Dec 17, 2008 -- Fight the Right-Wing Wackos Links of the Day.

** Food and Water Watch **
( http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ )

The USDA recently put out a proposal to deal with the issue of access to pasture for meat and dairy cows being raised as organic. It prohibits the use of feedlots for organic beef and dairy cattle. It’s time for the organic industry to level the playing field for family farmers and make sure that organic animals are raised in ways that meet consumers’ expectations.

Take action now to advocate for strict organic standards.
( http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/741/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26353 )

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** Jobs with Justice **
( http://www.jwj.org/ )

KeyBank was approved for $2.5 billion as part of the national bailout. But instead of using the money to give relief to those hardest hit in the current economy, KeyBank is using their bailout money to increase corporate profits by buying other banks and underwriting Oak Harbor Freight Lines, a company that has cancelled its retirees health care and violated US and international labor laws affecting hundreds of striking Teamsters in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Listen to an ad about KeyBank here.

Last week, Jobs with Justice Coalitions in Portland and Seattle protested at KeyBank branches as part of the People's Bailout National Week of Action. More actions are planned this week in six cities throughout the country.

Tell KeyBank: We won’t back down until we see justice!
( http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/keybank/ )

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** Friends of the Earth **
( http://www.foe.org/ )

President-elect Obama and Congress are working to pass a green-jobs economic stimulus package—but it is in danger of being hijacked by the road-building lobby, which wants billions of dollars for unnecessary new roads that would increase global warming pollution.

Transportation is responsible for 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 70 percent of our oil consumption. By investing in clean transportation solutions including public transportation and smart growth, the stimulus package can create green jobs and reduce our dependence on oil.

Send Congress this simple message: New Roads = New Pollution. Keep the stimulus clean.
( http://action.foe.org/t/8489/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26352 )

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** Natural Resources Defense Council **
( http://www.nrdc.org/ )

Each spring, billions of birds descend on the wild Canadian boreal forest to build nests and raise their young. More than half of North America's bird species breed in the boreal, and for many, the ancient forest provides their only nesting ground. A stretch of just a few miles in this vast northern network of forests, lakes, river valleys and wetlands can support as many as 600 breeding pairs of migratory birds.

Yet critical nesting areas in the western boreal are under threat by tar sands production, a new type of oil development. In Alberta, tar sands mining and drilling cause significant bird habitat destruction. Toxic waste ponds result in up to 100,000 drowned and oil-drenched birds every year. And global warming changes already affecting boreal birds are exacerbated by the tar sands, which account for Canada's fastest growing source of global warming pollution.

But the Canadian government continues to allow expansion of mining and drilling for tar sands oil in the boreal forest, anticipating a growth from the current 1.3 million barrels per day to as high as 5 million barrels per day. If this destruction continues at the projected rate, as many as 166 million birds, including future generations, could be permanently lost.
What to do

Tell the Canadian government to protect bird habitat throughout the boreal forest by halting the expansion of tar sands mining.
( http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/nrdcaction_121008 )

Nov 01, 2008 -- Fight the Right-Wing Wackos Links of the Day.

** Jobs with Justice **
Since old and senile John McCain denounced ACORN during the last presidential debate and FOX News began accusing them of criminal activity hundreds – HUNDREDS – of times, ACORN staffers have received death threats in Ohio and Rhode Island. Offices in Washington and Massachusetts have been vandalized. Numerous threatening and racist phone calls have been made to ACORN offices across the country. This, when just two years ago John McCain himself stood in solidarity with ACORN, saying of ACORN's members, "they are what makes America special."

McCain's attacks have to stop. They are wrong. These vicious attacks against ACORN threaten the work that ALL community organizations do, and the results for the hundreds of thousands of people that organizations like ours work with will be disastrous. We will have to suffer the consequences - to ACORN, to the communities in which we work, to our democracy - long after the election is over.

It will take millions of people to shut down the assault and stop the lies. Our friends at Brave New films have made a fantastic video about ACORN, debunking the outrageous lies and more to help.

Please take a moment and add your name to our open letter to the McCain campaign, asking him to just stop. See the letter, and then add your name by completing the form. THANK YOU.

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** Food and Water Watch **
The US Department of Agriculture is considering a petition to allow genetically engineered papaya trees to be commercially grown and sold in Florida. This would be the first time this genetically engineered crop would be grown commercially in the mainland United States. If the agency approves this petition, it would remove all regulatory oversight of this type of genetically engineered tree.

Tell the USDA that consumers don’t want Genetically Engineered papayas!

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** Credo Action **
Here at CREDO, we're paying close attention to potential voter suppression issues that could affect voters around the country. Today, we're writing to let you know about a problem in New Mexico that could lead to voters being disenfranchised.

The problem: Private investigators have been showing up at the doors of poor and Latino voters - asking them intimidating questions, insinuating that they don't have the right to vote.

Who's affected: New Mexican voters in good standing who have every right to go vote on Election Day - but who may not show up at the polls if they've been frightened in their own homes.

The solution:

1. E-mail Attorney General Mukasey - the Department of Justice is charged with stopping voter suppression and protecting every American's right to vote. A spokesman for the DOJ's civil rights division has said that they are "looking into" this problem, but that's not good enough. We need a serious investigation worthy of these insidious tactics.

2. Pass this site on to every New Mexico voter you know - with only days left till the election, we need to make sure that as many New Mexico voters as possible are educated about this problem so that if intimidators show up at their homes, they'll know the right thing to do: Shut the doors in their faces.

Tell the Department of Justice: Investigate voter intimidation in New Mexico.

Your Fight the Right Activist links for May 18, 2008

** Save Darfur **
Recent rebel attacks in and around Khartoum have raised fears of widespread atrocities against Darfuris.

The White House must use all diplomatic tools to stop retaliatory attacks against innocent civilians.

Urge President Bush to take immediate action to help protect the people of Darfur.
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** Jobs with Justice **
After Hurricane Katrina, billions of dollars poured into the Gulf Coast region to rebuild.

Unfortunately, many corporations used these funds to enrich themselves instead of investing in the devastated communities. When Signal International needed workers to rebuild the shipping industry, they did not hire and train the local population. Instead, Signal used the exploitive “guest worker” visas and corrupt recruiters to hire cheap labor.

Welders and pipe-fitters from India paid recruiters up to $20,000 for the promise of temporary visas for themselves and their families. Upon arrival to the U.S. these workers were placed in cramped, unsanitary housing, charged exorbitant rent, had their passports taken from them, and were even physically beaten when they spoke out against these unacceptable conditions. Their working and living conditions in the Gulf Coast amounted to modern day human slavery.

On March 6, more than 100 workers broke the human trafficking chain and quit their jobs at Signal in protest.

Wednesday April 14th, these brave workers are starting a hunger strike to demand action from our elected officials.

You can help! Please urge your Representatives in Congress to hold hearings on Signal International and to grant asylum to the workers.
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** Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee **
Millions of Americans are losing their homes in the worst foreclosure crisis in recent memory, and the Bush Republicans in Washington are content to sit on their hands.

That's not good enough for the American people, so Democrats are doing everything we can to rush federal assistance to people devastated by the mortgage crisis. But again this week George Bush threatened to veto House legislation to provide immediate assistance to those in need.

You can help us show our opponents that the American people are serious about solving these problems. Please join our efforts today.
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** National Parks Conservation Association **
With less than 10 years before the 100th anniversary of the National Park System, the time to take action is now. The National Park Centennial Fund Act is one of the best ways to do it. The bill could ultimately provide up to $100 million in federal funds each year for ten years, to be matched with a similar amount of financial support from the community.

This bill helps us take a critical step towards restoring the parks--but only if Congress acts on it.

TAKE ACTION: For nearly 100 years the parks have been inspiring visitors. Let's make sure they are there to continue to inspire Americans well into their second century. Urge your Representative to pass the National Park Centennial Fund Act before its too late.

Your 5 Minute Activist Links for April 10, 2008

** True Majority **
Just when you think it can't get any worse, the Bush Administration finds a new way to shock the conscience. Yesterday, ABC News reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chaired explicit White House discussions about which torture techniques should be used on prisoners.

They "were so detailed" that "some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed -- down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic."

This is the first time that we have evidence that senior officials, "not only discussed specific plans and specific interrogation methods, but approved them". Given these new revelations, Condoleezza Rice can not continue as Secretary of State.
Sign our Petition demanding that Rice resign: http://www.truemajority.org/condi

** Jobs with Justice **
Despite widespread opposition to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement in the United States and Colombia, President Bush has sent the agreement to Congress, trying to force a vote before he leaves office. Take action now and tell your Representative to vote NO on the Colombia FTA.

** Avaaz.org **
Robert Mugabe's government has withheld the results of the national elections--and threatens to use violence and fraud to hold on to power.

Mugabe has resisted international pressure--but South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, who has Mugabe's ear, might listen. A global outcry is needed to ensure that Mbeki knows his status as a global and regional leader is on the line: the world is turning to him to help bring justice for the people of Zimbabwe.

This petition will be delivered through diplomatic channels, media--and an event on Wednesday, April 16, when Mbeki travels to the United Nations to chair a special meeting of the UN Security Council.

** Amnesty International **
One million children have been forced from their homes. Over two million Darfuri civilians have been displaced by the violence that has gripped the region around Darfur. Countless families, friends and communities require humanitarian assistance. The price for supporting the peacekeeping mission and restoring stability in Darfur is high. Your actions can be worth millions. Tell Congress to ensure funding for peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.

Your 5 Minute Activist Links for March 30, 2008

** American Civil Liberties Union **
Ongoing efforts by the ACLU and its members helped get the House of Representatives to do the right thing and stand up to the administration's fear mongering, including rejecting the Monkey King Bush's unconstitutional spying bill, and, just before Spring recess, passing the FISA Amendments Act -- a far cry from the blank check that the Monkey King Bush demanded so strenuously.
Tell your representative and Speaker Pelosi to stand strong against a spying bill that harms the Constitution.


** National Parks Conservation Association **
Any day now, the Senate could vote on a package of public lands bills that will greatly benefit our national parks and public lands. Some of NPCA's top priorities-- reauthorization of the Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, the Cesar Chavez Study Act, and the Acadia National Park Improvement Act to name a few--are all in the mix. These bills have strong bi-partisan support, and yet they’ve been held up for more than a year.
Write your Senators and urge them to vote in favor of S. 2739.

** Jobs with Justice **
In the tomato fields of south Florida, modern-day slavery still thrives. As part of the week of action, students across the country are demanding that Burger King and food industry leaders work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to improve the wages and conditions for the workers who pick tomatoes and join an industry-wide effort to eliminate human rights abuses from Florida’s fields.
Click here to sign the National Petition to End Sweatshops & Slavery in the Fields.

** Working Families **
Another petition to eliminate modern-day servitude in America produce fields.

** Sierra Club **
The good news is that thanks to the support of our Sierra Club members and supporters we were able to block a staggering 5,000-acre timber sale in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
But the bad news is our fight to protect the majestic Giant Sequoias is not over. More than half of the remaining groves — located in Giant Sequoia National Monument — are in jeopardy because, despite being rebuked by the federal courts, the Monkey King Bush Administration is refusing to back off its plan to log this irreplaceable ancient forest. That’s why we are asking you to act now and sign our petition to Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell, asking her to implement the strongest possible protections for Giant Sequoia National Monument.