Monday, December 30, 2013

#Winning

Dear MoveOn member,

In spite of our do-nothing Congress and a historically gridlocked Washington, D.C., MoveOn members helped achieve some incredible progressive victories this year, from beating back attacks on Social Security to stopping U.S. military strikes in Syria.

Check out all we accomplished together in 2013—then click here to power our work in 2014:

MoveOn Members in Action

2013 was a tough year, and we'll face many of the same political challenges all over again in 2014. But the proof is in the pudding—that even with a gridlocked Congress, we can win progressive fights all across the country. And if we can come out swinging, we'll even have a real chance to take back the House next year.

Are you with us in 2014?

Yes, I can make a monthly gift to support more victories in 2014.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Justin, Stefanie, Steven, and the rest of the team

P.S. Can't see the image above? Click here to view it.


Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 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.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on December 30, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

The GOP theme song in 2013

Dear MoveOn member,

Thanks to House Speaker John Boehner and his Republican caucus, the "Do-Nothing Congress" was so awful this year that I decided it deserved its own theme song.

Check it out:

I had fun putting together this video—which also calls out some uplifting wins MoveOn members and other progressives were able to achieve this year despite the "Do-Nothing Congress." I hope you'll take just a minute to watch and, if you enjoy it, pass it on.

Thanks for all you do—and all the best in 2014.

–Robert Reich


Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 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.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on December 29, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

VIDEO: The truth about Fukushima in 188 seconds

Dear MoveOn member,

For over a year, radiation has been leaking from Japan's disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,1 which was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. However, the for-profit company tasked with containing the leaks, TEPCO, didn't tell the public until recently.2

MoveOn member Harvey Wasserman started a campaign on MoveOn.org to make sure you know the truth about what's happening at Fukushima.

WATCH this video to find out what you need to know and then SHARE it on Facebook:


Please help Harvey spread the word about Fukushima today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Maria, Matt P., David, and the rest of the team

Sources: 

1. "Fukushima nuclear disaster is warning to the world, says power company boss," The Guardian, November 19, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295290&id=83090-10220574-rqT2dxx&t=6

2. "Operators begin hazardous fuel removal process at Fukushima nuclear plant," CNN, November 18, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295291&id=83090-10220574-rqT2dxx&t=7

 

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 22, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Big Oil and Gas: Meet your match


Dear MoveOn member,

While members of Congress take unprecedented sums of money from the oil and gas industry and cast votes to loosen regulations on fracking,1 at the local level we are winning fight after fight.

Right in the heart of Texas oil and gas country, the Dallas City Council just voted 9-6 to essentially ban fracking—the practice of injecting toxic chemicals and massive amounts of water deep underground to reach oil and natural gas deposits—within that city of more than a million people.

A day later, Erie County, New York—home to Buffalo—banned fracking on county lands with a 9-2 vote of the county legislature. More than 500 local MoveOn members took part in that campaign.

And last month, voters in four Colorado towns approved permanent or temporary bans on hydraulic fracturing—despite being outspent 32 to 1 by Big Oil and Big Gas.2

The anti-fracking movement has figured out how to win—using grassroots organizing and people power to beat back big industry in town after town and county after county—and now it's time to double down on our strategy. That's why we launched the #FrackingFighter project to recruit and support grassroots leaders who are running effective local campaigns to fight fracking in their own communities—just like MoveOn members did in Dallas, Buffalo, and Colorado.

Meet the 100 MoveOn Fracking Fighters from 37 states—local activists who will receive materials, grant money, and training for their campaign—and then share the page on Facebook and Twitter using hashtag #FrackingFighter to show the fossil fuel industry and elected officials that our movement is growing.

Selecting 100 winners after more than 1,000 MoveOn members applied—when we were expecting just 200 applications—was a nearly impossible task. A review committee of author and ecologist Sandra Steingraber, Native American environmental leader Kandi Mossett, and MoveOn.org Civic Action Executive Director Anna Galland made sure we supported leaders from all walks of life.

Because so many amazing leaders stepped forward to apply, we're able to make additional resources available to everyone who applied—in addition to the MoveOn toolset and community that anyone can use to create progressive change, any day of the week.

Meet some of the MoveOn Fracking Fighters we're able to support thanks to the donations of MoveOn members like you:

  • Robert Fofrich is a college student at West Los Angeles College, and the goal of his campaign is "to end hydraulic fracturing in the Inglewood Oil Field next to my campus—the largest urban oil field in the country." In his neighborhood, people are getting sick. In 2008, Robert joined the Longest Walk 2, walking 3,000 miles across the country to call attention to environmental destruction and Native American rights. The experience affirmed for Robert that "no matter how colossal a task, with diligence it can be accomplished."

  • Elyse Hirsch is a young mother in Stow, Ohio, where the gas industry has bullied its way into dumping radioactive fracking waste from other states. She writes, "We currently have 242 active injection wells in the state of Ohio with over 500 million gallons of radioactive waste injected in 2012 alone. I am organizing with Stark, Summit, and Portage counties in Northeast Ohio to ban injection wells in Ohio and ultimately slow fracking regionally."
Click here to meet all 100 MoveOn Fracking Fighters, and then share the good news on Twitter and Facebook that our movement is growing.

Dallas, Erie, and Colorado are proving that if we invest in local organizing, we win. And that's what we're doing.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Manny, Matt B., Rosy, and the rest of the team

P.S. Right now, we're $356,244.97 short of where we need to be by December 31 in order to be in a strong position heading into a big election year. Will you chip in to keep MoveOn healthy and ready to fight fracking heading into 2014?

Sources:

1. "House vote a win for pro-fracking," Times Union, November 20, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295737&id=82688-10220574-jh2GFax&t=7

"These members of Congress are bankrolled by the fracking industry," Grist, November 21, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295738&id=82688-10220574-jh2GFax&t=8

2. "Fracking Limit Weighed as Colorado Drillers Back Ad Blitz," Bloomberg, November 1, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294854&id=&t=18&id=82688-10220574-jh2GFax&t=9

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 19, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tell us what you think

Dear MoveOn member,

All year long, MoveOn members have fought alongside allies to win comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a roadmap to citizenship for millions of aspiring Americans.

But the harsh reality is that Speaker John Boehner's refusal to call for an up-or-down vote on the bi-partisan legislation that passed the Senate last June, as well as President Obama's recent statements expressing openness to a piecemeal approach to reform, means that comprehensive immigration reform will be an even more uphill battle next year.1

At the same time, nearly 2 million people have been deported under President Obama's administration—and some Congressional leaders and activists are calling for an end to unfair deportations. So, while the fight for comprehensive immigration reform may be stalled, the fight for an administrative intervention offering relief to immigrants is growing.2,3

Given the current political landscape, which strategic direction do you think MoveOn should take in the fight for immigration reform? Click on one of the options below to let us know:

Keep fighting for comprehensive reform.

Focus on ending unfair deportations.

Hold Congress accountable during the 2014 elections.

Share your original campaign idea.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mariana, Alejandro, Victoria, Garlin, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Obama Backs Piecemeal Immigration Overhaul," The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295181&id=82521-10220574-uorqSAx&t=5

2. "Deportations Drop as Obama Pushes for New Immigration Law," Bloomberg News, December 17, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295719&id=82521-10220574-uorqSAx&t=6

3. "House Minority Leader Says President Has Discretion To Stop Some Deportations," Think Progress, December 16, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295720&id=82521-10220574-uorqSAx&t=7

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 18, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Congress won't change itself

Got an idea for your own campaign? Click below to start a petition on MoveOn's petition website.

Start your Petition

Dear MoveOn member,

"The change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington."

That's what Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention in 2008. Now, midway through the president's second term, we know just how true that was. Congress has an approval rating of 8.4%—and they've earned it.

Sitting around waiting for this Congress to lead isn't going to work. So we've come up with an alternate strategy—bringing change to them. Our plan is to start campaigns targeted at every level of government—from local to state to national—kick-starting a wave of progressive action that Congress will eventually be forced to react to as well.

But with only 25 staff, we can't know what campaign to launch everywhere. That's why, as a local MoveOn member, you're so key to this effort.

Maybe it's time for your city council to pass a resolution opposing Citizens United. Or maybe it's time for your state to adopt same-day voter registration. We're counting on you to start these campaigns with the tried-and-true first step: starting a petition.

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Starting a petition is easy. We'll provide you with all the tools you need to create your petition and to run your campaign.

We know this strategy can work. This year, the Supreme Court voted to support marriage equality—in no small part because of a wave of activism at the state and local levels.

And MoveOn members have started hundreds of other powerful campaigns in their areas. For instance:

  • Russell Edwards led an effort with other MoveOn members to keep Wal-Mart out of downtown Athens, Georgia.
  • In North Carolina, 12-year-old Madison Kimrey started a campaign to restore pre-voter registration for 16- and 17-year-olds.
  • And when the Utah Legislature passed a law essentially banning sex education, retired school bus driver Paul Krueger started a petition on MoveOn's site calling on the governor to veto the law. 40,000 other MoveOn members joined him and, together, they won.

But for this strategy to work, we need MoveOn members to start campaigns across the country.

Can you take the first step by putting a petition up on MoveOn's site?

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Milan, Mariana, Eric, David, and the rest of the team

P.S. If you get 20 signatures on your petition, we'll email it to at least 1,000 people in your area to help it grow (assuming, of course, that it's consistent with MoveOn members' progressive values).

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 18, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Obamacare stunner

The one-sided, overwhelmingly negative media coverage of Obamacare has gotten totally out of control—potentially threatening the success of the program itself. So we've launched a major push to get the media to pay attention to Obamacare's success stories as well. Can you chip in $5 per month? 

Chip in $5 a Month

Dear MoveOn member,

Zero.

That's the total number of positive stories about the Affordable Care Act on the ABC and NBC Nightly News in the first two months of Obamacare. At the same time, they ran nearly wall-to-wall negative stories.1

Clearly, there were serious problems with the rollout that deserved attention. But zero stories about the largest expansion of health care access in decades? That's just irresponsible journalism.

And it's having real-world consequences. Some people are actually choosing not to enroll because of all the bad news—and with just 14 weeks left to enroll, some of those people could be left out in the cold.2

MoveOn is launching a major effort to highlight all the great things happening because of Obamacare. And thousands of people have already volunteered to share their stories publicly—stories of lives saved and families kept out of bankruptcy—but we still need to raise money to pay for organizers and ads to get these stories out and overcome the media's obsessive attacks on Obamacare. This will be a long-term battle—can you chip in $5 per month to help defend Obamacare?

Yes, I can contribute $5 per month.

No, but I can make a one-time donation instead.

Giving monthly is the best way to support MoveOn, because it helps us keep our overhead costs low and plan for the future. And you can change or stop your donations at any time.  

MoveOn member Selena Martinez is a perfect example of a success story that has the power to change what voters think of Obamacare. Selena's daughter has lupus, a life-threatening disease, and can only get health care today because of Obamacare.

But the mainstream media have refused to cover her story—so with MoveOn's help, she collected 70,000 petition signatures and organized a protest in New York City to demand that CBS News pay attention to how Obamacare is saving her family.

There are thousands of MoveOn members with similar stories. We've assembled some of the most powerful stories and already shared them with media outlets and members of Congress. But we need to do more—so MoveOn's rapid-response team is preparing some of the most compelling to speak out publicly.

These individual success stories are especially effective at getting local news coverage, which is important because that's where most voters still get the majority of their news.

We can win the debate over Obamacare—but only if we stop apologizing and go on offense. Can you donate $5 per month to help pay for organizers and ads to draw attention to these Obamacare success stories? 

Yes, I can contribute $5 per month.

No, but I can make a one-time donation instead.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Steven, Matt B., Jessica, and the rest of the team

P.S. Right now, we're $441,300 short of where we need to be by December 31 in order to be in a strong position heading into a big election year. Will you chip in to keep MoveOn healthy heading into 2014?  

Source:

1. "Network News Coverage Of Obamacare Rollout Overwhelmingly Negative," Media Matters for America, December 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295645&id=82342-10220574-tFzqtXx&t=7

2. "Few uninsured young people say they'll sign up for Obamacare," The Washington Post, December 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295574&id=&t=4&id=82342-10220574-tFzqtXx&t=8


Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 17, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Re: MoveOn sells out?

Hi there—I wanted to make sure you saw my message from the other day. MoveOn: 100% member-funded, tiny staff, fiercely independent, zero corporate money. Will you help keep it that way in 2014? Click here to chip in $15 a month. —Anna 


Dear MoveOn member,

Some hard news in this holiday season: Effective January 1, we're selling out to Monsanto and other big corporations. 

Not enough MoveOn members have chipped in to support the organization over the last few months. To keep operations going, we see no other option than to start taking big corporate money. 

Soon you'll see ads from corporations on our website. ExxonMobil has asked to sponsor some vigils in the new year. Monsanto and Koch Industries are itching to run ads on our website to "set the record straight."

We just didn't want you to be surprised.

...

OK, OK.

** Satire Alert.**

Is your heart beating faster? Mine is. That was terrifying to write out, even in jest.

To be clear: the above is completely false. It's an absurd doomsday scenario that won't happen—and I'm sharing it here to remind us of what's so essential about who we are.  I'll say more below, but can you please chip in $15 a month to keep MoveOn strong and independent heading into 2014?

Yes, I can chip in to keep MoveOn strong and independent.

Sorry, I can't.

No more satire. Here's what's true:

MoveOn does not and will not take big checks from CEOs, giant corporations, unions, or foundations. We're entirely funded by our members. 

Our average monthly donation is just over $13. 

Our 100% member-funded approach sets us apart from virtually everyone else. It allows us to be fiercely independent. It allows us to stand up to Republicans—and Democrats too, when they need it—to advocate for our shared, common-sense values. 

Values like: Choose diplomacy instead of war. Health care is a human right. Access to the ballot box shouldn't depend on your wealth or skin color. We can create jobs and have a thriving economy without poisoning the water we drink and the air we breathe.  

These aren't just the values of our tiny 27-person staff. These are the values of most Americans, including MoveOn's 8 million members. 

And our unique funding model allows us to help MoveOn members stand up and speak out loudly without any fear of lost revenue or other retribution.

MoveOn belongs to you. Will you donate $15 a month to keep it that way?

Yes, I will help out.

No, sorry, I can't. 

There IS one germ of truth in the scary scenario above. We can't keep doing what we do unless we continue to meet our budget as we always have: one grassroots donor at a time. To move forward with the game-changing strategy MoveOn needs in 2014, we need to know we can count on your ongoing support.

Thanks for all you do (and sorry if I spooked you!).

–Anna, Mark, Maria, Stephen, and the rest of the team

P.S. Right now, we're $576,970.58 short of where we need to be by December 31 in order to be in a strong position heading into a big election year. Will you chip in $15 a month to keep MoveOn healthy heading into 2014?

 

 

 

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 15, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

An unkept promise one year after my son's death

Dear New York MoveOn member—The following petition was started by Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was murdered a year ago today at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Since that tragedy, more than 1.5 million MoveOn members have joined campaigns to reduce gun violence in all 50 states. Click here to add your name to Neil's campaign and weaken the influence of the gun lobby on our politics.


I'm Neil Heslin, a MoveOn member in Newtown, CT, and I started a petition to Stephen Feinberg, CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, which says:

Cerberus: Stop profiting from murder and divest from the maker of the Sandy Hook massacre gun. Uphold the promise you made one year ago and sell Freedom Group.

My son, Jesse, was in first grade—just six years old—when he was killed December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The gun used to kill my son and 19 other children that bright December morning was a Bushmaster XM-15, a civilian version of a military weapon. This gun is a profit center of Freedom Group, which makes Bushmaster and other brands of assault rifles. Cerberus Capital Management owns 94% of Freedom Group and collects the tainted profits.

One year ago, Cerberus made a promise to sell its interests in Bushmaster. But now Cerberus executives are dragging their feet instead of honoring their promise, quietly trying to keep profiting off the assault weapon that killed my son. On September 24th, I went to the company's headquarters in New York to remind the executives about the promise they made, but they ignored my request for a meeting.

Help me make it uncomfortable for investors to profit from gun manufacturers like Freedom Group, to profit from murder.

I ask Cerberus again to cleanse itself of this blood money and uphold its promise to sell off its interests in Freedom Group and Bushmaster, not just in memory of my son, but in the hope of saving lives.

Please join me to make it possible to hold Cerberus accountable. Remember Jesse and sign this petition.

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

Thanks!

–Neil Heslin

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Neil Heslin 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 8 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 December 14, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, December 13, 2013

MoveOn sells out?

Dear MoveOn member,

Some hard news in this holiday season: Effective January 1, we're selling out to Monsanto and other big corporations. 

Not enough MoveOn members have chipped in to support the organization over the last few months. To keep operations going, we see no other option than to start taking big corporate money. 

Soon you'll see ads from corporations on our website. ExxonMobil has asked to sponsor some vigils in the new year. Monsanto and Koch Industries are itching to run ads on our website to "set the record straight."

We just didn't want you to be surprised.

...

OK, OK.

** Satire Alert.**

Is your heart beating faster? Mine is. That was terrifying to write out, even in jest.

To be clear: the above is completely false. It's an absurd doomsday scenario that won't happen—and I'm sharing it here to remind us of what's so essential about who we are.  I'll say more below, but can you please chip in $15 a month to keep MoveOn strong and independent heading into 2014?

Yes, I can chip in to keep MoveOn strong and independent.

Sorry, I can't.

No more satire. Here's what's true:

MoveOn does not and will not take big checks from CEOs, giant corporations, unions, or foundations. We're entirely funded by our members. 

Our average monthly donation is just over $13. 

Our 100% member-funded approach sets us apart from virtually everyone else. It allows us to be fiercely independent. It allows us to stand up to Republicans—and Democrats too, when they need it—to advocate for our shared, common-sense values. 

Values like: Choose diplomacy instead of war. Health care is a human right. Access to the ballot box shouldn't depend on your wealth or skin color. We can create jobs and have a thriving economy without poisoning the water we drink and the air we breathe.  

These aren't just the values of our tiny 27-person staff. These are the values of most Americans, including MoveOn's 8 million members. 

And our unique funding model allows us to help MoveOn members stand up and speak out loudly without any fear of lost revenue or other retribution.

MoveOn belongs to you. Will you donate $15 a month to keep it that way?

Yes, I will help out.

No, sorry, I can't. 

There IS one germ of truth in the scary scenario above. We can't keep doing what we do unless we continue to meet our budget as we always have: one grassroots donor at a time. To move forward with the game-changing strategy MoveOn needs in 2014, we need to know we can count on your ongoing support.

Thanks for all you do (and sorry if I spooked you!).

–Anna, Mark, Maria, Stephen, and the rest of the team

P.S. Right now, we're $736,000 short of where we need to be by December 31 in order to be in a strong position heading into a big election year. Will you chip in $15 a month to keep MoveOn healthy heading into 2014?

 

 

 

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 13, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Why does Google support an anti-environment, anti-education, anti-worker group?

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Marisol Garcia, a MoveOn member in Phoenix, Arizona, and I started a petition on MoveOn.org to Google CEO Larry Page. The petition says:

The anti-environment, anti-education and anti-worker agenda of ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) is the antithesis of what Google claims to stand for.

Please end your support for ALEC and its extremist policies today!

As a teacher, I've witnessed ALEC's dangerous agenda firsthand. ALEC has repeatedly tried to dismantle our public schools by rerouting taxpayer funds toward private and for-profit institutions, attacking the reduced price school lunch program and attempting an end-run around teachers' unions. On top of that, it's repeatedly pushed voter suppression efforts, discouraged policies that would expand alternative energy use and promoted the dangerous "Stand Your Ground" law in states across America.

Google has a great reputation and I couldn't be happier about the recent investments my school made to bring tools like Chrome and Google Docs to my students—but that makes Google's involvement with ALEC even more disappointing. Please join me in asking Google to end its support for ALEC.

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

Thanks!

–Marisol Garcia

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Marisol Garcia 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 8 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 December 12, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The deal you're hearing about . . .

Dear MoveOn member,

Last night Senator Patty Murray and Representative Paul Ryan released their budget agreement to avert another government shutdown. To be honest, parts of the bill are really painful.

The deal allows unemployment insurance to expire for 1.3 million people at the height of the holiday season and attacks the pensions of federal employees.1 It provides some sequester relief but does so on the backs of government workers. And one of the only good things about the entire deal is that something is conspicuously absent: any attempt to cut or curb Social Security benefits.

That's right. In just a few short months, thanks to the leadership of MoveOn members and allies, we've completely changed the conversation on Social Security. Cuts are off the table, and now the idea of expanding benefits—a common-sense solution that was already popular with Americans across the country—is starting to take hold in Washington too. And in a year that started with our own Democratic president proposing cuts to Social Security, we couldn't have asked for a better ending.

That's why we're doubling down on our campaign to increase benefits, beginning today, with the release of our new ad explaining why current benefit levels just aren't enough.

Can you watch our new ad and share it with your friends and family today?

Click to watch #ExpandSocialSecurity Ad

If you're wondering whether this will really be an important issue in 2014, look no further than the past two weeks. Senator Elizabeth Warren came out strongly in support of expanding benefits and was promptly attacked by a "left-leaning" Wall Street front group that claimed she was leading the Democratic Party astray.

We've got to lean in now to make sure Social Security benefit cuts don't creep back into the Beltway conversation the way so many bad ideas often do. If we make this the central issue of 2014, we've got a chance make the most popular, successful program in U.S. history even better.

Click here to watch our new #ExpandSocialSecurity ad and share it with your friends today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Bobby, Alex, Mariana, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "The Budget Deal Is a Decent One—Unless You're Unemployed," The New Republic, December 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295620&id=81531-10220574-Jdke4Xx&t=4

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 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.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on December 11, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

You've got to check out this podcast

Dear MoveOn member,

If you're progressive—if you believe we can make the world a better place, and that we're all in this together—then I think you'll love this podcast.

It's called The Good Fight. We launched it a few weeks ago, in partnership with MoveOn, and it's already blowing up; in hundreds of online ratings, we're averaging five stars out of five. Our secret recipe: combine truth, hope, humor, and inspiration. Stir in real stories of people fighting for justice and winning. Serve hot.

And we've just posted the newest episode online.

Click here to open The Good Fight podcast in iTunes and, if you like it, subscribe and post a review:

The Good   Fight with Ben Wikler

Or, you can check out the episode on Stitcher or on our website!

Oh, I should probably also mention: the episode kicks off with The Ballad of HealthCare.gov, which has been hailed as "without a doubt, the finest country-western take on HealthCare.gov—and possibly any government website—ever recorded."

Which, admittedly, is not a very high bar to clear. But I think you'll like the song.

Click here to open iTunes and listen to the best HealthCare.gov song ever written, and the rest of episode 4 of The Good Fight!

Here's what else you'll find in this podcast:

  • Did Glenn Beck get it right with his Obamacare predictions? Actually, he sort of did. But not AT ALL in the way he intended.
  • Ted Cruz told an audience that he never wanted a government shutdown. You'll probably have the same reaction that the audience did.
  • A Pizza Hut manager decided to close the restaurant and give his employees a night off for Thanksgiving. He was fired. But then he fought back.
  • And those are just some of the stories in The Win Report, a special segment co-hosted by MoveOn's own Garlin Gilchrist II.

You'll hear all that—and you'll take the McDonald's McResources McQuiz, where you guess whether McDonald's really told its employees, most of whom get no paid vacation, that taking two vacations a year could cut their heart attack risk in half .... and then, oh yes, that another good way to reduce stress is to "quit complaining." What helpful health advice, McDonald's!

Give this podcast a try: click here to open it in iTunes. (And seriously, the reviews are incredibly helpful.)

Or try it in Stitcher, or on our website.

This show is a lot of fun. But it's also about something serious.

If you're someone who doesn't turn a blind eye towards injustice, the world can be a heartbreaking place. But step back, and you can see that the world is also blazing with light. In every community on every continent, there are people fighting to make it better.

And when we take the time to hear their stories—our stories—then we remember that none of us is alone. It's that sense of community, that sense of gratitude for the efforts of others, that sustains us. We're in the good fight together.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben Wikler

P.S. Last night, we lost one of history's greatest champions for the values that we all share: Nelson Mandela. Like people everywhere, we're all mourning him today. So we've decided to create a tribute to the way he touched our own lives.

If Nelson Mandela affected your own life, call 785-208-6423 (that's 785-20-VOICE) and leave your story. Be sure to start with your name, city, and state. We'll weave the stories together and include them in an upcoming episode.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 8, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Breaking news: House Republicans to torpedo President Obama's Iran agreement


U.S. House: Don't lead us down a path that could lead to another senseless war in the Middle East. Please back President Obama's diplomatic approach to Iran.

Sign the Petition!

Dear MoveOn member,

Breaking news: Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is working on a hawkish bill that would torpedo President Obama's interim agreement with Iran by setting unrealistic goals for the final deal.

Just how bad is the bill? "It would blow things apart. If you want a war, that is the thing to do." That's how a Democratic senator summarized a recent, similar proposal.

And this isn't a fringe bill either—it's gaining ground among Democratic members of the House—and if we do nothing it will become bipartisan.

Congress is debating this bill in the next few days. This a crisis for diplomacy. If even just the House of Representatives passes this bill, it tells the Iranian people that America isn't serious about diplomacy—and even if President Obama vetoes it, the damage is done.

That's why I created an urgent petition on MoveOn.org, telling the House of Representatives to back President Obama's diplomatic approach to Iran.

Click here to sign the petition to demand diplomacy, not the march to war—and then pass it on to your friends.

Remember when MoveOn members and allies banded together to stop military action from becoming a reality with Syria, after war seemed inevitable? We won! It was so inspiring.

That's one big reason that I've been campaigning on MoveOn.org for a while now to help to pave the way for diplomacy. We know from our past efforts that diplomacy can work as an alternative to war and violence.

But if Eric Cantor and his war-hawk colleagues succeed this week, Congress will tie President Obama's hands, destroy negotiations, and edge us closer to another senseless conflict in the Middle East.

Click here to sign the petition to stop war hawks in Congress from destroying peace and diplomacy, and then pass it on to your friends.

As you read this message, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to not just fight back against a potential conflict, but to proactively build peace and diplomacy in the Middle East. But it's up to us: You and me.

Our chance really could slip away in the next week—since Congress is about shatter the deal with Iran unless there's a massive outcry. And how hard we fight to stop Congress from torpedoing Obama's diplomatic efforts in the next week could ultimately determine whether or not we go to war again in the Middle East.

Sign the petition now, and I'll tell you how we can fight hard next week to save diplomacy.

The interim deal with Iran is a win for everyone—Iran has agreed to opening itself up to the potential of daily inspections and in turn the U.S. has offered some relief from sanctions. That's why 64% of the American public, 100 rabbis, and leading military and national security experts support the president's diplomatic path with Iran.

Diplomacy with Iran is the best way for us to support change-makers in Iran and it's in America's national interest.

Please sign this petition urging your representatives to back the Obama administration's efforts in Iran, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks for your support.

–Sara Haghdoosti

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Sara Haghdoosti 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 8 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 December 7, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The most important fight in the struggle for food justice

Dear MoveOn member, 

I'm Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Cooked. For many years now, I've been passionately outspoken about the food justice movement, and low-wage workers represent a key front in the fight for fair and just food.

That's why I hope you'll join me and millions of MoveOn members across the country in expressing solidarity with the fast-food workers going on strike for fair wages today. 

Those of us working in the food movement often speak of our economy's unhealthy reliance on "cheap food." But cheap food only seems cheap because the real costs of its production are hidden from us: the exploitation of food and farm workers, the brutalization of animals, and the undermining of the health of the soil, the water, and the atmosphere. 

As a society, we've trapped ourselves in a kind of reverse Fordism. Instead of paying workers well enough so that they can afford good, honestly-priced products—as Henry Ford endeavored to do so that his workers might afford to buy his cars—we pay them so little that the only food they can afford is junk food destructive of their health and the environment's. 

If we are ever to right this wrong, to produce food sustainably and justly and sell it at an honest price, we will first have to pay people a living wage so that they can afford to buy it. Let's start with the people who work so hard to feed us.

Please stand with the brave fast-food strikers by sharing this image on Facebook

In solidarity, 

Michael Pollan

P.S. There are nearly 100 fast-food worker rallies at 12:30 p.m. local time all across the country today. Head over during lunch and show your support in person. Click here to find a rally near you

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 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 December 5, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Last Chance! This weekend in New York City

Hi there 

Just wanted to make sure you saw this invite for the MoveOn New York City Organizing Summit on December 7. As the signature MoveOn training this year, the summit will be a great opportunity to learn new skills, hear about exciting local campaigns, and meet other like-minded progressives. I want to make sure you are there, but only a handful of spaces are left; sign up today so you don't miss out!

See you at the summit.

Amy 

 


 
☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆
Attend the MoveOn New York City Organizing Summit

What: A special organizing summit and training for MoveOn members  

When: Saturday, December 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.

Where: SEIU Auditorium, 310 West 43rd, Manhattan

 Cost: Free! (Transportation assistance available!)
 
Can you join us for the MoveOn New York Organizing Summit?  

Click below for more details and to RSVP.  


Over the last six months, thousands of MoveOn members, such as Sheila Thomas, have made a difference in their communities using our free online organizing platform. Sheila helped pass the Violence Against Women Act by gathering more than 219,000 signatures on her petition and mobilizing the signers to contact their congressional representatives. Members like Sheila are proof that with just a little bit of confidence and know-how, every MoveOn member has the power to win real progressive change in their community. That's why we're launching our most ambitious free training program yet—to help thousands of MoveOn members over the next three months run and win progressive campaigns on issues that matter to them locally, regionally, and nationally.
 
 
 

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 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.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on December 4, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.