Major relief is needed as our victors take office. Especially important will be the selection of the Secretary of Dept Of Homeland Security, discontinuation of border wall building as well as misue of taxpayer funds to sell our neighbors and ourselves down the tubes. Please review this well set forth article and let Texans take this country back!
Kenneth Koym, Psychotherapist who helped turn Indiana Blue, phone banked into Ohio, New Mexico, with a few calls into Florida, Pennsylvania and of course here in Texas.. I lament that David Paul Leibson's similar efforts led to his early death Friday November 7, this year. Tomorrow we remember his passing. Thanks David!
Cass and Seifert: Fix our Levees; tear down the Border Wall By Ann Williams Cass and Michael Seifert
BROWNSVILLE, November 13 - Everyone has questions for the president elect and new congress: What will you do to fix the economy, the health care system and the War in Iraq?
But what are we to make of the silence on immigration issues witnessed the last 22 months? How can we in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas raise our questions?
Who will be appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security--the appointed cabinet member who is the only person in this country who can waive any law by the authority of the Real ID Act? This is the person who waived 38 laws in Hidalgo County to construct the Wall/Levee.
Will the Secure Fence Act, calling for fence along the southern border, be repealed or will families continue to worry that they will lose their homes, lose their farm land, or lose access to the beauty of nature?
Still in shock that in the middle of the economic crisis Congress allocated an additional $400 million to finish the Wall, are we too naïve to hope that this new leadership will re-allocate that money to the International Boundary and Water Commission to fix the levees in Hidalgo and Cameron counties? It would cost less than $200 million to fix all the levees in both. Or do we have to continue to worry that we won't meet FEMA's deadline and end up paying exorbitant costs in flood insurance as they declare both counties flood zones?
Is it too naïve to hope that if that money is reallocated the county bond money could be used to fix the drainage system that failed during Hurricane Dolly, flooding colonias with water that in many places is still standing today, 3 months after the event? Doesn't that seem the most logical and just use of the money, particularly in light of New Orleans after Katrina, and countless cities along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers that experienced devastating floods this spring because of failed levees? Or, do we continue to worry that when the next storm hits more people will find themselves knee deep in water for six months? Have we been terrorized into irresponsibility?
Here in the Rio Grande Valley, hurricanes are our terrorists. Their damage could easily leave 500,000 people homeless. Hurricane Dolly just brushed the Valley this year, and yet it cost us the loss of homes and dreams, health and economy. Dolly wasn't the only culprit—the real guilt lay in our lack of a stable levee and drainage ditch system. We need to raise our voices now: No Border Wall, fix our levees and drainage system! Please contact your congressional and state representatives and senators and tell them to tear down the Wall and fix our levees!!!
Ann Williams Cass is executive director of Proyecto Azteca in San Juan, Texas. The Rev. Michael Seifert is executive director Proyecto Digna in Brownsville, Texas, and pastor of San Felipe de Jesus Catholic Church in Cameron Park, Brownsville, Texas.
Friends, Today is Election Day. The opportunity to set our country on a new path has never felt more real than it does right now. The polls are open in most places, and people are already making their voices heard for change. There's just one thing left to do -- vote and make sure everyone you know votes, too. You can find or verify your ballot drop location by looking up your most recent registration address at VoteForChange.com. Go vote today, and make sure you take your friends and family with you. This is the day when we have to commit to doing everything we can. We can't afford not to -- for our families, our communities, and our future. Once you vote, you can do more than just wait as the returns come in. You can help get every last vote for Barack by volunteering in your community or making calls from home. Help put us over the top today: http://my.barackobama.com/november It's not too late to knock on doors, make calls, and make sure that every one of our supporters gets to the polls today. Change is within our reach. We're counting on you to get us there today. Thank you for everything you're doing, Michelle P.S. -- If anyone you know hasn't yet made up their mind, please invite them to learn more about Barack's positions on important issues: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
SUNDAY, GOV. HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE DNC, TO GET-OUT-THE-VOTE FOR OBAMA, MERKLEY, AND OREGON DEMOCRATS Dean, Wyden, Merkley and Oregon Democrats Headline GOTV Events in Portland and Eugene PORTLAND, OR - This Sunday, Gov. Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will join Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate, and other statewide Democratic candidates in Oregon to get out the vote for Barack Obama, Jeff Merkley, and Democrats across Oregon. With only two days left to vote in this crucial election, Gov. Dean, Sen. Wyden, Jeff Merkley, Kate Brown, Ben Westlund, John Kroger, and Brad Avakian will kick-off get-out-the-vote mobilization events in Portland and Eugene. Sunday, November 2nd 4:30 PM - PORTLAND Campaign for Change Headquarters 3016 SE Division St. Portland, OR 97202 7:30 PM - EUGENE Campaign for Change Eugene Office 150 W Broadway Eugene, OR 97401 Contact your local Campaign for Change Office for more information.
Ballots begin arriving in Oregon this Friday, October 17th. The best way to help Barack in this historic election is by mailing in your ballot as soon as you receive it -- and by encouraging others to do the same. It only takes a few minutes. And when you vote within 24 hours of receiving your ballot, you allow volunteers and organizers to better focus their resources and spend more time helping thousands of other Oregonians get their votes in for Barack and Democrats up and down the ballot.>br? Visit VoteForChange.com right now to find the nearest ballot drop location near you, or mail your ballot in to your county elections office. Vote early, remind everyone you know to do so as well, and help supporters and organizers do everything they can to get a big win for Barack Obama in Oregon. Thanks, Jesse Jesse Bontecou Field Director Oregon Campaign for Change P.S. -- Once you've voted, sign up for a Get Out The Vote shift in this final stretch to make sure all Oregonians get their ballots in and make their voices heard in this election: http://or.barackobama.com/ORgotv
Dear Friends, Tuesday, October 14th, is Oregon's voter registration deadline. And this weekend -- October 11th and 12th -- is our last big chance to make sure everyone in Oregon is registered to vote. Supporters like you have already brought thousands of new voices into the political process, but there are still folks in communities just like yours who support Barack but are not registered to vote. That's why supporters are coming together across the state to reach out to their unregistered neighbors as part of our final statewide voter registration drive. Will you help register voters this weekend and take part in our last voter registration drive before the deadline? With the economy in crisis, it's more important than ever to change the way politics works in our nation's capital. But we can only do it by working together, because real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down. That means empowering people who have been left out of the political process or are just now old enough to add their voices. And there are thousands of unregistered voters across Oregon. Take a few hours this weekend to help bring change to Oregon -- make sure your family, friends, and neighbors are registered, and help Barack Obama win this important battleground state. Find a voter registration event near you and sign up today: http://or.barackobama.com/OregonVoters No experience is necessary to make a difference. All you need is energy and a commitment to change -- campaign staff will be there to support you with everything else. Thanks for your help, Jesse Jesse Bontecou Field Director Oregon Campaign for Change P.S. -- There are only 26 days left until Election Day, and this campaign's success is depending on supporters like you turning your enthusiasm into action. Come to a Get Out The Vote Summit this Sunday, October 12th, and learn how you can make sure every voter in Oregon has a chance to Vote for Change by November 4th: http://or.barackobama.com/ORgotvsummit
Citizens not corporate leaders, CEOs or fat cats poneyed up an economic rescue. More than $421 trillion is involved. Moves that would threaten these vast sums require more astute managers in the future. As huge as the concepts are, we must wrap our heads around them and find ways to effect high level economic stamina never well understood by the average person. Hang in there. US taxpayers can and must not continue to bear burdens for debts they did not create or for losses of a financial risk management system did not develop using a system of checks and balances or the necessity to buy out toxic debts. Bidders could have bought out failing institutions but Lehman Brothers bank ignored real bids. And, big banks like Wells Fargo that bought out Wachovia and Bank of America who got Countrywide Bank must not push the poor and middle class further into poverty.
Yesterday, within the course of a few hours, the failure to pass the economic rescue plan in Washington led to the single largest decline of the stock market in two decades. While I, like others, am outraged that the reign of irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has created the current crisis, I also know that continued inaction in the face of the gathering storm in our financial markets would be catastrophic for our economy and our families. At this moment, when the jobs, retirement savings, and economic security of all Americans hang in the balance, it is imperative that all of us - Democrats and Republicans alike - come together to meet this crisis. The bill rejected yesterday was a marked improvement over the original blank check proposed by the Bush Administration. It included restraints on CEO pay, protections for homeowners, strict oversight as to how the money is spent, and an assurance that taxpayers will recover their money once the economy recovers. Given the progress we have made, I believe we are unlikely to succeed if we start from scratch or reopen negotiations about the core elements of the agreement. But in order to pass this plan, we must do more. One step we could take to potentially broaden support for the legislation and shore up our economy would be to expand federal deposit insurance for families and small businesses across America who have invested their money in our banks. The majority of American families should rest assured that the deposits they have in our banks are safe. Thanks to measures put in place during the Great Depression, deposits of up to $100,000 are guaranteed by the federal government. While that guarantee is more than adequate for most families, it is insufficient for many small businesses that maintain bank accounts to meet their payroll, buy their supplies, and invest in expanding and creating jobs. The current insurance limit of $100,000 was set 28 years ago and has not been adjusted for inflation. That is why today, I am proposing that we also raise the FDIC limit to $250,000 as part of the economic rescue package - a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence in our financial system. I will be talking to leaders and members of Congress later today to offer this idea and urge them to act without delay to pass a rescue plan.
