Activity Requests: Monday

[Note: As always any sample messages, letters, etc. that we provide are just that, “samples.” The samples are just what we’re sending out from this end and you are strongly encouraged to use your own judgment, voice and perspectives. Our prose, tone and approach can always be improved upon and quite frankly a good mix of perspectives is better than following our samples verbatim. We don’t do messaging for the group (nor do we aspire to) or ever speak for the group, but instead merely facilitate our members’ ability to speak at once for more power and volume. If you’re a “professional communicator” or would like to help with recruiting, research, administration, etc. shoot us a note and we’ll be happy to get you involved. There is no lack of work to be done.]

Media Outreach

1) Create your own version of a short and a long media pitch to use for online and e-mail outlets. [See sample pitch below] Some online forms limit the number of words or characters and we on this end find out those limitations, if any, the same time you do.

2) Remember to save whatever you write somewhere on your computer so you don’t have to recreate the wheel over and over. (We'll probably use this pitch for weeks to come.)

3) Simply make media pitching a mindless simple for you repetitive exercise that you can do almost with your eyes closed. While what you say is important, at the end of the day it’s a numbers game. Just make this effort a paste in your message, fill in the blanks (or e-mail address) and send exercise that you do over and over and over.

DO NOT FORGET TO KEEP US POSTED ON ANY AND ALL HR3149 COVERAGE YOU READ OR VIEW!

Media Outlets for Monday as follows:

CNN Money
Use link below, select "News Alert Problem or a Question"
http://money.cnn.com/services/speakup/speakup.html

CNN, CNN Website, etc.
caffertyfile@cnn.com

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11b.html?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.am.html

tami.luhby@turner.com

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?2

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?24

CBS News: Use the following link and hit: CBS Evening News w/Katie Couric, CBS Morning News and The Early Show

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml?tag=contentAux;ad-googleAdSense

Use the following link and hit: CBS Evening News http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php

ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=World%20News%20with%20Charles%20Gibson

http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3052660 http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3428117

[Sample Media Pitch Communication – Long Version] When you need something shorter, simply cut it down and edit to fit . . .

As America Starves Congress Takes Bribes to Kill HR3149

In just the 2010 cycle alone, members of Congress have accepted $258,000+ in PAC money from the big three credit bureaus in exchange for trying to kill HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. The legislation, that would make it illegal for employers to use the personal credit reports of Americans to hire and fire, has been stalled in the House Committee on Financial Services since July. Just in this committee alone during the 2010 cycle, almost half of it members (38+ %) stuffed their wallets with a total of $104,000+ in credit bureau PAC money. At the top of the money list, during the past two cycles, is Committee Chair Barney Frank who took $25,000 during in the 2008 cycle. Calling this “Political Action Committee” (PAC) money by any other name other than BLATENT BRIBERY is an insult to the intelligence of every American citizen. This quid pro quo money for killing the legislation deal, not to mention the millions from corporations in general that oppose the legislation, is NOT DEMOCRACY!

In survey after survey, including a recent MSNBC survey, more than 90 percent of American people say that workplace discrimination based upon someone’s personal credit report is wrong and should be illegal. The practice was always wrong and from the start has always been a gross invasion of Americans’ privacy. The information has always been used by employers to low ball wages and intimidate employees based upon the level of desperation depicted in their credit report – while employers use the smoke screen of saying the information is used to protect them from fraud and theft. It’s “the people” that need protection from corrupt politicians and dirty corporate money . . . not the other way around! NOT ONE SINGLE study or shred of evidence exists to demonstrate that Americans with damaged credit reports steal or commit fraud at a higher percentage than other Americans. If there were any correlation between a credit report and theft, then American CEOs such as Bernie Madoff, Ken Lewis, Kenneth Lay, Dennis Kozlowski, Bernard Ebbers and Richard Fuld wouldn’t be either already convicted or under investigation for “stealing” millions and millions from their companies. The American elite and Congress operate by different rules when it comes to credit reports, corruption and stealing. The more corrupt they become, the better their credit reports get while “the peoples” credit reports suffer to a point of never being allowed to work again.

Without the media and real journalists reporting the truth, there is and can be no democracy. The American people have been pummeled as the result of Wall Street’s greed facilitated by Congress, yet Congress is getting a free pass from the media when it comes to the corruption killing HR3149. As the American people lose their homes to foreclosure, starve by the millions and yes, we can safely assume commit suicide because of the catch 22 of no job = bad credit and bad credit = no job – where are the American journalists exposing the corruption and defending democracy? As a loyal reader, I ask that you stand up for the people in their hour of great need by telling the truth to your readers and supporting passage of HR3149 NOW!

Sources for the 2010 Money Cycle:
House Committee on Financial Services (only)
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/03/democracy-and-money-why-hr3149-is.html

Equifax:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00143867&cycle=2010

Trans Union:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00313700&cycle=2010

Experian:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010

[End Sample Letter for Media Outlets listed above]

Get your letter out to EVERY media outlet you can find. Every local and national newspaper, TV station/network, blogs, etc. until the media listens and exposes the corruption killing HR3149. It's especially important for you to check the link below to see if your House Representative is on the House Committee for Financial Services and on our HR3149 Dirty Money list:

http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/03/democracy-and-money-why-hr3149-is.html

If they are on the dirty money list, PLEASE make sure to edit your letter and name your House Rep. and disclose the amount of money they took and get it out to ALL your local media outlets NOW. Your role is critical to our entire group. Please support us!

Every day and week that passes from here on out is critical. With November fast aproaching, time is NOT on our side. Don't wait on us to send you lists of contact points, although we will continue to do so just to increase group participation. The time to act with energy, passion and anger is NOW. Don't allow our democracy and the will of the people to be sold for pieces of gold. Expose the corruption in Washington killing HR3149 and tell everyone you know to pass the word!