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QUOTATION: People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing. - Walter H. Judd

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2004-08-30 - 1:21 p.m.

I'm in a Counter Convention Mood - Get your Credentials Here!

Bev stopped by this morning on her way to Sacramento Metropolitan Airport to pick up the speaker for tonight�s Code Pink Counter Convention keynote address. I�ve read a draft of his speech and it�s dynamite�he tells it like he sees it, no holds barred.

Code Pink Counter Convention in Davis

Monday and Tuesday, Aug 30 and 31, 6:30 pm � Central Park

Counter Convention: A two night teach-in with speakers, music and action tables. Issues to be discussed include empire building, global pollution, deregulation, efforts to clean up the environment, prison industrial complex, alternative fuel, the occupations � Palestine and Iraq and other issues of US foreign policy. Monday will focus on global issues and Tuesday will focus on national and local issues. Special memorial for Iraqi and American dead. For info call: 530 756-1900

Find a Code Pink Activity in your community or sign up to be a Code Pink volunteer.

Matching Funds will Double your donation to Democratic Party if made during August

We are less than 36 hours away from the Democratic Party's end of the month fundraising deadline. This deadline comes right as the Republican convention begins to heat up. As a campaign, we beat George Bush and his big money contributors five months in a row, and last week you raised more than one million dollars in one day for the Democratic Party -- now it's time to help the DNC beat the RNC by contributing today.

Recognizing the urgency of this moment, a group of leading Democrats has established a special matching fund. These stalwart supporters of our party have agreed to match dollar for dollar every contribution you make between now and tomorrow at midnight.

Emily�s List

Emily�s List Top Ten Reasons Why "W" is "Wrong" for Women

As the Republican National Convention gathers in New York to give George W. Bush four more years in the White House, find out the reasons why that's four more years too many for women and families nationwide.

10. W's Policies Threaten the Environment

President Bush's proposed budget for FY 2005 slashes $1.9 billion from environmental protection programs, including water and sewer funding, land conservation, wildlife protection, and parks funding. The Bush Administration has also let polluters off the hook, by not enforcing the Clean Air Act against certain companies; Bush's EPA issued a rule making it easier for power plants to avoid installing the best technologies to reduce the large amounts of cooling water they withdraw from oceans, bays and rivers, endangering aquatic ecosystems. Four years of George W. Bush putting corporate profits ahead of environmental health is four years too many.

9. W's Right-Wing Judicial Nominations are Wrong for Women's Rights

President Bush is bound and determined to stack the federal bench against women's right to choose. Nominee Priscilla Owen repeatedly tried to rewrite Texas law to deny young women their right to choose. Nominee Carolyn Kuhl urged the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade while working in the Reagan Department of Justice. Recess-appointed Bill Pryor recently reaffirmed his position that Roe v. Wade was �the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law.� Despite strong Senate opposition, Pryor will sit on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals until Congress adjourns in the fall of 2005. Four years of a right-wing stack of the bench is four years too many.

8. W's Medicare Reforms Are the Wrong Prescription for Seniors

Under Bush Medicare reform, about 6 million low-income seniors, of which 59 percent are women, will lose their eligibility and will face higher drug co-pays and more limited coverage than they would have under Medicaid. Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 2.7 million seniors will lose their retiree health coverage, pushing them into the less-generous government plan. Four years of Bush-care has left Medicare on life support.

7. W's Health Care Policies Flatline American Families

During Bush's tenure, out-of-pocket health care costs for workers have risen 50 percent, with annual out-of-pocket expenses up $174 (52 percent) for individuals and $793 (49 percent) for families. And, one million women have lost their health care coverage, while the number of Americans without health insurance increased by 2.4 million to 43.6 million in 2002. Four years of rising costs and decreasing coverage is four years too many.

6. W's Unequal Pay for Equal Work Insults Women Workers

The Bush Administration has done little to reverse the huge payment gap that exists between women and men doing the same jobs in the workplace. The Bush-Cheney FY 2002 budget slashed funding for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces federal laws against discrimination, and eliminated the Equal Pay Matters Initiative, a multi-million dollar project to tackle discrimination and train women for better jobs. Today, the average American woman earns just 76 cents for every dollar earned by the average white American man. Similarly, African American women earn only 66 cents on the dollar, while Hispanic women earn only 54 cents. After four years of slashing equality, it's time to send Dubya to the unemployment line.

5. W's �Overtime Is No-Time� Rules Bankrupt Hardworking Americans

Recent actions by Bush's Department of Labor have denied millions of hardworking Americans their right to overtime pay, an act that especially hurts women and single heads-of-household who must juggle their work schedules with daycare and family responsibilities. Analysis by the Economic Policy Institute shows that non-management, salaried workers will lose their right to overtime pay, along with hourly workers who are at risk of being shifted to salaried employment with invented "responsibilities" in order to evade overtime pay requirements. After four years, it's time to clock out the Bush Administration's timecard.

4. W's Minimum Wage Is No Raise for American Workers

The Bush administration and Republican congressional leaders have repeatedly blocked attempts to pass legislation to raise the minimum wage. The inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is 24 percent lower today than it was in 1979, and in real dollars, $5.15 an hour minimum wage is worth just $4.75. If the wage had merely kept pace with inflation since 1968 when it was a $1.60 an hour, minimum wage would have been $8.46 an hour in 2003. While Republicans continue to oppose raising the pay of low-income workers, President Bush takes his opposition one step further by supporting the ability of states to �opt out� of a new minimum wage law. After four years of minimum Bush, it's time for America to �opt out� of a Republican White House.

3. W's Amazing Disappearing Child Care

By the Bush Administration's own estimates, their budget would slash at least 200,000 children from the child care rolls by 2009, neglecting the child care needs of low-income working parents. Combined with last year's Bush budget, which cost 100,000 children their assistance, a total of 300,000 children will be cut off as a result of bad Bush budget choices. As if that isn't bad enough, the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that as many as 447,000 children stand to lose child care assistance by 2009, based on the Bush budget's proposed funding levels. After four years of dwindling care, it's time to send W to the corner for a �time out.�

2. W's Every Child Left Behind Education Policy

At a mere three percent, the Bush budget proposes the smallest increase in nine years for education at a time when schools throughout the country are struggling to meet the mandates of the President's own education reform bill, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In fact, Bush underfunds NCLB by $9.4 billion, thus leaving millions of children behind. After four years of failing our children, it's time to revoke Dubya's hall pass.

1. W's �Let Me and Dick Choose For You� Initiative

Bush launched a full-scale attack on a woman's freedom of choice last November when he signed the first-ever federal ban on an abortion procedure, the so-called Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, with no exception for protecting the health of a woman. Bush has also re-imposed the global gag rule on reproductive health organizations, attempted to stack the federal judiciary with anti-choice judges, and has worked to establish fetal rights in an effort to undermine Roe v. Wade. After four years of George W. Bush's attempts to control our reproductive freedoms, it's time to exercise our right to choose a Democrat for President!

Emily�s List suggests a Get Out the Republican Party

They�ve got a platform, ways you can help promote it, and some fun names for great recipes, such as

  • The Haliburton - A truly tasty dish that will have your guests telling you the truth: it's honestly delicious! Add extra olive oil and smile.

  • Wild Condoleezza Rice Salad - A Native American dish that even worldly (or wordy) jet-setters can enjoy.

  • One-Way Ticket Back to Texas Caesar Salad - Oh so flavorful and motivating! This dish is light on your tummy and heavy on your taste buds.

  • Angel Hair (for better health care!) Pasta - A vegetarian dish all the GOP convention spectators can savor. It'll remind you why you're voting for Kerry!

  • Cantaloupe With Your Lover Salsa - Juicy cantaloupe mixed with spices is a delectable accent for every-day chicken. Must cook with the one you love.

  • Good Patriot Cheesecake - Wow your guests with a decadent multi-colored cheesecake � no one loves America more than you!

  • Ranger Cookies - Sounding like the official baked good of the Bush/Cheney campaign, your party guests will be sure to leave no cookie behind!

    For the recipes, Emily List Top Ten Platform, how to become a virtual volunteer, click here.

    And they didn't even mention any of the items on Amnesty International's list. Amnesty International Report 2004 Updates Selected events covering the period from January to April 2004 - Amnesty International" It troubles me to see the United States featured prominantly on the watch list.

    God Bless You...And God Bless America!

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