Have you heard about the plan to cut Social Security? If you haven’t, here’s what it looks like:
Step 1: Talk about the plan behind closed doors
Step 2: Claim to not be cutting Social Security benefits, just adjusting the Consumer Price Index
Step 3: Keep the public in the dark with technical language such as “chained CPI”
Right now this is EXACTLY what some members of Congress are doing. They’re looking for additional programs they can cut to reduce the deficit, and Social Security is on the table. They’re looking at a stealth way to cut Social Security benefits: by switching the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment to a new measure of inflation, the chained CPI.
The chained CPI would cut Social Security benefits by reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustment — and the value of benefits — every year. These cuts start small, but get deeper every year. The older you get, the deeper the cut from the chained CPI.
That’s why we need your help to educate the public. Will you help share this important message? The image below explains what these cuts would really mean.

Infographic - Stealth cuts to Social Security

Please spread the word!

Share the image on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Or, simply forward this email to friends and family

Why are we so worried? This stealth plan to cut Social Security would be a triple whammy to women:

Since women live longer than men on average, they would face deeper cuts in their Social Security benefits.
Elderly women rely more on income from Social Security, so these cuts would represent a larger share of their total income in retirement.
Since older women are already more economically vulnerable, these cuts would leave many of them unable to meet basic needs.

We are worried about women like Jeannette, from Medford, Oregon. She worked her whole life, up until she was 73, but has no pension. Her only income, apart from a little help from her adult children, is her Social Security check. She described to us how she manages.
“I’m a very frugal person. Always have been. I don’t have cable…that’s a luxury. I shop for food very carefully, too. I can’t afford meat anymore, but every once in a while if I see a great bargain, I’ll splurge on a small piece of meat. There’s a special discount cheese that I like. I make very thin slices…. I’m careful about keeping my clothes in good condition. I know that I don’t have the option to buy new ones.”
Jeannette’s story is not unique. She is one of millions of women who rely on Social Security to survive. And she can’t afford ANY cuts to her Social Security. And this is exactly why we need your help.
Please help spread the word by sharing our new graphic today.
Sincerely,

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

P.S. Do you or a loved one have a Social Security experience that you can share? Add your story to our storybank! Stories help our advocacy efforts by putting a face on programs that make a difference in women’s lives.
P.P.S. Please help us continue to advocate for policies that protect and improve economic security for women and their families by making a generous donation today.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support Union of Concerned Scientists

10/17/2012 Nativegrl77

Union of Concerned Scientists

See UCS climate scientist Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel correct the climate science inaccuracies on a six-foot-tall Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Fighting Misinformation about Climate Science

Fox News Channel and the Wall Street Journal Opinion pages are overwhelmingly misleading when it comes to climate science. Not surprised? When UCS reviewed references to climate science in those two news outlets, we found it was even worse than we thought.
Our snapshot analysis shows that over a six-month period at Fox News Channel, 93 percent of the references to climate science were misleading. In one year on the Wall Street Journal Opinion pages, 81 percent of the references were misleading.
Last month, we released the findings of this snapshot analysis at a series of events in New York City, finishing the day by delivering nearly 20,000 comments from UCS supporters to the headquarters of News Corporation, which owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, asking them to stop failing science and improve how they represent climate science.
Watch the video of UCS climate scientist Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel correcting the climate science inaccuracies on a six-foot tall Wall Street Journal op-ed in Bryant Park.

She and other UCS staff were joined by dozens of UCS supporters who stamped the op-ed “Not Science” and filled out postcards to News Corp.
Thank you to everyone who took action and spread the word about our findings.

If you haven’t yet, please be sure you ask News Corp. to stop failing science!
Sincerely,

Jean Sideris Outreach Coordinator Climate & Energy Program Union of Concerned Scientists

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

leave Minnie Mouse alone

10/17/2012 Nativegrl77

A department store is making Minnie Mouse look extremely tall and skinny for a holiday window display.

Sign Ragen’s Petition

C –

What’s the world coming to when we’re telling little girls that Minnie Mouse is too fat? Believe it or not, that’s exactly what the department store Barney’s is doing.

For a holiday window display, Barney’s and Disney have agreed to showcase Minnie Mouse wearing a designer dress — and distorted so she looks like she’s 5’11” and size 0.

I work with kids who have eating disorders, so I’m not exaggerating when I say the message this sends is deadly. According to one study, hospitalization for children younger than 12 with eating disorders went up 119% from 1999 to 2006. Younger than 12.

I don’t think Barney’s and Disney should be telling little girls that Minnie Mouse needs to be skinnier, so I started a petition on Change.org asking them to cancel this window display. Click here to add your name.

Studies warn again and again of the dangers of promoting an unrealistic body image. 81% of 10-year-old girls say they’re afraid of being fat, and 47% of girls in 5th-12th grade say they want to be thinner because of the pictures they see in magazines.

There is nothing wrong with tall, thin women. There is something wrong with changing a beloved children’s character’s body so that it looks good in a dress that almost nobody looks good in.

Earlier this year, Seventeen magazine agreed to stop photoshopping all models after 75,000 people signed a petition asking them to do so on Change.org. I know that if enough people sign my petition, we can convince Barney’s and Disney not to distort Minnie Mouse to make her look tall and skinny.

Click here to sign my petition calling on Barney’s and Disney to leave Minnie Mouse alone.

Thank you,

Ragen Chastain Los Angeles, California

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Presidential Proclamation — Blind Americans Equality Day, 2012

10/16/2012 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Disability UpdatesNote: If you received this email as a forward but would like to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list, please visit our website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/disability-issues-contact and fill out the “contact us” form in the disabilities section, or you can email us at disability@who.eop.gov and provide your full name, city, state, and organization.

Recent disability announcements include the President proclaiming October 15, 2012, as Blind Americans Equality Day, the Department of Labor launching a virtual Workplace Flexibility Toolkit, the Federal Communications Commission putting internet closed captions rules into effect, and the Department of Education awarding $24 million in grant funding to 22 states to improve training systems to help children with disabilities.

Presidential Proclamation — Blind Americans Equality Day, 2012

As business leaders and public advocates, teachers and scientists, musicians and athletes, and in countless other ways, blind and visually impaired Americans have profoundly enriched every part of our national life. Today, we celebrate their innumerable contributions, and we recommit to guaranteeing equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for all Americans.

Read the full text of the proclamation at the following link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/15/presidential-proclamation-blind-americans-equality-day-2012

US Department of Labor launches virtual Workplace Flexibility Toolkit during National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched its online Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to provide employees, job seekers, employers, policymakers and researchers with information, resources and a unique approach to workplace flexibility. Workplace flexibility policies and practices typically focus on when and where work is done. The toolkit adds a new dimension — an emphasis on flexibility around job tasks and what work is done. Funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy in partnership with the department’s Women’s Bureau, the toolkit makes more than 170 resources easily accessible

Read more about the toolkit at the following link: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20122014.htm#.UHwpRMU712w

Federal Communications Commission Internet Closed Captioning Rules Went Into Effect September 30

Rules requiring distributors of certain Internet video programming to provide closed captioning to assist viewers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing went into effect on September 30. Closed captioning is the visual display of the audio portion of video programming. These Internet closed captioning requirements were implemented pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).

Read more about the new rules at the following link: http://www.fcc.gov/document/internet-closed-captioning-rules-went-effect-september-30

$24 Million in Grants Awarded to 22 States to Improve Training Systems to Help Children with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of $24 million in grants to 22 states to improve personnel training systems to help children with disabilities. States receiving grants are: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The State Personnel Development Grants Program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides funds to assist states in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, education and transition services in order to enhance results for children with disabilities.

Read more about the grant awards at the following link: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/24-million-grants-awarded-22-states-improve-training-systems-help-children-disab

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stephanie Cutter, BarackObama.com

10/16/2012 Nativegrl77

If you watched Thursday night’s debate, I don’t need to tell you that Vice President Biden scored a decisive victory.
The Vice President brought facts and conviction to Danville, Kentucky, and Paul Ryan brought canned lines and empty promises. It turns out, facts and details matter — and it’s clear that with their total disregard for both, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan know their plans for this country are indefensible.
In case you know people who missed the debate, share some of the highlights with them:
The difference on taxes : Ryan couldn’t explain how the Romney-Ryan tax plan wouldn’t hurt the middle class. That’s because it’s mathematically impossible to pay for their $5 trillion tax plan favoring the wealthiest without raising taxes on middle-class families. Watch the clip of Vice President Biden pointing this out, then watch the Vice President explaining the Obama-Biden tax plan— and be sure to share with others:

Medicare : Joe Biden : laid out all the facts about the Obama-Biden plan to strengthen Medicare, and explained how the Romney-Ryan Medicare voucher plan would raise costs for seniors. Take a look, and let others know, too:

The middle class : After the debate, one reporter called Vice President Biden “a passionate warrior for the middle class.” I think this clip shows exactly why.Check it out, and pass it along:

Afghanistan Ryan : couldn’t explain their plan for our troops in Afghanistan because they don’t have one. The President has a clear plan to end the war in Afghanistan in 2014, while Romney has been all over the map. Listen to the Vice President explain, and pass it along:

Women’s health : When Ryan was asked to ensure women that their right to choose would be protected, he refused to answer because they wouldn’t. Vice President Biden, on the other hand, gave a heartfelt explanation of his views on women’s health. Take a look, and share with others:

Vice President Biden : has spent a lifetime fighting for the middle class, and he and President Obama will continue doing so in their second term.
Thanks for doing everything you can to make sure that happens.
Thanks,
Stephanie
P.S. — This morning, we released a new campaign ad narrated by Morgan Freeman that highlights what President Obama has done to move America forward, get folks back to work, and strengthen the middle class. Take a look, and share it with everyone you know.