Jennifer Baek <[email protected]> writes: >http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150111861960969
I know that free culture is a broad topic, and people may disagree on where its boundaries are, so I ask this without any sarcasm: Was there something free-culture-related about this post? If not, can we avoid general political news & activism on this list? Everyone's inbox is full and getting fuller, after all. Also, "support for free culture" != "opposition to U.S. Republicans". Thanks, and willing to hear counterarguments of course, -Karl >Hey everyone, > >HR 1 was passed by the House of Representatives 235-189. I want to >urge everyone right now to write to your state Senators to stop the >passage of HR 1, legislation to cut government spending ~$100 billion >below the President's budget for 2011. HR 1 is a "continuing >resolution" to fund the government through the end of this fiscal year >that stand in direct opposition to the proposals introduced by >President Obama's administration for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal year >budgets. > > > >In light of this recession, less government spending seems like a >tempting solution, but the consequences will be dire. If HR1 is passed >by the Senate, among the many things that will be seriously >disadvantaged are: > > > >-HEALTH: HR 1 proposes to cut 46% in Department of Health and Human >Services funding to Community Health Centers, which provide primary >care in rural/undeserved communities. It also prevents cleanup of >mercury, soot, sulfur, and ash from coal-fired power plants. "The >current avoidable death toll from the sulfur emissions alone is >running at 14,00 Americans a year. Living downwind from coal-ash pile, >as hundreds of thousands of Americans do, is equivalent to smoking a >pack of cigarettes a day--and HR1 prohibits cleaning up those coal-ash >sites. Right now, one in six young American woman has enough mercury >in their body to threaten the health of any child she bears." > > > >-FAMILY PLANNING. Millions of women in the United States will lose >access to basic reproductive health and family-planning services and >sex education, including cancer screenings (Pap smears for HPV) and >STI prevention. Planned Parenthood needs your >help: http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ > > > >-CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT. HR 1 includes an amendment that would bar the >EPA from using any funds to implement, administer, or enforce any >statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of carbon >pollution and other green house gases. It also seeks to "forbid the >federal government from reducing pollution from any chemical that >threatens the climate, even if its toxic for other reasons. It >eliminates all funding for research to answer the remaining scientific >questions about climate change. And it forbids the government from >monitoring how much climate pollution we are creating." > > > >-MEDICAL RESEARCH. Centers for Disease Control will be cut by 25%, and >billions of dollars will get slashed from National Institutes of >Health. > > > >-EDUCATION. "HR 1 slashes the Pell Grant, which over nine million >low-income students use to attend college by, 15 percent. HR 1 lsashes >$25 Million from TRI, a federal program that reduces economic, social, >academic and cultural barriers to higher education for traditionally >underrepresented and disadvantaged youth. The legislation also >eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, a program >in which federal funds promote access to postsecondary education by >providing critical support to students with the lowest Expected Family >Contribution, and the Liberal Education and America's Promise >Campaign." This in addition to the major budget cuts happening to >public schools across the nation would be crippling for students all >across America. > > > >-NET NEUTRALITY. The House agreed to an amendment from Rep. Greg >Walden, chairman of the Energy and Commerce's Communications and >Technology's Subcommittee, that would prohibit funding for the Federal >Communication Commission's recent regulations pertaining to ensuring >non-discrimination by broadband Internet access providers, which would >prevent the FCC from supporting net neutrality, and thus infringe on >our first amendment rights! > > > >This is serious, folks. There is so much at stake, and so much that >can be lost. HR 1 directly affects our nation's ability to bounce back >and move towards economic growth and prosperity. We are the people in >this democracy. Our voices are meant to be heard. It's up to us to be >proactive in affecting change in our future--to create a better >tomorrow, and that won't happen if HR 1 passes. We need to invest in >our country to have a brighter future. Please show your support. Write >to your Senator. > > > >Thank you. > >_______________________________________________ >Discuss mailing list >[email protected] >http://lists.freeculture.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss >FAQ: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Fc-discuss _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.freeculture.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss FAQ: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Fc-discuss
