Tag Archives: white people

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These Nine Indigenous Voices Are Inspiring Us Right Now
Português | Español | Deutsch | [+]From everyone at Amazon Watch, we wish you a happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!

We are deeply appreciative for the honor of collaborating with indigenous peoples, organizations, and activists, from around the Amazon rainforest and elsewhere. It is extraordinary to find common cause in high-stakes human dramas that, we believe, will help shape the future of the entire planet.

The struggles of indigenous peoples often center on collective rights such as self-determination, territory, and control of the environment in which they live. In highlighting the following nine individual indigenous voices, we recognize that there is danger given the context of collective peoples and struggles. Each person featured here is one of many who are doing amazing work together, on the particular indigenous rights campaigns mentioned and on many more.

All that said, allow us to introduce several amazing people we are looking to right now for inspiration. We collaborate with some on an ongoing basis. Others are activists we have yet to have the pleasure of meeting. All are profound voices to which the world should be listening.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

 
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Don’t Let Businesses Weaken Health Care Law Protections


NWLCbannerBusinesses are trying to roll back protections that can save women and their families thousands of dollars — unless you help us stop them.

Not so long ago, medical debt was the number one reason for bankruptcy in this country. Then the health care law put a limit on out-of-pocket costs women and their families pay each year for medical bills, offering a critical protection against medical debt. But businesses want a loophole that will weaken this protection for families.

We need your help to keep the law’s strong protections in place.

Keep the Health Care Law Protections StrongTell Secretary Burwell to stand strong against efforts by businesses to roll back protections for women and their families.

Take Action

Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released guidance to protect families from extraordinary health care costs. But businesses are fighting back, claiming it will cut into their profits.

Stand up for women and their families. Sign our petition to Secretary Burwell and ask her to stand strong against attacks by businesses.

Thanks to the health care law, women and their families finally have peace of mind, knowing that they’re protected against insurance companies. Let’s make sure those protections stay strong.

Thank you for everything you do to ensure women and their families have access to quality, affordable health care.

Sincerely,
Gretchen Borchelt
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

~ In the Library

In the Library … “Social Security Works!”


 campaignForAmericaLgo
Nancy Altman and EricKingson, Social Security Works’ co-founders, have written a book that representsthe culmination of the work that we have all been doing. Simply called “Social Security Works!”, the book explains why NOW is the time to expand Social Security.If we can reach a #1 ranking on Amazon.com during this week, that will send a strong statement that the movement to expand Social Security and increase benefits cannot be ignored.

Click here to get Social Security Works (the Book)!Here’s what Senator Bernie Sanders has to say about the book:

“Social Security Works! puts expanding Social Security front and center on the national agenda, where it belongs. Everyone who has a stake in the debate should read this important book.”

Simply put, the book makes the case that Social Security is the program that can help stop the collapse of the middle class, lessen the pressure squeezing families from all directions, and help end the upward redistribution of wealth that has resulted in perilous levels of inequality.

Click here to get Social Security Works (the Book)! If you already read your copy click the link and give us a 5 star review on Amazon.

We’re going all-in on expansion in 2015 and we’re kicking the year off with a book release that will bring the real story of Social Security to the entire country. The book explains that not only can we afford to increase Social Security benefits, we can’t afford not to.

This book is a culmination of the work that we have been doing since our founding in 2010 and comes at the perfect time to grow the movement for Social Security expansion.

Thank you,
Roger Hickey
Campaign for America’s Future
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Walker’s Wisconsin


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As Governor, Scott Walker Has Protected The Wealthy Few At The Expense Of Middle-Class Families

The GOP has its newest official candidate today, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker becoming the 15th Republican candidate to enter the presidential race. While Gov. Walker claims he is worried about the American dream becoming “out of reach” for too many families, his record in Wisconsin has proven to promote an economy that benefits the wealthy few at the expense of the middle class. New analysis by CAP Action shows that during Walker’s tenure, middle-class incomes fell $728 from 2011 to 2013, ranking the state 44th in the nation in middle-class income growth. Meanwhile, the 1% have the lowest tax rates in the state.

Even in the midst of his presidential announcement, Gov. Walker has continued hurting the middle class. Yesterday, Walker signed a state budget which included a last-minute amendment to remove a provision to allow workers to file a complaint if they are not paid a “living wage.” The living wage in Wisconsin, according to an MIT study, comes out to $10.13 an hour, while the minimum wage in Wisconsin is only $7.25. That means that if Walker were to actually follow the state’s living wage law, the 41,000 minimum wage workers in the state would earn $5,990 more per year, putting a cumulative $245,600,000 in the pockets of Wisconsin workers annually.

Check out this infographic to get the facts on Walker’s Wisconsin:

BOTTOM LINE: Scott Walker has feigned concern for the middle class, but the reality is that he has stood on the side of the wealthy few. From tax breaks for the top one percent to eliminating the state’s living wage laws, hardworking Wisconsin families have paid the price for Walker’s political gain.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Scott Walker: Pro-Growth For Who?


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Debunking The Rhetoric Of Gov. Walker’s Presidential Campaign Announcement

Scott Walker formally announced his candidacy for President of the United States last night, arguing that he is the candidate who would usher in a pro-growth era in America. He pledged that he is “for building a better economy where everyone can live their piece of the American Dream. That’s pro-growth.” But a closer examination of Walker’s record shows that he is only concerned about growth for the very rich.

Under Walker’s watch, the middle class in Wisconsin has suffered, but the wealthy few have flourished. This is hardly surprising as attacks on workers, stagnant wages, and favors for wealthy donors like the Koch Brothers have been hallmarks of Walker’s regime.

Since his speech yesterday, we have compiled a look at the gap between Scott Walker’s rhetoric and the reality of his policies.

Rhetoric: “To ensure that prosperity, we need to be for a pro-growth economic plan that helps individuals and families earn, save and achieve their piece of the American Dream,” he stated.

Reality: Middle class families in Wisconsin have found it harder to achieve the American Dream with their incomes falling under Walker’s watch.

Rhetoric: “Next, we need to help people get the education and the skills they need to succeed. This will help people find careers that pay far more than the minimum wage.”

Reality: Walker has refused to implement a Wisconsin law that would boost wages for workers. Instead, he is actively changing the law to evade paying higher wages for workers.

​Rhetoric: “To help live that dream, we have a plan to help the people of this country create more jobs and higher wages.”

Reality: Job growth in Wisconsin has suffered since Walker took office.

  • When Walker took office in 2011, Wisconsin ranked 35th in the nation for job growth.
  • Wisconsin’s ranking has fallen since then. In 2014, Wisconsin ranked 38th in the nation for job growth.

Rhetoric: “And then, we need to lower the burden on hard-working taxpayers to improve take-home pay. …The government could charge the higher rates and a few of you could afford it. Or, we can lower the rates and broaden the base and increase the volume of people participating in our economy.”

Rhetoric: “Since I’ve been Governor, we took on the unions and won.”

Reality: Walker often proudly points to his fight to strip collective bargaining rights from workers as one of his biggest accomplishments. But unions are integral to the health of the middle class.

Reality: Walker’s tax cuts have disproportionally benefitted the wealthy few who need it the least.

  • As Wisconsin’s union membership rate has fallen, so has the share of income going to the middle class:

BOTTOM LINE: Scott Walker is loudly trumpeting his goal as a presidential candidate to “fight and win.” But for whom? As Governor, the winners have been the wealthy few who benefited the most from his tax cuts and already pay lower taxes than anyone. The losers have been hardworking everyday Wisconsinites who have seen incomes fall, job growth slow, and the middle class under attack. That’s been wrong for Wisconsin, and it’s wrong for the country.