Month: June 2011

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Take Action to Stop the Corbett Cuts to Education Now

  By Penn ACTION, Take political action

The budget battle in Harrisburg is coming to a close.  It’s critically important that you make your voice heard this week to let your state legislators know that you want them to make basic and higher education a priority for Pennsylvania.  Can you take a few minutes now to send an email to your state Senator and then follow-up with a phone call? Don’t let Harrisburg politicians let giant gas and oil companies get away tax-free while our children pay the price with underfunded schools and we are forced to pay higher property taxes. We want: To continue the funding at the levels that have improved education in Pennsylvania over the last 2 years. To address the inequitable cuts – poorer districts should not be getting higher cuts. To use the legal amount (75%) of the revenue surplus and other available resources such as a drilling fee, to restore funding to… Continue reading

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Pennsylvanians thank Senator Casey for standing up for Medicare

  By Medicare, Penn ACTION

On Thursday, June 2nd, about 65 Philadelphians brought together by Penn ACTION, Action United, the Alliance for Retired Americans and SEIU gathered with residents of the Philadelphia Senior Center to personally thank Senator Casey for his vote against the Ryan budget bill that would change both change Medicare as we know it to a voucher system, which would double or possibly triple health insurance costs for seniors and cripple Medicaid. In the 24 hours leading up to the event, we received 100 letters from members of Penn ACTION thanking Senator Casey for supporting Medicare and Medicaid. These letters came from people who are on Medicare, people in their 50s looking forward to receiving Medicare, and even those in their 30s who are still a long way from receiving the benefits. The told many stories: about how Medicare helps people their healthcare bills so they can afford other goods; about how… Continue reading

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Take action: Call Mayor Nutter in support of the earned sick time bill!

  By Earned sick time, Penn ACTION, Take political action

At a time when working people are being kicked around in Harrisburg and Washington, Philadelphia’s City Council, today, stood against the tide and passed the earned sick time legislation. This legislation is a great victory for working people, as it enables workers to earn time that they can use when illness keeps them out of work. And like most legislation that helps working people, this bill helps the entire community as well. It is in all of our interest for people who have a cold, flu, or other communicable disease, to stay home rather than spread the disease to the rest of us. And that is especially important for people who work in restaurants and child care providers. The bill now comes before Mayor Nutter whose administration has qualms about it. So now we need to call Mayor Nutter at 215-686-2181, and tell him how important it is to sign… Continue reading

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Help hold Rep. Pat Meehan accountable for his support of the Ryan Budget

  By Health Care, Medicare, Penn ACTION, Take political action

Have you been wondering when Congressman Meehan will be hosting a town hall?  Do you have questions about his votes on critical issues like Medicare and taxes?  Well now is your chance.  Congressman Pat Meehan has set up a Twitter account to take questions from his constituents. Can you join us for a virtual rally tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21, between 12pm and 2pm by tweeting a question on Medicare? We want to ask Congressman Meehan the hard questions. He didn’t ask what we thought on Medicare before voting on the Ryan budget bill, so now is our chance. Can you join the rally by tweeting a question on Medicare to Congressman Meehan? Please be sure to use the #AskPat hashtag so that everyone joining us in this event can see each other’s questions.  Just click on the #AskPat hashtag or search for #AskPat at Twitter to see what people are… Continue reading

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The Cost of the Bush Era Tax Cuts

  By Federal Budget, Penn ACTION, Taxation

Ten years of the Bush Tax Cuts have cost us $2.5 trillion.  They were a $2.5 trillion dollar gamble that if we pushed enough money into the pockets of millionaires, billionaires and giant corporations, some of it would fall out and land on the rest of us.  We know what happened – that money stayed in those overstuffed pockets.  But, as Think Progress says, it didn’t have to be that way: Here are ten alternatives we could’ve pursued instead: – Give 122.7 Million Children Low-Income Health Care Every Year For Ten Years – Give 49.2 Million People Access To Low-Income Healthcare Every Year For Ten Years – Provide 43.1 Million Students With Pell Grants Worth $5,500 Every Year For Ten Years – Provide 31.5 Million Head Start Slots For Children Every Year For Ten Years – Provide VA Care For 30.7 Million Military Veterans Every Year For Ten Years –… Continue reading

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Help Rebuild the American Dream

  By Penn ACTION, Take political action

On July 16 and 17, Penn ACTION and other US Action affiliates, MoveOn and other national organizations are sponsoring a series of American Dream house meetings. The main goal of these house meetings is to focus on the long term progressive agenda. We’ll share stories our personal and political difficulties and their interconnection; talk about where we are as a country; and develop offer ideas to move us in the right direction. I’d like to invite you, as a Penn ACTION activists, to host one of those meetings. You can do it in you home, at a your church, at a local coffee shop or even a bar. We and MoveOn will invite local activists to join you at your meeting. And we will provide some help to you in planning and carrying out the meeting and in doing follow up after it is over. To sign up to host… Continue reading