[mpen-dayton4] FW: "This Weekend" & "Petition - Workers' Comp. Bill" & "Six responses to Bernie skeptics" and more

FYI.   Best, Munsup

P.S. Please reply back to me with 'unsubscribe' on the subject line if you no longer want to receive my e-Newsletters. The convenient link to unsubscribe is no longer available due to security reasons to protect my email servers.
P.P.S. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest" - Thomas Paine
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·         FW: THIS WEEKEND

·         FW: Petition - Workers' Comp. Bill

·         FW: Jesuit university punishes students for supporting workers

·         FW: "A growing income gap results in more educational inequality"  

·         FW: Special Report: The latest on fatal standoff between Oregon militia and law enforcement

·         FW: felony charges?!?

·         FW: LOL Funny!! "Stephen Colbert just made Donald Trump debate Donald Trump, and it's better than the entire GOP debate"

·         FW: WATCH: Six responses to Bernie skeptics

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From: Ben Betz, People For the American
Subject: THIS WEEKEND

THIS WEEKEND, the Koch brothers are hosting their annual retreat for their network of ultra-wealthy right-wing donors, where they will further plot how to BUY this year's elections for Tea Party Republicans.

All while, across the country, Republicans wreak havoc on the American people and the American Way…

You can help stop them -- by standing with PFAW again right now, and making a much-needed donation to support our work as we approach our end of month budget deadline.

Please dig deep and chip in what you can now to help defeat the Far Right and defend our democracy>>

In Michigan: The Tea Party governor allowed the City of Flint to be poisoned by drinking water loaded with lead just to save a few bucks.

In Texas: A Grand Jury investigation of Planned Parenthood turned up absolutely NO wrongdoing by the health care provider but ended up indicting the anti-choice activists for their efforts to smear and defund Planned Parenthood (efforts that nearly every prominent Republican politician helped promote by recklessly spreading the smear campaign's lies). And in last night's debate, GOP candidates nonetheless doubled down on their attacks against Planned Parenthood!

And with just a few days until the Iowa caucuses: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and the rest of the GOP presidential field are duking it out to carry the banner of the most extreme right-wing agenda in modern times -- an agenda fueled by bigotry against immigrants, LGBT people, and Muslims that seeks to sell out working families and unravel the social safety net in order to give more tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy.

Stand up and fight with us, side by side, against this historic threat to the future of our country!

Make a much-needed donation to let us know once again that you are with PFAW in the fight>>

 

 

From: Andrew Tierman
Subject: FW: Petition - Workers' Comp. Bill

Those of you on Munsup's list outside Michigan may have been paying attention to the news concerning Flint, some 40 miles from my location in Saginaw. Rachel Maddow conducted an outstanding Town Hall in Flint, Wednesday, Jan. 27th. The RM program was followed by an intense interview by Lawrence O'Donnell of Michael Moore, in which Michael Moore speaks, as passionately as I have ever heard him speak, about the malfeasance of Republican governance poisoning Flint's water. MM seems on the brink of tears, explaining in utter clarity that the MI GOP lowered taxes on business and the wealthy and then looked for ways to reduce the budget in respect to services for people. His imposed dictator (emergency manager replacing elected local representatives) proposed a way to save some money for the State: changing the source of Flint residents' running water from Lake Huron to the Flint River. From the start, this was a measure devaluing the lives of Flint citizens, as anyone from Southeast Michigan would know, simply hearing the name of the proposed water source, indeed as anyone might suspect, who recalls, years past, driving on I-475 alongside a roughly three mile long General Motors plant complex, now leveled, following the River. See http://www.msnbc.com/topics/flint

The following news item from the Steel Workers pertains to a bill in Wisconsin to take away Worker's Compensation benefits, in the same genre of GOP uncompassionate conservatism (or more accurately, the banality of evil):    - Andrew
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From: "District 2 Newsletter"

Imagine you're at work.  It's a hot day and you remove your safety glasses to wipe the sweat from your face; and, just as you do, a machine blows a metal fragment into your eye.  You are taken to the hospital and the ER removes the metal without permanent damage to your eyesight.  Yes, you're going to be okay, but the doctor says you will have to be off work for one month to allow the injury to heal.  Being off of work for four weeks isn't what you wanted, but thanks to workers' comp., you'll receive 66% of your pay and your family will be alright financially.

One week later, you get a call from your company's workers' comp. insurer.  They've determined that because you took your safety glasses off, you are 50% responsible for the accident that led to your injury. Now your 66% has become 33% and that is going to cause some hardship.

To recoup your losses, you'll have to find a lawyer to take the comp. provider to court - if you can find someone who will take your case.  And if you're successful, the lawyer will keep up to 20% of the settlement.  Not much left to help pay the bills for the month.

Does that sound farfetched? It might sound ridiculous, but it could be our reality if the Rep. John Spiros Workers' Comp. Bill becomes law.  And, cutting your benefits is just the tip of the iceberg.  Among other ugly things, Spiros allows your employee and comp. carrier to do, like firing you while you are off due to a legitimate injury.

The Workers' Comp. Advisory Council, which is a non-partisan committee of representatives of business, labor and insurance providers established by legislative action, has submitted an alternative bill.  Its proposal will cut costs for comp. insurers, hold down premiums for employers and offer modest improvements for injured workers.  It does all that while continuing the tradition of fairness established by Wisconsin's first in the nation Compensation Act.

Please click on the link below to ask you state Senator to oppose AB-501/SB-456 and to support SB-536.  No one goes to work to get hurt.  But, if a lost-time injury accident does happen, isn't it nice that a fair compensation is there to save you and your family from financial disaster?  Don't take a chance.  Act today to ensure it will be there!

Check out what's happening daily with Rapid Response and legislative issues by visiting our Facebook page at USW District 2 Rapid Response.  And, don't forget to like us!

http://www2.usw.org/rrpetitions/wiworkerscomp.aspx

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From: "Andrew Tierman

There is an independent, freely distributed newspaper serving the Saginaw Bay area of Michigan, the Review Magazine. In its January 14 - February 3, 2016 edition, the Review published the first article of a series, about the Flint water crisis. The article is available at the Review Magazine website,
     https://review-mag.com/article/first-in-a-series-dirty-water-darnell-earley

This article provides important information, from a locally-informed perspective, that is not readily available in media outside Michigan.This first article focuses on former City of Flint Emergency Manager, Darnell Earley. Earley was City Manager of the City of Saginaw from 2006-2013, during which time he earned a reputation, the article states, as a "hatchet man", cutting employee benefits while gaining for himself 100% retiree health care and pharmacy benefits.

Earley started as Emergency Manager in Flint (appointed by Governor Rick Snyder, closing down municipal democratic control, under a Michigan law reinstated by Republican legislatures over popular opposition) at a time between the initial plan to change water source and its implementation, which was executed under his command. Earley later was appointed Emergency Manager for Detroit Public Schools, his current position. According to the article, his annual salaries, from Saginaw, Flint, and currently DPS respectively were $110,000, $180,000, and $221,000 - the latter for control of a school system currently under a teacher sickout to protest deteriorated school conditions which have been reported nationally (public school teachers are prohibited from striking by Michigan statute.)

The article states that Earley is one of 14 defendants in a class action suit by Flint residents filed in U.S District Court. (That would be the Eastern District of MI, lower division, in Detroit.) Quoting the Review, quoting allegations in the pleadings, the defendants' "conduct in exposing Flint residents to toxic water was so egregious and so outrageous that it shocks the conscience....For more than 18 months, state and local government officials ignored irrefutable evidence that the water pumped from the Flint River exposed (users) to extreme toxicity."

The homepage of the Review is https://review-mag.com/ . There is additional material online. The Review Magazine is published twice a month.

 

 

From: Michael Sherrard, Faithful America
Subject: Jesuit university punishes students for supporting workers

At Jesuit universities like Loyola Chicago, students are taught that social justice is a cornerstone of Catholic education.

So when students saw that cafeteria workers were struggling for a living wage and affordable healthcare, they knew they had to act. They held a rally to show support for the workers, and took their demands to management.

But now university administrators are holding formal disciplinary proceedings against the students, calling their faithful protest "disorderly conduct." They could be placed on academic probation or even suspended from the school.

Administrators will decide the students fate on Thursday so we need to show them that Christians across the country are standing with students who are living out the best values of our faith.

Tell Loyola University: Don't Punish Students Who Stood Up for Workers' Rights

For more information:
"Loyola students face discipline after protest," Chicago Sun-Times, January 25, 2016

 

 

From: Jimmy Franco
Subject: "A growing income gap results in more educational inequality"

A Growing Income Gap Results in More Educational Inequality

It has now been 50 years since the War on Poverty was instituted. While it improved economic conditions with programs such as Head Start and Medicare, it was eventually weakened by those opposed to these policies. What is now needed is a war on growing income and educational inequality. Continue reading

(This article is being republished as these educational problems and social needs continue to exist)

Jimmy Franco Sr., Moderator of LATINOPOV.COM

 

 

From: Southern Poverty Law Center; FIGHTING HATE // TEACHING TOLERANCE // SEEKING JUSTICE
Subject: Special Report: The latest on fatal standoff between Oregon militia and law enforcement

 

Armed Oregon militants refused offers to leave or negotiate

One man has been killed and 11 people arrested as law enforcement seeks to end the three-week standoff. The FBI has given the militia extremists "ample opportunity to leave the refuge peacefully [and] … opportunities to negotiate," but several armed occupiers are still at the wildlife refuge.

 

 

From: BREAKING (via DCCC)
Subject: felony charges?!?

The creator of the Planned Parenthood smear videos is facing felony charges. But House Republicans refuse to call off their vote to eliminate their funding.

Demand House Republicans cancel their vote to eliminate Planned Parenthood funding.

Sign Your Name >>

 

Months of Republican attacks have BACKFIRED! A grand jury just cleared Planned Parenthood of all wrongdoing. And get this: Instead, they've indicted members of the smear group that tried to tear down Planned Parenthood.

Ouch!

But this is unbelievable: House Republicans are still ignoring the facts and wasting time and money trying to defund Planned Parenthood.

They're voting AGAIN next week to eliminate Planned Parenthood's funding, even though Planned Parenthood was declared innocent. It's despicable.

House Republicans should admit they are wrong and MOVE ON.

If enough Americans demand that they call off this vote, they'll be forced to listen.

Demand House Republicans call off their vote
to eliminate Planned Parenthood's funding >>

 

 

From: Judy Burnette
Subject: LOL Funny!! "Stephen Colbert just made Donald Trump debate Donald Trump, and it's better than the entire GOP debate" | Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2016/01/29/stephen_colbert_just_made_donald_trump_debate_donald_trump_and_its_better_than_the_entire_gop_debate/?source=newsletter

 

 

From: Robert Reich via MoveOn.org Political Action
Subject: WATCH: Six responses to Bernie skeptics

Bernie Sanders' political revolution has stirred up a lot of people, including some who are skeptical. In my latest video with MoveOn, I lay out six responses to Bernie skeptics—along the way tackling shortsighted myths about Senator Sanders and his game-changing ideas.

Please watch it now and be sure to pass it along to your friends and family.

Click Here to View!

Want to support our work? We're going all-out to help Bernie Sanders win the Democratic nomination. Polls in Iowa and New Hampshire show that the race is close, so we really can win. But we can't do it without small-dollar donations from people like you. Click here to chip in.

 

End of MPEN e-Newsletter