Action Alerts

Just the facts, ma'am. Or at least just the action items. I just thought it would be a good thing to have a site dedicated solely to taking action and leave the pithy rhetoric to other blogs. Contacts: Senate, House and a way to FAX via the web!

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

And Another Excellent Resource

And Another Excellent Resource

This goes nicely with NeuvoLiberal's directory below. Perrspectives is an overall wonderful site, but the best thing is their resources list, including the document library.

Check them out!

Read more!

Congress by the Zip!

Congress by the Zip!

I found that when combined, the links below provide comprehensive information on Member of Congress (MoC) (website, phone, fax, address, and web-forms and/or email) based on your zip code:

Links for contacting

Members of Congress


1. congress.org directory listing
2. Senate's own member listing
3. visi.com search tool
4. ACLU's search page
5. Congressional leadership listing
6. dKosopedia's Election 2006 page (why is this here? hmm)

You may need cookies turned on for some of these links to work.

Call your Congress. It's good thing!

A variant appeared at Citizen Legislators.

Read more!

Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone

I'm Lefty Metalhead, and I have been invited to this blog by George Washington Hayduke. I would like to thank George for the opportunity to spread information via this wonderful blog. I look forward to contributing frequently with useful information regarding citizen action. Thanks again for the invitation.

I have my own blog,The Metal Pundit, and I welcome everyone to visit and comment. If you wish to contribute, email me: alexortiz83@msn.com.

Read more!

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Books to Prisoners

Books to Prisoners

What a fabulous organization:

Books To Prisoners (BTP) is a Seattle-based nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that provides free books to prisoners in the United States.

BTP believes that books are tools that open minds to new ideas and possibilities. By sending books to prisoners, we hope to foster a love of reading and encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement.

...Unfortunately, the prison population is growing and budgets for prison libraries are shrinking.

Many prisoners do not have access to dictionaries and other basic educational materials.

By volunteering or donating, you help us respond to an increasing number of book requests.


They are always looking for donations of time, money or books - please spread the word!


Read more!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Patriot Act Update

Patriot Act Update

There is talk in the Senate of filibustering the proposed renewal of this legislation.

Please call your senators. If they won't filibuster, encourage them to at least allow the controversial provisions expire.

[UPDATE] Sen. Feingold informs us that the Senate leadership has given up on trying to cram this through before Thanksgiving. Hallelujah. They will debate the act and the proposed safeguards in December.


Read more!

Pesticide Testing on Children

Pesticide Testing on Children

I think not. Please visit this diary and send the EPA a reality check.

Public comments are now being accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its newly proposed federal regulation regarding the testing of chemicals and pesticides on human subjects. On August 2, 2005, Congress had mandated the EPA create a rule that permanently bans chemical testing on pregnant women and children. But the EPA's newly proposed rule, misleadingly titled "Protections for Subjects in Human Research," puts industry profits ahead of children's welfare. The rule allows for government and industry scientists to treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments in the following situations:

Read more!

Save Eugene's Forests! (Oregon)

Save Eugene's Forests! (Oregon)

"EFAHP is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the wildlife habitat and natural resources of the East Fork Amazon Headwaters Forest."

Please join us in the effort to stop the development that will destroy this beautiful and irreplaceable treasure. It is nearly 40 acres and one of the most pristine sites left in the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary, home to the Pileated Woodpecker, Red Legged Frog and many other woodland creatures. It hosts Grand Fir Stands, Oak, Maple, Madrone and Ash trees. Its diverse native vegetation consists of Wayside aster, Tall bugbane, Corn lily, Twin flower, California fescue, Candy flower and Cow parsnip, just to name a few. It is part of the Amazon Headwaters and has a large stream corridor with many seasonal creeks and wetlands that flow into the Amazon Creek.

Read more!

Action Item Motherlode

Action Item Motherlode

Elise at dailykos has posted a weighty action alert chock full of things to do. Some highlights:

-Email Toyota and ask them to stop suing to overturn California's new regulations to reduce smog and global warming pollution from vehicles.

-Email Zales about their use of "dirty gold".

-Adopt an animal to save them from being endangered

-Buy a Democracy Bond!!

-Help ensure Voting is fair by sending a letter to your Congressperson

-MoveOn Petition to Hold Exxon Accountable

-Urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to propose better CAFE standards!

-Prevent Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) driving on the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

-Tell your Senators to vote NO on Alito!!

-Oppose the Walden Logging Bill at Earthjustice

-Check out The ONE Campaign

-Visit the WWF Winter Adoption Center and adopt a cute polar bear, snow leopard, or Panda Bear

-Support the Union of Concerned Scientists

-DFA petition urging Bush to oppose torture.

-Thank those Republicans that voted to save ANWR last week here.

-Visit Operation Truth and donate if you can

-Thousands of elephants in South Africa's Kruger National Park need your help NOW!

Read more!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Stop the Patriot Act

Stop the Patriot Act

Rep. John Conyers shows us a true Patriot Act in his staunch opposition to this overbearing legislation. It is currently slated for a vote later this week, so please visit his resource center and take action soon!

Make sure to let your Senators hear from you as well - remind them that dozens of U.S. cities, including New York, have denounced this legislation.

thanks!


Read more!

Monday, November 14, 2005

Bingaman Amendment

Bingaman Amendment

Please urge your senators to vote in support of Bingaman's amendment to restore the right of Habeus Corpus for GWOT detainees. While Graham's bill stripping habeus corpus provided for other significant oversights, any erosion of this legal principle, in any context, is a dangerous precedent to establish.

On Thursday, the Senate passed a measure that would deny foreigners declared to be "unlawful enemy combatants" the right to a hearing under the principle known as habeas corpus, which dates to Magna Carta. Instead, the measure would mandate an automatic review by a federal court of the status of the inmates now at Guantánamo Bay and any future prisoners of that kind. It would exclude coerced confessions from that review, and place important new controls over Guantánamo operations.

...The habeas petitions are not an undue burden. And in any case, they are a responsibility that this nation has always assumed to ensure that no one is held prisoner unjustly.

...We'd rather see the Senate delete the suspension of habeas corpus from Mr. Graham's measure now. Some constitutional principles are too important to play around with.


Please call your senators.

Read more!

Thursday, November 10, 2005

People Over Profits

People Over Profits

Tell Congress that big pharma doesn't need liability protection for Viagra.

Congress needs to act to protect Americans from the dangers of a pandemic flu outbreak – and the best way to protect Americans from the flu is to produce safe vaccines.

But the Bush Administration and Members of Congress are using fear of a flu outbreak as an excuse to slip in huge giveaways to the pharmaceutical industry. Proposals being considered would limit the ability of individuals to hold drug companies accountable if they give people unhealthy or deadly vaccines or drugs, even if they commit gross negligence.

Immunity for Viagra?

The bill doesn’t just give immunity to a flu vaccine. The legislation would allow the government to add drugs made by their favorite corporations to a list of those that would be protected. You name it, they could add it to the list.


Call your congresscritters about this, please!

Read more!

Friday, November 04, 2005

Give 'Em Hell Harry!

Give 'Em Hell Harry!

After kicking GOP bootay in the Senate the other day, Reid is pressuring shrubya to come up with an Iraq strategy a little more coherent than "until all our bases are completed the job is done."

Dear President Bush,

You can no longer mislead Congress and the American people and need to honestly lay out the facts about Iraq. It's time for an Iraq success strategy that will bring our troops home.

We cannot continue to stay the course in Iraq -- we must change the course.


Please sign his petition and share this info widely!

Read more!

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Safeguard Organic Standards

Safeguard Organic Standards

http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

lots of info and action items at that site. petition du jour:

On November 16, in Washington, DC, organic consumer and farm representatives will attend the National Organic Standards Board meeting to urge the USDA to stop allowing giant intensive confinement dairy feedlots to illegally market their milk as "organic." The OCA will be presenting a petition with thousands of signatures, which you can sign online right now:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/usda.htm

Read more!

Conyers to Bush: No Pardons!

Conyers to Bush: No Pardons!

Congressman John Conyers is, as always, on it! He is asking voters to demand that shrubya not issue pardons regarding indictments in LieraqGate.

sign his letter to shrubya

As the Fitzgerald investigation nears its conclusion, I am becoming increasingly concerned that Bush will prevent the exposure of wrongdoing in Treasongate by pardoning any indicted members of his administration before trial. I wrote a letter in July asking the President to pledge not to pardon these persons. I have yet to receive an answer so I have organized a letter writing campaign demanding an answer. Over 4,000 people have already signed so I'd like to generate at least 10,000 letters to Bush.

As some of you may recall, the President's father, President George H.W. Bush, pardoned officials under indictment in the Iran-Contra scandal. Some of those pardoned by Bush Sr. include officials in the present White House, like Elliott Abrahms, as well as others who have been purportedly linked to the falsification of the Niger documents. Those previously indicted and pardoned seem to be nearby when further crimes are committed against our country.

Read more!

Say NO! to ScAlito

Say NO! to ScAlito

moveon is hoping to get 50,000 signatures for their No Alito petition. Sign it and share it!

http://www.moveonpac.org/stopalito/


this action alert brought to you by bootrib.

Read more!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Polar Bears to GOP's Oil Sponsors: NIMBY!

Polar Bears to GOP's Oil Sponsors: NIMBY!

[UPDATE] We won again! In the face of a GOP implosion, too many moderate (and potentially vulnerable in re-election) moderate house members refused to toe the GOP line on this amendment. Hallelujah!

Oh, if only they could vote...

But they can't, so we need to give Congress what for and make sure they vote against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow. So we need to call today!

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under attack and we don’t have a minute to spare. We need your help right now to stop oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge before it's too late.

But time is running out. Please edit our letter below as you see fit, then click on the "Send this Message" button. Remember that if you take just a minute or two to add your own words, you increase the impact of your letter enormously.

Read more!