To help Elizabeth Warren campaign:

Together, we're building something special  View Mobile Version We're just a few hours away from our big fundraising deadline -- and the team says we're so close to reaching our new goal of 202,012 online contributions. Your contribution could be the one that puts us over the top. Will you make another online contribution of $25 or more now? From Fitchburg to Attleboro, Lowell to Holyoke, I'm traveling all across the Commonwealth to meet with Massachusetts families, hear their stories, and earn their support. I am deeply grateful to you and to the thousands of other people who are standing with me in this campaign. Together, we're building something really special here. Thank you for being part of this, Elizabeth   Follow Elizabeth on Facebook   Follow Elizabeth on Twitter All content © 2012 Elizabeth for MA, All Rights Reserved PO Box 290568 Boston, MA 02129 Paid for by Elizabeth for MA

March 31, Cesar Chavez Birthday - petition for national holiday

Sign the Petition for a National Cesar Chavez Holiday! Today we celebrate Cesar Chavez' March 31 birthday. The United Farm Workers and the Cesar Chavez Foundation are supporting the grassroots efforts of the Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday Coalition and U.S. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) in their efforts to make Cesar's March 31 birthday a federal holiday. Will you help us? Sign the petition today. Then help us spread the word by sharing the petition on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail it to friends, downloading the petition and sign people up at Cesar Chavez observances and other events. Cesar's March 31 birthday is is already celebrated as a holiday in ten states (AZ, CA, CO, IL, MI, NM, RI, TX, UT and WI). On March 1, Rep. Baca introduced legislation in the House of Representatives for the current congressional session that encourages the fourth Friday of every March to be observed as "Cesar E. Chavez Day." Cesar was, in Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's words, "one of the heroic figures of our time." He led the historic non-violent movement for farm worker rights and dedicated himself to building a movement of poor working people that extended beyond the fields and into cities and towns across the nation. He inspired farm workers and millions of people who never worked on a farm to commit themselves to social, economic and civil rights activism. Cesar's legacy, like the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., continues to educate, inspire and empower people from all walks of life. He is a role model for all Americans and for generations to come. Please help us ensure all Americans learn about Cesar's life and work. The Cesar Chavez National Holiday Coalition is gathering signatures on petitions asking Congress to designate March 31, Cesar's birthday and the day the UFW was founded, as Cesar Chavez Day.  Sign the petition today. Help ensure Cesar's legacy is recognized and celebrated throughout our nation with a federal paid holiday and a day of service and learning in our public schools. Si Se Puede! Take Action at: http://action.ufw.org/cecholiday Want to attend a Cesar Chavez event? Go to http://action.ufw.org/find to search for an event near you. Want to list an event on our local interactive community calendar? Go to http://action.ufw.org/list to list your event. Attending a Cesar Chavez event? Please share pictures and videos on our UFW Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/unitedfarmworkers "LIKE" our page to get news on the latest Cesar Chavez and UFW activities!

"Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader. And his cause lives on. As farm workers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in what Cesar Chavez accomplished so many years ago. And we should honor him for what he's taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation. That's why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez's birthday a national holiday. It's time to recognize the contributions of this American icon." --Barack Obama "It's supremely important that a day be selected to honor the life of Mr. Cesar Chavez for his quality of service to all humanity. His supreme cry of si se puede will forever resonate as a positive motivator as words of light." --Carlos Santana "He evoked a spirit and a challenge to all of us to do what was right for it’s own sake. “A national holiday honoring Cesar Chavez would secure his profound legacy." --Martin Sheen "Cesar Chavez deserves to be honored with a National Holiday. His life is a beacon of light toward the advancements of all cultures...Lived the life of one who is truly enlightened by the wisdom embodied in love, kindness and forgiveness. He, like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and others understood the meaning of non-violent social change...Cesar Chavez is truly a gift to humanity." --Edward James Olmos "The struggles Cesar Chavez was engaged in and the victories he achieved for civil rights, labor rights and the environment helped people throughout our nation....In these times of economic hardship and strife around the world, it is essential that Cesar’s legacy continues to inspire others to work for the fair and just treatment of all people." --U.S. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.)

Check out our website at: www.ufw.org and keep up with the latest news. Check out the UFW's Social Networking pages. Click to visit our Facebook Fan Page, Facebook Cause, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace,and Care2 pages. Please link to us and become our "Friend" and follow us on Twitter too! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for the UFW List Serve. United Farm Workers,  P.O. Box 62, Keene, CA 93531, http://www.ufw.org

Fannie & Freddie changing course for homeowners?

We have big news. NPR is reporting that the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are on the verge of reversing their positions and coming out for principal reductions for homeowners, the number one solution for the mortgage crisis. [1] But there's a problem: Ed DeMarco, head of the agency that oversees Fannie and Freddie, could squash this solution. He's been denying the proven financial benefits of principal reductions for homeowners, taxpayers, and the country. And until now, DeMarco claimed Fannie and Freddie agreed with him. But no more. According to the report, financial executives at Fannie and Freddie have now made presentations coming out in support of this important solution. [2] Ed DeMarco's got nothing to stand on. This is the moment we've been waiting for. The question is: Will DeMarco get out of the way and let it happen? We're not waiting to find out. We're going to demand it. We've started a petition on the White House website asking President Obama to take action now, and we need you to add your name. Sign our 'We the People' petition and tell President Obama: It's time for principal reductions, with or without Ed DeMarco. Signing a petition on the White House website is a special way to get President Obama's attention. In fact, if more than 25,000 people sign it, then the White House is obliged to make an official response. DeMarco is a right-wing ideologue and the most powerful man you've never heard of. He's the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie. DeMarco has been peddling his denial of the effectiveness of principal reductions for way too long. But now that even Fannie and Freddie disagree with him, the case is closed and it's time for DeMarco to end his right-wing crusade. We -- along with a broad range of economists, leaders, and government agencies -- have been saying it all along. Principal reductions allow homeowners whose homes are worth less than their mortgages to stay in their homes and keep paying their mortgages. It's a solution that could play a major role in pushing the housing market toward recovery, giving a big boost to our economy as a whole. Fannie and Freddie's reversal is big news, but until we see it happen, we can't let up. It's time to let the White House know that with or without DeMarco, principal reductions need to happen right now. The president has the power to fire DeMarco and replace him via a recess appointment. Sign the White House petition now and tell President Obama we won't wait any longer. Note that you'll need to create an account on the WhiteHouse.gov website in order to sign. It's an extra step, but it's worth it. We'll keep you updated on the story. In the meantime, we've got to keep the pressure on. Thanks, Ian and the Rebuild the Dream team  [1] Fannie, Freddie Consider Mortgage Write-Downs [2] Fannie and Freddie: Slashing Mortgages Is Good Business

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Rebuild the Dream is a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. You can follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

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Looks to me like AARP is selling us out again

		Tell AARP: Be a leader! Demand an across the board increase in Social Security We need to speak out now to make sure AARP, the powerful lobbying group that claims to represent 40 million older Americans, doesn’t sell us out by supporting cuts to Social Security. According to a recent story in the Huffington Post, AARP’s CEO is convening a small group of Washington insiders to discuss the future of Social Security. This closed meeting will be heavily stacked with “powerful Washington establishment figures who are on record favoring cuts to Social Security and Medicare.” Tell AARP: Listen to your members, not to the lobbyists and other special interests representing the “1 percent.” Contrast this to the leadership shown by the AFL-CIO who just called for Social Security benefits to be "increased across the board, while pointing out that Social Security is a “key solution to our retirement crisis.” Last year AARP faced a massive backlash when its board dropped its opposition to cutting Social Security and its policy director publicly signaled a willingness to consider benefit cuts. Tell AARP: Be a leader, demand that Social Security COLAs for seniors and people with disability take into account the high health care costs they face. After the public outcry, AARP backtracked and claimed it did not in fact support cutting Social Security. But now it looks like AARP is at it again, and this time backtracking will not be good enough. We need the AARP to stand up and fight for the benefits their members have earned through their hard work and payroll tax contributions. Tell AARP: Be a leader, demand an across the board increase in Social Security benefits! Ironically, while the CEO of AARP is set to hold a private meeting with people who want to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, the organization has also just launched an effort where it is advertising that it will “simply listen and gather information” and “give everyday Americans a chance to weigh in with proposals and recommendations” on the future of Social Security and Medicare. So if there’s ever a time to speak out to AARP, it’s now. Tell AARP: Be a leader, don’t pander to the insiders. Demand higher benefits. The wealthiest nation in the world can certainly afford a decent retirement for those who have contributed to building this nation throughout their lives. Speak out now and ensure AARP leads the call for increased Social Security benefits. Thank you for taking action to protect Social Security. Signed, Michael Phelan Strengthen Social Security Campaign
	Paid for and Authorized by Social Security Works