Gregor's Environmental & Social Justice Issues Blog

Interactive Map: House Recovery Package Allocation By State

Published on Jan 26, 2009

By: Will Straw, Center for American Progress

Jan. 26, 2009 - The House of Representatives' $825 billion Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act is of the scale and breadth necessary to begin tackling the economic chaos that President Barack Obama has inherited from former President George W. Bush. The various spending programs and tax cuts contained in the plan will help communities across the entire nation. This map shows state-by-state allocations for the aspects of the plan for which we could establish where the money is going. This constitutes 66 percent of the total cost of the package. The map also shows the proportion of the funds that will help each state balance their budgets rather than providing additional funding for specific programs.

SEE THE INTERACTIVE MAP HERE: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/01/house_stimulus_overview.html

These state and local funds include direct tax cuts for working families; increased unemployment insurance and food stamps to help those most in need; new funding to equip the education system for the 21st century; additional funds for existing clean energy programs; state-level infrastructure projects; and assistance that is necessary to protect vital services such as Medicaid.

Many of the other programs in the recovery plan will be distributed through competitive grants to states and localities, or through funding formulas where it is not possible to make estimates at this stage. The remainder is for programs that are distributed at the federal level. It has not been possible to include these programs in our analysis. The methodology can be found here; you can access the supporting data here (xls).

This is the first in a series of maps that will be released over the coming week delving into more detail about particular state-level programs in the recovery package.

We are very grateful to the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Instutite on Taxation and Economic Policy, the National Employment Law Project, the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, and The Workforce Alliance.

Two UN experts offer to help resolve outstanding issues related to the closure of Guantanamo

Published on Jan 24, 2009

By: OHCHR

GENEVA, Jan. 23, 2009 - The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr. Leandro Despouy, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Mr. Manfred Nowak, welcome the signing of executive orders by President Barack Obama yesterday, which set a timeline for closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center and require the Central Intelligence Agency to shut its secret detention facilities. They also provide that all agencies should follow the same interrogation rules as the military and revoke orders and regulations adopted after 11 September 2001, which might contradict international and national minimum standards.

"This is a very important step that symbolizes a break with previous policies that were in violation of international human rights norms," stressed Leandro Despouy.

Referring to a joint report issued by several UN independent experts in 2006, the two experts recalled that, in implementing these decisions, the United States government should fully respect all human rights obligations, including the absolute prohibition of torture and the principle of non-refoulement that prohibits removing persons to countries where they would be at risk of torture. The experts further welcomed that proceedings before the Military Commissions have been halted, and expressed their hope that the persons accused would be prosecuted in accordance with fair trial norms. They also recalled that all persons found to have been detained arbitrarily or ill-treated have the right to reparation under international human rights law.

"Already in the 2006 report, we recommended that all persons found to have perpetrated, ordered, tolerated or condoned torture and ill-treatment, up to the highest level of military and political command, should be brought to justice – now the time has come to do so," said Manfred Nowak.

Both experts emphasized that they stand ready to lend their full support in resolving the outstanding legal and practical issues, in particular in relation with the closure of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.

Following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, many countries adopted measures to combat terrorism. Several UN bodies, including the former Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, reiterated in multiple resolutions that this must be done in accordance with human rights.

In 2006, five UN Independent Experts issued a report on the Situation of detainees of Guantanamo Bay. In this report, the experts concluded that the detentions were arbitrary due to the absence of independent tribunals and the denial of the right to adequate defense and other guarantees of due process, that interrogation practices were contrary to internationally accepted standards, above all the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment and the prohibition of religious discrimination, that the indeterminate character of the length of detention amounted to inhuman treatment and that conditions of detention violated the right to health. The experts called upon the United States Government to cease these practices immediately, to provide fair trials to the detainees or release them, and to proceed to the urgent closure of the detention centre.

In 2007, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism conducted a country mission to the United States, followed by a visit to Guantanamo Bay in order to observe military commission proceedings there. His report addresses a number of issues where the 2006 Military Commissions Act and the treatment of Guantanamo detainees are incompatible with international law. It also reiterates that the detention facility be closed in compliance with international law and outlines proposals in this regard.

The United States Supreme Court, in a series of cases, pronounced itself on the rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, thereby affirming the independence of the judiciary. In its most recent decision, the Court found the Military Commissions Act unconstitutional and granted the detainees access to the federal courts' jurisdiction, including the right to habeas corpus.

Following his election in November, President-elect Obama publicly expressed his commitment to lead the Administration's efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp as one of his priorities.

Website: www.ohchr.org

AARP Survey: 70 Percent of Americans Believe the Country Has Not Lived up to Kennedy's Inaugural Request
Create The Good Network Launched to Engage More Americans in Service
Published on Jan 19, 2009

By: AARP

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 2009 - Seven in 10 Americans do not believe the country has lived up to President John F. Kennedy's inaugural challenge to "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country," according to a survey released today by AARP Create The Good.

The problem might be the way they are being asked: though 73 percent of respondents said they would choose to give time over money, they reported that requests for monetary donations had increased more than requests for time in the last year.

The poll comes as President-elect Barack Obama calls on Americans to renew their commitment to community service and as the nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

"The results tell us something very promising: that Americans are ready to answer the call to serve," said Tom Nelson, AARP's chief operations officer. "Across the nation, Americans of all ages gave back today in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. But this is not just a one-day activity - rather, it is a commitment to make making a difference part of our lives."

To help Americans answer the call to serve, today AARP launched its new Create The Good Web site (www.AARP.org/CreateTheGood), where thousands are already connecting to flexible opportunities, tools and online communities, and making a difference across the country.

"We believe that small actions yield big results," said Nelson. "Whether you have five minutes or five hours a week, there are simple things you can do to help."

Although survey respondents felt that requests for monetary donations (34%) have increased more compared to requests for volunteer time (11%), when asked what they would choose to give to solve a national problem, they overwhelmingly selected time (73%) over money (16%). Younger respondents were more likely to say they would prefer to give time compared to older respondents.

Though respondents overwhelmingly thought older people volunteer more (71%) than younger people (15%), there was no statistically significant difference between the proportion of younger and older respondents who said they had volunteered in the last year.

More than half of respondents (52%) rate volunteering to help others as an important goal and almost seven in ten respondents (68%) said that they have volunteered in the last year.

The survey was conducted via telephone by ICR from among a nationally representative sample of 1,011 adults age 18 or older. The margin of error for total respondents is ±3.08% at the 95% confidence level. Full survey results are available at: http://www.aarp.org/research/family/volunteering/volunteering_perceptions_09.h tml.

Visit Create The Good today at www.AARP.org/CreateTheGood to get connected to tools, people and hundreds of ways to make a difference.

Senate Passes Omnibus Lands Act

Published on Jan 15, 2009

By: The Wilderness Society

Jan. 15, 2009 - Today, in a historic vote, the United States Senate ended a yearlong standoff and passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. The final vote was 73-21.

Today's vote sends the measure to the House, which is expected to take it up in the coming weeks.

The legislation will designate 2.1 million acres of wilderness in nine states, providing the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years. Below is statement from The Wilderness Society. Please contact me to arrange an interview or for additional information.

Statement of Wilderness Society President William Meadows on Senate Passage of S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

This is a great day for American wilderness and for America. Today's action clears the way for protecting some of the country's most cherished landscapes. If signed into law, this legislation would provide for the greatest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years.

Americans can rest a bit easier today because the Senate has taken an important step to permanently safeguard some of our unprotected wild areas. Our last untouched public lands face tremendous development pressures. Today's action will help ensure that these undeveloped landscapes will provide natural sanctuaries for all Americans to enjoy.

We remain disappointed that the Izembek provision is included in this otherwise stellar legislation and will continue to work to ensure that this valuable and unique wilderness and wildlife resource remains protected. Overall, however, we are thrilled that the Senate has taken this important step to preserve some of America's most valued landscapes as wilderness, and we urge the House to pass the bill quickly.

We thank Senator Bingaman for his tireless efforts in drafting and advancing this legislation, Senator Reid for his continued leadership, the numerous Senators who crafted proposals to protect America's special places, and the Senators who voted to support this landmark legislation.