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Mothers March for Healthcare Reform, May 30 |
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Written by Carol McKinley
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Monday, 11 May 2009 09:21 |
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HEALTH CARE REFORM CANNOT WAIT!
Mothers Leading the Way on Saturday, May 30th On Saturday, May 30th, mothers will be standing up and marching with people from across the state with a rallying cry to support the goal of winning quality, affordable health care for everyone this year. This is one of many nationwide health care mobilization events happening in May and June. JOIN WA UU Voices and many others at 12:30 pm on May 30th at Pratt Park,20th Ave and SE Yesler Way, for a rally and march to Westlake Park in downtown Seattle for an ending rally. The theme, "Health Care for All in 2009 - Mothers Leading the Way," is a powerful message that makes it clear that we are determined to stand up with President Obama to achieve health care reform this year. During this month when many commemorate Mother’s Day, it is meaningful to reflect on the origins of the day. It began with a peace proclamation in 1870 protesting the devastation of war and was a rallying cry to mothers to stand against the killing of their sons. The May 30th march is a call to mothers,families and friends to rally for health care justice for all in 2009. Bring your family and friends to the event. Organize a car pool. Buses will be coming from Spokane, Tacoma, Tri-cities, Yakima, Bellingham and Vancouver. For more information about transportation and materials to download go to www.may30march.org. Help get the word out to your congregations, friends, and families, and join WA UU Voices on May 30 to march for health care reform! "Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year." - President Barack Obama |
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Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2009 17:56 |
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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 22 March 2009 20:01 |
WASHINGTON’S BUDGET: CALL FOR A MORAL DOCUMENT THAT DOES NOT ABANDON THE VULNERABLE Last Thursday Washington State received the news that the state budget shortfall is estimated to be $9 billion during the 2009-2010 biennium, an increase of nearly one billion from just a few short weeks ago. Senate and House budget committees will be working around the clock in coming days to revise appropriations so that they can present a constitutionally mandated balanced budget to the Legislature. Budget was the focus at last week’s Faith Advocacy Day in Olympia. By framing the budget as a moral document, presenters called for religious leaders and congregations to urge elected officials to write a budget that reflects the values and priorities of our state, values that call for meeting the basic needs of all people, especially those who are low-income and living on the margins of society. As Unitarian Universalists, our voices are needed to advocate for programs that are lifelines for the most vulnerable people in our state. Severe cuts are proposed to the Housing Trust Fund, which helps very low-income people transition out of homelessness; to General Assistance Unemployable (GA-U), a critical safety net for those who have nowhere else to turn for financial assistance; to the Basic Health Plan (BHP), where a proposed 45% cut will only increase the ranks of our state’s uninsured – currently over 550,000 – and further impact overstretched community hospitals. The Governor has ordered many belt-tightening measures, including a hiring freeze, travel ban and eliminating many boards and commissions. But with a $9 billion shortfall, belt-tightening is not enough. An increasing number of religious and community leaders are asking legislators to exercise leadership by developing revenue sources to support a balanced budget and to protect funding for basic services for the most vulnerable. To provide funding, both short- and long-term changes to the way state revenue is generated are essential. Currently, Washington is hampered by a regressive tax system that relies heavily on sales tax to fund state services. In addition, the tax base is diminished by more than $900 million in tax exemptions passed over the past five years alone. More equitable ways of increasing income, including a state income tax, are needed. Finding new and just ways to generate revenue for essential state human and environmental services is not easy, but we can begin by urging creative thinking by our elected officials and all citizens, including ways to fund a fair and adequate budget. Among some suggestions raised during Faith Advocacy Day were to: - Review all tax exemptions and repeal those that cannot be justified as for the common good
- Increase taxes on higher income individuals and businesses
- Support tax equity through a state income tax, reducing the unequal burden that the sales tax places on lower income persons
These are challenging times for Washington State. It is essential that we bring our Unitarian Universalist values of justice and equity to the conversation about how this state sustains critical human services and environmental stewardship. This is an opportunity to speak out for a balanced budget that is indeed a moral document. ACT TODAY! Contact your senator and representatives; let them know that you, as a Unitarian Universalist, believe that the budget cannot be balanced by eliminating health, economic, and social services for the most vulnerable people in our state. Voice your support for a revenue package, that includes increased taxes, especially on those with higher income. Locate your legislators’ email addresses at: www.leg.wa.gov, or leave a message for them at the Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 Contact Governor Gregoire. Let her know that you respect her campaign pledge of “no new taxes,” but that you recognize that Washington is facing a fiscal crisis that cannot be solved by drastic cuts to programs that save lives of the poorest in our state. Pledge your support for a budget that includes revenue from new taxes and fees, and urge her to do the same when the budget arrives on her desk.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR BILLS BEING HEARD THIS WEEK: Monday, March 23: Restoration of felons’ voting rights, SHB 1517. 10 a.m., John A. Cherberg Building 2, Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee. WA UU Voices for Justice supports this bill, which passed the house earlier this month. Monday, March 23: Payday lending fee and installment plan assistance, ESHB 1709. 10 a.m., Cherberg Building 4, Senate Labor and Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee. WA UU Voices for justice supports this bill, which will give borrowers more options and time to repay their payday loans. Monday, March 23: Domestic Partnership Expansion, 2SSB 5688. 1:30 p.m. John L. O’Brien Building, House Judiciary Committee. This bill is moving quickly through the legislature; add your support to its passage! If you cannot attend a hearing to sign in, your voice still counts! Call the Legislative Hotline, 1-800-562-6000, and have your support of these bills sent to your senator today. |
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Last Updated on Sunday, 22 March 2009 20:11 |
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Payday Lending Bill Gutted |
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Written by Dick Burkhart
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Tuesday, 14 April 2009 10:29 |
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The Payday Lending bill ESHB 1709 was gutted in the Senate on April 13. Tell your Senators that this is not acceptable. The installment payback plan is out, as is any limitation on the # of payday loans or any waiting period. The only thing remaining is a limitation on payday loans to total less than 30% of gross monthly income. |
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Written by Carol McKinley
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Saturday, 18 October 2008 15:30 |
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UU VOICES PREPARES FOR THE 2009 SESSION An enthusiastic gathering of nearly 70 UUs from around the state met November 22, at the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation to select Washington State UU Voices for Justice's legislative priorities, and to improve how we bring our UU faith’s values of justice, equality, and freedom into the legislative arena. Legislative Priorities Selected for the 2009 Session Following presentations by speakers and small-group discussions of issues that will face the 2009 Washington State Legislature when it opens Monday, January 12, conference attendees selected these issues as the focus for Washington State UU Voices for Justice advocacy efforts this year: Global Warming Health Care Reform Criminal Justice Reform Housing and Homelessness
Washington State UU Voices for Justice encourages all UUs in Washington State to learn more about each of these issues; background material, links to websites, and regular updates on the issues will be posted on the UU Voices' website, under the Issues tab. Each of you has the opportunity to share information by contributing to the discussion at that site. Emails and newsletters will keep you posted about lobby days and legislative hearings. In addition, check this website, www.uuvoiceswa.org, for up-to-date information and calls to action. Effective Communication with Legislators UU Voices' Legislative Conference speaker, Nita Rinehart, a former Seattle area legislator and now a faculty member in The Evergreen State College’s Masters in Public Administration program, emphasized the importance of developing personal relationships with district legislators, not only during the legislative session but during the legislative interim. When a legislator gets to know a constituent – and the issues important to that constituent – an email, phone call, or letter from that person becomes significant. She stressed that clarity of message is important when meeting with a legislator. Faced with an average personal contact time of 14 seconds, an advocate must be clear and concise. · State your name and your relationship to the legislator. For example: “Good afternoon, Senator Jones. I am Sarah Smith, and I live in your 36th District.” Or, “I live in the 36th District, and I would like to express my concerns about health care coverage cost cuts to you as chair [or member] of the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee.” · Say what you would like the legislator to do, and why. For example: “I am a member of Washington State Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice, and our statewide organization has selected health care reform as a legislative priority. I would like to request your support for House Bill/Senate Bill 0000, which establishes a single-payer system for all people in Washington State. By providing quality, basic services for all people, we will actually reduce the cost of health care for citizens, and the state. “ [Here you can provide some statistics from recent studies on health care costs’ savings] · Emphasize why this is a justice and moral issue, not only a political issue. For example: “Health care access is a right, not a privilege. Our organization, WA State UU Voices for Justice, believes that all people in this state have the right to accessible, affordable health care, and that the state will benefit from this. We will reduce administrative costs, including the increased use of emergency rooms as primary care providers, and build a community that recognizes that we are interdependent and responsible for each other’s care.” · Thank your legislator and her/his aide for their time and consideration of your request. Extend your thanks not only for a particular issue, but for their service as elected representatives. This is difficult work! If you are so moved, volunteer to work on the campaign committee for your legislator, and help bring your Unitarian Universalist values to the public square. |
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Last Updated on Sunday, 04 January 2009 17:13 |
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