Happy Tax Day

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It's tax day. Many protests are planned. Us - we're getting a refund for the first time since we had a dependent minor. That's more than a decade. Let's see what might have changed. Income - about the same. Maybe a teeny bit higher, but basically the same. Our deduction situation - exactly the same. So what could be different about 2009? Well, Barack Obama became president in 2009. Passed some tax relief for the middle class. I guess that must be the difference. Gee whiz, where can I go to protest that? On the way to the hospital, that is.

At Long Last, Franken!

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What a nice surprise. I was off in the other office today. That means using a computer that struggles to handle the software I need to do my job. To try browsing the web at the same time is to invite it to freeze up and refuse to do a thing. So I didn’t know that the Al Franken decade had begun until I got home.

Of course, I was watching MSNBC which meant there was no sparing a minute to be happy about it. We had to start worrying about the added pressure of nominally having 60 senators in the caucus. Why enjoy the moment when you can wring your hands instead? If I wasn’t a bit of a political junkie I’d stop watching it and try having a normal life. But I am and it’s the only game in town. I plan to bitch about it quite a bit, though. Some of the shows there are getting on my last nerve.

In other intriguing news, Governor Mark Sanford has seen his Argentinean soul mate more than he’d initially admitted. He also seems to have grabbed some non-soul mate ass – or something – from time to time. Color me surprised – not. How can Jenny Sanford let this horndog prize go? I don’t know, but somehow I think she will. Even though he’s trying hard to fall back in love with her. Without much success, apparently.

 

Republican Fail of the Day

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It’s all Arlen today. Our newest Democrat. I know that not every progressive is sure that Arlen Specter’s party switch is something to celebrate. I’m on the side of it being a huge plus for a couple of reasons. Oh, I know he’s going to be a lousy Democrat by my standards. But that isn’t always everything.

There is, of course, the obvious. He’s not just joining the Democrats – he’s leaving the Republicans. It’s sweet, no question. But it’s also an important kick in the ass. I’m all for a more moderate GOP. It would be a lot less scary to lose an election if it was the party of Rockefeller that did the winning. Instead it’s the John Birch Society. It’s Joe McCarthy apologists and religious extremists.  It’s more like a radical right wing organization than a major political party. Since they will no longer support their moderates, it’s far better that their moderates give up supporting them. At this point it’s just enabling.

Then of course, there’s the voting. He didn’t have to tell us that he won’t be the automatic 60th vote. That’s obvious. Even if he was going to vote our way all the time there’s still Ben Nelson and other blue dogs to contend with. While I’m sure that other Democrats who’ve been considering a run for Specter’s seat in 2010 would be better for the Democratic agenda, it’s not 2010 yet and there’s a lot of important stuff coming up before that election. Better to have Specter thinking about the general election voters than Republican primary voters.

Does anyone think it’s time to put the Republican Party on the endangered species list?

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• Specter colleagues, politicos react to defection (cnn.com)
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• Why Senator Specter Switched Parties -- Really (time.com)

House Approves Increase for Legal Services

Don't ever tell me there's not a "dime's worth of difference". That's never been true, even in the worst of times. The Obama adminstration introduced, and the House has approved increased funding for Legal Service Corporation, which represents low income people in non-criminal legal cases.

The 11 percent increase would bring funding for the Corporation to a total of $390 million,the third consecutive year (emphasis mine) that the House has supported additional funding to provide civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. Most of the funding, $365.8 million, would be awarded as competitive grants to 137 nonprofit legal aid programs across the nation.

Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees LSC, said the Corporation "is an important, significant program that provides legal assistance to people who are unable to afford it. We know that the poor are hit hard during economic downturns, and this funding will help more low-income Americans faced with unlawful evictions, domestic violence and other serious legal problems"

Legal Services Corporation programs are often - usually - the only legal representation available to low income people in non-criminal cases.  Other than that, it's just them against whatever system they're up against. Just figuring out how to navigate the courts or a hearing situation can be an impossible task without help, let alone actually going to court, if it should come to that. Demand almost always exceeds resources,  so most agencies have to limit their services to cases related to basic sustenance - food, shelter, income and safety - and even then they can't always help everyone who might be eligible for services.  Republican administrations have been at war with Legal Services since Reagan's time.  After all,  Legal Services represents poor people and poor people are not popular with the GOP. Democrats fund Legal Services. Note that this is the third consecutive year that the House has voted an increase in funding. What else is happening in the House  for the third consecutive year? Yes, that's right. Democratic majorities.  Let me tell you, by 2006 things were really bad for some Legal Service agencies and lack of funding was really hampering them in their ability to represent clients. This current economic climate has been a huge worry, too, because some of the funding for LSC comes from interest on escrow accounts that private lawyers hold for clients. Naturally enough,  these days there's considerably less being held in escrow.  Budget cuts from the states have also cut funding for legal help for the poor. This news is very welcome and is yet another reason to have warm, fuzzy feelings for the Dems.

Tags:  Legal Service, Poverty, Economy, Budget