Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Irreplaceable orcas

Below is an email from Alex Vanderweele from the organization EarthJustice, who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.



Sign the petition

Dear MoveOn member,

The critically endangered population of Pacific Northwest orcas has been reduced to only 84 whales. Now, they face a new threat from anti-environmental groups seeking to strip away their Endangered Species Act protections.

Tell the National Marine Fisheries Service that this unique population deserves full protection under the law.

These unique marine mammals have been decimated by the decline of salmon—their primary prey—and by toxic pollution and habitat degradation from shipping, sonar, and other human activities. They need more, not less, protection.

Please voice your support for continuing vital protections for the Pacific Northwest's irreplaceable killer whales by signing the petition I created on SignOn.org to the Protected Resources Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service, which says:

I support continued protections for southern resident killer whales under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Removing ESA protections that the orcas vitally need not only threatens the survival of this fragile population, it would also needlessly disrupt and undermine recovery efforts that demand more—not less—attention.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Alex Vanderweele

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. EarthJustice didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 23, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The NRA wants to you delete this email

Hi—I wanted to make sure you saw my email yesterday about President Obama's big announcement on ending gun violence. We're getting an amazing response to our plan to stand with him and overcome the NRA. Can you chip in $5 today?


President Obama just announced an ambitious plan to reduce gun violence. The NRA and the politicians in their pockets will fight hard to stop him. Will you chip in $5 to help fund our work, including this historic push to end gun violence?

Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

This is it.

President Obama just proposed "the most aggressive and expansive national gun-control agenda in generations."1

Mandatory background checks for all gun buyers. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. More money for mental health. Stronger enforcement of the laws currently on the books.

It took a horrifying, unthinkable tragedy to put guns back on the agenda. But we finally have a real chance to put some sanity into America's gun laws.

This won't be easy. The NRA, backed by major funding from the gun industry, is already pouring money into a gutless TV ad campaign smearing President Obama as an "elitist hypocrite."2

But after President Obama's big announcement, there's no going back. We have to go big. We're aiming to raise $200,000 today to beef up our grassroots campaign to pressure members of Congress and politicians at every level of government to get them on board with the president's plan. Can you chip in $5?

Yes, I can contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Our plan has three parts, all designed to overpower NRA money and lobbying to get gun violence prevention measures enacted:

1. An on-the-ground grassroots organizing onslaught to counter the NRA's network. Tomorrow, in more than 200 communities and every major city, Community Committees Against Gun Violence are meeting to create action plans for winning gun violence prevention legislation—and beating the NRA—in city halls, state capitols, and D.C.

Here's an example of the kind of actions we'll be planning: MoveOn members organized a gun show protest this past weekend in Saratoga Springs, New York. They held a vigil in remembrance of Sandy Hook, followed by speeches from an elementary school student, a veteran, and local elected officials calling for action to reduce gun violence.3 We need to pay for organizers and local ads to make sure communities know what's happening and how they can participate in powerful actions like this.

2. A communications strategy to elevate voices and campaigns of gun violence prevention activists. We'll promote more activists like MoveOn member Maria Roach, whose petition against the gun lobbyists' "Gun Appreciation Day" has garnered national attention and led to an embarrassing and offensive statement from the chief organizers of the event.4

More people stepped up to take action on gun violence after Sandy Hook than in any other single moment in MoveOn's history. We'll help them tell their stories in local and national media, and make it easy for you to share the stories online.

3. An over-the-air multimedia campaign to bust the NRA's myths. The NRA's leaders and lobbyists have been misleading the public and members of Congress for a generation. It's time to tell the truth, and we're ready to do it. We'll make and distribute videos and materials that reveal just how loophole-ridden our gun laws are and how we have to fix them to save lives.

We can win real gun violence prevention laws. Now is the time to go all in and make our generation the one that put an end to rampant gun violence.

Click here to contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Steven, Anna, Manny, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Obama to announce most expansive gun-control agenda in generations," The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286430&id=61024-10220574-sGLedkx&t=5

2. "NRA's new ad calls Obama 'elitist hypocrite,'" The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286431&id=61024-10220574-sGLedkx&t=6

3. "Saratoga Gun Fair is Underway—Protests Peaceful: Audio, Video inside," Saratoga Wire, January 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286363&id=61024-10220574-sGLedkx&t=7

4. "Larry Ward, Gun Appreciation Day Founder, Says Armed African Americans Could've Prevented Slavery (VIDEO)," The Huffington Post, January 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286428&id=61024-10220574-sGLedkx&t=8

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 17, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

BREAKING: Obama's big announcement on guns

President Obama just announced an ambitious plan to reduce gun violence. The NRA and the politicians in their pockets will fight hard to stop him. Will you chip in $5 to help fund our work, including this historic push to end gun violence?

Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

This is it.

Today, President Obama proposed "the most aggressive and expansive national gun-control agenda in generations."1

Mandatory background checks for all gun buyers. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. More money for mental health. Stronger enforcement of the laws currently on the books.

It took a horrifying, unthinkable tragedy to put guns back on the agenda. But we finally have a real chance to put some sanity into America's gun laws.

This won't be easy. The NRA, backed by major funding from the gun industry, is already pouring money into a gutless TV ad campaign smearing President Obama as an "elitist hypocrite."2

But after President Obama's announcement today, there's no going back. We have to go big. We're aiming to raise $200,000 today to beef up our grassroots campaign to pressure members of Congress and politicians at every level of government to get them on board with the president's plan. Can you chip in $5?

Yes, I can contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Our plan has three parts, all designed to overpower NRA money and lobbying to get gun violence prevention measures enacted:

1. An on-the-ground grassroots organizing onslaught to counter the NRA's network. Tomorrow, in more than 200 communities and every major city, Community Committees Against Gun Violence are meeting to create action plans for winning gun violence prevention legislation—and beating the NRA—in city halls, state capitols, and D.C.

Here's an example of the kind of actions we'll be planning: MoveOn members organized a gun show protest this past weekend in Saratoga Springs, New York. They held a vigil in remembrance of Sandy Hook, followed by speeches from an elementary school student, a veteran, and local elected officials calling for action to reduce gun violence.3 We need to pay for organizers and local ads to make sure communities know what's happening and how they can participate in powerful actions like this.

2. A communications strategy to elevate voices and campaigns of gun violence prevention activists. We'll promote more activists like MoveOn member Maria Roach, whose petition against the gun lobbyists' "Gun Appreciation Day" has garnered national attention and led to an embarrassing and offensive statement from the chief organizers of the event.4

More people stepped up to take action on gun violence after Sandy Hook than in any other single moment in MoveOn's history. We'll help them tell their stories in local and national media, and make it easy for you to share the stories online.

3. An over-the-air multimedia campaign to bust the NRA's myths. The NRA's leaders and lobbyists have been misleading the public and members of Congress for a generation. It's time to tell the truth, and we're ready to do it. We'll make and distribute videos and materials that reveal just how loophole-ridden our gun laws are and how we have to fix them to save lives.

We can win real gun violence prevention laws. Now is the time to go all in and make our generation the one that put an end to rampant gun violence.

Click here to contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Steven, Anna, Manny, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Obama to announce most expansive gun-control agenda in generations," The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286430&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=4

2. "NRA's new ad calls Obama 'elitist hypocrite,'" The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286431&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=5

3. "Saratoga Gun Fair is Underway—Protests Peaceful: Audio, Video inside," Saratoga Wire, January 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286363&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=6

4. "Larry Ward, Gun Appreciation Day Founder, Says Armed African Americans Could've Prevented Slavery (VIDEO)," The Huffington Post, January 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286428&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=7

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 16, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Standing up to the NRA--finally

The NRA has blocked progress on gun violence prevention for years—but right now there's an opening. Can you chip in $5 to help support our emergency campaign to keep the NRA on their heels and push for real change?

Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

Are we finally ready to take on the National Rifle Association?

The NRA's power has long been an explanation—and an excuse—for why we can't pass serious gun violence prevention laws in America.

But in the wake of Sandy Hook, something has shifted. Maybe it's the polls showing a 18-point jump in support for stronger laws.1 Or the fact that most gun owners and NRA members disagree with the NRA's policy agenda.2 Or the bizarre press conference by Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's CEO, where he called for more guns in schools.3

Whatever the reason, it's suddenly clear that the NRA ISN'T all-powerful. Yes, they spend a boatload of money on lobbying and elections—but so did Big Tobacco, and laws limiting smoking are now commonplace. Public opinion matters. The NRA can't block an idea whose time has come. 

The Obama Administration and state-level elected officials around the country are debating how ambitious their reforms can be. We urgently need to keep the NRA on its heels—to prevent them from regaining the upper hand in setting the agenda. So we're putting together an emergency campaign to do exactly that. Can you chip in $5?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 to keep the NRA on its heels so that real work on gun violence prevention can move forward.

Here's what we're doing.

1) Catalyzing a huge wave of local organizing to counter the NRA's network. A broad range of folks need to come together—parents, law enforcement officials, health experts, gun owners, community leaders, religious leaders, and more—on the local level to act as a political counterweight to the NRA's boots-on-the-ground network. And the good news is, there's already a ton happening: MoveOn members have started over 100 local Community Committees Against Gun Violence, on the heels of over 300 vigils just after Sandy Hook.

And there's much more energy out there—but people need support to get organized. We need to pay for organizers, and for local advertising—from online ads to billboards—so that folks know what's happening in their town and can get connected. And then we need more resources for flyers, yard signs, meetingspace rentals, and more.

2) Launching hard-hitting actions highlighting the NRA's extremism at the national level. We need to pay for ads and organizers that support in-person volunteer-led events in New York and Washington, DC to draw the national media's attention to the NRA's political extremism.

Chip in $5 to keep on its heels and demand real solutions for gun violence.

Here's just one example: a coalition of gun groups have called for a "gun appreciation day" just before President Obama's inauguration. They're asking people to go to local gun stores and gun shows "with your Constitution, American flags and your 'Hands Off My Guns' sign."

Maria Roach, a MoveOn leader and founder of a new gun violence prevention group called United for Change USA, started a petition against this "Gun Appreciation Day," and it already has over 20,000 signers. With support, she can pull off a high-profile event to deliver these signatures directly to the NRA headquarters in Washington, driving media attention and putting the NRA on the spot—does it really want to support something like this in the wake of the brutal murders of 26 people in Newtown?

There are hundreds of other member-led campaigns bubbling up that we want to similarly support—since any of them could be the thing that breaks through and captures the attention of the national media.

We have a brief window to take all the people who are moved to act, give them the help they need to organize, and knit them together into a national campaign that can't be ignored—to cement the emerging conventional wisdom that the NRA is a retrograde, out-of-touch, industry-funded interest group that can't stop needed progress.

We CAN pass strong laws at the federal, state, and local level to prevent gun violence—if the NRA stays on the defense. And MoveOn members are already organizing to make that happen.

Can you chip in? Click here:

https://civ.moveon.org/donatec4/gunsafety1.html?id=60735-10220574-vdLKn2x&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Lenore, Anna, Bobby, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Poll: Support for stricter gun control at a 10-year high," CBS News, December 17, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286155&id=60735-10220574-vdLKn2x&t=5

2. "5 Issues That Divide Gun Owners and NRA Leadership," Alternet, July 22, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286156&id=60735-10220574-vdLKn2x&t=6

3. "Wayne LaPierre's Speech Was a Total Public Relations Disaster, Say PR Experts," The Huffington PostDecember 21, 2012 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286002&id=60735-10220574-vdLKn2x&t=7

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 11, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

TONIGHT: Join the 2013 kick off call!

Dear MoveOn member,

This is just a quick reminder about the 2013 kick off call TONIGHT at 9 p.m. ET (8 CT / 7 MT / 6 PT / 3 HT).

On the call we'll hear from MoveOn members who are running successful member-led campaigns, discuss campaigns we could lead in our communities, and brainstorm the tools and resources that would help get us started.

If you haven't yet, RSVP and get call-in details by clicking here.

In case you missed it, the original email with more background on the call is below.

Talk to you tonight!

–Amy and the rest of the team


Join the 2013 kick off call this Thursday, January 10, at 9 p.m. ET to kick off a powerful year and begin laying the foundation for our bold new vision of member-led campaigning. To sign up, click here:

Sign up for the call!

Dear MoveOn member,

In 2012 we proved that big money is no match for people-power—but we also saw just how strong the corporate stranglehold in Washington is. We need a game changer to shift the power in DC back to the people and away from lobbyists.

For years, MoveOn members have been at the forefront of major national fights and we've played an important role in significant progressive victories. But playing by the same rules has only taken us so far. So we're launching a new, radically decentralized model of campaigning—a bold new path that puts MoveOn members like you more fully in the driver's seat so that we can take on and win more campaigns than ever before.

To launch into our bold new vision and kick off a powerful new year, there's a National Conference call this Thursday, January 10th, at 9 p.m. ET (8 CT / 7 MT / 6 PT / 3 HT). On the call we'll hear from MoveOn members who have led the way in member-driven campaigning, and talk about different campaigns we could run and the tools and structures we can begin developing to support more member-led campaigning.

MoveOn member leaders like you are the key to this bold new shift. Can you join the call?

Click here to sign up for Thursday's call and get the details.

This is an ambitious plan and there's a lot to figure out, but with over 7 million members and more than 14 years of online campaign experience, MoveOn is ready to tackle this vision, not just to show that people-powered politics can work, but because people-powered politics is the only way that we're going to put our democracy back in the hands of the people.

Talk to you on Thursday!

–Amy, Susannah, Alejandro, David, and the rest of the team

PS. Want to read about more campaigns that MoveOn members are leading on? Check out the SignOn.org victories page, here.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 10, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Gov. Cuomo: Ban fracking now

Below is an email from Alex Beauchamp of the organization Food and Water Watch, who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear New York MoveOn member,

With a thirty-day public comment period on new fracking regulations ending on January 11, we must generate thousands of public comments calling for a ban on fracking.

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Governor Andrew Cuomo and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens, which says:

The Cuomo administration's proposed regulations (High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing-Revised Proposed Regs, ID No. ENV-39-11-00020-RP) cannot and will not make fracking safe. Fracking is an inherently dangerous process, and I urge this administration to call for a ban.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Alex Beauchamp

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Food and Water Watch didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 9, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Thursday: Join the 2013 kick off call!

Join the 2013 kick off call this Thursday, January 10, at 9 p.m. ET to kick off a powerful year and begin laying the foundation for our bold new vision of member-led campaigning. To sign up, click here:

Sign up for the call!

Dear MoveOn member,

In 2012 we proved that big money is no match for people-power—but we also saw just how strong the corporate stranglehold in Washington is. We need a game changer to shift the power in DC back to the people and away from lobbyists.

For years, MoveOn members have been at the forefront of major national fights and we've played an important role in significant progressive victories. But playing by the same rules has only taken us so far. So we're launching a new, radically decentralized model of campaigning—a bold new path that puts MoveOn members like you more fully in the driver's seat so that we can take on and win more campaigns than ever before.

To launch into our bold new vision and kick off a powerful new year, there's a National Conference call this Thursday, January 10th, at 9 p.m. ET (8 CT / 7 MT / 6 PT / 3 HT). On the call we'll hear from MoveOn members who have led the way in member-driven campaigning, and talk about different campaigns we could run and the tools and structures we can begin developing to support more member-led campaigning.

MoveOn member leaders like you are the key to this bold new shift. Can you join the call?

Click here to sign up for Thursday's call and get the details.

This is an ambitious plan and there's a lot to figure out, but with over 7 million members and more than 14 years of online campaign experience, MoveOn is ready to tackle this vision, not just to show that people-powered politics can work, but because people-powered politics is the only way that we're going to put our democracy back in the hands of the people.

Talk to you on Thursday!

–Amy, Susannah, Alejandro, David, and the rest of the team

PS. Want to read about more campaigns that MoveOn members are leading on? Check out the SignOn.org victories page, here.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 7, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Breaking: Petition urging President Obama to nominate Paul Krugman for Treasury Secretary gets legs

Below is an email from the actor Danny Glover, who worked with the organization Just Foreign Policy to create a petition that's taking off on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.



Urge President Obama to Nominate Paul Krugman for Treasury Secretary.

Sign the Petition!
Dear MoveOn member,

Press reports say President Obama will soon nominate a new Treasury Secretary. Press speculation has centered on candidates likely to support the Wall Street agenda of cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and other domestic spending rather than government policies to create jobs.  

We want President Obama to nominate Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who opposes austerity and wants the government to focus on creating jobs.

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to President Barack Obama, which says:

We urge you to nominate Paul Krugman for Treasury Secretary. Krugman will protect Social Security and Medicare from benefit cuts, promote policies to create jobs, and help defeat the austerity dogma in Washington and around the world.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Danny Glover

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Danny Glover didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 6, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Want to curb one of the GOP's biggest methods of obstruction?

Will you call Senator Charles Schumer? Tell him: "Vote for the Udall-Harkin-Merkley proposal to fix the filibuster."

Senator Charles Schumer
Phone: (202) 224-6542

Report Your Call!
Dear MoveOn member,

Congressional dysfunction never ceases to amaze. The recently concluded fiscal showdown negotiations exemplified how Senate and House rules reward obstruction and make it almost impossible to get policies supported by the American people enacted.

We've got one urgent opportunity to change the rules in the Senate—by reforming the filibuster.

Tomorrow, after new senators like Elizabeth Warren are sworn in, Senate Democrats will vote on new filibuster rules.1 There's a proposal on the table from Senators Tom Udall, Tom Harkin, and Jeff Merkley that could make a real difference by:2

  • Ending secret holds. All filibusters would have to happen in public.
  • Forcing obstructionists to hold "talking filibusters." If a senator wants to block a vote, s/he will have to stand on the floor and say why.

Senator Charles Schumer needs to know MoveOn members are counting on him to vote for this proposal, rather than a watered-down alternative that maintains the status quo.3 He needs to hear from us today, because tomorrow's vote is a unique moment when rules can be changed with a simple majority vote—and our best chance to end the Senate gridlock standing in the way of good paying jobs legislation, meaningful gun safety measures, and much more.

Will you call Sen. Schumer right now? Tell him: "Vote for the Udall-Harkin-Merkley proposal to fix the filibuster."

Here's where to call:

Senator Charles Schumer
Phone: (202) 224-6542

Then, please report your call by clicking here.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Anna, Joan, Lenore, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "The First Week in January," Huffington Post, November 15, 2012 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=285906&id=60280-10220574-lBFqZDx&t=3

2. "Udall-Harkin-Merkley Rules Reform Package," The Washington Post, accessed January 2, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=285907&id=60280-10220574-lBFqZDx&t=4

3. "Weakened Filibuster Reform Plan Unveiled In Congress By John McCain, Carl Levin," Huffington Post, December 28, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=285908&id=60280-10220574-lBFqZDx&t=5

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 2, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Call Rep. McCarthy: Vote NO on permanent Bush tax breaks for the wealthy!

Dear MoveOn member,
Call Rep. McCarthy and tell her to vote no on the fiscal deal, which makes the Bush tax breaks for the rich permanent on earnings up to $450,000.

Representative Carolyn McCarthy
Phone: (202) 225-5516

I called Congress

Breaking news: At 2 a.m. this morning, the Senate passed legislation on the fiscal showdown that permanently extends the Bush tax breaks on earnings up to $450,000 a year and permanently ends the Bush tax breaks for those who earn more.

The bill also sets up yet another fiscal showdown by delaying for only two months the so-called "sequester"—a package of cuts in military and domestic spending opposed by both parties. And the GOP will likely demand cuts in Social Security and Medicare when we reach the February deadline.

On the good side, the bill extends unemployment insurance for one year and the Earned Income Tax Credit for the poor for five years.1 Still, economist Robert Reich called the deal "lousy."2

Now the bill goes to the House, where its fate is uncertain. The House should reject this deal and instead introduce and pass a tax cut for 98% of Americans on the first day of the new Congress.

Can you call Representative Carolyn McCarthy right now? Tell her: "Vote no on the Senate tax bill. Do not extend the Bush tax breaks for people making more than $250,000 a year."

Here's where to call:

Representative Carolyn McCarthy
Phone: (202) 225-5516

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://civ.moveon.org/call?tg=FHNY_04&cp_id=1875&id=60234-10220574-nCjY2Lx&t=2

MoveOn members have had two clear, simple lines throughout the fiscal negotiations: Tax rates on those making more than $250,000 a year must return to Clinton-era levels. No benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. When Republicans tried to cut Social Security, MoveOn members responded immediately and loudly, and those cuts came off the table. We can't let up now, and neither should Democrats in Congress.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Joan, Mark, Anna, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Tentative Deal Is Reached to Raise Taxes on the Wealthy," New York Times, December 31, 2012 

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=285890&id=60234-10220574-nCjY2Lx&t=3

2. "Lousy Deal on the Edge of the Cliff," Huffington Post, December 31, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=285888&id=60234-10220574-nCjY2Lx&t=4

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on January 1, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.