Tag Archives: Seattle

Below is an email from Ian Pajer-Rogers, a MoveOn member who created a petition at SignOn.org that is getting a lot of attention and may be of interest to people in your area. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.

Dear Seattle MoveOn member,

Dixie Mitchell, a 71-year-old cancer survivor, and her husband, Luster, have owned their Seattle home for 44 years. This is the same home where the Mitchells raised their nine biological children and cared for fifty foster children, and the house was paid off in full in the mid-1980s.

When Dixie needed some money to make home repairs and to help one of the foster children in her care, her bank advised her to refinance her home. Under the direction of the bank, she took out a loan that they promised would work for what she needed.

But then the loan was bundled and resold. Soon after, Luster, suffered a massive stroke that has left him paralyzed and unable to work. Because of the bank’s changes to the loan, Dixie quickly fell behind on her payments. Without her husband’s earnings, her monthly income is just $2,200 in Social Security and her monthly mortgage is $2,052.

Now, despite Dixie’s best efforts, the Mitchells’ home is set to be auctioned on October 28, and they have no place to go.All Dixie needs is a small modification to the loan and she’ll be able to keep her house. The problem is that Ocwen Financial,which holds the loan, just won’t budge. Not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to.

That’s why I created a petition to Ronald Faris, President of Ocwen Financial, on SignOn.org, which says:

Tell the Big Banks, enough is enough! Ocwen Financial will soon be the country’s largest holder of subprime loans. Ocwenis even a participant in a federal program to help modify loans for families affected by the housing crisis—but theystill aren’t responding.

The Mitchells are one of the thousands of families who have already lost their home or are at risk of foreclosure. The Big Banks have drained wealth from hard-working Americans like the Mitchells, and continue to dodge taxes while making record profits.

Demand that Ocwen Financial give the Mitchells the simple loan modification they need in order to keep their home.

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=265429&id=32075-17809870-SllSr5x&t=2

Thanks!

–Ian Pajer-Rogers

The text above was written by Ian Pajer-Rogers, not by MoveOn staff, and MoveOn is not responsible for the content. Thisemail was sent through MoveOn’s secure system, and your information has been kept private.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Groundbreaking community project creates clean, renewable energy in Seattle -Tualip Tribes

09/26/2011 Nativegrl77

on May 24, 2011

Qualco Energy Corporation aligns the interests of Seattle’s Tualip tribes, local farmers, and environmentalists with the financing and community support of Bank of America. To learn more about what Bank of America is doing in Seattle visit http://ahead.bankofamerica.com/local/seattle/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

You beat Bank of America in Washington …Michael Whitney, Change.org

09/16/2011 Nativegrl77

Can an online petition save a house from foreclosure? It did in Seattle.

Vera Johnson is a single mom from Seattle who was on the brink of foreclosure — despite the fact that she qualified for a loan modification under federal law. But Bank of America reps gave Vera the run-around, making her resubmit endless forms, claiming time and again to have lost paperwork Vera had sent in multiple times.

After 18 months, Vera was fed up. So she started a petition on Change.org asking Bank of America to grant her loan modification.

More than 16,000 people — mostly Washingtonians — signed Vera’s petition. And Bank of America representatives just told Vera they would grant her a permanent loan modification.

http://www.change.org/start-a-petition?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=PtmFtDmZny_BImiguPOnn

“I’m overjoyed, and thankful to the thousands who took action on Change.org to help me keep my home and business,” Vera said. “The success of my campaign shows that homeowners can take power back from banks if we work together.”

Making change happen in your community is easy. Start a petition on WWW.Change.org — step-by-step instructions are right here.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Michael and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

upcoming transit fights …Julia Deak Sandler

09/05/2011 Nativegrl77

Dear transit supporters,

I just noticed that this petition had not been taken down yet, and people were continuing to sign it. I will take it down today, but I just wanted to reassure those who were still signing that we in fact WON on this issue, and the $20 congestion reduction charge was passed, saving metro service for the next 2 years.

Nevertheless, our fight for improved, sustainable transit options and more progressive funding sources for them is far from over. Some of you replied to my last email with deep and valid concerns about the final deal that the County Council reached, which included cutting the Free Ride Zone and funding metro with a regressive $20 fee on all car owners.

If you would like to move past such regressive funding sources and increase the share of the tax burden on those who can actually afford it, consider joining one of these groups and working on this issue over the next two years:

– the fledgling Save Our Metro campaign, which is dedicated to grassroots organizing of transit riders who are not on email
– the Moveon.org Seattle Council’s transit sub-committee, which will be fighting to make sure Seattle does all it can to support transit, bike infrastructure, and sustainable transportation options (just reply to this email to sign up)
– Transportation for Washington, a state-wide coalition of groups fighting to make sure our state has a progressive funding source for the transportation options that make the most sense for our planet, our health, and our communities.
– FUSE Washington, which fights for more tax revenue and all kinds of public services in the state
– The NO on 1125 coalition which has been organized against Tim Eyman‘s latest attempt to derail light rail in Bellevue with Kemper Freeman’s money

You can also help from home by commenting on the conservative-biased news reports you see, such as this one in the Seattle Times today about the $60 car tab fee for Seattle residents only, which will be on the ballot in November:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016085821_cartabs02m.html

thanks again for all you do, and so long.
Julia Deak Sandler
julia_deak@hotmail.com

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Final Vote on Bus Cuts on Mon. 8/15

08/11/2011 Nativegrl77

: Image via Wikipedia

Your support for saving King County Metro has made a huge difference. More than 8,200 people signed our SignOn petition to save our buses, and more than 14,000 total signed letters or petitions. The testimony at the 7/26 hearing was fantastic, and we didn’t lose! But we also haven’t won yet…

We need six of nine councilmembers to vote in favor of the two-year stop-gap measure to save our buses. We have the support of 5 members, but the sixth has been elusive.

The King County Council was set to vote on the matter that day. Luckily, thanks to the thousands of people who voiced their support, the four remaining councilmembers — all Republicans — agreed to take three more weeks to seriously consider the the measure.

Now, we must double-down. This is our last chance to save our buses from devastating 17% cuts that will significantly hurt 4 out of 5 riders. Though I started this petition as an individual, I’ve learned that many professionals are working on this and related issues under the umbrella of the Transportation for Washington campaign. Here’s what they recommend:

First, please send your own personal letter to the King County Councilmembers. There are no more opportunities for public testimony, so calling or sending another letter is the best way to remind them of our arguments. Feel free to edit or add personal details.

Click here to send your letter. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5127/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7814

Next, pack the meeting on Monday, August 15.
Click here to RSVP. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5153/p/salsa/web/questionnaire/public/?questionnaire_KEY=608

Finally, we need volunteers to help petition, phonebank, write letters to newpaper editors, and enter data.
Email Brock Howell, field director of Transportation 4 WA, at brock@futurewise.org to volunteer.

Thanks again for your support. Your dedication to the betterment of our society and planet warms my heart.
Together we can save our buses. Stay strong & don’t give up!

Peace to all of you,

Julia Deak