Rally for Workers' Rights Yesterday and One Tomorrow!

Protesters Standing with Wisconsin  in Kingston,NY                            B Upton

Next ACTION-  

Stand in Solidarity with Wisconsin Workers and 

Stop Corporate Tax Dodging! 

Saturday, Feb 26- In front of Elting Library, Main St, 

New Paltz- 12:30-1:30PM 
Sign up here

12 foot sign to show our military madness- Thanks to Shirley Warren!! B Upton

Hundreds of rallies are planned Saturday (2/26) all across the nation to protect workers' rights and 

demand corporations and the rich pay their fair share.
Hard working American families have sacrificed enough already! If you are not in the Hudson Valley find a rally near you at usuncut.org

  To sign up for the New Paltz rally click here!

Kingston, NY: On Thursday, about 75-100 people attended a spirited rally in front of Congressman Hinchey's office in Kingston to show their support for the workers of Wisconsin and to thank the congressman for consistently being on the side of the people.

“We’re here today to commend Hinchey for his stand against the Republicans’ incredibly dangerous proposed cuts to the budget and to urge him to keep up the fight,” said Linda Abbott,  the Coordinator of the Ulster County MoveOn Council that organized the rally. “The Republicans recently proposed over $100 billion in cuts to the federal budget, which would include cutting $123.1 million from New York State’s education budget. At a time when millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet, it doesn’t make sense to cut programs that working families depend on. Instead, we should invest in America by making corporations and millionaires pay their fair share, not by punishing working Americans,” said Abbott.

Lori DuBord, Congressman Hinchey's District Representative addressed the crowd.

"Congressman Hinchey sides with people who actually work for a living unlike the Republican majority in Washington, who are siding with Wall Street, Big Oil and greedy CEO's. While he's working to end huge tax earmarks for big oil and corporate welfare, they are cutting investments in renewable energy jobs and heating assistance for the elderly. Congressman Hinchey understands how important it is that we win this fight and that the budget cannot and should not be balanced on the backs of working people," said DuBord.

Some participants spoke of the difficult, financial times they and their families are experiencing. A sixty-three year old woman spoke of losing her job, others said they were worried about home foreclosures and others spoke of how difficult it is to make ends meet.

Donna Goodman, a member of a public sector union, United University Professions at SUNY New Paltz, said it was important for people to remember the poor and middle class did not create the current economic disaster; Wall Street did and that they should be held to account. She added that the fight against unions is about power, not the budget and that collective bargaining gives workers a fighting chance for fair wages and benefits. The average union member with a bachelor's degree makes 25% less than those in the private sector according to Goodman.

Barbara Upton, also with the MoveOn Council, said, "I paid more taxes last year than GE and Exxon Mobil combined and so did each of you!" She urged lawmakers to collect the estimated $100 billion corporations currently dodge through offshore tax havens. She also spoke of the billions that could be cut from the Pentagon without jeopardizing our safety. She reminded the crowd that the day before 9/11/01, Sec of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told reporters that the Pentagon had lost $2.3 trillion. Protesters held up a 12 foot sign while she spoke that showed that the Defense Department currently makes up almost 60% of our budget.

"We need to move hundreds of billions spent on death and destruction and use that money to rebuild America, create good jobs, build a green economy and provide quality health care and education to the people," she said. "We need to use that money to renew the American dream."

Another rally with the same theme will be held Saturday in New Paltz, in front of the Elting Library, 93 Main Street from 12:30 to 1:30PM. All are welcome.

Stand up for Workers- Demand the Rich Pay Their Share!

JOIN US FOR THE RALLY TOMORROW!! 

Feb 24, Thursday, 12-12:30, 291 Wall St, Kingston

Ulster County MoveOn Council

Wisconsin Protester                                                                            buzzfeed.com

"Why is a 3% tax increase on the richest considered “socialism” but a 14% pay cut on middle class is “doing your part?” from a woman named Jennie on Twitter

The American people are "getting it". Rightwing political stooges, like Gov Scott Walker, are out to do the bidding of their billionaire, corporate masters; make draconian cuts to services for the poor and middle class, bust unions, remove regulations and continue to loot the middle class.There are well over 100 rallies planned all over the country tomorrow to support workers, oppose cuts to the neediest and demand the rich pay their share (click here to find one near you). In the case of Wisconsin, the Koch brothers who brought Scott Walker to power, not only want to destroy the unions, but they also want to be able to buy state-owned power plants for pennies on the dollar. Tucked into Walker's budget bill is a provision that allows him to sell off public utilities without competing bids. This guy is such an amateur. I just listened to the prank call, Walker took, thinking he was talking to David Koch. You can tell Walker is excited to be talking to his big honcho patron. In the 20 minutes they talked, Walker details his plans to bust the unions, compares himself to Reagan, talks of his growing popularity and says "This is our time to change the course of history." N'er a mention of the budget crisis.  At one point "Koch" suggests planting some trouble makers in the crowd of peacefully protesting workers. Walker decides not to, but admits "We already thought of that."

States across the country are experiencing budget shortfalls- not because of union demands (the protesters in WI said they were willing to cut benefits- but Walker is holding out for the end of collective bargaining for public employees) but because of the fraud and recklessness of Wall Street that depleted pension funds. The states have a collective budget shortfall of about one hundred billion and I know just the place they can find it!

Corporations in our country have not been paying their share for years. Yes, we have a high corporate tax rate- but what good is it if everyone uses loopholes like offshore havens to avoid paying, in many cases, anything at all. It is estimated that we taxpayers every year have to make up the hundred billion they are dodging. UK Uncut is a grassroots movement that is exposing the corruption there and US Uncut just launched in this country (they are having rallies across the country Saturday and MoveOn is calling for a 50 state response in the state capitols that day too!). The IRS estimates that very rich individuals and corporations are hiding $5 trillion in tax havens. End corporate tax dodging- it is economic treason!

We also need to seriously cut the Pentagon. With interest on the debt to pay for unfunded wars, we are paying over one trillion a year on "defense". A thousand billion dollars. Please don't forget that on the day before 9/11, Rumsfeld announced that the Pentagon could not account for $2.3 trillion! They just did not know where it went. They routinely cannot account for 25% of their money due to waste, incompetence and corruption. We should be looking for billions there so that we don't have to take food from hungry children, or let old people freeze in their homes.

Tomorrow, we will be thanking Rep Hinchey for standing up for the poor and middle class, but we will be making demands too- may the demands from thousands across the country reverberate and begin to take down some sacred cows that if left unchecked will turn us into a third world oligarchy. Sign up here.

And here is a great video of the Wisconsin movement. It's hard to believe a right wing deputy attorney general in Wisconsin suggested using live ammunition against these upstanding Americans. Jeff Fox should be fired! (update- sometimes justice is swift!)

If you live in the Hudson Valley, hope to see you tomorrow!


Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

"NEW to science" pathogen in GM crops, Talk on GM Dangers Tuesday

The news keeps getting scarier in regard to genetically modified foods. The article below from the Institute of Science in Society says a senior scientist with the USDA is warning of a "NEW to science" pathogen found in Round Up Ready GM soy and corn that may be responsible for high rates of infertility and spontaneous abortions in dairy cows and cattle.

Hope you can join us tomorrow night! Details below.

Did you know that:
about 80% of all processed foods in the supermarket contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms)?
FDA scientists warned of potential health risks of GM foods and called for long term safety studies, but were ignored?
you can keep yourself and family healthy by avoiding GM foods
and that together we can create a tipping point of consumer rejection that will require labeling like other countries?

"The Health Risks of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods"
Tuesday, Feb 22 7PM
Elting Memorial Library
93 Main St, New Paltz

Speaker, Barbara Upton has been trained by Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology
and author of best selling books on the subject- "Seeds of Deception" and "Genetic Roulette: the Documented Health Risks of GM Foods"
Presented by Clear Stream Media.

Bring a snack to share if you like!

Brochures on the health risks and a shopping guide on how to avoid GM foods will be provided.

Feel free to print out and post the attached flier. Thanks! If you cannot make it but would like to be on our mailing list - send me your name and email.

Please forward and hope to see you there!

Emergency! Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

USDA senior scientist sends “emergency” warning to US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on a new plant pathogen in Roundup Ready GM soybean and corn that may be responsible for high rates of infertility and spontaneous abortions in livestock Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

Please distribute widely and forward to your elected representatives

An open letter appeared on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance founded and run by Judith McGeary to save family farms in the US [1, 2].  The letter, written by Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, warns of a pathogen “new to science” discovered by “a team of senior plant and animal scientists”. Huber says it should be treated as an “emergency’’, as it could result in “a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies.”

The letter appeared to have been written before Vilsack announced his decision to authorize unrestricted commercial planting of GM alfalfa on 1 February, in the hope of convincing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose a moratorium instead on deregulation of Roundup Ready (RR) crops.  

The new pathogen appears associated with serious pervasive diseases in plants - sudden death syndrome in soybean and Goss' wilt in corn – but its suspected effects on livestock is alarming.  Huber refers to “recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.”

This could be the worst nightmare of genetic engineering that some scientists including me have been warning for years [3] (see Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare, ISIS publication): the unintended creation of new pathogens through assisted horizontal gene transfer and recombination.

Huber writes in closing: “I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.”

The complete letter is reproduced below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack: A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!  This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be responsible for significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are therefore moving our investigation forward with speed and discretion, and seek assistance from the USDA and other entities to identify the pathogen's source, prevalence, implications, and remedies. We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage, specifically due to your pending decision regarding approval of RR alfalfa. Naturally, if either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this pathogen, then such approval could be a calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only reasonable action at this time would be to delay deregulation at least until sufficient data has exonerated the RR system, if it does. For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as an emergency. A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed various pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following disturbing scenario: Unique Physical Properties This previously unknown organism is only visible under an electron microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal to a medium size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a micro-fungal-like organism. If so, it would be the first such micro-fungus ever identified. There is strong evidence that this infectious agent promotes diseases of both plants and mammals, which is very rare. Pathogen Location and Concentration It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas. Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease The organism is prolific in plants infected with two pervasive diseases that are driving down yields and farmer income-sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soy, and Goss' wilt in corn. The pathogen is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines). Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of this organism in a wide variety of livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing research have also been able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting. The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and spontaneous abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy, swine, and horse operations. These include recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.  For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate. Recommendations In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal pathogen in Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA's participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and animal production and human health. It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may have facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause greater harm to weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we request access to the relevant USDA data. I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure. Sincerely, COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber Emeritus Professor, Purdue University APS Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)

References

1. “Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal Miscarriages”, Jill Richardson, La Vida Locavore, 18 February 2011
http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/4523

2. “Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal Miscarriages”, 18 February 2011, http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages

3. Ho MW. Genetic Engineering Dream of Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad Science and Big Business, Third World Network, Gateway Books, MacMillan, Continuum, Penang, Malaysia, Bath, UK, Dublin, Ireland, New York, USA, 1998, 1999, 2007 (reprint with extended Introduction). http://www.i-sis.org.uk/genet.php

Rally to Oppose Cuts, Chevron Guilty, Assault on the Environment

1. Rally for the Other 98%!
Republicans scoff at the idea of class warfare, but that is exactly what has been going on for the past 40 years as more and more wealth has been and continues to be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Politicians take huge campaign contributions from the moneyed elite and in turn, the wealthiest are given outrageous tax breaks and corporations are allowed to write their own regulations and are given tax loopholes that allow them to pay no corporate taxes. Rich corporations, like the oil companies, are also lavished with billions in subsidies and the bloated Pentagon's budget keeps escalating (we spend over a trillion $ for defense- China at number 2 only spends $380 billion) All of this is happening while there are now proposals to cut: home heating assistance for the poor, Pell grants for deserving college students, food aid for needy women and children, job training, food inspection, green jobs, and very successful programs like Teach for America, Americorps and Headstart.

It is time for everyday Americans to rise up to say no to this system of corruption that is killing the middle class and the American dream!

Join us Thursday, February 24 from 12-12:30PM in front of Congressman Hinchey's office, 291 Wall St, Kingston. The rally, organized by the Ulster County MoveOn Council is being held to thank Rep Hinchey for speaking out on the proposed budget cuts and to hear from local people about how these cuts would affect their lives. For more information, or if you have a story to share contact Linda Abbott at linabbott@gmail.com.

For more background on the growing economic disparity in our country click here. And here are two pie charts that show how inequitable our current system is.

 Should the top 400 families in our country have as much wealth as the bottom 50%? Is it fair or sustainable in a democracy for the top 10% to own 71.5% of all the wealth , while the other 90% of us share just 28.5% of it?

And we all know corporations are making record breaking profits and the stock market is doing well- yeah, once again for the top 10% who own over 90% of the stocks and bonds in our country.

Democracy cannot survive such economic inequality! Join us next Thursday!

Celebration as Mubarak Resigns      Guardian.co.uk

2. Mubarak's stolen fortune should be returned to the Egyptian people! Add your name!

It really is stunning to hear people on the right defending a dictator over the democratic aspirations of a people.

When asked at CPAC why so many were behind democracy in Iraq, but would rather deny it to the people of Egypt, Ann Coulter said because we had an ally in the dictator. When reminded that Mubarak imprisoned journalists and dissidents, Coulter said she would like to see more journalists jailed.

3. Chevron Found Guilty! In Ecuador, Texaco, which Chevron bought in 2001, "deliberately dumped 18.5 billion gallons of highly toxic waste sludge into the streams and rivers that local people depend on for drinking, bathing, and fishing. The company dug over 900 open-air, unlined waste pits that continue to seep toxins into the ground." They did all this intentionally to cut expenses, while destroying ecosystems and peoples' lives. Chevron was ordered to pay a fine of  $8 billion- the beginning of justice.


4.An Invitation to Murder Abortion Providers In South Dakota there is a law under consideration that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. Since, 1993, eight doctors have been assassinated and 17 others have been victims of murder attempts by anti-abortion extremists. The GOP attacks on women's health continue—including a bill that would allow hospitals to let a pregnant woman die rather than perform a life-saving abortion. Sign this petition, "We Won't Go Back to the Back Alley"

treehugger.com

5. Broad Assault on Clean Water, Air, Wildlife and Public Health
Republicans are using the appropriations bill as a way to eviscerate environmental protections. If they have their way, millions of wetlands and thousands of streams will be left with no protections, the EPA would not have the authority to regulate mercury and cancer-causing air pollutants and wildlife would be removed from the Endangered Species list, based on political calculations instead of science. Sixty percent of Americans already live in areas where pollution reaches dangerous levels. Please make you voice heard.

Breaking- Over 30,000 public employees marched on the capitol at Madison WI today to protest the Governor's plans to end collective bargaining for public employees and reduce benefits. Here is a video from earlier in the week- the movement has only grown stronger since then. Lou Schultz (MSNBC) has been doing an excellent job covering this story- including outing the governor for busting unions (the governor inherited a balanced budget- but he pushed through $140 million in new special interests spending, which he now wants public employees to pay for) Also, seven people were arrested this week for staging a sit in to oppose the destructive practice of mountain top removal mining in W Virginia- Stay tuned on both stories.



The people united will never be defeated!

Egypt Is Free!

Victory!                                                                                Suhaib Salem/Reuters

The people united will never be defeated! Today, the Egyptian people, freedom and human rights won over tyranny and autocratic rule.



Our hats off to the pro-democracy demonstrators who remained steadfast, nonviolent, dignified and united. The world will never be the same.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html?hp 

 Love this photo from 3 days after the peaceful revolution began. How could the army shoot their grand mas? Many are saying there was a movement inside the movement- the one for equality for women!

Photo credit: Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

, 

Say No to GMO's!

Go to responsible technology.org to join the Tipping Point against GM foods!
And sign petition to tell Obama to side with us not Monsanto!

No to Monsanto, Brits Rise Up and Keith Is Back!

1. "Obama Goes Rogue on GMOs - Tell him to say NO to Monsanto"
From Food Democracy Now!
"According to university scientists, the deregulation of GMO Roundup Ready alfalfa could lead to the genetic contamination of all conventional and organic alfalfa within five years."

Over the past 12 days, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve two biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) alfalfa and Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets. Obama's recent approval of them will allow them to be planted as early as this spring, despite widespread acknowledgement that these crops are certain to contaminate both conventional and organic farmers non-GMO crops. Their approval only benefits one company — Monsanto.

These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please join us in telling President Obama that it's time to stand up to Monsanto and reject these GMO crops today! Click here.

                                          _______________________

Not only has the administration approved Monsanto's Round Up Ready Alfalfa, they also said it did not have to be separated from traditionally grown alfalfa to prevent GM contamination. Read more about the House Committee that favored unregulated GM alfalfa here. The chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, Frank Lucas (R-OK) was a recipient of Monsanto funds for his last election and has received $1,247,844 from the agribusiness industry during his career. The office at the USDA that said the GM alfalfa was safe and posed no risk to conventional crops relied on data supplied by "entities with financial ties to the biotechnology industry."

And sadly, it looks like the White House was the main cheerleader for unregulated GM alfalfa.
"Dangers of GM Foods" Presentation- Tuesday, Feb 22, Elting Library, New Paltz, 7PM.

Photo Credit: Dominic Alves via Flickr

2. People Rise Up!
As we experience crippling budget cuts at home, our nation's wealthiest corporations are hardly paying taxes at all. Brits just rose up targeting tax dodgers and even received support from some on the right. 
View the slide show- Eight Corporations that Owe You Money!

3. "A Terrible Divide" by Bob Herbert
"For a variety of reasons, there are not enough tax revenues being generated to pay for the basic public services that one would expect in an advanced country like the United States. The rich are not shouldering their fair share of the tax burden. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to consume an insane amount of revenue. And there are not enough jobs available at decent enough pay to ease some of the demand for public services while at the same time increasing the amount of taxes paid by ordinary workers.

The U.S. cannot cut its way out of this crisis. Instead of trying to figure out how to keep 4-year-olds out of pre-kindergarten classes, or how to withhold life-saving treatments from Medicaid recipients, or how to cheat the elderly out of their Social Security, the nation’s leaders should be trying seriously to figure out what to do about the future of the American work force." Read all.

4. Power to the People!
I know our hearts are still with the pro-democracy protesters in Egypt (the radical right is siding with Mubarak). The Egyptian people are amazing heroes and we hope they will stay strong until Mubarak is out of office. I read today he may be going to Germany for an extended health check-up, a face-saving way to rid the country of a dictator. Here is a video of our citizens also rising up to confront the shadowy, moneyed elite in our country. (wrote about it here.)



5.Some Good News!

He's baaack. Keith Olbermann will have a nightly, prime time news and commentary show on Current TV!  (Ch 368 on Direct TV) 

Weekly News- Egypt, Koch Brothers, Fracking and More

The Egyptian People Rise Up!                                 photo credit: Avaaz

"  Citizens protesting in the streets from Greece to England, and more demonstrably, from Tunisia to Egypt, may be revolting for national reasons and against individual governments, but they share a common bond. They are revolting against a world that lines the pockets of rich deal-makers while sticking the tab to ordinary people. That bond is global". 


1. As we watch the unfolding drama in Egypt, our hearts go out to the struggling masses yearning for  more equitable and freer lives. Mubarak's thugs have been targeting journalists and attacking the nonviolent protesters. Here is a take on the unrest that rarely makes it into the news.

2. The Koch Brothers Exposed!

Thanks to Greenpeace!

For years the Koch brothers have been funding conservative think tanks, have given $54.9 million to climate denying organizations and most recently, they helped start Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works which got the Tea Party rolling. They are multi-billionaires who want to be even richer at the expense of the people and the earth. Here's a Jim Hightower article on what happened recently at an exclusive resort where the Kochs and their super rich friends were meeting. Fifteen hundred protesters showed up and no one could ignore the blimp flying overhead!

3. I mentioned to some friends recently how one of Bremmer's Orders after the Iraq invasion was to prevent farmers there from saving seed- setting them up for a Monsanto invasion. Here's a video that describes the death of farming in the Fertile Crescent.



4. Subject line: Diesel Oil in your drinking water?

If we want to protect New York's drinking water from risky natural gas drilling, we need to act now.

The New York Times just reported on a Congressional investigation into hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), a drilling method that threatens our water supply and our environment. The investigation reported that companies including Halliburton have been pumping tens of millions of gallons of diesel oil into our water supply as part of the fracking procedure.

After grassroots pressure from tens of thousands of concerned New Yorkers, the State Senate approved a moratorium on fracking this summer. But it's time to tell Gov. Cuomo that a moratorium isn't enough -- we need to ban fracking permanently in New York before our water supply becomes contaminated.

I just signed the petition sponsored by the Working Families Party telling Gov. Cuomo to ban fracking. Will you join me? Just go to:

http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3271


5. Back to Egypt- so relieved to see the massive protests in Egypt are peaceful so far today. But no doubt, this is a time for a radical change in our foreign policy that is economically breaking our nation, creating enemies and is antithetical to true American values. "Wake Up Call for U.S. Empire: Egypt an Opportunity for a Transformational New Beginning"

Please sign the world wide petition to show you are standing with the people of Egypt!