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Carbon Dioxide, Populations, and Communities (Physiological Ecology)
Fakhri A. Bazzaz
Manufacturer: Academic Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0124208703 |
Book Description
In past decades and in association with a continuing global industrial development, the global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has been rising. Among the many predictions made concerning this disturbing trend is global warming sufficient to melt polar ice-caps thereby dramatically altering existing shorelines. This book will help fill an obvious gap in the carbon dioxide debate by substituting date for speculation.
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* Includes contributions from leading authorities around the world
* Serves as a companion to Carbon Dioxide and Terrestrial Ecosystems
* The first book of its kind to explore evolutionary responses of both populations and communities to elevated carbon dioxide
Book Description
Many softball teams showcase a big hitter or a power pitcher, but the backbone of any championship softball team is a solid defense. In Defensive Softball Drills, Coach Jacquie Joseph provides proven drills for establishing this winning edge. She presents drills for learning and mastering skills at each position and for developing players into a finely tuned defensive unit. Maximize your chances of success and shut out your opponents with Defensive Softball Drills.
Customer Reviews:
Super Drill Book.......2001-05-16
Jacquie Joseph's Defensive Softball Drills is a compilation of some of the most basic skills necessary for development of a successful defensive player. The drills emphasize proper fundamentals and are adaptable to players of all skill levels. I use the drills in the book with my high school players as part of my defensive drill period, and our team is as solid defensively as any.
An axcellent place to start off your season.......1999-09-30
I coach girls 19u and used this book to set up my practices. I found the drills very good and helped to teach the girls ball control. I found that alot of the drills help shape the skills of the players. By the end of our season the girls were showing skills they themselves never knew they had. I feel this book made me an effective coach.
Excellent drills.......1999-07-29
Where do you go for softball fielding practice drills when you're a coach trying to teach certain skills? After looking at many sources, my vote is for this book. Dozens and dozens of great drills for every position. The girls on my 10U team loved the drills, had fun and learned a lot.
A great book of drills for softball and baseball.......1999-07-25
I bought this book to look for new and interesting drills for an 8 and under softball All-Star team and I was not dissapointed. This book is filled with great drills which are easy to apply to all ages. As you read and look at the drill illustrations you will repeatedly say "What a great drill" Many drills in this book can be directly applied to baseball. Everybody I have shown this book to wants one.
Excellent book for softball and youth baseball coaches........1998-12-31
A tremendous reference for anyone coaching softball or youth baseball, for fundementals, drills, and conditioning, often combining all three. Many fresh new drills that shouldn't be limited to softball.
Book Description
"Rod Delmonico, one of the most innovative and thoroughly organized baseball coaches in the college universe, knows that miracles don't just happen on defense--you have to make them happen. He does this at Tennessee with a simple but highly practical drill program covering every facet of the defensive game. Coaches from Little League to Major League will find all the answers in this splendidly articulated practice manual." -- Herman Masin Editor-in-Chief, Scholastic Coach Rod Delmonico, national Division I coach of the year, shares the drills and skills that he used to take the University of Tennessee baseball team to Southeastern Conference championships in 1994 and 1995, and the College World Series in 1995. Baseball Defensive Drills is divided into sections on pitching, catching, infield, and outfield drills, and concludes with a chapter on drills for the whole team. Drills are outlined in a step-by-step format and are highly illustrated with a wealth of photos and diagrams. Players and coaches interested in improving their defensive skills and training techniques will find this one of the best visual-aid books available.
About the Author Rod Delmonico has been head coach at the University of Tennessee since 1989. Since that time, the Volunteers have won three Southeastern Conference Eastern Division titles and two overall titles as well as a trip to the 1995 College World Series, the school's first in 44 years. Along with being named coach of the year for 1995 by Baseball America magazine, Delmonico has been honored as SEC coach of the year (1994, 1995) and the American Baseball Coaches Association's Southern Region coach of the year (1995). He has written other baseball books including Defensive Baseball, Offensive Baseball Drills, and Hit and Run Baseball, and has had numerous articles published in various publications.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty basic, and don't look for how-to information here.......2000-04-21
I was a little disappointed with the book, but maybe because I expected the wrong thing.
The book gives you drills only. It will tell you how to do the drill, what equipment you need, and what to focus on. It will not however tell you how to do most of the things that the drills try to teach you. Sometimes you can get an idea from the "things to focus on". In general however, no explanation is given how to properly execute a certain play, movement, etc.. Most drills will have a line which says: "Make sure the player uses the proper technique working the drill." The book won't tell you what that proper technique is though. That you'll find in a different book from Rod Delmonico "Defensive Baseball".
Most of the drills covered, although important, and heavily used by most coaches, are also completely standard. For example, there is a drill for the first baseman to catch bad throws that hop in front of him. The only thing the drill says (more or less) is: "Throw short hops in front of the first baseman, to his left and his right." That's it. Nobody really needs a book for that.
Also every drill is on two pages, one page text and one page pictures. Those pictures are all large, wasting a lot of space. In his book "Defensive Baseball" Delmonico does a much better job of putting a whole series of very small pictures for certain mechanics, from which you can understand the whole movement. In many cases, especially with all the standard drills, the pictures are even completely unnecessary, just filling up pages.
Many of the somewhat more advanced drills use a pitching machine, so if you don't have one, tough luck.
I could hardly find a drill in this book that was new to me, and most of the ones that were used some fancy equipment (we're talking about 2-3 drills here though, so don't worry, there is no emphasis on using unusual equipment).
If you're looking for some new drills, and you've coached a bit, or if you are looking for some thought through, somewhat more complicated, all team drills, this is not the book. If you want a reference, something to remind you of some drills you could use, because for example you tend to get into the habit of always using the same ones after a while, this book does a good job.
Excellent Intermediate-to-Advanced Fundamentals.......2000-04-18
Good book for those looking for drills that can move their average and excellent players from the most basic fundamentals to intermediate (middle-of-the-road) and advanced techniques of baseball. The book breaks down every defensive position, chapter-by-chapter, giving extensive defensive drills to improve play at those positions. It also devotes a couple of well-written chapters to overall team drills.
This book will have more application for older and/or advanced players. Many of these drills should be used with some 8 year olds. On the other hand, some of the more advance drills will be too advanced for even 12-13 year olds.
This book does not contain drills for the most basic defensive techniques, such as the very beginning mechanics of throwing and catching. And even though these beginning mechanics are part of the mechanics taught in this book for pitching, infielding, and outfielding, the reader will have difficulty picking them up from this book.
This book does a good job of capturing the essense of these techniques, and for the money, is a good, quick-reference, resource to have on the shelf. However, the book is limited, due to the printed medium, it is ability to adequately convey the many subtleties of baseball fundamentals; so some readers may prefer to study these techniques from video tapes, or a more graphic medium.
Generally, I have been unable to find a comprehensive book that covers all aspects of the game: defense and offense, beginning through advanced drills. So overall, this book has improved my library and has filled a needed gap in understanding and coaching defensive baseball.
Need defensive help?.......2000-03-27
Some of my ballplayers (JV in high school) were having a very difficult time defensively. I started incorporating some of the drills from this book, a little at a time. Now, our team and individual defense has improved a great deal. This book breaks things down very well. It can help coaches at any level with their defensive strategies.
Product Description
VHS - A complete training program based on the same drills featured at Baseball World's Training Center in Orlando, Fl. B.W.'s schools trained teams have won back to back AAU National Championship tournaments, setting many offensive/defensive records...Discover the secrets of America's finest Baseball School!
Product Description
This baseball defense VHS videocassette, The Baseball Skills and Drills Video Series, Defensive Skills by Position, covers defensive skills by position. Dr. Bragg Stockton (The Skill Doctor, director of the Skills and Drills Baseball Instructional Camps and former Head Coach of TCU and University of Houston) makes it possible for anyone to understand the basics of baseball and coach effectively. This series is approved by Little League Baseball, PONY, Dixie Youth Baseball, and the National Association of High School Athletic Coaches. In this defensive skills video, Dr. Stockton covers the following subjects: Five basic defensive baseball drills; Executing infield & outfield plays; Cut-offs and relays; and Catcher & Pitcher defense skills. Running time is 35 minutes
Product Description
A rare blending of the Bible account with information from sciences, archeology, ancient traditions and other sources. Reads as easily as a story, yet teaches actual history. Narrates from creation to Abram, encompassing the whole period usually called "prehistoric". Charts, maps and illustrations help to give a clear picture of times and places. Gives insights into the world before the great flood and into the rebuilding of civilization afterward. Shows the sources of all pagan beliefs. Used as supplementary reading with the course above on Genesis. For the whole family.
Customer Reviews:
Adam & His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times.......2006-11-16
Purchased book for my son for homeschool. He likes the book because he loves the class and the teacher at his coop.
History Comes to Life!.......2005-08-28
The Bible is the deepest, most intelligent, and powerful writing ever penned. Because it is such a profound book, parts of it may at times seem confusing. Many times I struggled through the pages of the Old Testament trying to comprehend the history. Sometimes I would give up, becoming weary of the long string of names or descriptions of who begat whom.
Why did God's Word have to be so difficult for me? I so wanted to be able to read the Bible and be as interested in its history as I was in the Tudor Era. Of course, I never dreamed that there was a book out there just for me.
When my Mom presented me with Adam and His Kin by Dr. Ruth Beechick I immediately devoured it. The story, the history, the Bible! Mrs. Beechick retells the story of Genesis like no other author has. I found myself intrigued and delighted as I read about Eve's heartbreaking struggle in the Garden of Eden, the tragic murder of Abel, the fascinating story of Noah, and even the tower of Babel.
It was like reliving history beside these amazing figures and the spectacular events which surrounded them. I could actually feel Eve's longing for the forbidden, I mourned for Noah as he was made fun of and taunted while he built the most amazing boat in the world, the boat that God instructed him to build.
In Adam and His Kin history comes to life and you experience what life was like thousands of years ago. In my opinion, this book is a masterpiece and I can give it nothing but the highest praise.
J.M. Age 14
Important Book.......2005-03-11
This important book gives children a Biblically accurate overview of the book of Genesis, told in a narrative style. Read this book to your children before you begin your study of ancient history.
An Entertaining Read.........2004-11-06
The book reads like a narrative, starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden, ending with Abram leaving Ur. It was a refreshing way to read the unfolding of Adam, Eve, Abel, Cain, along with Noah and his son's lives. The author spices things up by inserting what she believes these people felt and thought.
" You won't die, " the serpent said. "God knows that when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil." The woman contemplated the tree. Its fruit looked pleasant and good to eat. Would it really mak her wise like God, knowing good and evil? She stepped in for a closer look. Then she picked a fruit. Turning it around in her hand, it seemed a small matter if she should taste it. Just one little bite. And so she did. At that moment, the spirit within her died. Its radiance faded, and she stood beside the tree feeling helpless and naked. The serpent quickly disappeared. He was not going to hlep her. "That deciever!" she exlaimed. She did know evil. That much of the serpent's words came true. And how terrible it was! Evil was inside her. Coul she throw asay the fruit? Could she cough up the bite and spit it out? Could she undo her act in any way? No, it was done. She couldn't restore her innocence. Adam must eat the fruit too. He must not leave her alone in this condition. Frightened and distraught, she ran to Adam, the remains fo the fruit still in her hand. Seein her pitiful state, Adam needed no explanation. Her confused words, her crying, her begging tore at his heart.
Though not EXACTLY what may have happened, it's not impossible something to this magnitude did occur. With Cain and Abel, Ruth Beechick writes:
As he shouted at his brother, a terrible idea came into his mind. "Come into my filed," he said. "Let us talk in privacy out there." In the field they continued talking until Cain suddenly rose up with one of his garden tools and killed his brother Abel. Cain had seen the death of animals, but this was the first death of a human. It was shocking even for hard-hearted Cain to see the dead body of his brother lying there...fastforwarding to after God cursed Cain, Ruth writes:
Cain said, "That punishment is more than i can bear." His voice sounded sorry now but it was sorrow not about his deed, only about his punishment.
Ruth also gives some nice information about our biblical characters. She notes tht Seth meant "appointed one." Later on she explains that Nimrod means "let us rebel.", which further illustrated Cush's revolt against God, describing Nimrod's purpose. The characters and where they migrate to, the names, etc are accurate. One has to keep in mind while reading that it's Ruth's interpretation on how the individuals feel or what they thought. It was a very quick read.
Beautiful, Well-written, Excellent book.......2004-07-03
WOW! There were a lot of ideas in this book that I already had, and a few that were new to me, but the way that Ms. Beechick weaved together the Biblical account with history and made it easily readable was just amazing. I've read many books on this time period. Most of them are very scholarly, which definitely has it's place, but this was a quick, light, fun read, that was still jam-packed with lots of info. She also includes a great bibliography, so I can't wait to start researching more.
Book Description
More than ever before, large corporations wield an unjustifiably excessive influence over every aspect of life - economic, political, social, cultural, and environmental - feeding a rabid consumer culture that harms the environment, undermines a shared sense of national prosperity, and threatens ideals of a citizen-powered democracy. A lively and engaging mandate to fight back against corporate dominance, The People's Business examines the very nature of corporate power, presenting a range of strategies to curtail it, and explaining how ordinary people can restore citizen control. Bringing together a coalition of leading authors, activists, scholars, and professionals, this book serves as a vital, clearheaded plan for strengthening individual rights, transforming corporations into engines of public prosperity, and creating a sustainable, life-respecting society where the people have the power. The book features an introduction by Ralph Nader.
Customer Reviews:
People need to attend to this business!.......2006-08-03
This is a shorter version of my review published in the journal, Personnel Psychology.
I have read a number of recent, very good books about the corporate threat to our democracy. Their common theme, like that of the book by Drutman and Cray, is that large, publicly traded corporations, the "corpocracy," have preempted our sovereignty and control and exploit for selfish interests and often very detrimentally so every aspect of our lives. What more then, you might ask, could be learned from the present book? What sets it apart from the rest I think is first the broader array of reforms it proposes and second that it draws upon the collective wisdom of over 40 scholars and prominent activists commissioned by Citizen Works. It is the non-profit, non-partisan organization founded by Ralph Nader to develop and promote corporate reform proposals. Mr. Nader himself served on the commission.
The two authors also served on the commission. While they state that its other members bear no responsibility for the book's specific conclusions, all members endorsed the book, and it is referred to by Mr. Nader and the authors as the commission's report. I think it was a wise decision not to issue a report per se but instead to have a more readable, more comprehensive, and possibly a more influential book written.
The intent of the book is to provide an understanding of corporate power and a guide for activists to follow in pursuing the reforms proposed in the book. It is full of so many proposals that it would have been helpful if they had been listed in a table preferably at the book's beginning and in a descending order of priority or feasibility. The titles of the six chapters nevertheless do serve somewhat as a list of specific targets of reform and for the most part adequately convey each chapter's topic such as "cracking down on corporate crime."
That only this chapter discusses corporate crime underscores the fact that citizen sovereignty was not turned over to the corpocracy at gunpoint and that most corporate wrongdoing is legal wrongdoing. One or the other branch or level of government has shamefully patronized big business and acquiesced to it in one way or another over the years. This is precisely what the framers of our constitution did not want to happen. But instead of requiring federal chartering of corporations to ensure they meet some bona fide public purpose and operate under public oversight, the framers decided the states should carry out the function as they saw fit.
Although charters were initially issued with stringent controls, the states soon began, as the authors graphically put it, "a race to the bottom" to attract new business. As a consequence, state charters are a sham. The authors tell how anti-tobacco activists a few years ago, to dramatize their point, easily got a charter for a new tobacco ompany, "Licensed to Kill, Inc.," even though it was clearly stated in the articles of incorporation that the company's purpose would be to make and sell products that annually kill 4.5 million people worldwide. Attempts to establish federal chartering have failed numerous times before, but "ultimately would make sense," the authors believe, once the federal government gets a backbone. I certainly agree. Federal charters would be feckless until then.
Both state and federal legislators have always been, it seems to me, the branch of government most vulnerable to corporate influence. Campaign finance laws will never be able to stem completely the flood of corporate money, and once elected it must be the rare politician who dares risk reelection by defying the flood of lobbying and other pressures from corporations. A number of proposals are offered for shielding legislators from these pressures, but I am amazed to find no mention of a possible solution that I have advocated for decades. If term limits were imposed on all politicians they would concentrate more on attending to the needs of the citizenry and less to the excessive demands of the corpocracy. The solution is not as unrealistic as it may seem, and certainly is no more so than one of the proposals in the book to "ban corporations from politics." As a matter of fact, nearly 20 states already have laws allowing automatic removal of longtime legislators, even ones who would be assured of reelection, and not too many years ago Congress attempted to limit the tenure of its own members (Heavey, 1999). Citizen Works and other activist groups should concentrate some of their resources on reviving efforts to promote Congressional term limits.
The executive branch is probably not far behind in catering to corporate interests at the expense of the broader interests and concerns of the citizenry. The predominant means of corporate influence is through the regulatory process. It has essentially been taken over by the corpocracy and has resulted in the deregulation of such essential public services as energy, telecommunications, and banking, which in turn as the authors amply document, has led to higher prices and poorer service, not to mention the widespread harm caused by just one energy company, the notorious Enron (its scandal along with others at the time helped prompt creation of the commission). Deregulation and weak antitrust enforcement have also led to the growth of monopolies as in the case of the media conglomerates. One of the remedies proposed is to amend an existing law so that it would disallow large mergers.
One might expect the third and final branch of government, the judiciary, to be relatively immune to the corpocracy's power seeking, but that is not the case at all. For example, the corporation is not even mentioned in the constitution, but that has not stopped the US Supreme Court from extending several constitutional rights intended only for the citizenry to corporations, such as the right of free speech, even though no corporation has a mind or a tongue. This give-away, which would surely have shocked the constitution's framers, helps corporations, the authors validly argue "to undermine regulations and other laws" intended to protect the citizenry. Numerous court cases are presented to prove their point, such as those where judicial rulings, invoking the right of corporations to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures hamstring federal inspections for unhealthy and unsafe working conditions. Acknowledging that a constitutional amendment is not too feasible, the authors propose instead using specific court cases that would allow plaintiffs to "advance legal strategies that challenge the corporate claim to constitutional rights."
The corpocracy is thus relatively unrestrained by the three branches of government, leaving the question of whether there is any countervailing forces available in the market place and investment community. The authors address this question and are not too optimistic about meaningful reforms coming from those quarters. The corpocracy is so big and powerful it mostly controls the marketplace, and shareholders, the authors point out, basically have little or no control either. The corpocracy has thus become accountable only to itself, which is why the book's focus is on political and legal measures to force reform and a retreat by the corpocracy.
In concluding the book, the authors argue that the "first steps" should be campaign finance reform and media reform because they are considered crucial for providing a "compelling foundation for a mass movement that challenges corporate power more broadly."
This short review can't possibly do justice to a comprehensive and, in my opinion, a very important book. I recommend you read it for yourself. The corpocracy, in my opinion, betrays the very principles underlying our nation's foundation, and if allowed to continue its present course may eventually tear apart our society.
Heavey, S. (March 5, 1999). Term limits take effect. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/termlimits/termlimits.htm).
Two Biggest Problems Facing America: Out-of-Control Corporatism & Blind Militarism.......2005-10-08
Two Biggest Problems Facing America: Out-of-Control Corporatism & Blind Militarism
This book performs the crucial service of organizing and structuring our thoughts about the seemingly remote possibility of popular containment of the pervasive and widespread corporate abuse, which has devastated our lives and now poses a very real threat to the continuation of human life as a whole. How do we pressure Congress (predominantly bought and signed for by the corps) to even begin to introduce the topic of corporate reform in legislative discussion? This challenge, the argument here, well grounded in fact, takes up.
The authors list seven basic strategies:
1. Crack Down on Corporate Crime
A permanent, well-funded and staffed corporate crime division should be established within the Justice Department. Budgets for Justice Dept agencies responsible for pursuing corporate criminals such as the SEC should be beefed up. An annual corporate crime report equivalent to the one the FBI produces on street crime should be generated. Federal acquisition regulations should be tightened so lawbreaking corporations do not receive any fraction of the $265 billion worth of government contracts given out each year.
2. Rein in the Imperial CEO's
Warren Buffett once suggested that willingness to curb excessive CEO pay is "the acid test of corporate reform." Yet the ratio of average large company CEO pay ($11.8 million) to average worker pay ($27,460) spiked from 301 to 1 in 2003 to 403 to 1 in 2004. While Wal-Mart paid CEO Lee Scott 871 times what it paid the average "associate," the ratio between executive and worker pay in Europe hovers closer to 25 to 1. In 1982 the ratio at US corporations was about 42 to1; by 2000 it had spiraled to about 525 to 1.
The SEC should give shareholders - the true owners of the corporations - the right to curb out-of-control executive pay packages, which often expand while the companies' earnings and performance decline. Representative Martin Sabo in July 2005 introduced the Income Equity Act, which would eliminate tax deductions for executive compensation exceeding twenty-five times that of the company's lowest-paid full-time employee.
3. Shore Up the Civil Justice System
This strategy stands in direct opposition to the current trend of "tort reform" legislation now pouring through Congress. One of the lost lessons of Enron and other corporate crime scandals is how Washington's deregulation created an incentive for the market system's professional "gatekeepers" - the accountants, bankers, and attorneys - to avoid their responsibilities and, in some cases, even aid and abet the fraud. "Tort-reform" type legislation, such as the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) of 1995, weakening the ability of shareholder victims of corporate fraud to sue, embolden the corporate perpetrators of such frauds to cook the books. So-called "tort-reform" provides incentive for even further corporate abuse - and although the facts are in (see www.citizen.org, www.centerjd.org), civic and political organization to safeguard the public's right to protect itself against such abuse must be enhanced. The process of establishing such safeguards as legal institutions begins with education. Most Americans have no understanding as to the degree to which the twisted "tort-reform" argument threatens not only their interests, but their personal safety.
4. Regulate in the Public Interest
The ferocious corporate assault over the past quarter century (since the advent of the Reagan Administration) on regulations that worked has cost lives, health, and trillions of dollars. Most of the companies involved in recent giant accounting
scams fall within the industrial sectors that were radically deregulated just years before - energy, banking, brokerage, and telecommunications. In these industries, deregulation, or taking the government cop off the corporate beat, created a kind of gold rush mentality. The authors claim that much of the investment craze of the past two decades has been in part fueled by deceptive scenarios emanating from this situation: a false sense of prosperity bolstered by phony accounting practices.
Corporate lobbies have blocked much needed reforms and resources for corporate law enforcement, which almost passed during the 1970's. The widening schism between `have' and `have not' and wholesale destruction of our environment are
thus the direct legacy of `Reaganomics'. The successful effort to reverse all of the directives and directions of the New Deal - the defamation of indisputably the greatest and most benevolent American president of the last century, FDR - in deference to the sleezy, big money favoritism of the corporate spokesperson, Reagan - is a remarkable chronicle of how easily a significant percentage of Americans, through stubborn adherence to cultivated ignorance, can be hyped and manipulated into voting against their own best interests.
5. Trust-Busting in the New Century: Start With the Media
The so-called `free' market is not free for all, but for the very few - the playing field is hardly level, and conditions are worsening. How are the corporations in evident domestic and international collusion able to avoid regulation, fix prices, and `brand the world'? We need new and powerful legal instruments to assert and enforce popular control over the corporations, effective anti-trust legislation.
The primary means of corporate control over the American public has been through a corporate-owned media. `De-regulation' and regular practices of wild corporate abuse have been sold, through an orchestrated media campaign, by a press which, without a hint of dissent, uniformly obeys the whims of a powerful few. As Louis Brandeis famously put it: "We can have democracy in this country, or we can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
The key to corporate reform is a vibrant press. When the media fail to provide coverage of civic engagement, change is difficult. Because today's media are essentially dominated by six multinational conglomerates, much of the news sounds and looks the same, regardless of what channel we may be watching or what newspaper we may be reading and regardless of our own political views. One way to insure the broader spectrum of opinion necessary for a healthy democracy is to enact competition rules - limits on cross-media ownership, especially in localities, and on vertical integration, for example - that essentially mandate diversities by prohibiting media conglomerates and restoring the fairness doctrine on the public airwaves.
In addition to advancing the nonprofit, noncommercial media outlets, including low-power radio, today's media activists are battling the corporate takeover of new media technologies like community wireless networks, key community assets that deserve to be protected from predatory corporations. Meanwhile, legislation, which would reduce media concentration and restore fairness to broadcasting, such as Representative Hinchley's Media Ownership Reform Act, remains stalled by powerful interests with an opposed agenda.
6. Get Corporations Out of Our Elections
The cost of running for a seat in the House Of Representatives is more than $1 million. The cost of winning a seat in the Senate is well over $5 million - run ning nearly as high as $40 million in the largest states. The Bush/Cheney 2004 re-election campaign spent $367 million. As a result, those who run for office package their candidacies in a manner attractive to those with money. Roughly 75 percent of the money raised in campaigns comes from business or business related interests. Corporations are legal entities, not human beings: as such, they should be prohibited from contributing to campaigns, sponsoring PACs or lobbying.
7. Reclaim the Constitution
The court-made doctrine of "corporate personhood," created by pro-corporate judicial activists in the late nineteenth century, continues to expand as the result of a well-orchestrated "business civil liberties" movement led by dozens of corporate-front legal groups and right-wing think tanks. The consequences are far-reaching and often insidious. Corporations' growing use of referendums to advance their economic interests and the intrusion of commercial advertising into the public sphere are often legitimized by questionable claims to First Amendment speech rights. Corporations also increasingly use constitutional challenges to undermine local decision-making authority and federal regulations and to impede the right of association by workers, consumers, and small investors.
The relentless colonization of the Constitution by corporations and their proxies has overwhelmed citizens' ability to express their collective interest and exercise their sovereign authority over big business. Comprehensive corporate reform should be a central concern of progressive legislators. But they must drop the bills in the hopper to get the discussion under way. Avoidance of corporate power issues reaches deeply into both parties. This problem was reflected in the non-questioning of former corporate attorney John Roberts during his Senate confirmation hearings for the post of Justice of the Supreme Court - not an insignificant portent for our future.
We must reclaim the lost understanding that corporations are creations of the state - chartered under the premise that they will serve the public good - as our servants, not our masters. By restoring the sovereignty of citizen democracy, we will be able to create a more just and sustainable economy, driven by values of humanity and community, rather than relentless pursuit of short-term financial profit at any cost - market and military - to the innocent peoples of the world.
(...)
A Crucial Read.......2005-01-11
As a survivor of hidden government experiments and an investigator of what is hidden behind the scenes, I have to recommend this book to everyone serious about discovering and acknowledging truth. Kudos to the authors for a brave stand. When the populace is willing to see whether or not the emperor has clothes, books like this will be a formidable tool in rebuilding a truly free democracy.
Dixie Waldrip, author, Hide and Go Seek; Searching for Me
Corporuption Explained.......2004-12-05
To one extent or another, regardless of your politics, everyone shares the dread sense that too many large corporations are out of control these days - stifling competition, buying up our politicians, and driving down the quality of life for their employees, consumers and the communities in which they are based. In this book Drutman and Cray do a fine job of exploring contemporary indicators of corporate excess. Then they go an extra lap and explain how the history of the corporation in America holds the key to understanding what can be done now. The book reminds me of some of William Greider's work, such as Who Will Tell The People. More than the usual polemic against big business, The People's Business makes clear that with the tools available to us in this democracy, we can restore the corporation to its proper place in service to our society. This idea is as old as the founding fathers, and as fresh as pages of this great new book.
This Book Restores Hope for a True Democracy.......2004-12-04
This book tells the truth about the unseemly influence corporations have over our everyday lives. But it also provides a road map to reclaim that power. It reminds us that there is such a thing as a social contract and corporations are grossly out of compliance with that contract.
It's empowering to read an analysis that provides a well documented critique but also offers vision and hope. Whether you're just buying a car or paying your utility bills you need to read this book. It suggests hope for democracy and not the hypocritical George Bush brand but an economic democracy where people can regain control over the largest part of their lives, their economic lives.
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