News & Action Alerts
October 10, 2007
Bit of a Brute, Bit of a Monster
The performance last week by President Bush in vetoing the SChip legislation is further confirmation that we are saddled with a leader who has turned into a bit of a monster. Despite overwhelming public opinion the spin monsters in his camp were dogmatic and very much like mad dogs with a bone they won't turn loose.
It never seems to occur to this president that citizens are not obliged to bend to his will. It is the president's obligation to bend to the will of the American people. And it seems the American people are quite ready to try something new and different. Congress is ready to lead. This President should let them. No more phony excuses, no more chopped logic, no more faulty math.
I bet if he follows the lead of Congress, the sun will still come up in the morning, the sky won't fall and our nation might just be better off including more children and families in the pool of citizens who have health care insurance and therefore coverage.
Fall Fundraising Continues
Our activity depends on you so please keep your membership checks coming. September was a great month and we are reaching our goal of raising $10,000.00 before the snow flies. Just click here to Contribute and charge your $25.00 membership today.
JJ Dinner
You'd have to be living under a large river rock not to know that former President Bill Clinton is the headline speaker for the annual Democratic Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner. Ticket sales have exceeded expectations so to bring everyone who wants under the tent, the Democratic Party is expanding the room size. So tickets are still available. Just call the Party headquarters at 342-8121 but do it soon. The Civic Center will be the place to be Saturday night.
WV Federation of Democratic Women
Hats are off to our sister organization for recruiting Belinda Biafore of Marion County to be the new statewide president. The election was held during the recent WVFDW conference in Huntington. Belinda is one of those rare Democrats who never waivers in her loyalty to party and the women of West Virginia. She is truly one of a kind and we're lucky having her at the helm. We look forward to many joint events in the upcoming election cycle.
FYI Interesting
Want to know which of the 18 presidential candidates' positions align with yours?
Click Here >>
Take Action Online
Support Basic Rights for All Women
I hope that you will urge your Senators to ratify the Convention on Rights of Women (CEDAW). Perhaps you didn't know that this UN Convention was passed in the General Assembly in 1979, and signed by President Carter in 1980.
Now 185 countries have ratified it, but not the United States (or Sudan or Somalia or Iran ). It is time for our country to join the vast majority of others in recognizing women as an equal half of humanity.
Joe Biden is Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is committed to passing it out of committee to the full Senate by next year. He must have Senate support.
Please act now. You can link directly to Amnesty International USA by GOING HERE >>
Then click on "Take Action Online" under "Support Basic Rights for All Women.... ". There you can send a quick email message.
ACLU-WV Hiring Executive Director
If you're reading this from a desk outside West Virginia, take a moment to read on even if you've never thought about coming here. If you have been here, you know that West Virginia is a wonderful place to work and live. Check out the ACLU of WV at http://www.aclu-wv.org/. This is an excellent opportunity for well-suited candidates!
ACLU of West Virginia
Join us for an evening of refreshments and an introduction to Lenora Lapidus, Director of the ACLU Women's Rights Project.
WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 23 rd, 2007
WHERE: 405 Capitol Street (Old Daniel Boone Hotel) Atrium
The Women's Rights Project was founded by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1972. It is dedicated to empowering women of color, poor women, and immigrant women who face the challenges of gender bias and other barriers to equality.
Lapidus became director in 2001 after four and a half years as the Legal Director of the ACLU of New Jersey. She will be speaking at 11:00 a.m. the following day at the West Virginia State University Student Union.
For more information, email Jesse Lyons at lyonsaclu@aol.com, Chuck Smith at smithce@wvstateu.edu or call the ACLU of West Virginia at 345-9246.
STOP THE HATE RALLY
Thursday, Oct. 11. 5:30 p.m.
Location: Davis Park, Charleston
The annual event will bring people together to discuss tolerance and mutual respect, to oppose bigotry, hatred and persecution of every kind. The event is sponsored by the West Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Contacts: Susan Allen (Stop the Hate Rally), 304-346-4402
WV FREE
This Saturday, October 13th, is Macy's Shop for a Cause Day. If you haven't already donated $5 to WV FREE to receive a shopping pass that will save you up to 20% on all of your purchases at Macy's, now is the time! It's the perfect solution to save money on early Holiday Shopping and support our work for reproductive rights in West Virginia. Click here to receive more information.
The West Virginia Labor History Association
Hall OF HONOR INDUCTION CEREMONIES
OCTOBER 14, 2007 – 12:00 NOON
CHARLESTON CIVIC CENTER
Honorees:
Mr. Larry Ratliff
For his many years of outstanding service as a District 23 official of the United Steelworkers of America.
Mr. Manuel Oteda
For his outstanding contribution as an officer and organizer with the United Mine Workers of America.
Hall of Honor luncheon tickets are $14.00 for individuals or $100.00 for a table of 8. For additional information or reservations call 1-800-642-9842 (ext. 1966) or 304-346-2030.
Save Another Date
Seneca 2 Forum
Co sponsored by WVSU Political Science Dept.
Thursday, October 25th - 7:00 pm
WVSU Student Union
Presenting Scott Ritter
“Preventing Fascism at Home and Imperialism Abroad”
Scott Ritter had an extensive and distinguished career in government service. A retired Marine Major, he served under General Schwarzkopf with US Central Command headquarters in Saudi Arabia. He spent 12 years as an intelligence specialist in the US Marine Corps and joined UNSCOM in 1991.
Ritter resigned from the UNSCOM inspection team in August 1998, citing US interference in the work of the inspections. A recognized TV personality, Ritter frequently appears in forums concerning government policies, and is particularly critical of those of the Clinton-Bush years.
Ritter is the author of six books. His latest:
Waging Peace: The Art of War for the Antiwar Movement (2007)
Target Iran : The Truth About the White House's Plan for Regime Change (2006)
FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND FREE PARKING ON CAMPUS
Labor/Activist Singer/Songwriter Anne Feeney
Coffeehouse Concert
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
520 Kanawha Boulevard West
Charleston, WV
Saturday, November 3 rd
7:30 pm - Admission by donation: suggested $7-12 (no one turned away)
Anne Feeney, from Pittsburgh, is always on the go. Whether it's appearing in a play in San Diego about the Sago Miners, with her son in Guatemala, skydiving or playing any of the 51 Sates. She is an activist, organizer, songwriter, folksinger, troublemaker and hellraiser from Pittsburgh, PA.
Anne graduated from high school in 1968 and worked for a year to save up enough money to buy the beautiful Martin D-28 guitar that she still plays. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement shaped her conscience and consciousness. She worked for a dozen years or so as a trial attorney and served as President of the Pittsburgh Musicians' Union.
Now, she's on the road 200+ days a year... all over the US and Canada, and more recently, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. If you're on strike, in an organizing drive, or doing community organizing for women's rights, the environment, human rights, anti-poverty or anti-racist work, Anne wants to be there.
“Anne Feeney is the best labor singer in North America.” — Utah Phillips
“If I had a cause - and who doesn't? - I'd want Anne Feeney singing for me.” — Stephen Ide, Dirty Linen Magazine
“Congratulations on your fine songwriting!” — Pete Seeger
“Anne is a role model for us. She has lived her songs.” — Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary)
Under the Capitol Dome
During the October Interim Session “The Worker Freedom Bill” passed out of the Joint Judiciary Committee. In November during Interim session meetings (November 26-28 th ) the Worker Freedom Bill (2007 Legislation – HB 2346) will be on the agenda of the Full Joint Standing Judiciary Committee.
Contact the members of this Committee and request their support of the Worker Freedom Bill when it comes before their committee in November.
The Worker Freedom Bill is designed to eliminate mandatory, forced meetings for workers for reasons unrelated to job performance. It does not ban any message and it does not ban workplace meetings. Rather, it prohibits employers from using their power to compel employees to listen to – to be a forced audience for – their employers' efforts to impose religious and political beliefs and beliefs about joining a union. It protects employee's rights not to have their employer's beliefs forced on them through mandatory meetings by giving workers the freedom NOT to listen.
For additional information, please contact the West Virginia AFL-CIO office @ 344-3557.
Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary – Interim
Click on the Legislator's name listed below for contact information.
Restoration Economies in the West
This week Progressive States Network was in Missoula, Montana with partner Western Progress, an organization focused on advancing progressive policies in the Rocky Mountain region. They were hosting "Pay Dirt : Building the Restoration Economy of the Rocky Mountain West" a conference on the economic opportunities of environmental restoration projects such as mine reclamation and watershed management. Partnering with Western Progress and conference participants, practical model legislation was developed to promote restoration in the states and nationally. A full report will be released sometime early in November. Stay tuned.
On Torture and American Values
Is this a nation that tortures human beings and then concocts legal sophistries to confuse the world and avoid accountability before American voters? READ MORE HERE >>
CONGRESS'S WAR OVER THE WAR
Hoping to Keep the Fight Alive
By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) started pressing for greater congressional scrutiny of private contractors in Iraq not long after the war began. Last week she got lots of company. READ MORE HERE >>
And Finally
SHILLING for Stephen Colbert
(Hardcover) Advance Order (October 9 Release)
Stephen Colbert
BuzzFlash.com's Review ( excerpt )
Of the scarce public rebukes of George W. Bush, none -- not one -- was as skillful, droll, bold, and brilliant as Stephen Colbert's "keynote" remarks at a White House Correspondent's Dinner. Colbert filleted not only Bush, but the entire D.C. press corps. This took enormous courage, given that he cut so close to the bone of his audience that the next year they invited Rich Little to be the "keynote" entertainer so that there would be no "danger" of anyone saying anything relevant or critical of the stenographers' club in D.C.
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