Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

-Just the facts – What the Obama2012 Campaign is doing and a reminder of what President Obama has done –


First Lady Michelle Obama: “Join me in standing up for all those who have served.”

“The beginning of the Iraq war was a moment that no American will ever forget. Nine years later, we remember those who gave their lives, and honor the sacrifice of all the brave women and men who have served our country. In 2008, Barack made a promise that as President, he would bring the Iraq War to a responsible end—he kept his word. When he took the oath of office, more than 140,000 troops were stationed in Iraq. This past December, the last of our soldiers came home.
Now that our service members are home, we are doing everything we can to support our veterans and their families in the challenging transition to civilian life.
Barack expanded the Veterans Affairs budget and made it possible for more than 500,000 veterans previously denied care to become eligible for VA health care. And he streamlined the claims process to ensure that our veterans can get the high quality benefits and services they’ve earned — and get those services more quickly.
Barack helped pass tax credits to encourage small businesses to hire our wounded warriors
We also know that when our men and women in uniform are called to serve, their families serve right along side them. That’s why we’ve been working to expand employment opportunities, job training programs, and wellness services for military spouses and families — the folks who bear the greatest burden of their loved one’s deployment.
In the end, we all have an obligation to support those who have served our country so selflessly—from our veterans with special health needs, to all those seeking to join the civilian workforce, to families coping with the grief of losing a loved one. So I hope you’ll join me in standing up for all those who have served.
Visit BarackObama.com/Veterans to get involved, and to learn about all the ways your President is working to support our veterans and military families.
Thank you.”

Uploaded by on Mar 18, 2012

Help build this campaign: https://my.barackobama.com/feb2012resultsvid
We wanted to take a moment to share what volunteers across the country have been up to:
-Opened five new field offices in Pennsylvania -Opened seven new field offices in Ohio -Recruited 65 new team leaders in Nevada -Registered 5,000 new voters in North Carolina -Made 28,000 calls in Washington state -More that 2,414 students attended the Greater Together summits
Overall, we’ve been able to raise more than $45 million in February. More than 1,552,000 people have donated to Obama for America from April 2011 to February 2012. More than 348,000 grassroots donors gave in February alone, of those donors, more than 105,000 were first time donors.
This campaign continues to be funded by folks in all 50 states giving what they can. That’s why the average donation was $59.04. Also 97.7% of donations were $250 or less.
Thank you for all the hard work done so far, and for all the hard work yet to come.

by on Mar 18, 2012

Leave a note for the troops: https://my.barackobama.com/sharonpottervid
Sharon Potter is the first female in the state of Nevada to receive a purple heart by way of serving in Iraq. She stands with President Obama because of his continuing fight to ensure that our nation’s veterans and military families are taken care of.
In Sharon’s words:
“As veterans we’re the ones that sign on the dotted line with our lives and no veteran should have to come home and fight for their benefits.”

At 18-months old Jackson’s insurance company listed him with a pre-existing condition: ear infections. Starting in 2010 insurance company’s were banned from denying coverage to children for pre-existing conditions. As Jackson’s mom says:
“The Affordable Care Act makes it so that I know that my children are covered and that is an amazing thing.”

When Liam was five-months old his insurance premiums went up by 100 dollars a month. As Liam’s mom Rebecca says:
“It was completely unbelievable that insurance for a five month old could be that expensive. I called them and what I was told was: ‘You can change your plan or go somewhere else'”.
Since the Affordable Care Act passed, the insurance commissioner in Rebecca’s state has been reviewing the rates to make sure families get a fair deal. Because of this, Rebecca and her family received a refund.
In 2012, Liam got a insurance renewal notice in the mail, this time, his premium was reduced. As Rebecca says:
“Before the Affordable Care Act I felt totally helpless and I now I feel like there’s somebody looking out for us. I’m very grateful that the President has fought for health care reform.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Abuse at Hershey


Hundreds of foreign exchange students paid to come to America this summer, expecting opportunities to learn English and experience American culture.

Instead, the exchange students found themselves forced to work in back-breaking, round-the-clock production lines packing chocolates at a Hershey’s plant in Pennsylvania at low wages. When the students complained, Hershey‘s threatened to have them deported.

Now the exchange students are fighting back. They just walked out of the Hershey’s plant and into the streets to protest the abusive conditions and to demand big changes to Hershey’s deceptive “cultural exchange” program.

And they’ve teamed up with the National Guestworker Alliance to start a petition demanding that Hershey’s compensate the exchange students, and turn their work into good jobs for local workers. Click here to add your name.   www.change.org

Yana, a 19-year-old girl from Ukraine, lifts boxes that weigh 40 pounds — nearly half her weight. Peng, a 21-year-old economics student from China, also lifts heavy boxes during his eight-hour shifts at the warehouse.

Hundreds of students from Ghana, Turkey, Mongolia, and other countries each paid up to $6,000 for the privilege to come to America in a cultural exchange program this summer. Now Hershey’s pays them around $8 an hour for their warehouse work, minus costs of housing — leaving many students broke, tired, and disillusioned.

Why would Hershey’s want to use foreign exchange students as cheap, manual labor? According to the National Guestworker Alliance, a group helping the students, it’s about profit. Hershey’s is laying off 500 American workers in the next year. The company’s strategy is apparently paying off: Hershey’s pocketed $130 million in just the last three months.

The foreign exchange students are asking Hershey to refund the thousands of dollars the students paid to come to America. And that’s not all: The students also want Hershey’s to convert their low-paying positions to living wage jobs for local residents in Pennsylvania.

Please sign the petition to Hershey’s demanding the company refund the students’ costs to come to America and give their jobs back to American workers who live near the warehouse.

http://www.change.org/petitions/hershey-stop-exploiting-student-guestworkers

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Jess and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

We can’t let them get away with it


Dirty coal power plants are causing children asthma attacks and their parents heart attacks – all while leaking toxic chemicals into local tap water. This is simply unacceptable.

Up to 34,000 people – many children – are killed by pollution from coal plants every year.  At one plant in Portland, PA 30 people die prematurely a year!

Right now, owners of obsolete, dangerous coal plants around the country – like the one in Portland – are considering spending billions of dollars to keep these killers open. With an aggressive campaign right now, we can rally communities and shut the plants down. Can you help?

Please donate by midnight tonight  to help shut these worst-of-the-worst plants down. We need just 14 donations to reach our goal of $34,000 – one dollar for every coal-related death we must stop.

A drunk driver that kills one person faces justice. But what does a company whose pollution kills 30 children and adults get? Four years to slightly reduce its pollution – and a free pass to keep killing hundreds even after its facelift. I’m not ok with that.

What’s worse, it’s children who pay the highest price. The Portland coal plant alone causes five hundred asthma attacks a year. Right now, somewhere in Pennsylvania, one of those children with asthma is struggling to breathe. We don’t know her name, but we know she’s one of hundreds and could be the next victim if we don’t act now. Fight back >>

Just a few weeks ago, the owners of the half-century-old plant in Portland began reviewing whether to spend up to half a billion dollars to keep the plant open and continue to spew toxins into the air and water. We need to act now before they make a final decision.

We’ve seen what’s possible when we fight on the ground to expose the truth, mobilize local communities, and unite national opposition with grassroots action. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen the dirty coal plant in Salem, Mass and the Beckjord plant in Ohio announce shut-down plans – though we’ll keep fighting until they close their doors for good.

We can and must stop the coal industry from taking our children’s lives and their futures – but we need you to step up before midnight tonight.

Please help end the Portland plant’s reign of terror and stop other deadly plants like it. We need just 14 gifts from Washington to reach our goal of $34,000 – one dollar for every coal-related death we can prevent when we quit coal. Deadline: midnight tonight.

Coal-fired power plants kill in many ways ranging from coal ash to toxic emittants to being the biggest source of man-made CO2 emissions. But the coal industry has given millions in campaign contributions to buy a free pass – and leave children and families paying the cost of their dirty business.

If we have the strength to act urgently, we will save lives. Are you in? We have this moment to do right by our planet and right by our children.

Join me in quitting coal,

 

Philip Radford, Greenpeace

P.S. Please make your donation by midnight tonight on our secure website or by calling 1-800-792-6995. We need just 14 donors from Washington to step up.Thank you

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Cement in Silicon Valley …Patrick Schmitt, Change.org


California keeps a list of law-abiding quarries that are allowed to sell cement to government-funded projects. The list protects citizens by preventing quarries that violate state labor, mining, and environmental laws from getting any state funding.

Unfortunately, there’s one major, glaring exception: Lehigh Southwest Permanente Cement and Quarry in Santa Clara County has gotten away with ignoring state requirements since 2002 yet sells 85 percent of its cement to state-funded projects.

Lehigh is one of the top-polluting cement plants in the country — and the largest in an urban area. Their mining operation and manufacturing process pollute the air with mercury and send poisonous byproducts into rivers and creeks.

Cupertino City Councilman Barry Chang has had enough of Lehigh’s hazardous practices and blatant disregard for the law. He’s started a Change.org petition calling on the Office of Mine Reclamation and the State Mining and Geology Board to take over from Lehigh-influenced county officials and hold the quarry accountable. Click here to sign Councilman Chang’s petition.

All cement plants emit some mercury as well as carcinogens and asthma-inducing particulates, but Lehigh expels higher-than-average levels of all of these pollutants. Its limestone is especially high in mercury, which affects brain development.

If Lehigh isn’t put in check soon, they’ll have license to continue violating pollution laws — and move forward with plans to expand that will jeopardize more residents.

The community at large has already made major progress pressuring Lehigh – and local group No Toxic Air is suing the quarry for its extreme environmental violations. But residents need more public support to defeat Lehigh.

By holding Lehigh accountable, we can set a precedent for other communities in California and around the country facing industries that endanger communities and the environment.

Lehigh has been hurting the environment and its residents for more than 70 years. That’s far too long. Sign here to keep Lehigh from receiving any government funding until it cleans up its act — or shuts down:

http://www.change.org/petitions/remove-lehigh-permanente-quarry-and-cement-in-silicon-valley-from-the-ab-3098-list-immediately

Thanks for taking action,

– Patrick and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

“Democrats intentionally steal elections.” says, Maine’s State GOP Chairman Charlie Webster


You need to know this: Republican governors and state legislatures are working to pass laws to suppress voter turnout in 2012. Texas, Wisconsin and Florida have already passed legislation including restricting early voting. Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maine might be next.

These are all crucial swing states in 2012. If Republicans can prevent Democratic voters from exercising their right, we could lose the White House. And we could lose the Senate. It’s that simple.

Republicans can’t win on the merits – look how unpopular their plan to kill Medicare is. But they might very well capture the Senate if they keep Democrats from voting. I need your help to fight back now. We need 100,000 people to stand with us and draw attention to the undemocratic actions of these Republican state legislators and governors. Will you add your name?

 www.dsccc.org

After you’ve signed, be sure to forward this email to friends. All Democrats need to join together and draw attention to these disgusting Republican tactics. We won’t stand quietly by while they try every trick in the book to steal an election. It’s undemocratic, and it must end.

Sincerely,

                                Guy Cecil