Public Comments Needed to Ban Wildlife Killing Contests

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is accepting public comment on a proposed rule to ban wildlife killing contests and the commissioners need to hear from you! Please send a message letting them know you support this rule and that you would like to see it strengthened to close loopholes. Wildlife killing contests are unethical, wasteful, and devalue our wildlife, plus have no scientific or wildlife management role.

There are more than 20 wildlife killing contests held each year in Arizona. The participants join in the contest for a fee and then they spend the weekend killing as many animals as they can for a cash prize. The target species are usually one or more of the following animals; coyotes, bobcats, foxes and sometimes mountain lion, coati mundi, badgers, and jackrabbits. They get points for the different animals killed and the most animals killed and sometimes win other prizes. Frequently, the animals are dumped after the contest is over.

Please contact Game and Fish and support banning these killing contests. You can use the message we have provided, and if possible, add your own story and tell them why you care. You can also send your comments to:

E-mail: rulemaking@azgfd.gov

U.S. Mail: Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attn.: Rules Section
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086

Sample Letter 

(Consider personalizing it for more impact.) 

I support the Arizona Game and Fish Commission rule to ban wildlife killing contests and encourage you to close loopholes in the rule to ensure that these contests are not lawful in Arizona.

These killing contest are not hunting, so banning them in no way infringes on the rights of hunters. The contests do promote wanton destruction of wildlife, provide no wildlife management tool, and have no basis in science.

Wildlife killing contests are a danger on our public lands - contests encourage many teams of people with guns and powerful spotting scopes to go out and kill a lot of animals in a short period of time in a particular area. This puts other people and domestic animals at risk if they happen to be out recreating in the area of the killing contests.

These contests can also put nontarget species of wildlife at risk. For example, an uncollared Mexican wolf might be mistaken for coyote in the rush to get the biggest and the most.

I encourage you to amend the rule to limit sponsorship of these contests and to include nongame wildlife and prairie dogs, so those organizing these wildlife killing contests do not merely switch their targets.

Please fulfill your public trust responsibilities to the people of Arizona relative to our wildlife and stop these killing contests now.

Thank you for your consideration.

- Sierra Club

MORE INFORMATION

A Death Of Ethics: Is Hunting Destroying Itself? - Mountain Journal 

Tell the Dept. of Energy: Keep Energy Efficiency Programs for Light Bulbs and Appliances!

Making light bulbs more energy efficient is one of the most common-sense things we can do to save energy, save money, and fight climate change. Yet, President Trump is going after light bulb efficiency standards now.

Trump and his Department of Energy (DOE) want to drastically weaken two critical energy efficiency initiatives that save consumers billions in energy costs and slash millions of tons of carbon pollution per year.

But right now, the DOE is accepting public comments on these proposed anti-environment attacks, so we need your help rallying massive public opposition that will stop their assault.

Submit an official public comment now: Urge the Trump administration to abandon its assault on energy efficiency and stay committed to reducing carbon emissions from light bulbs and appliances.

So why is Trump attacking these standards? Yet again, it's to bolster profits for the manufacturers of the inefficient products and his dirty energy cronies.

Trump's DOE wants to cut in half the number of light bulbs that will be subject to energy efficiency standards due to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. That means consumers would be stuck with more old, energy-guzzling incandescent and halogen light bulbs that will cost us up to $12 billion annually in higher energy bills and cause 25 coal burning power plants' worth of extra electricity to be generated each year. The DOE is also signaling that it doesn't intend to put new lighting standards into effect at all on Jan. 1, 2020, despite the fact that Congress called for these standards way back in 2007.

The administration is also trying to gut a crucial measure called the Process Rule, which is the internal guideline DOE follows to set new efficiency standards for other appliances like refrigerators, hot water heaters, or air conditioners. The federal standards program has been one of the U.S.'s most successful energy efficiency programs, saving consumers over $2 trillion and cutting billions of tons of carbon pollution.

The proposed changes to the Process Rule would make industry responsible for developing the tests used to measure the energy efficiency of its own products, while setting up barriers designed to slow progress and hamstring the government's ability to set new energy efficiency standards.

Tell Trump's DOE: Protect energy efficiency standards to help cut carbon emissions, reduce consumers' utility bills, and stave off climate catastrophe.

These are the latest Trump administration assaults on efforts to promote energy efficiency and combat climate change — all despite the growing body of scientific proof that we need to urgently address the climate crisis. These attacks will stifle technological innovation and increase air pollution that threatens the health of our children and the environment — all to bolster industry profits.


- Rhea Suh, President, NRDC

Tell Facebook: Stop giving border militias a platform for their hate

The petition to Facebook reads: "Ban United Constitutional Patriots from your platform." Add your name:

A heavily armed vigilante militia is patrolling the New Mexico border and detaining immigrants at gunpoint.1 The United Constitutional Patriots is a known racist organization and fascist militia. Its members are using Facebook to post brazen videos of its criminal activity to recruit new members, and raise money. That is unacceptable. UCP's videos are not just vile and racist, they also violate several Facebook policies on publicizing a crime, coordinating harm and promoting violence or graphic content.2 Thanks to the activism of our friends at the Change the Terms coalition, Facebook just announced it would take down UCP videos that violate company policy and remove the hate group from its fundraising platform3 but, that is not enough. Facebook must ban UCP. Tell Facebook: Stop giving fascist border militias a platform for their hate. Click here to sign the petition. This isn't the first time racists have used Facebook to recruit members and raise money. In 2017, the Proud Boys, a paramilitary white nationalist hate group, used the platform to organize the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that incited lethal violence. It took nearly two years after Charlottesville for Facebook to announce a plan to combat hate. It recently committed to banning white nationalists and separatists from its platform.4 But Facebook is clearly having trouble keeping its commitment. Several of UCP's brutal videos were available for the public to view for weeks and the group's page is still active. The FBI recently arrested UCP leader Johnny Horton for being a felon in possession of a firearm.5 Horton and his comrades claim that UCP works in coordination with Trump's Border Patrol, call immigrants "invaders" and believe that many are terrorists associated with ISIS. It uses Facebook to build its army, incite violence against immigrants, and raise money to purchase food, propane and allegedly weapons.6  UCP's Facebook followers have more than doubled since it posted videos of its members rounding up hundreds of immigrants and holding them at gunpoint. We must make clear to Facebook that enabling and giving a megaphone to violent, lawless racists is unacceptable. PayPal and GoFundMe have already removed UCP from their platforms.7 Add your name now to demand that Facebook follow their leads. Tell Facebook: Stop giving fascist border militias a platform for their hate. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/facebook-drop-ucp?t=9&akid=32387%2E3130208%2E7uSrku - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action  Add your name: References: Pema Levy and Tonya Riley, "Human Rights Activists Say These Videos Show Violent Kidnappings—And Facebook Isn’t Taking Them Down," Mother Jones, April 24, 2019. Bryan Menegus, "New Mexico armed border group barred from Facebook fund-raising," Gizmodo, April 24, 2018. Andrew Hay, "FBI arrests leader of armed group stopping migrants in New Mexico," Reuters, April 26, 2019. Liam Stack, "Facebook Announces New Policy to Ban White Nationalist Content," The New York Times, March 27, 2019. Andrew Hay, "FBI arrests leader of armed group stopping migrants in New Mexico," Reuters, April 20, 2019. Salvador Hernandez and Adolfo Flores, "'They Killed Us': Crowdfunding Sites Have Cut Off An Armed Militia Detaining Migrants At The Border," Buzzfeed News, April 22, 2019. Ibid.

Citizen's Initiatives or Dark Money? Protect our right to be heard. Call your legislators now!

Democracy is on the line today: the House is trying to restrict citizens' initiatives while the Senate is (yet again) going after Clean Elections.

 It's time to call our state legislators!  If you've already called, thank you. Please, call again. We can't let them take away our right to be heard and enact laws that benefit the people of Arizona. 

SB 1451: Places even more technical restrictions on the citizen's initiative process and makes it easier for special interests to invalidate entire sheets of signatures automatically or toss them out in court. Make no mistake these types of restrictions make direct democracy for Arizonans even harder and further opens the door to out of state billionaires to take over the initiative process. CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE and ask them to VOTE NO on SB 1451. 

HB 2724: The bill would create new avenues for dark money groups and other bad actors to evade enforcement by the Clean Elections Commission. On top of inviting even more dark money into Arizona, HB 2724 could jeopardize the entire scope of the Commission’s work including their voter education and outreach programs. CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and ask them to VOTE NO on HB 2724. 

-Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

 CONTACT YOUR REPS!

To find out who your Representative is, find your district here.

Use that district number to look up your Rep here.

Stand up for Native American voting rights

Petition to state and local election officials: "There’s simply no more essential duty of a democratic government than to provide open and fair elections accessible to ALL eligible voters, including Native Americans. We believe establishing satellite locations for in-person voter registration and in-person early voting locations must happen for Native American votes to be cast and counted." Add your name:

Native Americans face deliberate obstacles to voting. After centuries of genocide and land theft, America only allowed Native peoples to vote starting in 1924. But the years since brought systematic voter disenfranchisement – and got even worse after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act.1 The 2018 midterms once more included voter suppression tactics on Native reservations. We need to turn up the pressure on state and local election officials immediately or risk more of the same in years to come. Stand up for Native American voting rights. Click here to sign the petition. There is some good news: Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently signed landmark Native American voting rights legislation into law that advocates hope could serve as a model for the nation.2 That is why we are standing alongside our friends at Four Directions, a leader for Native American voting rights and engagement, to fight to protect and expand access to the ballot box. Today, Native peoples who try to vote face obscene obstacles including:3 No federal protection. Until the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, counties with a history of voter suppression had to apply for pre-clearance before passing laws to restrict voting. Now, those protections are gone – and the Trump administration gives a free pass to counties that try to suppress the vote. No physical addresses. In 2018, states like South Dakota rejected absentee ballots because they lacked addresses, despite states' failure to provide Native Americans who live on reservations physical addresses. States with voter ID laws also commonly reject tribal ID cards. No easy-to-access polling places. Last fall, some indigenous peoples had to drive more than 150 miles to get to a polling place – the same strategy of systematically limiting polling places and voting machines that right-wing politicians use to suppress the vote of other communities of color. State and county election officials hold immense power over small decisions that make a huge difference in whether Americans can exercise their right to vote. They aren't used to hearing from advocates – so speaking out now could produce important changes. Stand up for Native American voting rights. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/native-american-voting-rights/?t=9&akid=32361%2E3130208%2EuWENM4 - Nicole Regalado,CREDO Action Add your name: References: Peter Dunphy, "The State of Native American Voting Rights," The Brennan Center for Justice, March 13, 2019. Massoud Hayoun, "Could Washington State Be a Model for Native Voting Rights Reform?" Pacific Standard, March 20, 2019. Dunphy, "The State of Native American Voting Rights."

Support Organic First in Tucson City Parks

Help Us on April 23 or before by Showing Your Support for Organic First Tucson City Parks!!!

You might remember that the Tucson City Council approved a motion to go Organic First in city parks on October 23, 2018. It’s now time to show your support of this plan to keep the momentum moving forward!

HERE’S HOW:
1. Attend Tucson City Council’s Study Session Meeting
Tuesday, April 23 @ 12pm to show support at the Mayor & Council Chambers: City Hall, 255 W. Alameda
.

Bring a handmade sign with a simple phrase such as
:
- Thank You! / We want Safe Parks – Go Organic
- We Support Pesticide Free – Go Organic

- Keep Our Community Safe – Bee Pesticide Free

- Or your own catchy phrase supporting Organic First
.

Click here to review the Agenda on the City Council’s Website for more information before going:
Tucson City Council Meeting Agenda #3 Link

Most of our main organizing group will be at the Study Session. Please look for us there!

Note: you will have to go through a security line to get into the City Council Study Session, so do not bring any glass, knives, etc.

2. Email the City Council Members and the Mayor by end of the day on Monday, 4/22/19

Tell them how much you appreciate their vote to go Organic First on October 23, 2018, and their continued effort to Make Tucson Safe in Public Lands and want them to keep moving forward on this effort.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild: mayor1@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 1 Council Member Regina Romero: ward1@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham: ward2@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 3 Council Member Paul Durham: ward3@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 4 Council Member Shirley Scott: ward4@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres: ward5@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik: ward6@tucsonaz.gov

3. Share this email with others on your email list or share the information on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Resist-and-Regenerate-Pima-County-AZ/events/260713121/

Share on This on FB:
Like our FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ToxinFreePimaCounty/

- Toxin Free Pima County 

Support the plastic protesters at Nestle's headquarters. Contact the company now!

Outside Nestlé’s United States corporate headquarters with your message AND a giant plastic monster!

Yesterday, Greenpeace activists showed up at other Nestlé offices all over the world. We need to strike while the iron is hot. Make your voice heard by calling Nestlé right now at 1-888-918-6672. Let’s make sure this is a day Nestlé executives never forget.

In 2018 alone, Nestlé was responsible for creating nearly 4 billion pounds of single-use plastic packaging that in many cases is not recyclable or reusable — instead it will end up as waste forever haunting our planet!

Will you help us tell Nestlé how dire the plastic pollution crisis truly is? Call Nestlé right this moment at 1-888-918-6672 and tell them they must phase out their reliance on single-use plastic packaging, and move to refillable and reusable options.

I cannot bear to see another headline about communities overrun by the global waste trade – or another dead whale with a gut full of plastic. So my friends and I called out Nestlé at its office with a giant monster made with discarded Nestlé packaging. If you feel like I do, please join us by calling out Nestlé over the phones.

Calling is easy, takes less than two minutes, and is one of the best ways to make sure Nestlé is listening. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Dial 1-888-918-6672.
2. Listen to a short message from Greenpeace. We’ll then patch you through to Nestlé’s customer service line.
3. When you’re connected, be polite and say what you think about Nestlé’s plastic packaging. Here is a suggested script:

Hi, my name is ___________and I’m calling from CITY, STATE. I’m very concerned by the massive amount of single-use plastic pollution and Nestlé is one of the largest global corporations that relies heavily on such packaging. I would like Nestlé to be an industry leader and phase out single-use plastic, while innovating bold, new solutions like refillable and reusable packaging. Thank you!

You can also send a message demanding an end to single-use plastic on Nestle's Facebook. 

Not on Facebook? No problem, you can send a message on Instagram or Twitter.

Nestlé needs to hear from you right now. You’ve already joined millions signing petitions demanding an end to its single-use plastic and spreading the word on social media. They know they’ve created a problem, but they don’t want to be the ones to solve it. The solution, however, is in their hands, and the time is now. Nestlé must make the switch to systems of reuse. 

- Kate Melges, Greenpeace USA

Arizonans! Protect your right to vote CALL IN DAY

TUESDAY, April 16th 

Join AZAN for the 3^rd “Protect Your Right to Vote Call-in Day” to (again) ask our Representatives to vote NO on SB 1188 – the bill that takes the “permanent” of the permanent early voting list and would purge over 200,000 from the PEVL. All you have to do is dial 701-484-0521 to be connected to the House. You can check out a quick script and more information HERE.

After dialing for democracy all day – you’re definitely going to need to relax with a drink (or two) – so please join us for happy hour at Huss Brewing in Central Phoenix. We’ll be there right at 5:30pm and are bringing a few amazing friends with us. You can RSVP HERE.

WEDNESDAY,  April 17th

You’re invited to tune in to tune into a Voting Rights Virtual Town Hall – featuring Representative Athena Salman, Representative Reginald Bolding, Shelley Jackson of Arizona Coalition for Change and our very own Joel Edman as they discuss the Arizona Voters Bill of Rights and the constant attack on voting rights this legislative session. Just join ProgressNow Arizona’s Facebook page at 6 pm. More information – and a link to submit questions to the panel can be found HERE.

- Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

Sign the Petition: Tell Mitch McConnell to put the Anti-corruption bill up for a vote in the Senate

With the help of activists like you, we were able to get a strong H.R. 1 passed through the House of Representatives last month -- a resolution that can reform our political system through elections, campaign finances, and transparency measures.

Now we need you again. H.R. 1 should be voted on in the Senate next, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to bring it up for a vote. Can you help us put the pressure on McConnell to do what’s right and allow the Senate to vote on this vital resolution?

Sign the petition: Mitch McConnell needs to put H.R. 1 up for a vote in the Senate.

H.R. 1 proposes a massive overhaul of political corruption including money-in-politics, voting rights, and ethics laws -- all to make our democracy fair and more inclusive, which is exactly what we need.(1)

We need a democracy where voters are protected from discrimination and can make themselves heard at the ballot box. A democracy where electoral districts are drawn fairly. A democracy where ordinary Americans -- including women, people of color, and working-class Americans -- can run for office without relying on special interest and corporate money, or worse, competing against corrupt politicians that sell out.

H.R. 1 provides solutions to these problems, and the next step to get it passed is a vote in the Senate. Mitch McConnell cannot continue to hold us back from getting the democracy we all deserve.

Ask Mitch McConnell to put a resolution to reform our political system up for a Senate vote.

- the Courage team


Footnote:
1. https://www.vox.com/2019/3/8/18253609/hr-1-pelosi-house-democrats-anti-corruption-mcconnell

Tell the EPA: Save the Clean Water Rule

The petition to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler reads: "The EPA's proposal to drastically weaken Clean Water Act protections is unacceptable. Abandon this proposed rollback and return to the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which helped protect drinking water sources for 117 million Americans." Add your name: Wheeler wants to get rid of a rule that helps protect the drinking water for 117 million Americans.1 Under his leadership, the EPA published a proposal to replace the Obama-era Clean Water Rule with the aptly named Dirty Water Rule, a far weaker alternative.Republicans in Washington may not care much about the environment, but you would think that anyone would want to protect their own drinking water. But apparently for Andrew Wheeler, Trump's EPA chief, helping polluters profit is a higher priority. But the proposed rule isn't law yet. The EPA is taking comments on the Dirty Water Rule until April 15. Sign the petition now and CREDO will file a comment on your behalf. Tell the EPA: Abandon the Dirty Water Rule and protect our waterways and streams. Click here to sign the petition. From the Great Lakes to Puget Sound to rivers across the South, America's waterways are at risk. Our rivers, lakes and bays depend on the streams that feed them and wetlands that filter out pollutants. But the Trump EPA rule change would remove Clean Water Act protections for thousands of streams and wetlands.2 And it could get even worse: One part of the rule could rip protections from nearly 60% of our nation's streams.3 The EPA's reckless rule change is not supported by scientific evidence. It is being promoted and rushed through the rulemaking process with little public input. But polluters have been pushing this for years, and they are thrilled. We need to stand up for clean water and make sure that the EPA hears loud and clear that getting rid of the Clean Water Rule is unacceptable. Tell the EPA: Abandon the Dirty Water Rule and protect our waterways and streams. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/dirty-water-rule?t=9&akid=32211%2E3130208%2ELEih_V, - Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Environmental Protection Agency, "Geographic Information Systems Analysis of the Surface Drinking Water Provided by Intermittent, Ephemeral and Headwater Streams in the U.S." July 2009. Nathan Rott, "Trump EPA Proposes Major Rollback Of Federal Water Protections," NPR, Dec. 11, 2018.

Tell your Rep: Don't purge the Permanent Early Voter List

SB 1188, which would purge 200,000 voters from the PEVL (Permanent Early Voter List) could be heard on the House floor any day now, which is why we need your help. Join us in a day of action and call your Representative at 701-484-0521 to ask them to oppose SB 1188 .

Let them know that 81% of voters support preserving Arizona’s PEVL, including 77% of Republican voters. And 63% of voters overall oppose purging voters from the rolls if they have not voted in recent elections, including 59% of Republicans.

Call 701-484-0521 TODAY and ask your Representative to oppose SB 1188.

Ask Members of Congress to Co-sponsor the Save Oak Flat Act

Please, ask your Members of Congress to Co-sponsor the Save Oak Flat Act. It's so easy. Click this link and in put your zip code and it automatically pulls up your Members of Congress and a pre-filled letter. Just put in your into and hit send. It doesn't matter what state you live in. It takes less than a minute. Please, help #SAVEOAKFLAT #PROTECTOAKFLAT from destruction. Please, we are running out of time to save Chi' Chil Bildagoteel.. Learn more at Apache-Stronghold.com

On January 17, 2019, the Save Oak Flat Act was introduced in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. The Bills would repeal Section 3003 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 and keep Oak Flat in public ownership.

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the US House version, HR 665, with 29 cosponsors from both parties.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced S 173, the Senate version of the Save Oak Flat Act with four cosponsors, Senators Warren (D-MA), Merkley (D-OR), Wyden (D-OR), Heinrich (D-NM), and Booker (D-NJ).

The success of the Save Oak Flat Act is very important for the protection of Oak Flat.

Please contact your Representative asking him/her to cosponsor HR 665 and your Senators to cosponsor S 173. (If your Congressional delegation members are already cosponsors, please thank him/her for helping to protect Oak Flat).

Oak Flat is critical for the religious freedom of Native Americans and is an ecological and recreational haven. Oak Flat is located 60 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona and is public land managed by the Tonto National Forest.

Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies, wants to privatize Oak Flat to build a copper mine, destroying Oak Flat in the process. Rio Tinto's Congressional supporters had been unsuccessful 12 times over ten years to give Oak Flat to Rio Tinto, but managed to attach the Oak Flat land exchange to the National Defense Authorization Act in the dead of night in December of 2014. The land exchange, which would give Oak Flat to Rio Tinto upon completion of an "environmental" study, is Section 3003 of the massive defense bill.

Rio Tinto’s mining plan for Oak Flat is currently being analyzed by the US Forest Service with public input. The more the public learns about Rio Tinto’s planned block cave mine at Oak Flat and the associated 5,000 plus acres of public land that would be permanently destroyed by a toxic waste dump and other mine facilities, the more convinced we become that this project is not feasible and must be stopped.

- Arizona Mining Reform Coalition

For More Information:

Arizona Mining Reform Coalition website page
H.R. 665 (House Version) Cosponsors
Grijalva Save Oak Flat Act Press Releasehttp://org.salsalabs.com/o/676/p/dia/action4/common/public/…

Tell Democrats: Repeal the Trump Tax Scam

Did you discover that your tax refunds are far smaller than expected?

Petition to Democratic elected officials and candidates: "You must repeal the Trump tax cuts that mostly benefit corporations and the richest 1%. It is time for corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. We need trillions of dollars in new revenues over the next 10 years to protect critical services like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which benefit working families, and to make new investments in education, housing, infrastructure, a Green New Deal and more, to meet our nation’s growing needs. We demand an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy few." Add your name:

The admission – buried in the latest economic forecast from the Trump administration – comes as many Americans are angrily discovering that their tax refunds are far smaller than expected, even as corporations hand their million-dollar handouts to rich shareholders.1,2  After making huge promises about the Trump Tax Scam's effects, the White House just admitted it won't actually deliver long-term growth. The Tax Scam was always immoral, and now America is seeing how many lies Trump told to get it passed. Every single Democrat must commit to repealing this monstrosity. Tell Democrats: Commit to repeal the Trump Tax Scam. Click here to sign the petition. Corporate Democrats already attacked commonsense proposals for a top 70 percent tax rate from progressive champions like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Before long, corporate Democrats will propose preserving huge chunks of the Tax Scam in a bid to appease donors. By 2020, it could be difficult for your average voter to distinguish between the party of Trump tax handouts for billionaires and the muddled opposition. There is no good reason for Democrats to preserve any part of this Tax Scam. It will kill jobs and lower wages by exacerbating income inequality and encouraging growth on Wall Street instead of Main Street.3 On top of that, it is: Heartless health care robbery. The Trump Tax Scam sabotages the Affordable Care Act protections keeping healthy people in insurance markets, which could end up costing 13 million people their health care.4 Horrifyingly unjust. The Trump Tax Scam is pouring gasoline on the already-raging fire of inequality in America. Multinational corporations are seeing massive tax handouts despite sitting on billions in offshore profits, while everyday Americans get pocket change. White Americans are disproportionately benefiting while communities of color struggle.5 An excuse for more cruel cuts. Even before handing trillions to the ultra-wealthy, Trump and the Trump Republicans in Congress began to insist that we must cut the earned benefits that tens of millions of people rely upon. Their phony deficit hysteria is a deliberate ploy to make Americans more dependent on Wall Street and corporate employers by destroying our earned benefits.6 Deeply unpopular. Only 33 percent of Americans support the Trump Tax Scam, even with a major Republican publicity push. If progressives lead the charge to point out the way the bill benefits multinational corporations at the expense of our communities, those numbers will only get worse.7 Democrats will fail if they become the party of tweaking the Trump Tax Scam. They must draw a clear, dividing line by promising to repeal the Trump Tax Scam in its entirety. Tell Democrats: Repeal the Trump Tax Scam. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/repeal-trump-tax-scam-2019/?t=9&akid=32136%2E3130208%2Ey0o5iE - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Jim Tankersley, "Trump’s Tax Cut Won’t Power the Growth He Predicts, Officials Concede," The New York Times, March 19, 2019. Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley, "Faster Tax Cuts Could Be Backfiring on Republicans," The New York Times, March 19, 2019. Ryan Cooper, "Democrats need to unabashedly support raising taxes," The Week, Oct. 25, 2017. David Lazarus, “GOP tax bill also manages to needlessly screw up the healthcare system,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 19, 2017. Jim Tankersley, “'White Americans Gain the Most From Trump’s Tax Cuts, a Report Finds,” The New York Times, Oct. 11, 2018. Tara Golshan, “Top Republicans are already talking about cutting Medicare and Social Security next,” Vox, Dec. 18, 2017. Hannah Levintova, “Yes, Your Tax Refund Is Smaller,” Mother Jones, Feb. 28, 2019. More information:  Is a Tax Refund Ahead in Your 2019? Some Taxpayers Received a Tax Bill Instead - Fortune

Tell Congress: Reject Ronald Vitiello's nomination as head of ICE

There are thousands of children still in detention at this moment thanks to Ronald Vitiello

Petition to the Senate: "Reject Ronald Vitiello's nomination to become permanent director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement." Add your name:

The Senate is poised to approve Ronald Vitiello – one of the key players in the Trump policy of tearing families apart – as the permanent head of ICE.1 Even Republican members of Congress saw through Trump's fear-mongering and embarrassed him by rejecting his declaration of a state of emergency at the southern border. So now, the Trump administration is fostering and playing up a sense of crisis in order to justify his authoritarian power grab – orchestrating a nightmare scenario by misallocating resources for political gain. The Senate could vote on Vitiello's nomination any day now, but some Republicans are wavering after the ICE employees' union expressed concerns. We need to speak out now. Tell the Senate: Reject Ronald Vitiello's nomination as permanent head of ICE. Click here to sign the petition. There are thousands of children still in detention at this moment thanks to Ronald Vitiello. We've watched ICE tear gas mothers, children and even toddlers in diapers, children die of severe neglect in ICE and CBP custody, and border agents turn away thousands of migrant refugees escaping violence. We've also watched the Trump administration sabotage the asylum process, divert funds, and illegally deploy the military to the border – all to manufacture a sense of crisis. Ronald Vitiello, as the acting director of ICE since June 2018, is a key cog in this despicable campaign who:2 Implemented and defended Trump's family separation policy. As acting head of ICE, he carried out Trump's orders. He tried to downplay and minimize the horror of separating children from their families in media appearances, and told senators that the policy would continue. Characterized immigrants in a racist way as bearers of crime and disease and called Democrats the “NeoKlanist Party.” Vitiello also participated in an event hosted by FAIR, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center deems a hate group. Oversaw an abusive and deliberately disorganized agency. No person who lost track of children and cannot locate and return them to their family deserves to stay in their job. Even the ICE employees' union – no friend to immigrants – expressed concerns about Vitiello's competence to lead the agency. It is awful that the concerns of the ICE employees' union bothered some Republican senators more than Vitiello's role in separating families – but it gives us a window to prevent him from being confirmed if we act now. Tell the Senate: Reject Ronald Vitiello's nomination as permanent head of ICE. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/vitiello-ice?t=9&akid=32117%2E3130208%2EsrFR6J - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Geneva Sands, "ICE director nominee in limbo after criticism from union," CNN, Feb. 13, 2019. America's Voice, "America’s Voice to Senate: Reject Nomination of Ronald Vitiello – Defending and Implementing Family Separation Should Be Disqualifying," Nov. 15, 2018.