Keystone Progress

[keystoneprogress]

Tell Congress: No military action in Syria without prior congressional authorization

I just signed a petition to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama: In the United States Constitution, the power to declare war is expressly in the hands of Congress. And the War Powers Resolution is only applicable to cases of self-defense, but that does not appear to be the case with the present situation in Syria. Please stand with Representative Barbara Lee, Senator Tim Kaine and others who are demanding congressional authorization and debate prior to any U.S. military action in Syria. Please make a public statement in support of requiring Congressional authorization prior to any U.S. military action in Syria.

[keystoneprogress]

Study Offers Post-Protest, Labor Day Look at Labor in PA

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

(08/30/13) HARRISBURG, Pa. – Fresh off this week's nationwide protest by fast-food workers calling for higher wages, and with Labor Day at hand, the Keystone Research Center is offering up a sobering look at Pennsylvania's economic recovery.  The group's new "State of Working Pennsylvania" report examines the factors contributing to slowing job growth and falling wages.  Mark Price is Keystone's labor economist and the study’s co-author. "What we find, in fact, is that middle class wages are down, and really for most workers in Pennsylvania wages have fallen in the past two years,” he says. “And we think that's a direct consequence of the fact that unemployment remains so high, even though the recession ended long ago." Price says job growth alone speaks volumes. Between 2010 and 2011, after the recession ended, Pennsylvania added 87,000 thousand new jobs, nearly equal to the number of jobs added in the two-and-a-half years since.  Price says another contributor to the equation is 45,000 job losses in the public sector in the past two-and-a-half years, including layoffs that have accompanied massive cuts to Pennsylvania's education system. "To put that number sort of in context, that's like closing down 20 to 25 large factories,” he points out. “And we've done that in a period when unemployment is up over 7 percent." Price says what policymakers should do is support more investment in education, realizing its role in driving future growth. He also sees merit in the argument that minimum-wage workers need substantial raises. "That certainly would be one way to put more money in people's pockets who are going to spend it and it will lead to more spending in the economy, creating more opportunity for businesses to expand," he explains. Contact Price at 717-255-7158. See the full report at http://keystoneresearch.org/WorkingPA2013.

[keystoneprogress]

Rep. Mike Kelly (R, PA-3) was on a radio station in Hermitage yesterday. We were there to tell him to meet with citizens face-to-face. We're trying to get Members of Congress to meet with us face-to-face.

[keystoneprogress]

Group Leading ‘Defund Obamacare’ Tour Was Urged by Funders to Downplay Tobacco Risks to Children

Secret Tobacco Documents Show Heritage Has No Credibility on Health Care

  (PITTSBURGH)—ProgressOhio and former Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy presented documents this week showing the Heritages Foundation collaborated with Big Tobacco to mislead the public about the health dangers of second-hand smoke. Philip Morris drafted a letter asking Heritage to share pro-tobacco propaganda with children.

  ProgressOhio and Keystone Progress are affiliates of the ProgressNow network.

  Internal memos show that Philip Morris requested Heritage contact the EPA to criticize an upcoming study, showing that second-hand smoke was dangerous. [1] When the report was released in 1992, Heritage wrote an op-ed blasting the EPA’s finding that second-hand smoke causes cancer, using scare quotes around the words “study”, “carcinogens”, “secondary [smoke]” and “science”.[2]

  Philip Morris circulated the article internally, and cited insider details proving they were in contact with Heritage about the piece.[3] Days later, Philip Morris drafted a letter addressed to Heritage praising them for their “article on corruption at the EPA” and hoped that,  “Heritage Foundation isn’t restricting its audience to adults like myself but also reaching out to children.”[4]

  Heritage had a close financial relationship with Big Tobacco:

·       Philip Morris had the ad agency behind the Marlboro man work with Heritage to create a 20 page survey aimed at increasing Heritage’s donors. The survey included questioned designed to figure out which Heritage members had positive opinions about Philip Morris.[5]

·       Heritage invited the Tobacco Institute to be a member of their President’s Club in exchange for money.[6]

·       Heritage was paid a $15,000 a year stipend from RJ Reynolds from 1994 to 1997.[7]

·        

Heritage is currently on a multi-state tour advocating for the defunding of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Former Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, who voted for the ACA, stated, “These documents show Heritage Foundation has no credibility when it comes to health care. You can’t take anything they say at face value.”

  ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg agreed, saying, “Heritage has proven they can’t be trusted when it comes to our health. The Affordable Care Act extends insurance to 3 million young people and eliminates discrimination for pre-existing conditions. For Heritage to tour the country opposing access to health care after what they’ve done to mislead the public is unconscionable.”

  Heritage’s questionable work on tobacco and public health continued on for decades. In 2007, Heritagerepeatedly published work opposing SCHIP expansion, specifically citing concern with raising cigarette taxes.[8] In 2011, Heritage mocked a proposal used successfully in other countries to show graphic pictures of the damage smoking causes on cigarette packaging, saying that “every kindergartner” already knows cigarettes are bad and that “Given teens’ current obsession with all things zombie, the gruesome images will likely prove highly popular as collector’s items."[9]

  [1] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kzb92a00/pdf

[2] http://www.legacy.library.ucsf.edu/documentStore/m/l/p/mlp40c00/Smlp40c00.pdf

[3] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jhc65e00/pdf

[4] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jqj46e00/pdf

[5] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/xcy00c00/pdf

[6] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lww06b00/pdf

[7] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kzb92a00/pdf

[8] https://www.google.com/search?q=site:heritage.org+schip+tobacco

[9] http://blog.heritage.org/2011/02/22/tales-of-the-red-tape-we-see-dead-people/

  Heritage Worked with Big Tobacco for Decades to Mislead People on Health Care

  Heritage received over 6 figures in support from Big Tobacco

1.    RJ Reynolds gave them $15,000 a year for much of the 90s. [1]

2.    They courted the Tobacco Institute and put them in their President’s Club.

3.    In 2000, Philip Morris had the ad agency that created the Marlboro Man come up with a plan to help Heritage raise money. They designed a 20 page survey they gave to almost 27,000 households.

Big Tobacco used Heritage to mislead the public about health care

1.    Philip Morris contacted Heritage asking them to write the EPA about an upcoming report showing that second hand smoke is a carcinogen, responsible for killing 3,000 non-smokers a year.[2]

2.    When the report was released in 1992, Heritage wrote an op-ed blasting the EPA, which ran in the Washington Times and other papers. Heritage mocks the EPA’s finding that  second-hand smoke causes cancer, using scare quotes around the word “study”, “carcinogens”, “secondary [smoke]” and “science”.[3]

3.    Philip Morris’ internal memos show that they were in contact with Heritage about the piece and knew exactly how many papers the op-ed was shopped to (over 300).[4]

4.    Days later, Philip Morris drafted letters addressed to Heritage praising them for their “article on corruption at the EPA” and hoped that “Heritage Foundation isn’t restricting its audience to adults like myself but also reaching out to children.”[5]

All this happened at the exact same time that Heritage was working to sink the last major attempt to overhaul health care under Bill Clinton. Heritage’s name comes up over 2,500 times in Big Tobacco records.[6]

1.    In 2011, Heritage mocked a plan to pictures of smoking’s effects on cigarette packaging, claiming “every kindergartner” already knows they’re bad and that “Given teens’ current obsession with all things zombie, the gruesome images will likely prove highly popular as collector’s items.”[7]

  [1] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/kzb92a00/pdf?search=%22heritage%20foundation%22

[2]

[3] http://www.legacy.library.ucsf.edu/documentStore/m/l/p/mlp40c00/Smlp40c00.pdf

[4] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jhc65e00/pdf

[5] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jqj46e00/pdf?search=%22heritage%20foundation%22

[6] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/action/search/basic?fd=0&q=%22heritage+foundation%22+-hispanic+-african&df=er&c=at&c=ba&c=bw&c=tc&c=ca&c=ct&c=da&c=ga&c=lm&c=ll&c=mg&c=mm&c=pm&c=py&c=rj&c=re&c=ti&c=ub&c=us

[7] http://blog.heritage.org/2011/02/22/tales-of-the-red-tape-we-see-dead-people/

[keystoneprogress]

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Marriage Equality Lawsuit Filed in Pennsylvania

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

(07/10/13) HARRISBURG, Pa. - Claiming Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage Act violates their civil rights, close to two dozen couples are in court demanding a change in the state's policies on same-sex marriage. The lawsuit has been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania and a Philadelphia law firm.  Attorney Mark Aronchick, with the law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, said Pennsylvania is treating some residents as strangers in their own state. He added that the public has shown it is ready to embrace same-sex marriage as a fundamental right. "If it is a matter of fundamental fairness, then it has to be a matter of constitutional fairness as well," he explained, "because that is the nature of our country, that is who we are." Ron Gebhardtsbauer is one of the plaintiffs. He has been with his partner for 19 years and strives for the day when their union is viewed the same way as it would if they were man and woman, he said.  "Financial issues aren't the most important thing for us. It's just sort of being recognized, being treated like everybody else, so I don't have to think of Greg as my partner and use the word 'partner.' I can call him my husband," Gebhardtsbauer said. Aronchick said he hopes the courts will come to the same conclusion as many people in Pennsylvania and across the country. "As soon as they realize the desires and drive and motivations of the people who want that marriage, time and again they say, 'Of course that is something I don't want to stand in the way of.'" Same-sex couples who marry deserve the same benefits as heterosexual married couples, and deserve to know that in times of crisis, their loved ones will be provided for, Aronchick added. A bill introduced in the state senate that would provide full marriage rights for same-sex couples in Pennsylvania was referred to a committee in March, but never had a hearing.

[keystoneprogress]

Pass the Respect for Marriage Act

 Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), it’s time for Congress to completely repeal it. The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) repeals DOMA. Under RMA, if someone is legally married in any state, the federal government must recognize that marriage. It means that same-sex couples will get all of the federal benefits afforded to opposite-sex couples. Once they are married, same-sex couples will be able to get these benefits no matter what states they live in or travel to. It is common sense legislation that will clarify and legally codify the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned Section 3 of DOMA. I urge you to support the Respect for Marriage Act today.

[keystoneprogress]

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[keystoneprogress]

Who is endorsing whom in Tuesday's election?

[keystoneprogress]

Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission Live Streaming

[keystoneprogress]

New Commission to Gather Citizen Input on Gas Drilling

HARRISBURG, PA (August 30, 2011) — A new commission launching this week will give the citizens of Pennsylvania an opportunity to tell their side of the story about drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Former state Representatives Carole Rubley and Dan Surra will co-chair the Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission, which will hold hearings across Pennsylvania to gather citizen perspectives on the Marcellus Shale and produce a final report for policymakers. The first of five hearings will take place Wednesday in Southwestern Pennsylvania (see full schedule of hearings below).

“Marcellus Shale development will have a huge impact on our Commonwealth and it is critical that we get it right,” Surra said. “This commission will give citizens an opportunity to add their voice and bring some necessary balance to this critical debate.”

 “The Commission will give the people of Pennsylvania an opportunity to weigh in on this important issue,” said Rubley. “Their input should inform state policies to ensure gas drilling is conducted in a responsible manner.”

The Citizens Commission was formed by eight leading civic and environmental organizations to give Pennsylvanians living with drilling in their backyard a place to speak out and recommend action. 

Earlier this year, Governor Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, heavy with industry representatives, produced a report and recommendations on shale drilling. The Citizens Commission is intended to supplement that work and delve deeper into a variety of issues, including water and air quality, social impacts of gas drilling, the drilling tax, and impacts outside Marcellus communities.

“The Governor’s commission told part of the story,” said Thomas Au, of the Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter. “The citizens of Pennsylvania have a different story to tell.”

The Commission will hold five hearings across Pennsylvania in August and September. Each hearing will be held from 6-9 p.m., with the first hour reserved for expert testimony and the remaining two for public input.  

In early October, the Commission will produce a report documenting the opinions and concerns of citizens to be delivered to Governor Corbett and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The hearing schedule is:

Southwestern Pennsylvania  Aug. 31, 2011, 6-9 pm: South Fayette Middle School, 3640 Old Oakdale Rd., McDonald, Pa

Southeastern Pennsylvania Sept. 6, 2011, 6-9 pm: The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Sept. 13, 2011, 6-9 pm: Lycoming College, Academic Center on Mulberry Street, Room D001, Lower Level, Williamsport, Pa.

Sept. 14, 2011, 6-9 pm: Wysox Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 2, Lake Rd., Wysox, Pa.

Central Pennsylvania Week of Sept. 18, 2011, Harrisburg, Pa. (Details TBA)

Citizens can sign up to participate at these hearings at the Commission’s web site: http://citizensmarcellusshale.com or by calling Stephanie Frank at 717-255-7181

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS: Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, Clean Water Action, Keystone Progress, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Penn Environment, Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter, and the CLEAR Coalition.

The Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission was formed by eight civic and environmental organizations in Pennsylvania to assess the impacts, both positive and negative, of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale and to identify the steps needed to ensure drilling occurs in a responsible manner. Learn more: http://citizensmarcellusshale.com.

[keystoneprogress]

Not so sweet: Hershey’s exploits student workers to avoid paying living wages in Pennsylvania

Godwin is a Nigerian student who heard about a great opportunity to learn about American culture and hone his English skills in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  He was excited when he learned he was accepted to part of a special U.S. State Department approved visa program designed to promote cultural exchange and international understanding.  He was so thrilled that he would be meeting American people as a guestworker with the Hershey Company that he was willing to pay $4,000 to be part of the program.

Once he arrived in Hershey, his excitement quickly faded as he found himself forced to work long hours packing chocolates instead of working in a public position.  Godwin, and hundreds of other international students, found that they not only had to work long hours, but Hershey forced them to live in company housing, after paying $3,000-6,000 for the “opportunity” to work for Hershey.  Hershey also charged them other expenses, leaving most of the students with $40 to $140 per week after 40 hours of work with serious health and safety problems at the worksite.  (You can see a video of their story here.)

When they complained about their working conditions, the students were threatened with deportation.

But Hershey’s exploitation doesn’t end with the students.  Jobs like these used to be living wage jobs with a union contract, earning about $18 an hour. 

The students understand that they are being exploited, and they understand that they are being used to hurt working families in the United States.  Today, they are courageously risking deportation to stand up for themselves and American workers by organizing a sit down strike inside the plant.  They were joined in the sit down strike by community, religious and labor leaders, three of him were arrested.

They have two simple demands:

1)     Hershey Company must return the $3000-$6000 that the student-workers paid to participate in a bogus cultural exchange program;

2)     Hershey must make these jobs living wage jobs for Pennsylvania workers.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up to an employer who legally controls every aspect of your life.  We need you to help the students in their efforts to expose this fraudulent program and get justice for themselves and American workers.

Please send a message to Hershey’s CEO in support of the students by clicking here.  Join the brave international students in their fight against this injustice.

You can learn more by clicking here.

In Solidarity,

Michael Morrill Keystone Progress

[keystoneprogress]

Below is an article that is up already from today’s event in Scranton:

    Toomey called out by striking workers, unemployed

BY JAMES HAGGERTY (STAFF WRITER)

Published: August 12, 2011

Unemployed people, labor activists and striking telecommunications workers joined forces Friday at Courthouse Squareto direct their anger at U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

"We are asking, will you go to town-hall meetings with unemployed workers instead of meeting with CEOs behind closed doors?" said Jessica Walls-Lavelle, communications director for the Service Employees International Union state office in Harrisburg.

Friday's demonstration drew about 100 people, including striking unionized workers from Verizon Communications Inc., which operates a service center nearby at 121 Adams Ave.

The gathering was organized by the American Dream Movement, a coalition of labor groups, political and community organizations. The group organized a similar protest on Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre against U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, Hazleton.

"Our government is broken and we have to fix that," Roxanne Pauline, an organizer with the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation, told the boisterous lunchtime crowd. "Do we want the jobs in China for 25 cents an hour?"

Mr. Toomey, a Lehigh Valley Republican, has an office in the Scranton Life Building across the street from the square.

"Sen. Toomey appreciates feedback from his constituents and knowing their concerns," his spokeswoman Rebecca Neal, said in an email. "He often travels across the state to meet with constituents and hear their thoughts on the best way to create jobs and get our economy moving."

Carrying signs that said, "Greed sucks," and "Congress: we want our jobs back," the protesters said Mr. Toomey sides with big business against the interests of the middle class.

"Wall Street is sitting on a huge surplus of money and they refuse to hire people," said James Luby, a part-time Scranton bookkeeper who has not worked full-time in a year. "I'm definitely disappointed that we can't have some sort of shared sacrifice. We're all Americans.

[keystoneprogress]

Rep. Matthew Baker Threatens Citizen Activists for Exposing His Ties to Corporate Lobbyists

(HARRISBURG)—Rep. Matthew Baker (R, Bradford, Tioga) has threatened legal action against Keystone Progress for exposing his ties to corporate lobbyists.  Baker told one of his constituents that he has discussed legal action with his “legal council [sic].”

Last week Keystone Progress released a report detailing the relationship between many PA legislators and a shadowy corporate lobbying organization known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  In that report (available online here), Keystone Progress revealed how some legislators were using ALEC’s model Bills verbatim, not even bothering to disguise the fact that they were copying what the lobbyists wrote for them.

Baker was one of the legislators whose copying was highlighted in the report. 

“This is a dangerous attempt to stifle the truth,” said Keystone Progress Executive Director Michael Morrill.  “We expected that legislators would not like our report, but we never expected that they would use their power to try to silence the voices of citizens.”

The following is the entire email from Baker:

Thank you for your email [Name deleted for confidentiality]. I am fully aware of the left wing liberal agenda to both demean ALEC and those who consider model legislation or proposals by this reputable and more conservative thinking national organization.  Notwithstanding this groups liberal bias against ALEC I will say I have never attended any of their national conferences but do value their expertise in researching what other states have done in terms of legislative proposals.  By the way, I am well aware of the misrepresentations of the liberal Progressive group that has taken shots at me and others and hence have referred their self serving  ploy and tactics to raise money to our legal council to ascertain if this is a potential ethics or libel issue and if so if it is actionable from a legal standpoint. [Entire email as sent to Keystone Progress member]

[keystoneprogress]

Small businesses have benefited from the Affordable Care Act since it was signed in March 2010. With the help of tax credits in the Affordable Care Act, small businesses like Matt's bagel shop can now offer health insurance to their employees. In Iowa, 57,000 small businesses are now eligible for job-creating tax credits. Watch the "Bagel" ad and sign up with Know Your Care to learn more.