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David,
Last week we received alarming news that carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is at the highest level in human history. This means our planet is in even more danger from the effects of climate change. This news should be a call to action across party lines, but the Trump administration is responding as usual: to deny the problem and do nothing.
Donald Trump and his cronies
may not lose sleep over this, but Jennifer wants to know what you think.
Is the Trump administration doing enough to combat climate change? Vote now in our instant poll!
The Trump administration has
withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, tried to gut the EPA’s
budget, and time and time again has sided with polluters over people.
Jennifer knows we need to do more. Climate change and rising sea levels pose a direct threat to the livelihood of Virginians, and she’s committed to doing whatever it takes to address the problem. She was recognized as an environmental champion in the state legislature by groups like the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters, and in Congress, she’s continued to call for bold action. Your voice matters to her. Can you take a few seconds and tell her if you think we’re currently doing enough to address the threat of climate change? Thank you, Wexton for Congress
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Monday, May 20, 2019
Are we doing enough to address climate change? JENNIFER WEXTON.
It is time for a revolution in public education in this country. BERNIE SANDERS.
Add your name to say you support a
revolution in public education in this country. When we act, others in the
Democratic Party and across the country follow. Say you support my Thurgood
Marshall Plan for Public Education in America.
David
-
In my
view, a quality public education available to all is fundamental to any
democratic civilized society. In the deepest sense, a nation that does not
educate its children properly will fail.
And,
in that regard, we ARE failing. Today, out of 35 major countries throughout the
world, the U.S. ranks 30th in math, 24th in reading, and 19th in science. And,
because far too many of our schools are becoming re-segregated, if you are a
student of color, the chances are your math, science, and reading scores are even
lower.
So why
is it that the billionaires of this country get huge tax breaks, but our
children get broken chairs, flooded classrooms and inadequate support staff in
their schools?
Why is
it that our teachers are paid the lowest salaries of any major country on Earth
and the top 25 hedge fund managers in this country make more money than the
combined salaries of every kindergarten teacher?
Why is
it that we allow charter schools to siphon public money out of public schools —
often with worse results — simply to enrich Wall Street executives, Silicon
Valley CEOs and billionaires like the DeVos family?
Why is
it that 65 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, we
still have shameful funding disparities and segregation in our school systems?
Why is
it that one in every six children go hungry and instead of addressing this
crisis, students with lunch debt are sometimes denied meals and have debt
collectors sent after their families?
We
need a revolution in public education in this country.
What
we accept as normal today with regard to education, I want your grandchildren
to tell you that you were crazy to accept.
Because
the truth is, the world is changing. Technology is changing. Our economy is
changing. And if we are to succeed in a highly competitive global economy, then
I believe that a high-quality education must be available to every child —
starting at the age of three years old and through college — and not just the
privilege of wealthy families.
Last
weekend, I rolled out what I am calling “A Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public
Education” during a trip to South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and
Alabama.
It is
a comprehensive kindergarten through 12th grade education plan that will end
educational disparities in our country and guarantee a great education to every
child as a human right, regardless of zip code.
We are
going to:
- Combat racial discrimination and school
segregation by
increasing, not cutting, funding for community-driven strategies to
desegregate schools.
- Ban for-profit charter schools and institute a moratorium on
public funds for charter school expansion.
- Guarantee a certain minimum level of
education funding per student no matter where you live or if your property taxes
are low or high.
- Strengthen the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act to guarantee children with disabilities an equal
right to a high-quality education.
- Give teachers a much deserved raise with a starting salary of no less
than $60,000 tied to cost of living, years of service and other
qualifications.
- Expand after school and summer education
programs because
research shows that quality programs give students the skills they need to
succeed.
- Provide year-round, free universal school
meals and offer
incentives for sourcing food locally where possible.
- Provide annual funding for community
school programs that offer a holistic, fun-service approach to
learning and the well-being of our young people.
- Fix our school infrastructure so our kids are not learning in
crumbling schools.
- Make school a safe and inclusive place for all by signing the Student
Non-Discrimination Act, enforcing Title IX, and passing comprehensive gun
safety legislation.
Instead
of giving huge tax breaks to billionaires and profitable corporations, we must
create the best public educational system in the world. Instead of major
increases in military spending, we must invest in our kids.
This
plan does that, and is the boldest plan for public education of any candidate
in this race. I’m proud to be the only candidate who has stood with the NAACP’s
call for a moratorium on federal funding of for-profit charter schools.
The
American Federation of Teachers called this plan “vitally important.” And the
National Education Association praised our plan for investing in schools.
But
getting it passed will take a political revolution in this country, and a
radical change in our national priorities.
The
first step is saying you’re in this fight. Because what we’ve proven in the
past is that when our campaign and supporters pick up an important fight,
others in the party and across the country follow:
Research
shows that the “most efficient means to boost the productivity of the workforce
15 to 20 years down the road is to invest in today’s youngest children.”
So
these ideas are not radical, they are common sense.
Thank
you for joining me in this fight.
In
solidarity,
Bernie
Sanders
Paid for by Bernie 2020
This is a long email about closing the gender pay gap in America. I hope you’ll read it, then add your name to join me in this fight: KAMALA HARRIS.
David,
My mother, Shyamala, had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters and end breast cancer. She was one of the first women of color to have a position as a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. As the daughter of a working mother in a male-dominated field, I know the fight to be treated equally in the workplace has persisted for generations.
Women who work full time in America are paid -- on average -- just 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. And for women of color, the gap is even wider. For Latinas it’s 53 cents, for Native American women it’s 58 cents, and for Black women it’s 61 cents. This adds up to more than $400,000 over the course of a woman’s career, and more than $1 million for Latinas, Native women, and Black women.
We can fix this. Today, I’m proud to announce that our campaign is unveiling a historic plan to help close the pay gap between women and men by forcing corporations to be accountable for equal pay.
Our plan will finally put the burden of ensuring equal pay for equal work on the corporations responsible for pay gaps between women and men -- not the women employees who are experiencing discrimination.
We can ensure women earn the wages they deserve by forcing companies to step up, holding them accountable when they don’t, and committing as a nation to ending pay inequity once and for all.
Here’s how we’ll do it:
Companies will be required to obtain an “Equal
Pay Certification” and prove they’re not paying women less than men for work of
equal value.
To receive certification, companies must demonstrate they have eliminated
pay disparities between women and men who are doing work of equal value. To the
extent pay disparities do exist for similar jobs, companies will be required to
show the gap is based on merit, performance, or seniority -- not gender.But it’s not just unequal pay for similar work that drives the wage gap. Too often, women are passed over for promotions, not hired for senior roles, or are prevented from advancing due to the time they take off to care for a new child or ailing parent. These are forms of systemic pay discrimination too, and we need to shine a light on them.
That’s why under our plan, companies will be required to report statistics on the percentage of women in leadership positions and the percentage of women who are amongst the company’s top earners. They will also be required to report the overall pay and total compensation gap that exists between men and women, regardless of job titles, experience, and performance. These statistics will be reported by employees’ race and ethnicity.
Companies will be fined 1% of their profits
for every 1% wage gap they allow to persist for work of equal value.
Companies that fail to receive “Equal Pay Certification” will face a fine
for every day they discriminate against their workers. For every 1% gap that
exists after accounting for differences in job titles, experience, and
performance, companies will be fined at 1% of their average daily profits
during the last fiscal year.Our plan is estimated to generate roughly $180 billion over 10 years.
Fines will be invested in building on
universal paid family and medical leave.
We must address the
systemic inequalities that drive the pay gap, including the wage penalty women
pay when caring for a new child or a sick parent. On average, women receive a
4% pay cut for each child they have, compared to men who receive a 6% pay
increase. The lack of paid leave -- for women and men -- is a major driver of
the wage penalty.
Companies will be required to disclose whether
they are “Equal Pay Certified” on the homepage of their websites.
Compliance reports will be posted publicly on Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission’s (EEOC) website. These reports will empower individual employees to
assess where they fall on their company’s pay scale and as in the UK, allow the
public to hold corporations accountable for pay gaps.
To ensure equality in all workplaces, we’ll
overhaul anti-discrimination laws and expand investigations of complaints to
secure justice for victims of discrimination.
The wage gap isn’t just a number: It’s the countless women across America
who have been the target of discrimination. We need to support them in every
workplace, no matter the size. Under our plan, we’ll significantly strengthen
and expand anti-discrimination protections to ensure all workers, no matter the
size of their employer, are covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.The wage gap between men and women in our country has barely budged this entire century, and the burden for ensuring equal pay has often fallen on workers -- requiring them to hold employers accountable for pay discrimination through costly lawsuits that are increasingly difficult to prove. This is wrong.
Together, we can flip the script by placing the burden squarely on the corporations responsible for pay inequity and radically change the way we enforce equal pay in America.
Thanks for joining me in support of our new plan to help close the wage gap.
For The People,
— Kamala Harris
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Someone near Seekonk is inviting you. TEAM BETO.
David,
In two short days, Beto will join his first
nationally-televised town hall since he announced his run for president. Thousands
of people across the country will be watching -- including a generous volunteer
near Seekonk who’s inviting you to join them, David.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on
this journey -- whether you’ve been volunteering for weeks or you’re still unsure
about who you’re supporting in 2020 -- this is an exciting opportunity to hear
Beto’s vision and meet other people in your community who care about creating a
better path forward for our country.
David, do
you want to watch the Beto CNN Town Hall on May 21 at a volunteer’s watch party? There’s one near
Seekonk -- just RSVP to let them know you’re interested in joining.
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Events
near: 02771
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You can also find
more on the map.
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