Saturday, November 30, 2013

Next weekend in New York City


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

What: A special organizing summit and training for MoveOn members  

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

Where: SEIU Office, 310 West 43rd, Manhattan

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

Click below for more details and to RSVP.  


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

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


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

Friday, November 29, 2013

Walmart's latest outrage

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Anthony Goytia, a Walmart worker and MoveOn member. I started a petition on MoveOn.org to Walmart's owners, the Walton family, which says:

For too long, many Walmart employees have been forced to rely on public assistance just to scrape by. I was shocked to hear that Walmart held a food drive for its own employees. Walmart's owners, the Walton family, have an estimated $144.7 billion, more wealth than 42% of our country combined. It's time for Walmart to pay its workers a decent wage.

I work hard at Walmart and I shouldn't have to donate plasma just to pay my bills. But as the father of three, I struggle each month just to keep my kids fed. It's gotten so bad that I'm forced to live payday loan to payday loan. This year, I'm on track to make just $12,000 at Walmart.

And I'm not the only one. Recently, news broke that Walmart was actually running a food drive asking its own employees to donate to hungry coworkers so they could enjoy Thanksgiving. That isn't right.

While the Walton family has more wealth than 42% of our country combined, many Walmart workers like me are forced to turn to government assistance just to pay our bills. It's time for a change. That's why I'm calling on the Walton family to publicly commit to paying us a decent wage.

Click here to add your name to the petition urging Walmart to pay its workers a decent wage, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks so much for your help, and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

–Anthony Goytia 

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site by Anthony Goytia, along with OUR Walmart (the Organization United for Respect at Walmart). Nobody paid us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Legal Disclaimer: UFCW (the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union) and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Walmart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Walmart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Walmart publicly commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

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 November 29, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Pledge to not shop on Thanksgiving

Below is an email from Mike Lux of the organization American Family Voices. Mike started a petition on the MoveOn website, where anyone can start their own online petition.



Pledge
not to shop on Thanksgiving.

Sign the Petition!

Dear MoveOn member,

In retail, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the only two holidays that workers traditionally receive. Now that many stores are choosing to open on Thanksgiving, that break is being taken away, denying retail workers the rare opportunity to spend a holiday with their families. And most of these workers are only being paid minimum wage for their trouble. 

A holiday should not be a luxury for the rich—all workers deserve time to spend with loved ones.

That's why I started a petition to retail CEOs, which says:

Thanksgiving is one of the only holidays that retail workers receive. By opening stores on Thanksgiving, stores rob thousands of men and women of the opportunity to spend time with their families. 

A holiday with family should not be a luxury for the rich; we believe that all workers deserve the chance to relax and give thanks with loved ones. 

We, as consumers, have the power to tell stores not to open on Thanksgiving by staying home. We hereby pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving Day, to show the retail industry that everyone deserves a holiday.

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

Thanks!

–Mike Lux

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. American Family Voices 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 November 27, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thankful for Obamacare? Talk about it at Thanksgiving dinner

Dear MoveOn member,

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

This year, we're thankful because—despite every Republican attempt to repeal it—health care reform is still the law of the land and millions of Americans are seeing the benefits. And whether you're celebrating the holiday with close family, friends, or your conservative relatives—it's the perfect time to tell them why you're thankful for Obamacare too.

Since the Affordable Care Act passed, we've heard countless stories of people receiving better coverage for less, no longer being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and receiving rebates from their insurance companies. But too much of the mainstream media has been obsessed with a bungled website rollout and insurance companies dropping people from junk policies—instead of the millions of Americans who've directly benefited from Obamacare.

That's precisely why MoveOn members are using Thanksgiving dinner to counter the propaganda and to have a frank talk with family about why we're thankful for health care reform. Can you commit to having a conversation about Obamacare tomorrow?

Check out some of these benefits of health care reform and click here if you plan to talk about them at dinner this year.

5 reasons to be thankful for Obamacare

Almost all of us have at least one conservative family member or friend and it's up to us to make sure that they know—despite everything they've heard on Fox and CBS—that the Affordable Care Act is working. And what better time to convince them than over a hearty meal on a day of reflection like Thanksgiving.

The Obamacare success stories are out there—nearly a thousand have been submitted by MoveOn members in the last week alone. And chances are—if you look hard enough—there's someone quite close to you who's benefiting directly from the Affordable Care Act. Just imagine how the national conversation will change if 8 million MoveOn members take to dining room tables, living rooms, and soup kitchens tomorrow to talk about the benefits of Obamacare.

To make it easy, we've created a kit to help you get the most out of your dinner conversations. If you can commit to talking up Obamacare with family and friends during Thanksgiving this year, click here to get the kit:

http://moveon.org/thanksgiving-dinner/index.html?id=79668-10220574-jpo_O0x&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Eric, Maria, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

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 November 27, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Tell Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to demand a vote

Dear MoveOn member,

We are just 18 votes away from being able to pass comprehensive immigration reform in the House. 

It's true: Despite Speaker John Boehner's refusal to compromise, there is still one clear way to pass comprehensive immigration reform in January—with a discharge petition.1

There are currently 200 representatives who've signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 15, the House immigration bill. All we need is one Democrat gutsy enough to lead and 217 representatives to vote for a discharge petition—that's 18 more members than are already co-sponsoring the bill. It's a simple process that would bypass Speaker Boehner and trigger an up-or-down vote.2

However, it seems that the House and President Obama have made up their minds that the only way to pass any kind of immigration reform is a piecemeal deal.3

This is a bitterly disappointing concession from President Obama. A piecemeal approach is far from perfect, since it could mean delays in getting the bills passed as well as hacking away at the strengths of the current bill.

Given the power that Democrats showed during the shutdown, it's hard to believe that they won't do more to make sure that comprehensive immigration reform passes in the House. 

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who initially sponsored H.R. 15 back in October, should do everything in her power to avoid a piecemeal approach and ensure that comprehensive immigration reform passes.


Thanks for all you do. 

–Mariana, Stephen, Alejandro, Stefanie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Boehner: Immigration reform 'absolutely not' dead in House," The Washington Post, November 21, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295188&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=2

2. "And then there were two," MSNBCOctober 29, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294722&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=4

3. "Obama Backs Piecemeal Immigration Overhaul," The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295181&id=79181-10220574-b%3DPSpdx&t=5

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 November 24, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Got an idea for a petition?

Know of a problem in your area that ought to be solved? Start a petition on MoveOn's petition website so that other MoveOn members can help make it happen.

Start your Petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Here's how it'll go:

You see something that needs a change, so you start a petition on MoveOn's website.

You recruit your friends to sign it and they, in turn, get their friends.

We send it out to some of our members and they get really excited about it, so we send it to everyone in your city, your state, or maybe even all 8 million MoveOn members.

Now that you have a bunch of people on board, you organize them. We give you the support you need. You use our email tool to have them call their representatives, get more signers, go to events.

MoveOn pays for you to print up copies of your petition, and you deliver it to the person you're petitioning. You get on TV and in the newspaper. 

And you win.

It's happened hundreds of times already. It could very easily happen to you. All you need is a good enough idea and the willingness to put in the time. Show us you mean business and we'll be with you every step of the way. You really can do this. How about it?

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

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

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

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 24, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

$500 for your campaign to stop fracking?

Hi there,

I don't want you to miss this opportunity. In December, we'll announce the first 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters—50 grassroots leaders who will each receive a $500 grant, materials, and expert training for their campaign to stop hydraulic fracturing from harming our communities.

Click here to learn more, and apply today to be one of the 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters.

Or click here to share this opportunity on Facebook.

Applications are due Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at 10 p.m. local time, and they'll be reviewed by renowned author and activist Sandra Steingraber, Native American environmental leader Kandi Mossett, and MoveOn.org Civic Action Executive Director Anna Galland.

Rooting for you.

–Victoria

P.S. The application is also available in Spanish. Click here to view and share the MoveOn #FrackingFighters application in Spanish.


Today we're launching a major new program to defeat the fracking industry.
If you're fighting fracking in your community, will you apply to become the first MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York? Or share this opportunity with friends and family?

Apply Today

Dear New York MoveOn member,

Tap water so contaminated you can light it on fire. Cancer-causing chemicals released into drinking water sources. Air pollution. Economic damage. Climate change. These are just some of the effects of hydraulic fracturing.1

Better known as "fracking," hydraulic fracturing is a method used by the fossil fuel industry to release oil and gas deposits by injecting massive amounts of water and toxic chemicals deep underground—often with devastating results.

But fracking has another side effect—organized resistance from millions of concerned Americans. The grassroots movement to stop fracking and invest instead in clean, renewable energy has grown so rapidly that it's been called "the largest grassroots movement on the environment in decades."2

That's why today, we're thrilled to launch a major new campaign to support the grassroots leaders who are organizing to stop fracking and who are already building a national movement. We're calling it #FrackingFighters, and the purpose is to support grassroots leaders with resources, materials, and training to build winning campaigns to end fracking.

MoveOn members like Mike Page in Lafayette, Colorado, have been on the front lines, and are showing that people power really can overcome corporate power. Just last week, despite being outspent 32 to 1 by the oil and gas industry, voters in three Colorado cities rose up and approved bans and moratoria on fracking in their communities.3

Mike knocked on doors in his neighborhood to get out the vote, and other members chipped in money that helped the grassroots campaigns pay for basic materials like flyers and yard signs that helped educate voters. It was as grassroots and community-driven as it gets—and it worked. We believe that the victories we've seen in places like Colorado are a model for how to protect our communities—and that's why today, we're launching MoveOn's #FrackingFighters program.

Are you ready to take your commitment to end fracking to the next level, by applying to be one of the first 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters across the country?

Yes, I want to apply to be a MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York!

No, but I'd like to pitch in $3 to help the MoveOn #FrackingFighters take on the fossil fuel industry.

#FrackingFighters is designed for anyone with the passion and commitment to engage others in the movement to end fracking at every stage. Communities in nearly every state are feeling the direct impacts of fracking—where industry is using or planning to use hydraulic fracturing, dumping toxic waste created by the fracking process, mining the special silica sand used in fracking, or brazenly constructing pipelines and export terminals to transport fracked gas and oil.

And each of us is feeling the impacts of global warming, spurred on by the methane released in fracking. Methane is up to 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas over a twenty-year period—a critical window for our planet.4 So it doesn't matter where you live, or what part of the fracking process you're fighting—#FrackingFighters is for you.

Click here to submit your application to become one of 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters—applications are due December 3.

Or click here to donate to support #FrackingFighters building winning campaigns across the country.

Here's how it'll work. If you are a MoveOn #FrackingFighter, you will:

  • Win a $500 mini-grant for your campaign
  • Receive a package of must-have organizing materials like banners and signs, a megaphone, and clipboards for getting out into your community
  • Join a cohort of 49 other #FrackingFighters for a two-month online training program to learn new skills to grow your campaign, mobilize your community, and win
  • Build relationships with other grassroots leaders organizing to stop fracking around the country—to lay the groundwork for coordinated national actions

MoveOn members and allies across the country have been fighting fracking in their own communities, and against enormous odds, are proving that we can win.

The Christian Science Monitor called the grassroots victories in Colorado a "litmus test" for the oil and gas industry, and NBC labeled the votes a "setback" for frackers.5 Grassroots leaders and MoveOn members are proving that when communities come together to protect their water, air, and land, they can win—if they have the people, resources, and support to sustain a vibrant campaign.

That's what #FrackingFighters is designed to do. We have a choice: Will we carry the momentum of the Colorado victories and the lessons learned there forward to win more victories in more places? Or will we let the moment pass us by?

There's really only one option—to go all in. And that's what we're doing with #FrackingFighters.

Apply to become the first MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York.

Donate $3 to support MoveOn #FrackingFighters.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Manny, Maria, David, and the rest of the team

P.S. Do you know of anyone in your community—a friend, a family member, a teacher, a student—who might want to apply to be a #FrackingFighter? Please forward this email and make sure they know about this exciting opportunity! Applications are due Tuesday, December 3, at 10 p.m. local time.

Sources: 

1. "Fracking by the Numbers: New Report First to Quantify Damage Done by Gas Drilling," Environment America, October 3, 2013
http://www.environmentamerica.org/news/ame/fracking-numbers

2. "'Gasland' director: Obama is AWOL on fracking," Politico, October 21, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294771&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=16

3. "Colorado Cities' Rejection of Fracking Poses Political Test for Natural Gas Industry," The New York Times, November 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295052&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=17

"Fracking Limit Weighed as Colorado Drillers Back Ad Blitz," Bloomberg, November 1, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294854&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=18

4. "Top climate scientists call for fracking ban in letter to Gov. Jerry Brown," San Jose Mercury News, November 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295053&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=19

5. "Colorado becomes energy battleground as cities ban fracking," NBC News, November 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295054&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=20

"Coloradans weigh fracking bans. A litmus test for oil and gas?" The Christian Science Monitor, November 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295055&id=79011-10220574-j09DhXx&t=21

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 November 23, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

The next step for your Obamacare story

Dear MoveOn member,

Over the past three days, MoveOn members have shared powerful accounts of how their lives have been changed for the better by the Affordable Care Act.

Here's what MoveOn member Allan P. shared:

"With so much controversy regarding Obamacare, you may be interested in our family's experience ... My wife would not have insurance coverage at all as of Jan. 1, if not for Obamacare. And, here's the kicker—we now are saving $8,000 per year, for a very much better plan."

Obamacare is making a meaningful and positive difference in millions of people's lives—and MoveOn members know it firsthand.

But across the country, Republicans are still dead set on using the shaky rollout of HealthCare.gov as an excuse to dismantle the entire law. Stories about the millions of people already helped by Obamacare are woefully under-reported by the national media, and far too often, by local news as well.

This bad press has energized right-wing health care defunders. That's why if we're going to keep moving forward, we need balanced coverage of Obamacare—and asking your local news outlet to cover stories like yours is an important step in changing the conversation.

Can you start a petition today asking your local TV station to share your story?

The media isn't telling these stories. And they aren't talking about states like California, where functional enrollment websites mean that the state is on track to meet, and in some cases exceed, enrollment goals. Instead, every network and newspaper is filled with stories of people losing coverage, paying more for insurance, or simply unable to even access the health care exchanges because of website problems.

The Obamacare rollout hasn't been perfect, but make no mistake: Every negative news story emboldens Republicans and weakens our case for reform. That's why we need to go on the offensive right now and make sure that people around the country are hearing the whole truth about Obamacare.

We've come way too far to watch the Affordable Care Act unravel. Click here to start a new petition now:

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295199&id=78900-10220574-23MDgcx&t=2

Thanks for all you do.

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

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 November 22, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thought you missed it? Now's your second chance!

Hi there 

IMPORTANT: The MoveOn New York Organizing Summit has a new date! Join MoveOn members on Saturday, December 7, in Manhattan. Click here to RSVP now!

Amy 



New York MoveOn members are coming together to learn and share skills to take on important progressive fights. Can you join us on Saturday, December 7, in Manhattan? 

RSVP Here!

Dear MoveOn member,

Over the last six months, thousands of MoveOn members have made a difference in their communities using our free online organizing platform. Here are just a few of our recent victories: 

  • MoveOn members around the country, such as Jim Lautenbach in Wisconsin, held the Tea Party accountable by starting petitions and organizing hard-hitting events to end the government shutdown.
  • Jesse Bacon, a Philadelphia parent, started a petition that pressured Governor Tom Corbett into releasing $45 million in school funding after a 12-year-old died of an asthma attack in a school that couldn't afford a nurse. 
  • Sheila Thomas in Ohio fueled the grassroots movement that helped pass a stronger Violence Against Women Act by gathering more than 219,000 signatures on her petition and mobilizing her signers put pressure on their congressional representatives.
These members are proof that with just a little bit of confidence and know-how, every MoveOn member has the power to win real progressive change. That's why we've launched our most ambitious training program yet—to help thousands of MoveOn members run and win progressive campaigns on issues that matter to them locally, regionally, and nationally. 

We're bringing a MoveOn Organizing Summit directly to you in New York City on Saturday, December 7. Space is limited, so sign up today!

Click here to sign up for the summit! (Transportation scholarships available!)

This Organizing Summit will combine presentations by experts with hands-on exercises and opportunities for networking with other leading progressive activists. We're teaming up with the experts at the New Organizing Institute to ensure that every attendee leaves the training with: 

  • New connections and friendships with hundreds of MoveOn members of the progressive issues facing the community.
  • A strong online petition already gathering signatures to build a base ready to be mobilized for action—such as MoveOn member Lyndia Storey's petition to stop Navy sonar testing that would deafen and kill marine life, which got more than 500,000 signatures.
  • Your own strategic campaign plan for how to build the momentum needed to win—as MoveOn member Robert Applebaum did with his student loan debt campaign, which got a direct response from President Obama.
We've learned a lot from working with Lyndia, Robert, and other MoveOn members who've won their campaigns, and we want to share that with you at the Organizing Summit! 
With important issues like immigration and protecting Social Security on the table, and the 2014 elections just around the corner, our member-fueled progressive campaigns are more important than ever. You don't need to be a professional activist to sign up. All you need is a desire for progressive change and to be ready to have a good time.

Join other MoveOn members, MoveOn staff, and professional progressive trainers from the New Organizing Institute at the MoveOn New York Organizing Summit on Saturday, December 7.

Yes, I can attend in New York City!

Thanks for all you do.

–Amy, 
David, Mariana, Rosy, and the rest of the team

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 November 21, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Obama needs you now

Obamacare is in real political trouble, and President Obama can't save it on his own. We need to get his back or else everything we fought so hard for could be lost. Can you chip in $3 to help save Obamacare?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

Last week was one of the very worst weeks of Obama's entire presidency.

The problems with the Obamacare website set off a Washington feeding frenzy. His approval ratings are down, and he had to spend most of the week apologizing. And then on Friday, 39 weak-kneed Democrats joined Republicans in voting to gut Obamacare.1

President Obama is doing all he can to save Obamacare, but he can't do it alone. He needs us to join him and fight back.

Our plan is to first collect stories from the millions of Americans who have health insurance today because of Obamacare—and get those voices into the media. Then we also need to hold Democrats as well as Republicans accountable when they vote to gut Obamacare and send us back to the bad old days of pre-existing conditions, denials of care, and 48 million uninsured.

But momentum is against us, and it'll take a major effort to turn the tide. Can you chip in $3 to help fuel a rapid-response campaign to help save Obamacare? 

Yes, I'll chip in $3 to help save Obamacare.

If we can raise enough money today, we'll be able to turn the next two weeks into a pro-Obamacare backlash, organizing a wave of events and ads for the Thanksgiving recess with local people who have gotten health insurance and "give thanks" for Obamacare.

But we don't have much time to change the momentum in D.C. The 39 Democrats who voted to gut Obamacare give the Republicans a nearly veto-proof majority to repeal the law.

The only way to turn the tide is for progressives and the people with the most to gain from Obamacare to speak out. The media has refused to tell the truth about the millions of young adults, people with pre-existing conditions, and low-income Americans who have health coverage today because of Obamacare.2

The website will get fixed, and millions of people will finally have health insurance—but not if we allow this short-term political crisis to threaten all we've fought so hard for.

The most important thing we can do to shift the momentum is to make sure that the Democrats who have jumped ship on Obamacare hear loud and clear how angry their constituents are.

In the last week, MoveOn members have donated $200,000 for this campaign. But given the right-wing momentum against Obamacare, we need to double-down now. Can you chip in $3 today?

Thanks for all you do.

Mark, Maria, Nick, Matt P., and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 587," November 15, 2013 
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll587.xml

"Obama's Approval Rating Drops To Lowest Point Ever," The Huffington Post, November 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295131&id=78602-10220574-72He_Tx&t=4

2. "440,000 Enrolled in Medicaid Since Oct. 1, Analysis Finds," California Healthline, November 12, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295039&id=78602-10220574-72He_Tx&t=5

 

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 November 20, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Not sure if Obamacare's helped you already?

MoveOn members are committed to getting out the truth about Obamacare's successes, even amid the news' recent slanted coverage. But if we're going to get the mainstream media to pay attention, we need to share the real-world stories of people whose lives are being improved. Can you share your Obamacare success story (or that of a family member) today?

I'll Share My Story

Dear MoveOn member,

The past three weeks have been a political nightmare for the Affordable Care Act.

A botched website rollout and the media's refusal to cover the stories of the millions of Americans who have already benefited from Obamacare have left the president weakened, Democrats scared, and Republicans emboldened to keep pushing their radical health-care-defunding agenda.

But we can't go back—we won't go back—to the bad ol' days before comprehensive health care reform.

Thankfully, we know what it'll take to turn this political moment around: We're launching a big campaign calling on the media to start giving balanced coverage—and demanding that Congress stand strong for health care reform, because their constituents depend on it.

If we're going to change the narrative, though, we've got to start flooding the Internet and the newsrooms with real-world stories from people whose lives are already better because of the Affordable Care Act. That's the only way the media is every going to pay attention.

Can you share your story (or that of a family member) today?

The HealthCare.gov website rollout was just the latest piece in the enactment of the Affordable Care Act—Americans have actually been benefiting from the law since 2010. But that's a fact you wouldn't know if you only listened to mainstream media.

Here are just some of the ways you may have benefited already:

  1. If you have a child with a pre-existing condition—as of September 2010, health insurance companies can no longer deny your child coverage because of that condition, and as of next year, this rule will apply to Americans of all ages.

  2. If you've had a donut hole in your prescription drug coverage—thanks to Obamacare, you may be one of an estimated 4 million seniors with Medicare who will soon be able to cover the full costs of your prescriptions.
      
     
  3. If you're recently out of college and struggling to find employer-based coverage in the sluggish economy—you can now opt to stay on your parents' plan until you're 26 years old.
     
  4. If you received an unexpected rebate from your insurance company—that's because the ACA stops insurers from keeping exorbitant profits instead of paying out significant claims.
     
  5. If you live in one of the 25 states expanding Medicaid—you may be one of the 400,000 Americans who've already benefited from their new eligibility for free health care

MoveOn members fought long and hard for health care reform because we knew it would improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Democrats have had a hard time thus far explaining just how beneficial the new law is, but we don't plan on letting a PR mishap derail the most significant investment in our country's social safety net in generations.

If you've benefited from Obamacare, or know someone who has—share your story today:

http://www.moveon.org/myobamacarestory/?id=78493-10220574-7euTrUx&t=3

Together, we'll make sure the media starts paying attention.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Alejandro, Rosy, Victoria, and the rest of the team

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 November 19, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Try the first two minutes of this podcast

Dear MoveOn member,

Did you ever listen to Al Franken's radio show on Air America?

If you liked it—or if you like satire, progressive politics, and activism—then you're going to love the new podcast I'm launching today in partnership with MoveOn.org.

It's called "The Good Fight," and you can check it out now in iTunes or on our website. The first episode features Senator Franken himself, plus updates on progressive fights across the country and an interview about Obamacare, with legendary activist Heather Booth, that will leave you cheering. Just listen to the first two minutes—and if you like it, subscribe and post a review.

Click here to listen to the podcast in iTunes!

Ben and Al Franken

Or click here to check out the first episode on the website of "The Good Fight."

Some quick background: way before Senator Franken first ran for office, I was a writer and producer for his radio show and worked with him on books, including Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, a Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Before that, when I was in high school and college, I wrote headlines and articles for The Onion. Throughout my life, I've been a progressive activist, working in the U.S. and around the world on elections and issues like climate change, human rights, and media reform. But ever since The Al Franken Show went off the air, I've wished that there was something like it.

This first episode gives you a taste of what you'll hear in future ones. In particular, we're dedicated to providing the behind-the-slingshot point of view on David versus Goliath battles for a positive change. That means we don't just talk to pundits—we interview people who are actually making a difference, from unsung grassroots heroes to U.S. senators, about how they've won their fights. It's a perspective you won't find anywhere else. Give it a shot.

Click here to check out "The Good Fight" on iTunes! Listen, subscribe, and review!

Again: totally up to you. But you might enjoy subscribing to the show, and reviewing it.

Or click here to check out the show online!

I've been a MoveOn member for more than a decade, and I know the power of our community to redefine what's possible. The stories we tell, and the heroes we choose, wind up defining who we are. So it's an honor to get the chance to work with you to tell the stories that reflect our best selves—the stories of our brothers and sisters who are fighting the good fight.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben

The Good   Fight

P.S. Has Obamacare made a positive difference in your life? Share your story. On an upcoming episode, we'll play voice mails from folks who've benefited from some of the many reforms that, although you rarely hear about it in the press, are actually improving people's lives already. To leave your story, just call us at 785-20-VOICE. That's 785-208-6423. Thanks!

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 November 18, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Stand with survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan

Dear MoveOn member,

The historic typhoon that hit the Philippines last weekend has left nearly 2,000 people dead—and officials fear that the death toll could rise to 10,000.1

It's unlikely that this is just some crazy fluke of the weather. Scientists overwhelmingly say that climate change is fueling more and more extreme weather events like Super Typhoon Haiyan.2 But world governments, including the United States, seem paralyzed to do anything about it. Maybe that's why an incredible speech is being shared widely on Facebook and other social media sites right now, featuring the Philippines' chief climate negotiator, Naderev "Yeb" Saño.

Saño addressed the United Nations climate change conference in Warsaw on Monday, and holding back tears, declared:

"We cannot solve climate change when we seek to spew more emissions. I express this with all due sincerity. In solidarity with my countrymen who are struggling to find food back home and with my brother who has not had food for the last 3 days...I will now commence a voluntary fasting for the climate... until a meaningful outcome is in sight."3

Stand with Philippines climate chief Naderev

Here are two actions you can take now—to both support people in the Philippines who face a long and difficult recovery, and to push for real action to prevent more devastating superstorms:

1) Sign the petition to support the Philippines' climate chief Yeb as he calls for real action to curb climate change at the UN climate negotiations happening right now in Warsaw. This petition was written by Christina M. Samala, a Filipina American woman and director of the organization 18MillionRising—and we'll make sure the signatures get to Yeb while he's in Warsaw in a way that makes an impact on his mission to win meaningful climate action.

2) Consider making a donation to Oxfam's relief efforts. Oxfam teams are aiming to reach 500,000 people with drinking water, sanitation and shelter, focused on the hardest-hit islands of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu. Oxfam has set up a donation page for MoveOn members, and your donation is tax deductible.

Two weeks ago, MoveOn members marked the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. Now the people of the Philippines are reeling. We're all in this together, and the best news is that we have each other's backs.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Victoria, Maria, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Anger Takes Hold in City Ravaged by Typhoon," The New York Times, November 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294998&id=78003-10220574-iyq0Hxx&t=3

2. "Climate Change Exacerbates Some Extreme Weather," Scientific American, September 6, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295000&id=&id=78003-10220574-iyq0Hxx&t=4

3. "Stop this climate crisis madness," Rappler, November 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294999&id=78003-10220574-iyq0Hxx&t=5

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 November 16, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, November 15, 2013

"The largest grassroots movement on the environment"

Today we're launching a major new program to defeat the fracking industry.
If you're fighting fracking in your community, will you apply to become the first MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York? Or share this opportunity with friends and family?

Apply Today

Dear New York MoveOn member,

Tap water so contaminated you can light it on fire. Cancer-causing chemicals released into drinking water sources. Air pollution. Economic damage. Climate change. These are just some of the effects of hydraulic fracturing.1

Better known as "fracking," hydraulic fracturing is a method used by the fossil fuel industry to release oil and gas deposits by injecting massive amounts of water and toxic chemicals deep underground—often with devastating results.

But fracking has another side effect—organized resistance from millions of concerned Americans. The grassroots movement to stop fracking and invest instead in clean, renewable energy has grown so rapidly that it's been called "the largest grassroots movement on the environment in decades."2

That's why today, we're thrilled to launch a major new campaign to support the grassroots leaders who are organizing to stop fracking and who are already building a national movement. We're calling it #FrackingFighters, and the purpose is to support grassroots leaders with resources, materials, and training to build winning campaigns to end fracking.

MoveOn members like Mike Page in Lafayette, Colorado, have been on the front lines, and are showing that people power really can overcome corporate power. Just last week, despite being outspent 32 to 1 by the oil and gas industry, voters in three Colorado cities rose up and approved bans and moratoria on fracking in their communities.3

Mike knocked on doors in his neighborhood to get out the vote, and other members chipped in money that helped the grassroots campaigns pay for basic materials like flyers and yard signs that helped educate voters. It was as grassroots and community-driven as it gets—and it worked. We believe that the victories we've seen in places like Colorado are a model for how to protect our communities—and that's why today, we're launching MoveOn's #FrackingFighters program.

Are you ready to take your commitment to end fracking to the next level, by applying to be one of the first 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters across the country?

Yes, I want to apply to be a MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York!

No, but I'd like to pitch in $3 to help the MoveOn #FrackingFighters take on the fossil fuel industry.

#FrackingFighters is designed for anyone with the passion and commitment to engage others in the movement to end fracking at every stage. Communities in nearly every state are feeling the direct impacts of fracking—where industry is using or planning to use hydraulic fracturing, dumping toxic waste created by the fracking process, mining the special silica sand used in fracking, or brazenly constructing pipelines and export terminals to transport fracked gas and oil.

And each of us is feeling the impacts of global warming, spurred on by the methane released in fracking. Methane is up to 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas over a twenty-year period—a critical window for our planet.4 So it doesn't matter where you live, or what part of the fracking process you're fighting—#FrackingFighters is for you.

Click here to submit your application to become one of 50 MoveOn #FrackingFighters—applications are due December 3.

Or click here to donate to support #FrackingFighters building winning campaigns across the country.

Here's how it'll work. If you are a MoveOn #FrackingFighter, you will:

  • Win a $500 mini-grant for your campaign
  • Receive a package of must-have organizing materials like banners and signs, a megaphone, and clipboards for getting out into your community
  • Join a cohort of 49 other #FrackingFighters for a two-month online training program to learn new skills to grow your campaign, mobilize your community, and win
  • Build relationships with other grassroots leaders organizing to stop fracking around the country—to lay the groundwork for coordinated national actions

MoveOn members and allies across the country have been fighting fracking in their own communities, and against enormous odds, are proving that we can win.

The Christian Science Monitor called the grassroots victories in Colorado a "litmus test" for the oil and gas industry, and NBC labeled the votes a "setback" for frackers.5 Grassroots leaders and MoveOn members are proving that when communities come together to protect their water, air, and land, they can win—if they have the people, resources, and support to sustain a vibrant campaign.

That's what #FrackingFighters is designed to do. We have a choice: Will we carry the momentum of the Colorado victories and the lessons learned there forward to win more victories in more places? Or will we let the moment pass us by?

There's really only one option—to go all in. And that's what we're doing with #FrackingFighters.

Apply to become the first MoveOn #FrackingFighter in New York.

Donate $3 to support MoveOn #FrackingFighters.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Manny, Maria, David, and the rest of the team

P.S. Do you know of anyone in your community—a friend, a family member, a teacher, a student—who might want to apply to be a #FrackingFighter? Please forward this email and make sure they know about this exciting opportunity! Applications are due Tuesday, December 3, at 10 p.m. local time.

Sources: 

1. "Fracking by the Numbers: New Report First to Quantify Damage Done by Gas Drilling," Environment America, October 3, 2013
http://www.environmentamerica.org/news/ame/fracking-numbers

2. "'Gasland' director: Obama is AWOL on fracking," Politico, October 21, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294771&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=13

3. "Colorado Cities' Rejection of Fracking Poses Political Test for Natural Gas Industry," The New York Times, November 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295052&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=14

"Fracking Limit Weighed as Colorado Drillers Back Ad Blitz," Bloomberg, November 1, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=294854&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=15

4. "Top climate scientists call for fracking ban in letter to Gov. Jerry Brown," San Jose Mercury News, November 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295053&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=16

5. "Colorado becomes energy battleground as cities ban fracking," NBC News, November 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295054&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=17

"Coloradans weigh fracking bans. A litmus test for oil and gas?" The Christian Science Monitor, November 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=295055&id=77877-10220574-mq8Vxqx&t=18

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 November 15, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.