Richard Estes

Richard Estes commented on the post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

I understand this as an abstract idea, but when conscious policies of political economy favor certain regions and certain sectors of the economy over others (for example, the bank bailouts and austerity benefit […]

Richard Estes commented on the post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Good idea. I will keep an eye out for this kind of information.

Richard Estes commented on the post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Historically, it has been the reverse, people moved out of the Bay to follow jobs and find cheaper housing in the Valley. But with the Valley being hit much worse by this recession than the Bay Area, and slowly […]

Richard Estes commented on the post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

This is a very good suggestion. I will keep my eye out for such information.

Richard Estes commented on the post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Matt, here is my elliptical response: Walker also said that if you start in SF and go eastward through Oakland, East Contra Costa and into the Central Valley, conditions get progressively worse. People in SF have […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, California Rust Belt? Contraction of Sacramento Valley, on the site Independent Voter Network 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Shock waves reverberated through Sacramento with the recently announced closure of a Comcast call center and an iconic Campbell’s Soup plant that has employed lower middle-income people here since 1947. […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, Gore Vidal: A Remembrance, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 2 weeks ago

Born into privilege, Gore Vidal lived 5 lives simultaneously. I can barely get to work everyday, raise my son and emotionally participate in my family, while Vidal was a novelist, socialite and periodic […]

Richard Estes commented on the post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It is hard to believe that Romney paid any price for maligning the Palestinians. Most Americans have bought into the Zionist narrative wherein the Palestinians are perpetually to blame not only for their own […]

Richard Estes commented on the post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

One thing to keep in mind is that there is a history of wealthy Republican presidential candidates deliberately acting like buffoons in order to appeal to lower middle income voters. Reagan and the Bushes did it. […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Much has been made of Mitt Romney’s purported gaffes during his recent trip abroad. Press coverage of his trip to Israel, Poland, and the United Kingdom induces one to believe that, as President, he would […]

Richard Estes commented on the post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

See my comment above. It’s primarily about some vacation time. Also, the Israeli part was about appealing to hard core Zionists and raising some money from them.

Richard Estes commented on the post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

There are reasons why nominees take these trips in the summer while many voters are on vacation. First, they are a sort of vacation for them compared to the rigors of domestic campaigning, and, second, no really […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, Mitt Romney’s Overseas Tour Calculated to Rally US Voters, on the site Election Center 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Much has been made of Mitt Romney’s purported gaffes during his recent trip abroad. Press coverage of his trip to Israel, Poland, and the United Kingdom induces one to believe that, as President, he would […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, An Appreciation of Alexander Cockburn, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months ago

On Saturday, I was shocked to learn that Alexander Cockburn, founder of the influential hard left political website Counterpunch, had died of cancer. Despite my disagreement with him on subjects like global […]

Richard Estes wrote a new post, The US Constitution Rightly Considered, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Yesterday was July 4th, that fateful day in 1776 when John Hancock stepped forward to be the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, and oddly enough, it induces many to sing the praises of what came […]

Unfiltered News. For You. By You.

Empowering Voters, Public Officials, Civic Leaders, and Journalists to Speak for Yourself.

Interested in writing an article?

About the Network

It's help from people like you who can keep this going.