***** YOUR CALL CAN RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE! ***** 1-800-459-1887 *****

[Sapphire Blue]

Email from the Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org)...

YOUR CALL CAN RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE!

Last week, the Senate began debating whether to raise the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. This week, the Senate should stop talking about raising the minimum wage and finally do it!

Call your Senators TOLL-FREE today at 1-800-459-1887. Tell them to vote to end debate on the minimum wage bill, and to increase the minimum wage, without further delaying tactics or amendments.

Your calls are needed to prevent harmful amendments! It's easy. Here's how:

Step 1: Call 1-800-459-1887, toll-free, to be connected to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard.

Step 2: Ask to be connected to your Senator's office. (If you're not sure of his or her name, click here: http://www.senate.gov/ and find your Senators by state at the upper right.)

Step 3: Tell the staffer who answers the phone:

Please tell Senator ______ to vote for H.R. 2, the bill to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 by 2009. Please - no more delays, no more amendments. Pass a clean minimum wage bill now!

Then please follow steps 1-3 to call your other Senator.

Where things stand: The Senate is expected to set a limit on debate on the minimum wage on Tuesday. So far, they have added a number of amendments, including an $8.3 billion business tax cut package. While we prefer a clean bill, workers need this raise, and there is a chance the tax breaks will be stripped away in negotiations with the House. One thing is clear - no more amendments should be approved in the remaining 30 hours of debate. We don't know exactly which will be offered, but some that have been talked about would lower the minimum wage for farm workers, or end the current assurance of higher overtime pay after a 40-hour week. That's why your call is important - to prevent harmful amendments and push the bill to final passage.

The American Friends Service Committee (www.afsc.org/economic-justice/), the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign (www.letjusticeroll.org), and the Coalition on Human Needs (www.chn.org) urge all in their networks to call Congress and to forward this alert. The toll-free number is provided by AFSC, a Quaker organization which welcomes groups to use the number to support work for fair wages and a moral budget and without linking it to language or websites supporting partisan purposes.

Thanks!


"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

=======================
Please forward this e-mail!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for CHN emails at http://www.chn.org/signUp.jsp.

Please don't be silent about things that matter! Please call 1-800-459-1887.

Please pass this information on to your friends & family and ask them to call, too.

Please help keep this thread kicked.

Thank you,
Sapphire Blue
Resident DU Fanatic Beggar

:hug: :loveya: :grouphug: :loveya: :hug:

[jobycom]

1. If I call twice, will it go up twice as high?

:shrug:

[Sapphire Blue]

3. I wish!!!

[Breeze54]

4. Not laughing.

This isn't a laughing matter for the ignored, poor, working class.

[jobycom]

15. I wasn't entirely trying to be funny.

I am represented by John Cornyn, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and a Republican Rep whose name I haven't bothered to remember because the majority of his district is 180 miles from me, and so ultra-conservative that his main campaign battle was over whether he or his primary opponent knew the most Democrats. He knew fewer, so he won.

My phone call won't do shit. Most phone calls won't do shit. If you are calling now to affect this legislation, it's too late. The work was done long ago. Phone calls won't hurt, and they may even change a couple of votes, but more than likely, as with 90% of the legislation passed, this issue has already been decided and they are just putting on the show for their voters now. So call, but don't make it sound like if we don't, it will all collapse. Politics takes hard work, not last minute desperation.

And don't you dare challenge my concern for the "ignored, poor, working class." You have no idea.

[Sapphire Blue]

17. I can't say it any better than this...:

(bobbolink's posts from another thread about contacting Representatives)...

bobbolink (1000+ posts) Mon Jan-29-07 12:00 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. That's what I keep telling people--push and push....
Giving up and letting his neocon constituents be his only input doesn't give us anything at all. If the shoes were on the other foot, the neocons sure wouldn't give up!!!

Just gotta blow off steam, tho... TANCREDO SUX!!!

OK, I feel better now....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x71710#73390


bobbolink (1000+ posts) Mon Jan-29-07 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #25
26. OK, let's face it.... I just like to throw rocks at the "enemy"


I'm not sure there's actually a higher purpose.... it's just fun to call and give 'em hell... ~~guffaw~~

However, I *do* keep reminding others that it's important to do this.... One case in point----- Last year, I reminded a local friend to write Tancredo about the budget, and not voting for the cuts. Much to my surprise, he got a letter back saying he was against cutting Medicaid! Now, it's true he actually DID vote for the cut, but... my point is, he was more on our side than we thought, and if those who automatically give up on him had barraged his office with calls and emails, *maybe* it would have changed his vote! I keep saying that to people, at least.

I like Tony Hall's speech to BookTV--he says that our congresscritters should get an in-office visit from us at least once a year, and not to settle for a staffer, but demand (nicely, of course..hehehe) to see the Rep in person. Can you imagine what would happen if all DUers would organize their friends, family and neighbors to lobby their Reps in person for poverty issues??? Can you imagine what would be the outcome of that?

Can you also imagine how it would make us poor folk feel to have that kind of support in our corner?!

OK, I think I just blew off some more steam.... thanks for listening!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x71710#73634

[jobycom]

41. It might help

But it wouldn't help for me. I fight where I believe it will do some good.

[Sapphire Blue]

43. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Dr. Martin Luther King

[jobycom]

47. You lose if you fight the wrong battle.

Jobycom.

[Sapphire Blue]

48. Give in to defeat if you like. I won't.

:hi:

[bobbolink]

54. You're so very right, Sapphire Blue!! Being defeatist over a phone call...

I just don't get it.

Most people spend much more time griping about their lousy reps than taking a minute to make a call.

As I said, I just don't get it.

It takes less time to call than it takes to post a couple of times that it's not worth it. :shrug:

Thanks for your prodding!!

:hug: :pals: :hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

61. Interesting how they can take the time & expend the energy to dissuade others from taking action.

Often they ask why they should use their valuable time to take said action, or they just say that it's pointless to even try, nothing will come of it. They say it again, and again, and again, and again.

One minute to make a toll-free phone call on behalf of the lowest paid workers in the country is too much to ask?!?!? Maybe it is... for a republican. It is not to much to ask of a Democrat.

:hug: :loveya:

[jobycom]

59. Cheap shots

My point was the opposite of giving up. My point was that if you woke up this morning and said "Oh my god, I better get busy," you were way too late.

[Sapphire Blue]

60. Thank you for kicking this thread two more times!

:hi:

[bobbolink]

62. Speaking of cheap......

[Sapphire Blue]

49. PS - Thanks for kicking this thread 5 times!

:hi:

[Breeze54]

51. ROFLMFAO!!!

:rofl:

[bobbolink]

55. Whadda woman, eh!!! Finds humor in the weirdest things....

:rofl: indeed!

:hi:

[Breeze54]

26. Don't make me think that you don't then!!

"And don't you dare challenge my concern for the "ignored, poor, working class."
You have no idea."

I have a good idea that you've given up fighting....

Calls and e-mails DO MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jobycom]

42. You still have no idea.

The battle on the floor is for show. By then the decision has been made. You might change the makeup of a few speeches if you convince your congresscritter that their vote is different than what a lot of people want it to be.

I fight at other times, and how I can. To be blunt, I think your energy would be better spent if it were more informed. But I won't accuse you of not caring or of giving up the fight just because you don't fight in the way I think best. I guess we are different in that.

[Breeze54]

50. You know nothing about me or what

I am or am not informed about.

I know poverty. You aren't the only one! :grr:

I never said that you should fight MY way!!

You alluded that it was a waste of time.

Maybe you need a refresher in English Composition? :shrug:

[jobycom]

58. That was my point to start with.

[Breeze54]

2. I've signed a kazillion petitions!

Edwards last night.

If a call will make it happen, so be it! ;)

Thanks for posting this info!

:kick: & recommended! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thanks, Breeze54, for doing so much for supporting this!!!

:hi:

[Breeze54]

18. YW! Here's another group that cares!

TELL CONGRESS TO STOP FOOLING AROUND AND INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE

The proposed minimum wage increase, more than long overdue, sailed through
the House of Representatives with 82 Republican votes.

But in the United States Senate, it cannot get a "fair up or down vote".

We might ask what kind of cruel and venal hypocrisy this is?

But listen to Senator Ted Kennedy's anger and passion about issue last week because it says it all.

They are piling on every amendment but the kitchen sink trying to stall the raising of the safety net
for our most needy, until they can extact even more tribute for the top of the wealth pyramid.

There is a cloture vote being called for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 30th.

Now is the time to call and email our U.S. Senators to finally give the minimum wage a vote.

And we will hear no more bunk about holding our tongues on their endless ideologue crony judge appointments.

TOLLFREE NUMBERS TO CONGRESS, 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887, 800-614-2803



ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/minimum_wage_cloture.php

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours.

The one click form above will send your personal message to all your
Democratic Members of Congress only selected below, with the subject
"Give the Minimum Wage an Up or Down Vote."
At the same time you can send your personal comments only as a letter
to the editor of your nearest local daily newspaper if you like.

To be added to the list go to http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm

[Sapphire Blue]

21. ***** KICK ***** Please, DU, sign this!

:hi: Thank you for posting this, Breeze54!

[Breeze54]

25. You should read the comments at that site!! WooHoo!!!

http://www.peaceteam.net/last25.php?paper=1&qnum=pnum580

Hope the link works!

[Sapphire Blue]

27. Great comments!

[Sapphire Blue]

40. !!!!!

:kick: http://www.peaceteam.net/minimum_wage_cloture.php

[bobbolink]

56. thanks so much for adding those other 800 numbers!!

Sometimes they go down, so it's really good to have others on hand. Please remind us of these from time to time.

Thanks for all you do!! You don't know how much it means to those of us who feel forgotten!!

:pals: :applause: :pals:

[Sydnie]

6. We should be burning up the phone lines for this now

K&R and my calls are being made as I type.

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Thank you, Sydnie!

:hi: :hug:

[redqueen]

7. THANK YOU!

:loveya:

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

10. ..

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

[rodeodance]

11. go for it DU----ers

[rodeodance]

9. talk to them also please. REC

[Sapphire Blue]

13. Thanks, rodeodance!

:hi:

[rodeodance]

12. keeping it kicked

[nam78_two]

14. K&R.nt

[Sapphire Blue]

16. Thank you, nam78_two!

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

19. Call now!

No more delays!



Thank you, Sapphire Blue! :hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

22. 1-800-459-1887 !!!

:hi:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. Ack! I should have placed the number in my reply

Thanks for catching that!

[Sapphire Blue]

36. ..

Hey, it gave me a chance to kick the thread ;) !

[EFerrari]

20. K&R. Let's ring their bells.

lol

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

23. Thanks, sfexpat2000!

:hi: :hug:

[EFerrari]

28. Thank you! Called Barbara Boxer's office (she's my REAL Senator)

but didn't get a name. They have nice classical hold music though. :) :hi:

[EFerrari]

24. Talked to Scott at DiFi's office. And kick.

:kick:

[Breeze54]

29. They're voting now?

They said "no senator" voted in the negative.

Waiting.....

[Sapphire Blue]

30. Voting to limit debate on Baucus' substitute amendment.

[Breeze54]

31. Thanks.

I missed it . Can't listen and type! :rofl:

[redqueen]

32. Call now!

:kick:

[EFerrari]

35. Our operators are standing by.

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

38. They're waiting for calls. CALL 1-800-459-1887! NOW!

[Breeze54]

44. Here they are!!

[Sapphire Blue]

64. !

:kick:

[Bjornsdotter]

34. Done

Called Durbin and Obama's office.....

Cheers :toast:

[Sapphire Blue]

37. Thank you, Bjornsdotter!

:hi: :toast:

[EFerrari]

39. Call 'em, it doesn't hurt. They're paid to be nice to you.

lol

:)

[Nutmegger]

45. Thank you SB.

:hug:

:kick:

and

:thumbsup:

[Sapphire Blue]

46. You're welcome, Nutmegger.

:hi: :hug: And thank you!

[Reterr]

52. k&r.eom

[Sapphire Blue]

53. Thank you, Reterr!

:hi:

[Common Sense Party]

57. $7.25? What a crock of guano. Who can live on that?

If they're gonna go for it, they ought to REALLY go for it: I dunno, $20 an hour? $25? It should be a REAL living wage. Screw the rich fascist capitalists that don't want to pay it. I'm sick of them getting their McMansions while others barely scrape by.

[and-justice-for-all]

63. Kick..nt

[Sapphire Blue]

65. Please call your Senators @ 1-800-459-1887

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

66. Please call your Senators @ 1-800-459-1887

:kick: