Tag Archives: United States
Tell Congress: No cuts to Medicare benefits
Democrats on the so-called Super Committee are caving to Republican demands and pushing a plan that would make drastic cuts to Medicare.
This is bad policy and bad politics. Cuts like these are the worst possible way to reduce the deficit. They protect the status quo for the richest 1 percent while the 99 percent are expected to sacrifice vital healthcare that they need to survive in tough economic times like these — and they’ll hamstring Democrats running for reelection in 2012.
We’ve been down this road before. Republicans and some Democrats have been pushing plans to destroy Medicare and Social Security for months. We beat them then and we can beat them now with an overwhelming show of grassroots opposition to any plan that cuts Medicare.
Join me and tell Washington that this deal is Dead On Arrival.
The facts are simple: The average income of Medicare beneficiaries is about $22,000 a year. Our nation’s seniors can’t afford to have their benefits cut and hard-working Americans can’t afford to have their eligibility for Medicare raised to 67.
As more and more people lose employer-provided health insurance, the last thing the nation’s seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income children who depend on Medicaid need is for the federal government to slash these vital programs.
Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid did not cause the run-up in federal deficits. We have President Bush’s huge tax cuts for the top 1 percent, the unpaid costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the Great Recession caused by reckless, un-American, and potentially criminal behavior on Wall Street to thank for the mess we’re in.
Washington needs to make sure those who caused this mess pay to clean it up — not seniors, not Americans with disabilities, and certainly not low-income children who depend on Medicaid to survive.
This is a fight we will win, if we stand up and fight. Because when we work together, we’re unstoppable.
Thank you for everything you do.
-Jim
Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America
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The sad life of Petland puppies …Cristina Moon, Change.org
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While the puppies in Petland USA stores may look cute in their cages, chances are the puppies have led miserable lives that threaten their health from the day they’re born. Petland USA is the country’s largest chain of stores that sell puppies. Most of Petland’s animals come from puppy mills, where thousands of dogs are bred again and again to supply the pet trade. Dogs are kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions, and they often lack adequate vet care. There’s hope to stop puppy mill sales at Petland stores. Last month Petland Canada ordered its stores to stop selling puppies, in part due to continuous pressure from animal protection advocates. So Mary Haight, a Change.org member from Chicago, wants Petland USA to do the same. She started a petition on Change.org asking Petland USA to end puppy mill sales in its stores. Click here to sign her petition. Walk into any major pet store like Petco or PetSmart, and you won’t find puppies for sale. Those stores work with local animal shelters to find homes for the countless animals waiting to be adopted across the country. Yet Petland stores prioritize profit by selling animals from puppy mills, propping up this cruel business. Puppies bred in puppy mills are often plagued with poor health. Kept in cramped conditions and often housed outside in all types of weather, animals in puppy mills lead a pitiful existence. Puppy mill operators are also known to in-breed puppies, leading to other health and behavior problems. Each Petland store in the US is an individually-owned franchise, meaning Petland USA’s corporate headquarters can’t ban puppy sales in stores on its own. But Petland USA can stop any new stores from selling puppies, and a strong statement from the corporation would go a long way to putting a stop to its existing stores that buy animals from puppy mills. Please join Mary Haight in calling on Petland USA to support adoption and speak out against its stores doing business with puppy mills. Sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/petland-usa-stop-selling-pets-fire-puppy-mills-petland-canada-has Thanks for being a change-maker, – Cristina and the Change.org team |
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Victory for Dixie Mitchell … Ian Pajer-Rogers New Bottom Line
JOIN THE NEW BOTTOM LINE >>> www.newbottomline.com
Thank everyone for signing this petition from The New Bottom Line to help Dixie Mitchell keep her home, which was scheduled to be auctioned off on October 28th.
Last week, we delivered over 7,000 petition signatures and Dixie’s loan modification paperwork to Ocwen Financial in Florida, while Dixie’s supporters rallied outside of her Seattle home. Dixie’s story earned tons of media coverage in Seattle and Dixie also went on Up with Chris Hayes on MSNBC to talk about her case.
All the hard work finally paid off. On Friday, Dixie received a call from Ocwen offering her the loan modification that will save her home.http://www.newbottomline.com/victory_for_dixie_mitchell
This after years of Dixie fighting just to get Ocwen to look at the paperwork. It’s a testament to what can happen when people organize to hold corporations and big banks accountable to regular Americans.
While Dixie can now rest easy knowing that her home is safe, millions of other Americans are not so fortunate. The New Bottom Line is made up of dozens of local progressive, faith-based, and community groups in 27 states nationwide. We are committed to fighting for an economy that works for all Americans and are particularly focused on elevating low-income communities that were hardest hit by the financial crisis.
Join The New Bottom Line: http://www.newbottomline.com/join
Like The New Bottom Line on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/newbottomline
Follow The New Bottom Line on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nblcampaign
Whether it’s helping an individual save her home or fighting for principal reduction on millions of underwater mortgages, The New Bottom Line is at the front line of the fight for economic justice.
In this exciting time where the 99% is finding a powerful voice, join The New Bottom Line to stay up to date on all the action –whether it’s 40 Robin Hoods paddling down the Chicago River or a divestment campaign that you organize in your community– The New Bottom Line is at the forefront of fighting for an economy that works for all of us.
Thanks so much for your action.
Ian Pajer-Rogers
Online Organizer
The New Bottom Line
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Massachusetts Ranks No.1 in Energy Efficiency
by Alexis Petru
Massachusettswas named the most energy efficient state in the country, according to a
report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Photo: Flickr/monkeyatlarge
Massachusetts has been declared the most energy efficient state in
the nation, knocking California out of the No. 1 position for the first
time in four years, according to a national scorecard that ranks states’
energy efficiency programs.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released its fifth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard
last week. While Massachusetts garnered the top spot for the first
time, the Golden State slipped to second place, after holding the top
position for the first four editions of the scorecard.
“Massachusetts regulators have sent a very consistent message
that they want to ramp up their energy-efficiency programs. California
has been staying even, and Massachusetts has been flooring it,” Steven
Nadel, the Council’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times.
Next year, Massachusetts is on track to reduce its electricity demand
by 2.4 percent, the newspaper reported, while California will cut its
demand by 1 percent.
Rounding out the top 10 most energy-efficiency states were New York,
Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut and
Maryland, which made its first appearance in the top 10 this year.
The 10 states most in need of improvement were, starting in last
place, North Dakota, Wyoming, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, West Virginia, Missouri, Alabama and South Dakota.
The six most improved states included Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Alabama, Maryland, and Tennessee.
Michael Sciortino, the report’s lead author, said states can use
energy efficiency as a strategy to generate cost savings, promote
technological innovation and stimulate economic growth, even during a
recession.
“Clearly, 2011 has not been kind to our economy, but energy
efficiency remains a growth sector that attracts investment and creates
jobs,” he said in a statement.
To draw up its annual scorecard, the Council analyzed states’ energy
efficiency programs and policies in the residential, commercial,
industrial and transportation sectors, including utility programs,
transportation policies, building energy codes, state government
initiatives and appliance energy standards.
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