Sheriff: There is slavery in Florida tomato fields

In March, the Florida Legislature apologized for the state's support of slavery-in the past. It was long overdue, to say the least. But, as they are attempting to make amends for past transgression, Florida is still a state in which slavery is still practiced.

"The seven cases of modern slavery that have been uncovered in the fields of Florida are just the tip of the iceberg," Benitez said, referring federal cases in the past decade. (You can view the case here.)

Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee heard testimony about the conditions in Florida and have vowed to monitor the situation.

Sign the petition from Fair Food Nation and CIW demanding that restaurants like Burger King support worker rights.

John Bowe's book, "Nobodies" was released last year that discusses the issue of slave labor in the U.S..

Recent Stories:
Did Burger King Target and Spy on Tomato Pickers Rights Groups?
Congress back call to raise tomato pickers wages
Slavery in the land of the free
Sixth Suspect Arrested in Slave Case

Past News Stories:
December 2007: Fruit-pickers escape
2005: Modern-Day 'Slave Farms' in FL (NPR)

Gov. Charlie Crist is cutting off his nose to spite his face

So our state is facing a huge budget shortfall. Major health organizations are pushing to raise the cigarette tax, which one raise our state's budget about $1 billion.

Our state needs this money. It will decrease the smoking rates, and will increase budget. But Crist has said no, no new taxes, or tax increases. Even if there are no negatives to the tax increase. We receive new monies, smokers decrease their smoking rates. Win - Win.

Here is a snippet from the article:

But it's health care advocates who are pushing the bill (SB 2790), arguing that raising the tax would cause people, especially cash-strapped kids, to stop smoking. The American Cancer Society estimates that 123,000 people might stop smoking as a result of a $1 increase.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, knows the strong opposition to tax increases, especially in an election year. So, Deutch's bill also changes the word "tax" in the cigarette tax law, making it a "user fee" instead.

Win Win. Anyone who can't see that is a fool.

**************************UPDATE**************************************

The Bill passed out of its Senate Committee today, the only Senator to vote "NO" was Senator Charles Dean. I called Senator Dean's office to encourage him to reconsider his vote next time it is before him. The Aide that answered the phone state that the Governor called the Senator and specifically asked him to vote no. The aide said that it was a long conversation, and the Governor state that if it makes it to his desk he will Veto it.

This is unacceptable. Over 2/3's of the state would like to see the cost of cigarettes go up in our state. We all would like to see fewer smokers. And we need the revenue. If this bill can make it through both chambers to his desk the Governor needs to sign it.

The Governor should actively support this bill, or passively ignore it. This stance he is taking is against the people of Florida. He is playing party politics, working against all taxes, while our state suffers. Putting the party above our state's health and well being is in excusable.

Governor Crist needs to reconsider his stance on Cigarette taxes.

Looking for Young Election 2008 Reporters

Check out this opportunity from WireTap:

You know that we are witnessing what may be the most important election of our lifetime. For the first time in decades, the future of education, jobs, climate change, national security, immigration -- almost every major issue that young people care about is being debated by passionate and dynamic presidential candidates. As young voters are coming out in record numbers, WireTap magazine is thrilled to partner up with Rock the Vote to support the work of five emerging reporters for Rock the Trail project.

http://www.rockthevote.com/rockthetrail

These young reporters will rock their local, state and presidential campaign trails to deliver insightful and compelling blogs, articles and videos from the communities they live in, reporting on young people's top issues. Rock the Trail reporters will help make this election relevant, fun and meaningful for new voters.

The issues and voices of Rock the Trail reporters will be posted on RocktheVote.com, WireTapMag.org, BET.com, and will also be available for viewing on AT&T mobile phones. In addition, we will be working with the WashingtonPost.com to contribute unique perspectives complementary to the site's vast coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign.

Entries will be judged by the staff of Rock the Vote and WireTap, as well as an advisory panel of distinguished journalists including:

- Jeff Chang, award-winning author of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the
Hip Hop Generation'
- Sian-Pierre Regis, producer, BET News
- Peter Rothberg, associate publisher, The Nation magazine
- Jose Antonio Vargas, political feature writer, The Washington Post.

Rock the Trail reporters will be paid a $500 monthly stipend and supplied with a laptop, cell phone and video camera to rock the 2008 campaign trail. Rock the Trail
reporters will work approximately 10-15 hours a week from May 15 to November 30.

So, if you're a U.S. citizen between the ages of 18-29 and interested in reporting on one of the most exciting times in U.S. politics, please visit:

http://www.rockthevote.com/rockthetrail

Deadline to complete an application: May 7th (not a minute after 11:59pm).

Young Voters are demanding the popular vote

Reading Wiretap this past week, I read an article where the young people are demanding the popular vote. Why?

Today's youth are more ethnically and racially diverse than ever before. This unprecedented diversity of Millenial's though is not fully present at the voting booth, because of our antiquated Electoral College system.

and

"In the context of the Electoral College, geography explains some of the reason that this voting gap persists. Born out of American federalism -- a system in which the power to govern is shared between the national and state governments -- the Electoral College was intended to prevent the tyranny of the majority by protecting the sovereignty of small states. But, that also came into existence at the same time that women and people of color (many who weren't 'free' or regarded as citizens!) were not allowed to vote.

The population of today's communities of color are concentrated primarily in uncontested states. While the African American and Latino youth voting blocs are large (and growing, as the case is for Latinos), they are concentrated in several uncontested states, such as Maryland, Mississippi, Texas, California, New York and the District of Columbia among others."

The author argues:

"Retiring the Electoral College and having the popular vote decide the presidential elections will engage more young people of color into politics. 'One person, one vote' means candidates must speak to everyone, not just those in key "swing" states.

Young women, on the other hand, are not constrained by geography -- with a large enough population that is spread throughout all the states and the District of Columbia. As a result, today's candidates have to appeal to them regardless of where they campaign and are now more representative of women's views than in the past."

It is an interesting argument, and one I had not condsidered before. In my world view, the electorial college let's us know who has won by the end of the night. A good example of this is the ongoing primary for the Democrats, who divide delegates based of the votes, a lot like what is being proposed, 1 person 1 vote style, and the Republicans, who divide delegates based off of whole states, like the electorial college.

We have for sometime now had a Republican Nominee, but we are still fighting for our Democratic Party Nominee. And the two candidates are actively reaching out to every group, and every voter.

And, with the popular vote tactic, we would never have had a President Gorge W. Bush.

John McCain: Not Ready to Lead

This is from the DNC, Alice Germond, Please review and share what you learn:

John McCain and General Petraeus' Testimony:

Main Point: John McCain should weigh in on General Petraeus' concern about the minimal political progress in Iraq and outline his plans for the future of Iraq. So far, his only plan is his willingness to keep our troops there for 100 years and launch political attacks at anyone who disagrees.

McCain has not offered his plan for the future of Iraq and he has failed to answer key questions:
-- As president, would John McCain build permanent bases in Iraq? In defending his comments about keeping our troops in Iraq for 100 years, McCain said he was talking about a long-term troop presence similar to our presence in Germany and South Korea.
-- How will he pay for a prolonged engagement in Iraq, which today costs $12 billion per month, while making Bush's tax cuts permanent?
-- What would McCain do to pressure the Iraqis to make the political progress the surge was supposed to enable?
Last weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham said John McCain does not want to do in Iraq what the Soviets did in Afghanistan: leave a vacuum that was filled by the Taliban. If McCain is concerned about what is happening in Afghanistan today, why didn't he join in signing a letter urging President Bush to refocus our counter-terrorism strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan?
McCain said he's willing to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years. One hundred years in Iraq is not a plan.[NH Town Hall meeting, 1/3/08) John McCain offers nothing more than a third Bush term on Iraq, and that's the last thing the American people want.

John McCain, Sunnis, and Shiites:

Main Point: John McCain may say he's a foreign policy expert, but the fact is when it comes to Iraq he has repeatedly gotten key facts on the ground wrong and confused Sunni and Shiite extremists in Iraq.

For the fifth time in five months, John McCain confused Sunni and Shiite extremists in Iraq, referring to al-Qaeda in Iraq as a Shiite group during the Senate hearing with General Petraeus.
McCain has made this mistake on multiple occasions, including during a trip to the Middle East that was meant to burnish the Republican candidate's foreign policy credentials.
The truth is, McCain isn't misspeaking when he makes these mistakes. He is either showing he doesn't understand the facts on the ground in Iraq, or he is purposely conflating the threats posed by Sunni and Shiite extremists for political gain.
At the same time, John McCain has consistently attacked the intelligence and motives of people who disagree with his assessments of the situation in Iraq when he himself can't even get the basic facts on the ground correct.
McCain has also yet to say if he agrees with Ambassador Crocker's assessment that al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a bigger threat to the United States than al-Qaeda in Iraq.
John McCain has proven time and time again he offers nothing more than a third Bush term on Iraq-and that's the last thing the American people want.

John McCain and His Civil Rights Record:

Main Point: John McCain has distorted his record on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While he says he championed establishing a holiday in honor of Dr. King, the truth is he has a long record of opposing the holiday.

Last week, he acknowledged having made 'a mistake' when he opposed a federal holiday honoring Dr. King in 1983. But McCain fails to mention that after that he OPPOSED a state holiday for Arizona in 1987, OPPOSED a federal holiday in 1989, and voted to cut off funding for the Commission promoting Dr. King's holiday in 1994.
With the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 Civil Rights Act April 11, it's worth noting that McCain was the deciding vote against overriding President Bush's veto of the 1990 Civil Rights Act—the first defeat of a major civil rights bill in a quarter of a century.
Now McCain is trying to defend his vote by saying he opposed quotas, when the bill had nothing to do with quotas.
-- In fact, the 1990 bill would have expanded the reach of several discrimination laws and authorized monetary damages under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prevents employment discrimination. [1990 Senate Vote #276, 10/16/1990; 1990 Senate Vote #304, 10/24/1990; 1990 CQ Almanac, p. 60-S]
If McCain is such a champion of Martin Luther King, will he vote for the bill currently being considered in Congress to establish a commemorative coin honoring the civil rights leader?
Though he'll embark on a so-called "Compassion Tour" later this month in an effort to reach out to African American voters, the fact is no campaign tour can make up for McCain's dismal record on civil rights issues during his 25 years in Washington.