~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Urge Obama to protect our health

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77

Unchecked global warming could threaten public health and increase health costs by exacerbating ground-level ozone—the primary component of smog. Fortunately, this fall the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will announce proposed standards to curb global warming emissions from our nation’s dirtiest power plants and later this year will issue similar standards for oil refineries. These standards will help protect the public’s health and our environment from the dangerous consequences of global warming.

However, the Obama administration is under enormous pressure from the coal and oil industries to release weak standards that will do little to nothing to protect our health and environment.

The administration needs to hear from you that the oil and coal lobbyists don’t represent your interests and that you want clear air policies that are based on science—not on the disinformation of corporate lobbyists.

We know the vast majority of the public stands with us on this issue. But sometimes agreeing from the sidelines is not enough. This is a fight worth joining—a chance to step up and really make a difference.

Tell President Obama to protect the health of the American people by ensuring strong Clean Air Act standards reduce global warming emissions.

Take Action Today! 202 456 1111

Sincerely,

Chrissy Elles
Outreach Associate
UCS Climate and Energy Program

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

At Risk for Social INsecurity

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77






	Women and families depend on Social Security. Don’t let Congress cut this critical program.

You know that the budget talks in Washington are heating up. But you may not have heard that Social Security cuts are on the table.

That’s because they’re not talking openly about cutting Social Security. Instead, they’re saying that they are making a technical change in the way the cost-of-living adjustment is calculated for federal programs like Social Security.

But this is a stealth benefit cut that would mean insecurity for all Social Security recipients, especially women. And, because the cut would grow deeper the longer you receive benefits, it would especially hurt women, who live longer than men, rely more on income from Social Security, and are already more likely to be poor.

Women can’t afford cuts to Social Security benefits because:

The average Social Security benefit for women 65 and older is just $12,000 per year.
Without Social Security, half of women 65 and older would be poor.
This cut would especially hurt the oldest and poorest beneficiaries, who are overwhelmingly women.

Women and their families shouldn’t bear the brunt of deficit reduction—and time is running out. Tell your Members of Congress and the Administration that Social Security and programs vital to low-income families must be protected – and millionaires and corporations must contribute to any deficit reduction plan. Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™ in the budget debate.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Want to know more about this stealth Social Security benefit cut? Check out our blog.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Video: Prioritizing federal spending (via Anderson Cooper 360)

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77

Editor’s note: CNN’s John King takes a close look at two scenarios for prioritizing federal dollars if the debt ceiling isn’t raised. Related: McConnell, Reid tweaking debt limit fallback plan to boost its chances … Read More

via Anderson Cooper 360

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Rape is rape … Shelby Knox, Change.org

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77

In a recent speech at the University of New Hampshire, Vice President Joe Biden recounted the story of a college freshman he called Jenny.

Jenny was raped after a party on campus. She tried to pursue a case against her rapist only to be asked if she had been drinking, what she was wearing, and whether she was dancing. The university never took action against her assailant.

As Biden said, “Rape is rape is rape.”

Yet each year the FBI omits hundreds of thousands of rapes from its Uniform Crime Report (UCR) because it’s using an 80-year-old definition of rape.

The FBI’s outdated definition of rape is limited to “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.”

Sign the petition to tell the FBI to update their definition to include all forms of rape.

The FBI’s flawed definition of rape excludes any form of sexual assault that falls outside of the narrowest understanding of heterosexual sex, including the rape of men and boys as well as transgender people.

The emphasis on “forcible” rape also means that the rape or assault of women with physical or mental disabilities and those who were unconscious or under the influence of drugs and alcohol – like Jenny — are often excluded.

The FBI’s 2007 Uniform Crime Report listed 91,874 “forcible rapes,” but some estimates suggest the actual number may be 24 times higher.

The FBI’s underreporting of rapes translates to less federal funding for police departments nationwide to test rape kits — and fewer investigators bringing rapists to justice.

Sign here to tell the FBI to update its definition of rape to address and end sexual assault:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-fbi-rape-is-rape

Thanks for taking action,

– Shelby and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Democrat Sandy Pasch has pulled ahead of Republican Alberta Darling in Wisconsin State Senate District 8

07/19/2011 Nativegrl77

Democrat Sandy Pasch has pulled ahead of Republican Alberta Darling in Wisconsin State Senate District 8, closing a nine-point gap since entering the race, according to a new poll released Friday.

This is huge news — District 8 is one of the toughest districts for Democrats in the WI recall elections.

But we can’t stop now. Democrats need a win here to take back the State Senate and Pasch is up just 47-46 according to the Mellman Group poll with only three weeks left before the August 9 recall. Can you join thousands of DFA and PCCC volunteers across the country and make calls to Wisconsin voters this Thursday?

Yes! I can make calls to Wisconsin voters this Thursday! http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/919?akid=1087.1480546.uTXgrd&t=1

Yes! I can make calls to Wisconsin voters this weekend! http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/919?akid=1087.1480546.uTXgrd&t=2

Sorry, I can’t make calls, but I’ll contribute $5 to fuel the call campaign. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/920?akid=1087.1480546.uTXgrd&t=3

These calls are important. Republicans have big corporate interests propping them up, ready to spend millions of dollars on sleazy attack ads. But talking directly to voters on the phone cuts through the corporate spin by putting real people in touch with voters.

These calls are also easy to make. Sign up today and a DFA staff member will be in touch with you to see if you have any questions about the calls. There’s also a quick conference call before your shift starts to give you an update on the campaign, so you have plenty of chances to ask any questions you might have.

So, can you join us and help Call Out The Vote?

Yes! I can make calls to Wisconsin voters! http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/919?akid=1087.1480546.uTXgrd&t=4

Sorry, I can’t make calls, but I’ll contribute $5 to fuel the call campaign. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/920?akid=1087.1480546.uTXgrd&t=5

We’re going to win these recalls with people power like this. Please join us today.

Thanks for all that you do.

– Michael

Michael Langenmayr, Deputy Political Director

Democracy for America