down: Consumer Bankruptcy Reform, J. ECON. ISSUES, Dec. 1, 2001, at 15, available at 2001 WL 21300828.¹

While the 2002 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2002 did not receive a great deal of attention in the media, the 2005 Bankruptcy and Consumer Protection Act did.  It was well known at the time that MBNA (Mastercard) was behind the changes in the law.  After years of mailing out credit cards to every Tom, Dick and Harry with little, if any, verification of their credit worthiness, they turned to the lawmakers to rectify their error of judgment.  

Much was attempted in the Senate to reduce to impact of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, but all were rejected by the Republican majority along with a few Democrats.  The Senate bill was subsequently adopted and passed by the House of Representatives with an "aye" vote by Congressman Larsen, who, again, voted with the Republican majority.  See Roll Call Vote 108

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No More Politics As Usual
February 22, 2010

For months and months we've watched GOP hypocrisy (and lies) being repeated over and over in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere across the country with little push back from the Dems or the media.

Beyond being the party of "no," or the party of obstruction, the Republican Party has simply become a party of bullies.

As a Democrat, I find that offensive.  As a mother who has had to deal with bullies going after my own children, I am moving past offensive and annoyance to out and out, into it's time to protect my young mode.

And the one lesson anyone who has ever dealt with a bully must eventually learn, is that win or lose, you must stand up to them.  Standing up to them 99% of the time takes away their power of control and instilling fear and that is really what it is all about...control and fear.   

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