Local Action, Big Impact

(copy of this email) Elections, Citizen Activists become Citizen Candidates, An Act to Invest in Our Communities (fair taxation), Beer Party

Vote Scott Muldoon for Town Meeting

UPDATE APRIL 2012: I am linking back to this post, from here, to urge people to again vote for (Kenneth) Scott Muldoon, who has been redistricted into Precinct F for 2012.  I'm editing this post to remove the info from 2011 that would be confusing for today's vote, in 2012! 2012 ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY APRIL 10

I was very excited to hear that Scott Muldoon, our friend, Obama 08 phone bank captain, and tireless advocate for progressive causes and candidates, has decided to run for Needham Town Meeting!*

Scott's thoughtfulness and thoroughness on the issues, commitment to Needham and its citizens, will serve our town's legislative body well.

If you live in Precinct F g, or know people who do, please vote for Scott Muldoon for Town Meeting!  (If you  want to ask the candidate questions, I'm sure he won't mind me sharing his contact info (as I have done it so often before for phone banks and other activities):  email him at Scott.Muldoon(at)Gmail.com.  I would also be very happy to try to address any questions you might have about Scott, town meeting or anything else, and help you find the info if I can't help you!

I am also hoping that Scott will be able to make it to the 3rd Ever Pre-Election Beer Party, tentatively scheduled for April 10 (Sunday) at my house (remember, it's the New Tradition:  beer party at my house on the Sunday before the Tuesday election!)

*check your precinct by entering your address at WhereDoIVoteMa.com, or by looking at Needham's Precinct Map from the town website.  

Raise Revenue, Invest in Our Communities, Our Futures

[UPDATE:  for latest scoop on this bill, see the Progressive Massachusetts legislation guide, (to go directly to the Act to Invest page, click here)]


An Act to Invest in Our Communities (House Docket 2553 02261 & Senate Docket 01416 1012: click links on bill #s to see the Bill's progress thru the legislative process.
UPDATE: GENERAL HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 5/5/2011--please contact your legislator ASAP)

For lots of great information on this, go to One Massachusetts's materials on revenue reform.

Nice overview of what's true/false about taxes in Massachusetts and why we are where we are today.

We need lots of grassroots pressure on the legislature to pass this. Please contact your representatives and urge their support--and ADVOCACY!--of "An Act to Invest in Our Communities".

from CBPP.org

Needham residents, contact:
State Senator Richard Ross: 617-722-1555, richard.ross@masenate.gov
State Representative Denise Garlick: 617-722-2430, denise.garlick@mahouse.gov
--NOT IN NEEDHAM? FIND your State Legislators here


AFTER YOU'VE MADE YOUR CALL/EMAIL--CHECK IN BELOW, so we can begin to measure our grassroots impact/efforts!:



MORE INFO

• Post Blue Mass. Group:: Please, Raise my taxes (3/2011)
• Sen. Jamie Eldridge on Budget Priorities (3/2011)
  • The fact is, our communities can’t afford more cuts, especially not two billion dollars. This is the time to invest in our communities, to keep the quality schools and services that make our state a good place to live and do business.// Everyone has programs and services they want the government to spend money on, but very few want to talk about how those services are paid for – with tax dollars. We all need to do a better job of being honest about the reality of our budget, and what we do and do not value as a Commonwealth.

Response from State Sen. Ross, 4/13/2011

Thank you for contacting my office about the “Act to Invest in our Communities “ bill. In this difficult economic times it is crucial to continue to invest in our public infrastructure to continue to provide for the high quality services the people of the Commonwealth have come to expect from their government institutions. That being said we must also find a way to encourage business growth and reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate. While these problems seem disconnected, they both impact the already strained budget that the legislature is beginning to tackle in the coming weeks and months.

That is why I will be interested in the information and financial analysis that will come to light after the public hearing of An Act to Invest in Our Communities. While I appreciate the creative approach to raising revenues, we need to know more about the broad impact of this legislation on the Commonwealth and on the services, such as education, that you mentioned.

Thank you for contacting me and if you have any future questions or concerns please contact my office.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Ross

State Senator

//

The Middle Class Fights Back: Wisconsin and more

(related content at: On Unions, "Class Warfare" and "It's the Economy, Stupid" posts)

Those greedy, lazy teachers succubi (from 2/28/2011)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - Angry Curds
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Teachers vs. Wall Street 3/2011

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer - Teachers and Wall Street
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Contact Scott Walker directly : govgeneral@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-1212\

On the Protests/Argument

• Sarah Palin Bombs In Wisconsin As Only 6,500 Attend Tea Party Rally, Politicus (April 16, 2011):

• "Forget being a presidential candidate, Sarah Palin isn’t even a decent headliner" 
• More on Sarah Palin in this separate blog entry
• MoJo, 3/1/2011: How will it keep going?

Polls, polls, polls

• Baacklash: Cops, firefighters turn on GOP in labor fight - POLITICO.com  (3/2011)
• Wisconsin Poll: Republican Enthusiasm Gap Vanishes in Wisconsin. Silver lining. 3/2011
• Daily Kos: Majority of early emails sent to Scott Walker were oppositional  ((3/2011)  

In Bed with the Corporatocracy

• The Republican governor's budget plan would open the state up to a corporate asset-grab not seen since robber baron capitalism (3/2011, Guardian)  
• A peek into Governor Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" reveals a shop of horrors that is just the opposite of actually repairing the budget. Among the items listed in the bill until Wednesday night were selloffs of state power generation facilities – in no-bid contracts notoriously prone to insider dealing. The 37 facilities he wants to sell off that produce heating and cooling at low cost to the state's universities and prisons. Walker's budget repair bill would have unloaded them at a low price, presumably to campaign contributors such as Koch Industries – and then stick the bill for producing this power at higher rates to Wisconsin taxpayers in perpetuity. (And this is all being sold as a "taxpayer relief" plan!) Invariably, this will make its way into new legislation once attention is diverted from the current controversy.

This is a Political not a Fiscal Issue

• Walker Emails show steps considered to punish Democrats (3/2011) 

Allies/Supporters of WI Union

• Catholic Bishops Back Wis. Union Protesters - Beliefnet News (3/2011)
• The Back Forty » Hey, GOP: How’s That Union-busting Thing Working Out for You?  (5/12/2011)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

(3/3/2011, Crisis in Dairyland: For Richer and Poorer)

Government/Public Employee Compensation

• Wisconsin public unions: Don't join the government to get rich | The Economist (2/2011)

Dying Middle-Class = Dying American Greatness

Is THIS a message that should resonate with our frustrated and angry Tea Party brothers and sisters? 

--

For decades, the American middle class has been working harder/harder to get less/less (stagnant wages). Big, moneyed interests have a LOT to gain by pitting working Americans against EACH OTHER, scrabbling over the same, shrinking piece of pie. The more we give in to that, the less we are likely to actually bring economic prosperity back to the American Middle Class, which is what made our country so great in the decades post WWII. Dying middle class = dying American greatness.

 --

SOME READING:

http://robertreich.org/post/3353591266

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/news/economy/middle_class/index.htm

http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/executive_excess_2010

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/02/are_wisconsins_state_and_local.html

Push Back: GOP overreaches on Family Planning, Workers' Rights

A phone call, A rally, A pizza, A donation.


Hi all, I'm away from home & internet access so I wil be very brief--I have been so transfixed by all of the events in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain. Things have been moving so fast lately. And the Wisconsin protest is extremely encouraging--it seems that the middle-class is finally finding its voice to push back against the big $$ interests that have been squeezing them/us for decades!

Here are some quick actions (Timing is KEY--some of these things are NOW):

The LONGEVITY of the Wisconsin protests is key: LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE HELPING FEED THE PROTESTERS:
donate a pizza, some bagels or fresh produce at one of the businesses below! (many protesters are taking time off and incurring personal expenses--let's support them!)

• Ian's Pizza 608 257-9248;
• Michelangelo's coffee/pastries 608 251-5299;
• Gotham Bagels 608 467-7642
• Willy Street Co-op (608) 251-6776 http://bit.ly/goISmV
• "Straight to Your Door" Delivery Service: $3 off with coupon "KILLTHEBILL":

(And spread the word!! A little bit from everyone can go far!)

Boston Rally to support rights to Collective Bargaining and Wisconsin Workers

For a quick overview --From CNN money no less--on why unions are important to the middle class. (And here's a response to those who say "teachers already make too much")

RALLY on Tuesday: PLEASE ask your friends/family to attend!

If you want to do carpool--I can send out word of cars available etc

• STATE HOUSE/Boston
• 4-6PM Tuesday (TOMORROW)
• Bring the kids, bring friends, bring signs (not required!)!

Support the WI Dems who are standing up to GOP overreach

• -Donate to the 14 Democrats who are pushing back against Governor Walker! (may I suggest $14 for 14 senators!)--let's send the message to Democrats that when they stand up for us, we stand up for them! (and let's face it, $$$ is the only message the media and politicians seem to understand clearly)

Defunding Planned Parenthood (defunding Title X)

• GOP is waging culture war against women again. Last week the GOP House passed a bill to strip organizations like Planned Parenthood of their funding--NONE of which goes to abortion anyway, by the way (always prohibited by the Hyde Amendment.). It now goes to the Senate. That means calls to Scott Brown ARE VERY IMPORTANT. And a call to Lynch thanking him for voting against the bill would be nice too.
• -Urge Brown to vote no: do not defund Title X

Phones: Boston -- (617) 565-3170

Washington, DC -- (202) 224-4543

FAX: (202) 228-2646 (you can use services like FaxZero.com to send free faxes from the internet!)

• -Thank Lynch for voting no: 202-225-8273

-
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THESE ACTIONS: your 1 phone call, $5 donation can turn into $15 and 3 calls if you just get 2 friends to do the same!

Energy, Environment, Climate

See also the "Money" entry for important info/links on the Koch brothers and their takeover of Energy Committee.

Big Oil, and other Big Polluters

• Ending oil subsidies could save $40billion... Exxon had 52% increase in profit last quarter (2/2011, bloomberg) (Markey bill)
• Barton: Govt Subsidies Necessary To Keep Exxon From Going Out Of Business | TPMDC 3/10/2011
• Windfall tax lets Alaska rake in billions from Big Oil, Seattle Times, 2008
• Koch's petro-chemical division

Attack the EPA

• House Panel Votes to Strip E.P.A. of Power to Regulate Greenhouse Gases - NYT 3/10/2011
• Small Biz group sign letter supporting EPA standards (2/10/2011, Small Business Majority)
• GOP: proposes $1.6B cut to EPA, defends $4B in Oil Subsidies (2/10/2011) (propublica)
• Utility Execs take issue w/ WSJ ed slamming EPA: "We're OK w/ EPA" (2/2011)
• Why American people of faith support the EPA « Many faith communities have found a calling over the past few decades to become better stewards of God’s creation in both their houses of worship and broader communities. 

Regulations aren't Red Tape. See this post

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Because They Can

• Boehner's GOP House brings back Styrofoam, ends composting (Feb 2011)

Propaganda/Public Opinions/Polls/Views on Climate Change
Yes, Virginia, there is a vast right wing conspiracy, and they want you to think that fossil fuels do not contribute to pollution or global climate change.

• Koch-funded climate change skeptic reverses course - latimes.com (7/29/2012) http://goo.gl/3Kzjn
• The Kochs' Climate Change Denial Media Machine | Center for Media and Democracy, 2/2011 (also look for Rachel Maddow's piece, "Oil and Coal Climate Denial Machine"... used to have a clip here, but it was apparently removed from YouTube due to copyright violations)
• Boston Globe, April 2011:  A majority of Massachusetts residents say global warming is happening and is caused by human activity, but many remain relatively apathetic on addressing the issue (survey)