~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Egypt …


“We stand with the people of Egypt in their demand for freedom and basic rights, an end to the crackdown and internet blackout, and immediate democratic reform. We call on our governments to join us in our solidarity with the Egyptian people.”

Massive pro-democracy protests are spreading quickly across Egypt. Protesters are bravely speaking out against a repressive regime that has ruled the country for more than 30 years. The protesters are demanding the right to free speech, an end to government corruption and brutality, and free and fair elections.1

Today we’re joining an international grassroots movement to send a message of solidarity via radio and television to the people of Egypt and the Arab world.

So far, the protests have been overwhelmingly non-violent but the Egyptian government is cracking down hard. They have already arrested nearly a thousand protesters, declared a nationwide curfew, and cut off the internet.2 The regional media is one of our last ways to reach out to the people of Egypt.

So we’re joining with our friends at Avaaz.org—an international MoveOn-style organization—to build a massive wave of support from people around the world to stand in solidarity with non-violent protesters in Egypt.

Avaaz will be spreading the statement of solidarity via radio and television across North Africa and the Middle East, where the Egyptian people can hear it

You can join by signing the solidarity statement here: http://pol.moveon.org/

We enjoy the rights to free speech and peaceful assembly in this country, and we ought to use them to support others who hope for the same freedoms.

We must support those in Egypt who are choosing to stand up for democracy. The response by the Egyptian government has been needlessly brutal so far. Security forces are firing at protesters with live ammunition, beating people on the streets, and cutting off nearly every means of communication in an effort to maintain control and suppress the calls for democracy.

The situation on the ground is volatile and our hope is to support those in Egypt who are choosing peaceful protest as the means by which to push for change.

Our show of support could help not only bring newfound freedom to Egypt but possibly catalyze a chain reaction of reform across the Middle East unlike anything we’ve seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Last week the people of Tunisia peacefully deposed a long-ruling dictator, inspiring the people of Egypt to stand up. Now, calls for reform are spreading to other countries including Yemen, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Right now our voices, in a show of unwavering solidarity with people non-violently calling for change, could potentially help bring fundamental human rights and democracy to millions of people. Add your name to the global statement of solidarity to be broadcast by radio here:

http://pol.moveon.org/

Thanks for all you do.

–Justin, Robin, Duncan, Peter, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1.”Egyptians’ Fury Has Smoldered Beneath the Surface for Decades,” The New York Times, January 28, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205899&id=25944-17809870-tD9p82x&t=5

2. “Egyptian military deploys in Cairo under curfew,” MSNBC, January 28, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205898&id=25944-17809870-tD9p82x&t=6

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stand with President Obama


This is it.

This is your chance to stand with President Obama and House Democrats and say “no” to the extreme Republican agenda.

In just 24 hours, the first FEC fundraising deadline since the President’s inspiring State of the Union speech will hit. Washington pundits and the national media will be watching our totals closely as a sign of Democratic unity and determination to keep moving America forward and winning back our House Majority.

And, the most important thing you can do right now is to make sure House Democrats exceed our goal and have an over-the-top result in our first big fundraising deadline of the year.

Contribute $5 or more before Midnight Tomorrow and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of generous Democrats.

President Obama’s stirring vision for the future stands in stark contrast to the Republicans’ reckless plans for privatizing Social Security and Medicare while giving away more tax breaks to the rich and the special interests.

Republicans’ hypocritical vote to repeal heath insurance reform and deny the American people the same protections from industry abuse they enjoy as Members of Congress is outrageous. And it’s just the first step in their radical plan to dismantle our Democratic accomplishments from the last two years.

Help us fight back.

Contribute $5 or more before Midnight Tomorrow and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of generous Democrats.

http://www.dccc.org/page/m/1d63c45c/1b9dd8ab/50ebb247/4e0d1000/3850854669/VEsH/

It’s critical we not fall behind Republican fundraising and have to play catch up in the early months of the campaign. Republicans have their corporate connections and special interest contributors to count on. We have grassroots Democrats like you.

Your generous contribution is urgently needed. Please rush your contribution to the DCCC now.

Thank you.

Robby Mook

DCCC Executive Director

P.S. Contribute before Midnight tomorrow and your support will be matched by a group of generous Democrats.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Obama spoke, make sure they listen

1 Comment

 Say no to raids and criminalizing babies

Hold the new leadership responsible

Today, the House Judiciary committee will hold a hearing on worksite enforcement. This is the first in a series of hearings that will set up the Republican-controlled House’s immigration agenda: and it’s not pretty.

Heading up the committee is Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) whose strategy on immigration can be summed up as follows: target workers & target families. We are facing a leader who wants to take our country back to the days of the Postville Raid>> http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1158?akid=619.164689.Nz6RMQ&t=6  that destroyed a Midwestern community and will criminalize newborn babies in order to push his “deport them all” agenda.

Now, more than ever, we have to be sure that our voices are heard in the halls of Congress.

http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1156?akid=619.164689.Nz6RMQ&t=7

Make sure that Lamar Smith knows we’re watching him.

Like President Obama said in last night’s State of the Union: http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1157?akid=619.164689.Nz6RMQ&t=8  “I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows. I know that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let’s agree to make that effort”. Tell Lamar Smith & his committee that we’re ready to hold them accountable to making an effort.

Thank you,

Marissa Graciosa

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Fraudulent Colleges ruin lives …Repost -good information


Shannon Croteau was 11 classes away from a degree from Kaplan University Online (a for-profit college owned by The Washington Post Company) when she learned she was out of financial aid, $30,000 in debt, and here’s the kicker – 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” who wouldn’t tell her the truth, let alone their last names. “They lied and cheated,” Shannon told us at “It has ruined me.”

She’s just one of millions of students to have her financial life devastated by the fraudulent and predatory practices of for-profit colleges. Countless other Kaplan students have come forward, saying they’ve been charged for classes even after they’ve withdrawn, stalked by aggressive admissions officers or had their degrees held hostage if they don’t ante up “surprise” fees.

Shannon has started a petition on the Change website , demanding that the Washington Post Company stop preying on low-income students.

Add your name.

It’s important to understand that for-profit colleges stay in business by taking billions from the federal government: During the 2008-09 academic year alone, for-profit colleges siphoned off $4.3 billion of federal student aid.

And if the students can’t pay those loans back, who cares? Students who attend for-profit colleges account for only 12% of America‘s college students, but they represent nearly half of student loan defaults. Those students will be hounded by creditors for the rest of their lives. Our tax dollars cover their debts. And the for-profit colleges never have to give back a dime.

They don’t care whether the students they recruit can afford college, or even whether those students will be able to use their degrees if and when they graduate. For these businesses, each new recruit represents a profit. Nothing more, nothing less.

But Shannon Croteau and a group of former Kaplan students are fighting back – and Change.org members can help. By raising the profile of these appalling institutions, 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 Washington Post Company Chairman Donald Graham to either stop the fraudulent practices or shut down Kaplan University:

Thanks for taking action,

Judith and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Please join us in calling on Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Congress to stand strong and protect low-income students.


Hundreds of thousands of people go into debt every year enrolling in for-profit higher education programs like DeVry and Argosy — sold on the idea that they’ll graduate with skills that will lead to opportunity and a better life. In reality, many come out with a mountain of debt they can’t pay back and no better prospects at employment.1
Thankfully, the Obama administration is trying to rein in this industry, which preys on low-income Americans. Their plan is to stop federal financial aid from going to higher ed programs that don’t actually help students get jobs and pay off their debt.2 Not surprisingly, the industry is fighting back hard, despite its atrocious record: their students make up 10% of those in higher ed but 40% of students who stop making payments on their loans.3

The Department of Education will make a decision soon on how to regulate this industry — and they’re under huge pressure from industry lobbyists. Please join us in calling on Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Congress to stand strong and protect low-income students.

 It only takes a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/studentdebt
Taking time away from work to get a traditional college education can feel like an impossible proposition for many Americans, and for-profit colleges seem like a quick, flexible way to get ahead. They promise low-income folks the job training it takes to escape poverty.
There’s a catch with these so-called career education programs. Recruiters say the certificates they offer will prepare students for good jobs if they’ll take on huge student loans to enroll. But the schools often leave people deep in debt and with credentials that employers don’t take seriously.4 Students think they’re doing what it takes to escape minimum wage jobs. They’re actually getting deeper into financial trouble.
It’s an issue that disproportionately affects cash-strapped Black folks who work long hours and for whom higher education at public universities or private, non-profit colleges feels impossible. A quarter of Black Americans with associate degrees get them from for-profit colleges, and 40% of these schools’ alumni are people of color.5
When Black folks decide to pursue post-secondary schooling, we’re often the first in our families to do so. And we typically have to navigate a complex process on our own and with limited information. For-profit colleges have been caught preying on this fact — misleading students, using deceptive practices, and even encouraging applicants to enter false information on their financial aid forms.6 Statistics show that people who enroll at for-profit schools are much less able to manage their debt than those who go to non-profit schools.7
The Obama administration’s proposed “gainful employment” rule would make sure that students who use federal financial aid to pay for school are able to get jobs after graduating that will allow them to repay their debt. In practice, it would force many for-profit institutions to either lower their tuition or improve their programs. But industry lobbyists are trying to kill the Obama administration’s proposed rule. They argue that for-profit colleges will be unfairly targeted by the regulation — a position that doesn’t hold water. The truth is that certificate programs at both for- and non-profit colleges will be subject to the rule.8
Some legislators, including several members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who you’d expect to be protecting the interests of low-income Black folks, are backing up the industry’s claims.9 They put forth a blame-the-victim argument that says the problem isn’t the programs, its students’ impoverished backgrounds and inability to manage their finances. It’s infuriating, and thankfully that logic is being called out by CBC members Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) and civil rights organizations including the NAACP, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, LULAC, National Council of La Raza and United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.10
You can help, too — with your voice. Can you take a moment to call on the Obama administration and Congress to resist industry pressures and regulate higher education programs that don’t serve our communities? After you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/studentdebt/
Thanks and Peace,
— James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   January 27th, 2011
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/
References:
1. “Student Loan Default Rates Increase,” U.S. Department of Education press release, 9-13-10
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/686?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=7
2. Fact sheet, Coalition to Protect Students and Taxpayers
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/687?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=9
3. See reference 2.
4. “The Newest College Credential,” The New York Times, 1-7-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/688?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=11
5. “Minority Leaders Oppose “Gainful Employment” Rules for For-profit Colleges,” Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 9-20-10 (NB: Rainbow PUSH has reversed its position and now supports the DOE’s proposed rule)
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/689?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=13
6. “For-profit colleges fight negative federal report,” Chicago Tribune, 1-10-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/690?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=15
7. See reference 2.
8. Q&A on Gainful Employment, Coalition to Protect Students and Taxpayers
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/691?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=17
9. “For-Profit Schools Donate to Lawmakers Opposing New Financial Aid Rules,” ProPublica, 9-17-10
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/692?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=19
10. Comments in support of rules, Coalition to Protect Students and Taxpayers
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/693?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=21
Additional resources:
“For-Profit Schools File Lawsuit to Stave Off Regulations,” ColorLines, 1-24-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/694?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=23
“For-profit colleges spend big on lobbying,” Bloomberg News, 12-24-10
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/695?akid=1870.1174326.xmE8i9&t=25

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