[PDI] FW: End the Big Broadcast Swindle

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-----Original Message-----
From: Libby Reinish, FreePress.net <info@freepress.net>
Sent: November 30, 2011 12:35 PM
To: Daniel A. Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: End the Big Broadcast Swindle

FCC: End the Big Broadcast Swindle
Broadcast policy must benefit the public.
Dear Daniel,
Television and radio broadcasters get to use our public airwaves for free. It's a great deal … for them, at least. For the rest of us, it's just another corporate giveaway.
These broadcasters rake in billions in profits using our public property. And what do we the public get from them in return? Next to nothing.
Tell the FCC: No more handouts to big media.
The original idea was to offer commercial broadcasters free access to our airwaves in exchange for programming that serves the needs of our communities. This is the core of the Federal Communications Commission's public-interest bargain. But over the years broadcast industry lobbyists have trampled this social contract in their rush to maximize profits.
Instead of covering the issues communities say matter the most, broadcasters have shuttered their newsrooms, laid off journalists and aired cookie-cutter programming often produced by other stations.
Now the FCC is about to review its media ownership rules — including rules that promote localism, competition and diversity on the airwaves. These rules need to be strengthened and enforced. But the FCC has a track record of creating policies that cater to industry at the expense of the news people need:
The agency is reportedly planning to re-introduce a Bush-era policy that would consolidate local media even further in the hands of a few corporate interests. This rule change would allow a single company to own a newspaper and a TV station in the same city.1
The FCC has repeatedly neglected its responsibility to correct dramatic inequalities in the broadcast industry. A Free Press survey of broadcast licenses in 2007 showed women and communities of color to be grossly underrepresented among broadcast owners. Members of Congress and even the courts have repeatedly demanded action by the FCC, yet the agency has done next to nothing to fix this problem.2
The FCC has turned a blind eye to "covert consolidation," a practice in which corporations control two or three TV stations in the same community. Covert consolidation leads to copycat news programming and has left over 100 communities with few to no choices of local news broadcasts. The agency must strengthen its rules to protect the public from this harmful practice.3
It's time for the FCC to address these serious problems once and for all.  By signing this letter to the FCC, you're helping Free Press launch a new initiative to reverse decades of bad policy:
Tell the FCC Chairman Not to Repeat the Mistakes of the Past
We need to put the public interest back into the public airwaves. It begins today with you.
Thanks,
Libby Reinish
Free Press
P.S. This Thursday, the FCC will hold a public hearing on media ownership. Visit this page on Thursday morning to join the conversation: savethenews.org/atlanta
1. Katy Bachman, "Genachowski Trying to Keep Media Ownership Review Quiet," Adweek, Nov. 21, 2011: http://act2.freepress.net/go/7470?akid=3092.9916736.XuaOEc&t=9
2. Free Press letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski, Nov. 28, 2011: http://act2.freepress.net/go/7535?akid=3092.9916736.XuaOEc&t=11
3. John Eggerton, "FCC Media Bureau Denies Complaint Against Raycom in Honolulu, But Says Combo Violates 'Intent' of Rules," Broadcast & Cable, Nov. 27, 2001: http://act2.freepress.net/go/7536?akid=3092.9916736.XuaOEc&t=13
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[PDI] FW: The end of the Internet?

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-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Mintz, MoveOn.org Political Action <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
Sent: November 29, 2011 11:32 AM
To: Daniel A. Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: The end of the Internet?

Click here to sign your name:
"The government must not be allowed to censor the Internet at the request of powerful lobbyists. Say NO to Internet censorship."
Sign the Petition!
Dear MoveOn member,
As soon as this week, Congress will start debating whether to give the government the power to turn off parts of the Internet. If that sounds like a terrible recipe for abuse of power, that's because it is.
If enacted, a new law would make it so a simple allegation of copyright infringement—with no review process—could lead to the shutdown of sites from YouTube to Wikipedia to MoveOn.org.1 Any website, foreign or U.S.-based, could be wiped out on suspicion and made unavailable to everyone in the world.
For example, if you (or Justin Bieber) wanted to post a video to YouTube of yourself singing a Beatles song, a record company could force the Department of Justice to shut down YouTube. Really.2
But as you may have guessed, Congress didn't come up with this tragically terrible idea on their own. Lobbyists representing Comcast, Pfizer, record and movie companies, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce3 have been pushing Democrats and Republicans to pass bills to allow this new kind of Internet censorship. And they're close to getting their way.
But a small number of Democrats are standing strong and saying "No" to these powerful special interest groups. They need our help.
Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon is one of our champions. He has promised to start a historic filibuster of the Internet Censorship Act where he'll read the names of every person that signs a petition against Internet censorship.4 It's the perfect opportunity for 5 million Internet-connected progressives to visibly add their voice to a Senate debate. The more of us that sign, the stronger this effort to block this terrible law will be.
Click here to add your name and say NO to Internet Censorship.
We know that the Internet's openness, freedom, and lack of censorship are what make it a bastion of infinite possibility, continued innovation, and job creation. Innovative companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Mozilla, and Yahoo have spoken out against this law, saying: 
We should not jeopardize a foundational structure that has worked for content owners and Internet companies alike and provides certainty to innovators with new ideas for how people create, find, discuss, and share information lawfully online.5
Internet venture capitalists say that the legislation is "ripe for abuse,"6 and leading law professors reject it because it will "allow the government to block Internet access to websites."7
We condemn censorship overseas when it happens in China or Iran. But today, we need to stand up for freedom of speech on the Internet here at home.
Click here to add your name and say NO to Internet Censorship.
Thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Garlin, Elena, Stefanie, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "House Version of Rogue Websites Bill Adds DMCA Bypass, Penalties for DNS Workarounds," Public Knowledge, October 26, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268060&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=5
2. "Why Is Justin Bieber So Hackin Mad?" SaveTheInternet.com, November 2, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268061&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=6
3. "Five things to know about SOPA," The Washington Post, November 16, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268062&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=7
4. "Wyden to read petition names during copyright filibuster," The Hill, November 21, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268065&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=8
5. "SOPA opposition from tech heavyweights Google, Facebook," CBS News, November 17, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268063&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=9
6. "The PROTECT IP Act Will Slow Startup Innovation," Union Square Ventures, June 23, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268064&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=10
7. "Law Professors' Letter on SOPA," Electronic Frontier Foundation, November 15, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268067&id=33343-18854005-meKCQOx&t=11
Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 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 Daniel A. Stafford on November 29, 2011. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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[PDI] FW: Insider Trading In the Halls of Congress -- End it now

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-----Original Message-----
From: Frieda Donnan <freidadoug@ameritech.net>
Sent: November 22, 2011 11:17 PM
To: Dan Stafford cell <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: Fw: Insider Trading In the Halls of Congress -- End it now

Dan,

I helped elect this lady to Congress in the early 1960s in Rochester, N.Y. She has been a persistent and consistent representative for progressive causes like this one.  She is now chair person of the House Rules Committee. 

Could you forward this on to your address list for Progressive Democrats of Illinois to help build an organized effort to take back our country and stop our representatives from representing themselves instead of us?

Thanks for your help.

Doug Donnan

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Louise M. Slaughter <info@votelouise.com>
To: freidadoug@ameritech.net
Sent: Tue, November 22, 2011 6:04:12 PM
Subject: Insider Trading In the Halls of Congress -- End it now

Insider Trading In the Halls of Congress --  End it NOW!
 
Hi Friend,
 
Last Sunday, 60 Minutes reported on a shocking loophole in our laws that has outraged me for years-and I'm sure it will outrage you, too. It is currently LEGAL for members of Congress and their staffs to engage in "insider trading"-buying and selling stocks based on privileged information that's hidden from other investors and the American public. Insider trading is illegal for everyone else, but members of Congress have free reign to engage in this behavior and profit from their roles as representatives of the people. It's unfair and it's wrong.
 
You can watch the 60 Minutes segment here.
 
I've been concerned about this issue for many years and, in 2006, I introduced a bill called the STOCK Act, which would finally outlaw insider trading among members of Congress. Since then, I've worked to move this bill forward in every session of Congress, and every time it has garnered little support.
 
I've been urging my colleagues to pass the STOCK Act and outlaw insider trading NOW. It's important that we spread the word on this outrageous loophole so please forward this email to a friend by using the link to the right. I also hope you'll make a show of support for my efforts by making a contribution to my campaign, which you can do by going here. Your contribution of $25, $50, or even $100 will help me to ensure that Washington works for all of us, not just the insiders and those in power. Make your contribution online here today.
 
Thanks to 60 Minutes, we have renewed momentum for this bill. Even GOP stalwarts like Rick Perry and Eric Cantor have said they support bans on unethical activity-like insider trading-in Congress.
 
But it's time for politicians to do more than just talk about reform. We don't need any more statements of outrage. We need to pass this bill. As Governor Perry should know, there's nothing worse than being "all hat and no cattle." It's time for Congress to outlaw insider trading once and for all.
 
I'm doing everything I can to clean up Washington and level the playing field-and I need your help. I hope you'll forward this email to others-and I would be very grateful for your support, as well. You can make a contribution online by going here today.
 
Thank you for all that you do.
 
In Solidarity,
Louise
 
p.s. I continue to fight everyday to ensure Washington works for you.  Can you join me by donating $10, $25, or even $100 today?
 
Read on...
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vote Louise
PO Box 730
Honeoye, New York 14471
andrewmlew@yahoo.com
 

Forward email
This email was sent to freidadoug@ameritech.net by info@votelouise.com |  
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Louise Slaughter Re-Election Committee | PO Box 730 | Honeoye | NY | 14471
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[PDI] Your help is needed: Save the DuPage Youth Home- Kane Youths detained, strip searched, jobs lost

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Attend a rally to support the DuPage Youth Home sponsored by labor and community groups on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 9 am at 421 N County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187, and attend to make public comment (3 min) at County Board meeting, 10 am, Administration Bldg., same address as rally.

(message forwarded from Siobhan Kolar...)

If you're in DuPage there is a rally tomorrow Tuesday at 9 am to Save the DuPage Youth Home. Their programs do turn kids around. They are working to get rid of detention (since it doesn't work). In Kane they treat the kids in a very dehumanizing way, with harsh punishments, wearing underwear only, strip searches--it's a jail for 10-17 year olds.

We need to close the facility, but for now we need to stop would be Gov. Dan Cronin from pulling his own mini- Scott Walker act in DuPage.

READ ON for how you can help.

Dear DuPage County Activists,

The DuPage County Board's recent vote to move our county's juvenile offenders to a more punitive setting, away from their families in Kane County.

Aproximately 400 families will be directly impacted when the doors are shut at the DuPage County Youth facility. And the rest of us will lose when they do. Please read and act. Faith leaders speaking out in any capacity will make a difference.

This is time critical. A November 22 vote on the county board budget will seal this issue.

Situation: The County Board voted to close the DuPage County Youth Home, located at the county government complex in Wheaton. The action was intended to share services and save money. The youngsters served at the youth home will be sent to a detention center in Kane County that is very different in terms of those served, and their approach to working with juveniles.

a.. The DuPage County Youth Home is viewed as a model program and "is widely acclaimed for it's programming and its documented success in guiding teens away from the criminal justice system." The Kane County program does not check for recidivism.
b.. A broad base of support for keeping the home open includes judges, prosecutors, and public defenders. Former County State's Attorney, Joe Birkett, "implored the board to keep the center open."
c.. "Also of concern ... varying policies at the two county facilities regarding education, security and discipline. Kane County provides no routine assistance for detainees working toward their GED, and its behavioral philosophy leans more heavily on punishment than does the DuPage center. The Kane center also practices strip searches of detainees on admission and after visits."
d.. The proposed budget for county board is $434.4 million for 2012. That amount does not include the $630 thousand for the youth home. "Opponents note that the county's $49 million cash reserve includes enough to cover the expense" of the youth home.
The issue was received by County Board members late November 4 and the vote was taken November 8.

How to Help:

Pass the word on this situation. Email others, share this as an announcement at meetings, write a letter to the editor, contact your County Board Representative, and/or talk it up.

Attend a rally to support the DuPage Youth Home sponsored by labor and community groups on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 9 am at 421 N County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187, and attend to make public comment (3 min) at County Board meeting, 10 am, Administration Bldg., same address as rally.

The message/goal is;

1. Reverse the action to close the DuPage County Youth Home, and

2. Take no action to close the youth home for one year. One year would allow time for a thorough review of this proposed change.

Links for More Information and Action:

Please follow the link below to the Naperville Sun and read the entire article on the DuPage County Youth Home. http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/<http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/> Articles are also in the Beacon News, Daily Herald and the Batavia Patch.

The link below provided by The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) can connect the user to the correct representative. Enter your zip code and the software guides you from there.

http://action.afscme.org/c/293/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3035<http://action.afscme.org/c/293/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3035>

The next link is a google.com<http://google.com/> document with a brief summary and more, including information on a rally Tuesday, November 22.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10jifeoRpxL3VqEstohJ5BqLWUMjZ8EuXdd3vNVgXW8w/edit<https://docs.google.com/document/d/10jifeoRpxL3VqEstohJ5BqLWUMjZ8EuXdd3vNVgXW8w/edit>

Thanks for your consideration on this matter. Please join me and take up this issue to keep the DuPage County Youth Home open.

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[PDI] Medicare Part D is too Difficult and Expensive

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You all may find the following useful.

-------------

Thanks, Robert Tracy

rtracy@condor.depaul.edu
630-833-9155 (home)
630-484-1555 (old cell)
630-749-1720 (new cell)

166 E LAKE ST UNIT F, ELMHURST IL 60126-5509

Web site: http://condor.depaul.edu/~rtracy/

Medicare Part D is too Difficult and Expensive, 11/21/2011

This message is for anyone who finds enrolling in Medicare Part D to be frustrating, and would like to save a lot of money. My motivation is to share information not widely known.

Each year I shop for my brother to find the best possible insurance company for Medicare Part D. We find a suspicious pattern. The cheapest plan in one year always becomes very expensive the following year. Insurance companies hide that they are raising costs. For example, one year we were shown a complicated chart of next year's coverage, from which it was impossible to tell if costs were being raised. Cross-year comparison is difficult because of changes in drugs being covered, and changes in co-pays, premiums, coverage in the "donut hole," etc. Insurance companies misleadingly reassure their customers by telling them not to worry; they need do nothing and they will be re-enrolled automatically.

Shopping for Part D insurance coverage (to be completed between Oct 15 to Dec 7, 2011) is tedious for everyone, but especially if you are elderly or sick or not knowledgeable about computers. Phone assistance from Medicare is available (1-800-MEDICARE) if you wait long enough on the phone.

For the above reasons, it is tempting to do nothing and allow yourself to be automatically re-enrolled with the same company from year to year -- and be unaware of always increasing insurance costs. Insurance companies and the government are not consumer oriented because they fail to explain why it so beneficial to search every year for an improved plan. For my brother, I switch plans yearly, and have always saved at least $800 by switching; last year by switching to a different company the saving was $3,863! We have found staying with the same company can result in an increase of 61% in just one year! Enrollment in Medicare Part D is biased against consumers due to the tricks and traps mentioned above. No wonder insurance costs are exorbitant.

A solution: Until our government passes laws that protect vulnerable insurance customers from predatory capitalism, here is a partial solution. There is an excellent Internet tool provided by the government through Medicare that compares alternative insurance plans. See the Medicare plan finder at http://www.medicare.gov/

The plan finder does the tedious math to identify the least expensive plan that covers your prescription drugs.

A useful guide from AARP is at http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-11-2010/part_d_prescription_drug_plan_2011.html

The goal: to select improved or cheaper coverage for next year, and then verify the improved coverage by contacting the insurance company involved directly by phone. They will undoubtedly allow you to enroll over the phone if you wish.

Please pass this document along to anyone interested. My only motivation is to share helpful information. You may modify this document as you prefer, removing my name. If needed, please seek help from acquaintances familiar with computers and the Internet, or become one of those helpers yourself.

For members of our church, I help people in selecting a good plan. Bob Tracy, 630-484-1555, rtracy@condor.depaul.edu

I would also appreciate any feedback about how the enrollment process worked for you.

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[PDI] FW: Stop attacking protesters.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Becky Bond, CREDO Action <act@credoaction.com>
Sent: November 21, 2011 11:55 AM
To: Daniel A. Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: Stop attacking protesters.

Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to Mark G. Yudof, president of the University of California, and Sherry Lansing, chairperson of the University of California Board of Regents:
"The University of California Regents must protect protesters' First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble and ban the use of chemical agents and/or physical violence against nonviolent protesters on all University of California campuses."
Automatically add your name:

Learn more about this campaign
Tell the University of California: Ban the use of chemical agents and physical violence against peaceful protesters.
Dear Daniel,
This is outrageous and unacceptable.
Last week at the University of California at Davis, campus police dressed in riot gear sprayed nonviolent protesters with chemical agents. A dramatic video captures the scene. The protesters kneeling. Arms linked. They posed no threat to the officers. The officers standing above them. Dousing them with pepper spray.1
Social movements in this country have a long tradition of using civil disobedience to challenge injustice. Protesters with a deep commitment to social change peacefully disobey an order to disperse and the police must make mass arrests in order to end the protest.
What the authorities at the University of California have done is employ the use of chemical agents to stop protesters from exercising their First Amendment rights. They clearly fear that the size, commitment and growing power of the Occupy protests is so great that they will fill up their jails — not on one day, but every day — if they want to put a stop to the movement.
Tell Mark G. Yudof, president of the University of California, and Sherry Lansing, chairperson of the University of California Board of Regents, to protect protesters' First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble, and ban the use of chemical agents and/or physical violence against nonviolent protesters on all University of California campuses. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
Outrageously, the chancellor of the University of California at Davis, Linda P.B. Katehi, initially defended the actions of the officers but today finally placed the chief of the campus police on administrative leave pending a review. The UC Davis faculty association is calling for Katehi's resignation. 2
This is not just happening at the campus in Davis. In Berkeley, Robert Hass, a 70-year-old former poet laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner, described how he and his wife were beaten by police while peacefully assembling in solidarity with campus Occupy protesters.
In an op-ed piece in the New York Times, Hass notes that the violent actions against peaceful protesters on the Berkeley campus are thrown into particularly high relief as the protests there are taking place where the Free Speech Movement was launched almost 50 years ago, quoting Mario Savio's famous call to action: "There is a time ... when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part. You can't even passively take part." 3
The University of California Board of Regents has ultimate responsibility for the actions of authorities at all University of California campuses, including Davis and Berkeley. The president and chairperson of the this board must take decisive action to protect the First Amendment rights of student, faculty and the campus communities — rights that are so clearly under violent attack.
Tell Mark G. Yudof, president of the University of California, and Sherry Lansing, chairperson of the University of California Board of Regents, to protect protesters' First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble, and ban the use of chemical agents and/or physical violence against nonviolent protesters on all University of California campuses. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
From Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr. to Mario Savio, nonviolent civil disobedience is a time-honored form of protest. If authorities allow police in riot gear to simply use chemical agents and violence, instead of arrests, to remove peaceful protesters who respectfully decline to follow an order to disperse, then they will not only be taking away our fundamental rights, they will implicitly be encouraging more violent forms of resistance.
The community response to the events in Davis have been overwhelming. In the coming days we may see resignations at the highest level. But what's at stake is not just the job of the chancellor of the University of California at Davis or its campus police chief. It's about whether the right to free speech on campus will endure. That's why we need the president and the chairperson of the UC Board of Regents to protect the rights of protesters on every UC campus, and to set a precedent for universities not just in California but nationwide.
Thank you for joining me in taking action today.
Becky Bond, Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets
1. Police pepper spraying and arresting students at UC Davis. YouTube. November 18, 2011.
2. UC Davis Pepper-Spraying: Police Chief Put On Leave, Chancellor To Speak. NPR. November 21, 2011.
3. Poet-Bashing Police. New York Times. November 20, 2011.
Share on Facebook
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© 2011 CREDO. All rights reserved.
To remove yourself (Daniel A. Stafford) from this list, please visit our subscription management page at: http://act.credoaction.com/s?i=30861-2914033-zvmX08x
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[PDI] FW: Occupy Crackdown Targets Journalists

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-----Original Message-----
From: Josh Stearns, FreePress.net <info@freepress.net>
Sent: November 15, 2011 4:21 PM
To: Daniel A. Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: Occupy Crackdown Targets Journalists

Mayors: Protect Press Freedom in Your Cities.
Dear Daniel,
This morning, the New York Police Department forcibly evacuated Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The move provoked a clash not only with protesters but with the press. In what appears to have been a coordinated effort to block coverage of the raid, the police blocked many journalists from reporting on the police action.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the police kept the media away "to prevent a situation from getting worse and to protect members of the press."
But according to the New York Times, one journalist told a police officer "I'm press!" and the officer just responded "Not tonight."
If the mayor of our country's largest city thinks protecting the press means silencing them, we're in big trouble. And he's not alone. Police harassment of the media has been reported during "Occupy" protests in Chicago, Denver, Oakland, Portland and beyond. It's time to tell mayors across the country to uphold our press freedoms.
Tell Mayor Bloomberg and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to publicly commit to upholding the First Amendment and let journalists do their jobs.
The NYPD is using more than words to fight journalists. This morning, five reporters were arrested, another was put in a choke hold, and others were subjected to police harassment. Journalists are being swept up in ongoing police actions happening right now in New York City.
In fact, since the birth of the Occupy Wall Street movement two months ago, 18 journalists have been arrested2, 3 and countless others have been roughed up, tear-gassed and pepper sprayed. There have even been reports of police using high-powered strobe lights to disable video cameras and stop people from recording their actions.
Demand that all U.S. mayors publicly commit to protecting freedom of the press.
Please sign this action and we will deliver your letter to Mayor Bloomberg and the Conference of Mayors and demand that they make this crucial commitment to upholding the First Amendment.
The freedom of our press is fundamental to our identity as Americans. As elected representatives charged with serving the people, our mayors must rein in these aggressive and violent tactics by local law enforcement.
Please take action right now.
Josh Stearns
Associate Program Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
1. Brian Stelter, "Reporters Say Police Denied Access to Protest Site," New York Times, Nov. 15, 2011: http://act2.freepress.net/go/7342?akid=3054.9916736.X1rZUk&t=7
2. See a list of all journalists arrested at Occupy events since September, plus related videos and articles. http://act2.freepress.net/go/7343?akid=3054.9916736.X1rZUk&t=9
3. See a statement from the Society of Professional Journalists condemning the arrests. http://act2.freepress.net/go/7344?akid=3054.9916736.X1rZUk&t=11
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[PDI] FW: Delivering Occupy Petition to Rahm Wed. Nov. 16 at 12:30

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-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Wade <noreply@list.signon.org>
Sent: November 15, 2011 12:48 PM
To: aquarianm@gmail.com
Subject: Delivering Occupy Petition to Rahm Wed. Nov. 16 at 12:30

Dear Daniel,

Tomorrow , Wed. Nov. 16 at 12:30 we will be delivering the petition supporting the rights of Occupy Chicago to peaceably assemble in Grant Park to Mayor Emanuel for the third time since it's inception on Sunday, Oct. 16. The petition now has 13,055 signers who support the right of Occupy Chicago to peaceably assemble.
 
 Petition here: http://signon.org/sign/let-the-occupychicago?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1415825&mailing_id=1104

Two ways you can help:

Join our delgation to Mayor Emanuel tomorrow,  Wed. Nov. 16 at 12:00, meeting at the Lasalle entrance to City Hall, 121 North La Salle Street. We will re-affirm the importance of the right to peaceable assemble for Occupy Chicago that the signers of the petition support.  If you want to be part of the delegation email me at nwade882000-citizen@yahoo.com

Next, ask everyone you know, especially in Chicago, to sign the petition -- everyone is welcome to sign but Chicago voters can send a message to Mayor Emanuel that they are watching whether he supports free speech in Chicago.

Petition here: http://signon.org/sign/let-the-occupychicago?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1415825&mailing_id=1104
Thanks for helping to make a difference!

Nancy Wade
Progressive Organizer 
 

This message was sent to Daniel A. Stafford by Nancy Wade from the SignOn.org system. MoveOn.org Civic Action sponsors SignOn.org, but does not endorse specific campaigns or the contents of this message.
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[PDI] FW: ACTION ALERT: Stop CTA funding cuts by Cook County!

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-----Original Message-----
From: Active Transportation Alliance <brenna@activetrans.org>
Sent: November 14, 2011 6:28 PM
To: aquarianm@gmail.com
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Stop CTA funding cuts by Cook County!

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.
Share This:
 
ACTION ALERT: Stop CTA funding cuts by Cook County!
Riders for Better Transit -- contact Cook County officials
 
Dear friend,
Last week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and several Cook County Commissioners proposed slashing county funding for the CTA by two-thirds, from $2 million to just $675,000. Join us in sending a clear message to our Cook County officials that our elected leaders need to increase investment in transit -- not cut funding -- if we want to end the cycle of fare increases and service cuts!
TAKE ACTION NOW: Stop CTA funding cuts by Cook County!
The $1.3 million that Cook County is proposing to cut would directly increase the risk of service cuts and fare hikes for CTA riders. Not only would CTA have to make up the $1.3 million elsewhere, but the cut would jeopardize an additional $128 million that the Regional Transportation Authority normally provides to the CTA -- because state law stipulates that this funding is dependent on a minimum contribution from Cook County and the City of Chicago.
Please tell President Preckwinkle and our Cook County Commissioners that CTA's service is vital not just to the City of Chicago, but to the region, and to retract this proposal and keep Cook County's CTA funding intact. The Cook County Board meets tomorrow, so please act now!
TAKE ACTION NOW: Stop CTA funding cuts by Cook County!
Riders for Better Transit is a project of the Active Transportation Alliance, in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
 
Active Transportation Alliance
312.427.3325 www.activetrans.org

9 W Hubbard St. Suite 402 | Chicago, IL 60654-6545 US
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[PDI] Fwd: Stand with Me to Save Medicare

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If you can, join John Conyers in his appeal below my comment, which is
as follows:

The whole budget debate is built on a false and patently absurd premise.
We need to stop borrowing from the banks in order to pay our bills!
Instead we should be asking Congress to do its Constitutional duty to
spend money into circulation, debt free per Dennis Kucinich's Need Act
(HR 2990) co-sponsored by John Conyers.

We also need to install a single payer health plan, ala Dennis
Kucinich's original health plan again co-sponsored by John Conyers,
which would allow freedom of choice of provider and choice of treatment,
including natural remedies and supplements. Unlike the current Health
Care for Insurance Companies model, Kucinich's original bill will
SHARPLY reduce health care (one might say sickness care) costs over time.

As to Social Security, come on guys, it is self-funded. STOP dipping
into it for military adventures and bank bailouts, etc.

Who's kidding who here?

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Stand with Me to Save Medicare
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:01:52 -0500
From: Congressman John Conyers <info@johnconyers.com>
Reply-To: info@johnconyers.com
To: healthadvantage@comcast.net

#
conyers header

****

**Stand With me to Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from
GOP Assault**

**
**

Dear Geraldine:

I, and millions of my fellow Americans, believe that Medicare, Medicaid,
and Social Security represent the best of our nation's values and they
should be protected and preserved for future generations. * But these
fundamental pillars of our social safety net are under attack and you
need to make your voice heard TODAY to stop it by becoming a citizen
cosponsor of my resolution, H. Con. Res. 72, which says that any
legislation approved by the Super Committee should not reduce benefits
for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficiaries.* I need your
help to make sure the members of the Super Committee know that the
American people won't stand for cuts to these vital programs.

With only two weeks until the so-called Super Committee is scheduled
to release its plan to address our national debt, and there are
troubling media reports that cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social
Security are still on the table. This is despite the fact that recent
polling shows that over 70 percent of the American public opposes cuts
to these core social insurance programs.

I introduced H. Con. Res. 72 because it's wrong to ask middle-class and
low-income workers to give up benefits that have been earned through a
lifetime of hard work. Over the past three decades, these Americans have
seen their wages stagnate, while the incomes of the wealthiest one
percent have increased by 275 percent. The Super Committee needs to
know that middle-class Americans have already sacrificed enough.

82 of my colleagues have already signed up as cosponsors. I know that
this is a fight that we can win. *Will you help me save Medicare,
Medicaid and Social Security from the chopping block*
<http://images.myngp.com/LinkTracker.aspx?crypt=IVi0ax2%2b6UBSinc%2fCPYaKfHt%2b6u4f%2bb%2bg5bhPiE9wmqWAw%2bHtfQmyUbH7HHYVL%2b3%2brsi4d0YMgTl6YS0eVuFcaW1PtIWHRbEZaKtbT70Xz5iPtzJPeH4LQ%3d%3d>*?*

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.

johnconyers.com
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Conyers for Congress
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[PDI] FW: Surge of Momentum!

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-----Original Message-----
From: Move to Amend <info@MovetoAmend.org>
Sent: November 09, 2011 5:07 AM
To: Daniel Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: Surge of Momentum!

The national campaign to Abolish Corporate Personhood and Defend Democracy.
* * *
Good Day Daniel,

What a week for the democracy fight in the USA:

➤ Our local group in Missoula, Montana celebrated a landslide victory last night
when 75% of voters approved a resolution for a Constitutional amendment to
declare that corporations are not people!

Last week Boulder Move to Amend won a similar campaign with 74% of the vote!

➤ Over 200 House Parties for Democracy will be held in libraries, community
halls and living rooms across the nation TONIGHT.Join a party near you to connect
with your fellow citizens and begin planning a local action for January 2012 to protest the
second anniversary of the notorious Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision.

➤ Earlier this week Move to Amend launched Occupy the Courts - a call to action for a one
day occupation of Federal courthouses across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court
in Washington, D.C., on Friday January 20, 2012.

Sign up to participate, download action ideas, and join us at
http://MoveToAmend.org/OccupyTheCourts.

If you're attending or hosting a local house party tonight, Occupy the Courts is a perfect action
to begin planning with your fellow party goers.

What an exciting week!

Thanks for all you're doing to support Move to Amend. Please help us spread the word about these
important victories and campaign opportunities by forwarding this email to your friends, and
posting about Move to Amend on your Facebook and Twitter.

➤ And please make a donation to help us keep the momentum going!

Together we will ride this wave to victory!

Ben Manski, David Cobb, George Friday, Jerome Scott, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Laura Bonham,
Lisa Graves, and Nancy Price
Move to Amend Executive Committee

Move to Amend Coalition
P.O. Box 260217
Madison, WI 53726-0217
United States
End Corporate Rule. Legalize Democracy. Move to Amend.
We're on Facebook & Twitter!
--
To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your
address book or safe list.
Click here to be taken off our list.
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Sign the Petition: http://MoveToAmend.org/motion-to-amend
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[PDI] Is it just me that is amazed when...

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...the State of Mississippi can vote on whether a "person" is
flash-formed the moment a sperm cell lands on an egg cell
<http://www.rawstory.com/rs/?p=362222>, but no one can vote on whether
persons are really flash formed the moment pen hits paper (or fingers
hit keyboards) on an incorporation request form. (Which, according to
Thom Hartmann <http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/05/01/int05004.html>,
was a problem created in the late 1800's when a railroad baron's crony
falsified the summary of a U.S. supreme Court decision that said exactly
the opposite)

And people thought it was strange when Isaac Asimov write "Centennial
Man," the story of a robot so intelligent that it went to court and
requested to be declared a person under the law.

Truth really is nuttier than fiction, and may the paper-people pushers
all burn in Hell. If that place exists, that is...

Sheesh!

Dan

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[PDI] York PC 112: A Plan For Local Government To Bypass DC And Support Main Street...

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York PC 112: A Plan For Local Government To Bypass DC And Support
Main Street...
<http://york112dem.blogspot.com/2011/11/york-pc-112-plan-for-local-government.html>

Obviously, we're not getting a fair shake in Washington on the whole
foreclosure / housing bubble debacle.

I look at the closed storefronts, unemployment numbers, failed
restaurant chains, boarded up or for-sale houses, cut-backs in police,
fire fighter, and teacher staffing, closure of State parks or
downgrading of services, public transit cuts and fare hikes,
privatization of tollways, city parking, water supplies, and everything
else, all while the existing infrastructure is crumbling all around us,
rusting instead of being upgraded. I could probably run that sentence a
lot further down the page. Veterans come home and they're left to fend
for themselves. Is it any wonder the most popular topic on Twitter a
month or so ago was " F#*k Washington?"

There's a way, I think, that States might be able to start putting
things back on track locally if they so choose to do so. It sure isn't
going to be by raising property taxes, which is only making the housing
debacle a housing cataclysm. It's not going to be by raising individual
income taxes, because that will only decrease consumer spending, and
make it harder for working people to continue keep their monthly bills
current. It won't be by increasing user fees, for the same reasons.

I think what the States need to do, and should do, has four basic parts
to it:

/*Part 1*/: /Use Eminent Domain powers to seize bank-owned properties
with a broken chain of title or mortgage ownership, and block any
foreclosures without 100% perfect documentation./

Clearly, the banks have operated fraudulently in an insane number of
cases, failing to properly document and record title and mortgage
ownership, and in some cases, foreclosing on homes and commercial
properties that there isn't even a mortgage on. You read that right,
foreclosure mills in this country are operating that far from sanity.
This is the only way you're ever going to get a valid and clear title
back on many of these properties. Many people won't buy them now because
they can't be guaranteed that they'll have a clear title with no lien on
it. There is also the deteriorating conditions of foreclosed homes, the
problems with squatters, criminal or not, and what these issues are
doing to the values of adjacent properties. In reality, we could see
housing prices fall back to 1980 levels or below yet, if nothing is done.

As far as what to do with these houses once they're in State ownership,
that's part of how to tackle unemployment and homelessness.

/*Part 2:*/ /Put the homeless in houses and the unemployed to work./

Instead of using cash to pay for all State-required labor, using housing
credits and food credits. Put people to work repairing the seized homes
and maintaining State properties, filling in administrative functions
the State doesn't have cash to pay for, and other places where the State
needs labor but doesn't have the budget to support those needs. In
return, the laborers could be given residence in the houses seized in
part one above, food stamps, training on relief gardening for food, and
a documented position to put on their resume or work history.

This allows the State to do more and provide more services with less
cash, creating a win for the state. It allows for the maintenance,
up-keep, and habitation of homes that were foreclosed on, providing a
win for homeowners in the neighborhoods where these houses are. (Or
where the commercial-property foreclosures are)

The relief garden training allows for growing food and where possible,
raising poultry, reducing the need for State outlay in food stamps. If
neighborhood gardening groups are established, it can also help foster a
sense of community, something often lacking in today's "
move-for-a-job-at-the-drop-of-a-hat" society.

On this plan, people are still working for their food and housing,
they're just not using cash to do it.

/*Part 3:* Establish non-profit agencies to administer these programs
for the State./

Rather than all-out socialism, the State could establish non-profit
agencies on a regional basis to move these properties through the
system, from building rehabilitation, to labor-occupied housing, to sale
in the real estate market as the economy improves and recovers. This
process would have to be initially defined and through experience
refined, but it would prevent long-term State ownership of private
property. The State would be the ultimate authority for oversight, and
this would make some allowance for regional conditions and adaptability.
These non-profits could be staffed by the same unemployed labor pool
under the same terms as the rehab work, and this would provided local
administrative work for the physically-disabled workers who need work
that suits their physical abilities.

/*Part 4:* Ban all State and municipal tax breaks for businesses that
are not owned or incorporated withing the State, and ban taking public
loans out from out-of-State banks or other entities other than private
investors willing to buy bonds./

This would focus local-government taxation relief on smaller local
businesses and industry. This would help bring business and jobs back
locally without being dependent on national, federal policy structures.
If larger businesses want to sell or operate within the State, they will
have to pay their fair share of State and local taxes, but small
start-ups and local entrepreneurs would be able to compete enough to
survive. This would also help reduce monopolistic market tendencies that
have been rampant in the past few decades.

This would also help strengthen local banks and credit unions instead of
large trans-national banking conglomerates with no interest in the
well-being of the local communities. If large out-of-region corporations
don't want to service a particular market, tell them goodbye and replace
them with local businesses.

On a side note, there are numerous attorneys who used to make a pretty
fair amount of income from real estate transactions who would probably
welcome the extra work, even at State-mandated rates, to help support
this plan.

It's about time that eminent domain powers were actually put to use
truly in the greater interests of the community, rather than in the
greater interest of the trans-national conglomerates.

I also want to make it clear; I am NOT suggesting replacing current
cash-paid State employees with public labor. This is about expanding
State services without ADDITIONAL cash outlay, and bringing current
State employees additional support staff, and primarily, tackling the
real estate market problems created by wrong-headed federal and
trans-national corporate policy.

All the best, if you work and vote for it,

Dan Stafford

*York Township Precinct 112 Democratic Committeeman,*
DuPage County, Illinois
http://york112dem.blogspot.com/

*Co-Chair, Progressive Democrats of Illinois*
http://www.illinoisprogressives.org

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[PDI] FW: Please call

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-----Original Message-----
From: Wyl Villacres <noreply@list.signon.org>
Sent: November 03, 2011 10:50 AM
To: aquarianm@gmail.com
Subject: Please call

I know that getting email after email is annoying, but not nearly as annoying as being kept up all night and forced to walk in circles in order not to be ticketed for exercising your first amendment rights!

Rahm Emanuel proves time after time that he is unwilling to listen to the city of Chicago, preferring instead to listen to the 1%.  Good thing there are other places to turn.

Gov.  Quinn (who has voiced his support for the Occupy Movment, even if it was asking for help against ComEd) is taking phone calls from concerned citizens who want to speak on behalf of Occupy Chicago and the rest of the 99%.  Just tell them you want to voice your support, and you can give a short message as well if you like.  It's a time where you can actually talk to a living, breathing human being, and make sure your VOICE is heard.  

Quinn's office phone: 1-217-782-0244

Please call, for all of us.  

Thank you.

(They really do tally the number of calls they recieve. so be sure to call!)

p.s. A lot of you wondered how you can help #occupychi.

I encourage you to help first by going to Jackson and LaSalle, and donating your time.  If you cant:

 To donate directly to them, go to:

http://occupychi.org/supplies-needed

To join or donate to a care group, dedicated to giving #occupychi supplies, go to:

http://www.meetup.com/Occupy-Chicago-Caring-Circle/ 
 

This message was sent to Daniel A. Stafford by Wyl Villacres from the SignOn.org system. MoveOn.org Civic Action sponsors SignOn.org, but does not endorse specific campaigns or the contents of this message.
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[PDI] FW: CORRECTION: Boulder Colorado Occupies the Ballot Box. Help us Spread the Word!

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-----Original Message-----
From: Move to Amend <info@MovetoAmend.org>
Sent: November 02, 2011 3:32 PM
To: Daniel Stafford <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Subject: CORRECTION: Boulder Colorado Occupies the Ballot Box. Help us Spread the Word!

The national campaign to Abolish Corporate Personhood and Defend Democracy.
Sign the Petition: http://MoveToAmend.org/motion-to-amend
* * *
Apologies everyone!
The link to our press release about Boulder was incorrect! (not enough sleep last night) Here's the 
correct link: 
http://movetoamend.org/news/boulder-votes-constitutional-amendment-abolish-corporate-personhood
-Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap
Move to Amend 
---
Good morning Daniel
Last night Boulder became the second city in the nation to pass a ballot measure
calling for an amendment to the US Constitution that would state that corporations
are not people and the legal status of money as free speech! At midnight, with 93%
of the ballots counted, the measure was handily winning with 74% of voters in support.
Boulder's campaign is the latest grassroots effort by Move to Amend, a national coalition
working to abolish corporate personhood.
"From Occupy Wall Street to Boulder, Colorado and every town in between, Americans are
fed up with corporate dominance of our political system," said Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, a
national spokesperson for Move to Amend. "Local resolution campaigns are an opportunity
for citizens to speak up and let it be known that we won't accept the corporate takeover
of our government lying down. We urge communities across the country to join the Move
to Amend campaign and raise your voices."
Earlier this year voters in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin overwhelmingly approved
similar measures calling for an end to corporate personhood and the legal status of money
as speech by 84% and 78% respectively. Next week voters in Missoula, Montana will have
an opportunity to vote on a similar initiative in their community.
Move to Amend volunteers in dozens of communities across the country are working to place
similar measures on local ballots next year.
"Working on this campaign was electrifying," said Scott Silber, a local Move to Amend organizer
in Boulder. "We had such an outpouring of enthusiasm from our community. Folks were so thrilled
to finally have an opportunity to have their voices heard and resoundingly call for an end to
corporate corruption of our democracy. From here we're taking the campaign to Denver, and then
on to Washington, DC."
Move to Amend's strategy is to pass community resolutions across the nation through city councils
and through direct vote by ballot initiative. "Our plan is build a movement that will drive this issue
into Congress from the grassroots. The American people are behind us on this and our federal
representatives will see that we mean business. Our very democracy is at stake," stated
Sopoci-Belknap.
 
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Help Move to Amend get on the Daily Show with John Stewart and the Colbert Report!
With both John Stewart and Stephen Colbert talking about Corporate Personhood a lot these days,
we think that a Move to Amend spokesperson would be perfect for these shows! Help us
make the case by writing to the Daily Show and the Colbert Report and urging them to
contact us. Include the link to our press release about Boulder!

Email the Daily Show [thedailyshow@comedycentral.com] - Let John Stewart
know you want to see him interview MTA!
Email The Colbert Report [colbertweb@gmail.com] - Let Stephen Colbert know
you want to see him interview MTA!
Pass a resolution in your town! Click here to get started. We'll be offering a special
webinar soon with organizers from Boulder so they can tell you what they did to get it
done - stay tuned!
 
FOR PRESS INQUIRIES ABOUT THE BOULDER CAMPAIGN
Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, National Field Director, (707) 362-0626, Move to Amend,
kaitlin@movetoamend.org
 
Scott Silber, Boulder Move to Amend, (510) 485-6586, scott.silber@fouryearsgo.org
 

Move to Amend
P.O. Box 260217
Madison, WI 53726-0217
United States
End Corporate Rule. Legalize Democracy. Move to Amend.
We're on Facebook & Twitter!
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