Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ALEC legislators in the state of Washington

Posted on April 8, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | By Dora

Naming and Shaming

I was reading this article, Don’t Just Pressure ALEC’s Corporate Sponsors, Name and Shame ALEC Legislators in the Nation and decided that it absolutely makes sense. Here is what John Nichols had to say:

What’s happening with ALEC is good. But not good enough.

Pressured by a coalition of civil rights, clean government and religious groups to quit their memberships in the American Legislative Exchange Council, multinational corporations are indeed exiting ALEC. Now, it’s time to demand that the 2,000 legislators who have joined ALEC do the same.

Coca-Cola quit ALEC Wednesday. PepsiCo revealed the same day that it had quietly decided to let its membership lapse. Intuit Inc. confirmed that it is exiting ALEC. And Kraft Foods has announced that: “Our membership in ALEC expires this spring and for a number of reasons, including limited resources, we have made the decision not to renew.”

Translation: Kraft — like other corporations that produce consumer products and, thus, must appeal to the great mass of Americans — no longer wants to be associated with a shadowy group that links corporations and legislators in order to advance extreme (and extremely unpopular) agendas.

Nichols continues:

…But just as the challenges to the corporate sponsors of ALEC are essential, so too are challenges to the legislators who maintain membership in the groups.These legislators are not thinking for themselves. They are taking their cues from an inside-the-beltway, corporate-sponsored group that effectively demands that they dismiss the will of their constituents in favor of the demands of those corporations. It’s a dangerous calculus for democracy. And it is time to start asking legislators why they are answering to multinational corporations rather than hometown voters.

The Maine’s Majority movement has asked legislators in that state to give up their American Legislative Exchange Council memberships, “Given what we now know about ALEC and its detrimental effect on Maine’s public policy, there’s no excuse for Maine legislators to continue their involvement in the organization,” says Maine’s Majority executive director Chris Korzen. “The fact that Coke, Pepsi and Kraft have left ALEC speaks volumes to how toxic the group has become. It’s time for Maine’s ALEC members to follow suit.”

Maine Majority is naming and shaming Maine legislators who are allied with ALEC — identifying “known ALEC members” and urging them to “terminate their ALEC memberships.”

To follow is the list of State Representatives who, according to ALEC Exposed, are members of ALEC.

First verify that they are members of ALEC and if they are, ask them to severe all ties with that organization.

First up, Representative Jan Angel, 26th District, Port Orchard, Republican

Committees: Education, Transportation, Rules and Local Government.

Representative Matt Shea, 4th District, Spokane Valley, Republican

Committees: Labor & Workforce Development, Judiciary,Transportation and Leadership

Representative Troy Kelley, 28th District, Fircrest, University Place, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Tillicum, Dupont and West Tacoma, Democrat

Committees: Joint Legislative Audit and Review, Business and Financial Services, Health Care and Wellness, Rules, Technology, Energy and Communications

Representative Charles R. Ross, 14th District, parts of Yakima County, Republican

Committees: Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member

Representative Barbara Bailey , 10th District, Island County and portions of Skagit and Snohomish counties, including the cities of La Conner, Oak Harbor, and Stanwood, Republican

Committees: Health and Human Services Task Force Member

Representative Joe Schmick, 9th District, Colfax, Republican

Committees: Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member

Representative Kevin W. Van De Wege, 24th District, Sequim, Democrat

Committee: Education Task Force Member

Representative Kevin Parker, 6th District, Spokane, Republican

Education Task Force Member

Representative Mike Armstrong, 12th District, Chelan and Wenatchee, Republican

Committees: Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force and Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member

Representative Bill Hinkle, 13th District, Cle Elum, Republican

Committees: Health Care and Wellness, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ways and Means

Tomorrow the State Senate.

Dora

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Fundraising … 2012 Gap

04/22/2012 Nativegrl77

DSCC Has Record Breaking Quarter Thanks to Strong Grassroots Support

The first three months of 2012 showed the incredible enthusiasm of Democratic supporters. The DSCC set a first quarter fundraising record by raising almost 20% more than our Republican counterparts.

You played a big role in our success; 97% of the gifts came from grassroots donors.

Thank you for your continuing support!

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Top Action

Critical Vote on Protecting Women Just Days Away

In what is just the latest in a series of Republican attacks on women, Senate Republicans are trying to eliminate the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

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Twice before, VAWA was reauthorized with widespread, bipartisan support from both houses of Congress. But now, Republicans have grown so radical they won’t even commit to protecting women from violence.

Join Democrats and demand Senate Republicans stop trying to eliminate VAWA!

Add your name »

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Enthusiasm Gap Felt in Senate Races Around the Country

The enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans is stretching to Senate races as well. According to Politico, “In the dozen most competitive contests across the country, Democrats once again collected more cash during the first three months of the year than Republicans, who are expected to wage an aggressive battle for the Senate majority.”

Among the strongest performers this quarter were Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, Debbie Stabenow, and Claire McCaskill.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Forty-Nine Years and 77 Cents … Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center

04/20/2012 Nativegrl77

Here’s a “fun” fact for you: 49 years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women working full-time are paid just 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. And the wage gap is far worse for women of color.

Earlier this week, we asked you to urge President Obama to ban federal contractors from retaliating against employees who talk about their wages. But that’s only one front in women’s struggle to achieve equal pay for equal work. Will you help?

Please donate $10 today to support the Center’s work on Paycheck Fairness and other issues important to women and their families.

With millions of Americans still unemployed or underemployed, the wage gap isn’t a question of equity alone: closing it is an economic necessity. The Center is pushing hard to revive the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill stalled by a determined minority of opponents in the last Congress. Among many other economic issues, we’re also fighting for increases in the minimum wage and for funding for the child care support so vital for women with children who work outside the home.

Please donate $10 today to support the Center’s work to eliminate the wage gap and push for other policies critical to women and their families.

Without you and the other members of our activist community, we wouldn’t be able to advocate as effectively as we do. Can you take an extra step today? Please donate $10 to support the Center’s work. Thank you for all the help you give.

Sincerely

Fatima Goss Graves Vice President for Education and Employment National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Please donate today — Your support will make a difference.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

speaking of truth to power … 6

04/19/2012 Nativegrl77

What a week — Rick Santorum dropped out of the race, Mitt Romney continued to attack women’s rights, and the Republican National Committee dropped an ad we absolutely have to debunk. On top of all that, Thursday marked the six-year anniversary of Mitt Romney’s health reform in Massachusetts — one of the models for Obamacare — but you won’t hear him taking any credit for it.

Check it out all in this week’s tips:
#1 Video: Mitt Romney — Memories to last a lifetime With Rick Santorum leaving the GOP primary on Tuesday, it’s almost certain that Mitt Romney will be the nominee. To commemorate the GOP primary, and remind people of the extreme positions Romney’s taken over the course of it, we put together a short videolaying out some of his most “severely conservative” moments. Check them out, then share them with anyone who still thinks he’s a moderate:

#2 Keeping his word: 5 ways our president supports economic opportunities for women Governor Romney spent a good deal of this week attacking President Obama’s economic record among women. President Obama has said, “Every decision I make is all about making sure … all our daughters and all our sons grow up in a country that gives them the chance to be anything they set their minds to.” That includes supporting economic policies that help women, like extending the payroll tax cut — which helps 75 million women — or granting more than 16,000 business loans to small businesses owned by women. Check out the top five waysour President has kept his word to women, then pass them on:

#3 Fair Pay Act for women: Romney’s campaign not sure he would’ve signed if president The morning after Rick Santorum left the race, the Romney campaign was asked whether Romney supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which helps to ensure women can get equal pay for equal work. Their answer (which should’ve been a no brainer): “We’ll get back to you on that.” This is a basic step to stop pay discrimination in the workplace, the first bill President Obama signed into law in office — and Romney’s campaign isn’t sure if their candidate would’ve signed it. We put together a short video, featuring Lilly Ledbetter, on why equal pay is “not Republican and it’s not Democrat. It’s civil rights.” Watch it, and share it with folks who should see it, too:

#4 The six-year anniversary of Romneycare (Where’s the celebration?) Exactly six years ago yesterday, Mitt Romney signed Massachusetts health reform, or Romneycare, into law. At the time he called it a model for the nation. Six years later, and you don’t hear him celebrating it. Why? Because this godfather of Obamacare is promising to repeal national health reform on Day One in office. So much for a model for the nation. We put together a videoexplaining it — check it out, pass it on, and make sure people know he’s trying to take away the very protections he once fought for:

#5 Debunk this new RNC ad The Republican National Committee is out with a new ad smearing President Obama’s record, saying he hasn’t kept any of his promises from four years ago. You and I both know that’s a lie, so we put together a charge-by-charge rebuttal of the ad, laying out exactly what our president has done. Check it out, and make sure none of the RNC’s lies stick:

#6 Fact check the Koch Brothers on Obamacare The George Mason University Mercatus Center released a report this week claiming Obamacare will actually add to the deficit, to the tune of $340 billion. But don’t for a minute believe that they don’t have an agenda — this center is primarily funded by the Koch brothers, and was founded by their chief lobbyist. A quick look at studiesfrom actual non-partisan sources, like the Congressional Budget Office, back up what the President has said about Obamacare all along — it will actually cut the deficit by $127 billion. Make sure their report doesn’t pick up any steam — share the truth:

Thanks,
Stephanie
P.S. — Now that Mitt Romney is almost surely our opponent, the race is on. We created this Facebook graphic for folks to say they’ve got our president’s back. Share it on your wall here:

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

President Obama Speaks on Skills for American Workers

04/19/2012 Nativegrl77

Apr 18, 2012 by whitehouse

President Obama visits Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio to highlight how federal job training funding is providing critical services for unemployed workers and helping them to get jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries. April 18, 2012.