…Was nothing short of amazing.
Because of you: Women will have access to contraception in new health insurance plans — without co-pays — and attempts to defund family planning were stopped. Because of you: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other key social safety net programs were spared automatic cuts under the federal debt ceiling deal. Because of you: We helped secure nationwide protections against retaliation in the workplace, rights for pregnant and parenting students in Michigan, and educational equity for female student athletes in Oldham County, Kentucky. Throughout the year, we’ve been honored to work with you to expand the possibilities for women and their families so that, as President Obama said at the Center’s Annual Awards Dinner just weeks ago, our children can “go out into a world where there is no limit to how big they can dream and how high they can reach.” But we have little time to rest on our laurels — 2012 won’t be easy. Will you help? The coming year will see the Affordable Care Act go before the Supreme Court, where we’ll be fighting to protect the law and ensure that being a woman cannot be a preexisting condition again. With millions of Americans living in poverty and facing long-term unemployment, powerful forces in Congress will STILL lobby for tax cuts to the wealthy at the expense of jobs and programs vital to women and their families. And of course, women STILL earn on average only 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, showing the clear need for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Will you help us? Please consider a very generous contribution to the Center — your gift will be doubled by a match from the Center’s Board of Directors and Leadership 35 Committee. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you more about what we’ve done together this year and what 2012 is likely to bring. In the meantime, please help us start our 40th year stronger than ever before. Thank you again for all the help you give and all the work you do on behalf of women and families. Sincerely, |
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P.S. Remember, your gift will be matched thanks to the generosity of our Board and Leadership 35 Committee. Please help today! |
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Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture
AFL – CIO
You need to check out this website, right now. It’s a powerful reminder of the real faces behind America’s sobering unemployment statistics. It has real pictures and stories from job-hunters and impacted people from all walks of life—from your state and from every state. I hope you’ll take a minute to look at these powerful stories, share them and add your own. If Congress fails to act by Dec. 31, extended unemployment insurance will expire for millions. We never forget these are real people who face the prospect of going hungry and getting thrown out of their homes soon after the holidays if Congress fails to act. Many of us have been there before—or have friends and family who have. Even though obstructionists in Congress are willing to ignore our joblessness crisis, we refuse to let these stories get brushed under the rug. Click here to see and share the stories and faces behind America’s joblessness crisis. Then, share our website on Facebook and Twitter and forward this message to all your friends. These stories and pictures won’t just live on a website. We’ll share them with the media, hand-deliver them to Congress during our massive day of action on Dec. 8 and promote them widely on the Internet. If callous members of Congress think they can sit back and allow unemployment aid to expire while they play political games, they’re wrong. With your help we’re going to force them to see this crisis head-on—with real faces of real people who are jobless and struggling in this brutal economy. See these stories, share them and add your voice. In Solidarity, Manny Herrmann P.S. It’s not just people who are unemployed right now who have stories to tell. Millions of others do, too. Maybe you’ve been jobless in the past and relied on unemployment benefits to get through. Or you’ve seen firsthand how much unemployment hurts your community and America—and how much unemployment aid helps. Or maybe you can write a brief statement of support for the jobless or urge Congress to act—even in just one to two sentences. Together, we’re creating a visual display of the impact of unemployment that will be too powerful to ignore. See and share stories and statements in your state and across America. Then, add your own. |
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To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.
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A message from Mrs.Obama …Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.
I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.
Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an “up by the bootstraps” mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue.
Barack and I spent a lot of time in North Carolina during the campaign — from the Atlantic Coast to the Research Triangle to the Smoky Mountains and everywhere in between. Barack enjoyed Asheville so much when he spent several days preparing for the second Presidential debate that our family vacationed there in 2009.
And my very first trip outside of Washington as First Lady was to Fort Bragg, where I started my effort to do all we can to help our heroic military families.
All the contending cities were places that Barack and I have grown to know and love, so it was a hard choice. But we are thrilled to be bringing the convention to Charlotte.
We hope many of you can join us in Charlotte the week of September 3rd, 2012. But if you can’t, we intend to bring the spirit of the convention — as well as actual, related events to your community and even your own backyard.
More than anything else, we want this to be a grassroots convention for the people. We will finance this convention differently than it’s been done in the past, and we will make sure everyone feels closely tied in to what is happening in Charlotte. This will be a different convention, for a different time.
To help us make sure this is a grassroots convention — The People’s Convention — we need to hear from you. We want to know what you’d like to see at next year’s 
convention, how and where you plan on watching it — and the very best way we can engage your friends and neighbors.
How can we make The People’s Convention belong to you and your community?
http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention1?keycode=
I can’t believe it has been more than two years since my brother Craig introduced me at the 2008 Convention in Denver. It truly feels like it was yesterday.
As I looked out at a sea of thousands of supporters that night, I spoke about my husband — the man whom this country would go on to elect as the 44th President of the United States. I spoke about his fundamental belief — a conviction at the very core of his life’s work — that each of us has something to contribute to the spirit of our nation.
That’s also the belief at the core of The People’s Convention. That the table we sit at together ought to be big enough for everyone. That the thread that binds us — a belief in the promise of this country — is strong enough to sustain us through good times and bad.
Barack talked at the State of the Union of his vision for how America can win the future. That must be the focus now, and I know so many of you will help talk about our plans with your neighbors — that through innovation, education, reform, and responsibility we can make sure America realizes this vision.
But, conventions take time to plan, so please help us make sure that your thoughts and your ideas will ring all the way to Charlotte. Get started now:
http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention1?keycode=
Looking forward to sharing this together,
Michelle
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Banks, Guns, Children And Coats
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Payroll Tax Cut: Putting Money Back in the Pockets of Middles Class Washington Families
Payroll Tax Cut: Putting Money Back in the Pockets of Middles Class Washington Families
This week I will continue fighting for the Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011, a bill that would extend and expand the payroll tax cut for middle class workers. I was disappointed that Republicans blocked this important legislation last week, but I will not give up. I feel very strongly that at a time when so many middle class families are struggling, we owe it to them to extend and expand a provision that puts money back into their pocket – particularly as the holiday season approaches.
Last week, I launched an interactive map on my website to highlight the potential impact on Washington state families if Congress fails to extend the payroll tax cut into next year. The median Washington family has a yearly income of $56,479. Under the current 2% payroll tax cut – that I am fighting to extend – that family is saving approximately $1,130 per year on their tax bill. If the current tax cut expires, their yearly tax bill will go up by that amount. If the payroll tax cut is expanded to 3.1%, as proposed in this bill, that family’s savings will increase to $1,751 per year.
Unacceptable Wait Times for VA Mental Health Care
Last week, I chaired a hearing focused on the long wait for mental health care at some VA facilities across the country – the second hearing on this topic I’ve held this year. At the first hearing, on July 14th of this year, the Committee heard the first-hand stories of two service members, who even after attempting to take their own lives, had mental health care appointments postponed and difficulties cutting through the red tape in order to get care. At last week’s hearing, the Committee heard from a VA psychologist and mental health care coordinator who testified about delays in providing mental health care treatment, including care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). That hearing also raised questions on whether VA providers were using techniques to ensure initial mental health care appointments fall within the VA’s required 14 day window, without providing true access to care at those appointments.
Following last week’s hearing, I called on the VA’s Inspector General to launch an investigation into wait times for mental health care at VA facilities.
“Senators tell VA to speed up mental health help for veterans” – The Seattle Times
A Huge Victory for Aerospace in Washington
Last week, I applauded the announcement by Boeing and the International Association of Machinists that a tentative agreement had been reached over contract negotiations and production of the 737 MAX in Washington state. This is a monumental announcement for the future of aerospace in Washington state. There is no better news for our region’s economy than a contract agreement between Boeing and the Machinists, and confirmation that Renton will remain home to the 737 line. The ramifications of this news will be felt in businesses large and small, around kitchen tables, and in communities throughout the Puget Sound for years to come. I commend the leadership of both IAM and Boeing for coming to the table, negotiating in good faith, and putting the needs of our region and its workers first. Our state has the skilled workforce, infrastructure, and education resources to continue to be the world’s leader in aerospace. But it’s up to us to ensure that leaders across our state continue to work hand-in-hand to maximize all of our resources. When Boeing and IAM work together, our region wins. I look forward to continued cooperation between both sides as they build on the trust and achievements forged in these negotiations.
“A substantial accomplishment for Boeing, Machinists and the state”
– The Seattle Times
“Big win, huge opportunity”
– The Everett Herald
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