**Email your Members of Congress Today - Urge Them To Do More to Ease the Pain of the Recession!**

[bobbolink]

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/125/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24346


The economic downturn is placing a tremendous squeeze on households. The rising cost of food and energy is placing basic needs out of reach for many. In the last year, food prices have soared with some food staples experiencing a double-digit increase: milk is up by 26 percent, and eggs by 40 percent. Home energy costs are up too. Heating costs have risen 47 percent in the last four years. There were 1.2 million gas and electric shut-offs last year alone.

Meanwhile, the economy is losing thousands of jobs and wages are not keeping pace. Over 3 million workers are expected to exhaust their unemployment benefits this year. Today, there are 700,000 more out of school and out of work youth than in 2000, a 19 percent increase. And, people who are working are seeing their hourly and weekly wages lose ground.

Today, the House approved funding for critical domestic needs, including extending unemployment insurance benefits and stopping harmful Medicaid regulations. The Senate will likely vote next week.

Send your Members a letter online here: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/125/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24346. Voice your support for funding these domestic needs, but also stress that more forms of recession relief are needed, like providing Food Stamps and other nutrition and home energy aid; and preventing cuts in Medicaid, Head Start, and child support. (More on effective ways to boost the economy and help people in need can be found in Towards Shared Recovery: Congress must do More to Reverse the Recession).

[caseycoon]

1. K&R A much needed post!

I hope everyone sees this & acts on it!
Thanks for posting it!

[bobbolink]

2. Thanks Casey.... it's only one call or email.. so little to ask.

:hug:

[checks-n-balances]

3. Done, Kicked & Recommended!

Good work, Bobbie.

Come on, DU, at least do your part in this.

If more motivation is needed...

Remember that any of us could be next!

[bobbolink]

4. "Remember that any of us could be next!"

thanks..... "There but for the grace of God go I"

:hug:

[alstephenson]

5. k & r

[pamela]

6. K & R

Letter sent!

Thanks for posting this.

[gateley]

7. Done - K&R. nt

[cali]

8. gladly.

Happily, I know that Bernie, Pat and Peter are already on it.

[varelse]

9. Summer's coming, too

poor people, especially elderly, are going to be at risk of dying in the hotter regions of the US.

Thank you for keeping this in the spotlight. The site you've linked to is a great resource for information and a focal point for action as well.

[bobbolink]

11. Yes, it's a great site. I wish more DUers would take advantage of it.

Thanks for your post, your kick, and your support of poor folk!

:hug:

[Greyhound]

10. K & R

:kick: & R

[bobbolink]

19. thanks, greyhound!

:pals:

[kdmorris]

12. K & R

:kick:

Done.

[FirstLight]

13. K & R & done!

here's what I wrote and attached to their email:

My situation couldn't be more upsetting, and yet I feel that I am lucky compared to so many who are suffering with this economy...
I am a single mother of 3 and have never had a stable job in my entire adult life. I am educated, and pride myself on a strong work ethic, but the struggle of the past 4 years especially has been taking its toll on me. More than ever since the beginning of 2008. I lost HALF my income due to loss in child support and failed enforcement!)
I have a Section 8 voucher and without it I know we would be homeless. I can barely keep food on the table, much less drive to the 3 jobs I am currently working - all are part time, and only one is a steady 15 hours a week.
When I work extra hours, (which means also struggling with my kids to get things done and keep a house running) and cannot see any significant change in our situation, how am I supposed to keep it up?

I am afraid to become dependent on food stamps again, but it may come to that. There are other things I can never take care of, like car insurance or my student loan - because we can't even survive.
AND
Since January 2008, this has become a desperate situation for me
and for MILLIONS
we need more than just a check in the mail, we need the tides to turn and the economy to get back to normal. So we can once again get ahead instead of being forgotten and left behind.

[Beaverhausen]

14. K&R - we have to keep pushing on this issue

[bobbolink]

17. Thank you, Beaverhausen! I never thought I'd say this, but...

we need a lot more "pushers"!

:)

[Greyhound]

15. .

[blindpig]

16. k&r, n/t

[AzDar]

18. Ayup.

:kick:

[I Have A Dream]

20. K&R. nt

[Better Believe It]

21. Forget About Just "Easing The Pain"

How about a clear and specific plan to end the recession?

Now a detailed program to actually improve the living and working conditions of the people is what we need!

And such a plan would have to include Medicare for All, Jobs at a Living Wage for All and a moratorium on home foreclosures.

Anything less won't do the job.

[checks-n-balances]

22. But it would be a needed start & easy enough for any of us to do

Keeping it kicked...

[bobbolink]

23. There isn't enough done about homelessness, either... not by a long shot!

but that doesn't mean we get to sit and wait...

Our action is badly needed!

Please, write in support of this!

[maryf]

24. Kick

thanks Bobbie for "pushing" this issue, it should be at the top of all agendas! Peace, Mary

[I Have A Dream]

25. Kick. nt

[varelse]

26. Please sign to override Pres' veto of Food Stamp, nutrition improvements!

From Our Friends at FRAC (Food Research and Action Center):

The earliest the veto override could occur is Wednesday, May 21st which would require the letter be sent to Congress as early as Tuesday, May 20th. Given this timeline, we are asking for signatures by COB, Monday, May 19th.


Please enter the information required, including your organization's name as you would like it to appear on the letter. If you have any questions, please contact Ellen Vollinger, [e-mail], Ellen Teller, [e-mail], or Etienne Melcher, [e-mail].

Click here to sign the letter.

[bobbolink]

27. thanks! Could you please post this separately, as another thread?

It's not likely to be seen here.

I really appreciate it!

:hug:

[Kajsa]

28. Done!

:kick:

[bobbolink]

29. Thanks! Please pass it along to others, too.

:hi:

[Kajsa]

30. I will!

:hi:

[varelse]

31. I'm starting to "get it"

I used to wonder "why does that bobbolink lady seem so frustrated with people here?"

Could it be because things like the Duggar family news circus net 1000x more attention than *any* call to action on economic justice for all? Let's not always see the same hands...

ARGH

and... :kick:

[bobbolink]

36. "Let's not always see the same hands..." oh, goddess -- THANK YOU!

Yes, you indeed are "getting it".

It's the frustration Sapphire Blue when through, and some others who have left.

I'm an imperfect vessle, and I'd be happy for someone else to take over the job of raising awareness and inspiring action.

"Let's not always see the same hands...."

Thank you so much, varelse! From your keyboard to God's monitor!

[maryf]

32. kick and info

Here's a link where you can get the direct DC address and phone number for your representative, if it doesn't come up as a link, cut and paste, not sure how to do that here, if you know, please feel free and thanks ahead of time! Phone calls and snail mail along with emails!! Keep 'em busy!

https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

[bobbolink]

40. Good information, mary! Also, here are the toll-free capitol hill numbers again:

TOLL FREE:
these are TOLL FREE numbers to the capitol hill switchboard
1 [phone]
1 ( 800) 459-1887
1 [phone]
1 [phone]
1 [phone]
1 [phone]
1-[phone]

These reach the main switchboard, then ask for the Senator or Representative you wish to speak with.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Tippy]

34. K&R

[maryf]

35. Where the money's going...

A local group started pushing how much of the money is going to the Iraq occupation, sad but true. I made a flier I'm posting around town for my local district, as we are voting for the school budgets soon, I placed that on top, and included things I may not be pushing for but others would consider important:

LOCAL COSTS OF IRAQ


Taxpayers in Congressional District 20 (Gillibrand) have paid $1.6 billion for the Iraq War thus far. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided for EACH of the past five years:

3,656 School Teachers OR
1,794 Affordable Housing Units OR
58,215 People with Health Care OR
591,010 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
6,093 Public Safety Officers OR
51,514 Scholarships for University Students OR
17 New Elementary Schools OR
110,312 Children with Health Care OR
35,966 Head Start Places for Children OR
4,744 Port Container Inspectors

Put another way, if we divided by 10 for each of the categories for EACH year we could have had:

366 School Teachers AND
179 Affordable Housing Units AND
5,822 people with health care AND
59,101 home with renewable electricity AND
609 Public safety officers ND
5,151 Scholarships for University Students AND
2 New Elementary schools AND
11,031 Children with Health Care AND
3,597 Head Start Places for Children AND
474 Port Container Inspectors


Just think of how much lower your property and school taxes could be!



The above was extrapolated from data from the National Priorities Project where they listed ONE year for each item, I divided it by five as I thought it was interesting what we could have had for each year (and I doubt any given year would have demanded the amounts they came up with for our little district.) I also decided to add what we could have had if we used the money to pay for all the items for each of five years! I would rather take away from the PSB officers and port container inspectors, but to get the fear driven folks in my district I figured it was best to include these.
Anyway, everybody could make up a list of where taxes go vs. where they could go, and distribute the info for you district. BTW they keep disappearing from the po and grocery stores, I like to think some are taking them for making copies, but regardless, I just keep putting em up!

[bobbolink]

37. BEAUTIFUL! Please post this as your own thread--it would be a beautiful first thread!

This is an action that not everyone can do, but MANY can.

Thank you!

:hug:

[maryf]

38. ooops!!

I had two of your threads bookmarked! and I thought this message didn't go through as I checked the other post and thought it was there! I posted a slightly different version at your other thread!! Oh well, I put housing first there anyway! Thanks and keep posting! Peace, Maryf

[dajoki]

39. Done...

and here's another one. Great to see you Bobbie!! :hug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3301013

[G_j]

41. kick !

[Tippy]

42. Done

[bobbolink]

43. Thank you for taking action!

Much appreciated.

:hi:

[L. Coyote]

44. Yeah, tax the rich, instead of increasing the deficit and sending us the interest bills!

[uppityperson]

45. kick