Author: KJ McElrath

Why Immigration is the Key Platform Issue for Republicans This Year and What it Means

Why Immigration is the Key Platform Issue for Republicans This Year and What it Means

Posted by | Jul 14, 2015 | , |

In the wake of last week’s tragic shooting of a San Francisco woman by an undocumented immigrant, front-running GOP candidate Donald (“The Duck”) Trump is fanning the flames of racism and xenophobia among his Republican base. His strategy is to use anti-immigrant hysteria in order to win the White House next year. Why does the issue of immigration resonate with the GOP base, and what will the GOP candidates be pushing this election cycle? The primary divide within the GOP on immigration is primarily between two factions. One faction consists of xenophobic populists (such as Trump and Cruz) who...

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Full-Time Jobs but Living Homeless in NYC – How Families Try to Cope

Full-Time Jobs but Living Homeless in NYC – How Families Try to Cope

Posted by | Jul 13, 2015 | |

New York City is a study in contradictions. It is a metropolis where the most extreme wealth exists alongside the most grinding poverty. The way the system works, it’s as if the city is determined to keep the poor in their place – and perpetuate the cycle, creating a permanent underclass. The bitter irony is that the majority of homeless New Yorkers have full-time jobs. However, in a region where the median rents for a two-bedroom apartment is $3,800, the $8.75 an hour minimum wage doesn’t go far. Even at $15 an hour, it would take two adults working...

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R.I.P Mainstream Media: Death by Suicide

R.I.P Mainstream Media: Death by Suicide

Posted by | Jul 12, 2015 | |

The Mainstream Corporate Media is on its deathbed. And we of today’s People’s Progressive Digital Media say good riddance. The Fairness Doctrine, introduced in 1949, required radio and television broadcasters to present all sides of important social and political issues in a fair and balanced manner. Thirty-eight years later, that policy was abolished – and we have seen the results. When the FCC tossed out the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, there was a perception that forcing modern media (radio and television) outlets to present all sides of important issues was somehow “unconstitutional.” The first challenge to the Fairness Doctrine...

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Katherine Steinle Was Murdered by an Undocumented Immigrant in a U.S. Sanctuary City – What are They and are They Good for America?

Katherine Steinle Was Murdered by an Undocumented Immigrant in a U.S. Sanctuary City – What are They and are They Good for America?

Posted by | Jul 12, 2015 | , , |

Last week’s tragic random killing of 32-year-old Katherine Steinle by an undocumented immigrant has raised a serious question. If San Francisco had not been a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants, would Kathryn Steinle still be alive? San Francisco is one of 200 “sanctuary cities” throughout the United States. Sanctuary cities are defined as those which provide a haven for undocumented immigrants, either by statute or by unofficial  (de facto) policy. Municipal governments in these cities refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Overall sanctuary policies vary, but in general such undocumented immigrants have access to the same basic services...

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Another Victory for Fair Elections: Florida Supreme Court Says No More Gerrymandering

Another Victory for Fair Elections: Florida Supreme Court Says No More Gerrymandering

Posted by | Jul 12, 2015 | , |

The gerrymander, a noxious creature that for over two hundred years has enabled one party or the other to retain control and remain entrenched over legislatures, is an endangered species, thanks to a couple of recent court decisions. One of these was a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, upholding an Arizona law that would allow independent, non-partisan committees to draw election boundaries. Last week, in a 5-2 decision, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that eight of the state’s most offensively drawn congressional districts must be redrawn for fairness. It gets even better than that, at least for Florida voters. In...

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