Despite the do nothing GOP controlled Congress since 2010, major accomplishments were made by the Obama Administration in the areas of education, health and the economy. From the first law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Affordable Care Act, Student Aid and Responsibility Act to saving the automobile industry, the first Obama Administration despite its challenges, had many successes. President Obama's first piece of legislation was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restoring the rights of women and other workers to challenge unfair pay and to help close the wage gap where women currently earn 78 cents for every $1 a man earns in America. Lilly Ledbetter, whom the bill was named for, worked for Goodyear from 1979 until she retired in 1998. She sued her company after she learned about the discrepancy in [her] pay after nineteen years [1998] of working by someone leaving me an anonymous note. Lilly Ledbetter lost her law suit because it was not timely filed. Lilly Ledbetter … [Read more...] about Pres. Obama’s Top 5 First Term Accomplishments
Archives for January 2013
GOP Assault on Women Continues in 2013
Republicans’ motto in the war against women must be if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again to control a women’s birth control choices and defund Planned Parenthood. Last year, the GOP waged an all out war and assault against women and Planned Parenthood. This year, the GOP has already introduced a bill to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving Title X funds which provides federal funds for family planning. This year, Republican representative Marsha Blackburn introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 61), which would stop the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing federal family planning assistance under Title X, including Planned Parenthood. The reintroduction of this legislation in the 113th Congress is similar to legislation Pence introduced in the 112th Congress (H.R. 217). In introducing the bill, “Blackburn said. “As a woman, I believe America deserves better than abortion. America shouldn’t celebrate abortion and … [Read more...] about GOP Assault on Women Continues in 2013
Courts Aim, Set and Ready to Fire Away at Women
The new year is just a few days old and already the war on women continues. Aside from the refusal of Congress to renew the violence Against Women Act, the courts have been attacking women. In the new year and shortly before, there have been legal attacks on women in the law. In two separate legal cases, one occurring just days before 2013 and the second one occurring in 2013, two separate courts have attacked women and taken away their rights. In the final days of December, 2012, a court ruled in an employment case that it was appropriate for a woman's employer to terminate her for being “too irresistible”. It goes without saying that the case is a first of its kind. It also goes without saying that no man has ever been fired and deemed inappropriate because he was too sexy, too handsome or too irresistible. The Iowa case stemmed from a woman who worked at a dentist’s office for 10 years, did a good job but was viewed as a threat to her boss’ marriage due to her looks. There … [Read more...] about Courts Aim, Set and Ready to Fire Away at Women
The Good, Bad and Ugly Political Moments of 2012
President Obama’s re-election on November 6, 2012 was the ultimate political high point in a year filled with lies, unnecessary voter ID laws, long lines and 47% of Americans being disrespected by the Republican presidential candidate—just to name a few. President Obama will continue what he started in 2008, being the President of all the American people and not just a select rich few. In winning the election, President Obama not only beat Mitt Romney by winning more than 50% of the vote, he won consecutive elections with over 50% of the vote and won re-election with a high almost 8% unemployment. Time magazine summed it up this way in naming him “person of the year” saying: "For finding and forging a new majority, for turning weakness into opportunity and for seeking, amid great adversity, to create a more perfect union, Barack Obama is TIME's 2012 Person of the Year," Stengel explained in his note this year. For his next term, despite all odds still facing the country, … [Read more...] about The Good, Bad and Ugly Political Moments of 2012
Top 5 Legal Stories of 2012
As with every year, 2012 brought us headline legal news that will live far beyond 2012. From pedophiles, pardons, presidential candidates, contempt proceedings to Standing Your Ground defense, 2012 was an interesting and unforgettable legal year. The name of Trayvon Martin will be remembered worldwide for the teenager armed with Skittles and ice tea who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a wanna be detective who is nothing more than a neighborhood watcher. As most people know by now, Zimmerman thought Trayvon Martin, a young black teenager, was a suspicious person while walking home from the store in the neighborhood of his father. Trayvon was returning to his father’s house when Zimmerman encountered him. Instead of waiting for the police to arrive after contacting 911, Zimmerman armed with a gun chose to follow Martin who was shot and killed in the encounter. It took more than 40 days before the Orlando police would arrest Zimmerman after questioning him on the … [Read more...] about Top 5 Legal Stories of 2012
Last Day of the Year Brings Deal for Fiscal Cliff and Wilmington 10
2012 went out with a bang in law and politics. The last day of the year brought historical and unpredictable news in progressive law and politics. Outgoing North Carolina Governor Perdue pardoned the “Wilmington 10” for wrongful convictions over 40 years ago. And for the first time in two decades, Republican senators voted to raise taxes on the wealthy and other measures to avoid the fiscal cliff with the final full Senate vote of 89-8, occurring after 2:00 a.m. on January 1. Vice President Biden helped to broker the needed deal to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. And on January 1, lightening struck twice with the GOP controlled Congress voting to approve the deal. House Republicans for once came to work and got a bill passed. It was a rocky start but in the end, sanity prevailed. Justice Delayed but not Denied for Wilmington 10 Forty years ago, 10 civil rights activists were tried and convicted for bombing a grocery store in Wilmington, NC. in 1971. All maintained their … [Read more...] about Last Day of the Year Brings Deal for Fiscal Cliff and Wilmington 10