Last year when I was attending Netroots Nation, Darcy Burner, then a candidate for Congress, spoke of an idea she had that was pretty exciting for anyone who is painfully aware of the Koch brothers far reaching influence over politics and consumers. She had an idea for an app that would make it easier for consumers to avoid buying products with any ties to Koch Industries. Burner, a former programmer for Microsoft, had a mock interface that she hoped to build on.
Now it appears she was unaware there was already a group trying to develop a similar idea, and it's just been introduced.
Called Buycott, the app is pretty amazing in all that it can do. I downloaded it as soon as I heard about it, and it's pretty impressive. (I wasn't the only one who thought so. The developers have had some problems keeping up with demand.)
Not only can you "join" campaigns as per your interests, like sustainable and local food initiatives, those which allow you to avoid plastic bottles, and the big favorites like avoiding products made by Koch Industries, Monsanto, and even any with ties to ALEC. (The American Legislative Exchange Council.)
For instance, say you want to join a campaign that demands GMO
(genetically modified organisms) food labeling. Once you join, you can read more linked details about the campaign. If you touch "focus" on the app toolbar, it calls up an extensive list of companies to avoid who donated more than $150,000 to oppose GMO labeling in California. Select Cargill, Inc. for instance, and you'll see a "family tree" option at the bottom. Touch that and up pops the company tree. There you'll see that Diamond Crystals and Truvia products, among others, are two of the brands you can refrain from purchasing. You can also use the integrated social media to Tweet or share information on Facebook.
Say you're out shopping for paper products and want to know if a certain brand of paper towels is a product from one of the campaigns you've joined. Choosing the scanner on the bottom allows you to scan the barcode in just seconds, and it will tell you if it's a brand to avoid. Scan a package of Brawny paper towels and it will trace back up the family tree to show you it's made by Georgia Pacific, which is part of Koch Industries.
Since company information is always changing and new products come on the market, the app also lets you add unknown products by scanning them. You can contribute information and contacts that you discover and add them to the Buycott database.
Of course another great thing about the app, it's free! The only problem that I can see with it so far is that you may have difficulty finding brands you CAN buy, depending on how many campaigns you're following. Between Koch, Monsanto, and ALEC, just to name a few, their industry and product range is vast and encompassing. You'll have to do your homework and shop around to find products to reward companies who share your views, but this app sure makes it a lot easier.
(Note: In May of 2010, not long after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I met and interviewed the founder of Hands Across The Sand, Dave Rauschkolb, in Seaside, FL. I wrote about Rauschkolb and the story behind what inspired his organization on my original blog site. This weekend begins Hands Across The Sand's fourth year holding what are now global events in protest of offshore oil drilling, (Locate a local event near you here.) and in honor of that I'm re-posting my original piece on Rauschkolb below.)
Dave Rauschkolb, Founder of “Hands Across The Sand”
(Photo: Martha Jackovics)
May 21, 2010
It’s been over a month since the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion, which killed 11, injured many others and caused the still gushing oil “spill” that threatens to devastate wildlife, along with the fishing and tourism industry in Florida.
Aside from a lot of political posturing in the past over the issue of oil drilling in the Gulf Of Mexico, not much was done about it beyond talk.
What did it take to get people’s attention? Probably the fact that most recent evidence places the oil plumes in the “loop current” in the Gulf, which will eventually carry the oil into the Florida Keys and then on around South Florida, into the Atlantic where most say it will likely land on beaches in Palm Beach County first.
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to head up to the Florida Panhandle where I met people who live and work where, at the time, most thought the oil was headed next. I talked to people whose entire livelihoods were, and still are at stake.
One of those people I met was a man who didn’t just talk about it. He actually did something about it, and he did it long before the BP disaster unfolded.
Last summer, the Florida House passed bill #1219 which lifted the ban on near shore oil drilling in the Gulf Of Mexico, which allowed drilling to take place as close as ten miles off the coast of Florida. The bill first came to the attention of restaurant owner Dave Rauschkolb in Seaside, FL during a meet and greet at his restaurant with Florida House candidate David Pleat. Rauschkolb said that Pleat explained in layman’s terms what actually was proposed in the bill.
“What they were really asking for was carte blanche to give them a free ticket to drill anywhere they wanted three to ten miles off shore and that would also give the county jurisdiction from the waterline to three miles. The county said they could run pipelines wherever they wanted” Rauschkolb explains. “I was knocked back on my heels.”
At the end of Pleat’s explanation Rauschkolb “got this flash of an idea” that went beyond merely writing to legislators in opposition.
“Earlier I had said “we need to draw a line in the sand over this” and that kept running through my head. I looked at my wife and I said “I know what we can do.” I got this simple idea to have Floridians go to the beaches, join hands and create human lines in the sand to protest this legislation and try to convince legislators to drop this proposal.”
Rauschkolb’s ”flash of an idea” became a now familiar environmental awareness movement in Florida called “Hands Across The Sand.”
Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our waterways, our tourism, our coastal military missions and our valuable properties. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling.
The idea was simple: Go to an event beach at the appointed time for one hour, rain or shine, join hands for ten minutes forming a “line in the sand” against oil drilling in coastal waters, and leave only footprints behind.
Rauschkolb went to work on the idea and designed a website, a 30 second radio commercial and a newspaper ad. The website was subsequently contributed by CYber SYtes in Panama City Beach, and posters were designed by local artists as well as T-Shirts that were given away free of charge.
Before long e-mails started to come in, and in just two months Rauschkolb says “we had 80 beaches organized from Jacksonville Beach to Miami and from Key West up to Pensacola.” Thousands of Floridians joined hands at he first “Hands Across The Sand” event that took place on February 13, 2010. “The largest group was in the Tampa, St. Petersburg Beach area with around 3,000 people. In Seaside, where Rauschkolb owns and operates his restaurant“Bud & Alley’s” there were 500.
Talking to Rauschkolb just over two weeks after the BP oil spill, he speaks about his frustration over President Obama’s stand on oil drilling. “ I knew the moment (Obama) said the word “Oil” in his State Of the Union address that he was throwing a bone to the Republicans. I counted how many times he said “clean energy,” 12 or 15 times. He mentioned oil once.” A strong signal in Rauschkolb’s mind that “this is something that is not near and dear to his heart.”
“To me after this spill, it’s going to be awfully difficult for those pro-drilling politicians in Florida to wash oil from their hands and I can’t imagine that (Florida Republicans) Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos will continue this folly and bring this legislation back to Floridians in the next session after the election. So I’m imploring them to stop it and stop it now. I’m hoping in the near future they will come out and say they’re dropping the legislation for good.”
“So many politicians like Sarah Palin and John Boehner are just drilling themselves a hole into oblivion in my opinion and I hope they stay down there. They can live with the oil as far as I’m concerned. I’ve lived here since 1970 and it’s one of the most beautiful places that I’ve ever been. I’ve made my life here, I’ve raised my family here and this is a very special place. It’s the natural beauty of this place and the fact that 30% of our seafood comes from the Gulf.”
Rauschkolb becomes emotional at the thought of what could become of the community where he’s made his home for 24 years.
“Florida beaches are America’s beaches and they should hold them dear. I’m sorry, but drilling should not be occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, period. The Gulf should be a national park. It’s an abomination that our seafood industry is going to be destroyed for a very long time, and that entire coastal economies and ecosystems are about to be devastated. No one industry should have that kind power because of their mistakes.”
“Perhaps destiny will determine through this accident which way our country goes.”
Hands Across The Sand held it's first protest against offshore oil drilling in Florida on February 13, 2010 when 10,000 Floridians representing 60 towns and cities and over 90 beaches joined hands to protest the efforts by the Florida Legislature and the US Congress to lift the ban on offshore oil drilling.
In May of 2010, after the BP oil spill, I met and interviewed the founder of Hands Across The Sand, Dave Rauschkolb, in Seaside, FL. I wrote about Rauschkolb and the story behind what inspired his organization on my original blog site, where I later wrote and covered the oil spill on a trip to the Panhandle not long after the disaster began.
In honor of the fourth year of Hands Across The Sand protests, I'll be re-posting that original piece on Dave Rauschkolb here tomorrow.
Remember the other day when Marco Rubio, fresh from his latest bad acting temper tantrum, demanded, DEMANDED that the IRS Commissioner resign immediately when in fact there was no IRS Commissioner? That was because the commissioner at the time this controversy started, Douglas H. Shulman, a Bush appointee, had already left...last November.
Yesterday President Obama did what was expected and announced that the acting commissioner, Steven Miller, had resigned.
Since Rubio never lets the facts get in the way, he cranked up his mass propaganda machine not long after, and, in an act of either wishful or magical thinking, and a little help from some media outlets, went about spinning the fiction that this may have had something to do with him.
Right.
Today, it appears he tried it again. It seems Marco put on his best outraged facial expression and ran right to his favorite FOX-GOP-TV camera to make more demands. This time he wanted the Justice Department to fully investigate the IRS post haste! The only problem is, Attorney General Eric Holder had announced that he had opened a criminal probe of the IRS already......on Tuesday. I guess since FOX news viewers are some of the most uninformed in the population maybe Rubio thought they would never figure it out.
It makes you wonder sometimes, is Rubio doing this on purpose, or is he repeatedly stepping on a rake every few days? Or a little of both? I would bet the latter. He probably didn't have a clue there was no IRS Commissioner to fire any more than he has a clue how to find the IRS on a map. With today's fumble it could go either way. But Rubio does seem to have a habit of trying to make it look like he has the same ideas as President Obama...after the fact, when the President's ideas have been out there in public for all to see. Wait a couple days and there's Rubio: "Me too!" He did that with immigration when his plan seemed to ever so oddly look almost just like the one Obama had already come up with.
This method has a familiar ring to it. I believe it's kind of like what the Republicans refer to as "leading from behind."
Florida Watch Action will be protesting the potential sale of the Orlando Sentinel and other Tribune Company newspapers to the Koch Brothers in Orlando this afternoon.
The “billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch have bought more politicians, think tanks, colleges and universities, and media outlets than you can shake a stick at," the group says in a promotion of the planned protest outside the Sentinel set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
"And their tentacles of influence are spreading further," the group said. "Now they are trying to purchase eight daily newspapers, including the Orlando and Sun Sentinel, to further their libertarian anti-government, anti-union agenda.”
“A sale transaction is only one of our possible strategic options, and there are many others.”
The Koch Brothers caused a similar stir when they began funding at Florida State University, funding that was subject to their approval of chosen professors, even though they claimed they would have no agenda or economics influence over the curriculum. They also fund the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Americans for Prosperity, Tea Party groups and the Cato Institute.
If they were to buy the newspapers in Florida, it would push much of the news influence far to the right, especially in the I-4 corridor, the more progressive part of the state. As Progress Florida puts it, it would be tantamount to a Tea Party takeover of Florida news:
The Koch Brothers are chief architects and funders of the extreme right wing political machine. They're behind corporate front group "think tanks" like the Heritage Foundation and the CATO Institute. The Kochs are also the largest funders of the Tea Party movement and are notorious peddlers of falsehoods about Medicare, Social Security, worker’s rights, climate change, and more.
It's important that local newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel remain unbiased sources of reliable news, not as propaganda outlets for the Koch Brothers' extreme ideological machine. But if the Koch Brothers are allowed to purchase the Tribune Company, that is exactly what will happen.
There's a reason why freedom of the press is mentioned in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The health of our democracy is based on a well-informed citizenry. The Koch Brothers' attempt to subvert local media is a direct attack on this fundamental foundation of our country.
After years of political candidates claiming that "God told them to run" or convincing voters that Jesus favors gun ownership, but opposes ObamaCare, it appears Jesus has finally put his foot down.
Anna Pierre, who previously said she was a victim of Vodou sorcery, posted the message in a campaign-style flier featured on her Facebook page.
Reached on Monday, Pierre said Jesus came to her in a dream.
“I had a revelation when I was going to give up on this race. I had a dream. I know what I saw,” she said. “A figure I can’t explain told me, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am your friend. I am walking with you side by side. You are not alone.’ I felt it was from heaven. It was an endorsement by Jesus.”
If this was indeed Jesus' doing, I'm not sure why, exactly, he waited until now to take a stand and say "Enough already!" I can think of at least three recent, and more suitable cases in which much damage could have been avoided had he stepped in earlier.
Luckily, Jesus came to an "unnamed source" in a dream and the source had the opportunity to ask him:
US: Why not step in when George W. Bush said you told him to run?
Jesus: I honestly didn't think he would ever actually get elected.
US: What about his reelection?
Jesus: Well, I thought what were the chances of it happening a second time?
US: With all due respect, it was Florida, after all. What about that? The Supreme Court? Ohio?
Jesus: I know. Again, my bad.
US: Can you explain Michele Bachmann? Louie Gohmert?
Jesus: Don't tell anyone this, but I really can't be everywhere at all times. You can't imagine the pressure I'm under. Look at what I'm up against in Congress for Go...for heav....for goodness sake!
US: Oh, come on! What about Sarah Palin?
Jesus: Are you kidding? I actually did quietly step in on that one, but I didn't make a formal announcement. Still paying for that decision...
US: Why now? Why this race in particular?
Jesus: Quite frankly, I'm tired of political parties claiming I'm really "on their side." I felt it was important to choose a nonpartisan race.
US: You claim you're not partisan, but your excuse for George W. Bush seems a tad flimsy. That is, if you really do exist, so I'll ask again. Are you really non-partisan? Do you actually exist? Asking for a friend.
Jesus: Jesus! What is this, an inquisition?? Oops, I mean.....uh.....
Florida Shortens Yellow Traffic Lights For Profit: Florida is "tweaking" the rules on time intervals for yellow traffic lights, and ignoring national standards, which means big profits for some, at the expense of unsuspecting ticketed motorists, who may face an even bigger fine if they contest their citations. There's also the potential for danger when the lights are shortened in some cases. You can thank the Legislature, The FDOT and lobbyists for camera companies. See the full story here.
Forget That Empty Chair, The RPOF Will Now Run Against Cardboard: Apparently Lenny Curry, the not so bright driver of the Republican Party of Florida's clown car, thinks that's the only way to win. Actually, he's fixated on Nancy Pelosi and Appalachian Trail enthusiast and former absentee Governor Mark Sanford's recent win over Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Curry seems to be under the illusion that because Sanford "debated" a cardboard cutout of Pelosi, that caused Colbert Busch's loss, so he's going to drive that narrative right off a cliff. Never mind that it would be difficult for any Democrat to win in the Red state, nor that Pelosi isn't nearly as scary to voters as he thinks she is. Let him have his dreams...
Judging from his press availability this afternoon, it doesn't sound like Rick Scott will "do the right thing" as he claims he wants to by pushing for a Special Session to address Medicaid in Florida.
When asked, he said he didn't originally support it, but "it's the law of the land, so he supports it now, but he added "I said yes, the House said no. The House has already made a decision and they said no."
While they've decided that the poor and uninsured can just wait around until "maybe" next year for them to act on Medicaid, House Speaker Will Weatherford says there's also no rush to deal with the fact that House members pay not only a fraction of what everyone else does for their health insurance, but even less than state employees, he won't address that issue until next year either.
So, in summary, it sounds like the poor, the uninsured, and hospitals will continue to lose, and the legislature and Rick Scott don't care to do anything about it.
In other words, it's good to be rich, and/or a Governor or House member. As far as they're concerned, anyone else in Florida can just die waiting around in the hopes that they will get around to doing their job some day.
It appears that one of the most unpopular Governors in the country, and perhaps history, is looking to see if he can beat his own record for low poll numbers.
Rick Scott said he wouldn't deal with his hunt to replace his last scandal-ridden Lt. Gov. until after the legislative session was over. Now it's decision time, and he's floating the name of a possible replacement that would most certainly rival Jennifer Carroll in the scandal, and WTH? department:
Governor Rick Scott hasn't picked a new Lieutenant Governor, and it's not clear whether he will, but he says at least one Florida politician would make a superb choice.
On AM Tampa Bay, the governor responded to a question by saying West "is a great American and a great patriot... he'd be a great Lieutenant Governor."
Well, he's certainly a favorite of the hard-core Tea Party extremist wing, and has so many qualities that the Republican Party values and requires these days: Intolerance, hate, being an avid Obama-basher-for-big-bucks, inability to focus on facts and the issues that are important to Americans, and a spinner of conspiracies that would rival Glenn Beck on his more severely incoherent days.
Here are just a few examples, in case you were somehow able to erase them from your memory. Although, if you did and prefer to keep it that way, I would recommend you not take this stroll down memory lane hell.
To those who like to live dangerously, well strap on that tinfoil hat! Here you go.
But it goes much deeper than just Marco Rubio's numerous immigration barriers, and the Republican Party seems to have little interest in really reaching out to Hispanics. (Beyond window dressing, re-branding, and voter suppression.) As the director of their outreach in Florida, Pablo Pantoja's reasons for becoming a Democrat couldn't make that more clear.
It also goes beyond just immigration, as the GOP is alienating more voters every day.
Yes, I have changed my political affiliation to the Democratic Party.
It doesn’t take much to see the culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party today. I have wondered before about the seemingly harsh undertones about immigrants and others. Look no further; a well-known organization recently confirms the intolerance of that which seems different or strange to them.
Studies geared towards making – human beings – viewed as less because of their immigrant status to outright unacceptable claims, are at the center of the immigration debate. Without going too deep on everything surrounding immigration today, the more resounding example this past week was reported by several media outlets.
A researcher included as part of a past dissertation his theory that “the totality of the evidence suggests a genetic component to group differences in IQ.” The researcher reinforces these views by saying “No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.”
Although the organization distanced themselves from those assertions, other immigration-related research is still padded with the same racist and eugenics-based innuendo. Some Republican leaders have blandly (if at all) denied and distanced themselves from this but it doesn’t take away from the culture within the ranks of intolerance. The pseudo-apologies appear to be a quick fix to deep-rooted issues in the Republican Party in hopes that it will soon pass and be forgotten.
The complete disregard of those who are in disadvantage is also palpable. We are not looking at an isolated incident of rhetoric or research. Others subscribe to motivating people to action by stating, “In California, a majority of all Hispanic births are illegitimate. That’s a lot of Democratic voters coming.” The discourse that moves the Republican Party is filled with this anti-immigrant movement and overall radicalization that is far removed from reality. Another quick example beyond the immigration debate happened during CPAC this year when a supporter shouted ““For giving him shelter and food for all those years?” while a moderator explained how Frederick Douglass had written a letter to his slave master saying that he forgave him for “all the things you did to me.” I think you get the idea.
When the political discourse resorts to intolerance and hate, we all lose in what makes America great and the progress made in society.
Although I was born an American citizen, I feel that my experience, and that of many from Puerto Rico, is intertwined with those who are referred to as illegal. My grandfather served in an all-Puerto Rican segregated Army unit, the 65thInfantry Regiment. He then helped, along my grandmother, shatter glass ceilings for Puerto Rican women raising my aunt to become the first Puerto Rican woman astronomer with a PhD in astrophysics (an IQ of a genius as far as I’m concerned). Puerto Ricans, as many other Americans still today have to face issues of discrimination in voting and civil rights.
Regardless of what political affiliation people choose, my respect for some remains. I don’t expect all Hispanics to do the same (although I would hope so) but I’m taking a stand against this culture of intolerance.
I am also making a modest contribution (here: http://bit.ly/12uf3g8) to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for the efforts in helping protect the rights of immigrants and civil liberties in general.
With warm regards,
-pablo
Pablo Pantoja should be commended for taking a stand.
