Wage Theft in America

Every once in a while, things conspire to toss something into my life from several directions at once. This time it's a book, Wage Theft in America by Kim Bobo. Within the past twenty-four hours I've had two emails from two different people (who don't know each other) and come across a diary on Daily Kos about this book.

Kim Bobo is the the founder and executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice, an organization founded in 1996 to protect worker rights and encourage faith organizations to become involved in worker rights issues.

I haven't read this book yet, but it is definitely going on my "must read" list.

Crossposted at Bovina Sancta.

"Specter for the Cure" website changed

Apparently there have been complaints about the way the site played down Specter's plea for fundraising and up the "Cure Awareness Network" aspect of "Specter for the Cure". Some complaints are being directed at the FCC, so my gut feeling is the site could be a goner and might be taken down within the week.


The text on the first page has changed since yesterday afternoon. It now begins with


"In 2010, Arlen Specter will seek re-election to the United States Senate. With his unsurpassed record of support for medical research, helping to return Senator Specter to the Senate is a powerful statement on behalf of those suffering with disease. The purpose of this web site is to encourage support for Senator Specter's mission to improve America's health by helping assure Senator Specter's re-election."


(snip)


On Specter for the Cure, you, and every American who cares about someone who is ill, can take the giant leap for progress...Without Arlen Specter back in the Senate to see it through, Specter for the Cure could be lost to the ordinary politics of Washington that kills real change.


OK, that's still a FAIL because it comes across as "re-elect Specter or people will die".


Google Specter for the Cure and you won't find much support for site, but a lot of "hey, this thing is fraud" type entries. Which is a shame because CAN, the Cures Acceleration Network is a bill Specter intends to introduce, one that could do a great deal of good in promoting research to treat and hopefully cure many diseases.


Maybe it's just me, but I think he takes his reelection more serious than curing my lupus.

Arlen Specter, this is just fraud.

I voted for Arlen Specter when I lived in PA. To me it seemed he listened to his constituents views and actually took them into consideration. I didn't agree with some of his views - I'm a liberal pro-choice Democrat - but I also realized that there would never be any person whose views would match mine 100%. So I voted for the person I thought would be the best for my state.

I didn't expect Specter to change his views when he joined the Democratic party. But I did expect him to stay the fundamentally honest person he always was. Until I saw this ad for Specter for the Cure. If one were to judge by the title one would think that is an advocacy group of some sort.

Scrolling down the page, comes the answer to what Specter for the Cure really is: a fundraising site for Arlen Specter. Here's the blurb on page one that gives up what the site is really about, in down near the bottom:

Specter for the Cure - Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) Act Turning Research into Cures

(snip)

Senator Specter has launched “Specter for the Cure”, a bold new initiative to reform our government’s medical research efforts, cut red tape and unstrangle the hope for accelerated cures.

The sufferers of cancer, autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and too many other afflictions have waited long enough. It’s time we unleashed the cure.

The centerpiece of Specter for the Cure is legislation to transform medical research by creating the Cures Acceleration Network (“CAN”) – a new institution, answering to the President of the United States, the sole mission of which is to turn medical research into disease cures.

(snip)

In 2010, Arlen Specter will seek re-election to the United States Senate. Without Arlen Specter back in the Senate to see it through, Specter for the Cure could be lost to the ordinary politics of Washington that kills real change.

(snip)

Become a member, today, of Specter for the Cure. Please contribute to Senator Specter’s re-election Committee – Citizens for Arlen Specter. All contributions, of any amount, will be gratefully welcomed. Those who sign up to donate $10 each month for ten months, will receive members only information on the Senator’s effort to transform medical research and accelerate cures.

Tell the Congress, the President, and the world, that the time to accelerate cures has come.

Together, we “CAN” do it

This is a screenshot of the contact page. There is no way to tell that this site is a fundraising site for Arlen Specter, just a contact for "Specter for the Cure".

This is a deceptive way to raise money for a 2009 run. The group running this website is "Citizens for Specter", the same fundraising group that raised money for Specter in 2008. Most people don't read the fine print on fundraising ads, but this is a prime example of why people should.

Shame on you, Arlen Specter.