June 12 - Weekly Roundup

alamObama: Bank on Health

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, San Antonio Town Center parking lot, SAAPAC Headquarters, 7122 San Pedro. We're all pushing for health care reform...long overdue in this country. While we work on influencing the form of the legislation, there is a lot we can do right now to further the cause of health. Come make a "deposit" in both the food bank and the blood bank. The San Antonio Food Bank and the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center will have vehicles parked at the SAAPAC headquarters. We'll have hunger facts and details on most needed items for the SA Food Bank at our website. If you would like to donate blood, please contact us at alamobama09@aol.com to get scheduled. We need at least 20 donors to make the mobile unit visit possible so please step up as soon as possible. We also need volunteers to work the event. Sign up at www.barackobama.com to participate and if you’re interested in donating blood or volunteering for the food drive, please give us contact information. And while you’re there, don’t forget to pledge your support for the President’s efforts toward healthcare reform and record your health story. Our site, www.alamobama08.com will have hunger facts and most needed items by the food bank.

Housekeeping Notes

We’re working on something big for our July, August and September meetings. Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, we’ve got an office presence. We’re at the SAAPAC office every Tuesday and Thursday, 1 PM to 5PM , 7122 San Pedro, Ste 114 . Big thanks to Catherine and Georgia for sprucing up the place and keeping it neat. Thanks to Tina and Toni. More volunteers means more hours. We’ll be doing some calling to push our Banking on Health event, bring your cell and come join us. Be sure to keep checking www.alamobama08.com for details.

White House

In tomorrow’s weekly address, President Obama says progress on clean energy and healthcare reform will lay a new foundation. Don’t miss the Weekly Address at www.whitehouse.gov

This week the President: talked directly to the American people about the need for real health reform in Wisconsin -- no excuses, no endless delay; announced that 10 banks will repay their Troubled Asset Relief funds, and commits to new legislation codifying the Pay-As-You-Go principle; announced his plan to save or create 600,000 jobs this summer through an accelerated "Roadmap to Recovery"; spoke in Cairo on America's relationship with Muslim communities around the world, watch the video or read his remarks in a dozen languages. Also check out a town hall and a health care model in Green Bay; the President and Secretary Salazar offer condolences for the Holocaust Museum shootings; and get a look at the Pittsbutgh Steelers day of service with the President, 50 wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center and more.

Review the list of signed legislation: Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, signed Friday, May 22, 2009; Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, signed Friday, May 22, 2009; Helping Families Save Their Homes Act signed Wednesday, May 20, 2009; Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, signed Wednesday, May 20, 2009; Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed Wednesday, April 21, 2009; Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, signed Monday, March 30, 2009; Small Business Act Temporary Extension signed Thursday, March 19, 2009; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed Tuesday, February 17, 2009; DTV Delay Act, signed Wednesday, February 11, 2009; Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, signed Wednesday, February 4, 2009; and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed Thursday, January 29, 2009. All this and much more at www.whitehouse.com

National

Affordable Health Choices Act Released

Chairman Edward Kennedy and Democratic members and staff of HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Senate committee have been working on healthcare reform legislation for the last year. Bi-partisan talks continue to flesh out the plan but there are already provisions for choice, cost reduction, prevention, health system modernization and long term care and services. Read Time’s take here thepage.time.com/release-on-proposed-affordable-health-choices-act/.

The Insurance Networking News was quick to cite opponents to the plan www.insurancenetworking.com/news/health_insurance_reform_public_plan_Edward_Kennedy-12497-1.html. You can read and evaluate the plan for yourself at help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf. Other proposed legislation include HR 676 (single payer) and SB 703.

H.R. 2454

The American Clean Energy and Security Act to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy continues to move through the legislative process. The Library of Congress has information of the bill, it’s content, and all legislative action to date at thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:7:./temp/~bdOBDE:@@@X|/bss/111search.html.

Local

Special Legislative Session

Governor Perry gives a nod to a special session, but doesn’t say when or how many issues. Main issues are state transportation, insurance regulators and three other stat agencies. But more could be on the table, like voter ID at the Governor’s discretion. Read more at www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Perry_special_legislative_session_inevitable.html

MoveOn on Strengthen Clean Energy Act

Move On is planning a couple events in support of the Clean Energy Act. The first is a phone bank Tuesday, at SAAPAC from 1 PM to 8PM. They’re also gathering at the Federal Building downtown at 727 Durango on Wednesday at 4:30. For details, contact angiedrake@hotmail.com. Read the letter from MoveOn at the end of this email.

Anti-Graffiti Task Force

The City of San Antonio Anti-Graffiti Task Force Education Subcommittee and the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department presents international graffiti expert Victoria Wilson-Merritt

"Graffiti is Everyone’s Problem: A New Approach to Graffiti Education" (graffiti history)

Friday, June 26, 2009, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry.

Free Registration 8:30-9:00am. Program 9 am - 3:15pm.

SAAPAC Fundraiser

Groups are meeting and talking at San Antonio Progressive Area Coalition, 7122 San Pedro. AlamObama is just one of many groups taking advantage of this space. But SAAPAC needs funds to operate. So let’s join them in their fundraiser Tuesday, June 30, 2009 , 5:30 - 10 pm at Big Kahuna Restaurant, 741 W. Ashby Place (across from SA Little Theater). Go to www.saapac.org to get details on the fundraiser, make a donation to SAAPAC if you can’t attend, and find an activity that may interest you on their events calendar.

MoveOn Letter

Ensure more clean energy jobs for America:

Ensure more clean energy jobs for America: Wind and solar power create more than double the jobs that oil and coal do--high-paying jobs that can't be outsourced. But the current bill would not actually require any more clean energy than is already in the works. We need to restore strong standards for cheap, clean, renewable energy, creating hundreds of thousands of new clean energy jobs.

Don’t undermine Obama’s authority to crack down on dirty energy:

President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency are taking steps toward new rules to clean up coal plants and oil refineries. But Big Oil and Coal lobbyists slipped in a loophole that would block Obama's efforts. This would open the door to more than 100 new dirty coal plants, crowding out the clean energy growth we need to create jobs and boost our economy.

To express your views locally and to get the attention of our local media, please attend our Strengthen the Clean Energy Act Rally in front of the Federal Building on Wednesday, June 17 starting at 4pm. Here is the link to sign up: pol.moveon.org/event/lettermeeting/93935

We need maximum sign ups so that when we contact the press, we can let them know how many people we are expecting. If you plan on coming, PLEASE RSVP! It makes a difference!

More info? Contact:

Angie Drake

San Antonio MoveOn Council Coordinator

angiedrake@hotmail.com