Tag Archives: United States

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Occupy Black America …The Black Institute

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Wal-OWS.jpgBlack celebrities such as Kanye West, Russell Simmons and Danny Glover have publicly supported the Occupy movement, but even with such an endorsement, Black people have had relatively low attendance. Some believe this is in part because when Black people turn on their televisions or search the web, they look out into the crowd and see mostly white faces. This gives Black Americans the sense that the protests are not about them. However, someone must take the first step. If Black people want to see themselves in the movement, Black people have to put themselves in the movement.

In this week’s blog we explore the role of black america in the occupy movement.
Read it and tell us what you think.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell Senator Murray to Stop giving Big Oil subsidies


Below is an email from Katrina Rosen of Environment Washington, 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 Washington MoveOn member,

Despite the five biggest oil companies making astounding profits of over $67 billion in just the first half of 2011, oil and gas companies continue to receive $15.6 billion each year in federal tax breaks.
We want Senator Murray to encourage the debt-reduction Super Committee to stop these wasteful subsidies to Big Oil. That’s why I created a petition to The United States Senate on SignOn.org,which says:
Despite being the cause of pollution and oil spills, even the wealthiest oil companies continue to receive billions of dollars in federal tax breaks. Please use your leadership on the debt-reduction Super Committee to protect our environment and our economy by stopping wasteful subsidies to Big Oil.

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=265307&id=32104-17809870-eDblPqx&t=2

Thanks!

–Katrina Rosen

The text above was written by Katrina Rosen, not by MoveOn staff, and MoveOn is not responsible for the content. This email was sent through MoveOn’s secure system, and your information has been kept private. Environment Washington did not pay for this—we never sell or rent the MoveOn list.

~ my 2cents ...

wicked weather Wednesday &some News …


just another rant ….

In response to an article written by AFL-CIO  … I was sent an article by Rep.Dennise Kucinich from jhaines, which i may not agree with because it is full of his “real” truth with not that much reality in my opinion

jhaines: What American Workers Don’t Need – by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, | 2012: What’s the ‘real’ truth?
jhaines6.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/what-american-w…

ME:

While i did not agree with what Clinton did by implementing NAFTA to begin with, certainly with hindsight being 20/20 he might if given better info changed the process of trade some to favour Americans more so than it ended up doing.” NAFTA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 8, 1993 and entered force January 1, 1994. Although it was signed by President Bush, it was a priority of President Clinton’s, and its passage is considered one of his first successes. (Source: History.com, NAFTA Signed into Law, December 8, 1993.” from about.com   I will say that after hearing how President Obama put some stipulations into the Korea agreement i am far more trusting of trade agreements that our current President is trying to implement …  it’s called fair and balanced contracts. I also feel that rep.Kucinich just does not agree or support President Obama from all of his comments and statements … I worry that Kucinich is against President Obama for reasons that are coming from the far right and that for me is enough to ignore
everything that Kucinich says. I would like to ask you- how do you feel that Kucinich was willing to jump out to Washington State at the drop of a hat just
to stay in the political game. I was offended that this guy would shop States because he wants to stay in the game not because he cares? Kucinich knows
nothing about Washington State let alone love my State and this is a sad example for any member of Congress but Kucinich is the topic so
his truth is just that … Rep.Dennis Kucinich truth. I prefer President Obama’s

thank you Jhaines for taking the time to respond to the Afl-cio article … I say talk is cheap action gets traction …I get it people have been ill-treated in
the past &why should Obama be different? I think that years of BS has been dumped at the doorstep of this President yet he has little slim or no partners
in that change we can believe in … why? Frankly, both chambers in Congress are okay with the status quo. We all have to remember that President Obama does not
create or pass the laws Congress does and so far they do not seem willing to get the job done… first they accuse him of not writing or presenting bills then
when he does both sides of the aisle whine. I say we need better members of Congress that will do the right thing, do their jobs, and work with President
Obama not against him …, which i feel Kucinich does

Other News …

Secretary Napolitano Updates Congress on Border Security

Senators Look Into Concussions in Sports

Exchange-Traded Funds Scrutinized

Grammy Award Winner Natalie Cole Remarks on Hepatitis C Awareness

President Obama Jobs Bus Tour

Social Security recipients to get 3.6 percent more  | ajc.com

Florida Moves Primary Date from March 6 to January 31

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help Save Dixie’s Home … Stop foreclosur​e on a 71-year-ol​d cancer survivor


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

Fair trade in every Starbucks, everyday …Amanda Kloer, Change.org


What’s the point of Starbucks having fair trade coffee if you can’t buy a cup of it?

Starbucks says a lot about supporting small farmers through fair  trade. But try buying a cup of brewed fair trade coffee in any American  Starbucks and you’re in for some blank looks and a long wait.

Fair trade fights common forms of labor exploitation including human trafficking, child labor, and other abuses. No wonder Starbucks wants to promote the fact that they source coffee  from fair trade certified farms. But walk into any Starbucks in the  U.S., and it’s likely that you won’t see a fair trade coffee on the  menu. Ask for it specifically and you’ll have to wait for a whole new  pot to be brewed before you can even get your hands around a cup of it.

Former Starbucks barista Sam Greenblatt has started a  petition on Change.org asking Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz to live up  to Starbucks’ fair trade ideals by making a fair trade option brewed and  available to every customer. Sign Sam’s petition to get a brewed fair trade option available to every American Starbucks customer, everyday.

Fair trade is able to improve the lives of small farmers by  connecting them directly to consumers — through labeling that tells  consumers where products come from and certifies the fairness of the  exchange. Without fair trade, many coffee farmers can only sell their  harvests for less than the costs of production, forcing them into a  cycle of poverty and debt.

Thanks to the enduring efforts of advocates, 100% of Starbucks’ brewed espresso sold in Europe is Fairtrade Certified. This means every cappuccino, pumpkin spice latte and caramel machiatto is ethically sourced as well as delicious.

It’s time for Starbucks to not just talk the fair trade talk, but  walk the walk by making fair trade coffee options easily available in  their U.S. stores. Sign Sam’s petition to get a brewed Fair Trade Coffee option available in every American Starbucks, everyday:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ceo-howard-shultz-offer-brewed-fair-trade-coffee-daily-in-us-stores

Thanks for being a change-maker,

Amanda and the Change.org team