Next Thursday in Inwood

Will you host a "Congress: Don't Double Our Rates" gathering in Inwood next Thursday, June 27?  Host an Event!

Dear MoveOn member,

The numbers are staggering: The cost of college has increased 440% over the past 25 years,¹ students are graduating with an average of $26,000 in college loans,² and student loan debt is now at more than $1 trillion—more than the nation's combined credit card debt.³

But it could get even worse. Congress is on the verge of letting student loan interest rates double in just thirteen days. If we let that happen, we'll lose our best opportunity to provide relief for millions of students and graduates being crushed by student loan debt—and miss our chance to have a real national conversation about what investing in students might look like.

That's why MoveOn members coast to coast are rallying at the offices of members of Congress next Thursday, June 27, to send a clear message to Congress: Don't Double Our Rates! 

We still need a host for an event near Inwood. Can you step up and lead? Click here to post your gathering for Thursday, June 27:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290698&id=69701-10220574-heRkCyx&t=2

First pick a time and a location for your action and post it in MoveOn's online system, then we'll invite other MoveOn members in your area to attend and make sure you have everything you need for a successful Bank on Students action. And you'll be equipped with the latest updates on Sen. Elizabeth Warren's Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, which would let students pay the same rates the big banks pay. 

As Sen. Warren told 10,000 MoveOn members during an emergency briefing earlier this month, making sure student loan rates don't double on July 1 is the vital first step in taking on the student debt crisis that burdens so many American families today.

Click here to host an event in your community.

Thanks so much for all you do.

–Anna, Manny, Rosy, Linda, and the rest of the team

1. "Student Loan Debt Is a Beast. Here Are Elizabeth Warren's, President Obama's, and the GOP's Plans to Fix It," Mother Jones, June 3, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290535&id=69701-10220574-heRkCyx&t=4

2. Project on Student Debt, accessed June 17, 2013 
http://projectonstudentdebt.org/

3. "Who makes money off your student loans? You might be surprised," Yahoo News, May 23, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290799&id=69701-10220574-heRkCyx&t=5

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 18, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Can you help out?

Dear MoveOn member,

MoveOn has recently added a bunch of cool new features to our website where anyone can start their own online petitions—and now we need help from folks like you to make sure everything is working exactly right.

You can help by launching your own petition on whatever issue you're most concerned about and sharing it with your friends. As you get started, we'll be keeping tabs on our end and fine-tuning anything that can be improved.

To be clear, we don't want fake petitions just for testing purposes—it only helps if you start a real petition on an issue where you really want to make a difference. But by starting a petition now, you can not only make your voice heard on an important issue but also help MoveOn road-test our newest online campaign tools for the next person.

Click here to start your petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Steven, Nick, Alejandro, Carinne, and the rest of the team 

P.S. If you get 20 signatures on your petition, we'll email it to at least 1,000 people in your area to help it grow (assuming, of course, that it's consistent with MoveOn's progressive values).

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 17, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday: Crossroads Rally to ban fracking in New York

Dear New York MoveOn member,

I wanted to make sure you saw this important call to action from our friends at Food & Water Watch—I don't think you'll want to miss this:

I'm writing to make sure that you know about an important event that's coming up. This coming Monday is the Crossroads Rally, a historic opportunity for all New Yorkers to tell Governor Cuomo to pursue renewable energy—not fracking—here in New York.

Will you join us at the rally? We have buses available from more than 20 cities across the state, converging at noon in Albany for this historic moment.

Click here to sign up for the rally.

Hope you can make it on Monday!

Sarah Alexander
Deputy Organizing Director, Food & Water Watch

Tens of thousands of New York MoveOn members have signed petitions, attended rallies, and organized locally to call on Governor Cuomo to keep fracking out of the Empire state. Momentum is building around the state—let's show the power of our movement this Monday.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Alex, Lenore, Eric, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 15, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tell Congress: Don't double student loan interest rates!

On July 1, student loan rates could double. So just days before the deadline, on Thursday, June 27, we're organizing a national day of action to stand with students across the country and tell Congress: Don't double student loan interest rates! Can you host an event in Inwood? Click Here to Host!

Dear MoveOn member,

In 16 days, student loan rates are set to double—if Congress fails to act.

That's why on Thursday, June 27, just before the deadline, we're organizing a national day of action to make sure that Congress hears our message loud and clear: Don't let student loan rates double!

Can you stand with students across the country by hosting a Bank on Students action on June 27 in Inwood?

Yes! I can host a Bank on Students Day of Action!

MoveOn members have been doing emergency organizing to make sure that the Republican proposal to double the rate of interest on student loan debt doesn't pass. After an emergency briefing with Senator Elizabeth Warren last week, hundreds of MoveOn members took immediate action by going directly to their members of Congress and telling their student debt stories. Students across the country are also organizing Bank on Us actions at their upcoming graduations.

The June 27 Bank on Students actions will ramp up the pressure on Congress to do the right thing and stop student loan rates from doubling.

Hosting an event is simple. All you have to do is pick a time and a location, either outside of your local congressional office, on campus, or outside of a local lender like Fannie Mae, and then register your event through the link below. After you register your event, we'll recruit other MoveOn members to it, and we'll make sure you have everything you need for a successful Bank on Students action.

We've got momentum on our side—but we need members like you to help amplify the voices of students across the country by organizing Bank on Students actions in your community. Can you stand with students across the country by hosting a Bank on Students action on June 27 in Inwood? 

Yes! I can host a Bank on Students Day of Action!

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Carinne, Ilya, Susannah, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 14, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Fwd: URGENT CALL ALERT! Fair Elections NOW!

Dear New York MoveOn member,

We've got one week left to pass campaign finance reform in New York that could be a model for the nation. Thousands of MoveOn members and allies have campaigned for months to pass the Fair Elections Act. Now it's time for an all-hands-on-deck, final push.

Here's an update and urgent call to action from petition creator Susan Weber:

Dear MoveOn member,

We're down to the wire on FAIR ELECTIONS for NY...only a bit more than a week till end of session. 

The Assembly passed the bill in May; now we must convince our Governor Cuomo, the NY Senate's Independent Democratic leader Jeff Klein, and Majority Leader Dean Skelos that we need public financing! Our message? "Do the right thing. Don't go home without it!"

Please call your Governor Andrew Cuomo (518-474-8390), Dean Skelos (518-455-3171) and Jeff Klein (518-455-3595). Remind them:

• 91% of New Yorkers say political corruption is a serious problem in NY¹
• More than 70% of likely voters in New York favor public financing of elections to fix this problem²
• Public financing will cost about $2 per citizen PER YEAR.³

We can't afford NOT TO DO IT!

You can report your calls here (or not...but please do call).

These calls count. The operator's job is to take your message for the boss. Please call EARLY and OFTEN!

Thanks for all you do... If you don't, who will?

Susan Weber
MoveOn Regional Organizer
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/fair-elections-for-new?id=69456-10220574-gAskklx&t=2

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Lenore, Joan, Wes, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "New York Voters Expect More Political Corruption Busts—And Say Their Reps Might Be Next: Siena," NY Daily News, April 22, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290665&id=69456-10220574-gAskklx&t=3

2. "New Bipartisan Poll: New York Voters Overwhelmingly Agree Campaign Finance Reform is Key to Ending Corruption," Fair Elections for New York, May 6, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290666&id=69456-10220574-gAskklx&t=4

3. "Study: Public campaigns will cost less than $2/person," Capitol Confidential, December 3, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290667&id=69456-10220574-gAskklx&t=5

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 13, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday in Rockville Center: The People Demand Fair Elections Petition Delivery

☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆

Take Action Monday in Rockville Center

Host: Joe L.  Where: Senator Skelos' Office When: Monday, June 10 at 2 p.m. What: The people of New York are sick and tired of corruption in politics! The Fair Elections Bill provides a comprehensive and balanced approach to campaign reform. We are gathering at Sen. Skelos' office to present him with a petition with over 10,000 signatures. Senator Skelos, you must allow the bill to come to the Senate floor for a vote. That would be true democracy! Can you join us in Rockville Center on Monday? Click below for more details and to RSVP: Yes I'll be there! I can come. I can't make it. Sorry, I can't make it, but I'm interested in getting more updates.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 8, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Congress listened to me on Tuesday

I survived sexual assault when I served in the Navy. On Tuesday, I went to Washington, D.C., and told Congress that they must deliver justice for me and other survivors now. Will you call your senator right now and tell him you support legislation to have military sexual assault prosecutions removed from the chain of command so that survivors have someone they can call to report assaults? Senator Charles Schumer Phone: (202) 224-6542 Report Your Call

Dear MoveOn member,

I had a long day Tuesday, but it was well worth it.

I traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first time in my life to carry my message of removing prosecutions of military sexual assaults from the military chain of command, with the support of more than 215,000 MoveOn members and supporters from the Courage Campaign. I started my MoveOn petition campaign more six weeks ago, and it was time to get answers from Congress.

I survived multiple sexual assaults while I served in the U.S. Navy in Alaska. Some of the people who attacked me were my commanding officers, making it nearly impossible for me to report the crimes without fear of them hurting me again, or worse.

The media were interested in my story, and they started interviewing me at 6:20 a.m.!¹ But my first meeting was at the office of Senator Mitch McConnell, my senator. Sen. McConnell isn't on the record supporting my cause, and he didn't accept my request for a meeting last week while he was in Kentucky for the Senate's Memorial Day recess. But at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, I went to his D.C. office.

I was nervous—they made me wait for 20 minutes—but then they apologized and his staff person told me something that no one had ever heard before: Sen. McConnell had heard my story, seen my campaign, and supports removing military sexual assault prosecutions from the chain of command. That's a huge deal.

I then met with Representative Jackie Speier, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Senator Lisa Murkowski's staff, all of whom agreed that we need to change how we prosecute these crimes in the military. I met with Sen. Gillibrand right after she finished grilling the leaders of the military at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on sexual assault about how they've "lost the trust of the men and women who rely on you, that you will actually bring justice in these cases."²

I left Sen. Gillibrand to do an interview with ABC News about my experience delivering my petitions and my opinions on the hearing that was happening right behind me. As I spoke, I turned and saw the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military leaders—who had just got finished defending the status quo that enables thousands of military sexual assaults every year³—fill the hallways and stand close enough to hear my story and my call for change. They didn't speak to me, but they could no longer keep me quiet either.

I had to catch my breath after that, before dashing off to do a video interview with the Washington Post and grab lunch.⁴ I finished the day with a final Hill meeting with Representative Niki Tsongas, who's also fighting hard to change the system.

My last stop of the day was a CNN appearance with Jake Tapper, which I almost missed because of crazy D.C. traffic.⁵ But I made it, and Jake asked me to tell my story on live television to his viewers, and then he promised to personally help me and other survivors get justice.

I'm back home now and trying to get some rest after my 48-hour whirlwind trip. But I left Washington energized to keep fighting for justice. I need your help to get every U.S. senator to co-sponsor legislation to remove military sexual assault prosecutions from the chain of command. Please call Senator Charles Schumer right now and get him on board.

Senator Charles Schumer
Phone: (202) 224-6542

Then, please report your call by clicking here.

It took a long time for me to become able to tell my story and push hard for this change. I hope that everyone, including other survivors, will come forward and speak out so that our servicemen and servicewomen can serve without fear of being attacked by their brethren.

Thanks for all you do.

–Trina McDonald

Sources:

1. "Tuesday, June 4, 2013," WTOP, June 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290511&id=69068-10220574-cnxbtZx&t=5

2. "Gillibrand, McCaskill grill military leaders over handling of sexual assault," NBC Politics, June 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290512&id=69068-10220574-cnxbtZx&t=6

3. "Military Sexual Assaults Spike Despite Efforts To Combat Epidemic," The Huffington Post, May 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290513&id=69068-10220574-cnxbtZx&t=7

4. "Navy rape survivor asks Congress for help," The Washington Post, June 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290514&id=69068-10220574-cnxbtZx&t=8

5. "Military rape survivor: I was drugged and raped, and didn't tell anyone," CNN, June 4, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290515&id=69068-10220574-cnxbtZx&t=9

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 6, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.