Tell your Senator: Support the Stimulus

There are millions of Americans and thousands of Missourians who are losing their jobs, their homes, and insurance benefits.  It is imperative that our Senators take decisive action immediately supporting the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Our country, states, cities and towns are suffering, in a manner not seen since the Great Depression. 

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support the Stimulus

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

There are millions of Americans and thousands of Missourians who are losing their jobs, their homes, and insurance benefits. It is imperative that you take decisive action immediately supporting the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Our country, states, cities and towns are suffering, in a manner not seen since the Great Depression. Inaction, stonewalling, and feet dragging are no longer an option.

In good faith we ask that you support provisions in this bill that would include funding for:

Mass Transit support for existing routes and expansion of service

Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP)

Weatherization Assistance Program

Increasing access to COBRA protections, allowing workers to retain their health insurance benefits after losing their jobs.

These are vital to our communities in Missouri, to continue to function as normal as possible. They will provide jobs, extension of benefits, and transportation to many of our communities.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 29, 2009


Background Information

Layoffs, home foreclosures, stagnating wages, benefit cuts, bankruptcies, vanishing retirement security and more.  We are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Jobs with Justice and other groups have been mobilizing to demand strong, immediate action to create jobs and restructure our economy to work for everyone, not only the people at the top.

President Obama and Congressional leaders are pushing a recovery and reinvestment plan that addresses immediate economic needs, creates jobs and invests in the infrastructure America needs for recovery.  It is not a perfect package (e.g. includes needless corporate tax breaks and anti-immigrant provisions and leaves out collective bargaining and foreclosure moratorium), but it will also invest in America's families and America's workforce by ensuring that states can fund the services they depend on, including health care, public safety and education. Shockingly, some conservative activists are putting roadblocks in the way, even threatening to block the proposal with a filibuster, hoping to get rid of the good parts of this bill and adding even more negatives.