Category: My Work

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Why we must reform the filibuster now!

  By Filibuster, Penn ACTION

In the last few years, two features of our political system have done more to stand in the way of progressive public policy than any other. The first is the role of corporate money in our politics. The second is the filibuster—which requires supporters of legislation to find not a majority of 51 but a super majority of 60 to pass legislation in the Senate. Given the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court, fixing the first problem is difficult. It is made much more difficult by the second problem But on Wednesday, January 5, Senate Democrats may step forward and try to reform the filibuster. If they do, vote on filibuster reform will be the most important vote the Senate takes in the next two years. That’s why it is critical for you to sign a petition, today, to tell Senator Casey to suppor efforts to reform the filibuster.… Continue reading

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There is no tax deduction for contributing to Penn ACTION

  By About Penn Action, Penn ACTION

Dear Friends, I’m afraid that Penn ACTION can’t offer you a tax deduction for a year-end contribution to our organization. But we need you to make one by clicking here. That’s because we’re asking you for 501(c)4 contributions, the kind of money that will enable us to work together to do the hardest hitting, most aggressive political action in 2011, the kind of work that was so instrumental to passing the Affordable Care Act this year. We’re going to use that money to mobilize you and the other 25,000 people on our list and add another 25,000 people to it by the end of 2011. Just as we did in the last two years on health care reform, together we’re going to going to demand action on issue after issue issues that concern working people and the middle class. And we are going to keep shouting out loud when powerful… Continue reading

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Take action today to block tax cuts for the rich!–and some notes on where we stand on the tax issue

  By Federal Taxes, Penn ACTION, Take political action

The Senate is scheduled to vote today on the tax cut plan President Obama negotiated with Senate Republicans. Click here  to send an email to Senators Casey and Specter to urge them to vote no and encourage President Obama to stand united with Democrats in the House and Senate to seek a better deal. Urge them to seek a deal that continues extended unemployment benefits, that stimulates the economy, that cuts taxes for working people and the middle class and that stands against unnecessary, wasteful tax cuts for the rich. Click here  to send that message now. An interesting week This has been one of the more interesting weeks since I began at Penn ACTION in June. Our actions and emails about President Obama’s tax compromise have created more controversy among the people on our email list than anything else we have done. So this is a good opportunity for me… Continue reading

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Pennsylvania leads the way to extended unemployment insurance!

  By Penn ACTION, Unemployment Insurance

Last week, it seemed likely that extended unemployment insurance would lapse at the end of the year or only be continued for three months. But then our national partner, US Action and the AFL-CIO held a press event with Speaker Pelosi and a number of Senators. Hearing from the unemployed themselves, brought the human dimensions of unemployment home to our political leaders. You can get a feel for the impact of those stories by looking at the first video, which the AFL-CIO put out. These stories stiffened the spines of the Democratic leadership and led them to insist that the unemployment insurance extension be included in any deal over taxes. In the course of the debate over the issue, Senator Casey referred more than once to how his meeting with the unemployed moved him.   Penn ACTION, along with the Philadelphia Unemployment Project and AFL-CIO brought half the unemployed people… Continue reading

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Unemployed? Come to DC on December 1!

  By Penn ACTION, Take political action, Unemployment Insurance

Last week, the majority of Americans just celebrated the Thanksgiving Holiday with a feast. However, too many Americans, especially the 14 million who are unemployed, could not afford a feast this year. That’s why Penn ACTION has been fighting for fighting for the unemployed in many ways, including an event we did in Bucks County a little over a week ago. And it is why we are joining with the AFL-CIO and the Philadelphia Unemployment Project to take part in an event in Washington on Wednesday, December 1, to demand that Congress keep federal funding of extended unemployment benefits. If you are unemployed—or have suffered unemployment during the current recession and benefitted from unemployment insurance—please join us.  RSVP here  today or contact Robin Stelly at (203) 216-9719. (Given the short time frame before the event, we can’t guarantee you a seat on the bus if we don’t hear from you… Continue reading

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Fighting for Extended Unemployment Benefits

  By Penn ACTION, Unemployment Insurance

Last week, the majority of Americans just celebrated the Thanksgiving Holiday with a feast. However, too many Americans, especially the 14 million who are unemployed, could not afford a feast this year. That’s why Penn ACTION has been fighting for the unemployed in various ways, including an event we did in Bucks County the week before the holiday. On November 16, Penn ACTION organized over 15 Bucks County residents, including a number of people who have been unemployed during the recession, to call for the additional funding for extended unemployment insurance. We held an 11am news conference followed by an event outside Careerlink building on New Rodgers Road at which people looking for work signed petitions calling on Congress to extend Unemployment The same week we did a statewide call-in to Senators Casey and Specter, asking them to continued funding for extended unemployment benefits. Hundreds of Pennsylvanians joined in the… Continue reading

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Penn ACTION in Election 2010

  By Penn ACTION, Penn Action and Election 2010

This has been a tough election for progressives. The political winds were against us and it turns out that there was little that we could do to stem them. I’ve written here about what we do next. But the disappointing results came despte our best efforts and those of other progressive around the state. The difficult political climate made fund raising for electoral work difficult but Penn ACTION brough close to $150,000 into the state for electoral work and carried out a number of important operations. On the C4, indpendent expenditure side, where we could explicitly work for a particular candidate, we Built a major canvass operation in support of Congressman Patrick Murphy in Congressional District Eight. We canvassed over 11 days and knocked on almost 17.000 doors, including 4158 on Election Day. Phoned 25,000 voters twice in Philadelphia, Bucks County and Montgomery to urge them to vote for Congressman Murphy Produced and… Continue reading

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New Penn ACTION NE Philly Volunteer Canvass

  By Penn ACTION, Penn Action and Election 2010

At practically the last moment, Penn ACTION secured some additional resources from the One Nation Working Together march to set up an additional canvass operation. This is a non-partisan get out the vote canvass that is targeting infrequent voters among single women, African Americans and young people under thirty in Northeast Philly and Montgomery County. The NE Philly office is at 14425 Bustleton Avenue although it is at the back of a strip mall building that fronts on Philmont Avenue. It is a block north of the  the Somerton train station on the West Trenton Line. We’ll be there from 11:00 am to about 6:30 pm on Monday and from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day. We can send you out to canvass any time, but please call ahead to let us know you are coming as we will be out of the office at times, especially on… Continue reading

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Penn ACTION Coordinates PA Voice Joint Phonebank

  By Penn ACTION, Penn Action and Election 2010

 PA Voice coordinates the electoral and issue work of c3  organization around the state. The Penn ACTION Education Fund, our c3 arm, is a member of the group. Because we are c3 organizations, and can receive tax deductible contributions, our electoral work consist in non-partisan efforts to turn out voters. On Tuesday, October 26, Penn ACTION coordinated a joint phone bank that included, in addition to ourselves, PennPIRG,  PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, Project HOME, Action United, Conservation Voters, and Working America.  We cam together at the office of Solutions for Progress to eccourage under-represented voters in Philadelphia and around the state to turn out to vote. That’s why we were joined by anti-poverty groups, women’s groups, advocates for immigrants, social services providers, environmentalists, public interest advocates – and even Project HOME’s Vote for Homes Program in which homeless men and women take the time to come to our office to phonebank their neighbors! Our effort were coordinated… Continue reading

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Patrick Murphy thanks US Action / Penn ACTION for Campaign Support

  By Penn ACTION, Penn Action and Election 2010

Thursday, Jeff Blum, the Executive Director of our national partner, US Action joined me and our Bucks County staffer Robin Stelly, to deliver the second installment on US Action’s $5000 PAC contribution to Congressman Murphy. That’s Robin and Jeff with Congressman Murphy. This contribution is just a small addition to the huge electoral effort Penn ACTION and US Action are making in Congressman Murphy’s district and in Southeast PA generally. For details click here. Continue reading