Civil Justice

Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2008

hmoroz — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:48:02 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2008

hmoroz — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:39:14 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Paycheck Fairness Act of 2008

hmoroz — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:07:29 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Median income of a white man working a fulltime job for 50 weeks or more in 2006: $48,420

Median income of a black woman working a fulltime job for 50 weeks or more in 2006: $30,352

Median income of a Hispanic woman working a fulltime job for 50 weeks or more in 2006: $25,198

Percentage of pay gap between men and women college graduates that remains unaccounted for after all other factors are taken into account besides discrimination one year after college graduation: 5

Percentage of pay gap between men and women college graduates that remains unaccounted for after all other factors are taken into account besides discrimination ten years after graduation: 12

Percentage of median weekly wages of male physicians earned by women physicians in 2006: 72%

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Middle Class Supports. Despite improvement in compensation disparity between men and women since the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, the wage gap still persists. Women make approximately 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. In 2006, the median income of men was $42,261 while that of women was only $32,515. The disparity is even greater for minority women. A recent report by the American Association of University Women found that discrimination is a significant factor contributing to the pay gap between men and women. Further, American households increasingly rely on a woman’s paycheck to make ends meet: the median contribution of a woman to her household was 35.1% of the total in 2005. Legislation to end discriminatory pay practices is necessary to ensure that aspiring middle-class and middle-class Americans do not lose wages that are necessary to afford the health insurance, college education, and everyday necessities that compose a middle-class standard of living. The Paycheck Fairness Act will allow employees to seek redress from wage discrimination more easily, while protecting them from employer retaliation. Allowing employees to seek compensatory and punitive damages provides both the best means to compensate employees who have been discriminated against and a powerful incentive for employers not to discriminate based on gender in the first place.

Finally, collecting more information from employers about wage rates will allow citizen groups, non-profit organizations, and public agencies refine statistics on the pay gap and develop more effective policies to eliminate it.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Sex-Based Discrimination, from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

"Women in the Labor Force: A Databook," from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Behind the Pay Gap, from the American Association of University Women

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

hmoroz — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:26:30 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Total units of recalled children’s products in 2007: 46,562,901

Percentage of these recalls that were for children’s products: 52

Percent increase in recalls through the end of June 2008 over fiscal year 2007: 22

Approximate number of children, ages 14 and under, who are treated at hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries in a given year: 121,500

Operating budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1974, the year the agency was created, expressed in today’s dolalrs: $125 million

Consumer Product Safety Commission operating budget in 2007: $62,370,000

Number of full-time employees at the CPSC in 1974, the year the commission was established: 786

Number of full-time employees at the CPSC in 2007: 420

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Supports. The record-setting 448 product recalls last year made 2007 the year of the recall. Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for protecting consumers from more than 15,000 types of consumer products, an anemic budget and staff shortages have increasingly put middle-class American consumers at risk. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a compromise version of bills passed by the House and Senate bills earlier in the year, responds vigorously to the dangers that middle-class consumers increasingly confront at the supermarket, at the toy store, and in their own homes. By providing the CPSC with additional funding through 2014, along with a mandate to increase its fulltime staff and a rule making committee meetings and rulemaking easier, the legislation helps to ensure that competent inspectors remain vigilant of consumer safety. Empowering state attorneys general to file suit when they believe that residents of a state have been adversely affected by a violation of a consumer product safety rule creates an additional layer of consumer protection. Independent third-party testing of children’s products prevents the insidious practice by which manufacturers would certify the safety of their own goods, while mandatory toy safety standards are a commonsense response to the recent explosion of toy recalls. A database of consumer complaints about dangerous products will both educate the public about potentially harmful goods and allow consumers to voice their concerns about such products. The ban on lead and phthalates in children’s products and the increase in the age level at which a product is considered to be intended for a child will benefit parents who would otherwise be unable to determine if a toy is safe. Whistleblower protections will ensure that vigilant industry employees do not fear job or compensation loss for reporting negligent manufacturing practices or poor oversight.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Recalls and Product Safety News from the Consumer Product Safety Commission

“2007: The Year of the Recall”, from Kids in Danger

“Total Recall: The Need for CPSC Reform Now”

Amendment To Strike Title II From FISA Amendments Act of 2008

hmoroz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:30:58 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Year in which the United States Constitution established “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures”: 1791

Year Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was passed: 1978

Number of warrants the federal courts approved under the FISA in 2004: 1,758

Number of warrants courts rejected under FISA in 2004: 4

Date on which federal district court judge ruled that "the president of the United States ... has undisputedly violated the Fourth [Amendment] in failing to procure judicial orders" for unwarranted wiretap surveillance activities: August 17, 2006

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Supports. Granting retroactive immunity to companies that illegally spied on citizens sets a dangerous precedent for corporations to trample the rights of middle-class Americans without having to face any consequences for breaking the law. Telecommunications companies, at the behest of the Bush Administration, illegally monitored American citizens’ private e-mail correspondence, phone calls, password protected web activity, and other communications. This violated Americans’ Fourth Amendment right against unwarranted searches and seizures, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the contractual rights of private customers who signed privacy agreements with these companies. Our civil justice system allows regular Americans to hold corporations accountable when they violate cherished rights such as those outlined in our Constitution. Granting retroactive immunity would weaken middle-class Americans’ ability to take on powerful corporations for breaking the law. What’s more, retroactive immunity would weaken the ability of middle-class consumers to trust that their contracts with corporations will be honored and that the legal system will treat their constitutional rights as more than symbolic. In short, granting retroactive immunity would severely undermine Americans' faith in the legal system. Granting retroactive immunity also sets a dangerous precedent by giving the Administration unbridled power, under the guise of pursuing security interests, to pressure companies into violating Americans’ rights with impunity and to protect those corporations from liability for a range of other violations of the law.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

“The Case Against Retroactive Amnesty for Telecoms,” from the Electronic Frontier Foundation

“ACLU vs. AT&T and Verizon” updates on the lawsuits filed in August 2006 from the American Civil Liberties Union

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

hmoroz — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:53:02 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Projected cost of sequencing the complete genome of an individual within the next ten years, in dollars: 1,000

Total cost of the 13-year Human Genome Project, including studies of human diseases and experimental organisms, development of new technologies for biological and medical research, and other scientific activities, in dollars: 3 billion

Percentage of cancer genetics specialists who would not bill their own insurance company for colon, breast, or ovarian cancer genetic testing due to fear of genetic discrimination: 68

Percentage of Americans who are concerned that results from a genetic test that can tell patients whether they are at increased risk for a disease like cancer could be used in ways that would be harmful to them: 90

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Middle Class Supports. Although cases of discrimination based on genetic testing are rare, as genetic testing becomes more widespread the risk that middle-class Americans who depend on health insurance could be denied insurance coverage or be terminated from a job solely for being at genetic risk for a disease is troubling. The legislation will facilitate the individualized approaches to health care that mapping the genome has made possible. Additionally, the bill would bolster popular support for genetic research by alleviating Americans’ fears of discrimination. Limiting the act’s prohibitions to use by employers and insurance companies would not stifle innovation in genetic research.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Genetic Discrimination Resource Site, from the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health

Dr. Francis Collins on the Threat of Genetic Discrimination to the Promise of Personalized Medicine

Civil Rights Act of 2008

hmoroz — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:04:56 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Amendment To Strike Retroactive Immunity From Intelligence Legislation of 2008

atraub — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:30:53 -0500

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Year in which the United States Constitution established “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures”: 1791

Year Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was passed: 1978

Number of warrants the federal courts approved under the FISA in 2004: 1,758

Number of warrants courts rejected under FISA in 2004: 4

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

“The Case Against Retroactive Amnesty for Telecoms,” from the Electronic Frontier Foundation

“ACLU vs. AT&T and Verizon” updates on the lawsuits filed in August 2006 from the American Civil Liberties Union

Civil Justice

Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Paycheck Fairness Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Amendment To Strike Title II From FISA Amendments Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Civil Rights Act of 2008