Tag Archives: medicare

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Member News


AFSCME e-Update

Featured Action
Help the Jobless, Not Millionaires
Unless Congress acts now, 2 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits on December 1 — yet they are talking about extending the Bush tax cuts for millionaires. Sign AFSCME’s petition to help families who are out of work and stop the millionaire handouts! No Millionaire Bailout

Drop It or Stop It
AFSCME is urging current and newly elected House members to live up to their campaign pledges against health care reform and forgo taxpayer-funded health insurance — or to admit their hypocrisy and denounce their anti-health reform campaign rhetoric. Join our efforts by signing our petition. Petition Denouncing Health Care Hypocrites

Women’s Conference New Date: March 18-20, 2011
We have a new date and location for the 2011 Women’s Conference. This national conference will be held March 18th – 20th in Orlando, FL. Check back at AFSCME.org in early January for more details.

Holiday Savings
Stretch this year’s holiday budget with money-saving discounts and special deals exclusively for union families. Check out AFSCME Advantage discounts on everything from flowers and laptops to wireless phones, car rentals and a lot more. AFSCME Advantage

AFSCME News

Across the Nation

Greenline, the AFSCME Blog

AFSCME Store: Duffle Bag
Head to work or the gym in style with an AFSCME duffle bag — now 50 percent off the original price! AFSCME Duffle Bag

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Pop Quiz


Pop quiz: Which of the following will make up a majority of the deficit in the next decade?

A) Social Security
B) Medicare
C) The National Park Service
D) PBS
E) George Bush’s tax cuts

Give up? The answer is E — George Bush’s tax cuts.

But this week the co-chairs of the so-called “Deficit Commission” came out with their recommendations on how to fix the deficit. Do you know what their answer was? They said they wanted to cut A, B, C and D.

That’s right — the co-chairs of the Deficit Commission said that they wanted to cut Social Security, Medicare, the National Park Service, PBS and a whole lot more. But they’re OK with leaving George Bush’s tax cuts in place even though those tax cuts are projected to make up over half of the deficit over the next 10 years.

These guys are dead wrong and it’s time Congress knew just how wrong they are — sign the pledge calling on Congress to reject the Deficit Commission’s right-wing attack on Social Security.

Add your name now

Not only are they dead wrong on how to fix the deficit, but they’re probably the only two people in the country who think it’s a good idea to cut Social Security.

On Election Day, Democracy for America polled voters nationwide on some key issues, and when asked about Social Security only four percent said they supported making cuts to Social Security.

The vast majority of Americans — 85 percent — said they don’t want any cuts to Social Security. But they don’t get a vote in the Deficit Commission, so let’s make sure Congress hears what they have to say — sign our pledge today.

Tell Congress to reject the Deficit Commission’s right-wing attack on Social Security.

DFA members told us to stand strong for Social Security. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Thank you for working to move America forward.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

Democracy for America relies on you and the people-power of more than one million members to fund the grassroots organizing and training that delivers progressive change on the issues that matter. Please Contribute Today and support our mission.

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They just declared war on Social Security …a message from Arshad


We knew this day was coming — Yesterday, the co-chairs of the Deficit Commission declared war on Social Security.

And it’s not just Social Security they’re going after. They’re declaring war on Medicare, the National Park Service and PBS, too.

Well, the Deficit Commission doesn’t speak for me — or the vast majority of Americans — and Congress needs to know it. Join me today and sign our pledge to Congress rejecting the Deficit Commission’s right-wing attacks on Social Security.

Add your name now

The Co-Chairs of the Commission released their proposal today. One member of the commission referred to the plan as “a good start”. It’s our job to make sure they know it’s Dead on Arrival. Here’s a quick sample of just some of what they’re calling for:

  • Cut Social Security benefits
  • Raise the retirement age
  • Cut funding to the National Park Service
  • Cut funding to PBS

When we say that the Deficit Commission doesn’t speak for the vast majority of Americans, we have the numbers to back it up.

On Election Day, Democracy for America polled voters nationwide and when asked about Social Security only four percent supported making cuts to Social Security. Over half support eliminating the Social Security tax cap for income over $106,000 a year and 31 percent said they wouldn’t change anything at all.

Let me say that again so Congress gets the message — We polled the exact same people who voted to put Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives and 85 percent of voters don’t want any cuts to Social Security.

This might be the only thing that 85 percent of Americans can agree on. Help make sure Congress gets the message.

Call on Congress to reject the Deficit Commission’s recommendations now.

When we asked DFA members what we needed to work on after the election, the answer was loud and clear — Stand up for Social Security. And we are.

Join us today and tell Congress to reject the Deficit Commission.

-Arshad

Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America

P.S. You can check the full results of our SurveyUSA 2010 Election Day poll here.

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RE: Recount Alerts: Eight Outstanding


Midnight tonight marks a critical milestone in our unwavering campaign to move America forward.

That’s the deadline for sending urgently needed financial resources to the field to support eight Democrats in races that remain too close to call. The most important thing you can do right now to ensure we win these battleground races is help us raise the remaining $43,627 we need by tonight’s Voter Protection deadline.

In the early morning hours after Election Day, we sent staff and legal teams to help these members locked in battles but they need urgent resources to keep up the fight.

Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

Stand Up for Democrats

I know I’ve asked a lot of you already. But what happens in these eight campaigns has enormous implications for the future. Having more Democrats in Congress will not only give us a head start on returning to the Majority in 2012, but it will also affect our ability to oppose the Republicans‘ radical plans for rolling back health care reform, dismantling the Department of Education and privatizing Social Security and Medicare.

Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

Time and time again, you have refused to have your voices silenced by the special interests. Now we must reaffirm our commitment to ensure every vote is counted fairly and accurately.

Thank you,

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

P.S. There are only hours left before tonight’s Midnight deadline to send out money to our voter protection efforts. Please stand with me to make sure Republicans don’t repeat the questionable tactics they used in Florida in 2000. We need these eight Democrats in Congress. Contribute before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

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Drumbeat


Today is a critical day for our fight for America’s future — one week from today, the American people will go to the polls. And tonight at Midnight, the money we have in the bank will determine what last-minute television advertising we can send back out to races for the final week and just how strong our ground game will be.

The Republicans believe you have already given up. They believe that the special interests, with their millions of dollars in secret money, have already drowned out your voices. We have proven them wrong before, and we will prove them wrong this time.

But we need you in this fight. Dozens of Democrats are locked in too-close-to-call races. Our success literally depends on being able to urgently wire funds to these too close-to-call races tomorrow. We are just $51,294 away from our one-week out goal.

Please contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight so we may wire these final funds to our Democrats under attack by the special interests and ensure that they can get every Democratic voter to the polls on Tuesday. Your gift will be matched 2-to-1 by a group of House Democrats.

Contribute Today


The stakes could not be higher. Democrats want to preserve Social Security and Medicare. Republicans want to privatize Social Security and cut Medicare.

Democrats want you to make it in America. Republicans want to send your job overseas. Democrats are fighting for the middle class of our country. Republicans are the hand maidens of the privileged few.

We cannot let the special interests drown out the voices of the American people.

Please contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight so we may wire these final funds to our Democrats under attack by the special interests and ensure that they can get every Democratic voter to the polls on Tuesday. Your gift will be matched 2-to-1 by a group of House Democrats.

We will win because grassroots Democrats like you have created a drumbeat across America for change. Every dollar you contribute brings us closer to a strong Democratic House Majority.
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

P.S. There is no doubt that we will succeed, but we need to raise $51,294 before Midnight Tonight to support our voter turnout activities in this final week. Every dollar you contribute brings us closer to victory. Please contribute before Midnight Tonight.