While the tea parties were formulating nationwide, President Obama announced the highlights of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes a tax cut for 95% of working families, 70% of tax benefits going to the middle 60% of American workers and $ 3 billion of tax credits that had already been paid out to first time home buyers, just to name a few of the tax breaks aimed at the working class.

The tea parties seemed to be taking place in a parallel universe, because the theme was “Obama is taxing us to death!” Here in Connecticut, the overwhelmingly white crowds continued to ignore the fact that wealthy state residents and corporations are being taxed at a ridiculously low rate, as they did everything short of burning the president in effigy.

Organizers and conservative commentators described the tea parties as a “grassroots” protest. The reality is that Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works, two conservative think tanks run by corporate lobbyists, were actually the principle organizers of the “movement”. Fox News, that vaunted beacon of social justice, was the only network, broadcast or cable, to cover the protests live.

The rich and corporations used a mixture of fed up working class folks and outright racists as pawns to attack the Obama administration and the Democrats. Protesters in Philadelphia held signs which referred to the president as a “shoe shine boy” and called for the lynching of black Democrat members of Congress. Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) told a rabid crowd that the state may secede from the Union. Just in case you didn’t know, secession is an act of treason.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Connecticut Voices for Children released a report on Thursday, which finds that the state’s poor and middle class pay more in taxes than its wealthiest residents. No tea party has been scheduled for the poor. Governor Rell’s office did not return a call seeking comment on the report.

The central part of the negotiations was addressed in the statement, which confirmed that state employees would not be subject to layoffs for the next two budget years. Health insurance and wage modifications were also a part of the tentative agreement. Both sides cautioned that more negotiations would be needed and that the agreement was subject to ratification by union members. There were no details in the statement regarding how the agreement will impact the current level of social services that are provided by the state.

The coalition of state employee unions and community advocates presented an alternative state budget, which includes a progressive income tax for Connecticut residents earning $200,000 or more per year and the removal of tax loopholes for corporations based in the state. These revenue enhancing measures would prevent the gutting of already underfunded social services. Marilyn Rice, a state employee who works at Cedearcrest Hospital, a psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facility in Newington, believes that the coalition’s proposal addresses the acute mental health and substance abuse treatment needs of state residents. “The problems will only get bigger,” says Rice. “We ignore the bigger issues and focus on trying to save money by closing facilities such as Cedarcrest.” The governor has proposed shutting the doors of the the hospital, which serves residents from all over the Greater Hartford area.

Rice agrees that implementing a progressive income tax, instead of balancing the state budget on the backs of Connecticut’s most vulnerable populations during this economic downturn, is simply common sense. “The need (for social services) does not go away,” says Rice. “Drug addiction, crime and homelessness increase during times like this.”

Rice is not happy with the way state employees have been portrayed by the mainstream media, while the state’s wealthy residents and corporations have been given a free pass. “They make it sound like we’re rich, entitled,” says Rice. “That doesn’t apply to the rank and file… This whole state has a problem. Laying off state employees will not solve the problem. We’re responsible, hard working people like everybody else. The media feeds the perception that we’ve ‘got it made’.” It remains to be seen how Governor Rell will respond to calls to make Connecticut’s rich inhabitants and corporations sacrifice, instead of the poor and working class.

From Alternet:

The daily bleeding of thousands of jobs will soon turn our economic crisis into a political crisis. The street protests, strikes and riots that have rattled France, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Iceland will descend on us. It is only a matter of time. And not much time. When things start to go sour, when Barack Obama is exposed as a mortal waving a sword at a tidal wave, the United States could plunge into a long period of precarious social instability.

Continued at Alternet.org

A perennial candidate for public office in Austin and Dallas, Jennifer’s notoriety came through years of putting herself in the public eye. She took a shot at nearly every city office, from council seats, to the mayor’s office. She never won, but in 2004, Gale came closer than ever, winning more than 38 percent of the vote for a seat on the Austin ISD School Board.

Jennifer’s voice rang through Austin Council Chamber doors every week, often times in support of the homeless population of which she was a part. “Let’s give the homeless a place to exercise that need jobs and need help,” said Gale Tuesday night before the city’s Health Services Board.

Her death points to critical problems faced by the homeless, and especially by homeless women and the transgender homeless. “Jennifer most nights slept outdoors,” said Austin Mayor Will Wynn. “Jennifer, we believe, is the 136th person who has died sleeping on the streets (of Austin) over the last 12 months.”

Marti Bier, policy aide for Austin City Council Member Randi Shade, said, “Something Jennifer would never talk about, but was a reality for her, is that she is a transwoman living in a transphobic society. Homelessness in the trans-community is a really big problem, and one that goes ignored. There are no laws in Texas protecting transgender people, whether from job discrimination, housing discrimination or hate crimes. There was really nowhere for Jennifer Gale to go to protect herself from the cold last night. The Salvation Army (the only shelter in town that takes in women) would not let her in there unless she was grouped with the men (which includes sleeping with, and showering with, other homeless men). They would make her use her male birth name and completely disregard, and disrespect, her identity as a trans-woman. There is so much to be learned from Jennifer Gale, and so much to be worked on in our community.”

Equality Texas, the Transgender Education Network of Texas, and City of Austin officials are now working together to address changes in policy, or enforcement of existing policy, that might prevent another tragic loss of life. The City of Austin’s non-discrimination ordinance is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity with regard to employment and public accommodations. The ordinance includes certain religious and private club exemptions, which will be reviewed for applicability to the delivery of shelter services for the homeless.

More at Houston IndyMedia

Dozens of former employees of Republic Windows and Doors continued to remain at the shuttered North Side plant late Friday, saying they’re being cheated.

The ex-workers say they found out only three days before Friday’s closing that they would be without a job. Some of them also learned they would not get the vacation they’ve earned to date or the insurance coverage they were promised. (full story and video)

The group, which calls itself Bash Back, had two contingents. One group, dressed for church and holding Bibles, sat inside the church, seeming to partake of the worship service until the group’s members caused chaos by setting off the fire alarm, confronting parishioners, and scattering leaflets. (full story here)

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