Provide low cost reliable access to space is important. Thats interesting. Derek pitts, great to have you with us tonight. Thank you, ed. Thats the ed show. Im ed schultz. Politicsnation with reverend al sharpton begins right now. Good evening, ed. Thanks to you for tuning in. Tonights lead a major shift in american politics. For years, president obama naught to tackle income inequality. Calling it the defining challenge of our time. And finally, republicans are getsing getsing the message. Theyre suddenly talks about ing about inequality, too. The top 1 under president obama, millionaires and billionaires he constantly demagogues. Those are walk the corridors of power of the frbobama administration have gotten fat and happy under big government. I tell you, hardworking men and women across america are hurting. Well senator cruz is half right. Average americans are hurting, but blaming it on president obama is off the mark. This problem is decades in the making. For the last 50 years, the bottom 90 of workers have barely seen their incomes rise. While incomes have exploded for the top 1 . Increasing 271 since 1960. This problem has become impossible to ignore. Thats why its not just ted cruz talking about income equality, jeb bush has hopped on the bandwagon, too, and senator mcconnell, speaker john boehner, mr. Budget cuts for the poor himself, paul ryan and the list goes on and on and on and on. All these republicans are paying lip service to inequality but theyre not proposing real
solutions to fix the problem. President obama is. Our job now is to create additional tools that number one, make sure that everybodys got a baseline of support to be able to succeed in a constantly moving economy, whether its health care that survives job loss, whether it is making sure that we have childcare that allows two working household family to prosper while still caring for their kids. Having a certain baseline in terms of wages through the minimum whaj. Raising the minimum wage tax credits for childcare. These are real policies that could help workers, and the other thing, no republican would dare mention, taxing the rich. How do we make sure that the
folks at the very top are doing enough for their fair share . The fact of the matter is that relative to our postwar history, taxes now are not particularly high or particularly progressive compared to what they were say, in the late 50s or the 60s. You know theres always been this notion that for a country to thrive there are some things, as lincoln said we do Better Together than we can do for ourselves. Until republicans start pushing real ideas to narrow the wealth gap, the talk about inequality will be just that. Talk. Joining me now is dana milbank and joan walsh. Thank you for being here. Hi reverend. Dana is this step forward for the gop . Is this a step forward or at least theyre not talking about the 47 , right . Yeah i guess thats progress, reverend i mean but there is something hilarious about ted cruz or Mitch Mcconnell thinking that theyre
going to convince americans that they are the party that cares the most about income inequality. Its like putting an alpaca sweater on your little dog, rex and trying to convince america that hes a llama. Its just not going to fly. But, you know, more power to them for trying, because theyre recognizing that the politics have changed and theyre trying to at least rehetorically get in on it. You see it all the way on the left with Elizabeth Warren, now crazily enough youre seeing it with the likes of ted cruz. Ted cruz is trying to blame the wealth gap on president obama. Will anyone buy that . I dont think they will, ref reverend al. The thing he leaves out of the equation the top 1 is getting richer. However, this president has rayed the tax rates so that top 1 s they are paying closer to their fair share. It might not yet be their fair share, but he has raised the tax burden on those people and that does do something to reduce
unequalinequality inequality, not enough but you transfer some of that income to poorer people working poor people, youre narrowing the gap that way. And the president has been able to do that. He hasnt gotten there when it comes to bringing up the share of the wages. One thing i also thought was important he talked to ezra today, labor law, strengthening labor laws. Thats very important. Its not going to happen without and theyve been really at war with labor and the president really emphasized that. But let me stay on ted cruz a minute dana. Because hes talking about inequality, but here are some of the policies he supports. Repealing the Affordable Care act. Instituting a flat tax rate. Hes against a minimum wage hike and against equal pay measures. How exactly would any of this stuff narrow the wealth gap . No it would make for a far more regressive taxation system that would, of course make the
wealthy wealthier. Now, theres a fair criticism to be said that even the things that president obamas talking about dont go far enough. Thats certainly what youll hear from the likes of bernie sanders. Hes not really taking on the wealthy, hes not really taking on wall street because, you know lets face it the Democratic Party needs money to run campaigns almost as much as the republicans do. But, of course thats not the argument that ted cruz is making. Its just sort of turn the universe upsidedown. Joan, lets also go to jeb bush, one of the loudest voices on the right. Hes talking about inequality. Listen to this from a recent speech of jeb bushs. Today, americans across the country are frustrated. They see only a small portion of the population riding the economys up escalator. Roughly lyly two out of three american households live paycheck to paycheck. Can we restore that dream, the moral promise that each generation can do better . Now, he sounds like president
obama, joan but democrats says hes got a lot more in common with mitt romney. They flan toplan to talk about he opposed the auto bailout, wokrked in business backed wall street bailout and supports tax cuts for wealthy big business. How can he talk about inequality if hes seen as a romney 2. 1 . He needs to talk about it. I agree with dana, thats progress, this is a problem for the american people. That speech was shocking in how empty it was, reverend al. This is jeb bush, not, say, scott walker who has also empty policies. Jeb bush we know him you expect more. You expect more. Hes not introducing himself to the american people. We know him. He should have been introducing, this is how i will handle income inequality. How goes to detroit, all that he does by doing that is reminding the media that he did not support the auto restructureing. He doesnt take the opportunity
to say,thy this is what i would do for the city of detroit that has more than its share of problems. There was nothing about anything. Just this notion that we need to grow yes, we need growth but weve seen growth both under president clinton and understood president obama. Weve seen wonderful growth that does not do enough to close the wage gap. Thats what we havent gotten to. Growth is not enough. But dana lets go the other side of the political partisan divide. I was reading in the New York Times over the weekend, an article that says if Hillary Clinton runs in 2016 there are few policies that will definitely be part of her economic agenda. Shell push to raise the minimum wage invest in infrastructure and close the Corporate Tax loopholes. It is also possible she suggests incentives for companies that share profits with employees and push to strengthen collective bargaining. Now, she faces some criticism for ties with wall street. Would these platforms help to counter that for miss clinton . You know, reverend i think they would counter it to a small extent. She is seeing much more than president obama as being very tight with wall street. And, of course, shes going to need him out tlrkshere, the campaign thats going to rely on these big dollar contributions. Certainly those kinds of policies like obamas policies are a step in the right direction. A lot of progressives are disillusioned with the president but more so with Hillary Clinton and thats why theyre the ground swell for Elizabeth Warren who doesnt show any indication shes running. Thats the challenge, joan. The big fight in 2016 is going to be around economic inequality. And mrs. Clinton has got to deal with the pressure from some of the progressives who frankly some have real questions and some of us have other questions. And, but shes got to have a clear voice to battle the
republican because this is going to be one of the most deciding issues in 2016. It is. One thing that that New York Times article reminded us, she came out though she was a senator from wall street she came out in favor of closing the carried investor loophole. She did do that. I forgot about that. Moratorium on foreclosures, several progressive things in the 2008 platform that i hope she brings back. I hope we see that Hillary Clinton in 2016. Dana milbank, joan walsh. Thank you both for your time tonight. Thanks reverend. Six months after the Michael Brown shooting a new push for justice in ferguson. But now the fights about putting people in prison for being poor. Also the investigation into that deadly accident involving reality star bruce jenner. And a new smear attack on the president by mike huckabee. All of that. Plus social justice at the grammys. From black lives matter to Domestic Abuse. How the biggest stars in the world took their fight to the grammy stage. Albums still matter. Like books and black lives. Albums still matter. Tonight conversation nation is ahead. I make a lot of purchases for my business. And i get a lot in return with ink plus from chase. Like 60,000 bonus points when i spent 5,000 in the first 3 months after i opened my account. And i earn 5 times the rewards on internet,
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now to the recordbreaking snowfall slamming boston and much of the northeast. This is what it was like driving
around in cambridge, massachusetts, earlier today. In the last 30 days, boston has been hit with more than 60 inches of snow breaking records. In two weeks, enough snow in massachusetts has been removed to fill the patriots stadium 90 times. With the storm still passing through the northeast region what can residents expect to see next . Joining me now from boston is msnbcs adam reese. Adam you had a snow squall. Can you explain to viewers at home what that is . Reporter sure, reverend. Good evening. Four storms as you mentioned in less than two weeks. Now were up to 73 inches. So a big problem for officials here is what to do with all the white stuff. Well, they bring it here to a snow farm one of a few snow farms in boston. Were in south boston. Take a look behind me. These mounds of snow some of
them are 40 feet and higher. Trucks have been coming in all day long with piles and piles of snow. They bring it here. They bring it to the middle. These front loaders then take it over to the melter. Theyre bringing in melters from out of state because they have so much snow they need to melt down. Some of the other snow is being brought to beaches south of here. Along the coast. As you mentioned, 73 inches of snow. The governor says that they dont know what theyre doing to do if it keeps piling up. He says like you said 90 times they could fill gillette stadium. He says they should have bid for Winter Olympics instead of the summer olympics as they did. Reverend . How is transportation in the boston area being impacted adam . Reporter the airport, logan airport, was basically operating on a limited basis today. They canceled 500 flights, and in terms of Ground Transportation it was basically completely blocked out today. The governor at a press conference this afternoon said he was very angry and displeased with the fact the t was not operating. He hoped in this weather, it would operate in the Morning Hours but it did not. Msnbcs adam reese in boston. Thank you for your time tonight. Adam, stay warm. Reporter i will. Coming up, will olympic legend and reality tv star bruce jenner be charged in a deadly car accident . And president obamas top political adviser has advice for hillary. Please stay with us. Superpower. Surprised . In fact, america is now the worlds number one natural gas producer. And we could soon become number one in oil. Because Hydraulic Fracturing Technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. Supporting millions of new jobs. Billions in tax revenue. And a new century of American Energy security. The new Energy Superpower . Its red, white and blue. Log on to learn more. Six months ago today the Fatal Shooting of Michael Brown in ferguson missouri put a new spotlight on criminal justice in this country. And today, a lawsuit is posing new challenges to Police Practices in that city and in the nearby town of jennings. Created modern day debtors prisons. Jailing poor people when they were, quote, unable to pay a debt owed to the city from traffic tickets or other minor offenses. In each case the city imprisoned a human being solely because the person could not afford to make a monetary payment. The suit argues the motivation is financial. Ferguson has a population of 21,000 people. But in 2013 it issued 33,000 arrest warrants raising 2. 6
million in fines and court fees. Its second largest revenue source. One of the plaintiffs in the new lawsuit is tanya debarry, a 52yearold grandmother. She says she was pulled over for a Traffic Violation in 2014 and jailed in st. Louis county released after paying a 300 fine but instead of being freed, she was transferred to jail in ferguson where she spent two nights before shelling out another 300. Only to be put in jail in jennings because of more unpaid tickets. Just traffic tickets. No criminal act. Nothing. Just traffic tickets. If you had the money, you would never go through that type of situation. If you dont have the money, its jail jail. Late today, the mayor of ferguson issued a statement reading in part we believe
this lawsuit is disturbing because it contains allegations that are not based on objective facts. Joining me now is Thomas Harvey executive director and cofounder of art city defenders. One of the groups that filed this lawsuit. Thomas, first of all, thank you for coming on the sew. Thank you so much for having me reverend sharpton. The suit alleges modern debtors prison in ferguson and jennings. Explain whats going on here. Well, its very much what you just described. People are jailed by the cities of jennings and ferguson because of unpaid debt. They are held there. Theyre not appointing an attorney. Theyre told that if they come up with a certain amount of money, they can leave that day. If they dont have that money, theyre threatened with indefinite detention in the jail. These folks are not brought before a judge in the time required under law. They are told on a daily basis that if they only had 1,000
this day, 500 the next day, in sort of an arbitrary way, what they call a bobdnd is rediceuced from daytoday. They have the money, they cabn get out and if they dont the conditions in the jail are deplorable. I want to ask you about that. Thats one of the things that caught my attention. In the law, you describe the conditions. People were denied toothbrushes. Forced to share a single unclean toilet. Enduring untreated infections in open wounds. Given insufficient food and water leading to weight loss and dehydration. Surrounded by walls smeared with mucus and blood. I mean all for allegations related to a traffic ticket thomas . Thats right. And to be more to be more poignant about it its because theyre poor people. If hay had the money, if you or i had a traffic ticket wed never spend a day in that jail. If youre poor and cant afford
the bond cant afford the money, the fines, the unpaid debt, then you stay in jail. And the conditions are awful. Our clients describe things that are horrific in nature. And theyre taunted by they allege theyre being taunted by the jailers and that theyre told they could leave if they have the money. Wow. But instead let me let one of the missouri residents that talked about the cycle of tickets and fines, and hes not included in the lawsuit, but he discussed it. Listen to this. Sure. I do get locked up and i go to court, they want you to pay a certain fine that i cannot afford to pay. I got a family. And because i cant pay that fine, im forced to be locked back up. And when i dont, go back to court, theres another 100 added so theres no way i can get out of it. They want their money. They want their money, and its simple as that. Doesnt that eat away at the trust in the criminal Justice System . When people feel theyre caught
in a web and they just continue to be dealing with fines and fees increasing every step they take, thomas . Absolutely. I think that you know we make a claim that people were on the streets after the killing of mike brown because of traffic tickets. Frankly, this is one of the factors that led to the erosion of trust between the community and its government. And this is a type of thing where people have been suffering this lowlevel harassment theyre entire lives. Some of our plaintiffs in this lawsuit have been jailed 19 and 20 times in their lifetime. Wow. Theyre so accustom to being jailed as a result of their poverty, some find it difficult to remember which jail they were in on one day. For most folks in youre ever in jail, you know exactly that day. But its such a its such a portion of the culture in st. Louis county to jail poor and black people because of their poverty. Many of our clients dont even remember which days. We have the Court Docume