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

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Activity Request: Outreach to MoveOn.org

[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.]

Let's get MoveOn.org MOVING on something tangible to alleviate the suffering by Americans from workplace discrimination employment credit checks.

Contact link for MoveOn.org
http://pol.moveon.org/feedback/fb/form.html?tp=suggest

[Sample Letter]

FICO Scores Drop to New Lows
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/credit-scores-sink-to-new_n_642616.html

Bankruptcy Filings Highest Since 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744083/from/toolbar

Fidelity Sees Record Number Raid their IRS
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38783832/ns/business-your_retirement/

What does all the above really mean? One simple thing: half of America can’t get a job or change jobs for better pay. In just a few short weeks after Congress returns on Sep. 8, beginning in the House Committee on Financial Services, Congress will debate passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. For most jobs, the legislation will make it illegal for employers to use an American’s private and personal credit report to hire and fire. Without the help of your group and full mobilization with all the numbers you can muster and groups like yours, the bill doesn’t have even the slightest chance of passing. The reason is simple: money. The big three credit bureaus have already paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of Congress in order to bribe them to protect their revenue stream. In addition to that, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 19 other business lobbying groups have paid in millions in PAC money. All are poised, ready and sitting with their finger on the trigger to stop passage of HR3149 by calling in their markers and behind the scenes arm twisting. Even if you may be opposed to passage, this pay-to-play outright bribery of Congress to kill a bill that 90 percent of Americans support is horribly wrong and smacks the word “democracy” in the face.

While the issue disproportionately impacts minorities, the truth is no group of Americans is immune in our struggling economy. The FICO numbers in the linked article above guesses at number of 70 million, but the real number is far closer to 100 million since evaluation of credit reports by employers is completely arbitrary. This number includes entry level personnel and professionals such as doctors, lawyers, sales people, marketing people, etc.. The percentage of use of credit reports by employers is now at least 60+ percent of all jobs and 80+ percent of all white collar jobs. No race, profession or socio-economic segment of America is immune.

The sad news is that without your action and full mobilization in support of HR3149, millions of Americans will continue losing their homes, their cars, their dignity and their children will starve. Employment credit checks are a catch 22 with no way out: bad credit = no job and no job = bad credit. America needs you to stand up for the people and fight the corporate greed. If not for the people with ruined credit, do it for their children, their spouses, their extended families and all generations of Americans that follow. Please act now to stop this senseless practice and the needless suffering of millions of your fellow Americans.

Committee Chair, Rep. Barney Frank, (202) 225-5931

House Committee on Financial Services: 71 Members Total
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/committee.xpd?id=HSBA

[End Sample Letter]

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Hit Barney at Home Where it Hurts . . .

If you have been a member for awhile, you know the routine: copy the letter, edit it to suit your tastes if you wish and then paste and send to every e-mail on the media list below the following letter. Politicians in general could care less what you think unless you live in their voting district and Barney Frank most especially is no stranger to controversy. In fact he has weathered so many controversies that he believes he’s Teflon that can’t be touched. We’re going to test that theory by informing his constituents that he is taking money to block HR3149 while they’re left in poverty with no way out. So let’s get started and remember to smile big as you’re sending your e-mails ;-)

[Sample Letter]

As America Starves Barney Frank Takes Bribes to Kill HR3149

In 2008, Representative Barney Frank accepted $30,000 in PAC money from the big three credit bureaus and since last July HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act has been stalled in his House Committee on Financial Services. The legislation, would make it illegal for employers to use the personal credit reports of Americans to hire and fire. 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. All total in the 2010 cycle, members of Congress have accepted $258,000+ from the credit bureau PACs. 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:

Trans Union 2008 Cycle $10,000 to Barney Frank

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?commid=C00313700&page=campaigns&order=TOTAL&cycle=2007-2008

Equifax 2008 Cycle $10,000 to Barney Frank

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?commid=C00143867&page=campaigns&order=TOTAL&cycle=2007-2008

Experian 2008 Cycle $10,000 to Barney Frank

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2008

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

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

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

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

[End Sample Letter]

Barney's Home Media:

Boston Globe

letter@globe.com

newstip@globe.com

Boston Herald

http://www.bostonherald.com/about/contact/news_tip.bg

Gloucester Times

rlamont@gloucestertimes.com

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

llamson@telegram.com

aesposito@telegram.com

newstips@telegram.com

Milford Daily

milforddailynews@cnc.com

rlodge@cnc.com

rholmes@cnc.com

mdnletters@cnc.com

Daily Times Chronicle

news@woburnonline.com

Gazette Net

editor@gazettenet.com

The Republican

news@repub.com

letters@repub.com

The Eagle Tribune

http://www.eagletribune.com/contactus/local_story_173103837.html

The Daily News

ssmith@newburyportnews.com

jmacone@newburyportnews.com

Lynn Daily Evening Item

news@itemlive.com

editpage@itemlive.com

The Sun Chronicle

mkirby@thesunchronicle.com

darconte@thesunchronicle.com

Herald News

editor@heraldnews.com

jroot@heraldnews.com

South Coast Today

jbarnes@s-t.com

Newsroom@S-T.com

Taunton Gazette

letters@tauntongazette.com

newsroom@tauntongazette.com

Cape Cod Times

ablaisdell-bannon@capecodonline.com

Sunday, March 21, 2010

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!

Activity Requests: Ramp Up Membership Recruiting!

Grow Us an HR3149 Army with which to FIGHT!

As a group, we’ve succeeded in many areas most notably getting media attention for HR3149. The one area that has been elusive and continues to be elusive is EXPLOSIVE growth in our membership numbers. We’re currently at just under 2,000 members and we continue to grow at a steady pace, but our growth rate as demonstrated thus far is not in touch with the political realities. To succeed, we’ve got to grow our membership numbers NOW and we’ve got to grow FAST. The clock is ticking and unless we unlock the challenge of EXPLOSIVE growth we don’t have the HR3149 army necessary to overpower the stiff opposition we face.

One method that seems to be working for us on this end, that everyone can easily join in, is to paste the following message EVERYWHERE you can within FB. Modify it to suit your preferences but make sure to leave our group URL link in the message and this will work to A) get the word out on the corruption killing HR3149 and B) helps our recruitment efforts within FB. Paste it onto every FB wall you can get it on, especially on FB group walls, and use it to start a discussion topic anywhere you can. Leave no opportunity missed to get the word out and recruit!

[Sample Message]

HR3149, that will protect YOU from workplace discrimination via YOUR personal credit report, is being stalled in Congress by political corruption. Just in the 2010 cycle alone, $258,727 in bribes via PAC money from the big three credit bureau has been taken by Congress to kill the legislation. When 90% of the people demand this legislation NOW and Congress is being bribed to kill it, that’s not democracy! Join our FB PAG at: http://groups.to/h.r.3149 (or simply type “hr3149” into FB search) to stop the corruption and demand passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act NOW!

[End Sample Message]

Additional Growth Techniques:

http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/12/roar-for-hr3149.html

http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/12/outreach-to-groups-how-to-guide.html

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

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Activity Request: Outreach to MoveOn.org

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Hit Barney at Home Where it Hurts . . .

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Activity Request(s): Thursday

Activity Request(s): Wednesday

Activity Requests: Tuesday

Activity Requests: Monday

Activity Requests: Ramp Up Membership Recruiting!

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