Health Care Issues:

--Campaign for America's Future needs our help:

"Help us get rid of the "donut hole" in President Bush's Part D prescription drug disaster, and help prevent nearly 7 million seniors from getting stuck with prescription bills many just can't afford. There are lots of ways to get rid of donut holes. Please try our 2-step strategy..."

--Demand Health Care for ALL Children!

Environmental, Wildlife, & Energy Issues:

--Yet another "Free" Trade Agreement (Peru Free Trade Agreement, in this case), that isn't so fucking free! (sorry, I get REALLY pissed off at these) According to Friends of the Earth, "The Peru Free Trade Agreement will promote harmful trade and allow large-scale illegal logging in the rainforest. Tell Congress to protect the Amazon."

--Anybody like Red Snapper? It might interest you to know that we've almost lost all Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico due to overfishing. Urge the Secretary of Commerce to act now to stop the chronic overfishing of severely depleted red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico before the start of the fishing season in 2007. (Also click the link to read more.)

--Concerned about energy consumption? Do something to conserve energy yourself!

"October 4th is ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day. Become part of this national movement and help reduce the risks of global climate change by pledging to replace at least one standard lightbulb with an energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR qualified lightbulb!

By signing, you will join over 80 thousand people who have already pledged to reduce global warming by reducing their home energy use!"

Click the link to sign and read more. Instead of just changing one bulb, why not go crazy and change all the bulbs in your house!? I can't tell you how much time, money, and energy (our own, and electricity-wise) John and I have saved by converting ALL the bulbs in our house. I think I change a lightbulb once every other year now...if that.

--Paris Hilton is exploiting animals...again. From Center for Biological Diversity:

"The latest victim of Paris's affections is a captive "pet" kinkajou cloyingly named "Baby Luv," which has appeared in public draped across Paris as if it were the latest fashion trend.

A kinka-what? The kinkajou (Potos flavus), also known as the "Honey Bear," is a nocturnal tree-climbing mammal related to the raccoon that lives in the rainforests of Central and South America. Although kinkajous may appear cute and cuddly, they are wild animals that belong in the rainforest eating tropical fruit, not ducking from flashbulbs on fashion runways or sipping lattes in the cafes and trendy clubs of Los Angeles.

Please send a letter today to demand that Paris Hilton stop collecting and exploiting exotic wildlife and that she immediately free Baby Luv, the kinkajou!"

--From Oceana:

"In 2001 President Bush signed the Stockholm Convention which was designed to protect human health and the environment. This global treaty acts to reduce or eliminate certain toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These toxics travel long distances and accumulate in the food chain. They can cause cancer, harm immune and reproductive systems, and lead to learning disabilities. But some in Congress, led by Representative Paul Gillmor, are trying to re-write the spirit of the agreement.

Representative Gillmor's Bill (H.R. 4591) is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It pretends to implement an important international treaty, but actually weakens the ability of states to pass stronger safeguards and ignores public health and the environment.

Don't let this Congressman and the chemical companies weaken a treaty that protects Americans from toxic chemicals. Take action now!"

--From Earthjustice:

"Please sign this petition asking Congress to provide emergency aid to salmon fishermen and to take immediate steps to reverse the decline of the Klamath River, along with other salmon rivers throughout the Pacific states."

--Click here to protect the wild lands of the Zion-Mojave region of southwestern Utah!

--From Save the Environment.org:

Ask your Congressperson and your Senators to co-sponsor the Waxman Safe Climate Act in the House or the Jeffords-Boxer Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act in the Senate.

We've got a live one here!! From The Wilderness Society:

"This week, the Senate Agriculture Committee will review and vote on a bill, HR 4200, that could cause serious harm to the long-term health of our public forests.  The Senate is considering linking HR 4200 with funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (County Payments Act) and including this combination in the Department of Defense bill...

The bill would exclude the public from decisions regarding the management of our public lands. It also ignores important scientific research, threatens the Endangered Species Act, and leaves roadless areas, ancient forests, and other special areas unprotected. Additionally, attaching this bill to rural schools does not create a reliable and source of funding."

Let's put a quick stop to this one! Take action here! It might also be helpful to call your Senators about this one as well. The more pressure, the better!

--From Earthworks:

"In September, the wireless industry meets in Los Angeles to promote new wireless technologies. Unfortunately, the major wireless providers still have not taken adequate efforts to recycle their old technology.

Please take action! Send a letter to the CTIA - (the wireless trade association) telling them that they need to make a stronger commitment to cell phone recycling.

Thanks to the thousands of letters you sent to the major wireless service providers, some providers have made it easier to recycle old cell phones, while others have increased the profile of their recycling efforts.

But much work remains to be done... until the approximately 65,000 tons of toxic e-waste (represented by the approximately 130 million cell phones discarded in the U.S. each year) are responsibly recycled or otherwise disposed of.

Please take action today!"

Helping Democratic Candidates:

--Concerned about election integrity? Become a Poll Worker!Check out Pollworkers for Democracy! Sign up in your county!

--Sign up to Call for Change with Moveon.org!!

--From the DNC:

"On October 7th, the Democratic Party kicks off a month-long "Get Out the Vote" drive to push voters to the polls. Election-related events will occur nationwide in the month leading up to the election to assure that registered Democratic voters in all 50 states turnout and vote on Election Day. If you are interested in hosting an event, please contact your local state party or use our online events tool."

 

I've signed up to canvass in Cape Girardeau, MO which is about 45 minutes south of me. GOTV is SUPER important. Remember, the Repugs are putting over $30 million into their GOTV efforts. We've got to do a better job!   

--Click here to volunteer with the AFL-CIO and help elect a Congress that will work for working families!!

War & Human Rights Issues:

--Tell your members of Congress they should only support legislation that protects due process and keeps the Geneva Conventions as the law of the land.

--Write a Letter to the Editor today! Remind Americans that Republicans are losing the War on Terror!

--From Progressive Democrats of America:

"Sign the Petition to Support H.R. 4232
Introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)

H.R.4232 would prohibit further use of Defense Department funds to deploy United States Armed Forces to Iraq. Funds could still be used to provide for:

--the safe and orderly withdrawal of all troops;

--consultations with other governments, NATO and the UN regarding international forces;

--financial assistance and equipment to either Iraqi security forces and/or international forces.

In addition, the bill would not prohibit or restrict non-defense funding to carry out reconstruction in Iraq

For more information, read the full article." Click here to sign the petition!

Media Issues:

--From Stop Big Media:

"Just as the Federal Communications Commission is poised to open the floodgates to wholesale consolidation, comes news that former Chairman Michael Powell buried a study showing media consolidation is harmful to local news reporting. The FCC can't simply cover up evidence, ignore the public outcry, and hand over local media to the likes of News Corp., General Electric and Disney. They need to hear from you first.

Use this form to speak out against FCC efforts to make Big Media bigger. Use the text provided or write your own comments about how media consolidation will impact your community."

Labor Issues:

--Check out The Anti-Union Network. Learn who is involved in this anti-union movement, let's shine some sunlight on these bugs and then squash them!

Other Issues:

--I don't know what's happening in your states, but in Illinois we're about to have a rate hike for utility and energy services. There IS something we can do to stop it though...

From ILPIRG: "Utility and energy companies held an `auction' to set the price of electricity Illinoisans will have to pay next year. That means less oversight on how companies set the price of electricity you and I pay.

Make your voice heard by signing the on-line petition asking lawmakers to stop unfair and unreasonable electricity prices and hold energy companies accountable."

--Sign the Pledge to protect Real American Values from the Religious "Right"!

--Are you still shopping at Walmart?

Um...why? Well, as if you needed one, here's another reason to stop! From Public Citizen:

"First there was Wal-MartSucks.Com, a Web site created by a private citizen to criticize Wal-Mart. It caught the eye of executives in the giant corporation who unsuccessfully tried to close down the site down for four years.

Now Wal-Mart is doing it again. This time it is using legal tactics to intimidate a Web site operator and try to close down a Web site called walqaeda.com because it also is critical of the corporation.

Wal-Mart, lawyers and their vast resources are attempting to bully and silence critics across America. But free speech - on the Internet and off - is critical to us all.

Send a letter to Wal-Mart telling them to to stop stomping on free speech!"

--From Coalition to Stop Gun Violence:

"H.R. 5388, the "DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act" (DC Voting Rights Act), was introduced by Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and would provide Washingtonians with a voting member in the House of Representatives for the first time ever. Taking a bipartisan approach, the bill would also provide an additional representative to the state next in line for a seat according to the 2000 Census, Utah.

On May 18, 2006, the House Committee on Government Reform approved the DC Voting Rights Act by a historic vote of 29-4. Surveys indicate that Americans support the legislation in similar numbers--a recent national poll showed that 82 percent of Americans believe that DC residents deserve full voting representation on Capitol Hill.

Now, as the DC Voting Rights Act heads to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration, your support is more important than ever. Please take a minute...to send a message to your representative telling them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 5388.

This is Crossposted at Street Prophets, Daily Kos, and at Action Alerts!