About DemocracyByZipCode (.com)
This site is dedicated to consumer rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Donald Trump stands for none of those things.
When Trump was president, he appointed the head lobbyist for the payday lending industry to run the Consumer Finance Protection Board (CFPB), which is supposed to protect consumers from predatory lending practices, among other things. He doesn't give a damn about consumer rights. He's on the side of predatory capitalism and screwing people out of money for private gain.
He appointed Betsy DeVos (who made a fortune from creating for-profit private colleges and schools) in charge of the Department of Education and Student Loans Repayment. Under her leadership, borrowers defrauded by diploma mills that offered no real training were out of luck. Betsy DeVos defended private colleges that put out useless college diplomas.
Joe Biden changed everything when he took office, allowing students ripped off by crooked colleges to get their loans forgiven.
So, as a website dedicated to common sense, fair play, consumer rights, and the rule of law, LegalConsumer.com is dedicated to making sure that consumers and working people understand that:
Donald Trump is NOT a friend of consumers or a defender of consumer rights or working people. He is NOT looking out for your interests regarding consumer laws and consumer protections from predatory business practices.
And as a lawyer, I know that Trump is not a victim of any rigged legal system. The charges brought against Trump are appropriate and reasonable.
A unanimous jury found him guilty of sexual assault and of defaming his victim.
He did it. He is guilty.
The system works. It's not rigged.
If you support or enable Trump/Putin, you support a con man and a traitor who is no friend of consumers or consumer rights.
April 3, 2024
America is at a crossroads.
Trump has taken over the Republican Party and is now bleeding it of money.
And Putin is in charge of Trump, and Trump is forcing Republicans to block funding for Ukraine. Meanwhile, prominent Republican politicians are repeating Russian disinformation talking points about Ukraine.
Ronald Reagan would be turning over in his grave.
Trump is trying every day to undermine the rule of law because he is a serial grifter who is facing mounting legal problems and is feeling cornered. The legal system is not "rigged" against him. If anything, it has offered him far too much leeway. He should be in jail. He is a pathetic joke who spent over $100 million in legal fees last year!
As a pro-consumer lawyer, a "real American," and a "true patriot," I've dedicated this part of the website to ensuring this anti-consumer, wanna-be-dictator, Putin-acolyte never takes power in this country.
January 25, 2024
And here we are. Voldemort is not dead. He is very much alive.
And this year is shaping up to be historic, one way or another.
A year from now, we will know how it all shook out.
But from this end, 2024 looks like one of promise and peril for democracy and its institutions that are under attack by a narcissistic egomaniac who lusts for absolute power and a dazed and confused band of followers who love his brand of "angertainment" full of rage, and lies and resentment for "others" who don't follow their beliefs.
These people are hungry to gain power and impose their twisted, perverted brand of white nationalist Christianity on all of us and subjugate women to the will of a government that demands to control women's bodies. (One can only wonder how they would feel if their daughters were raped and forced to carry their rapist's babies, as more than 66,000 women have so far been forced to do so far since these perverted laws have banned women from getting needed medical care in places like Texas. )
And importantly, for users of this website, many oppose consumer protection laws that help keep ordinary consumers from being ripped off by banks and credit card companies.
So we are dedicating this year, 2024, to ensuring that users of this website have the best tools available to know how their representatives stand on important issues like fiscal policy (tax and spending priorities, who wins, who loses), consumer protection, individual rights, and access to affordable medical care.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, we will find and link to the best resources that help you track this information locally so that you can know how those representing you have acted on issues you care about.
November 10, 2022
Whew! The silent majority showed up and voted, especially young people. Voters rejected those who want to trash democracy. Perhaps the Trump brand of democracy bashing will finally end, and we will go back to fighting just the traditional bugaboos of gerrymandering and misinformation.
October 24, 2022
As we head into the 2022 midterm elections, democracy has never been more under threat.
One of the two major parties is run by a man who has made it clear he will refuse to accept any election results that do not declare him the winner.
Millions of Americans have fallen under the spell of this con man and supporting candidates who refuse to accept election results if they do not win.
it is up to real Americans who have not fallen under the propaganda of outlets like Fox News to turn out and vote in record numbers. Because the stakes have never been higher.
Because LegalConsumer.com promotes consumer rights, we are dedicated to removing from office politicians that show open contempt for consumer rights and workers rights.
Republicans want to eliminate the Consumer Finance Protection Board, which was created to keep consumers safe from the practices of predatory lenders and excessive bank fees. When Donald Trump was president, his choice to run the CFPB was a lobbyist for the payday lending industry!
Republicans are also enemies of personal freedom. Republican legislatures across the nation are itching to enact religious conformity laws that require all Americans to adhere the religious views of conservative white evangelicals, when it cones to birth control and reproductive rights.
America does not have an official religion, nor should it. That is not proper the role of the government. Republicans — who think that conservative white evangelical so-called "Christianity" is the only true religion — must be defeated.
It is critical that informed consumers hold their elected officials accountable.
So we make no apologies for our hope that Republican candidates are defeated at every opportunity, because LegalConsumer.com is here to support working people who earn their money from hard work — not lazy rich investors who make money by ripping off consumers and screwing workers, and stoke fear and confusion through propaganda outlets like Fox News.
January 20, 2020.
This website was started four years ago, on the day Donald Trump took office.
I recognized him as a threat to democracy from the moment i heard him speak. I launched this site to fight his attack on democracy.
Four years later I am in tears and proud say "Democracy Won!!!"
I'm proud to be an American today to see that democracy has prevailed, and we can consign the name and lies of the 45 POTUS to the dustbin of history. The lastest polls show that more that 2/3 of the public support the new President.
It is time to move forward with the task of making this nation great, and inclusive, and fair, and just.
Moreover it's time for us to seize the opportunity to tap into the great talent that this nation has to offer, if we just get the crushing weight of economic hardship off of the hardworking consumers who go to work every day and truly make this nation great.
I hope you can use this site to make your elected officials accountable to you and the issues you care about.
Use this site to:
Vote!
To start, for heaven sake, make sure your voter registration is up to date.
Contact Your Elected Officials
Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to reach elected officials in your city, county and state, and in the federal government. We've gone to the trouble of linking directly to the agenda's of your county's government, in the largest counties and cities in the US.
Track What They Do
Another goal of this site is to be a web portal to groups that track legislation that you may be interested in. This site does not wish to replace the great work that other organizations have done to keep government accountable and accessible. Indeed this site is dedicated to making those websites even more accessible and well known.
Resist and defeat anti-democratic forces like gerrymandering and voter suppression
This site is also dedicated to breaking down the institutions and forces that rob us of our right to vote. Things like gerrymandering and voter suppression should be offensive to anyone who believes in the fundamental wisdom of democracy, and rule by the people, not just the powerful, entrenched interests.
.... this is a work in progress, a labor of love, for democracy
Finally, this site is very much a work in progress. We are gradually filling in data for the largest cites and counties in the country and are working to expand our body of detailed county and city information as the months go by.
Also, this site is dedicated to reform efforts that aim to increase and expand the voice of the common people, such as abolishing gerrymandering and resisting efforts to suppress voter turnout.
And yes, you can get here by typing DemocracyByZipcode.com into your browser, (but Google will penalize me if make that a live link!) -- it's easy to remember, so tell your friends!
And..