Corker Against Tennesseans

Senator Bob Corker(R) U.S. Senator Tennessee, Sides with China against American workers ! Thanks Senator Corker, for nothing. One day you won`t get re-elected. Anti-Union, You Bet`Cha ! Corker against Workers. God Help us, Senator Corker won`t ! Remember, this is the same Corker that voted against minimum wage.

Tennessee Bridges are Deficient !

Cross Over the Bridge ?

A Letter from Richard Trumka

Contact your congressperson her > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

In Tennessee, 1,225 bridges are deficient—and 4,827,711 vehicles cross those bridges every day. Meanwhile, 9.7 percent of Tennesseans are jobless.

With so many Tennesseans out of work and so many bridges and other pieces of critical infrastructure in need of work, there’s a simple solution: Congress must pass legislation putting jobless Americans to work fixing critical infrastructure—bridges, schools, roads, ports and more.

Tell your members of Congress: America is ready to get to work on our bridges, transit, rail, airports, highways, schools and the rest of our failing infrastructure.
These projects don’t just create good jobs for the people who do the original work—though that’s a big part of why they are important right now. They also make our economy perform better in the long term by increasing productivity. And they make America and our state better, safer places to live. Immediate work on Tennessee’s crumbling infrastructure is a start. But we also need to pass a fully funded surface transportation reauthorization and start now on even bigger projects—world-class communications and energy systems, high-speed rail and other infrastructure we need to be competitive in the 21st century.

Tell Congress: We need to fix our broken infrastructure and get started on even bigger projects, too—the world-class communications and energy systems, high-speed rail and other infrastructure we need to be competitive in the 21st century.
I haven’t been to China, though I hope to go soon. But I am told that when you fly to Shanghai, you land in a brand-new airport, you have high-speed broadband access from the moment you arrive and you can get on a high-speed train in the arrival terminal that will take you directly to downtown Shanghai at speeds faster than 100 miles per hour.

This just isn’t available in any U.S. city. But we can change that. We can meet these standards—and beat them. But only if our leaders rise to the challenge.

Thank you for all the work you do. Click on title of this article to contact congress.

In Solidarity,

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

Teachers View of Charter Schools ! ? ! ?

Charter Schools ~ God Idea or Bad Idea ?

By : A Math Teacher !

By : An Anonymous Teacher ~ Who is Not Allowed any Political or Educational input in Education ? Something wrong with this ? You Bet`Cha !

Charter schools are primary:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_education_in_the_United_States or secondary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary%20education_in_the%20United_States schools that receive public money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter

[1] Charter schools are opened and attended by choice.

[2] While charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition.< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuition_payments Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions systems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery In a 2008 survey of charter schools, 59% of the schools reported that they had a waiting list, averaging 198 students.

[3] Some charter schools provide a curriculum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculum that specializes in a certain field — e.g., arts, mathematics, or vocational training. Others attempt to provide a better and more efficient general education than nearby public schools. Some charter schools are founded by teachers, parents, or activists who feel restricted by traditional public schools.

[4] State-authorized charters (schools not chartered by local school districts) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_district are often established by non-profit groups, universities, and some government entities.

[5] Additionally, school districts sometimes permit corporations to manage chains of charter schools < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_store . The schools themselves are still non-profit, in the same way that public schools may be managed by a for-profit corporation. It does not change the status of the school. In the United States, though the percentage of students educated in charter schools varies by school district, only in the New Orleans Public Schools system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Public_Schools are the majority of children educated within independent public charter schools.

Teachers Thoughts/Opinion:

[6] From my point of view, Charter-Schools are an attempt to override local authority. You will need to research this, but I believe that only the state of Tennessee is capable of granting permission for a charter school to operate, not the local school board. Local school boards are required to make accommodations, including spare classrooms, or buildings. Charter schools often occupy the same building as the schools they compete against. They were created in an attempt to help serve the under performing districts by allowing another party to directly compete against what may as well be a monopoly on local education (the local school district). They are required by law to be non-profit, but that doesn't mean a few individuals at the top aren't making some serious money ! These schools only show up where a need can be demonstrated (Jackson, Nashville, Memphis...) mostly in large urban areas, and are funded the same way a local district is. It creates a situation where two parties are directly competing for the same resources (students = money).

Editorial : What are your thoughts or opinions ? Thank You, Math Teacher.
I have an opinion, but, will hold it for another blog. I want your`s !

Vote NO ! on FREE TRADE !

**Reminder** Get Ready to Act !
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 - National Call-In Day to
Oppose the Pending Free Trade Agreements

Make Sure You take Action !

www.house.gov

Washington DC Switch Board > 866-311-1889

According to many sources, we could see votes on the free trade agreements soon. We know these agreements will harm all workers involved. That’s why we need another wave of action – both in D.C. and across the country – to keep up the pressure!

Let’s also make sure to tell our Representatives that we need to get our focus back on real efforts to secure and create jobs. The President offered a plan – the American Jobs Act – that would put significant resources into infrastructure spending. That’s the kind of spending that secures and creates manufacturing jobs while strengthening our nation’s ability to compete globally. These jobs support our communities, paying on average 10-50 percent more than service sector jobs. Manufacturing jobs also have a huge ripple effect on the economy, with every one supporting five additional jobs.

Call Your Representative on Tuesday, October 4!

Dial the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at:
866-311-1889
Ask for your Representative.

Tell your Representative that you are a constituent and you want him or her to OPPOSE the Colombia, Korea and Panama free trade agreements. Also note that we should be focusing on real efforts to secure and create jobs!

If you have any difficulty getting through using the toll-free number, you can call your Representative directly. To look up his or her name and contact information, go to www.house.gov (find the look up feature at the top right of the page).

Thank you for all, who have already stood up for jobs and against bad trade!
Let’s keep the pressure on !

The Great Merrill ~ Dr. Walter Merrill, Heart Transplant Magician/Physician

Merrill, Walter, M.D.

Address: 2500 N. State St. - Jackson, MS 39216
Phone: (601) 815-2005
Toll-Free: (888) 815-2005
Areas of Practice:
Cancer, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Surgery, Heart, Heart Transplant, Lung Cancer, Surgery, Transplant

Dr. Walter Merrill of University of Cincinnati leaves for Mississippi
Date: Monday, March 16, 2009, 2:13pm
James Ritchie
Staff Reporter - Business Courier

The University of Cincinnati ’s Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Walter Merrill, has left for a job in Mississippi. Merrill started March 1, 2009, as chairman of the cardiothoracic surgery division of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
He had been at UC since 2002. His recruitment to Cincinnati from Vanderbilt University was called “quite a coup” at the time by Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, then-chief of UC’s surgery department. Merrill said things had been going well at UC, but that the opportunity in Jackson felt like a calling. “I was hopeful I could help accomplish things similar to what we were working on in Cincinnati,” Merrill said. “(Mississippi) has great leadership that really wants to grow their clinical programs, attract more patients, recruit more doctors, grow more research programs. That sense of energy, mission and purpose appealed to me.”
Among Merrill’s accomplishments at UC was re-establishing a cardiothoracic surgery training program. And he did it at a tough time. “We had seen the advent of a number of successful medical therapies and interventions which made cardiothoracic surgery not nearly as often indicated,” said Dr. Michael Edwards, UC’s chairman of surgery. “A number of patients were going for medications and stents. During that time, Walter established a new residency and made it a first-class training program.” Merrill, whose expertise includes heart transplant, heart failure and cardiac valve repair, will be missed, Edwards said. Nonetheless, UC has interviewed a potential replacement and hopes to fill the position by the end of March. “He’s laid a foundation,” Edwards said. “By continuing what Walter did, and doing them in greater frequency, we’ll actually be able to have a stronger program.” Geographically, Merrill is closer to his origins. The surgeon grew up in Alabama, and his wife grew up in New Orleans.
“There is a sense of coming home,” he said.

Editorial : You are asking why I publish this old news ? "The Great Merrill" was my Heart-Transplant Surgeon at Vanderbilt on 8/17/94 ! He is quite a guy ! 17 years have elapsed since my transplant. He must have done something right. Thank you Dr. Merrill. I know you will succeed wherever you practice !

Pulmonary Hypertension ~ Have Questions ? Get Answers Here

An Evening with Dr. Robbins (upper right) and Dr. Hemnes(upper left)
Pulmonary Hypertenion Specialist...Vanderbilt

WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011

5 PM -7 PM

WHERE: Darfons Restaurant & Lounge

2810 Elm Hill Pike

Nashville, TN 37214

(615) 889-3032



RSVP: Please RSVP by 3:00 PM, Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

There is limited seating, so please reserve yours early.

CONTACT: Evette Britton (615) 230-7040 or

e-mail > ebrit0164@comcast.net

DIRECTIONS:

From Nashville: Take I-40E toward Knoxville/ Huntsville.

Take TN 255/ Donelson Pike/ Exit 216C.

Turn right onto Elm Hill Pike.

Darfons is on the left.

From other locations, please use Mapquest below

> http://www.mapquest.com/ ) for directions .


This meeting is sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association's Support Group Central Fund. The Support Group Central Fund is made possible by a Platinum level sponsorship from Actelion Pharmaceutical & Pfizer Inc., and a Gold level sponsorship from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Republicans Get One Right !

Teacher Evaluations Questioned as Time-Consuming
By Jane Roberts
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Posted September 29, 2011

Tennessee Legislators across the state say the new process for teacher evaluations -- starting this year -- happened too fast and needs to slow down before teachers and principals rise up in revolt.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is mapping out scenarios they expect the legislature to consider when it convenes in January, including delaying or modifying the evaluations, the centerpiece of the state's $500 million Race to the Top allotment. "We need to evaluate what is in place and what has been put in place," said Rep. Ron Lollar, R-Bartlett. "I am very concerned about what is going on with evaluations and how they are being conducted," he said, adding that lawmakers understood the bill they passed in 2010 would not take away from teachers' time in the classroom. "It looks far more complicated than it was intended to be. It takes more teacher time, more administrative time, which means it takes away from the classroom," Lollar said. Under the new model, tenured teachers who were observed once every five years are now being observed and critiqued four times a year. Apprentice teachers must be observed six times a year. In Memphis City Schools, that means 500 certified administrators will conduct 29,000 observations -- each at least 15 minutes long -- followed by the estimated 30 minutes it will take to compile the details and share reflections with teachers. MCS teachers and officials say there is little rancor in the city system because teachers were invited to design its own metric. But in Shelby County Schools, teacher Rep. Jim Coley, R-Bartlett, said it took him nine hours to prepare lesson plans for a 50-minute history course at Bolton High. "The paperwork is going to be overwhelming," he said, adding that lawmakers were assured the change would require less paperwork and less time. "That is not going to be the case. People are anxious and sooner or later, they will change it. It's an unrealistic goal." Teachers and boards of education are also lobbying Nashville for proof that teachers have a reasonable chance of scoring high enough on the 1-5 matrix to keep their jobs. Under a law passed last session, tenured teachers could lose seniority if they dip below 4 or 5. Apprentice teachers must score that high in the final two years of their five-year probation or leave the profession. "When you have got teachers who have been doing excellent work for many, many years, going that extra mile, and they are told they probably only going to be a three, which is rock solid, but not a four or five, that is demoralizing to those people," said House Education Committee chairman Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville. "We've got to clear this up and make sure they are recognized for the work they do. I have voiced my concerns to the commissioner," he said. State Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman e-mailed assurances to teachers statewide last week, admitting the "system is not perfect" but saying it is a significant step toward improving student achievement. In a video posted to the Department of Education website, he said the state would be analyzing the scores. Administrators in schools or districts "not identifying 4's or 5's" will be immediately flagged for retraining "to ensure that we have alignment about expectations." But he also says teachers should expect changes over the summer.
"We will make some changes and continue to tweak the system," he said. Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, wonders where administrators will find time to conduct all the evaluations. "If you've got a school with 70 teachers, that is not unusual in Memphis, you have four evaluations times 70 teachers, which is 280 in 180 days.
"When are you running the school? When are you doing other things like planning class schedules or sending truancy letters?" he asked. "It's going to take teachers to stand up and say no, this is not working. School boards and superintendents are going to have to back them up and say 'this is causing problems.'"

Jane Roberts: (901) 529-2512

Editorial : Republicans and Democrats get this one RIGHT ! Give credit where it is due !

Your Pension Safe ?

Goodyear Pension Fund ?

Click below to read more.

#2: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT)
Under Funding as a % of Market Cap: -102.82%

2010 Projected Benefit Obligation: $8.337 billion

Total Amount Under Funded: $2.549 billion

Source: UBS

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-companies-getting-crushed-by-pension-costs-2011-9?op=1#ixzz1ZRfarCne

Falling interest rates and volatile stock markets are putting pressure on pension fund returns.

UBS's Janet Pegg warns that lower expected returns will eventually lead to higher pension expenses as companies try to improve the deteriorating funded status of their plans. Pegg's report identifies the 25 most underfunded pension plans, based on a percentage of market cap. We've pulled the 10 worst.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-companies-getting-crushed-by-pension-costs-2011-9?op=1#ixzz1ZRfarCne

Editorial : If we move all plants offshore, can we keep our pensions ? Goodyear is number#2 !

The Job You Save May Be Your Own...Voting on Trade !

Get Ready to Act ! Call Your Congressman

Contact your Congressman > http://www.house.gov/

Call Washington DC Switch board > 866-311-1889

Tuesday, October 4th - National Call-In Day to
Oppose the Pending Free Trade Agreements

Click here to find your Congressman> http://www.house.gov/

Cong. Stephen Fincher, Tennessee District#8 - 202-225-4714

According to many sources, we could see votes on the free trade agreements soon. We know these agreements will harm all workers involved. That’s why we need another wave of action – both in D.C. and across the country – to keep up the pressure!

Let’s also make sure to tell our Representatives that we need to get our focus back on real efforts to secure and create jobs. The President offered a plan – the American Jobs Act – that would put significant resources into infrastructure spending. That’s the kind of spending that secures and creates manufacturing jobs while strengthening our nation’s ability to compete globally. These jobs support our communities, paying on average 10-50 percent more than service sector jobs. Manufacturing jobs also have a huge ripple effect on the economy, with every one supporting five additional jobs.

Call Your Representative on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 !

Dial the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at:
866-311-1889

Ask for your Representative.

Tell your Representative that you are a constituent and you want him or her to

OPPOSE the Colombia, Korea and Panama free trade agreements. Also note that we should be focusing on real efforts to secure and create jobs!

If you have any difficulty getting through using the toll-free number, you can call your Representative directly. To look up his or her name and contact information, go to http://www.house.gov/ (find the lookup feature at the top right of the page).

Editorial : The JOB you save me your own ! Congressman Stephen Fincher, District#8-Tennessee webb-site below. His/our office phone in Washington DC is below web-site

Cong. Fincher > http://fincher.house.gov/office/washington-dc

His/our office > Phone# 202-225-4714

Those Who Benefit More...Should Pay Tax`s !

Long Overdue ! You Bet~Cha

Click below to sign petition >

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5660/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4799&track=20110927_Buffett_rule_petition&tag=buffet_rule_e1

There's not a doubt in my mind: We could have a game-changer in the tax debate.

Dear Don,

Last week, President Obama stepped up to propose the so-called Buffett(upper right) rule, which would close some of our deficit with new revenue from those making over $1 million a year, rather than relying simply on cuts to middle-class programs. Contrast that with the Republicans trying to leverage the deficit debate to cut Social Security and end Medicare as we know it. That contrast will make the Republican position almost indefensible with voters. And all the signs point to the president getting ready to go all in on this.

But to make the gambit work, we need every Democrat behind him.

Sign my petition today and show that you're behind President Obama's Buffett rule to make sure millionaires aren't paying less in taxes than middle class families.

This is smart policy. It is fundamentally unfair to allow some middle-class families -- who have seen their median income levels drop over the last decade -- to pay a higher effective tax rate than millionaires and billionaires. Plus, this proposal can raise serious revenue that can help us protect programs like Social Security and Medicare from the cuts Republicans want to impose. It is my goal for some proposal along the lines of the Buffett rule to come to the Senate floor for a vote. With the president traveling around the country, pushing the issue, we can win this fight. You and I and Democrats around the whole country really need to show our unity on this one to make the case that millionaires and billionaires should pay their fair share. Sign my petition today and show that Democrats are unified behind the Buffett rule -- then forward this petition to your friends and family, too.
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5660/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4799&track=20110927_Buffett_rule_petition&tag=buffet_rule_e1
This is the most encouraged I've been about our ability to turn the tax debate around on the Republicans. I hope you'll stand with us for victory.

Thank you,

Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator (upper left)

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs & Trade, Trade, Trade

Hypocrisy...You Bet`Cha !

Contact your Congressman > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Thousands upon thousands of middle class jobs are being eliminated, our nation’s infrastructure is falling apart and critical middle and working-class programs are facing cuts or elimination - all in the name of deficit reduction. At the same time, those who say that the extreme wealthy should contribute their fair share are denounced as wanting to tax job creators and start “class warfare.” Even America’s second-wealthiest person, Warren Buffet, pointed out a few years ago that “there’s class warfare, all right. But it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” Buffet has repeatedly called for increasing the tax rate on the very richest. President Obama’s recent proposal known as the “Buffet Rule” would do just that.

Consider this:

The IRS compiles data on the 400 Americans reporting the largest incomes. This group paid 16.6 percent of their income in federal individual income taxes in 2007, down from 30 percent in 1995. The drop works out to a tax cut of $46 million per filer in 2007, or a total of $18 billion in tax cuts per year. Why? Investment income – a huge chunk of the money – is taxed at much lower rates. The money is not being spent to create jobs. It is hoarded and sheltered from tax rates that workers have to pay to amass even larger personal fortunes, leaving workers and the middle class holding the bag!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
News on the trade agreements: A group of executives from 32 major companies ranging from General Electric to Dow Chemical recently sent a letter to Congress urging immediate action to pass the trade agreements saying that “U.S. goods, services, and farm exports are losing ground every day” without them. What they fail to mention is that 18 of the 32 companies are on record as outsourcing U.S. jobs – at least 18,600 jobs since 2001 – according to trade adjustment assistance data. Get ready to send a message to Congress on Tuesday, October 4. We’ll need to ask all to make calls to their Representatives/congressman . > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ < on the free trade agreements. A labor-wide lobby day will also be taking place that day. If you can make it to D.C. for the lobbying, let us know!

Roy Herron a Voice for Tennesseans ~ You Bet`Cha !

Tennessee Senator Roy Herron, District#24, Working for You !

e-mail here > sen.roy.herron@capitol.tn.gov

Below is an opinion piece I wrote for the Memphis daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. Taking away citizens’ right to vote infuriates me. But that is exactly what is happening to many, as this essay seeks to explain.

GOP’s Photo ID Law is More Voter Suppression.
By : Roy Herron

http://royherron.com/index.htm

When my 94-year-old mother was born, women were not allowed to vote. But then Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment, and for seven decades Mother has voted faithfully. This year, my Republican colleagues in the legislature took away that right when they made it harder for her — and as many as 675,000 other Tennesseans — to continue to vote. Ironically, legislators from the party that supposedly favors less government and more privacy passed a law requiring my mother to obtain a “big-government” photo identity card in order to vote. When the law goes into effect with the March 2012 presidential primary elections, poll workers will no longer accept her voter registration card as sufficient proof of identity. Mother has not driven in at least two decades, so she has no driver’s license. But when she is pushed in her wheelchair to the polls, not one election worker will mistake her for another 94-year-old trying to cast a felonious, fraudulent vote. My mother is one of 675,337 Tennesseans age 18 and older who, according to the Department of Safety, either have no driver’s license or have a license that does not carry their photo. These citizens may be registered to vote, but unless they obtain a photo ID from a driver’s license station or can produce another type of government-issued photo ID that the new law accepts (such as a military ID or a passport) they will not be allowed to vote. This new requirement creates several problems. First, one cannot get a government ID card from the state Department of Safety without producing a “primary proof of identity,” most commonly a birth certificate. Not surprisingly, my mother’s 1916 birth certificate has been misplaced. So she and thousands of other registered voters like her will have to get new birth certificates, which is where the next problem arises. To apply for a birth certificate, my mother must either travel to the state Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records in Nashville, submit her request online or telephone the office. Traveling nearly halfway across the state is not feasible for many elderly, disabled, mobility-challenged, poor or employed Tennesseans. My mother and thousands of other Tennesseans are not computer literate, so they cannot order a birth certificate online. I recently asked Annie Prescott, a Nashville attorney, to navigate the third option — a phone call to the Office of Vital Records. She spent the better part of an hour on the phone trying to speak to a live person. Over 15 menu options offered by a series of recorded messages led to three busy signals and four hang-ups. Finally, Prescott got a real person on the phone, who instructed her to call another number. That number was for a company that charges an additional $15 to process the $15 request. And unless you pay another $5 to expedite service you must then wait weeks to receive the birth certificate. So the total cost of what is supposed to be a free state-issued photo ID card so far is $35, not counting the long-distance charges for the phone call, the cost of \one’s time or the frustration of the process. And applicants still have to take the birth certificate to a driver’s license testing station, where they may have to wait in line for hours. Only 43 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have such centers. Half the counties in West Tennessee, and two-thirds of the counties in my state Senate district#24, don’t have them. Some of the rural Tennesseans I represent will have to drive from their county through a second county and into a third to reach the closest driver’s license center — a trip of 40 to 60 miles each way. Taking a day off work and with gas averaging $3.58 a gallon, even at minimum wage the expense of travel and lost wages will cost people perhaps an additional $80 to $100 to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This cost of this process—in many cases totaling $110 to $135, if not more — is such a burden that for many voters it will amount to disenfranchisement. Not Voting. My Republican colleagues claim this legislation is necessary to prevent voter fraud, citing a state Senate election in Memphis in 2005 in which votes were recorded from two deceased people. But the fact is that the culprits in that case were dishonest election workers, not voters. Photo ID cards would not solve that problem. My mother has children who live in West Tennessee, and we’ll do what has to be done to ensure she can continue to vote. But what about the other mothers and fathers, the blind, the hearing-impaired, the disabled, the elderly, the poor and the working people who already struggle to pay their bills, much less these new “poll taxes” of $100 or more to meet the requirements of the photo ID law? This law is simply the latest in a long chain of outrageous actions designed to keep those who don’t look or think like the controlling politicians from voting. People have died trying to register to vote. Now even those who are registered may still be denied the right to vote.

Editorial : State Senator Roy Herron, may be writing about his Mother, He`s Talking about Tennesseans. Better wake up Folk`s ! We need a voice in the Senate, for the middle class. We have it. Thank You, Senator Herron !

Vote for Your Political Hero`s & Villains

Your Vote Count`s !

Today we're launching a nation-wide grassroots campaign to keep the Senate and take back the House in 2012. We're calling the campaign "Beat Boehner."

Help us start off strong by telling us the progressive Heroes in Congress you think we should work to defend -- and who the Villains are in Congress that we should defeat.

http://heroes.democracyforamerica.com/?akid=1346.1654342.gN8VZJ&rd=1&t=2
Find your Heroes and your Villains and cast your vote right now. Click below.

http://heroes.democracyforamerica.com/?akid=1346.1654342.gN8VZJ&rd=1&t=1

The members of Congress that get the most votes as "Heroes" will win DFA's endorsement and will be our top electoral priorities in 2012. We'll send the campaign 2,500 new grassroots donors and 500 pledged volunteer hours to help them win.

On the other hand, the members that get the most votes as "Villains" will win our "anti-endorsement." We'll run a TV ad against them in their district, and we will work to defeat them on Election Day.

Who should we help? Who should we defeat? Vote now.

Is your hero Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who led the fight to pass marriage equality in New York and is working hard to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress? Or how about Rep. Raul Grijalva who fought this year for a budget that would make corporations pay their fair share?

Who do you think is a villain? Is it Paul Ryan, who had a plan this year to destroy Medicare as we know it? Or is it Michele Bachmann, who actively campaigned to de-fund Planned Parenthood and said the organization engages in sex trafficking?

We're ready to win in 2012. We're ready to beat Boehner and all his cronies. Now all we need is your help.

Vote now for your Heroes and Villains, and tell us where to begin. Click below.

http://heroes.democracyforamerica.com/?akid=1346.1654342.gN8VZJ&rd=1&t=2
Cast your Vote,

Underdog = Don Jones

SOS ~SAVING SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE

Saving Our Social Security

Click Here > http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/soc_cut_2/

You can also click on the title of this blog !

Dear Underdog Readers,

President Obama may no longer be proposing cuts to Social Security or raising the Medicare eligibility age but the Supercommittee is still meeting. And they are looking at ways to slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid while protecting tax cuts for millionaire$ and billionaire$.

Our friends at CREDO Action have been organizing around the Supercommittee too, and we wanted to share an important action they’re leading. I thought you’d want to take part.

Click here > http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/soc_cut_2/

Thanks,

Don Jones = Underdog
Strengthen Social Security Campaign

What we Need is a "Little Good News Today" !

America at the Crossroads !
by: Don Jones = Underdog

9/22/11

Click here to keep Social Security Safe http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare

Anne Murray recorded a song about America "A Little Good News Today" ! On days like today, it is most difficult remain an optimist. I love our Country/America. Our Congressman/Senators are talking Government shut-down again,. President Obama is still trying to appease the Republicans. Republicans seem to hate Social Security and middle class people in general Click here to help http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare . Politician`s are sending all of our manufacturing jobs to foreign country`s. We have cut tax`$ for the rich, they have all their cash and taxable items off-shore. There are not enough working tax payers to make up that huge RICH Tax Cut ! We have troops all over the world. The Stock Market had a very bad day, today. Now, who is to blame for this mess ? Our elected politicians. It does`nt take a rocket scientist to realize that with no jobs, we have fewer tax payers. Yet we still send millions to foreign countries for foreign aid ? Charity/Love is a marvelous attribute. I too, believe in helping our neighbors. However, Charity/Love begins at Home ! It seems our politicians are so busy helping themselves and those who give them money, they have forgotten US-A ! What to do about it ? I`m not sure ? At one time, I thought, I knew how to cure this problem, and to be sure, I think, I still have some answers. It`s just that our politicians are so busy jockeying for position, they are allowing our Country to fall into an abyss. It is not the grassroots Americans that are the problem, it is our elected and appointed career government workers. It is a bad day for America. Things will not get better, until we bring our jobs back. No jobs, no tax-payers. It is as simple/difficult as that. The ball is in President Obama`s court. It must be his decision. I say, "Give Em H*** "! Harry/Barack ! Bring our great country back from this great abyss/oblivion ! Click here to Help http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare ! Not a pretty picture ! Can we rebound ? Yes. Only if we have a Franklin D. Roosevelt or Harry Truman or Dwight Eisenhower, take the reins. Unfortunately, I do not see one yet ! Politicians "The Real Problem"! You Bet`Cha !

China is Eating Our Lunch !

China is Stealing Our Jobs...One Manufacturer at a Time !

Help Stop the China Job Drain: Tell Congress to Take Action on China's Currency Manipulation

Dear Friends,

Unfair trade with China continues to cost us jobs, and our manufacturing sector has been hit the hardest.

According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a staggering 2.8 million U.S. jobs have been lost over the last decade as a result of the U.S. trade deficit with China, including 1.9 million in manufacturing. The new report concludes that China’s illegal currency manipulation is a major cause of our rapidly growing, job-killing trade deficit with China.

Every state in the nation has experienced job losses as a result of our growing trade deficit, with California and Texas leading the pack in highest net losses. Click HERE > http://www.americanmanufacturing.org/china-job-loss/ < to find out how many jobs China has cost your state.

We need your help to stop the China job drain. Click HERE > > > > > > http://capwiz.com/americanmanufacturing/issues/alert/?alertid=21669501&type=CO < to urge your members of Congress to take immediate action to curb China’s currency manipulation.

Reducing our trade deficit and stopping China's unfair trade practices can grow jobs, lower our trade deficit, and put the U.S. on a more sound fiscal footing.

Together, we can Keep it Made in America. We have lost so much now. Our Politicians are not helping this situation at all !

Sincerely,

Underdog = Don Jones

Anonymous comment

I know you won't post this, but at least read it: it agrees with your point of view and mine, and every other American:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/28/cant-create-jobs-without-taking-on-china/

Traffic Light Camera`s ~ Scam, You Bet`Cha ! Steals Your Idenity.

Traffic Light Camera Scam Steals Your Identity

Traffic light cameras are annoying at the best of times, but while some people manage to escape the fines, most of us simply pay up without thinking about it or questioning whether the charge is valid. Tricky scammers are taking advantage of that lazy human tendency, making a handful of money and stealing identities in the process.

Scare tactics:

The scam is simple. A no-good type picks your phone number at random and, once you answer, tells you that you have an overdue red light camera fine. The only way to avoid a significant late fee, a court case, or even jail time is to pay the bill right then and there over the phone. If you don't pay up, you're threatened with a warrant for your arrest. Of course, there was no camera, no photograph, and no overdue bill. The scammer really has no ability to arrest you, fine you, or take you to court.

Taken off guard:

The voice at the end of the phone line identifies itself as that of a police officer, possibly even giving you a (phony) identification number. As well as trusting you to be lazy and not do your fact checking, the scammer is working on the element of surprise. It's scary to be told you may be facing a jail sentence over something you have no recollection of doing, and you'll be more inclined to overlook a few simple signs that should tell you that the phone call is anything but legitimate. After convincing you to pay the fraudulent fine, the "traffic cop" will ask for your credit card information, including the security code. That's required information for paying any bill from a remote location. Alarm bells should start ringing as the questions continue, though, as the caller asks for your billing address, date of birth and Social Security number. Surely, the police would have some — if not all — of this information on file. They have your license plate in the photo from the red light camera, after all.

That's not our style:

No American police agency currently conducts business like this; in fact, no agencies anywhere conduct business like this. The police do not use the telephone to chase down or collect overdue fines or tickets. They use the postal service or, in more dire cases, a process server or law enforcement officer. Even if things did get to the third-party debt collector stage, all correspondence would be carried out in writing, creating an official paper trail that can be traced back and audited if necessary. The police (and most other authorities) will not ask you for personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call. Dialing the cable company to pay your bill by credit card is one thing — you dialed the numbers, and you can be relatively certain you are connected to the right party. But even with Caller ID, there is no real way to verify incoming calls; if questioned, scammers can come up with a quick excuse. Perhaps they are "calling from a different office" or "a new number that hasn't been set up yet."

Other variations:

While this red light camera scam is relatively new (originating in Texas, by the way), it's very similar to another popular identity theft attempt. In that instance, you'll receive a call informing you that you have missed jury duty and — you guessed it — must pay a fine or be slapped with a late fee, along with possible jail time or a court case of your own. Just like the traffic camera scam, there is no missed jury duty, and the "court official" on the other end of the phone is after your money and your personal information.

Throwing you off the scent:

In a particularly nasty twist, you might receive a second call a few days later. The operator made a mistake — it wasn't your car in the photograph, or it wasn't really your name on the jury duty list. Gushing apologies, the caller will fall over himself to reassure you that your credit card will not be billed and that he is very sorry for wasting your time and causing you undue stress. This second call, of course, is a distraction. You are so happy that you aren't really in trouble that you don't think back over the phone calls too closely and don't think to check your bank account to double-check the transaction. By the time you do check, it's often too late.

Common sense prevails:

Fortunately, this simple scam has an equally simple method of prevention. Never, ever provide personal or financial information over the phone, email, text, or mail when solicited by a stranger. At the same time, find out as much as you can about the caller. Get a contact number, name, account number, job title, and any other relevant information that will help you identify them later. Tell them a story about wanting the information in case you need to call back later, if you must. (Hint: They're not going to want to give their details freely.) If you believe you may have been sucked in by this scam, call your credit card company immediately and cancel your card(s). Look carefully at your statements to see if there are any fraudulent transactions, and report those as soon as you can. Consider getting fraud alerts placed on your credit report by contacting your credit bureau, too; these can be free and well worth your time, if you're concerned.

If you've handed over your Social Security number, slap yourself on the wrist and report that to the authorities, too. You will, unfortunately, need to take further steps to protect yourself from more serious fraud and identity theft

Editorial : This writer believes that the "Traffic Light Camera Scam" is just that , A SCAM, participated in by local government to obtain revenue, with no involvement ! So Sad ! Thanks to Mike Stanley for this one.

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Social Security A Solemn Promise ! Order Out Chaos

Don`t Cut Social Security & Medicare ! Make it Stronger !

Contact Congress > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ <

Contact White House > http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Why should we/older Americans be made to sacrifice, when we did`nt borrow from Social Security, Politicians Did !

This morning President Obama announced his plan to reduce the federal deficit—and it did not contain a penny of cuts to Social Security. He also did not renew his offer to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67. In the past several months, tens of thousands of you have joined this movement to deliver exactly that message—Social Security does not contribute a penny to the federal deficit, so don’t cut it.
Today’s announcement marks an important victory. It shows that when we work together to deliver the message that Social Security works for all Americans, we can win. But it also shows our vulnerabilities. The president’s plan still proposes steep cuts to Medicare – most of which, thankfully, will NOT come out of peoples’ benefits – and large cuts to Medicaid. And the powerful Supercommittee of 12 members of Congress has two months to put their deficit-reduction plan on the table. They are not bound by what the president proposed today. So we still have our work cut out for us in coming weeks. Despite these ongoing challenges, today you should feel good about all you have done. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Eric Kingson & Nancy Altman & Underdog = Don Jones
Co-Chairs
Strengthen Social Security Campaign

ordo ab Chao