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CAP Action War Room

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77

The Latest GOP Temper Tantrum

Today President Obama gave a major speech laying out a vision for growing the economy from the middle class out. (Watch this space for more on that tomorrow).

The president also used the speech to call out Republicans for having harmful plans or no plan at all when it comes to strengthening the middle class. In particular, the president chided Republicans for the millions of dollars and weeks of time they’ve wasted on dead-end Obamacare repeal votes while failing to lay out a positive economic agenda for the middle class:

Even if you think I’ve done everything wrong, the trends I just talked about were happening well before I took office. So it’s not enough for you just to oppose me. You got to be for something. What are your ideas? If you’re willing to work with me to strengthen American manufacturing and rebuild this country’s infrastructure, let’s go. If you’ve got better ideas to bring down the cost of college for working families, let’s hear them. If you think you have a better plan for making sure that every American has the security of quality, affordable health care, then stop taking meaningless repeal votes, and share your concrete ideas with the country.

Repealing Obamacare and cutting spending is not an economic plan. It’s not.

Unfortunately, 15 Republican senators are not just in favor of pointless Obamacare repeal votes, now they’re even threatening to shut down the government in order to prevent millions of Americans from gaining access to quality, affordable health care.

Meet the Senate GOP’s shutdown caucus:

BOTTOM LINE: Instead of looking for new ways to sabotage the economy and deny health care benefits to millions of Americans, it’s time for Republicans who disagree with the president to lay out their own agenda for strengthening the middle class. Progressives have a plan to grow the economy from the middle class out, it’s time for Republicans to propose something other than the failed trickle-down policies of the past.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

Conservatives gear up to keep top women’s rights advocate off key federal court.

Congresswoman says college affordability “is not the role of Congress.”

You won’t believe how much the melting Arctic will cost.

Bill O’Reilly blames civil rights leaders and “black culture” for crime.

This misplaced priorities of cable news.

Congressman doubles down on claim that undocumented youth are drug mules.

Five reasons to raise the minimum wage right now.

Pro-oil state suing oil giants for damage to wetlands.

Brazil’s shockingly high prices.

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a message from Gov. Inslee

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77

This year’s legislative session proved one important point: the Working Washington Agenda that we brought to Olympia is very different than that of the Republican controlled state Senate.

Surprised?

Well, all of the early talk about bipartisanship had me hoping we could move forward on issues that actually had bipartisan support like the DREAM Act, the Reproductive Parity Act, and fixing our transportation system.

Unfortunately, the Senate Majority Coalition was big on bipartisan rhetoric and short on action. None of these bills were ever brought to the Senate floor for a vote! Luckily we were able to prevent the state Senate from going backwards on many key funding and policy issues.

With your support we said, “no” to continued cuts to our most vulnerable citizens. And, together we said, “no” to policy that would have hurt working families and our environment.

In order to succeed, we’re going to have to face down the inertia and inaction we fought against during this past legislative session. They’re already gearing up to stop us from delivering on critical issues our state needs — like closing unnecessary tax loopholes, creating good paying jobs, and fully funding public education.

Will you contribute $5, $10, or more to help us end the Republican agenda, and make sure we are ready for what our opponents will throw at us?

I’m proud that, in spite of resistance from the Senate Republicans, we expanded Medicaid. I’m proud that we delivered an additional $1 billion in funding for our schools — a down payment required by our constitution to fully fund our children’s education. And I’m proud that we stopped our opponents from sneaking their out-of-step ideas into the budget.

Having you standing with me made that possible. But not everyone’s happy.

I will continue to fight to close unnecessary tax breaks in order to fund education for the long haul. Oil companies and Senate Republicans both know that I will continue to press on until we get it done.

Will you contribute $5, $10, or more to support us in this fight, and help us continue our Working Washington Agenda?

As you know, political campaigns do not end when you get elected. The grassroots movement we built during the campaign is essential as we work to build innovative industries that benefit all Washingtonians.

Your support today will give us the resources we need to get things done. Thank you for your tremendous support every day. Together we can accomplish hard things.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee Governor

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Four long years

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77

Four years — that’s how long it’s been since the last increase in the federal minimum wage. It’s still stuck at $7.25 per hour — and that adds up to only $14,500 for a year of full-time work. That’s thousands of dollars below the poverty line for a mother and two children.
SIGN THE PETITION! Urge your Senators and Representative to pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 (H.R. 1010/S.460).
The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 will give minimum-wage workers a much-needed raise. The bill will gradually raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and index it to inflation in order to keep up with the rising cost of living. It will also increase the minimum cash wage for tipped workers to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage — because right now the federal minimum cash wage for tipped workers is only $2.13 per hour.
Join advocates from across the country to call on Congress to pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013. Sign the petition today!
Women represent nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers and workers in tipped occupations. And they are struggling to provide for their families. Increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour will boost annual earnings by $5,700 — enough to pull a family of three out of poverty. Raising the minimum wage will help close the gender wage gap, and would be especially helpful to women of color, who are disproportionately represented among female minimum-wage workers.
Don’t let next year be the fifth anniversary of NO increase in the minimum wage. Sign the petition today.
Thank you for all you do for women and their families.
Sincerely,

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

P.S. Did you know that 60% of the jobs gained by women in the economic recovery are low-wage? Check out our Facebook graphic to learn more and spread the knowledge

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ThinkProgress

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77



IT’S NOT JUST THE ROYALS: IN THE U.S., YOUR PARENTS’ WEALTH DETERMINES YOUR OWN


THE WORST VOTER SUPPRESSION BILL IN THE U.S.					OUTRAGEOUSLY RACIST COLUMN

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Slave labor linked to palm oil

07/25/2013 Nativegrl77

Tell Cargill CEO Gregory Page you’re outraged his company is importing palm oil made with child and slave labor

Businessweek has released a groundbreaking article connecting Indonesia‘s palm oil industry to widespread cases of forced and child labor. The stories are truly terrifying, including workers, many of whom are children, being defrauded, abused, and held captive on palm plantations. All to grow a plant and extract its oil for use in junk food, lipsticks and other household items in our supermarkets.
As the Businessweek piece put it: “…[B]ecause palm oil companies face little pressure from consumers to change, they continue to rely on largely unregulated contractors, who often use unscrupulous practices.” The power is ours to change this story. TODAY. It’s time to tell Cargill, the leading supplier of palm oil in the country, that we will not stand for child and slave labor in our food.
The Businessweek piece was instigated by a nine-month investigation of the palm oil industry by the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. The investigation focused on one of the world’s most significant palm oil suppliers, Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK), a major Cargill supplier. KLK workers—men, women and children—were lured thousand of miles away from their homes with promises of good work. What they found was that they wouldn’t be paid for two years, but only loaned up to $16 a month for health care and company-owned food. Many workers were locked into “stifling, windowless barracks” at night, and their national identity cards and school certificates were confiscated to prevent them from escaping.
So what did Cargill have to say about the practices of its corporate partner KLK? According to Businessweek: “Cargill defended its supplier. ‘At this time, KLK is not in violation of any labor laws where they operate nor are we aware of any investigation of KLK’s labor practices,’ says Cargill spokeswoman Susan Eich in an e-mail.”
This makes me furious. Let’s make sure Cargill doesn’t get away with using a PR flack to dodge its huge role in subjecting laborers and children to horrifying working conditions.
Please take the time today to tell Cargill to get conflict palm oil and slave and child labor out of our food.
Let’s face it, news breaks every day and then disappears into the background. In fact, companies like Cargill count on it. But we’ve all seen stories that break through and facilitate epic changes. The internet really does make it possible for our communities to amplify the news we care about—news that would otherwise go unseen. Today we have the opportunity to make sure palm oil plantation workers are not alone.
In too many ways, Cargill is right at the center of palm oil’s controversial web. Cargill must adopt comprehensive safeguards to prevent palm oil connected to slave and child labor, human rights abuses and rainforest destruction from tainting the world’s food supply.
Please tell Cargill today that you demand the company have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to slave and child labor.
You’ve told us that together we need to do everything in our power to get conflict palm oil off our grocery store shelves. This article needs to become our ammunition for educating our communities and going after the companies most responsible. When you’re done writing to Cargill today please take the time to encourage your friends to do the same. Let’s not let this issue fade from the front page.