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Ocean Conservation …
Obama Administration Progress on Oceans Conservation
Posted by Julie Randall:
Obama Responds to Ocean Letter
On August 15, Blue Frontier Campaign put together a letter to the presidential candidates signed by 60 ocean leaders calling on them to pledge to protect our ocean by moving forward in four action areas. On September 24, the Obama campaign responded with the following statement:
“President Obama is committed to ensuring that our nation’s vast natural resources are used responsibly, and that we maintain healthy oceans and coasts. By establishing a National Ocean Policy, he made it a priority of the federal government to ensure a proactive approach to improving the conservation of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.”
President Obama is directing additional funding to Gulf Coast restoration to further bring back the fisheries and coastal ecosystems that are still recovering in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon spill. He kicked off the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades, which is targeting ecological problems such as invasive species, toxic hot spots, and pollution runoff. And his administration is cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, establishing a “pollution diet” for the Bay that will help restore the natural habitat for fish and other wildlife. They have also invested over $1.4 billion in Everglades’ restoration, helping restore tens of thousands of acres that will serve as a sanctuary for native Florida plants and wildlife. Under President Obama, we have created or enhanced more than 540 public coastal recreation areas, protected more than 54,000 acres of coastlines and restored over 5,200 acres of coastal habitat. The administration is also investing more in monitoring our fishing stock in coastal areas in order to have the most accurate data possible on the health of our fisheries. These are significant steps that are helping us improve the health of our oceans and build more robust fisheries.
Read the Executive Order — Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes
Read the Final Recommendations
Visit the National Ocean Council website
You can read public comments on the Task Force here.
Read the President’s Proclamation on National Oceans Month
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Vote4Barack&Biden2012
If you’re proud to be on the President’s team, give him a virtual high five
https://donate.barackobama.com/Thanks-for-Your-Support
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Lonnie G. Bunch at The NMAAHC
| eNews from the National Museum of African American History and Culture | Fall 2012 |
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The Real Voices of Small Business
What Small Businesses Really Think About the Issues
Republicans talk a lot about small businesses out on the campaign trail, but often times the “small businesses” they talk about are anything but. According to Republicans, Donald Trump, Oprah, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and construction giant Becthel, the largest construction company in America, are all small businesses.
In order to clear the air, the Center for American Progress and Small Business Majority, an advocacy group for actual small businesses, talked to the owners of small businesses across the country about a range of issues, including taxes and Obamacare.
Here’s a couple examples of what we heard.
Small Businesses Aren’t Impacted by Expiration of Bush Tax Cuts
Mike Brey, owner of Hobby Works in Fairfax, Va., wants to set the record straight on the Bush tax cuts—cuts on those with income above $250,000. Despite some saying that allowing the cuts to expire will hurt small businesses, the vast majority of small business owners like him simply won’t be affected. Allowing the tax rates to go back to where they were will help bolster the economy and with it, Mike’s customer base—the middle class.
Affordable Care Act Makes Portland Business More Competitive
For Mike Roach, owner of Paloma Clothing in Portland, Oregon, providing health insurance for his employees is not just the right thing to do—it makes his business more competitive and helps him retain valuable employees. Mike explains how the Affordable Care Act has allowed him to pick up more of the tab of his employees’ healthcare premiums, a key benefit that keeps his small store competitive with the big chains.
Check out our entire series of small business voices HERE, which includes small business owners weighing in on taxes, Obamacare, public lands, clean energy, and more.
These are the real voices of small business, unlike the National Federation of Independent Business. Though the group purports to represent the interests of small businesses, it often advocates against their interests, is funded by millions of dollars from Karl Rove’s secret money group Crossroads GPS, and spends most of its time attacking the Obama administration and running campaign attack ads targeting Democrats. NFIB was also the lead plaintiff in the partisan legal attacks on Obamacare, though thankfully its efforts failed at the Supreme Court.
NFIB is in the news today because it recently hosted a conference call with Mitt Romney, the audio of which leaked yesterday. On the call Romney urges employers to tell their employees who to vote, something the Koch brothers and other CEOs have been caught doing in recent weeks. You can listen to the shocking audio of the leaked call HERE.
Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed
The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by a federal appeals court — in an opinion written by an extremely conservative judge.
Despite court order, Ohio’s GOP Secretary of State is still cutting back on early voting.
Romney’s economic policy director was lobbying for Wall Street just three months ago.
Virginia health commissioner resigns in protest of new politically-motivated, restrictive regulations on abortion providers.
No, Mitt Romney’s sketchy tax plan still doesn’t add up.
Maryland voters appear set to approve both marriage equality and a DREAM Act.
Why won’t the Romney campaign say where he stands on equal pay laws?
A tale of two Romneys.
Romney’s bizarro version of equal rights.
Be a Seed for Change 
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