H.R. 3149: The Equal Employment for All Act: September 2010

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Actitity Requests: Sunday through Wednesday

You’ve fought beside us this far and with a hearing Thursday we’ve broken through the enemy’s first line of defense. Tired, beleaguered and on empty stomachs we have to finish the fight with a massive media push between now and midnight on Tuesday. We know you want to cringe when you hear the words “media outreach,” but it’s our only weapon we have to tip the scales in our favor by shining light on the hearing and bringing more warriors to our cause. Otherwise Congress will sell us out. While the outreach lists we’re providing are long, it’s just a mindless copy, paste, edit, send numbers game . . . the more we send the better our chances of media coverage and success. Think big, think homeruns and think success. A couple more weeks or so and we’ll either have a law or be able to take a long break. We’re thinking law, we thinking homerun NOW! So let’s get started . . .

PS Don’t forget to watch the hearing on Thursday at 10 via the following link and give us your feedback. We’ll evaluate and react accordingly . . .
http://financialservices.house.gov/Hearings/hearingDetails.aspx?NewsID=1355

[Sample Letter/e-Mail]

Subj. Line: Please Cover the Issue and Hearing on Thursday!

The ONLY issue important to the overwhelming majority of Americans is the “Jobs and Economy” issue. Despite all the banter and political noise, the ONLY quick fix that can be accomplished with the simple stroke of a presidential pen is HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. It simply allows highly qualified Americans the right to work by banning employment credit checks for most jobs. Without passage, extensions to unemployment insurance just delay an inevitable dead-end when benefits run out and any jobs created are out of reach for almost half of the entire U.S. workforce. The numbers as detailed in the following linked article don’t lie:

Truthout
http://www.truth-out.org/one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-end-pre-employment-credit-checks63283

Against the overwhelming odds of vote buying via millions in PAC money from the big three credit bureaus, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 19 other business lobbying groups “we the people” with no money have moved the legislation forward to a hearing on Thursday at 10:00.

Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3149, the Equal Employment for All Act
http://financialservices.house.gov/Hearings/hearingDetails.aspx?NewsID=1355

Yes, hearings happen every day and this will not be news unless you make it news. Without YOU covering the hearing and the issue, HR3149 will never make it out of committee . . . it’s just that simple. Millions more of your fellow Americans will lose their homes, cars, dignity and their children will needlessly starve.

Lowly citizens with no money and many with no job have fought to somehow move the issue to a hearing. We’re fighting Goliath with pebbles and slingshots and without YOU we’ll be crushed under the corporate boot that has stolen our American democracy from the people. There is no issue more critical or more important to 75 million of your fellow citizens . . . please see to it that the issue is heard and the legislation is fast-tracked to passage by covering the hearing and the issue. Lives and livelihoods hang in the balance and ONLY YOU can tip the scale of justice to end the needless genocide brought about by this invasion of privacy and workplace discrimination.

[End Sample Letter]

Sunday/Monday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/sundays-media-outreach.html

Monday/Tuesday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/mondays-media-outreach.html

Tuesday/Wednesday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/tuesdays-media-outreach.html

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Activity Requests: URGENT! We Need YOU!!!!!

After months and months of writing and rewriting the following linked article we finally got it published!!! It could not have come at a better time when we needed it more than ever. I cuts through much of the double-speak and delivers our message loud and clear! PLEASE HELP US get the message out to more readers and to members of Congress, etc..

Truthout:
http://www.truth-out.org/one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-end-pre-employment-credit-checks63283

1) Please add your comments to the linked article above . . . as many as possible and pass the article link to everyone you know.

2) Click on the Newsvine link below and vote on the article as many times as allowed. Just keep voting it up! This will make it rise in readership and get the word out to more people. Make comments as well . . .
http://hr3149.newsvine.com/_news/2010/09/15/5117914-t-r-u-t-h-o-u-t-one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-to-end-pre-employment-credit-checks

3) E-Mail, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House: use link below, add name, e-mail address, zip, copy a link to the article and paste into form, then add a note for her to simply read the article and move the legislation forward for a hearing now! Flood her and just keep sending it over and over and over!
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

4) Financial Services Committee e-Mail: Copy a link to the article and paste into the form, then add a note for the committee to simply read the article and move the legislation forward for a hearing now! Flood them and just keep sending it over and over and over!
http://financialservices.house.gov/contact/contact.shtml

5) Print the article and FAX it to Barney Frank as many times as possible at
(202) 225-0182 !!!!! Just keep faxing!!!!!
For Barney Frank Constituents (ONLY) use following e-mail link to copy a link to the article and e-mail it to him over and over:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

6) Use the link below to contact the White House . . . copy a link to the article, add your comments and ask him to push for passage of the bill.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact?utm_source=email75&utm_medium=footer&utm_campaign=economy

7) Contact Your Members of Congress

Find Your 9 Digit Zip Code before you begin, you’ll need your full 9 digit zip code. Simply go to the link below and plug in your address and it will provide your full 9 digit zip.
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

7A) Contact YOUR member(s) the House of Representatives
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Simply click on the link above and follow the steps, select your state, enter your full 9 digit zip code, click “contact my representative,” answer the security question, plug in your personal information, paste in a link to the article and ask them to read it a pass the bill then hit “send message.” If you can, please print a copy and FAX it to them as well . . .

7B) Contact YOUR Senator(s)

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Simply click on the link above, choose your state, choose your senator(s), go to their website(s) and navigate their website looking for “contact info.” then follow their steps, paste in a link to the article and ask them to read it a pass the bill and hit “send.” If you can, please print a copy and FAX it to them as well . . .

8) Nominate the Article for a Sidney Award
Please take the time, using the link below, to nominate the article for a Sidney Award which if selected will give the article much, much more exposure to more people.
http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/nominations-1

9) Please shoot a linked copy of the article out to all your FB friends, e-mail friends and paste on your FB wall. Ask them to join the cause, our FB group, etc.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Contact Your Member of the House

1) Contact Your Member of the House

DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL as well as e-mail your member of the House to push for a hearing on HR3149 NOW! These people work for YOU and YOU pay them $170 K per year so make them earn it. Don't just leave a message or speak to some clerk or underling, demand to speak to YOUR representative personally (even if you don't it still makes more of a point).

They’re asking for your vote in a few weeks, so ask them what have they done for you in regard to passing HR3149? Hold them accountable and don’t allow them to say it’s in committee and they have no recourse to help . . . ask them to pick up the phone and contact Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi to demand a hearing NOW!

Find Your 9 Digit Zip Code before you begin, you’ll need your full 9 digit zip code. Simply go to the link below and plug in your address and it will provide your full 9 digit zip.
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Contact YOUR member the House of Representatives

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Simply click on the link above and follow the steps, select your state, enter your full 9 digit zip code, click “contact my representative,” answer the security question, plug in your personal information, paste in your letter, edit to suit you and hit “send message.”

[Sample e-Mail]

In just a few short weeks I’m going to vote, but since I’ve written and called repeatedly for passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act and have yet to see a mark-up hearing . . . my vote is up in the air. Jobs and the economy, of which HR3149 is a huge part, is the No. 1 issue in America and HR3149 has sat stalled because of PAC money and lobbyists for more than a year. With all due respect that’s NOT democracy by 90 percent of the people who support passage and it’s completely unacceptable! Corporations are NOT citizens . . .

More than 75 million Americans are barred from changing jobs for higher pay or locked out of the workplace entirely because their credit scores are below 700. This is not some minor issue, it’s a national crisis and it demands attention before you break to campaign and ask for my vote. Please pick-up the phone and call Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi and demand a mark-up hearing so America can get back to work. Almost half the entire U.S. workforce is now impacted by credit scores, but with five applicants for every job that exist the discrimination will just continue as long as it is allowed by law. Haven’t enough Americans lost their homes and cars already? Why would you condone throwing even more Americans out into the streets just so the credit bureaus can make a buck off selling credit reports?

You’re my representative in the House so I have no choice but to hold you responsible in November if there is no mark-up hearing before you break to campaign. Please, please, please do the right thing for the American people and contact Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi today to demand a hearing on HR3149. I’ll be voting based upon your ability to get this accomplished and appreciate your efforts. The time has come to do what’s right for the American workforce. Humans can't just sit and wait on food, let’s get this done before more children needlessly go hungry.

[End sample e-Mail]

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Activity Request: Ask the AFL-CIO . . .

We know this is our third activity request in one week and we’re aware that frequent messages do NOT go over well, but we’re in the trenches fighting with all we have and this was an opportunity to good to pass up. The AFL-CIO is officially on board supporting HR3149, but to date they have not lifted one finger, that we’re aware of, to support passage - even though we have tried repeatedly on this end to connect. They have the type of numbers and clout in Washington to go up against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce so let’s use the linked opportunity below to ask AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka why there has been no support to date and ask him to please support the legislation. If you are a member of the AFL-CIO or any labor union, please use this opportunity to bring your union to the table to fight for HR3149.

Submit your HR3149 Question:
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/askofficers/index.cfm

[Sample Question – Please DO NOT just copy this question, paste and send, but instead edit to reflect your personality and perspectives . . . in other words we do NOT want this to look like what it is ;-) a.k.a. not spontaneous] 50 Words MAX

Why no support for passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act? According to FICO more than 75 million Americans now have a credit score under 700 a.k.a. “bad credit.” With 30 million people under or unemployed there is no issue more important than outlawing workplace credit checks.

[End Sample Question]

PS If we can bring the AFL-CIO strong to the table we can cease sending activity requests and just kick-back and watch this legislation pass ;-) Please try!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

3) Activity Requests: Madam Speaker

Madam Speaker Outreach Efforts . . .

We have to use this week’s window to turn up the heat. Please continue to hammer Nancy Pelosi with your calls and e-mails. Call the following number and use the e-mail contact form over and over and over . . . then repeat! We have to flood these contact points NOW. Please help!!!!!

(202) 225-0100

E-Mail Ms. Pelosi:
Speaker of the House, link below, add name, e-mail address, zip, copy sample letter below and paste into form, edit to suit you and send.
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

[Sample Letter]

HR3149 is a Silver Bullet for November and Employment

How can America go into the voting booth in November knowing that a jobs and economy fix has been sitting stalled in the House, Financial Services Committee for more than a year? It’s called HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act and it would allow 75+ million Americans to get a job or change jobs. According to FICO more than 75 million Americans now have a credit score under 700. With only 139 million Americans currently employed, it means that more than half fall under a FICO score of 700. Even SHRM who is opposed to HR3149 admits this discrimination is being used in 70+ percent of all businesses. More than 26 percent of Americans have suffered a period of unemployment since 2007 and many of these Americans have taken a pay cut to become reemployed. As many as 26 million Americans who are under or unemployed are now locked out of the workplace or barred from changing jobs because of their credit reports. The numbers are now approaching the level of national catastrophe if you happen to be among the under or unemployed. Passage is good for jobs, good for the economy and good for the Democrats in November if and only if it is fast-tracked and passed. All informed Americas know that bribes via PAC money are buying off committee members to keep the legislation stalled. Please encourage Committee Chairman Barney Frank to schedule a mark-up hearing now and then push for fast tracking passage of HR3149.

More than 75 million voters are watching and waiting as they lose their jobs, homes, cars and their children go hungry because they are locked out of the workplace via employment credit check discrimination. Please give them a reason to vote for the party in charge by passing HR3149.

[End Sample Letter]

Sunday, September 5, 2010

1) Outreach e-Mail to all friends, family and acquaintances

Outreach e-Mail to all friends, family and acquaintances

Please copy the sample e-mail below into your e-mail software, edit to suit you and send to every single American you know. We need thousands and thousands of Americans to respond.

[Sample e-Mail]

SUBJ: Please Support Your Fellow Americans Right to Work!

Please join with your fellow Americans in the fight to pass HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act that would make it illegal for employers to use YOUR personal credit report to hire and fire. At present 75+ million Americans have FICO Scores less than 700 (a.k.a. "bad credit") and are locked out of the workplace or barred from changing jobs due to discrimination via workplace credit checks. With only 139 million Americans currently employed, it means that more than half of the entire workforce fall under a FICO score of 700. More than 26 percent of Americans have suffered a period of unemployment since 2007 and many of these Americans have taken a pay cut to become reemployed. How can someone fix their credit report if they can’t get a job or change jobs for better pay? It’s a catch 22 with no way out and it is wrong!

During the second most horrible economic disaster in our history, employers are increasing the use of employment credit checks instead of decreasing them. Currently at least 70 percent of all employers are hiring and firing based upon an American’s personal credit report. You know it’s wrong, but it won’t end without your help. Barney Frank, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee where the legislation has been stalled for more than a year has thus far refused to schedule a mark-up hearing. He is quoted as saying that he “doesn’t know if it’s a big enough priority” to waste his time on. Please let him know that it is part of the jobs and economy fix and it is PRIORITY I for every single American. Please call him via all the numbers below several times per day every single day until he schedules a mark-up hearing. Time is running out, we must act NOW to protect the American workforce that has been mutilated by this economy. Please stand up for your fellow Americans in their time of need.

Rep. Barney Frank
(202) 224-3121 (Congressional Switchboard)
(617) 332-3920
(508) 999-6462
(508) 822-4796

(202) 225–4247 Financial Services Committee

Financial Services Committee e-Mail
http://financialservices.house.gov/contact/contact.shtml

PLEASE CALL EVERY NUMBER AS MANY TIMES PER DAY AS POSSIBLE AND SEND AS MANY E-MAILS AS POSSIBLE . . . DON’T STOP UNTIL WE HAVE A HEARING AND WIN THIS BATTLE.

The big three credit bureaus, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 19 other corporate business groups are bribing congress to kill this legislation. don’t allow our democracy to be bought, support the will of 90 percent of the people that support hr3149.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN YOU KNOW!!!!

[End Sample e-Mail]

2) Rep. Barney Frank Siege!!!

Rep. Barney Frank Siege!!!

As noted in our friends and family e-mail outreach, Barney isn’t sure at this moment that Americans being starved, losing their homes and their children going hungry due to employment credit checks is “a big enough priority” to schedule a mark-up hearing. He did however think that taking $25 K in 2008 from the big three credit bureaus was a priority . . .

PLEASE let him know IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that "we the people" are priority one in America and a mark-up hearing on HR3149 NOW is our top priority! You simply cannot call enough times, or send enough messages 10 times a day or more if that’s what it takes! This is probably our only chance, so let’s don’t blow it by being apathetic and complacent. Act now or regret if forever! It’s been a long march to get to this stage so let’s engage with everything we can muster to demand a mark-up hearing NOW!

Rep. Barney Frank
(202) 224-3121 (Congressional Switchboard) Ring these numbers off the hook!!!!!
(617) 332-3920
(508) 999-6462
(508) 822-4796

For Barney Frank Constituents (ONLY) use following e-mail link: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

(202) 225–4247 Financial Services Committee

Financial Services Committee e-Mail (Flood them with e-mails!!!!! every single day!!!!!)
http://financialservices.house.gov/contact/contact.shtml

[Sample Letter]

ATTN: Barney Frank

Half of the Entire Workforce is Not a Priority?

According to FICO more than 75 million Americans now have a credit score under 700. With only 139 million Americans currently employed, it means that more than half fall under a FICO score of 700. More than 26 percent of Americans have suffered a period of unemployment since 2007 and many of these Americans have taken a pay cut to become reemployed. As many as 26 million Americans who are under or unemployed are now locked out of the workplace or barred from changing jobs because of their credit reports. The numbers are now approaching the level of national catastrophe if you happen to be among the under or unemployed.

If my information is correct you were quoted as saying that scheduling a mark-up hearing on HR3149 “may not be a big enough priority.” What on earth could be more important than food on people's tables? Please tell me my information is incorrect by scheduling a mark-up hearing after more than a year’s delay. This is a jobs and the economy issue and there is no other issue more important to the American people . . . especially with citizens walking into the voting booths in just a few short weeks.

Does Washington need to see the body bags before they will act to protect the American people? You simply can’t get a job in America without a stellar credit report and it’s not only the CFOs being checked as the credit bureaus would lead members of Congress believe. Even SHRM who is opposed to HR3149 admits the discrimination is being used in 70+ percent of all businesses. Believe it or not some babysitters now have to pass credit checks to get a job. The situation is completely out of control and the time is now to lift the boot of corporations off the neck of the people. Simply allow people to work . . . is that too much to ask?

On behalf of the American people, the children starving, the spouses and extended families, please schedule a mark-up hearing now on HR3149. Please work to fast track passage of a bill before more people lose their homes, cars and are thrown out into the streets. The days of corporate big brother violating the privacy of American citizens for the right to work must come to an end. Please immediately schedule a mark-up hearing!

[End Sample Letter]

3) Contact the Ed Schultz Show

Contact the Ed Schultz Show

Shultz has a huge audience and he was integral in getting the recent unemployment extension passed so we know he can do the job for HR3149. We just have to get him tuned in and talking . . . work the horn and the e-mails repeatedly to get him focused and moving on getting Barney Frank to schedule a mark-up hearing NOW!

Call the Ed Schultz Show between daily between 12 – 3 EST
877.934.6833

Use the e-mail addresses below daily to get Ed’s attention to work for a mark-up hearing and passage of HR3149.

During the show between 12 – 3 EST use the following contact link/e-mail to flood the show with e-mails:
ed@edschultzshow.com

Before and after the show times, please use the

http://www.bigeddieradio.com/emailEd/

vern@edschultzshow.com

wendyjoschultz@yahoo.com

[Sample Letter]

Dear Ed:

Please help your fellow Americans by forcing Rep. Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee to finally schedule a mark-up hearing on HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. For most jobs, the legislation would make it illegal for employers to use an American’s personal credit report to hire and fire. Now, after Wall Street’s greed destroyed the economy, more than 75 million Americans have credit scores under 700 and the number is growing higher faster than ever. With only 139 million Americans currently employed, it means that more than half of the current workforce fall under a FICO score of 700. More than 26 percent of Americans have suffered a period of unemployment since 2007 and many of these Americans have taken a pay cut to become reemployed. As many as 26 million Americans who are under or unemployed are now locked out of the workplace or barred from changing jobs because of their credit reports. The numbers are now approaching the level of national catastrophe if you happen to be among the under or unemployed.

Bad credit means no job and no job equals bad credit. There is simply no way out without passage of HR3149 and there is no way to get a mark-up hearing scheduled without your audience and help. Please have members of your audience contact Barney Frank now to demand that he schedule a mark-up hearing and stop stalling he legislation.

Rep. Barney Frank
(202) 224-3121 (Congressional Switchboard)

[End Sample e-mail]

H.R. 3149: The Equal Employment for All Act