Involved Voters in the 7th Congressional District:
UPDATE - August 2, 2010: Please contact Representative Walberg to thank him for his "yes" vote on the debt ceiling bill, continue to press him to vote for future bills to increase the revenue stream, and ask him to support stimulating the economy through steps like creating an Infrastructure Bank to get people back to work.
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It's time to call Tim Walberg and urge him to vote to raise the debt ceiling immediately to a level that will last least 18 months. Why, because we need to reassure our creditors, and if the US goes into default, the cost of our current debt will go up and that money will be wasted. It will not be available to help us here in Michigan.
Urge him to let go of his "no taxes, no how" ideological stance and vote for a balanced plan to deal with the debt that includes targeted spending cuts and increases to the revenue stream through closing tax loop holes and asking the richest Americans to contribute more because cutting their taxes greatly contributed to the current deficit.
Please call today!
Washington Phone: (202) 225-6276
Jackson Phone: (517) 780-9075
Or go to his web site and fill out the Contact Form - not the most effective, but better than no action at all.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
On this Independence Day, 2010, I'm taking some time to reflect on the these words from The Declaration of Independence:
The Great Depression prompted this country's' leaders to establish Social Security as a Safety net. In the 1960's, our leaders, realizing that Life and the pursuit of Happiness were impossible if people couldn't afford health care, instituted Medicare and Medicaid. Because these programs are designed to serve us, the citizens, rather than to make profits for investors, the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs can't be matched by private investment and insurance companies.
One area in which we as a country seem not to be maturing is "consent of the governed". When many citizens fail to vote, as in the 2010 General Election, it becomes possible for ideologues gain sufficient power to set upon dismantling programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; dedicate themselves to looking after the interests of a privileged few; and to refuse to consider closing tax loopholes and ending deficit-ballooning tax breaks.
As Involved Voters, we can turn this situation around. Knowledge is power. Americans as a whole are poorly informed about where the money they invest in our government through paying taxes goes. Here is a web site that can help counteract this: Your Federal Taxpayer Receipt. Before you visit the site, I recommend that you take a guess at what your income tax is supporting and then see how close you are to the actual percentages.
With our rights as citizens come responsibilities. Being an informed voter is one of them. Insisting that our elected officials act in the best interests of all Americans is another.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.It seems to me that our beloved country has been maturing into the values set forth in this declaration. "All men" now includes those who were once slaves, and women who until 1920 were unable to vote.
The Great Depression prompted this country's' leaders to establish Social Security as a Safety net. In the 1960's, our leaders, realizing that Life and the pursuit of Happiness were impossible if people couldn't afford health care, instituted Medicare and Medicaid. Because these programs are designed to serve us, the citizens, rather than to make profits for investors, the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs can't be matched by private investment and insurance companies.
One area in which we as a country seem not to be maturing is "consent of the governed". When many citizens fail to vote, as in the 2010 General Election, it becomes possible for ideologues gain sufficient power to set upon dismantling programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; dedicate themselves to looking after the interests of a privileged few; and to refuse to consider closing tax loopholes and ending deficit-ballooning tax breaks.
As Involved Voters, we can turn this situation around. Knowledge is power. Americans as a whole are poorly informed about where the money they invest in our government through paying taxes goes. Here is a web site that can help counteract this: Your Federal Taxpayer Receipt. Before you visit the site, I recommend that you take a guess at what your income tax is supporting and then see how close you are to the actual percentages.
With our rights as citizens come responsibilities. Being an informed voter is one of them. Insisting that our elected officials act in the best interests of all Americans is another.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
What is Mark Schauer Doing Now?
Mark Schauer's losing his seat as our 7th District Congressional Representative was a downer for me. But I'm glad to hear that he's still working hard for us.
Mark has taken a leadership role in the BlueGreen Alliance's "Jobs21!" campaign - a nine-state grassroots campaign aimed at creating good, middle-class jobs in the 21st century economy. You can find details here.
And you can read a recent guest column of Schauer's, "Clean energy is an economic engine for Michigan," on the Center for Michigan's web site.
Thank you, Mark, for continuing to serve the public interest.
Mark has taken a leadership role in the BlueGreen Alliance's "Jobs21!" campaign - a nine-state grassroots campaign aimed at creating good, middle-class jobs in the 21st century economy. You can find details here.
And you can read a recent guest column of Schauer's, "Clean energy is an economic engine for Michigan," on the Center for Michigan's web site.
Thank you, Mark, for continuing to serve the public interest.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
"Protecting" Medicare Out of Existence
Did you get one of those "Thank Representative Walberg" mailers from 60 PLUS? It sure would be nice to know whose interests 60 PLUS is championing. Involved Voters understand that introducing insurance company middlemen into Medicare through a voucher system does not control the cost of health care, and benefits only the middlemen. So what, if those of us who are 55 and older won't have to switch to the voucher system. We still care about our kids and grandkids and their access to affordable health care in the future.
If only we could "follow the money" and learn more about the loyalties of 60 PLUS. Is the organization beholden to lots of individual small contributors who are 60 and older, or big donors who stand to benefit from keeping in office Republicans with a no regulation, gut government, shift the tax burden away from the rich agenda?
From the blog Open Secrets:
If only we could "follow the money" and learn more about the loyalties of 60 PLUS. Is the organization beholden to lots of individual small contributors who are 60 and older, or big donors who stand to benefit from keeping in office Republicans with a no regulation, gut government, shift the tax burden away from the rich agenda?
From the blog Open Secrets:
WHO FUNDS 60 PLUS? The 60 Plus Association, a group that recognizes itself as the "conservative alternative to the liberal AARP," announced a new campaign thanking conservative members of Congress for "protecting" Medicare during recent debates over the government program's future. The 60 Plus Association says it'll spend more than $800,000 on radio advertisements, direct mail and phone calls throughout 39 congressional districts.
...
The 60 Plus organization is a nonprofit 501c(4) group that does not have to disclose its donors and spent more than $7 million during the 2010 elections opposing Democrats.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Invest in Our Kids
On Tuesday, May 3, we have a chance to reverse the downward slide in support for education in Washtenaw County. Our tax money provides 12% of the funding to serve young people (from kindergarten through age 26) in our County who have special educational needs. Renewing the special education millage will help all of the children in our local schools.
If the millage isn't renewed, our kids education will be in even greater jeopardy than what looms from the proposed $170 cut in per student funds from the State this fiscal year and a cut of as much as $300 per student next year. We need to find a way to reduce the State funding cuts, too. But, for now, we can start by supporting the renewal of the special education millage.
For more information, here's a link to a recent online article at Heritage.com
If the millage isn't renewed, our kids education will be in even greater jeopardy than what looms from the proposed $170 cut in per student funds from the State this fiscal year and a cut of as much as $300 per student next year. We need to find a way to reduce the State funding cuts, too. But, for now, we can start by supporting the renewal of the special education millage.
For more information, here's a link to a recent online article at Heritage.com
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A Guide to Michigan's Tax and Budget Issues
We Involved Voters want to do our homework and learn about the issues facing our State.
Here's a link to a reference that should make it easier: http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Issue-Guide_March2011_FINAL.pdf. It's the work of the Center for Michigan, MiVote.org and Detroit Public TV.
For example, did you know that State revenues are down 12% since 2001 and State spending is down 16% since 2001? To find out where the money comes from and where it goes and how Governor Synder's proposal would change that, follow the link above.
Here's a link to a reference that should make it easier: http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Issue-Guide_March2011_FINAL.pdf. It's the work of the Center for Michigan, MiVote.org and Detroit Public TV.
For example, did you know that State revenues are down 12% since 2001 and State spending is down 16% since 2001? To find out where the money comes from and where it goes and how Governor Synder's proposal would change that, follow the link above.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
How the Republicans' budget plan will trash the US economy
If you want to get a quick sense of where the ideology of the Republicans in charge of the US House is leading, I recommend this post about Cuts & Consequences by Steve Benen at Washington Monthly:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028192.php
After you read it, you'll want to tell your US Senators to make sure to block these ill-conceived cuts. Or, you can do nothing and watch millions more middle class jobs disappear.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028192.php
After you read it, you'll want to tell your US Senators to make sure to block these ill-conceived cuts. Or, you can do nothing and watch millions more middle class jobs disappear.
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