On Elena Kagan
The right wing critics who
condemn Mr. Obama's choice of Elena Kagan as supreme
court justice are off base. And the left wing
may just have to accept the inevitable.
Obama is the President of the United States...
and both sides are going to just have to get
used to it.
If some are disappointed that Barak has nominated a
relatively conservative Jewish woman, they should
count their blessings and get over it. She is
qualified and capable. That she will unfortunately
leave the court more conservative
than when Obama took office
cannot be argued.
Many of us would have preferred a civil libertarian,
but what we are seeing is consistent with who Obama
is:
His is a right-leaning politician
and conservative.
Kagan also leans right, but she is a brilliant
and savvy lawyer
and educator with experience in all three branches
the US
of government. We could do worse.
Who Can It Be Knockin’ at My
Door?
Every day, Working America’s
friendly, knowledgeable team is out knocking on doors
across the country. We’re talking to people about what
really matters to them, and what’s going on in their
communities. Join in the conversation with our new “Word
on the Street” blog at http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/97NKWZE1XPoH/.
Find
out what people are saying about important issues
—like good jobs, Universal health care & education,
and retirement security—Post your own comments!
It is all too easy for
hard-working people and their children to slip through
the cracks of our broken health care system. the AFL-CIO
has launched a new health care campaign. Check out
this website for more information and ways to take
action: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/ipNKWZE1XPo0/.
Working America: Helping to Fend off
Cutbacks in Family and Medical Leave Act
For
years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business
groups have urged the Department of Labor to weaken the
rules that allow workers to take unpaid leave for serious medical illnesses or for the
birth or adoption of new children. So when the
department asked the public for comments on the Family
and Medical Leave Act, Working America sprang into
action to make sure the law was not weakened. More than
1,600 Working America members participated in an online
survey about their experiences under the Family and
Medical Leave Act, and the results were included in
comments submitted to the Department of Labor by the
AFL-CIO. And you made a difference: In June, the
department issued a report acknowledging the importance
of the law to working families—and it did not propose
any changes to its rules.
What
is Working America? Working America is a coalition of
hopeful people who would prefer that the people who do
the work get a seat at the table. If you have
become disillusioned with the two corporate American
parties, perhaps it is time to investigate new
possibilities for change.
Working
America is a community-based organization working for good jobs and a just economy.
With 2 million members, we hold elected leaders
accountable on issues that matter most to working
people. As the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, which
represents 10 million working men and women, Working
America is dedicated to making a difference for working
families across the country and in your community.
Check
Out These Benefits
Membership
in Working America brings access to valuable benefits.
Through our partnership with the AFL-CIO Union Plus
program, you’re eligible for:
Legal Services—Free consultations of up to
30 minutes with a lawyer, free simple document review
and a 30 percent discount on other legal services
through more than 2,000 law offices nationwide.
Discounted Pharmacy—Discounts on
prescriptions, as well as discounts on vision care,
hearing care and diabetic supplies for only $14.95 per
year.
Credit Card—Opportunity to apply for a
Working America MasterCard® with competitive rates, no
annual fee and skip-payment privileges. Find out more at
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/k7NKWZE1XPoQ/
or by calling 1-866-874-6760.
Know Your Rights
WORKING
AMERICA
wants you to understand your
workplace rights. The “Ask a Lawyer” section of our
website gives you 24/7 access to reliable information
from real experts. You’ll find answers to questions on
topics like overtime, sick leave, discrimination,
workers’ comp, privacy, harassment, health and safety,
termination and whistle-blowing. See all the questions,
or even submit your own, at http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/kpNKWZE1XPoR/.
This
newsletter is supported by the Working America Education
Fund—a 501(c)(3) organization to educate the public
about issues of importance to working families,
including good jobs, health care, retirement security,
education and the impact of the global
economy.
To
millions of Americans, debt may be the most offensive
four letter word. Whether it is credit card charges,
student loans or the housing bubble bursting, everyone
is feeling the squeeze! Never before in U.S. history has
the level of personal debt been higher. As personal debt
mounts, many Americans are struggling to find a way out.
Visit http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/k7NKWZE1XPoQ/
to take actions to help stop the debt crisis today.
Help
Us Put First Things First to Build a Better Future
Every
six months,Working America members choose the priorities
to guide our work.
Vote now to select our issues. The list of needed improvements is long:
health care, good jobs, retirement security and
education affect us all. Let us know what tops your list
of concerns and where we should focus our efforts.
In This Issue
