Seattle is proving to be the birthplace of new, progressive policies. Last year, that city was the first in our nation to pass a $15 minimum wage.

Last week, they were the first to pass a new public campaign finance initiative to put democracy back into the hands of voters.

The so-called "Honest Elections" initiative not only strengthens campaign finance restrictions in Seattle, it will give every registered voter there $100 dollars of "democracy vouchers" to support their favorite candidates as well.

This proposal is aimed at getting more people to participate in local elections and an effort to weaken the power of big money in our democracy. However, the plan is not without its possible faults.

Critics worry that candidates can opt to use the public financing system, which will make them eligible to receive vouchers, but still get the benefits of big donors with the help of Super PACs.

Thankfully, Seattle voters have proven time and time again that they're savvy enough to identify candidates who cheat the system. It will be up to them to test the "Democracy Voucher" system and determine if it can become an effective way to take our election back from the billionaires.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

  

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Conversations with Great Minds with Dr. Michael Mann, Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Tuesday's Daily Stack 

Article: "BREAKING: Chris Christie Vetoes Legislation Making It Easier To Vote In New Jersey" by Kira Lerner.

Article: "Bernie Sanders Slams GOP On Voting Rights: 'They're Political Cowards!'" by Tierney Sneed.

Article: "Former Clay officials get long sentences in massive vote-buying case" by Bill Estep, March 9, 2011.

Article: "The 3 People Being Prosecuted For Voter Fraud In Kansas" by Kira Lerner.

Article: "Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement" (TPP) by EFF.

Article: "Questioning the Unverified Computer Results of Kentucky's Governor's Race: 'BradCast' 11/4/2015" by Brad Friedman.

Article: "The Size of the Derivatives Bubble Hanging Over the Global Economy Hits a Record High" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Derivative (finance)" by Wikipedia.

Law: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999) (Financial Services Modernization Act Of 1999).

Law: "Glass-Steagall Act", 1933.

Law: "Commodity Futures Modernization Act", 2000.

Article: "Derivative (finance)" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Enron" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Lehman Brothers" by Wikipedia.

Book: "The Crash of 2016: The Plot to Destroy America--and What We Can Do to Stop It" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "Robert M. La Follette Sr." ( "Fighting Bob") by Wikipedia.

Event: Chicago, Il. Nov 11: "Lunch 4 Labor".

Event: Chicago, Il. Nov 11: "Book signing".

Book: ADHD and the Edison Gene: A Drug-Free Approach to Managing the Unique Qualities of Your Child by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "Democrats have lost 900+ state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats." by Scuba.

Article: "Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership" (TTIP) by Wikipedia.

Article: "How Europe's liberals can speak out" by Simon Kuper.

Article: "Fury and fear in Ohio as IT jobs go to India" by Patrick Thibodeau.

Article: "In Portugal, left-wing opposition topples government in no-confidence vote" by Deutsche Welle.

Article: "U. of Missouri president, chancellor leave over race tension" by Summer Ballentine and Jim Suhr.

Article: "Chicago boy, 9, lured into alley, executed in alleged gang hit" by Aamer Madhani.

Article: "Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)" by Wikipedia.

Book: The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government by David Talbot.

Article: "United Nations votes 191-2 to condemn U.S. embargo against Cuba" by Mimi Whitefield.

Article: "Latino Activists Protest Donald Trump's SNL Appearance Outside NBC" by Amanda Terkel.

 

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney 

Article: "Bernie Sanders Now Has More Donors At This Point Than Any Other Candidate In History" by Jason Easley.

Article: "GOP 2016 Candidates Take The Stage In Milwaukee" by TRNS.

Article: "Contract with America" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Meet The Man At The Center Of The Unprecedented US-Israel Rift" by Dylan Scott.

Article: "Ron Dermer" by Wikipedia.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Article: "TRNS News Notes - 11/10" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 11/9" by Victoria Jones.

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Hour Three: Sen. Elizabeth Warren's Plan To Save Grandma From the Cliff
- Alex Lawson, Social Security Works  

Article: "Social Security's 2016 COLA Is Zero. Senator Warren Has a Plan to Fix That" by Nancy Altman.

 

Article: "Entergy to shut 680MW Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts, US".

Article: "Diablo Canyon earthquake vulnerability" by Wikipedia.

Site: Move to Amend

Article: "Voting Rights Act Section 4 Struck Down By Supreme Court" by Ryan J. Reilly. Mike Sacks, Sabrina Siddiqui, 06/25/2013.

Article: "Voter ID and driver's license office closures black-out Alabama's Black Belt" by Kyle Whitmire.

Book: The Man From Missouri: A Biography Of Harry S. Truman by Cyril Clemens, Phil M. Donnelly.

Article: "Yogi Berra" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Illinois nuclear plants built to withstand quakes" by Julie Wernau and Michael Hawthorne.

Article: "Why I'm Absolutely an Angry Black Woman" by Dominique Matti.

Article: "Maddow Calls Out GOPers For 'Kill-The-Gays Rally' Appearance" by Brian Tashman.

 

Article: "Text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership".

Article: "Sierra Club: TPP Text is "Concrete Evidence" of Toxic Deal".

Article: "TPP Text Reveals Broad New Powers for Corporations to Attack Food Labeling Laws" by Wenonah Hauter.

Article: "VW, Porsche, Audi 3.0-liter diesels also have 'defeat devices,' EPA says" by Automotive News.

Article: "350.org Reacts to TransCanada's Request to Pause Keystone XL Review" by Jamie Henn.

Article: "Killing Keystone XL, Obama says pipeline not in US interests" by Josh Lederman.

Article: "Record radiation at Fukushima power plant could kill person in under 1 hour - reports" by legitgov.

Article: "Deadly 9.4 sieverts detected outside Fukushima reactor 2 containment vessel; checks stop".

Article: "Science says dancing with friends is good for your health" by Bronwyn Tarr.

Article: "Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding" by Bronwyn Tarr, Jacques Launay, Emma Cohen, Robin Dunbar.

    

Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

I'll be broadcasting The Thom Hartmann Program LIVE TODAY from "Lunch 4 Labor" - hosted by Chicago's Progressive Talk!!

 

I'll be talking with Labor Leaders about the state of Labor in Illinois and around the nation AND taking your questions too

 

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Sincerely,