Monday, June 30, 2014

You've got to hear this professor

Dear MoveOn member,

It's no secret: Billionaires are destroying our democracy. And if we don't fix it soon, it will be too late. The Super PAC era ends soon, or it never ends at all.

The good news: Lawrence Lessig (Harvard Law professor, activist, and TED star) has a plan to end it—a plan so crazy it just might work. He's launching a new Super PAC . . . to elect a Congress committed to abolishing Super PACs for good.

The story behind his plan will blow your mind. And his vision for how to get this done might just restore your hope in the possibility for change. If you've ever been concerned about money in politics, you've got to hear this podcast.

Almost everyone agrees that the American political system is corrupted by money, but almost nobody believes that we can do anything about it. Lawrence Lessig felt the same way—until a 20-year-old activist and computer prodigy named Aaron Swartz challenged him to think bigger. You won't be able to forget the beautiful, wrenching story of what happened next. And when you find yourself telling friends about this podcast, you'll already be part of the solution.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben Wikler

P.S. Don't use iTunes? No problem. You can listen to the podcast on the Web, tune in via Stitcher (an Android and iOS app), or subscribe via RSS. And if you do use iTunes and you like the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes . . . and post a review!

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 June 30, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Charles and David: Our nation is not for sale

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

The self-interested, ultraconservative Koch machine is undermining and corrupting our democracy by drowning out the voices of the rest of us.

That's why I've made a video to help explain America's giant Koch problem—and explore what we can do about it.

I hope you'll take a look.

Charles and David Koch personify everything that's wrong with big money in politics. This summer, MoveOn is working to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars they plan to spend in the upcoming election cycle becomes a searing political liability.

If you agree that it's high time America told the Koch brothers that our nation is not for sale, please share the video with your friends.

Thanks for standing up for democracy.

–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 June 28, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Whales killed by US Navy sonar--please help!

You are receiving this petition because you signed Lyndia's previous petition, "Navy to deafen 15,900 whales and dolphins and kill 1,800 more," one of thousands of campaigns started by MoveOn members to win progressive social change. Click here to join her new campaign.


Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Lyndia Storey, a MoveOn member in Felton, California, and I started a petition to President Barack Obama, which says:

President Obama: Navy sonar exercises are killing whales again! More whales died this spring during joint exercises involving the U.S. Navy off the coast of Crete. As commander in chief, you have the power to stop this deadly assault on whales WITH THE STROKE OF YOUR PEN. We demand that you immediately sign an executive order directing the Secretary of the Navy to halt sonar trainings in whale habitats around the world!

The Navy said it couldn't happen again, but now U.S. Navy sonar exercises in Crete have driven whales onto the beaches to die, once again.

This heartbreaking photo shows just two of the whales who were killed by U.S. Navy sonar exercises in April.

Now the autopsy results are in, showing hemorrhaging of internal organs, bleeding from the ears, and other signs of decompression sickness, and the cause of this crime is clear: Navy sonar. OUR Navy.

Enough is enough. The killing must stop. Right now!

Together we can demand that President Obama end the Navy's war on whales and dolphins!

As commander in chief, the president has direct command over the Army and the Navy. He is constitutionally charged with taking care that the laws are faithfully executed. The killing of innocent whales and dolphins—whether in domestic or foreign waters—is a flagrant violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other federal laws. The Navy is not above the law. These crimes violate every code of human decency and must be stopped.

With the single stroke of his pen, President Obama can order the Secretary of the Navy to cease sonar trainings in whale and dolphin habitats.

Please join me in demanding that the president sign an executive order halting sonar trainings in marine mammal habitats.

The president has direct authority over the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency charged with enforcing our marine mammal protection laws. With one phone call, the president can order the head of Fisheries to require the Navy to conduct Environmental Impact Statements on all its training ranges, both domestic and international.

It's too late to save the whales who died during the U.S. Navy war games in Crete. But if you and I cry out for justice, we can compel the president to act. Together, we have the power to end the U.S. Navy's war on whales and dolphins.

If you will join me now and sign this petition to President Obama, I promise to personally deliver a printout of the petition and signatures to the gates of the White House.

Click here to add your name to the petition, and then pass it along to your friends who care about whales and our oceans.

With heartfelt thanks,

–Lyndia

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Lyndia Storey didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

PHOTO CREDIT: L. Aggelopoulos /Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute 2014. Used with permission.

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 June 27, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

This weekend: "Koch Brothers Exposed" in Elmont

Dear MoveOn member,

There's still time to register for an America Has a Koch Problem movie party on June 28 at 12:30 p.m. in Elmont!

We hope you can join this powerful kick-off of a national campaign to challenge the Koch brothers' toxic impact on our democracy.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Joan, Nick, Stephen, and the rest of the team

 
☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆
Movie Party in Elmont: America Has a Koch Problem

Host: Monique H.

Where: Elmont Memorial Library (in Elmont)

When: Saturday, Jun. 28, at 12:30 p.m.

What: We're getting together to watch Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition. This acclaimed new release pulls back the curtain on Charles and David Koch, yanking them out of the shadows and exposing them for what they are: a self-interested, ultraconservative demolition crew hell-bent on crushing the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and so much more. Will you join us?

Yes, I'll be there!

Sorry, I can't make it this time, but I'd like to chip in $3 to support the campaign

Join 26 neighbors including:
Tamara I (Hempstead, NY)
Sharon m (Jamaica, NY)
elaine p (hicksville, NY)
.... and others.

 
 

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 June 26, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Have an idea for a petition?

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

Start your Petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Have you ever heard the story of how MoveOn started? In 1998, when Newt Gingrich and the Republicans in Congress were focusing all of their efforts on impeaching President Clinton over a sex scandal, we started a simple online petition: "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation."

We had no past political experience, but we felt passionately about our message and shared the petition with as many of our friends as we could think of. Within days, the petition went viral, and we had hundreds of thousands of signatures. And from the list of people who signed that original petition grew MoveOn.org—an organization of 8 million members and a powerful progressive force in American politics.

Because we've seen firsthand how regular people can make a difference, we're thrilled that MoveOn has a petition tool where anyone can start their own online petitions. MoveOn will even email out the most popular petitions to help build support for your cause—and as always we'll never ever sell your personal information to anyone.

Click here to start your own petition right now.

As always, thanks for all you do.

–Wes Boyd & Joan Blades
Founders of MoveOn.org

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 June 25, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, June 23, 2014

This weekend: Koch Brothers Exposed in Inwood

 
☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆
Movie Party in Elmont: America Has a Koch Problem

Host: Monique H.

Where: Elmont Memorial Library (in Elmont)

When: Saturday, Jun. 28, at 12:30 p.m.

What: We're getting together to watch Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition. This acclaimed new release pulls back the curtain on Charles and David Koch, yanking them out of the shadows and exposing them for what they are: a self-interested, ultraconservative demolition crew hell-bent on crushing the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and so much more. Will you join us?

Yes, I'll be there!

Sorry, I can't make it this time, but I'd like to chip in $3 to support the campaign

Join 8 neighbors including:
Oren S (Rockville centre, NY)
Lorie B (Mineola, NY)
Monique H (elmont, NY)
.... and others.

 
 

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 June 23, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

UPDATE: Monsanto

Hi there—Just wanted to make sure you saw this timely note about Monsanto's outrageous plan to sue the State of Vermont over their new GMO labeling law. Pitch in $3 to fight back against Monsanto. Thanks.

Monsanto and their allies just announced that they're suing the state of Vermont in federal court to block the labeling of GMO foods in the state. Can you donate $3 to fight back against Monsanto? 

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

You won't believe what Monsanto is doing now.

Last month, Vermont passed the first-ever law requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods in the U.S. And Monsanto just announced they're suing the state of Vermont to stop the law from ever going into effect.1

This fight is crucial for the whole country, not just Vermont, because dozens of other states are poised to require labeling too—they just want someone else to go first because of the inevitable legal fight.2

And that's why Monsanto is going to war to stop Vermont dead in its tracks.

A small, rural state like Vermont doesn't have the budget for a long, drawn-out legal fight against a multinational giant like Monsanto. So they've created a legal defense fund where people can donate to help defend the law in court.

If MoveOn members chip in now, we'll be able to fight back against Monsanto by making a grant to the state of Vermont's legal defense fund and by boosting dozens of MoveOn member-led campaigns pushing for GMO labeling nationwide. Can you chip in $3?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help Vermont stand up to Monsanto.

Monsanto's argument is completely outrageous. They're saying that the GMO labeling law is somehow an unconstitutional violation of their right to free speech. They even want to be able to label genetically engineered foods as "all natural."3

But this Supreme Court believes corporations are people and money is speech, so you know it's going to be a tough fight.

Consumers have a right to know what's in the food we're eating—and in fact, genetically engineered foods are already labeled in 64 countries around the world, including England, Japan, and Australia. Even China and Russia have labeling.4

In this country, 92% of Americans support the labeling of genetically engineered foods.5 The only reason we don't have it is the power of Monsanto and the fear of a lawsuit.

But if we can help Vermont win now, we'll have a great shot at getting labeling in dozens of other states as well. With your help, MoveOn will be able to help Vermont pay for their massive anticipated legal costs and support grassroots campaigns to push for GMO labels in other states across the country.

Can you contribute $3 to help Vermont stand up to Monsanto?

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Maria, Justin, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Trade groups sue VT over GMO labeling law," Burlington Free-Press, June 13, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=299278&id=97542-10220574-6G%3DBU6x&t=5

2. "Vermont, food industry begin court fight over GMO label law," The Christian Science Monitor, June 13, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=299279&id=97542-10220574-6G%3DBU6x&t=7

3. "Vermont's landmark GMO-labelling law target of lawsuit by food trade groups," RT, June 13, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=299353&id=97542-10220574-6G%3DBU6x&t=9

4. "Labeling Around the World," Just Label It!, accessed June 16, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=299280&id=97542-10220574-6G%3DBU6x&t=11

5. "Polls & Surveys," Just Label It!, accessed June 16, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=299354&id=97542-10220574-6G%3DBU6x&t=13

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 June 22, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

You helped make this powerful message unavoidable

Dear MoveOn member,

"If you were in D.C., this ad was all over news sites, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Basically, all the places political offices have to monitor."

That's how our ad team described MoveOn members' powerful ad campaign targeting decision makers in Washington, D.C. and state capitals across the country. The ad featured a call for action on gun violence from Richard Martinez, whose son was killed in the recent shooting at UC Santa Barbara.

This ad generated 8.1 million impressions in capital cities across the country in a week, including nearly 1 million in Washington, D.C. While not all of those "impressions" mean that someone watched the entire video, we do know that it was viewed thousands of times by government staffers and more than 600 times by members of the media.

Together, we're working to make this powerful message unavoidable—to demand action in the face of the continued scourge of gun violence in communities across America. Sadly, in just the past few weeks, there have been multiple mass shootings since UCSB and countless individual gun deaths.

But passionate messages like Mr. Martinez's can break through. As this video was being shared from coast to coast, MoveOn member and UCSB student Kyley Scarlet started a petition on gun violence to the Obama administration, and Vice President Joe Biden responded with a personal video message for students at the school.1

That's why, no matter how frustrating this effort can be, we have to keep lifting our voices. If you haven't already, please share the ad with everyone you know.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Jo, Nick, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

P.S. Have an idea for reducing gun violence in your community? Start your campaign today.

Sources:

1. "Vice President Joe Biden's video message for UCSB graduates," KCBX, June 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299639&id=97504-10220574-InJZilx&t=4

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 June 21, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Boston Globe: Stop printing editorials denying climate change

Dear New York MoveOn member,

I'm Joshua May, a MoveOn member in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and I started a petition to Peter S. Canellos, editor of the Boston Globe editorial page, which says:

We ask that you join the Los Angeles Times editorial board in no longer printing letters to the editor that state factual inaccuracies such as the claim that there is no conclusive evidence that man-made climate change exists.

Based on extensive scientific research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, every national academy of science worldwide, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the time for debating settled science is over. It is time for the age of responsible debate and action over how we work to mitigate and solve this problem. We are asking the Boston Globe to be a leader in this new phase of tackling the greatest global issue of our time.

I am a renewable-energy entrepreneur and someone who wishes to leave an environment and climate that I have enjoyed my entire life to my children and their children's children.

I want this debate and the people of this country to have spirited discussion and solve problems based on factual evidence and not along ideological lines and talking points put forth by corporate players with short-term economic interests at heart. It is time to move this topic forward, and since our politicians are unwilling or unable, we must again turn to the press to report more factual information and less unsupported opinion.

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

Thanks!

–Joshua May

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Joshua May 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 June 20, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Call Congress: Don't drag America back into war in Iraq!

Can you call Rep. Meeks? Tell him: "Dragging America back into war in Iraq with military intervention would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq."  

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Report Your Call!
Dear MoveOn member,

Senior officials in the Obama administration announced that President Obama has taken airstrikes in Iraq off the table for now.1 But the stakes are incredibly high, and the situation is changing rapidly—it's important to make sure the progress toward stopping endless war in Iraq isn't taken for granted. 

President Obama was right to end the Iraq war in 2011. But he's under pressure from lawmakers like Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and discredited Bush advisers and pundits like Paul Wolfowitz and Bill Kristol—and former vice president Dick Cheney—who are eager to drag America back into the disastrous conflict.2,3,4,5

On Thursday, the House will vote on two amendments, sponsored by anti-war Rep. Barbara Lee, that would prevent U.S. involvement in another war in Iraq. Before the vote, every member of Congress needs to hear from their constituents.

Will you call Rep. Meeks right now?

Tell him: "Ending the Iraq war was the right decision, and restarting it with U.S. military intervention now would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq."

Here's where to call:

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FHNY_05&cp_id=2098&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=2

The House of Representatives will vote tomorrow, Thursday, June 19, on a bill to provide funding for the Department of Defense. We have an opportunity to send a clear message that America won't be dragged back into war in Iraq, and military action won't solve the sectarian crisis there. Rep. Lee's two Iraq amendments would ban combat funding in Iraq and ban funding for any operations under the 2002 authorization for military force in Iraq, effectively repealing that blank check authority to wage war.

We have an opportunity to stop more misguided U.S. war in Iraq—and Congress has an opportunity on Thursday to speak up. If the U.S. takes military action in response to the crisis in Iraq, it would be pouring more fuel on a raging fire and doubling down on the Bush Administration's colossal failures. Here are some of the prominent voices speaking out against military intervention:6

"After a decade of war, I believe the American people have had enough. Families have had enough. I do not support putting our men and women in the midst of an Iraqi civil war."7
–Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), on the Senate floor this morning

"It makes no sense for us to consider going back there and getting involved in what truly is a religious civil war. What real difference would [air strikes] make on the ground?"
–Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Iraq War veteran

"I don't think there's any appetite from the American people to go back and do our work twice."
–Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Iraq War veteran

"Ultimately, this is for the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi government to deal with."
–Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, Pentagon spokesman

"Unless the US has bombs that can install wisdom and leadership into [Prime Minister] Maliki, airstrikes in Iraq would be pointless."
–Micah Zenko, Douglas Dillon Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations  

"If 10 years, millions of hours of work and hundreds of billions of dollars could not build a regime that can survive, it is difficult to imagine any fix that can. . .We broke Iraq. We paid a huge price in lives, treasure and legitimacy. It is time to stop paying."
–Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund8

Enough is enough! America cannot go down this road again. And with your help creating a massive outpouring of opposition to war in Iraq, we won't have to.

Will you call Rep. Meeks right now?

Tell him: "Ending the Iraq war was the right decision, and restarting it with U.S. military intervention now would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq."

Here's where to call:

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FHNY_05&cp_id=2098&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Bobby, Joan, Stephen, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "U.S. airstrikes in Iraq unlikely, for now," CBS News, June 18, 2014
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-iraq-airstrikes/

2. "On Iraq, let's ignore those who got it all wrong," The Washington Post, June 13, 2014 
ttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/06/13/on-iraq-lets-ignore-those-who-got-it-all-wrong/

3. "Fareed Zakaria: Who lost Iraq? The Iraqis did, with an assist from George W. Bush," The Washington Post, June 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299275&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=5

4. "Fool Me Once," Slate, June 16, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299302&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=6

5. "The Collapsing Obama Doctrine," The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299497&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=7

6. "Quotes Against Military Intervention in Iraq," Win Without War, accessed June 16, 2014
ttp://winwithoutwar.org/quotes-iraq/

7. "Reid Remarks On Violence In Iraq," June 18, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299498&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=8

8. "Don't Be Sucked Into War With Iraq, Again," Defense One, June 12, 2014 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299277&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=9

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 June 18, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Monsanto did what?!?

Monsanto and their allies just announced that they're suing the state of Vermont in federal court to block the labeling of GMO foods in the state. Can you donate $3 to fight back against Monsanto? 

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

You won't believe what Monsanto is doing now.

Last month, Vermont passed the first-ever law requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods in the U.S. And Monsanto just announced they're suing the state of Vermont to stop the law from ever going into effect.1

This fight is crucial for the whole country, not just Vermont, because dozens of other states are poised to require labeling too—they just want someone else to go first because of the inevitable legal fight.2

And that's why Monsanto is going to war to stop Vermont dead in its tracks.

A small, rural state like Vermont doesn't have the budget for a long, drawn-out legal fight against a multinational giant like Monsanto. So they've created a legal defense fund where people can donate to help defend the law in court.

If MoveOn members chip in now, we'll be able to fight back against Monsanto by making a grant to the state of Vermont's legal defense fund and by boosting dozens of MoveOn member-led campaigns pushing for GMO labeling nationwide. Can you chip in $3?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help Vermont stand up to Monsanto.

Monsanto's argument is completely outrageous. They're saying that the GMO labeling law is somehow an unconstitutional violation of their right to free speech. They even want to be able to label genetically engineered foods as "all natural."3

But this Supreme Court believes corporations are people and money is speech, so you know it's going to be a tough fight.

Consumers have a right to know what's in the food we're eating—and in fact, genetically engineered foods are already labeled in 64 countries around the world, including England, Japan, and Australia. Even China and Russia have labeling.4

In this country, 92% of Americans support the labeling of genetically engineered foods.5 The only reason we don't have it is the power of Monsanto and the fear of a lawsuit.

But if we can help Vermont win now, we'll have a great shot at getting labeling in dozens of other states as well. With your help, MoveOn will be able to help Vermont pay for their massive anticipated legal costs and support grassroots campaigns to push for GMO labels in other states across the country.

Can you contribute $3 to help Vermont stand up to Monsanto?

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Maria, Justin, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Trade groups sue VT over GMO labeling law," Burlington Free-Press, June 13, 2014

2. "Vermont, food industry begin court fight over GMO label law," The Christian Science Monitor, June 13, 2014

3. "Vermont's landmark GMO-labelling law target of lawsuit by food trade groups," RT, June 13, 2014

4. "Labeling Around the World," Just Label It!, accessed June 16, 2014

5. "Polls & Surveys," Just Label It!, accessed June 16, 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 June 17, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, June 16, 2014

New York: Make GMO food labeling the law

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Stacie Orell, a MoveOn member in New York City, and I started a petition to the New York Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo, which says:

I have a right to know what is in my food. Genetically engineered foods (GMO foods) are pervasive in the U.S. food system yet largely untested, possibly harmful for humans to eat, and unlabeled. I deserve the right to be able to make informed choices about the foods to buy for myself and my family. I urge you to stand up for my rights as an American and support (and co-sponsor) Assembly bill A3525 and Senate bill S3835, which would require the labeling of genetically engineered foods offered for retail sale in New York.

GMO labels will give us the information we need to decide whether we want to continue being the unwitting guinea pigs of agrichemical and junk food companies. GMO labels will put the power back in consumers' hands, which is where it belongs. It's time for New York's lawmakers to stand up to corporate bullying and put people before profits.

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

Thanks!

–Stacie Orell

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Stacie Orell 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 June 16, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

America's biggest climate victory

Dear MoveOn member,

Ever feel totally overwhelmed about climate change?

Take a deep breath. There's hope. 

To understand why, the first step is to listen to this podcast.

Here's something most people don't realize: since 2005, U.S. climate emissions have gone down by 10%.1

Why? One of the biggest reasons is a massive, city-by-city grassroots fight against coal plants, the #1 source of global warming pollution in America. The campaign, coordinated by our friends at the Sierra Club, is called Beyond Coal—and it has not only blocked almost every proposed new coal plant in the past decade, it's actually shut down almost a third of the existing ones.2

When you start with that people-powered movement and add President Obama's new carbon pollution limits, you've got a recipe for making serious progress in our climate emissions. And as the U.S. steps up, we open the door to a global deal that could pull the planet back from the brink.

It's easy to feel the fossil fuel industry is unbeatable. It's easy to feel as though there's nothing regular citizens can do that could make a difference. But the story of this campaign shows that neither of those things is true. If you've ever needed a jolt of optimism about global warming, you've got to hear this podcast.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben Wikler

P.S. Don't use iTunes? No problem. You can listen to the podcast on the Web, tune in via Stitcher (an Android and iOS app), or subscribe via RSS. And if you do use iTunes and you like the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes... and post a review!

Sources:

1. "Climate Change Indicators in the United States," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed June 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=298966&id=97212-10220574-5GNUg6x&t=8

2. "How many dirty coal plants have we retired?" Sierra Club, accessed June 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=298965&id=97212-10220574-5GNUg6x&t=9

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 June 15, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Stand with me against the Koch brothers in Inwood?

 
Right-wing billionaires Charles and David Koch are taking aim at November's elections. MoveOn members are fighting back. Can you host an "America Has a Koch Problem" movie party in Inwood on Saturday, June 28, or Sunday, June 29? We'll send you a free DVD of the film Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition and help you every step of the way.

Host a Movie Party!

Dear MoveOn member, 

Our great nation must not be hijacked by right-wing billionaires like Charles and David Koch. For the sake of our children and our grandchildren, we must fight back—and we have to do it now, in advance of November's elections.

In the coming months and years, the Koch brothers and other extraordinarily wealthy families will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to elect right-wing candidates to the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, governors' mansions, local school boards, and the presidency of the United States. These billionaires already own much of our economy. Now, they want to own the United States government as well.  

That's why, on Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, thousands of MoveOn members will gather in living rooms nationwide for America Has a Koch Problem movie parties. They'll watch Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition, the critically acclaimed new release from our friends at Brave New Films, and they'll kick off a powerful national campaign to challenge the Koch brothers' toxic influence on our democracy.

We are facing the test of our time: Are we going to sit back and watch as billionaires hijack our democracy, or are we going to act?

Act! Sign up now to host a movie party.

Here's what every American should be deeply concerned about: Charles and David Koch, through the expenditure of billions of dollars and the creation and support of dozens of extreme-right organizations, have taken fringe ideas and made them mainstream within the Republican Party. And because of the Supreme Court's Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions, their power is greater than ever.

Let's be very clear: The Kochs' goal is to not only defund Obamacare, cut Social Security, oppose an increase in the minimum wage, and cut federal funding for education. The Kochs' worldview and ultimate plans are much bigger than all of that. They want to repeal every major piece of legislation that has been signed into law over the past 80 years to protect the middle class, the elderly, children, the sick, and the rest of the most vulnerable in this country.

The only way to tackle the Kochs' shadow empire is to expose it—and then take it apart, piece by piece.

Will you sign up now to host an America Has a Koch Problem movie party on Saturday, June 28, or Sunday, June 29, and jump-start this critical work?

Yes, I'll host a movie party.

I'll say it again—our great nation can no longer be hijacked by right-wing billionaires like Charles and David Koch.

Will we sit back, or fight back?

I say fight back. And begin today. I'll be with you every step of the way. We're stronger when we're together!

Thanks for all you do.

–Senator Bernie Sanders

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 June 14, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, June 13, 2014

No more war in Iraq!

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Matthew Hoh, an Iraq War veteran and MoveOn member, and I started a petition to President Barack Obama and the United States Congress, which says:

President Obama and Congress, don't take new military action in Iraq. The solution to the chaos is not another American military intervention, including bombing strikes. President Obama was right to end the Iraq War in 2011, and it would be a tremendous mistake to restart it now.

Fallujah. Mosul. Baghdad. Hearing these names again sends a chill down my spine. 

As a Marine who served in Iraq, I know well the bloody costs paid by Americans and by Iraqis in these and so many other cities over the past decade. I have friends who to this day remain on the front lines of a sectarian conflict that is tearing their homeland apart. And I am saddened to see the renewed and growing violence once again gripping Iraq. 

But I also know that the solution to the chaos in Iraq is not another American military intervention. The president was right to end the Iraq War in 2011, and it would be a tremendous mistake to restart it now. 

Tell President Obama to keep America out of Iraq!

The United States and Iraq have already paid dearly for George W. Bush's disastrous decision to launch the Iraq War. With Iraq once again descending into violence, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past. No military intervention, whether a massive invasion like the one in 2003 or the limited airstrikes some are calling for today, will solve the deep and complex challenges Iraq is facing. Iraq's problems can only be solved by Iraqis, not American bombs. Launching another military intervention in Iraq would only throw more fuel on a fire that is raging. Even worse, it would once again risk American lives in a fight that is not ours and that we cannot win. 

Over the past few days, the news has been filled with stories of a swift insurgent advance through northern Iraq. Sunni militants, under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have taken over city after city in northern Iraq. These militants, fresh from the fight in neighboring Syria, have made dramatic progress, capturing American-made weapons and supplies left behind by the fleeing Iraqi security forces. Their advance is fueled in no small part by the repressive sectarian policies of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. 

The situation may get worse before it gets better, but one thing is clear: American bombs are not the solution. 

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

Thanks.

–Matthew Hoh

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Win Without War didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

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 June 13, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Update re Gov. Cuomo




Dear New York MoveOn member, 

Recently, we shared survey results with the media showing that 73% of responding MoveOn members in New York State want to see a progressive challenger to Gov. Cuomo. 

Here's an update: In order to win the endorsement of the Working Families Party—and faced with pressure from MoveOn members, law professor Zephyr Teachout, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, DFA, and other allies across New York—Governor Cuomo agreed to support a set of demands that progressives been making for years. 

Here are some highlights of Gov. Cuomo's commitment to progressives:1 
  • Support for raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and letting localities across New York—including New York City—set their own higher wages up to more than $13/hour
  • Support for the Dream Act 
  • Support for passing the full 10-point Women's Equality Agenda
  • Support for decriminalization of marijuana
  • Support for public financing of elections
  • Commitment to working to elect a Democratic State Senate to turn these proposals into law, and a demand for the so-called Independent Democratic Caucus lawmakers to return to the Democratic Party
As with all political agreements, we can't take anything for granted, and follow-through will depend on two things: 1) Democrats must win the State Senate in November, and 2) there needs to be meaningful accountability to make sure Gov. Cuomo delivers on the agreement.

That's where all of us come in: Together with allies, we're helping form a Cuomo Accountability Team to make sure Gov. Cuomo knows progressives are watching closely and demanding follow-through on the commitments he has made.

Will you sign up for the Cuomo Accountability Team to make sure promises turn into action? Click here to join:


This is a big, substantive policy shift from Gov. Cuomo, and it shows what we can achieve together when we refuse to back down from our values. But progressives across New York will still each have to decide whom to support this fall, and reports indicate that Zephyr Teachout is considering a run in the Democratic Primary.

There's a lot more work to do to move the state of New York in a more progressive direction—including making sure Gov. Cuomo keeps his word. This was a big step for MoveOn members and New Yorkers.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Milan, Alejandro, Maria, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "After bruising floor fight, Cuomo wins W.F.P. nomination," Capital New York, May 31, 2014

2. "Zephyr Teachout, Cuomo irritant, vows to press on," Capital New York, June 2, 2014

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 June 13, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.