MOMocrats™

Mom’s Clean Air Force Twitter Party

Thursday December 15th our friends at Clever Girls Collective will be hosting an historic twitter chat sponsored by the women at Mom’s Clean Air Force featuring EPA administrator Lisa P Jackson.

This is an amazing opportunity for MOMocrats readers to actually ask first questions about one of the issues that effects all of us, air quality.

Currently, there are no national limits on the amount of mercury and other toxic air pollution released from power plant smokestacks. The toxic air pollutants from the coal and oil fired plants have numerous and serious health effects, especially on children. Research has shown that Mercury harm’s children's developing brains, including effects on memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills.

The other toxic metals found such as arsenic, chromium and nickel are known to cause cancer. Not to mention the damage Mercury and many of the other toxic pollutants causes our nation's lakes, streams, and fish.

This is just a handful of the reasons why the EPA’s proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule will have a huge impact on our health, the air, the economy and even jobs.

The EPA estimates the value of the improvements to health alone total $59 billion to $140 billion by 2016 by preventing thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of heart attacks, bronchitis cases and asthma attacks. Meeting the standards created by the rule would also create new jobs such as building, installing and operating the equipment to reduce the harmful emissions of mercury and other toxics.

Got questions? Well join the Clever Girls Collective community Q & A session with Administrator Jackson where you can get your air quality-related questions by her! They’ll also be discussing clean air—how pollution has affected you and your family sharing tips for ways you can help ensure we leave a legacy of cleaner air to future generations. They’ll also be offering prizes throughout the hour — including Moms Clean Air Force prize packs and gifts.

Moms Clean Air Force Twitter Event ft. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson on Thursday, Dec 15 at 12pm PT/3pm on Twitter! Use the Tweetgrid here: http://bit.ly/uJeZ26

Follow: @momsCAF, @lisapjackson, @clevergirlscoll—and hashtag #momsCAF

RSVP here to let us know you’re joining the event

Please spread the word with your networks by tweeting this out:

Join us! Moms Clean Air Force Twitter Event w/ EPA Admin @lisapjackson! 12/15 @ 12 P/ 3 ET! Fab prizes! #momsCAF RSVP http://bit.ly/mcafrsvp

This is a sponsored MOMocrats post written as part of the Clever Girls Collective campaign for greater awareness of Mom's Clean Air Force.

 

 

 

 

Whatʼs The Matter with Kansas? The 750 Mile Plan (Guest Contributor KSMom)

Once again, the elected officials in Kansas, who are more loyal to their version of the bible than to the citizens they serve, have managed to earn points on the attention meter.

 

Ten years ago it was evolution. Kansas was the first of many states to attempt to remove evolution from its Science classrooms. The good news is this insanity woke up Kansans, who worked to remove the zealots from the state board of education and restore evolution to the Science curriculum. The bad news is most people outside of Kansas donʼt realize this and still assume our kids are taught creationism instead of evolution. And this started the ball rolling for several other states to challenge the teaching of evolution.

Now it looks like Kansas has started yet another ball rolling, this time about abortion. In November, the most radical group of far right (mainly tea party) folks were elected to the state legislature. Thankfully, the state Senate remained more moderate, but they were out shouted by the extremists in the House.

This Week on MOMochat: Life, Liberty and the Wisconsin Recall Elections

This week's MOMochat podcast was pre-recorded so the MOMocrats could prepare to enjoy the 4th of July holiday with our families.

But while we're busy organizing barbecues and swim parties, EMILY's List is on the ground in Wisconsin, supporting the effort to recall six Republican legislators who supported Governor Scott Walker's union busting bill -- and five of the six are pro-choice women!

EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock was our MOMochat guest in a spirited interview about the effort in Wisconsin, what we can do to support them, and why we should.

"I really see this as a springboard for all of our races coming up in 2012," Schriock said. "I think it’s going to be a very, very, interesting year and as long as women continue to step up and run, I think we’re going to see a lot of new, inspirational women leaders serving all over the country, from legislative seats, city council; right up to the United States Senate."

The protests at the state Capitol in Madison energized the Democratic party in this country and inspired people around the world. Now the people in Wisconsin have an opportunity to undo some of the damage of the 2010 mid-term elections that gave the statehouse to a Koch Brothers-funded Republican majority that has been in the forefront of this year's legislative "War on Women."

As Schriock explains, "We say there is a War on Women, and with wars, there’s two sides and I intend that women will be the victors in this war. And it is really a time for us all to pull together."

We can help the effort by donating -- and/or joining Team EMILY and phone banking to people in the state. "Of you can’t get to Wisconsin, you sure can sit in your living room and pick up the phone and call voters in Wisconsin. And we’ve got it all set up; you can go through in the comfort of your home and make those calls and share with those voters in Wisconsin how important is is – not just to the folks in Wisconsin, but to the women of this country, to see this change. And to get these women elected," Schriock said. 

"The great thing about what EMILY’s List does is we network women and men all over the country who really believe that representative democracy is our true future, is our best policy. And by getting more women elected, we’re going to get where we want to go as a society," she said.

Schriock had a lot more to say: about hero Governors like North Carolina's Beverly Purdue, who repeatedly vetoed bills from the state's Republican controlled legislature that would defund Planned Parenthood... the end of the era of the moderate Republican women... and voter caging efforts throughout the country, disenfranchising voting rights (particularly of women).

Hear the entire podcast here.

 

Down to the Wire in NY 26: Help Kathy Hochul Keep Her Lead Over Corwin

Over at our MOMocrats MOMochat radio show, we've had some fun talking about the special election to replace disgraced GOP Representative Chris Lee. (You remember: He was the dude who got in trouble for soliciting dates on Craig's List. Yes, he was married and campaigned on "family values.")

At the time, those in the know thought Lee's seat would be a shoo-in for another Republican. After all, this district is considered the most conservative one in the state. The Republicans were quick to nominate their candidate for the seat: Jane Corwin, who is already known to the voters as their representative in the state Assembly. She had a four-week head start on her Democratic opponent, Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul.

And then a funny thing happened -- not "ha ha, funny" but political kismet: Paul Ryan unveiled his "Path to Prosperity" (which Cynematic more correctly describes as the "Road to Ruin"), which would gut Medicare and Medicaid and place seniors squarely at the mercy of the insurance market. Republican Corwin supports the plan...

...and suddenly, the Democratic candidate is in striking distance of picking up the seat in NY 26.

It appears that most Americans like Medicare just the way it is... a fact Republicans seemed to understand two years ago, during the health care debate, when they misled older voters into thinking that the Affordable Care Act was a sneak attack on the program.

One of the aspects of this campaign that had us chuckling on the radio show is this satirical site, which came into being because Corwin's people were not as thorough as they should have been when snapping up domains for the candidate. (Social Media 101: Just because you got a .com for your campaign site doesn't mean you don't also need to own .org, .edu, .info and .tv, too.)

Hochul is one of the candidates backed by EMILY's List, the PAC devoted to promoting the election of  pro-choice Democratic women to all levels of government. And right now, the group is recruiting grassroots supporters to phone bank with Get Out the Vote calls to Democrats in NY 26.

From their website: "Even just an hour of your time will make the difference for Kathy, and we'll provide you with all the information you'll need to make calls to mobilize targeted voters."

Sign up here.

EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock will be our guest on Wednesday's edition of MOMocrats MOMochat.

Urgent Call to Action: GOP House Pushing Anti-Woman Agenda

In November the American people sent a loud and clear message to Washington: work together to get the economy moving again. And during the lame duck session and then over the past few weeks, I was encouraged by the ability of Republicans and Democrats to come together to work for the American people. But now, just two weeks into the new Congress, it appears Republicans in the House are already seeking to end that spirit of cooperation.

They have introduced HR3: The No Taxpayer Funded Abortions Act, which would restrict women’s access to affordable reproductive care and even deny care to women when their lives are in danger. This bill would severely undermine women’s rights.

I hope you’ll join me in fighting this dangerous piece of legislation by signing this petition and sending a message to Washington that we must preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose.

Even as Republicans lament that the government is being too intrusive in people’s lives, it seems that the very personal, private and often painful issue of ending a pregnancy is one area they are determined to regulate. Tragically, the consequences of this intrusiveness could prove disastrous to the health and well-being of women across America.

The Republicans likely have a large enough majority in the House to pass this bill, but we must block this bill in the U.S. Senate. Earlier this week, Senator Blumenthal and I sent a letter to all of our colleagues in the Senate, urging them to oppose similar legislation.

In the letter we wrote:

We must work together to stop these bills in their tracks, as they represent an unprecedented effort to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care and to their trusted health care providers.

I pledge to you that, just as we did with the Stupak Amendment, we will organize our fellow Senators to make sure we defeat this legislation. Can I count on you to join us in this fight to make sure Republicans and some conservative Democrats don’t succeed in chipping away at a woman’s right to choose even further than they already have?

Please sign this petition and show my colleagues that the grassroots is behind us.

Thank you for your support.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Cross posted from the Huffington Post.

Watch This, Congress. Then Extend the Damn Unemployment Benefits, Now.

Why is this even being debated? When unemployment is high, Congress has always voted to extend unemployment insurance for those unlucky people who have been laid off.

What's different about this Congress? The numbers of Republicans who I seem to recall campaigned with slogans like "Country First," but are now dragging their feet on a yes vote for the extension of unemployment. Who are these petty, greedy people who are simultaneously holding up other business in Congress for a tax cut that only millionaires will enjoy?

Call them now and give them a piece of your mind: 877-662-2889. Pass unemployment benefit extensions, NOW.

 

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.

VOTE 2010

We know all you mamas out there are probably just as crazy busy today taking care of your families as you are every day of the year. But please, remember to take some time out of your hectic schedule today to VOTE. At many polling places it only takes minutes to cast your ballot.

To make voting a little easier for the frantic and frazzled, here are a few helpful links:

Find your polling place. Google is making it easy to find your polling place today with a special Google Maps Vote feature. Just enter your address and Google will not only find your polling place, but also give you directions.

Review local candidates and issues. Not sure what's on your local ballot? The League of Women Voters stands ready to help a mother out! Check out SmartVoter.org, where the League provides nonpartisan information on ballot issues and candidates across the country.

If you can't find your own local ballot information listed there, try your state Secretary of State website. The National Association of Secretaries of State has links to all 50 of them.

Can't find a sitter? Bring your kids. Got a toddler permanently attached to your hand or a newborn in a sling? Don't be afraid to haul your kids right into the voting booth with you. You won't be the only one!

The first time I tried voting with a baby in tow, back in 2004, I was really nervous that my kid would make a fuss in the long lines and make everyone stare. But I went anyway, and stood in line, holding an umbrella crookedly over my fussy six-month-old as a chilly rain fell on my own unprotected head. We both survived.

In fact, I've brought my son to vote with me in nearly every election since he was a baby, and every time, poll workers and fellow voters have been nothing but thrilled to see him and cover him in I VOTED stickers. Far from finding democracy boring, these days, my son gets angry at me if I can't bring him to vote.

Taking your children along to vote teaches your kids that participating in democracy is important to you. So if you have to bring them along, bring them, and do it with pride.

If your older kids whine about standing in line, just tell them you are voting to improve their future. And then when they roll their eyes at you, sneak them some leftover Halloween candy to distract them until you're finished voting.

Dear President Obama: Rebuild Our Economy With Corporations That Put America First; Or, I'm Not Buying What Karl Rove is Selling

When corporate heads meet with GOP operatives, Glenn Beck, and executive directors of right-wing foundations to plan a coordinated response to the 2010 elections, it's evident that business in America is attempting a hostile takeover of not only politics, but democracy. It's now abundantly clear that corporations have an ideological slant, and those favoring the right have an almost treasonous, definitely unpatriotic, affection for profit. The GOP has always been party above country, profits before people, and the sooner Americans wake up to that fact, the better off we'll be.

Recent revelations about the US Chamber of Commerce's acceptance of donations from countries like India, Dubai, Kingdom of Bahrain, the UK, Singapore, Switzerland, Australia and others show the money trail leading from overseas to the U.S. Chamber's general fund, and from there, to payments for ads that advance the cause of GOP candidates. What Karl Rove, Glenn Beck, Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are selling: American jobs lost to offshoring. The greatest concentration of financial wealth in a tiny percentage of Americans' hands since the last time we had a Great Depression.

I'm not buying. If Karl Rove and his American Crossroads stealth-on-behalf-of-wealth PAC were a corporation, I'd boycott him. That's partly what I'm trying to do with my vote this November.

Foreign donations to sway American elections are illegal, and the Federal Election Commission has the jurisdiction to penalize groups that violate the law. I wish they'd do something about it now, while it can have an effect.

10-22-10, UPDATED TO ADD: From the NYT, plenty of U.S.-based companies donate to dismantle government regulations they don't like. This NYT investigative report says 45 of the most rapacious American corporations account for most of the Chambers' lobbying.

Clearly, what's at stake for corporations overseas is a piece of the American manufacturing pie that has been steadily offshored since the 1980s. Foreign nationals benefit when U.S. corporations move their operations to subcontractors in other countries, and those nations and corporations are willing to buy and pay for GOP candidates who will make policy that is good for business. Their business. Not the business of America and Americans.

If we're to have an economic recovery, I urge President Obama to highlight those corporations that put America first. I have 6 suggestions to this end:

Go Read It: Nick Kristof, The Healers of 9/11 (Beyond the 11th)

It seems lately the news is steeped in unending reports of religious bigotry, with anti-Muslim bias driving opposition to the Park 51 community center, and now some idiot "pastor" who thinks burning a Qur'an to mark the events of September 11, 2001 is a good idea rather than a hateful provocation and incitement to violence. UPDATED: Apparently the pastor has decided to cancel his Qur'an-burning event. He had wanted to make a deal to have the Park51 project moved in exchange for cancellation. It doesn't appear that any plans to move the Park51 construction site have been announced, however.

Please, go read this: The Healers of 9/11.

In times of fear and darkness, we tend to suppress the better angels of our nature. Instead, these women unleashed theirs.

Paul Barker, who for many years ran CARE’s operations in Afghanistan, believes America would have accomplished more there if our government had shared the two women’s passion for education and development. “I can only wonder at what a different world it could be today if in those fateful months after 9/11 our nation’s leadership had been guided more by a people-to-people vision of building both metaphorical and physical bridges,” Mr. Barker said.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, I believe women can lead the way to peace. These women already have. What we need to do is build on what they've started. Let's hang onto these two old-time notions--mercy and grace--as we mark an event that's indelibly etched in our communal memory and will no doubt continue to shape the steps we take going forward, Beyond the 11th.

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.

Meet Two Democratic Women Candidates for Texas State Board of Education: Rebecca Bell-Metereau and Judy Jennings

There are ideologues front and center in the classroom where instead there should be teachers and students.

Two highly qualified women in Texas have stepped up as State Board of Eduction (SBOE) candidates so they can roll back some of the more outrageous changes to the curriculum that non-educators with a fringe agenda have imposed on Texas schoolbooks.

Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau both believe teachers and educational experts should determine what's taught in classroom.