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Supreme Court Says Internet Will Protect Your Interests

January 22, 2010 | 0 Comments

Supreme Court Says Internet Will Protect Your Interests

A landmark ruling by the Supreme Court asks citizens to use the Internet to connect the dots between corporate influence and their political candidates.

Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Court (large pdf) has serious implications on the future of US elections. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that corporations can spend money from their general treasuries to support political candidates.

This landmark decision overturns two legal precedents that have restricted the amount of influence corporations have in impacting the outcome of elections. The court believes that corporations are entitled to the same free speech rights as individuals.

The court recommends that citizens and shareholders of corporations use online campaign finance data to determine whether or not their candidates and corporations are too close for comfort.

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Haiti’s Slave Children: The Lost Restaveks

January 18, 2010 | 1 Comment

Haiti’s Slave Children: The Lost Restaveks

Child slave labor thrives in Haiti today. An estimated quarter of a million Haitian children work as slave laborers, an issue largely forgotten amid the sea of incomprehensible tragedies in Haiti.

These children are known as “restaveks”, a Haitian Creole word that means “stays with”. Many impoverished families in rural parts of Haiti send their children away to stay with, or more accurately “work for” families in urban areas of Haiti.

The majority of these children are female and undocumented. Many are raped, assaulted and subjected to abysmal working conditions without pay.

The Pan American Development Foundation recently completed the most comprehensive on-the-ground evaluation of the status of restaveks in Haiti. You can read the entire report here (large pdf).

There are undoubtedly many problems in Haiti today. Years of natural disasters and corruption have taken much from those who have very little. The future of Haiti will come from its children and those who seek to protect them.

The following two organizations are working to protect and educate the restaveks of Haiti. 

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January 16, 2010 | 0 Comments

Getting Started With Community Banking: 3 Useful Steps

Growing frustration with the financial industry has inspired many people to reconsider their banking options.

The role that many large banks played in the near collapse of the US financial system has sparked a recent grassroots movement that encourages people to move their money away from large institutions and into community banks and credit unions.

Many people are discovering that local community banks and credit unions represent values that are more aligned with their own.

Local banks often invest most of their profits back into the local community, have their top executives living in the community, and can quickly make business decisions since they are owned locally.

The “Move Your Money” campaign spearheaded by Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post and Rob Johnson of the Roosevelt Institute is leading the charge.

It’s important to identify your local community banks and credit unions and see if they are a better fit for you than a larger institution.

The following list of actions offers an easy and useful way to locate and evaluate your community banking options.

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