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Economic stimulus? |
| Economic stimulus package still favors
corporations and the well-off
[11-2-01]
We have reported before on concerns
that the President's proposals for stimulating the US economic seem
designed to benefit the wealthy, and especially the largest
corporations, more than helping average citizens - or the fading economy
itself.
The picture looks even worse
now, as reflected in a recent analysis by Gretchen
Morgenson in the New York Times. She notes that in
the $100 billion tax-cut bill narrowly passed by the House this week and
sent to the Senate "just 30 percent of the proposed tax relief
would go to individuals, with the rest helping corporations, including
large, prosperous ones like I.B.M. and General Electric, which have done
well even in the economic downturn." And it is "far from
certain" how much this package would do to boost capital spending
by business - which is supposedly the reason for the whole thing.
Morgenson quotes Charles Gabriel, senior Washington
analyst at Prudential Securities, as saying that the House bill's
emphasis on benefits for corporations is "political payback of
sorts, ... [because] to get his tax cut through earlier this year, Bush
had to sedate the K street lobbyists, telling them, `Don't worry, there
will be another bill coming through.' Now you've got another green light
for a tax bill, and there's a presumption that it will be skewed toward
corporate tax cuts."
If you want to say something
about this to your congressional legislators, you might check on the
site called MoveOn, which aims at
"help[ing] busy people be effective citizens. MoveOn is committed
to broadening participation to counter the influence of monied interests
and partisan extremes."
The page
dealing with this issue has a brief sketch of the problem, and urges
people to write messages to Congress as the House bill goes to the
Senate. |
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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