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Tag Archives: health care
Who’ll Fight for Us Nov. 3?
Dear Carmen, When you wake up on Nov. 3, will anyone be fighting for working families? That’s up to us. So much depends on these elections—jobs, Social Security, health care, corporate accountability and more. Our vision of America is at stake. That’s why I’m asking you to do your part—to volunteer today for Labor 2010 actions in your area. Click here. After you sign up, a Labor 2010 coordinator in your state will contact you with opportunities to make a difference this election season by taking part in neighborhood canvasses, phone banks and worksite leafleting. We know that educating voters works—people who know about candidate positions on working family issues vote, and vote in their best interests. But we also know that—even this close to the election—too many potential voters can’t name the candidates, much less their positions on the most important issues of our time. That’s where you come in. We’ve done the research, dug into the voting records, scoured the news reports. Please do your part to get the word out. Sign up today to be part of Labor 2010. You know, there are some pretty scary candidates out there this year—people who are dedicated to taking us back to the Bush-era policies that created our jobs crisis and economic disaster. People who want to give tax breaks to billionaires, end critical government services, shred the Social Security safety net and turn Wall Street loose on us again. Together, we can stop them. Together, we can continue the progress we’re beginning to make to create good jobs and repair the economy. This election is too important to sit out. You have a voice—make it heard. Thank you for volunteering. In solidarity,
Richard Trumka P.S. The anti-worker politicians, the corporate special interests and the Tea Partiers are afraid of our vote. They hope we’ll stay home, frustrated and angry. But that’s not us. We fight…and we win. Please sign up now to volunteer. |
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Help teach Sarah Palin about the First Amendment
Sarah Palin needs to learn about the true meaning of the First Amendment. And that’s just what our friends at People For the American Way are setting out to teach her.
Palin’s recent statements about the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center betray a contempt for the Freedom of Religion guaranteed by the First Amendment. And yet Palin has tried to use the First Amendment to stifle legitimate public debate that was critical of radio personality Laura Schlessinger.
Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action
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Dear People For Supporter,
It is clear from her recent statements defending Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s egregious on-air racial insensitivity and attacking the so-called ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ that Sarah Palin does not know the first thing about the First Amendment.
Maybe she should read it again.
Our goal is to send tens of thousands… or hundreds of thousands… or with the help of Facebook and web users like you, maybe even a million copies of the First Amendment to Sarah Palin. If she reads it a million times, maybe the words will sink in and she might finally start to understand the concepts of Freedom of Religion and Free Speech.
Sign PFAW’s petition now and we’ll send Sarah Palin a copy of the First Amendment on your behalf!
Back when she was campaigning for vice president in 2008, Palin claimed her First Amendment rights were being violated because people criticized her rhetoric and some in the “lamestream media” questioned her scurrilous attacks on then-candidate Obama.
Now she has taken to Twitter to defend Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s repeated use of the “n-word” on her radio show in a screed about how minorities are too sensitive about race and need to have thicker skins. Palin claims that Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights are being denied because of the backlash against her remarks.
Unbelievable!
Someone needs to tell Sarah Palin that just as the First Amendment protects the right of Dr. Schlesinger to make racist, offensive comments, it protects our right to raise our voices in outrage. It’s shocking that we’d need to explain this to any political leader, much less a vice presidential candidate from the most recent election who has since been since granted major spokesperson status in the media!
Send her a copy of the First Amendment now and hopefully a basic understanding of its clauses will sink in with repetition.
But it’s not just the freedom of speech provision of the First Amendment that Sarah Palin doesn’t comprehend — she’s also unclear on the concept of freedom of religion. No one has been a more vocal critic of the planned Park51 Muslim community center in lower Manhattan. She has pointed fingers at Democrats, President Obama, “peace-loving Muslims” and others demanding that they take a position against a community center two blocks from where the Twin Towers once stood. One of the core principles expressed in the Constitution is the belief that people of all faiths, and of no faith at all, are equally welcome in public life. America betrays its deepest values when it says that minorities are welcome only if they know their place.
But Sarah Palin still doesn’t get it! Let’s help her.
Join our petition now to implore Sarah Palin to learn about this crucial piece of our Constitution which she invokes so recklessly and without understanding. We’ll send her one copy of the First Amendment for every signature.
And, please, tell your friends. Our goal for this one is to get a huge response.
Thank you for standing up for freedom of speech, expression, the press, assembly and religion — thank you for standing up for the First Amendment.
Sincerely,
Ben Betz, Online Communications Manager
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a message from James Carville
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It’s getting ugly out there.
None other than Sarah Palin announced she’s going to sic her tea party cronies on us in 20 make-or-break races. She’s even hopping aboard Republicans‘ “Fire Pelosi“ bus to spit her special brand of venom. Give me a break.
We can’t let these bozos beat us because we sat on our hands when we had the chance.
Early voting ballots are already going out so we’ve gotta act fast. The DCCC is getting ready to place a make-or-break advertising buy that will make a difference in toss-up districts, but they need to raise $184,664 more before Friday’s ad buy deadline.
Want to hear the only two words more nauseating than Sarah Palin? Speaker Boehner. Don’t wake up on Election Day with a case of the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s. Act now.
James Carville
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Higher utilities, parking fees, layoffs in McGinn budget
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn‘s 2011 budget proposal calls for layoffs of more than 200 city workers, higher parking fees and library fines, a hiring freeze for police officers and cuts to arts, culture and recreation.
Seattle Times staff reporter
PREV
CLIFF DESPEAUX / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Mayor Mike McGinn delivers his 2011 city budget address Monday at the Rainier Beach Community Center. Even with cuts, he hopes to rebuild the facility.
Related
Seattle budget hearings
The Seattle City Council will hold public hearings on Mayor Mike McGinn’s 2011 proposed budget. All hearings begin at 5:30 p.m., with sign-in at 5 p.m.Wednesday, Sept. 29: Northgate Community Center Gym, 10510 Fifth Ave. N.E.
Wednesday, Oct. 13: The Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave S.W.
Tuesday, Oct. 26: Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers, second floor, 600 Fourth Ave.
Watch Mayor Mike McGinn’s budget proposal address
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn’s 2011 budget proposal calls for layoffs of more than 200 city workers, increased parking fees and library fines, a police hiring freeze and cuts to arts, culture and recreation.
Residents also would pay more for electricity and other utilities under McGinn’s plan.
He addressed a roomful of people just after noon Monday at the Rainier Beach Community Center. Amid many cuts to departments, McGinn proposed funding a $20 million rebuild of the aging community center in Rainier Beach — something that was included but unfunded in last year’s budget.
The City Council, which is hearing a budget address from the mayor Monday afternoon, must adopt a budget before the end of the year.
The mayor and council must fill a $67 million shortfall in the $888 million proposed 2011 general-fund budget. In 2010, the general fund was $905 million.
“We did not attempt to balance this budget simply by asking the public for more money. We know it’s tight out there,” McGinn said.
The mayor proposed cutting 294 positions, 214 of which are currently filled.
Parks and community centers
The parks department would take an $8.1 million cut, with 105 jobs on the chopping block.
The good news is that swimming pools wouldn’t close and lifeguards would remain at all public beaches.
But seven of the city’s 22 wading pools would stay closed.
In a move sure to draw criticism from neighborhoods, hours would be reduced at five of the city’s 26 community centers — Alki, Ballard, Laurelhurst, Queen Anne and Green Lake.
“I didn’t take these decisions lightly,” McGinn said.
The Rainier Beach center would close for two years for its renovation.
Parks fees would increase.
Libraries
The library system would absorb 8.5 percent in cuts, but keep hours as they were in 2010. Libraries would be closed for a week in late summer, as they were this year.
His budget would maintain library hours, but remove librarians from eight branches, making them “circulating branches.” Those libraries would remain open for 35 hours a week, but no librarian would be on duty.
Library fines would go up.
Public safety
McGinn called for a halt to police hiring, but proposed re-deploying 30 officers to patrol jobs.
Parking
The mayor called for paying more at the meter, including charging for parking 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays (Sundays are currently free) and extending paid parking for two hours, until 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
The hourly parking meter rate would rise by $1.50 an hour downtown and 50 cents in other parts of the city. Current rates are $2.50 an hour downtown and between 75 cents and $2 an hour elsewhere.
The City Council, meanwhile, voted last week to raise commercial parking taxes by 2.5 percentage points, to 12.5 percent total.
Higher utility rates sought
Seattle City Light rates would increase by 4.3 percent in 2011 and another 4.2 percent in 2012.
Solid-waste rates would increase 7.5 percent, and drainage rates would increase 12.8 percent.
Water rates would increase 3.5 percent.
City employees’ pay
McGinn announced Sept. 11 that he had made a deal with a coalition of the city’s unions to lower their cost-of-living increases to the rate of inflation, saving $2.3 million from the city’s general fund. That deal affected about 6,000 workers, most of the unionized workforce.
The mayor also froze executive salaries. The budget situation could get worse or better depending on what voters do in November.
Mayor made “value decisions”
McGinn said he relied on “values” to make cuts and raise fees in his budget proposal. They included living within the city’s means, being effective, considering race and social justice, maintaining public safety and health, sharing prosperity, and being environmentally sustainable.
For every cut and fee increase, McGinn said, “I’ve made a value decision that I hope reflects the public’s value decisions.”
After the nearly one-hour speech dominated by the nuts and bolts of his plan, McGinn concluded by urging people to use the tough economic times to consider the “shared destiny” of people who live together in a city.
“I believe we will ultimately say to ourselves, ‘Look at our city. Look how proud we are of it. Look what we can do.’ ”
McGinn is delivering his budget to the council amid a power struggle between the two branches of government. Last week, McGinn accused Council President Richard Conlin of violating the city charter by signing a state environmental study about the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. McGinn says only the mayor had the authority to sign that document.
The revenue picture
If voters pass state Initiative 1107, removing new sales taxes on candy, soda, gum and bottled water, the city would lose about $1.2 million next year, according to the city budget office. If one of two liquor-privatization initiatives were to pass, the city projects it would lose between $2 million and $4 million in 2011.
But if a countywide sales-tax increase passes, the city says it would gain $8.7 million, a third of which would have to be spent on public safety.
The council spent much of the city’s rainy-day fund last year, hoping the economy would rebound. It didn’t, and the city still suffers a loss of revenue tied to sales taxes and building permits.
Trying to stay ahead of the falling revenues, the mayor made $12.4 million in midyear budget cuts in June. He closed some wading pools, postponed hiring 21 new police officers and laid off 13 city employees, along with a variety of other cuts.
Staff reporter Sonia Krishnan contributed to this report. Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com
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