***** URGENT **** Call Your Representative Toll-Free at 1-800-426-8073

[Sapphire Blue]

An email from the Coalition on Human Needs (Jan 25, 2006)...

Call Your Representative Toll-Free at 800-426-8073
To Say "Choose Families Over Special Interests!"

THE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT:
House May Approve Bill On February 1 Cutting Low-Income Programs While Favoring Special Interests With High-Paid Lobbyists - but not if you say "NO."

The first version of this bill was pushed through the U.S. House of Representatives in the middle of the night on December 19 before members even had time to read it. The Senate approved it with some minor changes and now the House of Representatives must vote on these cuts to services for people in need one final time.

This budget cut bill is a result of a corrupt system and must be stopped.

Congress decided to make cuts in health programs. Lobbyists for drug and health insurance companies made sure that the cuts hit poor families in the form of higher Medicaid co-payments and cuts in benefits rather than reductions in the excessive profits made by these industries. http://www.cbpp.org/12-18-05bud3.htm

Congress decided to make cuts in student loans. Lobbyists for banks made sure that most of the cuts fall on students and their parents in the form of higher interest rates and fees rather than reductions in the excessive profits made by the banks on student loans.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-harrop_12edi.ART.State.Edition1.18854b6b.html

And all these cuts will pay towards tax breaks that benefit the well-connected wealthy, while deepening the deficit and doing little to expand the economy. http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/bp168

Call your U.S. Representative toll-free at 800-426-8073 until the February 1 vote.
This number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard. The person at the switchboard can connect you to your Representative's office, and if you're not sure who your Representative is, they can figure it out for you. After you're connected with a staff person from your Representative's office, tell them:

"My name is _______________ and I live in (your town/city). I would like Representative to vote NO on the budget cuts bill (S.1932). This bill will cut billions in vital services, including Medicaid, SSI, foster care, child care, child support and student loans.

I urge the Representative to vote against this bill because it chooses special interests over families."

Making Sure You Get Through To Your Members' Offices
If you can't get through on that line, please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at [phone] or
find their direct line at http://www.house.gov/.

For more information, visit the Coalition on Human Needs website at http://www.chn.org/.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

Do not reply to this email. But we want to hear from you! If you wish to contact CHN, find our contact information at http://www.chn.org/about/staff.html.

==========================
Please forward this e-mail!

Please take a few moments of your time to call your Representative before Feb. 1 and urge them to vote NO on the budget cuts bill (S.1932). Please also encourage everyone you know to call, too.

We can stop this!

Thank you!

Sapphire Blue

[Sapphire Blue]

1. Participate in a town hall or vigil organized by ECAP...

Participate in a town hall or vigil organized by the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities (ECAP).

Events are being planned all over the country to make members of the House of Representatives aware of just how bad this bill is and how many harmful provisions were added at the last minute. To find the ECAP contacts in your state, click here: http://www.chn.org/pdf/reconciliationstatecontacts.pdf

[Sapphire Blue]

2. Budget Reconciliation Bill and the Impact on Homeless People...

Budget Reconciliation Bill and the Impact on Homeless People

The US Senate recently passed S1932, also known as the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act, a budget reconciliation bill that attempts to reduce the deficit by cutting spending on mandatory programs. A mandatory program is a program that must be continually paid for, such as Medicaid and food stamps, as opposed to a discretionary program, such as defense, which must apply for a budget every year. Currently, 56% of the budget consists of mandatory programs, and this is why the Senate is focusing on them. It has been stated by a number of senators that mandatory programs are “out of control,” and with the cuts that they are making, the Senate claims this bill will reduce the deficit by $39 billion over five years.

A few notes before discussing the specifics in the bill: It should be noted that Senator Frist proposed an amendment that the bill be renamed the “Moral Disaster of Monumental Proportion Reconciliation Act.” This title refers to the fact that many programs intended for the lower classes are being cut, and the moneys gained from the cuts are being used to provide tax breaks. Also, although all income levels across the board will receive tax breaks, the amount of the tax break significantly favors the wealthy. People whose annual income is over $1 million receive a break of $35,000, where as people whose annual income is under $1 million receive a break that ranges from $6 to $1,480.

(snip)

This bill is a clear attempt to scapegoat poor people for problems that arose from major tax cuts provided to the wealthy minority of the nation. Because of this, many local programs are going to be seriously affected. Although the bill still has to be discussed by both arms of Congress before running across the desk of the President, there appears to be not enough dissent to prevent this moral deficit from clouding the horizon of those already without hope.

Where to find additional information:

National Low Income Housing Coalition www.nlihc.org

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities www.cbpp.org


Continued @ http://www.neoch.org/budg_bill_alert.htm

(Prepared by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless www.neoch.org)

Please STOP these budget cuts.... call your Representative toll-free @ 1-800-426-8073.

[Sapphire Blue]

3. Kick... PLEASE call your Rep @ 1-800-426-8073!

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

6. ...

:kick:

[Wind Dancer]

4. Thanks for keeping this important topic active.

This administration wants to destroy every social program and privatize the planet. They continue to frame the language in Orwellian words leaving many people confused, voting against their own interest.

The poorest people will continue to be the target of the elite, we can't remain silent.

[Sapphire Blue]

5. State Reports: How Budget Cuts Will Affect Your State (January 2006)

http://www.chn.org/issues/opportunityforall/statefactsheets.html

[Sapphire Blue]

7. Kick... PLEASE call your Rep @ 1-800-426-8073!

Please call! It only takes a few moments of your time and the call is free. Not a lot of effort to do the right thing.

[Wind Dancer]

8. Kick!

This is too important to let sink off front page.

Please call your Representative Toll-Free at 800-426-8073.

[Sapphire Blue]

9. But it keeps sinking. I just don't get it. Don't people care???

This is an opportunity to right a grievous wrong at no cost other than a few moments of one's time.

These budget cuts will HURT our families, our friends, our neighbors, our brothers & sisters throughout this country.

Please, everyone, call your Rep.

PLEASE!!!

[Wind Dancer]

10. People are focused on the Alito hearings now.

Hopefully this will get more attention in the next few days.

You have provided a wealth of info in this thread, I'm kicking again for the afternoon crowd.

It only takes a few minutes to phone, PLEASE don't ignore this crucial call for all DUers.

[Sapphire Blue]

12. 1-800-426-8073 will reach the House for the budget vote & the Senate to...

... defeat the Alito nomination. Not hard to focus on both objectives.

Please call!!!

[Sydnie]

11. Start a new thread and lets get this on the greatest page too n/t