Tag Archives: BP

My name is Loraine Tackett from Billings, Montana. I’m a mother to nine children … six of whom are United States Marines.

It can be difficult at times, as you can imagine, but I am grateful that U.S. Senator, and Iraq War veteran, John Walsh is on our side. He recognizes that the cost of war doesn’t end after the troops come home, and is committed to making sure all veterans, including those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, receive the care they deserve.

Representative Steve Daines is running for Walsh’s Senate seat, but he’s consistently aligned himself with the Tea Party Caucus and voted against improving care at the VA and increasing the pensions of disabled vets.

Montanans deserve to know about their records, and I am proud to share my story in a VoteVets ad with one of my sons. Contribute $5 to help keep it on the air.

As veterans, military family members, and VoteVets supporters, you know that Tea Party Representatives like Steve Daines have politicized the VA crisis while consistently voting against legislation that would get to the root of the problem and improve care.

VoteVets has pledged to share that story across the country, in many states.

I’m happy to help them in Montana.

Loraine Tackett
Mother to six U.S. Marines

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Meet the Bay Area Impact Challenge winners

06/06/2014 Nativegrl77

Ten days ago, voting opened for Google’s first Bay Area Impact Challenge, and now the tally is in. On the ballot? Ten amazing nonprofit proposals tomake a difference in our community.Between May 22 and June 2, nearly 200,000 votes poured in (191,504to be exact)—adjusted for population, that makes it the highest voter turnout we’ve had in a Challenge to date. Now we’re unveiling the winners. Each will receive $500,000 in funding and support from Google:

Hack the Hood will address digital equity by training low-income youth to build websites for local small businesses, actively supporting them to launch their own tech careers.
Center for Employment Opportunities will develop a tech platform to prepare formerly incarcerated people for employment in a digital world.
The Health Trust will create new distribution channels for people to get affordable produce, expanding options for street vendors, corner stores, and farmers’ markets for underserved areas.
Bring me a book will give kids access to digital books, in multiple languages, while creating a supportive online community for parents and caregivers.

Hack the Hood celebrates their win with community advisor Reverend Cecil Williams

But everyone wins in this competition: The six remaining finalists will each receive $250,000, and we also gave an additional 15 nonprofits around the Bay Area $100,000 each.

Finally, all 25 Google Impact Challenge nonprofits will receive one year of accelerator support at our first-ever impact lab, a co-working space launched in partnership with Impact Hub SF, a shared workspace for entrepreneurs committed to positive social and environmental change.

Nonprofits will have access to networking events, meeting space, and development workshops in the Impact Hub SF, as well as membership to all U.S. Hub locations. We also plan to host community events for the Bay Area nonprofit community throughout the year—so check out our website or follow us on Google+ to stay in the loop.

Now the work really begins, and we’re excited to continue to build on our ongoing efforts to give back to the community.

Posted by Jacquelline Fuller, Director of Google.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Why We Need to Modernize Our Power Plants

06/04/2014 Nativegrl77

This morning, the Environmental Protection Agency set the first-ever national carbon emissions limits for our country’s existing power plants. Modernizing our power plants will help Americans live healthier lives, while reducing carbon pollution that contributes to climate change.

Find out how limiting carbon emissions from power plants will make our communities healthier:

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Weekly Address: Reducing Carbon Pollution in Our Power Plants

In the President’s weekly address, he discussed new actions by the Environmental Protection Agency to cut dangerous carbon pollution, a plan that builds on the efforts already taken by many states, cities, and companies.

In the White House Rose Garden on Saturday evening, President Obama spoke about the recovery of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — an American solider who spent nearly five years in captivity during the war in Afghanistan.

READ MORE

My Brother’s Keeper: 90 Days In

Three months ago, President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative — aimed at expanding opportunities for America’s boys and young men of color, and ensuring all young people can reach their full potential. On Friday, the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force issued their 90-day progress report to the President.

a message from POTUS …

06/04/2014 Nativegrl77

I just proposed a plan that cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants 30 percent by 2030.

That’s a responsible, common-sense step to address climate change.

But we’re already getting intense opposition from polluters and special interests who like things the way they are.

OFA is fighting back to show there’s broad support for these new EPA standards.

If you want action to combat climate change, you can add your name today.

Climate change is happening, and it’s happening now. As a president and as a father, I feel a moral responsibility to do something about it. The world our children grow up in depends on what we do today.

Carbon pollution is threatening our health right now. Over half of all Americans already live in areas where air pollution too often makes it unhealthy to breathe — it’s time to cut carbon pollution the same way we already regulate toxic chemicals in our air.

Modernizing our power plants so they pollute less will also spark homegrown clean energy innovation, creating jobs and growing our economy.

I’m not going to wait to take action on this.

Right now, big polluters are going to do everything they can to derail this momentum. They’ve been fighting these EPA standards since before they were even announced.

Your voice on this issue is the most powerful thing you’ve got in this fight. I need you to use it.

OFA is stepping up and gathering names in support of these EPA standards — you can add your name:

http://my.barackobama.com/Support-Carbon-Pollution-Standards

Thanks,

Barack Obama

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

$65 airline tickets that actually cost $750?

06/04/2014 Nativegrl77

By Charles Leocha, Travelers United

Boston, Massachusetts

Sign Charles’ Petition

Congress wants to remove regulations that protect you from deceptive airline ticket advertising. Don’t let it.

The House Transportation Committee acted with alarming speed last week to move its bill out of committee. Airline lobbyists are working hard, as you read this, to find sponsors for this bill in the Senate Commerce Committee. We need a groundswell of consumer outrage about this airline-engineered congressional attack on truth in advertising.

I’m Charlie Leocha and I have been running Travelers United (formerly Consumer Travel Alliance) in Washington, DC, for the past five years. I collaborated closely with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on shaping the current full-fare advertising rule. I was appointed to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections as the consumer representative by the Secretary of Transportation. I have been working inside the system with congressional staff, testifying before both houses of Congress, coordinating with the aviation industry and working with regulators.

Remember when airlines advertised $19 fares — which, after taxes and mandatory fees were added, cost almost $50. And, international tickets once advertised for $65 actually cost $750 after taxes and fees? That ended a few years ago when government regulators added a reasonable full-fare advertising rule.

Now, Congress wants to void that rule.

Airlines have already bulldozed a proposed bill, bizarrely called the Transparent Airfare Act of 2014, through the House Transportation Committee with no comments, no debate and no consumer input.

Make no mistake: there’s nothing “transparent” about this bill. It would effectively legalize airline bait-and-switch pricing, especially online, where most airline tickets are bought.

If the full-fare advertising rule goes “buh-bye,” you lose. You’ll think your airfares are cheaper than they are. You’ll have a harder time comparison-shopping. And what’s worse, these price shenanigans could spread to other businesses. Imagine being quoted $2 a gallon for your fuel but paying $4, instead?

Tell Congress to keep the current truth-in-advertising rule. Airlines shouldn’t be allowed to lie about their prices. We like knowing how much something we buy actually costs — that’s real transparency.