Tag Archives: Senate

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Make a difference in Washington elections today

10/19/2010 Nativegrl77

Human Rights Campaign

November 2nd is right around the corner, and the election season is kicking into high gear. Pundits and observers on both sides of the political aisle agree; the elections this year will be decided by who gets their voters to the polls. We want to make sure your pro-equality voice is heard, so plan to vote early by mail– and tell your friends and family to do the same!

HRC-Endorsed Candidates in Washington

HRC has endorsed the following fair-minded candidates this year.

U.S. Senate
Patty Murray

U.S. House of Representatives
Jay Inslee (CD 1)
Rick Larsen (CD 2)
Norm Dicks (CD 6)
Jim McDermott (CD 7)
Suzan DelBene (CD 8)
Adam Smith (CD 9)

How to Vote by Mail

Voting by mail is one of the best ways to ensure that your vote is counted. You won’t have to worry about long lines on Election Day, going to the wrong polling location or feeling rushed at the voting booth. In Washington, almost all voting is conducted by mail and coordinated through your county auditor’s office.

In most counties (with the exception of Pierce County), county election officials will automatically send you a ballot in the mail if you are a registered voter. If your ballot does not arrive or if your address has changed, you may also register to vote or pick up a ballot in-person at your county auditor’s office until October 25th. Pierce County residents may request a vote-by-mail ballot online.

All ballots, including vote-by-mail ballots, must be signed and postmarked or delivered to your county auditor on or before Election Day.

If you’re not yet registered to vote in Washington, it’s not too late. You can still register in person at your county auditor’s office until Monday, October 25th.

With so much at stake this November, we cannot afford to have a single pro-equality voter sit this election out. Make sure you are all set to vote early – and don’t forget to spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues!

Sincerely,
Joe Solmonese Signature Blue

Joe Solmonese
President

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The final weekend

10/19/2010 Nativegrl77

Forget the “enthusiasm gap.” Here’s the real story about who is more fired up and ready to go — just as our campaigns shift into GOTV (get-out-the-vote) mode.

Reports are coming in from across the country of record early voting turnout in key states like Ohio and Iowa — with Democratic turnout far outpacing our opponents.

On Saturday, OFA volunteers reached out to more than 1 million voters in a single day — levels we haven’t seen since the closing days of the presidential campaign two years ago.

And on Sunday night, Barack and Michelle Obama spoke to more than 35,000 Ohioans about these final two weeks. It was the largest rally since the inauguration.

But none of that will be enough unless we continue building through the final days of this election.

Will you sign up to fill a crucial GOTV shift in the final four days of our Vote 2010 campaign?

As the President said in Columbus,”there’s no more important time to be out there knocking on doors, making phone calls, and helping voters get to the polls” than on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before Election Day — and on Election Day itself, November 2nd.

Supporters across the country will come together in the final days to help eke out every last vote we can — from the grandmother who would like nothing more than to vote and just needs a ride, to that last call to convince a first-time voter from 2008 that he needs to get back to the polls this year.

And from New York to California, Alaska to Florida — and everywhere in between — there are key races that will need every ounce of energy you can spare.

Please sign up to help in the closing days of this campaign:

http://my.barackobama.com/ShiftGOTV

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Looking at the polls… a message from Rahm

10/19/2010 Nativegrl77

I’ve been looking at the polls and I don’t see a single reason why Democrats can’t retain our strong House Majority with enough support. But time is running out.

Right now, dozens of Democratic House candidates are in the promising — but precarious — situation of trying to maintain a narrow lead in the final 14 days.

You’ve worked hard to carry our candidates to the edge of success. Don’t let Republicans scratch and claw their way back. Midnight tonight is a critical deadline to get money in the door to send out to key battleground races. Even a contribution of $5 can make the difference. But with only 14 days to go we need to get support on the ground now.

Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Two Weeks Out ad buy fund and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by House Democrats.

As a former DCCC Chairman, I know what kind of tough decisions they are being faced with and with just 14 days until Election Day, decisions are being made almost hourly about where to invest our resources. Every single dollar makes a difference.

This year, we have to help them meet a dangerous new challenge as outside shadowy GOP front groups continue to pour money into deceitful and misleading ads.

We can’t have a single regret on the day after Election Day. It’s time to go all in.

Rahm Emanuel

P.S. In these final days, we can’t let a single false attack go unanswered. Every dollar you give will help another House Democrat avoid being crushed by outside group spending. Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Two Weeks Out ad buy fund and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by House Democrats.

~ my 2cents ...

tempest Tuesday &some News

10/19/2010 Nativegrl77

FYI -Washington State ..King5 TV is providing a Voters info show tonight at 7PM so if you are having trouble with I1082, I1098, I1053 and 1100-1107 , Bill52, Res.4220 Res.8225 take some time and tune in.

Wow, so many well-known folks are on the West Coast this week! The President and Mrs. Obama will be holding rallies to move America forward on the left Coast reinforcing what folks should already know; Vice President Biden and President Clinton all in town to show solidarity to move America forward. The 2008 Presidential elections was only the beginning of what will be a long journey leading Americans not only into the 21st Century but a country we can all say works for everyone not just a select few, or for the extreme and or willing to throw everyone under the bus to regain power. It is important that we all realize even though Republicans refuse to admit it is that what happened to the US was a non-partisan reality. The Republican Tea Party chose in my opinion to abuse Americans and misuse their power of authority on the floor of Congress with filibusters, the 60-vote rule, stalling, blocking, and making the Senate scale back on Job Bills, putting in Amendments that no one would vote for to get legislation thrown out. After getting the facts, I cannot understand why anyone would want them to take over or part of Congress with all that they have done or to be more accurate what they have not done while supposedly representing “We the People.” We need people in Congress that will work not just for the people but allow the governing party to do just that; govern. But with comments from the likes of a Michael Steele who feels bipartisanship is overrated, that is in fact the way folks should behave in Congress when the impact of any crisis happens, it is their job to come together to make the corrections needed. If anyone out there is still undecided after 20 months of NO from the Republican Tea Party then i just do not know what to say.

I do know that the current topics of conversation by Politicians and cable heads are hot and when Congress comes back will create more conflicts among all who should be proud to represent all the people not just your state and stop behaving like children who continually have tantrums until they get their way. The American public is very tired of it and maybe it is not the way to govern but if needed i say to the left to the left

Today, my rant is about those issues like abortion, religious freedom just lying in wait until after the November elections and while some Politicians have edged over to bring up these topics those on the right who belong to the birther crowd demanding or questioning the validity of our President they are demanding people stay out of their personal lives. odd. The fact is, this do as we say not as we do Political Party has my blood boiling as the comments, complaints and vile talk about our President’s background, history and earlier behavior became major discussion on every type of media you can imagine. These same people who call themselves Republicans, Tea party and or libertarians continue to feel they are above the questions and not be held accountable, questioned or treated just like the President. These same people have accused President Obama of withholding information from the public yet they get offended when asked to provide more information please because they are running for public office. I feel their constituents deserve to know, the public and Americans deserve to know how these people will vote on issues of religion…will their beliefs dictate to how the vote and impact our constitutional rights. If you are listening and are paying attention conservatives and some conservadems are pushing the discussion of women’s rights, religion, race and gender preference up to the surface to rile their base but what has me confused is why is it mostly conservatives, mostly southern men who still have a need to control women and their bodies or healthcare needs in the year 2010. It’s bad enough that women on the Republican side mostly extreme tea party members say they are fiscal conservatives and want less government in their(our) lives yet topics like abortion, stem cell research/experiments and religious freedom have them not just flustered but their undies are in a bunch. I could not vote for a woman who feels I have no right to choose because they are pro-life because no one chooses an alternative options just because and if nothing else having a safe procedure is better than having a woman be desperate enough to take actions that would put her life at risk. It is my body and The Hyde amendment should be enough for folks on the right. I always want to scream hey, stay out of my life but here I am sounding off the alarm because they will be working on making it harder for women to have the right to choose will Congress comes back. Though we are in 21^st Century the ideology is barbaric and because the old school dogma crosses the line it solidifies how elitist the comments and behavior from Republicans as of late. If you live under a Republican State or conservative ideology, which promotes a class system, that feels they want government out of their lives but not the people they represent or practices systematic discrimination or blatant hate, you should think about the impact repealing, replacing and eliminating will have on his or her own families, friend’s co-workers. The idea that some Republicans want to go back to a time when women and people of colour had no rights sounds silly but before you laugh, take some time and listen closely.

just when I thought, we were all moving into the 21st century

-sigh

Other News …

**Shots fired at the Pentagon today,yesterday the history of the military museum was shot at -not word if they are tied

**Reports that 6-8000 construction jobs will start up with in the next few months/years throughout Oregon and Arizona

**Tax credit/rebates and appliance ends 12/31 -first come first serve

**French citizens continue to protest the increase in retirement age

**Homes in foreclosure …ask for all the documents on your home

CSPAN …

Pres. Obama Signs Executive Order on Hispanic Education Initiative
Today

State Department Press Briefing
Today

CSIS Discussion on Defense Industry with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush
Today

NALEO Discussion on Latino Impact on 2010 Midterm Elections
Today

C-SPAN Debate Coverage of Campaign 2010 – Monday, October 18
Monday

State Department Press Briefing
Monday

Steven Rattner, Author, Overhaul
Monday

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

• Bankrate.com -Debt merry-go-round & Shopping for a home equity loan

10/18/2010 Nativegrl77

Jumping off the debt merry-go-round

Dear Debt Adviser,

Jumping off the debt merry-go-round By Steve Bucci

I have around $15,000 in credit card debt from college. I’m approximately five to six years from my last use of these two cards, which have since been charged off. Assuming the seven-year point rolls around, what are my steps to ensuring these charges don’t follow me?

I understand the immorality of not paying a debt, but I haven’t been able to save enough to really make a substantial effort in paying it off. I fear I will get caught in a never-ending, $100-a-month payoff plan.

— Kyle

Dear Kyle,
It sounds like you need some help with your savings plan. My guess is that if you haven’t been able to save enough in five or six years to pay off your credit cards, then I’ll bet you haven’t been able to save very much at all. So, let me tackle your savings issue first, and then I’ll get to your very correct fear of a long-term, dysfunctional relationship with the collections process.

Saving money is not optional. If you want to be successful today, you can’t just save what’s left over at the end of each pay cycle. You need to have a plan to spend, a plan to save, and you need to do the saving before you spend. Low savings will force you to use credit, and in your case getting new credit may be problematic every time you hit a bump in life. A car accident, mechanical repair, illness, leaky pipe … you name it. Without savings, how do you handle it? Not well. Especially as you get older and accumulate more bumps in the road of life.

My suggestion is to immediately begin to put away a set amount each pay period based on a spending plan that includes savings. Every time you get a raise, promotion, tax refund or birthday gift of money, I want you to put half in the emergency savings fund and keep half for current expenses. Saving money that you don’t have yet is my favorite way of accumulating six months of expenses in an emergency account.

Now, on to your debt situation: The seven-year period you are referring to is the time frame for reporting your credit card accounts on your credit report. Negative information generally must be removed after seven years. But you still owe the money.

Collections businesses are big in the United States. There is a large and active market in uncollected debt that is sold and resold as the debt ages to increasingly aggressive buyers. So you can expect to hear from debt collectors for a very long time after the seven-year reporting period is over.

Another time frame you will want to be familiar with is the statute of limitations, or SOL, for collecting debt in your state. However, if your debt is beyond the SOL in your state, collectors can still call you and mail you in an attempt to collect what is owed. You can tell them you know about the statute in your state and you have no intention of paying. However, they can just resell your debt to the next collector.

As I see it, you have several choices. You can wait for the statute of limitations to run out and ignore the phone calls and collection attempts from the collectors, you can deal with the collectors on your own or through an attorney, you can file bankruptcy or you can work out a way to pay what you owe.

For complete closure on this part of your financial life, I suggest saving as much money as possible for the next six to 12 months and then contacting the creditors to explore a settlement for the amount you have saved. Be sure to get any settlement agreement in writing before you make a payment. Should you be contacted by collection companies regarding the accounts that were settled, you will need to simply forward them a copy of the settlement agreement. Whatever you do, start saving seriously and you won’t have to fear collectors ever again.

Get weekly advice on slashing debt and debt consolidation tips. Subscribe to Credit Card News.

Ask the adviser

To ask a question of the Debt Adviser, go to the “Ask the Experts” page, and select “Debt” as the topic. Read more Debt Adviser columns and more stories about debt management.

Bankrate’s content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate’s Terms of Use.

Tips on shopping for a home equity loan

By Donna Fuscaldo • Bankrate.com

Plummeting home values and tougher lending standards make getting a home equity loan tougher than in the past. But it isn’t a lost cause if you improve your credit score and shop around cautiously.

Qualifying for a home equity loan and getting the best rate depend on several factors, including your home’s current value and your credit score. The better your credit score, the better your chance of getting a home equity loan.

To improve your credit score, avoid making late payments, pay off your credit cards and be patient. The longer you can prove you are a responsible borrower, the more faith the lender will have in you.

Don’t forget to check periodically to make sure everything on your credit report is accurate. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to dispute any inaccuracies on your credit report.

Keep trying

Don’t just assume that because one bank turned you down, you’re out of luck. Try several banks. Many community banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations also have cash and want to lend.

When looking for a home equity loan, be mindful of high-cost lenders or what the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. calls “predatory lenders.” If the offer is unsolicited or seems too good to be true, chances are it’s not true.

Before signing a home equity loan, contact multiple lenders and rely on recommendations from family and friends. Comparison shopping is one of the best methods of protecting yourself when shopping for a home equity loan.

Create a news alert for “home equity”