Is This Our New America?

Government programs and private-sector data collection are destroying our privacy, pushing us towards a 24-hour surveillance society.

We are facing a flood of powerful new technologies that expand the potential for centralized monitoring, an executive branch aggressively seeking new powers to spy on citizens, a docile Congress and courts, as well as a cadre of mega-corporations that are willing to become extensions of the surveillance state. We confront the possibility of a dark future where our every move, our every transaction, our every communication is recorded, compiled, and stored away, ready for access by the authorities whenever they want.
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Government of the Corporation, By the Corporation, and For the Corporation

Just days ago, the Supreme Court made a destructive decision that reversed several decades of legal precedence used to protect the American political system from corporate influence. Its ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission essentially gives wealthy corporations the power to buy elected officials. The Supreme Court justifies its ruling by claiming that the First Amendment gives for-profit corporations the right to use money to influence campaigns. This very controversial ruling threatens to destroy the fundamental fabric of democracy by allowing corporation power to unlimited influence over our nation’s political process.
This blatant attack against democracy puts corporate power over people. With wealthy corporations’ inequitable access to “monetary influence”, they will be able to drown of the voice American people- the exact people (not corporations) that the First Amendment was designed to protect. Gray Panthers stands firmly behind its vision to create a humane society that puts the needs of people over profits, responsibility over power, and democracy over institutions. As such, we are outraged at this ruling and will fight vigilantly against the injustice of this decision.  Visit the Gray Panthers website.

City Room Films

City Room Films' website is currently under construction and will be online in the next few days. The update will include City Room Films' new film projects.

Jonathan

Rescue Me! Where’s The Food!

Written By Jonathan Israel
jonathan@cityroompress.com

Every city across America is faced with a severe homeless population. In the last five years, America’s homelessness has escalated thirty percent higher in every central city. Homelessness is no longer confined to major metropolises. Urban towns, small farming villages, country townships, and mountain rural communities have their share of homeless troubles.

Homeless people rely upon charitable organizations, such as Catholic Charities, churches, and private non-profit organizations, for a hot meal, a shower, and toiletries. Food and Care Coalition in Provo, Utah serve three meals a day, plus a sack lunch to Provo’s growing homeless population. Two years ago they averaged 700 meals a day. That figure has now risen to over 1000 hot meals, plus they provide dental, optical, and medical care.

They’re not alone. Catholic Charities states there is a vaunting increase in homeless people in America. For example, in Colorado Springs, Catholic Charities feed 700 to 800 people a day; compared to six months ago they averaged 400 to 500 homeless people. Charitable organizations that care for the homeless are faced with a mammoth financial dilemma. They are simply running out of money and food. Non-profit organizations rely on the generosity of private citizens, churches, private corporations, and the federal government.

Across America the current recession has largely affected freewill contributions. In most cases, donations are down fifty percent or more. With the rising cost of food, some grocery stores, such as, Safeway and KingSooper (United Grocers) have ceased disseminating meat products, milk, and juice to charitable organizations, except for expired bread and pastries. The reason: The federal government allows for grocery stores a much higher tax write-off if expired food is discarded rather than given to charities. Catholic Charities, Food and Care Coalition, Manna, and other homeless charities primarily rely on food donations from grocery stores.

The Obama Administration has significantly cut back funding to all charities, putting charitable institutions in a most difficult position to care for the homeless. All along, America’s “moneybags” live in marble palaces, and dine at recherché restaurants eating caviar and sipping Pertimali di Livo Sassetti. Year after year, these self-praising “economic whores” rob the middle-class out of what little money they earn. They’ve set themselves as kings over America’s middle-class and wretched misfortunate ones. How long will the poor allow America’s aristocrats to rule over them? A fresh wind is blowing across America: It is a revolutionary call to unity for economical equality for all peoples.