[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 blindly following our samples verbatim (we’re just expressing one opinion among well over a 1500 different member opinions). 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.]
Outreach to Civil Rights Groups
This is of course a partial list of civil rights groups. We can’t know everything, nor do we have a staff or the resources to do all the required research. We depend on YOU! If we missed some on this pass, send them in and we’ll try to add them to the next outreach to civil rights groups.
What we would really like is for some of YOU civil rights experts and activists to take this effort over and get it fully organized and energized. We on this end are NOT experts in this vein and your efforts and expertise would be greatly appreciated. Grassroots political lobbying is all about YOU getting involved and volunteering. So shoot us a note if you can help with this effort and we’ll get you involved.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
http://sclcnational.org/net/write.aspx?s=2607.0.12.2607
National Urban League
http://www.nul.org/contact-us
National Action Network
http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/contact.html
The Al Sharpton Show 877.532.5797
Rainbow Push Coalition
info@rainbowpush.org
773.373.3366
Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.splcenter.org/contact-us
NAACP
WASHINGTONBUREAU@NAACPNET.ORG
We know they are a registered lobbyist on HR3149 and we found the following link from December, but we don’t know much more than that.
http://www.naacp.org/get-involved/activism/alerts/111thaa-2009-12-22/CREDIT.SCORES.HIRING.pdf
NCLR
http://www.nclr.org/section/about/feedback/
LULAC
BWilkes@LULAC.org
[Sample Letter for Civil Rights Groups]
SUBJECT: H.R.3149: The Equal Employment for All Act
While I may have missed something, your organization does not seem to be fully and publicly supporting passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act now sitting stalled in the House of Representatives. In short, the legislation would make it illegal for employers to access and use personal credit reports as criteria for hiring and firing. I believe this employer discrimination practice and gross invasion of privacy - that cuts across the entire white and blue collar employment segments - constitutes the single most important workplace issue in America today. This is most especially true during this, the worst economy since the Great Depression! When you deny a well qualified human being the right to work in America – you violate the core principals of justice set down by our founding fathers and prevent millions and millions of Americans from affording food and shelter . . . the basic requirements to sustain life. Without passage of H.R3149 there is simply no way out of the horrible cycle of no job = bad credit and bad credit = no job. Employers today are forcing almost half of “blue collar” job applicants and more than 80 percent of “white collar” job applicants to turn over their personal credit report. The credit reports are being used as the first cut in the screening and hiring process and believe it or not - the percentage of employers using this discriminatory practice is rising rapidly. This practice constitutes a modern day debtor’s prison where millions of Americans are relegated to a lifetime of under-employment at best with no hope whatsoever of ever working their way out debt or improving their credit report. It’s un-American to brand someone for life and lock out a highly qualified worker from the workplace. Nonetheless, it’s happening right here in America and without your help, we cannot generate the number of citizen voices necessary to force passage of the legislation.
As a civil rights organization, how can you not be more fully supporting HR3149? Statistically, the minority community is twice a likely to be a victim of predatory lending and is experiencing an unemployment rate far higher than non-minority Americans. The right to work is the most basic of all rights in America and without passage of HR3149 millions of minority people are simply locked out of the workplace or barred from ever changing jobs. It’s just WRONG and we need your help to bring the practice to an end.
Please stand up for the American worker and the minority community you’re charged with representing by using your membership, your communication channels, your political channels in Washington and your publicity channels to force Congress to listen to 90% of the American people that demand passage of HR3149 NOW!
Basics of the Legislation:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basics-of-bill-now-pending-in-house.html
Platform for Passage:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basis-of-platform-for-passage.html
[End Sample Letter]
Saturday, March 6, 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 blindly following our samples verbatim (we’re just expressing one opinion among well over a 1500 different member opinions). 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.]
Outreach to Organized Labor Groups
This is of course a partial list of organized labor groups. There are a b-zillion of them and we will never get to all of them, but we will hit as many as we can along the way. We chose these to begin with for size, strategy and in some cases just arbitrarily. If we missed your union on this pass, send in the information and contact info. and we’ll try to get yours into our next pass. What we would really like is for some of YOU organized labor aficionados to take this effort over and get it fully organized and energized. We on this end are NOT experts in this vein and your efforts and expertise would be greatly appreciated. Grassroots political lobbying is all about YOU getting involved and volunteering. So shoot us a note if you can help with this effort and we’ll get you involved.
AFL-CIO NOW Blog
blognews@aflcio.org
AFL-CIO President FB page, send message to Richard Trumka
http://www.facebook.com/richardtrumka
UCubed
UCubed@iamaw.org
Working America Blog
http://www.workingamerica.org/emailus.cfm
SEIU Blog
newmedia@seiu.org
Teamsters
http://www.teamster.org/content/contact-us
The Newspaper Guild
blunzer@cwa-union.org
guild@cwa-union.org
Writers Guild of America (East)
http://www.wgaeast.org/index.php?id=256
OPEIU
http://www.opeiu.org/tabid/100/Default.aspx
UFCW
http://www.ufcw.org/about_ufcw/contact_us/
[Sample Letter for Organized Labor]
SUBJECT: H.R.3149: The Equal Employment for All Act
While I may have missed something, your organization does not seem to be fully and publicly supporting passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act now sitting stalled in the House of Representatives. In short, the legislation would make it illegal for employers to access and use personal credit reports as criteria for hiring and firing. I believe this employer discrimination practice and gross invasion of privacy - that cuts across the entire white and blue collar employment segments - constitutes the single most important workplace issue in America today. This is most especially true during this, the worst economy since the Great Depression! When you deny a well qualified human being the right to work in America – you violate the core principals of justice set down by our founding fathers and prevent millions and millions of Americans from affording food and shelter . . . the basic requirements to sustain life.
Without passage of H.R3149 there is simply no way out of the horrible cycle of no job = bad credit and bad credit = no job. Employers today are forcing almost half of “blue collar” job applicants and more than 80 percent of “white collar” job applicants to turn over their personal credit report. The credit reports are being used as the first cut in the screening and hiring process and believe it or not - the percentage of employers using this discriminatory practice is rising rapidly. This practice constitutes a modern day debtor’s prison where millions of Americans are relegated to a lifetime of under-employment at best with no hope whatsoever of ever working their way out debt or improving their credit report. It’s un-American to brand someone for life and lock out a highly qualified worker from the workplace. Nonetheless, it’s happening right here in America and without your help, we cannot generate the number of citizen voices necessary to force passage of the legislation.
As a leader of organized labor and protector of workers’ rights, how can you not be more fully supporting HR3149? The right to work is the most basic of all rights in America and without passage of HR3149 millions of Americans are simply locked out of the workplace or barred from ever changing jobs. It’s just WRONG and we need your help to bring the practice to an end.
Please stand up for the American worker by using your membership, your communication channels, your political channels in Washington and your publicity channels to force Congress to listen to 90% of the American people that demand passage of HR3149 NOW!
Basics of the Legislation:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basics-of-bill-now-pending-in-house.html
Platform for Passage:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basis-of-platform-for-passage.html
[End Sample Letter]
Outreach to Organized Labor Groups
This is of course a partial list of organized labor groups. There are a b-zillion of them and we will never get to all of them, but we will hit as many as we can along the way. We chose these to begin with for size, strategy and in some cases just arbitrarily. If we missed your union on this pass, send in the information and contact info. and we’ll try to get yours into our next pass. What we would really like is for some of YOU organized labor aficionados to take this effort over and get it fully organized and energized. We on this end are NOT experts in this vein and your efforts and expertise would be greatly appreciated. Grassroots political lobbying is all about YOU getting involved and volunteering. So shoot us a note if you can help with this effort and we’ll get you involved.
AFL-CIO NOW Blog
blognews@aflcio.org
AFL-CIO President FB page, send message to Richard Trumka
http://www.facebook.com/richardtrumka
UCubed
UCubed@iamaw.org
Working America Blog
http://www.workingamerica.org/emailus.cfm
SEIU Blog
newmedia@seiu.org
Teamsters
http://www.teamster.org/content/contact-us
The Newspaper Guild
blunzer@cwa-union.org
guild@cwa-union.org
Writers Guild of America (East)
http://www.wgaeast.org/index.php?id=256
OPEIU
http://www.opeiu.org/tabid/100/Default.aspx
UFCW
http://www.ufcw.org/about_ufcw/contact_us/
[Sample Letter for Organized Labor]
SUBJECT: H.R.3149: The Equal Employment for All Act
While I may have missed something, your organization does not seem to be fully and publicly supporting passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act now sitting stalled in the House of Representatives. In short, the legislation would make it illegal for employers to access and use personal credit reports as criteria for hiring and firing. I believe this employer discrimination practice and gross invasion of privacy - that cuts across the entire white and blue collar employment segments - constitutes the single most important workplace issue in America today. This is most especially true during this, the worst economy since the Great Depression! When you deny a well qualified human being the right to work in America – you violate the core principals of justice set down by our founding fathers and prevent millions and millions of Americans from affording food and shelter . . . the basic requirements to sustain life.
Without passage of H.R3149 there is simply no way out of the horrible cycle of no job = bad credit and bad credit = no job. Employers today are forcing almost half of “blue collar” job applicants and more than 80 percent of “white collar” job applicants to turn over their personal credit report. The credit reports are being used as the first cut in the screening and hiring process and believe it or not - the percentage of employers using this discriminatory practice is rising rapidly. This practice constitutes a modern day debtor’s prison where millions of Americans are relegated to a lifetime of under-employment at best with no hope whatsoever of ever working their way out debt or improving their credit report. It’s un-American to brand someone for life and lock out a highly qualified worker from the workplace. Nonetheless, it’s happening right here in America and without your help, we cannot generate the number of citizen voices necessary to force passage of the legislation.
As a leader of organized labor and protector of workers’ rights, how can you not be more fully supporting HR3149? The right to work is the most basic of all rights in America and without passage of HR3149 millions of Americans are simply locked out of the workplace or barred from ever changing jobs. It’s just WRONG and we need your help to bring the practice to an end.
Please stand up for the American worker by using your membership, your communication channels, your political channels in Washington and your publicity channels to force Congress to listen to 90% of the American people that demand passage of HR3149 NOW!
Basics of the Legislation:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basics-of-bill-now-pending-in-house.html
Platform for Passage:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basis-of-platform-for-passage.html
[End Sample Letter]
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Activity Request(s): Thursday
Simply use your media letter(s) that you created on Monday and roll . . .
Stltoday.com
siteeditor@stltoday.com
Café Sentido
sentido@casavaria.com
Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer
sgoldberg@plaind.com
Truthdig
feedback@truthdig.com
Stltoday.com
siteeditor@stltoday.com
Café Sentido
sentido@casavaria.com
Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer
sgoldberg@plaind.com
Truthdig
feedback@truthdig.com
Activity Request: Wednesday
Simply use your media letter(s) that you created on Monday and roll . . .
Free Speech TV
viewercomments@freespeech.org
Coast to Coast AM
george@coasttocoastam.com
ian@coasttocoastam.com
georgeknapp@coasttocoastam.com
lisa@coasttocoastam.com
tom@coasttocoastam.com
Free Speech TV
viewercomments@freespeech.org
Coast to Coast AM
george@coasttocoastam.com
ian@coasttocoastam.com
georgeknapp@coasttocoastam.com
lisa@coasttocoastam.com
tom@coasttocoastam.com
Activity Requests: Tuesday
Simply use your media letter(s) that you created on Monday and roll . . .
The Mike Malloy Show
Mike@mikemalloy.com
Kathy@mikemalloy.com
Democracy Now
outreach@democracynow.org
The Mike Malloy Show
Mike@mikemalloy.com
Kathy@mikemalloy.com
Democracy Now
outreach@democracynow.org
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 blindly following our samples verbatim. We’re not the most reverent and that may or may not be good (we’re just expressing one opinion among well over a 1000 different member opinions). 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 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.
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. Whatever group can muster the numbers and relentless effort to compel the media to cover their story wins. It’s just that simple! If you burn out and give up - we lose . . . don’t let that happen! Just make this ongoing media pitching 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. It’s more about willpower and perseverance than brainpower.
As a disclaimer: We on this end may or may not agree with a media outlet’s “orientation” and do NOT endorse any publication we pitch. We’re simply seeking media coverage anywhere we can get it and are receptive to your ideas, so please pass them along.
DO NOT FORGET TO KEEP US POSTED ON ANY AND ALL HR3149 COVERAGE YOU READ OR VIEW!
Media Outlets for Monday as follows:
The Bill Press Show
http://www.billpressshow.com/contact-us/
The Thom Hartman Show
thom@thomhartmann.com
[Sample Letter]
In survey after survey, including a recent MSNBC survey, more than 90 percent of Americans say that workplace discrimination based upon someone’s personal credit report is wrong and should be illegal. Yet Congress is being bribed by corporate campaign contributors and strong armed by lobbyists to kill the legislation that would make the practice illegal. That is NOT “democracy by the people and for the people.” How can Congress be allowed to thwart the overwhelming will of the people?
Here’s how, it’s simply because the American media has not yet performed its mission and mandate to support the people and their audience. Most Americans don’t even know HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act even exists. What’s more, they don’t know about the corruption and backroom deal making taking place to keep the legislation stalled in the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. Isn’t it your job and role within a democracy to support the people, expose corruption and see to it that Congress answers to the will of the American people?
Follow the money and expose the truth:
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
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010
As a loyal member of more than 90 percent of your audience, I strongly believe that you have an obligation to report the truth about the corruption taking place and let the people know that HR3149 exists. If U.S. citizens can’t depend upon the so called FREE PRESS to protect the rights of the people during the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression . . . then we no longer live in a democracy. It’s horrible enough that members of Congress can be bribed to thwart the will of the people, but if our media can be muzzled as well - our chances to continue as a democratic nation are zero.
Please support our democracy, the overwhelming will of the people and the rights of highly qualified American workers to compete on a level playing field during this horrible economic disaster. Simply report that HR3149 exists and shine light on the fact that it is being stalled from passage by corporate money being funneled to members of congress. Is that too much to ask of our American free press from a fellow citizen and loyal member or your audience?
[End Sample Letter]
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 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.
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. Whatever group can muster the numbers and relentless effort to compel the media to cover their story wins. It’s just that simple! If you burn out and give up - we lose . . . don’t let that happen! Just make this ongoing media pitching 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. It’s more about willpower and perseverance than brainpower.
As a disclaimer: We on this end may or may not agree with a media outlet’s “orientation” and do NOT endorse any publication we pitch. We’re simply seeking media coverage anywhere we can get it and are receptive to your ideas, so please pass them along.
DO NOT FORGET TO KEEP US POSTED ON ANY AND ALL HR3149 COVERAGE YOU READ OR VIEW!
Media Outlets for Monday as follows:
The Bill Press Show
http://www.billpressshow.com/contact-us/
The Thom Hartman Show
thom@thomhartmann.com
[Sample Letter]
In survey after survey, including a recent MSNBC survey, more than 90 percent of Americans say that workplace discrimination based upon someone’s personal credit report is wrong and should be illegal. Yet Congress is being bribed by corporate campaign contributors and strong armed by lobbyists to kill the legislation that would make the practice illegal. That is NOT “democracy by the people and for the people.” How can Congress be allowed to thwart the overwhelming will of the people?
Here’s how, it’s simply because the American media has not yet performed its mission and mandate to support the people and their audience. Most Americans don’t even know HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act even exists. What’s more, they don’t know about the corruption and backroom deal making taking place to keep the legislation stalled in the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. Isn’t it your job and role within a democracy to support the people, expose corruption and see to it that Congress answers to the will of the American people?
Follow the money and expose the truth:
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
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010
As a loyal member of more than 90 percent of your audience, I strongly believe that you have an obligation to report the truth about the corruption taking place and let the people know that HR3149 exists. If U.S. citizens can’t depend upon the so called FREE PRESS to protect the rights of the people during the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression . . . then we no longer live in a democracy. It’s horrible enough that members of Congress can be bribed to thwart the will of the people, but if our media can be muzzled as well - our chances to continue as a democratic nation are zero.
Please support our democracy, the overwhelming will of the people and the rights of highly qualified American workers to compete on a level playing field during this horrible economic disaster. Simply report that HR3149 exists and shine light on the fact that it is being stalled from passage by corporate money being funneled to members of congress. Is that too much to ask of our American free press from a fellow citizen and loyal member or your audience?
[End Sample Letter]
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Some Thoughts, Updates and Strategy Insights
With this week’s article on the MSNBC website being our group’s first big media win, we wanted to take a moment and congratulate the group. Although hard fought and long in coming, we overcame the challenging odds and obtained some major media exposure for HR3149. It was the fifth most read article on the site that day and it provided further validation via the survey that the overwhelming majority of “the people” want HR3149 passed NOW. From a strategy perspective, in case you’re wondering, we spend so much time on getting media exposure for HR3149 because it swells our group’s impact exponentially by thousands and thousands. We still have less than 2000 members in our group and the best way at the moment to have the greatest impact is getting media exposure to get the word out to the American people. Keep in mind that relatively speaking virtually no one in America knows the pending legislation exists. Once the American people find out that HR3149 exists, they will force it through Congress. That’s why is it so important that each of you use every means and opportunity possible to spread the word every chance you have.
In a Democracy with a Free Press and Overwhelming Numbers We Win . . . Right?
While that should be the case, we have two large obstacles standing in our way to passage of HR3149. The first and largest obstacle is that most members of Congress campaigned with money they received from fat cats and corporations. The fat cats and corporations don’t want HR3149 passed and are doing everything in their power to hold tightly to the leash of their members of Congress. Feel free to disagree with us, but most people we believe would call this existing impasse “bribery and corruption” of the political system that’s supposed to be “by the people and for the people.” No matter which of the big two political parties you may be in or your geographic or ethnic origin – you’re being sold out when it comes to passage of HR3149. Even those members of Congress co-sponsoring the legislation along with unions and civil rights groups are NOT hotly pushing for passage of the legislation. As a U.S. citizen and or a member of a labor union or civil rights group . . . this impasse should enrage you and absolutely make your blood boil.
The second obstacle we face is that the major media outlets are owned by corporations. As we noted above, corporations don’t want HR3149 passed and corporations that own the media are no different. Be you left, right or in the middle . . . do you really think that the so called “independent, fair and balanced, free press” is really FREE to report on HR3149? Some of the major outlets (such as MSNBC) will report on it, but most will resist it as long as possible. The talking heads (a.k.a. reporters) want a paycheck and in this economy only a few will adhere to “journalistic integrity.” That’s just the reality.
If you don’t believe that both the obstacles above exist . . . ask yourself the following: The legislation was introduced way back in July and the vast overwhelming majority of Americans are for passage of HR3149 once they hear about it. Yet most of the members of this group never heard one single peep about the legislation until you were contacted on Facebook. That’s not just a coincidence, nor is it one of those deep conspiracy theories you come across on the Internet. Instead, the fact that you never heard about HR3149 until you were contacted on Facebook is due to the corruption and bribery taking place in Congress and the muzzling of the corporate media by their handlers. Those are just the facts people . . . if you have a better explanation pass it along, we’re all ears?
First the Good News
While these obstacles are formidable, similar legislation has passed already in Hawaii as well as in Washington State and was passed but vetoed in California. It’s currently being debated in eight states and Oregon, Connecticut and Maryland have actual bills introduced. All these states had or have the same obstacles we face in getting this passed on a national level and they either have or are being overcome. It should also be noted that our small Facebook group is not fighting this battle alone. There is at least one labor union and a civil rights group actively advocating for passage. What’s more, labor unions and their members in general, as reflected by huge numbers in our group, are supportive as well. How active, passionate and “hell bent” they all are on getting HR3149 passed is a question we need you to uncover and answer. Good intentions are not worth much . . .
Now the Bad News
The fact that Congress is “on the take” and being “bribed” to stop passage of HR3149 and the “corporate media” is resistant to report on it makes this an uphill battle. If you’re for passage but are passive or have a weak stomach . . . then this is NOT the cause for you. This is not like one of those Facebook groups such as the one we saw last week where someone is trying to get more fans for a poodle with a foil hat than Glen Beck has. To succeed, this cause unfortunately requires your passion, effort and work on an almost weekly basis. That’s just the way it is . . . we didn’t write the rules, they were dictated to us by the cards we were dealt.
If we on this end didn’t think we could overcome the two main obstacles to passage and believe 100% that we can and will win . . . we would not have gotten you involved in the first place. Quite frankly, if this were not an election year we would NOT have taken on the challenge. The fact that this is an election year is to our advantage for passage in a big way . . . that’s about the only time that most members of Congress still listen to the people instead of the corporations, lobbyists and campaign contributors. So for the moment at least, the cards dealt are somewhat in our favor for passage of HR3149. It doesn’t take a political genius to see that we have a short time window of perhaps seven or so months to get this legislation passed. It’s a now or never opportunity for justice in the workplace that all Americans deserve.
So let’s get to work . . . we’ll be in touch and look forward to working with you on an almost weekly basis to make HR3149 a reality. We will win but only if we do the work required . . .
In a Democracy with a Free Press and Overwhelming Numbers We Win . . . Right?
While that should be the case, we have two large obstacles standing in our way to passage of HR3149. The first and largest obstacle is that most members of Congress campaigned with money they received from fat cats and corporations. The fat cats and corporations don’t want HR3149 passed and are doing everything in their power to hold tightly to the leash of their members of Congress. Feel free to disagree with us, but most people we believe would call this existing impasse “bribery and corruption” of the political system that’s supposed to be “by the people and for the people.” No matter which of the big two political parties you may be in or your geographic or ethnic origin – you’re being sold out when it comes to passage of HR3149. Even those members of Congress co-sponsoring the legislation along with unions and civil rights groups are NOT hotly pushing for passage of the legislation. As a U.S. citizen and or a member of a labor union or civil rights group . . . this impasse should enrage you and absolutely make your blood boil.
The second obstacle we face is that the major media outlets are owned by corporations. As we noted above, corporations don’t want HR3149 passed and corporations that own the media are no different. Be you left, right or in the middle . . . do you really think that the so called “independent, fair and balanced, free press” is really FREE to report on HR3149? Some of the major outlets (such as MSNBC) will report on it, but most will resist it as long as possible. The talking heads (a.k.a. reporters) want a paycheck and in this economy only a few will adhere to “journalistic integrity.” That’s just the reality.
If you don’t believe that both the obstacles above exist . . . ask yourself the following: The legislation was introduced way back in July and the vast overwhelming majority of Americans are for passage of HR3149 once they hear about it. Yet most of the members of this group never heard one single peep about the legislation until you were contacted on Facebook. That’s not just a coincidence, nor is it one of those deep conspiracy theories you come across on the Internet. Instead, the fact that you never heard about HR3149 until you were contacted on Facebook is due to the corruption and bribery taking place in Congress and the muzzling of the corporate media by their handlers. Those are just the facts people . . . if you have a better explanation pass it along, we’re all ears?
First the Good News
While these obstacles are formidable, similar legislation has passed already in Hawaii as well as in Washington State and was passed but vetoed in California. It’s currently being debated in eight states and Oregon, Connecticut and Maryland have actual bills introduced. All these states had or have the same obstacles we face in getting this passed on a national level and they either have or are being overcome. It should also be noted that our small Facebook group is not fighting this battle alone. There is at least one labor union and a civil rights group actively advocating for passage. What’s more, labor unions and their members in general, as reflected by huge numbers in our group, are supportive as well. How active, passionate and “hell bent” they all are on getting HR3149 passed is a question we need you to uncover and answer. Good intentions are not worth much . . .
Now the Bad News
The fact that Congress is “on the take” and being “bribed” to stop passage of HR3149 and the “corporate media” is resistant to report on it makes this an uphill battle. If you’re for passage but are passive or have a weak stomach . . . then this is NOT the cause for you. This is not like one of those Facebook groups such as the one we saw last week where someone is trying to get more fans for a poodle with a foil hat than Glen Beck has. To succeed, this cause unfortunately requires your passion, effort and work on an almost weekly basis. That’s just the way it is . . . we didn’t write the rules, they were dictated to us by the cards we were dealt.
If we on this end didn’t think we could overcome the two main obstacles to passage and believe 100% that we can and will win . . . we would not have gotten you involved in the first place. Quite frankly, if this were not an election year we would NOT have taken on the challenge. The fact that this is an election year is to our advantage for passage in a big way . . . that’s about the only time that most members of Congress still listen to the people instead of the corporations, lobbyists and campaign contributors. So for the moment at least, the cards dealt are somewhat in our favor for passage of HR3149. It doesn’t take a political genius to see that we have a short time window of perhaps seven or so months to get this legislation passed. It’s a now or never opportunity for justice in the workplace that all Americans deserve.
So let’s get to work . . . we’ll be in touch and look forward to working with you on an almost weekly basis to make HR3149 a reality. We will win but only if we do the work required . . .
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