Terms and Concepts In this section, we define and explain some key terms and concepts: deficit, national debt, national interest and debt ceiling. Please see our companion fact sheet on the Balanced Budget argument/amendment. Deficit Deficit in any given year is the amount of money the federal government spends minus the amount of money itContinue reading “Fact Sheet on Government Borrowing”
Category Archives: Fact Sheet
DFER Dark Money in Colorado
Background on DFER DFER was founded by hedge fund managers Co-founder Whitney Tilson (and founder of the T2 Partners hedge fund) explained the hedge funders interest in education noting that “Hedge funds are always looking for ways to turn a small amount of capital into a large amount of capital.” DFER’s supporters have included the founders of funds like AnchorageContinue reading “DFER Dark Money in Colorado”
What is the BDS Movement?
BDS is an acronym for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. In 2005, a number of Palestinian civic groups called for external pressure on Israel to force the state to change its treatment of Palestinians. BDS activists want companies to stop doing business in Israel; consumers to stop buying Israeli products; and academics and cultural figures toContinue reading “What is the BDS Movement?”
ALEC – The biggest threat to America you’ve never heard of
ALEC Teach-In presented by Colorado Common Cause Denver, CO Saturday July 15, 2017 Why now? ALEC is holding a meeting in Denver THIS WEEK and DeVos is speaking at the meeting. What is ALEC? ALEC has been around for 40 years. It operates in the shadows, not in public. http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/alec-in-denver-report.pdf Description of ALEC from Sourcewatch:Continue reading “ALEC – The biggest threat to America you’ve never heard of”
The Sordid History of the Filibuster
Strictly speaking, the filibuster is a legislative tool used in the United States Senate to block or delay legislation. Senate rules allow a Senator (or Senators) to speak (debate) on the floor for as long as they wish unless three-fifths of the Senators present vote to invoke “cloture,” which simply means bringing the debate to a close. BillsContinue reading “The Sordid History of the Filibuster”