South County Democratic Club

Posted 5/27/2013

Tell Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell: Stop a Delisting Catastrophe

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove all endangered species act (ESA) protections for most of the gray wolves across the United States. This would be a conservation nightmare.

Delisting would prematurely turn wolf management over to the states, and we’ve already seen what can happen when rabid anti-wolf politics are allowed to trump science and core wildlife management principles.

More than 1,100 wolves have already been killed in the Northern Rockies since Congress took ESA protections away from them in 2011.

Please send an urgent message to Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell — demand that wolves retain the federal protection they need to ensure their recovery in the wild.

Go to Defenders of Wildlife Petition

Posted 5/27/2013

Listen up -- this race will impact all of us. LCV Victory Fund is putting everything we've got into defeating climate deniers in Virginia and all around the country. Will you chip in $5?

Friend, this Governor’s race in Virginia isn’t just about state politics. It’s about whether we make progress in confronting the climate crisis now and in the future. Really.

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli is -- without a doubt -- one of the most ardent anti-science, climate change deniers in the entire country. As Virginia attorney general, he used state funds to run a frivolous witch hunt against a respected climate scientist at the University of Virginia. He’s also sued the EPA to prevent the agency from curbing global warming pollution.

But here’s why you should care if he’s elected governor of Virginia: A Cuccinelli win this November will send a signal to climate deniers across the country that you can ignore scientific consensus on climate change and still get elected to public office!

In other words: A victory for a fierce climate denier in Virginia this year could lead to victories for more climate deniers across the country next year.

This impacts all of us: Donate $5 now.

From investing in clean energy sources to ending taxpayer-funded handouts to Big Oil to curbing global warming pollution, the issues we face are too important to risk letting polluter-backed candidates across the country gain momentum heading into next year’s midterm elections.

That’s why there’s more at stake here than Virginia’s environmental future. But the latest polls show Cuccinelli neck-and-neck with clean energy champion Terry McAuliffe. If we lose, Big Oil-backed climate deniers will claim victory, and they will be back in a big way. That’s why it’s critical that LCV supporters from all over the country pitch in to win this race.

LCV has a proven track record of defeating anti-science candidates. In 2012, supporters like you helped defeat 11 of the Dirty Dozen. Now we’ve got our target set on two narrow races where I know we can tip the scale: the Virginia governor’s race and long-time climate champion Ed Markey’s race for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.

We can win these races. And when we do, it will send a strong message to candidates around the country: Deny the science of climate change and you will be defeated at the ballot box, stand up for action on climate and you will be rewarded.

We’ve got a massive campaign in the works to win key elections this year and lay the groundwork for a huge push in the critical 2014 election cycle. The more you give, the bigger we can go. Can we count you in?

Chip in $5 and help LCV Victory Fund defeat climate deniers this year and in 2014. Make a gift and stand up for the environment now!

Both the Virginia and Massachusetts races are incredibly close. Now is the time to pour everything we’ve got into winning them. Don’t wait -- make your gift right now.

Thank you for all your support.

Best,
Steve

Paid for by LCV Victory Fund, 202-785-8683, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Posted 5/20/2013

ACTION ALERT: Keep student loan rates from doubling

This week, I introduced legislation in the Senate to stop student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. 

If Congress doesn’t pass this bill, interest rates on millions of student loans are will double to 6.8 percent.

When interest rates for everyone else are at historic lows, it makes absolutely no sense to charge such a high interest rate for student loans. People are already struggling to make ends meet, and we ought to be making college more affordable!

Last year, Republicans blocked us every step of the way. They used filibusters and objections to slow us down.

We can’t let them do that again. Please take a second to sign the petition.

College graduates are already buried under a mountain of debt. We cannot allow Republicans to let this rate hike take effect.

Whether you’re a student or not, I need you to make your voice heard. Michael, take a second to sign this petition and share it with your friends.

This rate hike goes into effect July 1 unless we work together to stop it. I hope you’ll join the effort.

Sincerely,

Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator

P.S. If you have student loans, please take a second to share how higher interest rates would impact you and your family

Posted 5/16/2013

Don’t let Big Oil’s cronies keep a clean air champion out of the EPA. Demand a swift confirmation for Gina McCarthy as EPA Chief here >>

Friend,

Yesterday, Senator David Vitter and seven other Republicans with ties to corporate polluters chose to not show up for work.

Did they forget to turn on their alarm clocks? Nope.

They played hooky in order to block the confirmation process for President Obama’s EPA nominee Gina McCarthy by boycotting her committee vote.

Tell your senators: We can’t wait any longer for a new head of the EPA -- confirm Gina McCarthy now!

This boycott was completely irresponsible and unacceptable. Gina McCarthy is a proven clean air leader and respected non-partisan expert who has served under both Democratic and Republican Governors. We need her at the helm of the EPA, and any further delay will only endanger the health of our children and families even more.

But what were some of these legislators doing instead of showing up to take this critical vote?

They were hanging out with polluters. According to the Sunlight Foundation, two of the senators who boycotted this vote had fundraisers scheduled yesterday with lobbyists for firms that represent the energy industry.

This isn’t exactly surprising since the eight senators who boycotted have taken a combined total of $5.2 million from the fossil fuel industry. But given that our health and our climate are on the line, these pro-polluter politicians should be ashamed of themselves.

Don’t let Big Oil’s cronies keep a clean air champion out of the EPA. Email your senators demanding a swift confirmation here >>

Now more than ever your senators need to hear your support for a quick confirmation for Gina McCarthy.

These extremists are going to absurd lengths to stop Gina from getting to work. Gina McCarthy has answered more than 1,000 questions submitted by these Republicans -- hundreds more than any other EPA nominee.

Now it’s their turn to do some answering.

Not only does McCarthy deserve a swift vote, so do we! Children and families across the nation deserve a clean air advocate at the EPA -- and this vote can help deliver one. So please take a stand for Gina at: action.lcv.org/ConfirmGina

Thanks for speaking out,

Vanessa Kritzer
Online Campaigns Manager
League of Conservation Voters

Posted 5/16/2013

Anti-worker politicians in Washington and their corporate donors are striking at the rights of workers. Again.

They’re threatening to shut down the National Labor Relations Board, the independent agency that protects workers’ rights, by holding up President Barack Obama’s nominations to the Board.

If the NLRB nominees aren’t confirmed, thousands of workers—who are waiting for the Board’s decisions in key workplace cases—won’t get their cases decided.

Tell your senators to confirm President Obama’s NLRB nominations to make sure workers’ rights are protected.

Extremist lawmakers have held multiple hearings attacking the NLRB for doing its job. In 2011 alone, they introduced 25 bills and amendments to defund the board, weaken workers’ rights to free and fair union elections, and undermine the board’s enforcement authority.1

This attempt to score cheap political points with deep-pocketed special interests has real consequences for all of us. Working families have suffered enough, and this will kill one of the few protections they have left.

The NLRB has been critical in standing up for the rights of all working families. CEOs have too much power as it is. Let’s not let them grab any more.

Your senators needs to hear from you. Tell them to confirm President Obama’s NLRB nominations and stop the corporate power grab:

go.aflcio.org/stop-the-power-grab

In Solidarity,

Karla

Karla Swift
President, Michigan AFL-CIO

Posted 4/13/2013

The Governor and Republican legislators have let corporate special interests out of paying their fair share and placed a larger tax burden on the backs of working families like yours.

$1.4 billion dollars in tax breaks went to corporations, while Michiganders have seen their taxes go up. At the same time public funding and services decreased, including a $1 billion cut to education.

Join us in Kalamazoo on Monday, April 15th, also known as Tax Day, to hold the Governor accountable for his devastating tax policies.

Look for the colorful jack-in-the-box – it has a surprise for you inside!

When: Monday, April 15 at 12 P.M.

Where: Kalamazoo Social Security Administration Building, 317 S. Drake Rd, Kalamazoo, MI

In Solidarity,

Karla Swift, President
Michigan State AFL-CIO

4/13/2013

On April 18 — following the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference — hundreds of people from around the country will head to Capitol Hill totalk with members of Congress about the importance of creating an economy with good, family-supporting jobs and responding to the threat of climate change.

Join your voice with hundreds of labor, environmental, business and civic leaders by taking part in Green Jobs Advocacy Day. Take a look at the policies and investments we’ll be talking about with members of Congress.

Register now for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference and select the option to sign up for Green Jobs Advocacy Day.

Amplify your voice and let members of Congress know there is a broad coalition of support for investments and policies to prepare the systems we rely on every day — for water, getting to work and school, providing power to homes and businesses, and communicating across the globe — for the impacts of climate change, while also creating good jobs.

Join us at Green Jobs Advocacy Day on April 18. Register now for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference — April 16-18 in Washington, D.C. and select the option to participate in Green Jobs Advocacy Day. Then, meet up with us in the International Ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel at 8:00 a.m. on April 18 for breakfast and a briefing before heading to Capitol Hill to tell Congress what you really think.

Sincerely,

Michael Williams
BlueGreen Alliance

Posted 3/5/2013

The Education Achievement Authority is moving NOW!

A bill permanently establishing the Education Achievement Authority (EAA) will likely move through the House Education Committee tomorrow (Wednesday, 3/6) afternoon.  This bill eliminates the contractual rights of teachers in schools placed in the EAA and removes them from the public school employee pension system (MPSERS).  

The EAA is not a proven way of improving low performing schools, and we should not move forward with such radical plans without having any idea whether it will show any benefit. 

Please click here to find your State Representative's number. Give them a call ASAP and ask them to vote NO on the EAA!

In Solidarity,

Karla Swift, President
Michigan State AFL-CIO

www.miaflcio.org

Posted 1/14/2013

ACTION ALERT: Snyder's State of the State Address 1/16/13

The State of the State address is coming up, and the governor will likely use this opportunity to justify policies that hurt the middle class.  We need you in Lansing on Wednesday to send the message that we can’t trust Gov. Snyder to tell it like it is for working families.

Who:               Bring your friends, neighbors, coworkers and kids.  All are welcome. 

What:              State of the State Action

When:             Wednesday, January 16 from 4:30-7:30pm

Where:             Michigan State Capitol Building outside of the main entrance

                        Click here for a map of parking in Lansing

Click here to let us know that you will help hold Gov. Snyder and the new legislature accountable.

If you can’t make it to Lansing on Wednesday, please stay tuned for a list of State of Our State House Parties taking place across Michigan

In Solidarity,
Karla Swift, President
Michigan State AFL-CIO

www.miaflcio.org

Posted 1/14/2013

From Sierra Club:

The Last Straw: Shell's Rig Runs Aground in Alaska

On January 3, A Shell oil rig loaded with over 150,000 gallons of petroleum products grounded on an island off the coast of Alaska. This is the latest in a series of incidents proving that Shell Oil can't be trusted to drill in America's Arctic.

Tell President Obama to immediately cancel Shell's drilling permits before it's too late:

The Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company is once again pursuing its most risky and aggressive plans to drill in America's Arctic Ocean for the summer of 2013, despite a long list of mistakes and failures from its 2012 drilling program. We need to learn from these mistakes, and Shell's recent grounding of its drill rig on Sitkalidak Island is the last straw. I urge you to avoid a disaster by preventing Shell from drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas this year.

Even under the best circumstances, drilling in the Arctic Ocean would be risky. Currently, there is no effective way to clean up an oil spill in Arctic conditions, and there is a lack of infrastructure in the region to support an adequately safe drilling or cleanup effort. Regardless, Shell was allowed to move forward in 2012 only to prove its own inability to operate in the Arctic.

2012 revealed the chaotic and remote conditions of the Arctic Ocean and Shell's inadequate planning. Problem after problem forced Shell to severely scale down their plans for summer drilling until the season of mishaps and broken promises in the Arctic came to a close in October. Though Shell won approval to conduct "tophole" drilling, it was unable to complete any exploration wells during this open water season. From its inability to prepare spill containment equipment to running its drill rig aground off of Kodiak Island, Shell has made fears become realities. We cannot allow Shell another opportunity to enter the Arctic next year with the same false promises.

Petition HERE

Posted 1/14/2013

Action Alert - Petition

That's not Pure Michigan

On Tuesday, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership whose head is appointed by the Governor and which is funded by the Michigan Legislature, took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal stating that the passage of controversial “right-to-work” legislation in Michigan was “what happens when Michigan makes history.”

The advertisement was published under the name of Pure Michigan in a clear political ploy by right-wing extremists in Lansing, which only served to drag our much celebrated tourism campaign through the mud.

A lot of questions come to mind about this advertisement. Was tax payer funding footing the bill for the full page advertisement? Who was behind the plan to politicize one of the most valuable programs in our state?

One thing is for certain: Right to Work is not the Pure Michigan working families know and love, and we will not be silent while right-wing extremists try to hijack our state.

Please take a moment to tweet at Gov. Snyder and Pure Michigan to express your disappointment by clicking here.

You can also leave a message to ask who was behind this advertisement on the Pure Michigan Facebook page here.

Let Pure Michigan and Gov. Snyder know that working families in Michigan will not stand to see tax payer funded programs, especially those specifically designed to bring tourism to our state, dragged through the political mud.

In Solidarity,

Karla Swift, President
Michigan State AFL-CIO

www.miaflcio.org

From Common Cause - Posted 1/14/2013

The 2012 election gave us a Congress that will be more beholden than ever to millionaires and corporations.

We've all read about the outrageous sums of money dumped into the election by Sheldon Adelson, Foster Friess and other high rollers. But plenty of big donors, particularly corporations, remain out of sight.

It's time to flush those secret donors into the open. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which is charged with protecting the interests of shareholders and investors, has invited public comment on a rules change that would require publicly-held companies to disclose their political spending.

Tell the SEC to bring secret donors into the sunshine. Email them today and ask them to require companies to disclose their political spending.

In the last election, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other nonprofit groups laundered hundreds of millions of dollars provided by corporations and super-rich political investors, spending it to support and oppose candidates while keeping secret the identity of the donors. Many companies don't even tell their shareholders about such spending.

Let's push them to make disclosure a reality. Email the SEC and tell them to bring corporate political spending into the sunshine.

Corporate funds belong to shareholders -- they have a right to know where their money is going. And elections belong to all of us -- we have a right to know who is trying to buy the people we're electing.

Thanks for all you do.

Bob Edgar
and the rest of the team at Common Cause 

Posted 12/29/2012

From the Daily KOS:

Tell the Senate: No cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, and no tax cuts for the wealthy

Democrats just won big at the ballot box, with President Obama crushing Mitt Romney and Democrats winning more seats in both the House and Senate.

But Congress is headed for a major showdown over federal spending before the end of the year, and far too many Democrats and Republicans are part of a concerted push to put Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits on the chopping block.

Negotiations are already happening and Congress has only two weeks left in session, so your senators need to hear from you today.

Join with CREDO Action and Daily Kos by telling your senators to reject any deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, or cuts taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

More Here

Posted 12/9/2012

Action needed NOW to oppose so-called 'right-to-work'

Yesterday, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republicans rammed through their so-called "right-to-work" bills in hours, locked citizens out of the Capitol, made a mockery of the democratic process and undermined the rights of Michigan’s middle class.

A recap of yesterday's activities is on www.mea.org, plus every media outlet in the state. We anticipate that the House and Senate will pass the final versions of the RTW bills on Tuesday and send them to the governor for his signature.

It's time to take action immediately. Here's a checklist of activities between now and Tuesday:

• Step 1: Call Gov. Rick Snyder at (517) 373-3400 and/or email him at rick.snyder@michigan.gov and demand that he veto right-to-work legislation, which weakens unions and makes it easier for corporate CEOs to cut wages and benefits. And continue to contact your legislators to express your anger at their actions.

• Step 2: Email midistricts@gmail.com to find out what you can do to help take local action this weekend. Lawmakers will be in their home districts this weekend, and they need to hear from you!

• Step 3: Wear red on Monday and participate in a local, legal workplace action. Individual unions are planning their own activities, so check with your local union leaders for details -- or better yet, help them plan it! The goal is to do everything you can to inform your friends, families, neighbors and networks about what extremist politicians are doing to school employees and other middle-class families.

• Step 4: Make plans to come to the state Capitol on Tuesday and make your voice heard. Workers from across Michigan will be there all day speaking out against right-to-work and its disastrous and divisive impact on working families and our state. Keep an eye on your inbox for more details.

The final vote is still nearly four days away. That means there are about four days to take action and try to stop these extremists from trampling on our rights! Call Gov. Snyder and his Republican allies, make plans to come to the Capitol Tuesday, and email midistricts@gmail.com to participate in a local action this weekend.

If you can’t make it to the Capitol on Tuesday or participate in a local action this weekend, please take just a few minutes to hop on your phone or email and contact Gov. Snyder and lawmakers.

The time to act is now.

Posted 12/9/2012

Support Michigan Working Families, Wear Red Monday

Workers from across Michigan and across the nation are gearing up for a day of action in Lansing on Tuesday. Tomorrow, you can show support for Michigan’s working families wherever you are.

Wear red on Monday, Dec. 10, to support for Michigan’s working families. 

Share this photo on your Facebook wall to let your friends and family know that we’re all in this together.

Politicians backed by corporate special interests like Dick DeVos, and Governor Rick Snyder are plotting to destroy the state that labor built by pushing through this last minute so-called “Right to Work” legislation. The only thing it provides for is the eroding of workers’ power and voices in the workplace.

Show your friends and family that you stand in solidarity with Michigan's working families, and against the anti-worker policies of Governor Snyder. 

Click here to share this photo on Facebook today and let your friends and family know why you will be wearing red on tomorrow.

Posted 12/9/2012

Sign Petition from Democracy for America

Unions ARE Democracy and Freedom. Stop Republican attacks on unions in Michigan, say NO to "Right to Work"

About the Petition

Republicans in Michigan are trying jam through legislation that will destroy a fundamental example of democracy and freedom in America: labor unions. So-called Right to Work laws are the Right to Work for Less. Workers in Right To Work states are paid less, have worse benefits, are injured more on the job and are less healthy. Tell your representatives to say NO to anti-democratic Right to Work laws and YES to freedom.

Click Here