Tag Archives: Florida

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ThinkProgress ~~ the GOP

12/10/2013 Nativegrl77

Today’s GOP, In Two Numbers

Last week, President Obama laid out a sweeping agenda to combat income inequality, strengthen the middle class, and extend ladders of opportunity to those striving to enter it. He also challenged the GOP to put forward their own ideas instead of just rejecting whatever he proposes. We have yet to see any new ideas from the Republicans but their opposition to the president’s agenda of economic empowerment is still going strong.

Two numbers perfectly illustrate the almost cruel indifference shown by today’s GOP toward the concerns of the millions of Americans who are struggling to get by:

4,831,590: That is the number of low-income Americans who will not receive health coverage through Medicaid simply because Republican governors and legislatures are refusing to expand the program under the Affordable Care Act. Because the expansion is almost entirely paid for by the federal government, states refusing to expand the program will forego billions in tax dollars, even as providers remain on the hook for uncompensated care provided to the uninsured. Texas will lose out on more than $9 BILLION, while Florida is leaving more than $5 BILLION on the table.

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1,300,000: That is the number of unemployed Americans who will immediately lose their benefits come January if Republicans in Congress refuse to extend long-term unemployment benefits, which would be an unprecedented move during a period of persistently high unemployment. The number who stand to lose their benefits would climb to 3.6 MILLION by the end of 2014. In addition to unnecessarily causing added misery for millions of struggling families, letting the extended benefits lapse would also deal a blow to the economy to the tune of 240,000 lost jobs as well as reduced growth. Over the weekend, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tried to justify the GOP’s intransigence by making the bizarre argument that extended benefits are somehow harmful to the unemployed and do them a “disservice.”

BOTTOM LINE: If Republicans want to appeal to a broader group of Americans, they should stop putting politics ahead of people. The policies Republicans are pursuing will needlessly punish millions of Americans who can least afford it.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

President Obama’s Handwritten Tribute to the Gettysburg Address

11/21/2013 Nativegrl77

President Obama’s Handwritten Tribute to the Gettysburg Address

150 years after President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, President Obama penned a handwritten tribute to President Lincoln’s historic remarks.

Click here to read the essay — then pass it on.

What would President Truman say about this Congress?

Deputy Senior Advisor David Simas shares how a group of extreme Republicans in Congress have opposed the President’s legislative agenda at every turn and what they could get done if they simply schedule a vote on pressing national issues.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Americans all over the country are enrolling in affordable health coverage. Many were unable to get insurance before and many others are signing up for new plans that offer better coverage than what they had before, often at lower costs.

Yesterday, Dr. Jill Biden and Labor Secretary Tom Perez made a visit to Cleveland Community College in North Carolina and Broward College in Florida as part of their “Community College to Career” tour designed to highlight innovative workforce training partnerships.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Demand Justice for Renisha McBride

11/13/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

Renisha McBride was killed while seeking help after a car accident, but the man who shot her has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

Call on Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and the Dearborn Heights police department to fully investigate Renisha McBride’s killing and bring the shooter to justice.

The tragic killing of unarmed 19-year-old Renisha McBride has left her family and supporters across the country seeking answers and demanding justice. More than a week after Renisha’s death the shooter has not been arrested and he may not face proper prosecution because of Michigan‘s so-called “Stand Your Ground” or “Shoot First” law.¹

Shoot First laws have been under intense scrutiny since the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman – who “got away with murder” – because Florida’s Shoot First prevented a proper investigation and controlled the instructions given to the jury.² These laws, when combined with the daily reality of deep-rooted racial prejudice, create a culture of fear and violence where Renisha McBride — a young Black woman perceived as a threat — can be killed without consequence.

Renisha’s family deserves justice and an end to a culture that does not value Black lives. Please join us in calling on Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and the Dearborn Heights police department to fully investigate Renisha McBride’s killing and bring the shooter to justice.

Shortly after the news of Renisha’s death broke, local residents of Detroit and nearby areas rallied for justice — condemning racial profiling and violence against women. Demonstrators referred to Dearborn Heights as a “sundown town”, a mostly white suburb outside of Detroit that has a history of being hostile to Black folks.³

Michigan enacted “Stand Your Ground” in 2006 and its law closely resembles Florida’s.⁴ In this case, the law can protect Renisha’s shooter from criminal prosecution if he believes that he was in danger, even if his belief is wrong and rooted in racial bias. But this tragedy and the countless others like it are preventable, if enough of us continue to speak up and demand justice.

Demand that Wayne County Prosecutor and the Dearborn Heights police department fully investigate and bring Renisha’s killer to justice. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Kim, William, and the rest of the ColorOfChange team November 11th, 2013

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.

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References

1. “Michigan’s ‘stand your ground’ law mirrors Florida law more than any other state,” Michigan Radio, 7-15-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3078?t=9&akid=3186.1689899.7lphca

2.”7 Mind Blowing Moments From Zimmerman Juror B37′s First Interview,” ThinkProgress, 07-16-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2799?t=11&akid=3186.1689899.7lphca

3. “Detroit activists demand justice for Renisha McBride,” The Grio, 11-08-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3079?t=13&akid=3186.1689899.7lphca

4. See reference 1.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Cutting our deficit in half

11/05/2013 Nativegrl77

Cutting our deficit in halfLast week a new report had some big economic news you probably missed: Since 2009, we’ve cut our deficit in half — and it’s falling at its fastest rate since World War II.

Here’s what a milestone like that looks like (in animated form):

In addition to improving our nation’s long-term fiscal security by reducing the deficit, President Obama’s working hard to help strengthen the middle class. And in the past three and a half years, businesses have created more than 7.6 million new jobs.

Take a look and pass it on:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/cutting-our-deficit-half