Remember when the minimum wage was worth enough that a family with two wage earners could live adequately on it? Yeah, me neither. Because that was back in 1968, when the Federal $1.60 rate was worth $10.04 in 2010 dollars. These days the Federal rate is $7.25 and the wage in Arizona is $7.65, thanks to a ballot initiative Arizonans passed back in 2006 with 65% of the vote. But even that $7.65 is too much for the politicians doing the bidding of the 1%. The Commerce Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives just passed a bill that would cut the minimum wage by $3 for teenagers and $2 for tipped employees. This takes money directly from the hands of the people who need it the most, disproportionately hitting women and youth. Sign the petition and tell the 1%ers in the Arizona legislature that we won’t give back anyone’s paycheck. We support a strong minimum wage as part of a sensible pro-99% economy that works for everyone. An adequate minimum wage is a critical part of an economic growth strategy because it targets the people most likely to spend the money immediately and locally. This triggers a “multiplier effect” which helps everyone: businesses small and large see increases in demand for goods and services, leading them to hire more people to keep up with demand. The pro-1%ers in the Legislature are saying that they have to take money away from minimum wage earners in order to save jobs. But the unemployment rate in Arizona is now 8.7%, the lowest it has been since March of 2009 and the minimum wage went up $.40 on January 1. This clearly isn’t about jobs, but about the naked greed of the 1%, emboldened to raid the paychecks of the lowest-paid, even as the rest of us still struggle. Sign the petition to tell the Legislature “Hands off the minimum wage.” With the economy making small, fragile improvements, now is not the time to cut the earning power of anyone, especially those workers who will immediately spend their wages directly at local businesses. Stand up to the 1% and tell the Legislature to invest in low-wage workers, not steal their paychecks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¿Recuerda cuando el salario mínimo tenía un valor suficiente que una familia con dos asalariados podía vivir adecuadamente? Sí, yo tampoco. Porque eso fue en 1968, cuando la tasa federal de $1.60 valía $10.04 en dólares del 2010. En estos días la tasa federal es de $7.25 y el salario mínimo en Arizona es de $7.65, gracias a una iniciativa electoral que pasaron los arizonenses en el 2006 con el 65% de los votos. Pero incluso $7.65 dólares es demasiado para los políticos que siguen los ordenes del 1%. El Comité de Comercio de la Cámara de Representantes de Arizona acaba de aprobar un proyecto de ley que reduciría el salario mínimo en $3.00 para los adolescentes y en $2.00 para los empleados que reciben propinas. Esto toma el dinero directamente de las manos de las personas que más lo necesitan, y golpeara de manera desproporcionada a mujeres y jóvenes. Firme la peticion para decirles a los del 1% en la legislatura de Arizona que no vamos a devolver el sueldo de nadie. Nosotros apoyamos un salario mínimo fuerte como parte de una economía razonable y pro-99% que funcione para todos. Un salario mínimo adecuado es parte fundamental de una estrategia de crecimiento económico porque se dirige a las personas más propensas a gastar el dinero de inmediato y local. Esto provoca un "efecto multiplicador," que ayuda a todos: pequeñas y grandes empresas ven el aumento de la demanda de bienes y servicios, llevándolos a contratar más gente para mantenerse al día con la demanda. Los que apoyan al 1% de la legislatura dicen que tienen que tomar dinero de las personas con salario mínimo para poder salvar empleos. Sin embargo el índice de desempleo en Arizona en la actualidad es de 8.7%, el índice más bajo desde marzo de 2009 y el salario mínimo incrementó $.40 el 1ro de enero. Es claro que esto no se trata de empleos, sino más bien tiene que ver con la codicia descarada del 1% que tratan de sacar ganancia de los cheques de pago de los peor pagados, aun cuando el resto de nosotros seguimos batallando. Firme la peticion para decirle a la Legislatura "Manos fuera del salario mínimo." Con la economía haciendo mejoras pequeñas y frágiles, ahora no es el momento de reducir el poder adquisitivo de nadie, especialmente para aquellos trabajadores que inmediatamente gastaran su salario directamente en los negocios locales. Únete para hacerle frente al 1% y exigirle a la Legislatura que invierta en los bajos salarios de los trabajadores, en lugar de robar sus cheques de pago.

A critical issue to the very existence of the fine wine industry in New York has been brought to our attention and we wanted to make you aware of it. One of the largest liquor wholesalers is lobbying the State Senate to include an “at rest” provision in their 2012 budget. The practical effect of “at rest” means that only those distributors delivering product out of New York warehouses could legally sell you wine. Legislation such as this would affect essentially every wholesaler currently in operation other than the two biggest ones, since they almost all warehouse in New Jersey, including our company. Imagine a landscape with only the two largest wholesalers remaining to work with. Selections would become painfully limited. Prices would most certainly rise. Service would plummet. Their pro-“at rest” argument (union warehouse jobs and revenue) is simply a veiled attempt by this wholesaler to destroy all of the fine wine wholesale competition, because most of your valued New York wholesalers would undoubtedly be forced to close their doors. We have contacted our State Senators to tell them that we oppose “at rest” in either legislation or budget language. We urge you to do the same before FRIDAY, MARCH 9th. Please contact your Senator to tell them you oppose “at rest.” We thank you for your time, your attention, and most of all your support.

With gas prices soaring, the need for affordable transportation choices is more important than ever. Join the thousands who have already signed the paper petition and make sure that our leaders at the statehouse save the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.

An estimated 1 in 5 children in Iowa does not get enough food at home. Food banks have seen a 30-50% increase in demand. Support Senate File 2291, a bill introduced by Senator Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, that would help launch a $2 million program (0.03% of the state budget) to stock food banks when supplies run low.

Gas prices are so high, who can afford it? Lets tell everyone we are not going to pay for it.

This election year was to be about the economy and jobs, however, women and children have become the 2012 GOP focus. The proposed tax cuts in Oklahoma shift the taxation burden even further on the middle class. Abortion and birth control have nothing to do with the economy. Please do not penalize the middle class, children's education or women's right to health care.

RI State Senator Nicholas Kettle (R-Coventry, Foster, Scituate) is bringing the War on Workers to Rhode Island. Teachers are not to blame for the poor management and financial problems besetting RI school districts. Just like workers are not to blame for poor corporate management and Wall Street driving our economy off a cliff in 2008.

Our economy, environment and civil rights can be improved with one quick change. US State governments are realizing the potential of hemp in all it's uses by re-legalizing all over the country. Let's respect our historic rights and re-legalize it to stimulate environmental change and good business that will improve Missouri with Hempcrete for Construction, Plastics, Textiles/Clothes, Paper, Food, Medicine, Oils, Suppliments, Animal feed/bedding, and much more.

Forbes reported that AT&T was worth over $265 Billion Dollars in total assets. Forbes ranked AT&T 13th on Forbes Global 2000, which ranks the most powerful companies in the world. Why would a company ranked 13th in the world be laying off. Some may blame Greedy CEO's and Share Holders. Some may blame the fact that AT&T has out sourced many of its Middle Class jobs to Foreign Countries. Others may blame failed plans to buy T-Mobile USA. Regardless of who you blame, we all can agree that America can't afford not one additional layoff. AT&T employees are banning together with Communications Workers of America (CWA), hundreds of other Labor Unions, Politicians and Clergy, to put an end to the WAR on Middle Class Workers. AT&T proposed layoffs could cause foreclosures in your neighborhoods while their out sourced worked will create job opportunities, housing, and help build economies in other countries. That’s why it is extremely important that you join with fellow Americans to save jobs, and create jobs here in the United States of America. CWA is known for being a Community Minded Union. So should the company our Members work for.

Governor Bentley and the Alabama State Legislature are pushing an agenda that takes money from state schools, and from Medicaid, in order to balance the budget, while they enforce an extremely biased and unjust immigration policy and trample on the rights of Alabama Women.

Chronic underfunding of the NIH has resulted in evisceration of our national medical educational infrastructure, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, severe damage to all 50 state economies, erosion of our internation edge in medical research, and the closure of hundreds of ancillary small businesses such as laboratory supply houses. The proposed flat budget for NIH next year will considerably sorsen this situation.

The Governor of Idaho just pushed through the legislation a tax break only for Idahoans who earn $36,000 or more a year. This bill only effect the top 17% of tax earners and is blatant pandering the the wealthy in the state of Idaho. This money would be better used reversing the cuts made in Medicaid then giving to the wealthy.