Everybody Knows with Dr. Bob and Dan-o
Last month the Senate passed groundbreaking legislation to increase fuel efficiency standards for the first time in nearly 30 years. Now the momentum has shifted to the House of Representatives where a similar vote is expected shortly. It's time to urge House members to follow the Senate's lead and increase fuel efficiency standards that meet or exceed the mileage targets of the Senate bill.
The bipartisan Senate legislation set a target of raising fuel efficiency to a fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon by model year 2020 for cars and lights trucks (SUVs). A proposal by Representatives Ed Markey and Todd Plats seeks similar targets that would help consumers save money at the pump and reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil.
We need your help to tell Congressman Pat Tiberi to support legislation that matches or exceeds the Senate bill and to oppose any legislation, such as a current proposal by Representatives Baron Hill and Lee Terry, which offers considerably lower mileage targets and includes industry loopholes.
Please take action in one or all of the following ways:
Action 1: Send a Letter
The bipartisan Senate legislation set a target of raising fuel efficiency to a fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon by model year 2020 for cars and lights trucks (SUVs). A proposal by Representatives Ed Markey and Todd Plats seeks similar targets that would help consumers save money at the pump and reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil.
We need your help to tell Congressman Pat Tiberi to support legislation that matches or exceeds the Senate bill and to oppose any legislation, such as a current proposal by Representatives Baron Hill and Lee Terry, which offers considerably lower mileage targets and includes industry loopholes.
Please take action in one or all of the following ways:
Action 1: Send a Letter
The restoration of the gray wolf in the northern Rockies is one of America's greatest environmental success stories. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and the central Idaho wilderness in 1995 after being exterminated by settlers, trappers and the federal government. Since then, these new populations have increased to 1200 or so animals. Wolves play a crucial role in northern Rockies ecosystems, helping to preserve riparian forests and maintain healthy populations of raptors, rodents and coyotes. They are also a boon to the region's economy, generating tens of millions of dollars in tourist revenue each year.
Drop a dime on the eco-criminals at Franklin Park. Call the City of Columbus Hotline at "311" on your phone to complain about the slow death of the ponds at Franklin Park (Broad Street and Nelson Road) due to a faulty pump. For the past several months the elaborate ponds and waterways perfected at the park for Ameriflora in 1992, home to a thriving ecosystem of ducks, geese, fish, frogs, and other wildlife - has almost completely dried up killing in an unknown number of aquatic and other life forms.
If it was Les Wexner's pond and in New Albany, the city would have fixed it a long time ago. But an inner-city pond is allowed to go dry from neglect or indifference.
You you care about the natural ecosystem at Franklin Park and the lives of our fellow creatures, call the Mayor and tell him to get that pump fixed!
311 is the 911 on this emergency!!
If it was Les Wexner's pond and in New Albany, the city would have fixed it a long time ago. But an inner-city pond is allowed to go dry from neglect or indifference.
You you care about the natural ecosystem at Franklin Park and the lives of our fellow creatures, call the Mayor and tell him to get that pump fixed!
311 is the 911 on this emergency!!
The House of Representatives is poised to vote on NJ Rep. Holt's "election reform" bill (HR 811), TODAY ,Thursday. Organizations ordinarily aligned with the common good have pulled out all the stops to ram this legislation through. Unless - and maybe even though - we make a LOT of noise, this bill will become law and our elections will take more irrevocable steps away from democracy. If you doubt this, read Mark Crispin Miller's expose below -complete with quotes from Holt and his legislative aide, Michelle Mulder- as well as an action alert put out by VoteRescue.
Here's everything you need, in a nutshell: information about HR 811 and contact info for your member of Congress:
Here's how you call (no time to write) your Congressional Rep.: Contacting the Congress
Exposé: Holt bill was revised by Microsoft, Diebold and ES&S by Mark Crispin Miller
Here's everything you need, in a nutshell: information about HR 811 and contact info for your member of Congress:
Here's how you call (no time to write) your Congressional Rep.: Contacting the Congress
Exposé: Holt bill was revised by Microsoft, Diebold and ES&S by Mark Crispin Miller
Was YOUR registration challenged in the 2004 presidential election?
The Free Press wants to know!
Please contact us immediately if your registration was either challenged BEFORE or ON ELECTION DAY, 2004. Did you receive a letter from your Board of Elections telling you your registration was challenged? Did you show up at the polls and were your challenged or forced to vote provisionally?
Your story may be used in a video.
Please contact us through email at: truth@freepress.org
Please put CHALLENGE in your subject line of your email.
Thank you!
Bob Fitrakis, Editor
The Free Press, freepress.org
The Free Press wants to know!
Please contact us immediately if your registration was either challenged BEFORE or ON ELECTION DAY, 2004. Did you receive a letter from your Board of Elections telling you your registration was challenged? Did you show up at the polls and were your challenged or forced to vote provisionally?
Your story may be used in a video.
Please contact us through email at: truth@freepress.org
Please put CHALLENGE in your subject line of your email.
Thank you!
Bob Fitrakis, Editor
The Free Press, freepress.org
Action Alert!
SOA Watch has received confirmation that this week Congress will vote on an amendment to close the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/ WHINSEC). Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts will introduce an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill to cut funding for the school!
Click here to send an email and fax to your Representative Email
(Be sure to click the "Send a Fax" box to have the fax sent).
Call-in Days to Close the SOA/WHINSEC
Monday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 20:
Call Congress at 202-224-3121.
Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant. Here is a suggested message for you to convey:
SOA Watch has received confirmation that this week Congress will vote on an amendment to close the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/ WHINSEC). Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts will introduce an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill to cut funding for the school!
Click here to send an email and fax to your Representative Email
(Be sure to click the "Send a Fax" box to have the fax sent).
Call-in Days to Close the SOA/WHINSEC
Monday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 20:
Call Congress at 202-224-3121.
Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant. Here is a suggested message for you to convey:
Tell your senators you expect better! The new Congress is trying to pass the buck on global warming and we can't let them. As currently written, legislation coming to the floor in the Senate and developing in the House not only comes up short, it will likely take us backwards. Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) moved a misguided biofuels bill out of their committee to form the basis of the major Democratic energy package in the Senate. Under pressure from industry, this Senate package is getting worse.
Fuel Efficiency Standards: Though better than nothing, the Senate bill sets a weak car and light-truck fuel economy standard for the year 2020 -- only 35mpg. But thanks to big loopholes, even this less-than-ambitious standard will be easy to duck. (The Democrats' House bill contains standards weaker than those in proposals President Bush has advanced! More on this in alerts to come.)
Fuel Efficiency Standards: Though better than nothing, the Senate bill sets a weak car and light-truck fuel economy standard for the year 2020 -- only 35mpg. But thanks to big loopholes, even this less-than-ambitious standard will be easy to duck. (The Democrats' House bill contains standards weaker than those in proposals President Bush has advanced! More on this in alerts to come.)
Did you know that one in six hate crimes are motivated by the victim's sexual orientation, and yet today's federal laws don't include any protections for these Americans? What's even more outrageous is that some radical groups are running an all-out campaign to stop Congress from expanding hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity--something three out of four Americans support. A bill expanding hate crimes laws has already been approved in the House of Representatives and now a similar bill needs to make it through the Senate.
Please contact your Senators and urge them to pass this important legislation! To send your letter, go to: HR Action Center
Please contact your Senators and urge them to pass this important legislation! To send your letter, go to: HR Action Center
The Senate could hold a no-confidence vote as early as today. The resolution is non-binding and symbolic, but it will put Senators on record and send a strong message to President Bush. Make sure your Senators know you want them to support the no-confidence vote:
Senator Sherrod Brown
(202) 224-2315
Senator George Voinovich
(202) 224-3353
This vote puts us one step closer to removing Alberto Gonzales and restoring integrity to the U.S. Department of Justice. But George Bush is still blocking the way. This morning the President continued to stand by his man, saying:
"They can have their votes of no-confidence but it's not going to make the determination about who serves in my government."
Call your Senators today. Tell them they have the power to challenge President Bush and remove Alberto Gonzales. After you call, sign the Impeach Gonzales petition that will be delivered to your representative in the next few days:
Impeach Gonzales
Together, we will hold the Bush Administration accountable and restore integrity to the Justice Department.
Senator Sherrod Brown
(202) 224-2315
Senator George Voinovich
(202) 224-3353
This vote puts us one step closer to removing Alberto Gonzales and restoring integrity to the U.S. Department of Justice. But George Bush is still blocking the way. This morning the President continued to stand by his man, saying:
"They can have their votes of no-confidence but it's not going to make the determination about who serves in my government."
Call your Senators today. Tell them they have the power to challenge President Bush and remove Alberto Gonzales. After you call, sign the Impeach Gonzales petition that will be delivered to your representative in the next few days:
Impeach Gonzales
Together, we will hold the Bush Administration accountable and restore integrity to the Justice Department.
There's still time to contact your state representatives. The Buckeye Forest Council (BFC) applauds Representative Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) for addressing the abuses of clear-cutting along utility easements through public property. The BFC helped shape a proposal with Representative Foley that would give Ohioans the opportunity to formally voice concerns over clear-cutting and pipeline maintenance activities occurring on state lands. We need your help right away to build support for this effort.
Representative Foley’s memo calling for co-sponsors announces: “I will soon be introducing legislation that will require the Director of Natural Resources to hold a public hearing before entering into a lease or granting an easement for any of specified purposes or allowing clear-cutting of trees on lands owned, controlled, maintained, or administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
Representative Foley’s memo calling for co-sponsors announces: “I will soon be introducing legislation that will require the Director of Natural Resources to hold a public hearing before entering into a lease or granting an easement for any of specified purposes or allowing clear-cutting of trees on lands owned, controlled, maintained, or administered by the Department of Natural Resources.