Action Alerts

#1: Join DFAM

#2: Stop Heavy Trucks from Becoming Bigger

Stop Heavy Trucks from Becoming Bigger

The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks works to prevent increases in the size and weight of heavy commercial vehicles.   As any motorist knows, our highways are congested enough. The last thing we need is heavier and bigger trucks. Yet, that is exactly what powerful Washington, DC lobbyists for the nation's biggest trucking companies are trying to get. Just this year Florida and Ohio changed state law to allow trucks heavier than 80,000 pounds (the federal limit) on state and local roads. Also, 16 states now allow triple-trailer trucks that stretch 110 feet. 

What you need to know:

• Law enforcement, local governments, small businesses, environmental groups and labor organizations representing truck drivers oppose these increases.
• These measures are being pushed by large, powerful corporations that want bigger trucks.
• Longer, heavier trucks consume more fuel and emit more pollution.
• They create more traffic congestion due to their size and weight and the amount of time it takes for them to move after stopping. 

Become involved in halting the tide of bigger and heavier trucks. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), a national non-profit, grassroots organization is leading the public campaign against truck size and weight increases.

To learn more or to get involved in our fight, please contact the regional director, Paul Schipul, at 703-535-3131 or pschipul@cabt.org.

#3: Coffee & Canvassing

COFFEE & CANVASSING!

join us for our first campaign canvass this season. 

We're getting 3 bangs for the buck this week, walking for Joe Garcia, Millie Herrera and Annette Taddeo

Come on out & help these great candidates win!

DATE: SATURDAY, 7/24/10

PLACE: LA CARRRETA, 11740 SW 88TH STREET (KENDAL DR)

TIME: MEET AT 9:15 AM, BEGIN CANVASS AT 9:30 AM

CONTACT: WENDY SEJOUR, wendy@dfamiami.com or 305-389-2256 

Bring a friend and don't forget to wear a hat and sunscreen!

#4: Don't Wait, Don't Delay

Last week, Governor Howard Dean challenged President Obama to honor his pledge to repeal the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for Americans serving in the United States Military -- and he asked you to join him by adding your name to his open letter.

Over 75,000 members of Democracy for America and Courage Campaign have signed on to the campaign and the number is growing every day, so we extended the deadline and have expanded our goal.

We'll have a huge impact when we deliver your signatures to Senators next week, just days before they decided if the repeal should be included in the Defense Authorization bill this year.

We can reach 100,000 signature by Monday at 9am if we work together to make it happen.

ADD YOUR NAME -- THEN ASK OTHERS TO JOIN YOU

Already, your actions backed up the more than 300 military veterans who converged on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress in an event led by Servicemembers United, the Human Rights Campaign and the Courage Campaign.

Next week, when we deliver the open letter with over 100,000 signers backing up the Governor's message, we'll be sending a message the White House can't miss.

Senators are scheduled to start marking up the Defense Authorization bill as soon as next week. Our best chance to pass the repeal this year is for Senators to include it in the bill.

The time to act is now. That's true for the President and Congress -- and it's true for us too.

We must make sure at least 100,000 Americans add their names by Monday morning to Governor Dean's open letter calling on President Obama to keep his promise and do the right thing.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/activities/332

Thank you for everything you do,

-Arshad

Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America

#5: Nothing short of despicable

That's how the Gainesville Sun described legislative leaders Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos' attempt to neuter Amendments 5 and 6 - the Fair Districts Florida amendments that would end legislators' ability to gerrymander and draw districts designed to keep them in power.

Call your state representative today - urge them to vote NO on HJR 7213. Click here to look up your state rep's phone number.

Legislative leaders, like incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, view Amendments 5 and 6 as a threat to their power. Make no mistake - Amendments 5 and 6, supported by the nearly 2 million Floridians who helped put these amendments on the 2010 ballot, will end the backroom deals and partisan politics that result in gerrymandered districts designed to keep incumbents in power. Naturally, Rep. Cannon and Sen. Haridopolos want to preserve their own power and keep these amendments from becoming reality. So they're trying to place their own amendment on the ballot through HJR 7213, which if passed by Florida voters in November, will render Amendments 5 and 6 useless.

Call your state representative today - urge them to vote NO on HJR 7213.

HJR 7213 is a subversion of democracy and a cynical ploy by legislators to undermine the expressed will of nearly 2 million Floridians and their desire for Fair Districts. As Floridians, we must stand up to this kind of arrogance and disdain for our democracy.

For progress,
Mark and the Progress Florida team

#6: Support a Fellow Progressive!

Last year I was fortunate to have received your support and was chosen for the Democracy For America Netroots Nation scholarship. In Pittsburgh, I met Senator Spector and Congressman Joe Sestak, I laughed at Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's radio appearances (featuring her on a stripper pole) with Congressman Alan Grayson. I hung out with Charlie Cook and Markos from the Daily Kos. This fella called Charles Chamberlain kept claiming to know me and DFA's trainings led by Matt Blizek were done by some absolute rockstars.

I am utterly grateful for the opportunity. This year Netroots Nation will be in Las Vegas and another young, driven and talented person deserves to go. Dan Connors from Florida State University is a star in the making, as FSU College Democrats Vice President and CFO of the Florida College Democrats he has been on the ball like few others this last year. LET'S SEND HIM TO VEGAS!

Just go on DFA National's site and voice your support for him!

And hey, I made him promise, what happens in Vegas gets back to all of us!

Franco Caliz-Aguilar
DFA Miami President

#7: Tell Obama: Let us fight for the public option.

Tell Obama: Let us fight for the public option.

During most of the health care fight, we were told that the public option was supported by a majority of senators but lacked the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.

But now that reconciliation is on the table and the public option can be passed by a majority vote, the White House is saying the votes aren't there to pass it.

The fact of the matter is that aside from a few well-known public opponents, there aren't many Democrats who actually want to be held responsible for the demise of the public option.

Our polling shows that the public option remains overwhelmingly popular in state after state. It also shows that the version of health care reform passed by the Senate, which doesn't include a public option, is very unpopular.

So you might think that Senate Democrats would jump at the chance to incorporate the public option into their bill.

That's what 35 members and counting of the Democratic caucus in the Senate have said they'd like to do, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his top two lieutenants: Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin.

Furthermore, just a few weeks ago, Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told Rachel Maddow if the Senate leadership put the public option in the Senate bill, the White House would fight for it.

But now the message coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is that majority support for the public option has evaporated -- but they won't tell us who's switching sides.

Tell President Obama that it's time for some transparency. If he doesn't think the votes are there for the public option in the Senate then it's time for him to name names.

#8: HAPPY HOLIDAY!

HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HOLIDAY

SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!

#9: Health Care for America Now!

URGENT: Public Option Amendment Vote is Tuesday!

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on amendments to add a choice of a public health insurance option to Max Baucus's bill on Tuesday. It's urgent that you call your Senator on the Senate Finance Committee right now and ask them to vote for a public health insurance option.

Give your Senator a call immediately and tell them to vote for a public health insurance option! Click here to call.

The Senate Finance Committee is the most conservative committee in the Senate, itself the most conservative house of Congress. And yet, even in the Finance Committee we have a lot of support for a public health insurance option, and you can help us build more.

Call now!. The voting will happen on Tuesday, so contact them today!

As Senator Rockefeller said, "There is no alternative to the public health insurance option, the only alternative is the status quo."

#10: Do you remember the Patriot Act?

Do you remember the Patriot Act? Rushed through Congress in October 2001 with little debate, this flawed legislation curtails your fundamental freedoms.

And now, just like in 2001, legislation is moving through Congress quickly.  But this time, we have a chance for genuine Patriot Act reform.

Senator Russ Feingold and nine other senators have introduced the JUSTICE Act, a bold piece of legislation, which effectively reins in the out-of-control government powers embedded in the Patriot Act. We now need your help to gather more support for this comprehensive legislation.

Ask your senators to co-sponsor the JUSTICE Act.