All posts by Nativegrl77

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Four seats …


As Assistant Majority Leader, it’s my job to make sure Senate Democrats have the votes to stop extremist legislation. Things are about to get really busy around here.

Last week, House Republicans voted to defund health reform, eliminate money for reproductive care, slash nutrition for poor women and children and gut resources that keep our air and water clean. This is not cutting fat. These are bones – programs that keep our middle class standing.

Thanks to our Senate majority, we can stop their radical agenda. But with 23 seats up in 2012, compared with 10 for Republicans, we have a fight ahead. A net loss of four seats, and we lose our firewall.

Midnight Monday marks a crucial FEC deadline: All eyes will be on the DSCC’s fundraising numbers. $50,000 will help show that we can defend our Democratic firewall. Your donation now reflects our biggest strength – more than 90 percent of the DSCC’s donations come from grassroots supporters.

https://dscc.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=LtD0ucxYXUsTZo83DE0dVsWzXiojELdK

Republicans won the House by promising to focus like lasers on creating jobs. They have yet to put forward any job-creation plans – or explain how taking away health care, attacking women’s rights and targeting middle class families achieve this goal.

As long as we have our Senate firewall, Democrats can stop their radical legislation. But the GOP and its special interest friends are already on the attack. After the Citizens United decision, corporations are free to spend whatever they like in support of their preferred candidates. And attacks on working men and women by Republican governors weaken the Democratic base. Wisconsin is only the most recent example.

That makes what you do this minute all the more important. 90 percent of the DSCC’s donations come from grassroots donors who give $200 or less. Every dollar you give helps strengthen Democrats – and fight Republican extremists. Please act now to protect our Senate firewall.

https://dscc.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=knxj2CeogB6sqz0ofmX1hgDqzE%2Fg8y7W

From my seat in the Senate, I’m doing everything I can to stop the radical Republican agenda. But I can’t do it alone. What you do now matters. Help defend the firewall. Our future – our nation’s future – depends on it.

Sincerely,

Sen. Dick Durbin

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Outpouring of Solidarity


When Matthew Wisniewski created an incredible video about what’s been taking place in Wisconsin over the past few days, he said, “Please pass on this video if you like it. It needs more publicity. People need to see why we’re protesting.”

I’m not sure having the AFL-CIO send this video out to our entire e-mail list is quite what Matthew had in mind—but our staff loved this video, and we think you will, too. Matthew’s video shows the unbelievable people-powered energy behind what’s happening in Wisconsin.

Watch the amazing video—it’s a few minutes, but worth every second. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=zzLsGTalIJAHgZIJ0CJGz%2BypG9g0yk3F

Then, sign our statement of solidarity.

Crowds in Wisconsin have swelled to more than 70,000, with more expected today. What the protesters are doing in Wisconsin is working.

Workers who are under attack—and the communities that know and respect them—have created such a powerful show of solidarity that all 14 Democratic members of the Wisconsin state Senate left the Senate chambers in protest, indefinitely delaying a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-worker bill. And Republicans are starting to waver.

This is the kind of strength it takes to win. We need to make our voices heard whenever and wherever attacks occur, in Wisconsin and in our own states.

Watch the amazing video.

Then, sign our statement of solidarity.

The electricity and energy and solidarity we’re seeing with Wisconsin workers is truly unprecedented. But it is only the beginning. Now, as one supporter said to us on Twitter, “We must keep the momentum going & growing. Now is the time & we cannot give in or up.” That’s true in Wisconsin, and it’s just as true in all our communities.

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann

Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO

P.S. Here are more things you can do to show your support:

Join our “We Are One” Facebook page to discuss what’s happening and write messages of solidarity.

Join the conversation on Twitter: Start by signing our act.ly petition. Then, use the hashtags #StateSOS for all states facing attacks on workers, and #WIunion #SolidarityWI and #NotMyWI for Wisconsin.   http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DH6N7kW%2FzQWbH67I9zwU0%2BypG9g0yk3F

Visit the AFL-CIONow Blog for constant updates and things you can do.   http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=9pXEIUPlY%2FhCl7Q2IsDKJ%2BypG9g0yk3F

Share Matthew’s video with your friends on Facebook.  http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=PpSW2%2B%2B0QCKCdPqwImYEwOypG9g0yk3F

Watch Part 2 of Matthew’s video—also amazing. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=sExlw6nH2jxY%2F5qBK%2BZ1LeypG9g0yk3F  

Sign up for our text messaging program. Pull out your cell phone and text UNITE to AFLCIO (235246). Message and data rates may apply.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Washington Post cover-up


 Tell the Washington Post Company to stop defrauding low-income students.

Here’s how the Washington Post Company makes billions of dollars:

Veterans, single moms, and working parents are lured in by admissions counselors at Kaplan University Online (a for-profit college owned by the Post). Students use federal loans to sign up for classes that can be 14 times more expensive than a comparable community college class.

It’s basically a scam. Sixty-nine percent of students drop out. A third of students default on their loans, meaning taxpayers are stuck with the bill and the students have their credit destroyed — while Kaplan keeps all the money.

Shannon Croteau, for example, was 11 classes away from a degree from Kaplan when she learned she was out of financial aid, $30,000 in debt, and that the degree she was working toward would be worthless in her state of New Hampshire.

She was billed for loans she never signed up for, enrolled in classes she didn’t choose and, when she complained, was given the runaround by a succession of fake “loan officers.” “They lied and cheated,” Shannon told Change.org. “It has ruined me.”

Shannon has started a petition on Change.org, demanding that the Washington Post Company change its practices or shut down Kaplan Online. More than 10,000 of us have already joined her. Click here to add your name.   www.change.org

A Kaplan University training manual uncovered by Senator Tom Harkin told employees: “If you can help them uncover their true pain and fear…You dramatically increase your chances of enrolling this prospective student.” A separate presentation to employees declared that single African-American mothers raising two children were the most profitable, because they were the most likely to drop out.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office even found last year that Kaplan and other for-profit schools “encouraged fraud and engaged in deceptive and questionable marketing practices.”

Instead of investigating these practices, the Post has instead tried to cover it up, personally attacking Shannon — even publicly disclosing her personal financial information in an effort to discredit her.

Shannon isn’t backing down — she’s widened her campaign to target the entire Washington Post board, which includes billionaire Warren Buffett; Columbia University President Lee Bollinger; and former General Motors CEO G. Richard Wagoner.

With a surge of attention, we can pressure the Washington Post Company to get out of the business of preying on people’s dreams of better educations and better careers.

Please take action today to tell the Washington Post Company to stop the predatory practices or shut down Kaplan University: www.change.org

Thanks for taking action,

Judith and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Wisconsin Democrats


Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker got prank called this week by someone pretending to be a billionaire Republican.

Walker revealed that Wisconsin “is ground zero” in the fight against “the public-sector unions.” He also said, “sooner or later there will be pressure on these [Democratic] senators to come back.”

http://act.boldprogressives.org/go/3131?search_zip=98115&akid=3420.394306.LxRW8j&t=3

Well, Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller joined thousands of PCCC members on a call yesterday and vowed that he and other Democratic senators will “never stop fighting.”

http://act.boldprogressives.org/go/3135?akid=3420.394306.LxRW8j&t=4

Click here to watch a video summary of the call and donate $14 to these bold leaders — one dollar for every Wisconsin Senate Democratic hero.

We were also joined by the leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) — and a young progressive Wisconsin senator named Chris Larson who said, “We’re standing firm.”

Rep. Ellison called the senators “heroes.” And Rep. Grijalva declared, “If we win this battle for middle-class workers in Wisconsin, we will win everywhere else.”

Click here to watch bold WI Democrats take a stand — and chip in to get their back http://act.boldprogressives.org/go/3135?akid=3420.394306.LxRW8j&t=1

These bold words made news in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Politico, Talking Points Memo, many local newspapers, and more.

But Governor Walker will be ramping up the pressure on these senators.

Click here to watch the video — and join thousands of others in chipping in $3 to tell these senators we support them as they stand firm.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWe3PlzAV4A

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

Stephanie Taylor, Jason Rosenbaum, Adam Green, and the PCCC team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Who stands up for science? UCS does. Will you join us?


Right now we’re witnessing an all-out war on science, the environment, and human health.

“I think that the science is inconclusive on this. I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do.”

—Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI), new vice chair of the House Science Committee

A number of irresponsible corporations are spending millions to deceive the public about climate change science. Media personalities are spreading false information and discrediting scientists. And many elected officials are not only blocking efforts to address America’s energy and climate crises—they’re also threatening to roll back many of the hard-fought human health and environmental protections we’ve won in the last few years!

“I think that the science is inconclusive on this. I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do.”

—Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI), new vice chair of the House Science Committee

You can help UCS expose and challenge attacks like this on science—become a member today.

Become a member of UCS today and join us in exposing and challenging these attacks on science and effective, life-saving public policies.

Politicians and media pundits who claim “global warming is a hoax”, that it’s just “sunspot activity,” or who accuse climate scientists of being “political hacks and leftists” can’t change the scientific evidence. The climate is changing and if we don’t take action there will be devastating consequences for our health, economy, and environment.

We must act now to stand up to vocal global warming deniers and advance science-based solutions that can rein in climate change. Please become a member of UCS today.

With your membership gift, UCS will work to:

Expose and challenge attacks on climate science and scientists;

Advocate for strong, science-based state and regional climate programs that can reduce heat-trapping emissions at the local level;

Push state utility commissions to shut down the oldest and dirtiest coal power plants; and

Continue to press the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce global warming emissions from cars, trucks, power plants, and other large industrial polluters.

Our opponents are well coordinated, well funded, and have a singular goal of protecting their own interests. If you’ve ever considered taking your support of our critical work to the next level—now is the time to do it. Please become a member of UCS today.

We may not have the deep pockets of the oil and coal industries and electric utilities who oppose progress on global warming and clean energy—but we do have scientific facts and dedicated supporters like you. I hope you’ll join us as a member today to ensure we can continue to challenge attacks on science and work for a healthy environment and a safer world.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. We are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, have received four stars from Charity Navigator, and earned an ‘A’ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.