Just last night I answered a readers question about the opposition of Uranus and Saturn. The forces of left and right going head to head are here. I’d like to post this I got via-e-mail from a reader about getting involved to help support our new president get our country back on track:
You gave me that wonderful reading back in December. I just thought I’d FYI you about this rightwing campaign to scuttle President Obama’s stimulus package and what we can do to counteract it.
FYI below.
Thanks
To all who support President Obama and his stimulus package:
The right wing has mounted a call-in drive against President Obama’s stimulus package and senators (including Durbin and Burris from Illinois), representatives and the White House are being deluged with calls. We who support Obama and his programs MUST do our part and make phone calls supporting the stimulus package.
According to Thom Hartmann, Air America radio talk show host, one of the best ways to get through is to call your local office. I found this to be the case and, in fact, when I mentioned the right wing campaign to the lady at Durbin’s office she said: “Oh, I was wondering why we were getting so many calls against the package.”
If you’re in Illinois, I’ve listed the Chicago senate office numbers for Burris and Durban below. There is also info for folks from other states.
Also, it’s important to call the White House Comment Line (number below). I just called it and the operator I talked to said that she had received 40 calls against the stimulus package and only 10 for it.
IMPORTANT: CALLING IS THE KEY, NOT EMAILING.
To find out your Senators local office (in any state), go to:
U.S. Senate: Senators Home
www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=IL – 39k –
To find out your representative’s local office (in any state), go to:
Find Your Representative
http://www.house.gov/htbin/zipfind
You will need your 9 digit zip code and can get that at:
http://zip4.usps.com/
To leave a comment for the White House, call the comment line:
Comments: 202-456-1111
ILLINOIS SENATOR INFORMATION:
Senator Dick Durban
CHICAGO
230 S Dearborn St.
Suite 3892
Chicago, IL 60604
8:30 am to 5 pm
(312) 353-4952 – ph
Senator Roland W. Burris
Chicago Senate Office
Kluczynski Federal Building
230 S. Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 886-3506
Astrology and Psychic Predictions 
I have protested for and against numerous things, asked for assistance on different issues and generally been in frequent contact with my elected representatives over the years. I have found that e-mail is much preferable to calling or sending a letter via snail mail. Often elected represenatives (from the president on down) require a written request to do anything for you. Since the anthrax attacks on the mail to the senate, getting a snail mail letter to your elected represenative may take weeks.
In my experience, form letters are usually ignored. Here are a few tips from a post I made on another site about effectively contacting your elected representatives:
If you have never written a letter to your elected representives and aren’t sure how, here is an example of one I sent a few days ago. I have had fairly good success in my methods. I always keep it personal. IE how this law or regulation affects myself and my family. I stick to the issue at hand and only rant about one topic per email. I use passion and logic to make my points. Always thank the recipent. Okay, here’s my example letter concerning the enforcement of the Clean Air Act of 1965 in the Kanawha Valley, WV:
Quote:
I am writing today about the enforcement of the Clean Air Act of 1965 in the Kanawha Valley, WV. I no longer live in this area, but my (family members deleted) do. I lived in Glasgow, WV from 1997 to 2000, so I am well aware of the the pollution problems in this area.
Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1965, the John Amos power plant and the plant in Glasgow, WV have been allowed to “slide” by not making any adjustments to come into compliance with the law. Every administration since 1965 has given both these massive polluters a “wavier” to continue their disgusting ways turning the air orange and filling homes nearby with coal soot all so mega cities as far away as New York could have more power.
New Yorkers and points east all enjoy the benefits of these power plants, but they do not share the price in pollution. My husband and I are daily walkers weather permitting. When we would walk in the late night hours (being night owls), the air in Glasgow was orange. Gray particles fell from the sky like ash. It was disgusting and gross. Everyday residents must wash the white walls of their homes to keep them clean from greasy coal ash. This does not come off easily or quickly. Coal ash is an especially nasty mess to clean up. Even the strongest household degreasers will not clean this off. The housekeeper is forced to use industrial degreasers used by car mechanics. Even with these techniques, the walls of our home still had a grayish cast.
If coal ash is doing this to the walls in people’s homes, imagine what it does to their lungs! The EPA sends teams out to investigate, but the power plants always somehow find out and reduce spewing filth during the periods they are there. Since the EPA does the majority of it’s testing during the day, the power plants just release the worst of it at night.
West Virginia is a poor state, Mr. President. Her residents cannot just go somewhere else to sleep every night to avoid this disgusting pollution. They are forced to breathe it. In Glasgow, WV, even the dogs and cats die of cancer. The cancer and heart disease rates are through the roof in this area. Usually this is passed off on obesity. But how are people to exercise in this chemical soup? Is it even safe to breathe coal ash in deeply as people do when they are exercising?
Mr. President, these are just two plants in a small, poor state, (sending pollution your way, too), these plants can be closed or forced to meet the standards set forth in 1965. Too long the power company who owns these plants have been given one variance after another. The Bush Administration was the last to grant forgiveness to these plants.
1965 was 43 years ago. They have had time to come into compliance with the law, but they have not. The fat cat investors who own these plants live far, far away safe from the devastating effects of this massive pollution. It is time corporate profits take a hit so the residents of the Kanawha Valley can breathe clean, safe air. They have made enough money off at the expense of West Virginians. You spoke of an era of new responsibility. Hold the power company responsible for what it has done. Shut down the John Amos and Glasgow power plants. Enough people have died from the cancers and other diseases their vile pollution causes.
Just today, in speaking with my (family member deleted), he mentioned the Kanawha Valley has been sheathed in blue air from the pollution from these power plants and the chemical industry. My (family member delted) is not wealthy. He cannot afford to move his family away from this area in order to breathe cleaner air.
Many of the local residents of this area are devastatingly poor. The wealthy have made enormous profits at their expense.
I understand passing legislation takes time. My request does not require new legislation only that legislation that has been in place for over 43 years be enforced. Please send the EPA down to southern West Virginia to clean up this mess. Lives and health care money will be saved.
Thank you for time.
Thank you for this thorough and useful explanation
Hi Denise,
Great post! I totally agree that we the people are the ones that are going to have to really step up to the plate to help Obama get things passed not only with this stimulus bill but with further legislation. We elected Obama for ‘change’ and not the same old, tired politics and actions that put us in this fiasco to begin with. To say that Obama will ‘shake’ things up in Washington is an understatement. There are corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle and they are not going to go into the night quietly. And, I do feel that quite a few high ranking Republicans (and a few Dems) are deliberately holding up this stimulus plan and are distorting facts. They know their party is in shambles and they will do anything to try to get back on their feet. They also fear change and don’t want change. It is ugly behind the scenes and Obama has got to not only reign in Pelosi but his entire party and fast. He is being honest when he is telling the American people that time is of the essence in getting this stimulus package passed. If they don’t get it passed this month then I see the big ‘D’ coming. I think it will -mid month is my guess but again, he needs all the support he can get from those that helped to elect him into office. Write, e-mail and call your elected representatives. And, continue to write, e-mail and call your representatives. This is too important for us to sit back and not voice our opinions and concerns. We need this package to pass as quickly as possible so let’s all get out and help Obama get it done! 🙂
Have a great weekend Denise! ~Wyntyr~