America in Solidarity - News

This May Day help end the war

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:15:42 -0400

March 19th marked the fifth anniversary of America's war/occupation in Iraq. We were told that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (a lie) and had something to do with the terrorists who masterminded 9/11 (also a lie). Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John McCain told us we would be greeted as liberators. We were misled and deceived by the Bush Administration and too many in Congress had either the wool pulled over their eyes or conspired to allow this awful thing to happen and then continue. The numbers alone are telling:

Recruiting progressives running in 2008

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:34:28 -0400

We are searching for new candidates (or current electeds) who best represent the interests of working families. The ones that think we can do better than these free trade agreements that merely amount to corporate welfare. The ones that think we can have health care for every citizen in this country. The ones that believe not only in a higher minimum wage but a living wage. The ones that think the power should be with the people and not the corporations.

America In Solidarity is a grassroots campaign to educate voters on working family issues and to help elect politicians who care about America's working families. We are a non-profit, non-partisan group that has had enough of politics as usual. Over the past five years, we have given thousands of volunteer hours to help elect politicians who have signed our pledge to protect working families, produced several community events to educate the public on the issues, and signed up hundreds of new voters. Together, we can make a difference and take back our country from the excessive greed of our corporate foes and the politicians who pander to them.

Thanks to the internet, our database of volunteers is growing and includes every state in the nation. Now we need outstanding examples of politicians to reach out to.

Mahan signs pledge

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:04:39 -0400

Monty Mahan, candidate for Kitsap County (WA.) Commissioner, recently sent in his signed pledge and questionaire. Currently the Executive Director of the Pierce Conservation District, Monty has a broad range of civic experience that will serve the citizens of Kitsap County well. He's already been out knocking on doors and meeting with his future constituents and his "citizens first" attitude is impressing folks.

Monty's blog

AIS seeks summer interns

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:36:57 -0400

America In Solidarity is a Tacoma-based non-profit that serves working families in the political arena and works on issues such as affordable health care, living wages, fair trade and workers’ rights. We are seeking interns who are looking for experience in the political arena, community organizing and elections and share a passion for our issues.

Responsibilities will include:

· Communicate with elected officials and lobby on behalf of America In Solidarity on issues we care about

Burner, Seaquist, Eaton present "A way out of Iraq"

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:11:30 -0400

After five years of American involvement in Iraq, working families are saddled with:

Official War Costs of $512 billion ($275 million a day)
Actual costs (with interest) of $1.3 trillion (with some estimates of $3 trillion)
Over 4,000 American troops have been killed in Iraq
Nearly 30,000 American troops wounded
Estimates of 500,000 to over 1 million Iraqi deaths since the invasion

But there is hope for a way out. On March 17th, America In Solidarity pledge signer Darcy Burner, a candidate for Congress in Washington's 8th Congressional District, presented at the "Take Back America Conference" a plan to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. The plan was designed by leading military experts, policy analysts, national security experts, and a group of top-tier Congressional candidates and elected officials including AIS pledge signer Rep. Larry Seaquist (a former Navy Commander) and retired General Paul Eaton (in photo) who addressed our Progressive Convention in November.

4,000 Nurses strike for better patient care

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:43:05 -0400

Some 4,000 registered nurses began a 10-day walkout Friday at 10 Bay Area hospitals operated by the Sutter Health chain in a dramatic protest over patient care conditions. More than 95 percent of the RNs struck the hospitals. Guaranteeing safe RN staffing at all times -- especially ensuring that Sutter RNs are able to take rest breaks and meals -- is one of several key patient safety issues that is at the center of the dispute.

See the California Nurses Association site for more details.

It's Still The War, Stupid

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:36:30 -0400

March 19th marks the fifth anniversary of America's war/occupation in Iraq. We were told that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (a lie) and had something to do with the terrorists who masterminded 9/11 (also a lie). Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John McCain told us we would be greeted as liberators. We were misled and deceived by the Bush Administration and too many in Congress had either the wool pulled over their eyes or conspired to allow this awful thing to happen and then continue. The numbers alone are telling:

We Need Reed! Congressional Candidate Gilda Reed signs AIS pledge

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:34:24 -0400

"Fired-up and feisty, Gilda entered political life in 2007 to make a powerful difference in the lives of senior citizens, children, working men and women and small business owners."

There are few bright spots in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Gilda Reed is one of them. Dr. Reed, a professor at UNO, is running on getting our troops out of Iraq, universal health care and protecting America's unions and working families (read her stance on the issues). Reed is running for Louisiana's First Congressional District and recently won the Democratic primary with over 70% support.

Jerry Northington signs AIS pledge

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:40:32 -0500

Jerry Northington, a great progressive candidate for Delaware's lone seat in the House of Representatives, recently signed America In Solidarity's pledge to support working families. Northington wants us out of Iraq, affordable health care for all, and living wages. He also states that we need to restructure our current trade deals that have cost millions of American jobs, not to mention worsening conditions for workers abroad.

See Northington's answers to our questionaire here.

Columbia FTA could harm working families

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:06:28 -0500

President Bush is threatening to bypass law-making procedures to force a vote on the FTA without approval from Congressional leadership -- once again disrupting the checks and balances of our system.

Call your members of Congress while they are home for Presidents’ Day recess and ask them to oppose this move by taking a public position against the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Our collective energy has stopped the FTA for a year. This is a victory that could be dashed by the powerful all-out campaign launched by the Administrations of U.S. President George Bush and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. With six official U.S. Congressional delegations already sent to Colombia to experience carefully staged tours highlighting the efforts supposedly undertaken to end the systematic assassination of Colombia labor leaders, five more are scheduled.

AIS volunteers participate in Lobby Day

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:27:45 -0500

America In Solidarity volunteers participated in our "Lobby Day" where we engaged with pledge signers and other elected officials during the current session of the Washington State Legislature. We lobbied on issues like affordable health care, public financing of elections and worker's rights. Volunteers met with State Representatives, Tami Green, Troy Kelley, Dawn Morrell, Dennis Flannigan, Mark Miloscia and Larry Seaquist and State Senator Derek Kilmer and dropped off our concerns letter to dozens more. Participating in the day were Mike Jagielski, David Johnson, Gail Ross, Todd Iverson, Jeff and Brianna Richardson and Mike and Cathy Collier.

Bush's Budget: A colossal failure for working families

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:39:22 -0500

President Bush released his FY 2009 budget that totaled over $3.1 trillion, $400 billion of that will be borrowed from the future. Within its details are the makings of a disaster for working families:

His budget would make his tax cuts permanent -- at the cost of $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years, with millionaires pocketing tax breaks of about $150,000 a year.
Removes 200,000 low income children from child care support, and does nothing to bring college within reach of working families.
Freeze payments to doctors and hospitals under Medicare, and stunningly, cut support for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, even as a global economy puts us at greater risk of importing global pandemics.
Continues to cut domestic investment across the board, even reducing federal support for "first responders" -- police, fire and public health officials by 45% percent.
Slashes housing vouchers, eliminating rental support for an estimated 100,000 low income families.
And perhaps worse of all, when universal health care is in the conversation, the budget proposal cuts Medicare by $178 Billion (yes with a "b") over the next five years.

It's time for radical change in Washington. Bush's final budget is merely the punctuation mark.

Protect our privacy from the pharmaceutical companies

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:03:19 -0500

The Prescription Privacy bill (HB 2664) is likely to come up for a vote in the Washington State House this Monday (February 4th). We now need to make phone calls and send emails and faxes to our House Representatives asking them to vote in favor of this bill.

These phone calls, emails and faxes should begin today and take place throughout the weekend or early on Monday morning. Big Pharma and the pharmaceutical and bio-tech companies are strongly mobilizing against this bill. Therefore, we need as much response as possible in support of HB 2664.

Call Now! 1 (800) 562-6000 (toll-free)

(Hours: 8:00am-8:00pm M-F; 9:00am-1:00pm Sat.; closed Sunday)

Message: Support HB 2664 to prohibit the sale and use of prescriber-identifiable prescription data for marketing or promotional purposes.

This Prescription Privacy bill would stop pharmaceutical companies from using the prescribing histories of physicians for marketing purposes. Protect the privacy of the patient-physician relationship. Get doctors' prescription pads out of drug reps' sights and marketing efforts. Pharmaceutical companies spend $3 billion annually to purchase prescribing histories of physicians strictly for marketing purposes. This practice, called Data Mining, is usually done without physicians' knowledge or consent and is overwhelmingly opposed by physicians. Data Mining erodes patient-doctor privacy, leads to inappropriate prescribing, undermines
patient safety and drives up costs.

Support Clean Elections in Washington

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:17:59 -0500

In January, the Washington State House voted 56-38 in favor of HB 1551 that would allow local jurisdictions to create their own programs of public financing for campaigns for local office. A companion Senate bill, SB 5278, is being considered currently. The bill is NOT a mandate - only permission. No state funds are involved. And, any local program must be approved in a referendum to local voters. America In Solidarity is in favor of election reform and embraces this concept as a way of reducing the corporate, big money influence upon our democracy and elections.

We encourage Washington State residents to contact your Senators either by email or by calling 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to support SB 5278.

Ranked Choice Voting Bill also on docket

SB 6000 (and House Companion bill 2202) would allow cities and local taxing districts to use ranked choice voting in counties where it is allowed. America In Solidarity supported Pierce County's passing of ranked choice voting in 2006. Ranked choice is commonly known as instant runoff voting.

AIS announces 2008 scholarships

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:21:07 -0500

At December's meeting, AIS's Executive Board announce the renewal of the essay-based Ottilie Markholt Scholarship and a new service-based scholarship. Over the past three years, AIS has awarded over $10,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and current college students.

"We had so many great student-activists apply last year, kids that are present and future progressive leaders, that we felt we needed to start a new category to award them for what they do," said AIS President Todd Iverson about the new service-based scholarship. AIS will award a minimum of two $500 scholarships in this category.

Students can also apply for the Ottilie Markholt Memorial Scholarship by answering an essay question. Previous winners have been chosen based on the quality of their essay, grades, scholarship and activities. This year's essay questions are different and designed to engage students to think about some of the key issues of the day like trade and union organizing.

Information about the 2008 Service Scholarship

Information about the 2008 Ottilie Markholt Memorial Scholarship