Issues & Agenda
Jackie Speier is our Congressional Representative
and most likely will be for the next twenty years. We have tried for years
to get people to consider voting for someone besides Democrats and Republicans
-- without success.
Advising Our Representative
People of CA 12 has been formed so that Jackie Speier can hear from her constituents on a regular basis. Jackie is our Representative in Congress. We want her to vote after she has considered our opinions on the issues before Congress.
The members of People of CA 12 agree to contact Congresswoman Speier at least once each month. The group will select an issue to emphasize each month. Members suggest topics to emphasize the next month. A vote is taken in the last week of each month on the suggestions to select the issue of the next month. This group is an effort to have real democracy in the 12th District of California. We want our Representative to represent us -- and not vote to please the leadership of her political party, or to please her financial contributors.
You are invited to join People of CA 12 by an email to: Pat Gray or people-of-CA12@googlegroups.com
ISSUE OF THE MONTH
Send a letter or call the office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier at
400 S. El Camino Real, # 410, San Mateo, CA 94402 (650) 342-0300
211 Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C. 20515 (202) 225-3531
Contact Jackie via her congressional Webmail
July 2011
government is planning to reduce our domestic programs and will not consider raising the taxes of the top 20% of our citizens who have 85% of all the wealth of our nation.
Rather than cutting needed domestic programs, we must raise taxes on the very wealthy. There are many ideas of how this can be done that must be considered in Congress.
It is our duty to inform our Representative that we feel that our government has pursued economic policies designed to benefit the wealthy few at the expense of the many. Our elected officials have
squandered the people's wealth in exchange for favors. They have aided and abetted leaders of corporations and other financial operative to perpetrate frauds against the people and they have
obstructed justice by refusing to pursue those who broke the law doing so.
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
There is no mention in the charges of the Wiki leaks video of an army attack on people on the street in Bagdad. The video showed the murder of unarmed civilians by an attack helicopter. This video was classified as 'secret' and was not to be seen by the American public. It displays the ordinary day to day contact of our troops with the people of occupied Iraq.
The American people need to know what is going on in the wars in the middle east. A democracy requires that the people be well informed. Inform your representative of your opinions of this case.
March2011
1. End globalization by voting against 'free trade' with Korea and all future 'free trade' treaties. These trade agreements cause deindustrialation of our nation and terrible job loss. Vote to get the United States out of NAFTA, GATT and the World Bank.
2, Heed the advice of your constituents over that of the President or your political party. President Obama wants austerity and cuts in our domestic programs. The people want an end to the wars and for taxes to be raised on the very wealthy so there is no need to cut our vital domestic programs..
February 2011
Tax the rich, don't shred the social safety net!
We live in the richest nation on earth but we have the most uneven
distribution of wealth of any other nation. The gap between the
extremely wealthy and the rest of us is expanding each year. Ourgovernment is planning to reduce our domestic programs and will not consider raising the taxes of the top 20% of our citizens who have 85% of all the wealth of our nation.
Rather than cutting needed domestic programs, we must raise taxes on the very wealthy. There are many ideas of how this can be done that must be considered in Congress.
It is our duty to inform our Representative that we feel that our government has pursued economic policies designed to benefit the wealthy few at the expense of the many. Our elected officials have
squandered the people's wealth in exchange for favors. They have aided and abetted leaders of corporations and other financial operative to perpetrate frauds against the people and they have
obstructed justice by refusing to pursue those who broke the law doing so.
June 2011
The
topic for June is the protection of the Constitution and the expanding
powers of the President. Under the Constitution only Congress can send
our nation into a foreign war---but this is not being honored. A bill
passed to accept the fact that the war powers have been taken from
Congress and put in the hands of a single person---the President. This,
in effect, makes him our King. There is evidence that our armed forces
and the CIA are in Libya now.
The wars of aggression in foreign nations are expanding as our nation goes into bankruptcy and we are seeing all of our domestic programs under the knife. We do not want to cut Social Security and/or Medicare to pay for these endless wars. Congress must regain the power given to them under the Constitution.
The wars of aggression in foreign nations are expanding as our nation goes into bankruptcy and we are seeing all of our domestic programs under the knife. We do not want to cut Social Security and/or Medicare to pay for these endless wars. Congress must regain the power given to them under the Constitution.
May 2011
Contact Representative Jackie Speier on the issue of killing the tax cuts for the rich and making corporations PAY THEIR TAXES and address the real (propaganda free) rate of unemployment in our nation.
April 2011
Bradley Manning
The members of the People of CA 12 are urged to contact
Representative Spiere on the topic of the treatment of PFC Bradley
Manning. Bradley Manning is in the maximum security brig in Quantico,
Virginia. He has been charged with violating Army regulations and
violating federal standards related to classified information. He is
facing the death penalty. There have been complaints that he is
undergoing torture. There is no mention in the charges of the Wiki leaks video of an army attack on people on the street in Bagdad. The video showed the murder of unarmed civilians by an attack helicopter. This video was classified as 'secret' and was not to be seen by the American public. It displays the ordinary day to day contact of our troops with the people of occupied Iraq.
The American people need to know what is going on in the wars in the middle east. A democracy requires that the people be well informed. Inform your representative of your opinions of this case.
March2011
It's a tie. Please contact Jackie Speier about either (or both!)
1. End globalization by voting against 'free trade' with Korea and all future 'free trade' treaties. These trade agreements cause deindustrialation of our nation and terrible job loss. Vote to get the United States out of NAFTA, GATT and the World Bank.
2, Heed the advice of your constituents over that of the President or your political party. President Obama wants austerity and cuts in our domestic programs. The people want an end to the wars and for taxes to be raised on the very wealthy so there is no need to cut our vital domestic programs..
February 2011
The topic on which we want to advise Jackie Speier this month is JOBS! We are suffering under a serious depression.
Unemployment is very high and rising as are the fore closures on
homes. Advise Jackie to reinstate the WPA and the CCC that
President Roosevelt used to get people working in the 1930's.
Instead of giving money to the banks we should invest our funds in
rebuilding and maintaining our infrastructure and getting Americans
back to work. Money invested in jobs will truly stimulate our
economy and get our country up and running again.
January 2011The wars must be ended. The war funds must be transferred to pay for domestic programs that are suffering the threat of austerity. There is no need to cut programs due to lack of funds. We can increase funding for domestic needs by ending the wars and taxing the very rich.
December 2010
Urge Jackie to vote yes on HR 6045, this bill
will provide that funds for operations in Afghanistan shall be only for the safe
and orderly removal of the armed forces and the defense contractors.
November 2010
TAX THE RICH
The top 1% of wealthy Americans
receive each year 24% of all income as reported to the IRS. The
gap between the extremely rich and the rest of us is growing year by
year. This rate is the same as it was in 1920 at the beginning of
the Great Depression.
The Great Recession, under which we are suffering now, is caused in part by the outsourcing of jobs but this is not enough to explain the massive change in the distribution of wealth in our nation. The hyper concentration of wealth has an overwhelming political clout. The very wealthy have been very generous to 'donate' very large amounts of cash to political campaigns. This has increased since the recent decision of the Supreme Court. This political clout has drastically eroded the capacity and interest of our government to respond to the needs of the middle class and others of modest income.
This month the special commission that President Obama has set up to advise how to lessen the national debt will make their recommendations. It is expected that they will advise cuts in Social Security and Medicare. There are two ways to deal with the deficit. Increase the income of the government; or cut the domestic programs.
We need to advise our Representative to increase the income of the government by returning to the tax schedules in effect before the Reagan tax cuts.
The Great Recession, under which we are suffering now, is caused in part by the outsourcing of jobs but this is not enough to explain the massive change in the distribution of wealth in our nation. The hyper concentration of wealth has an overwhelming political clout. The very wealthy have been very generous to 'donate' very large amounts of cash to political campaigns. This has increased since the recent decision of the Supreme Court. This political clout has drastically eroded the capacity and interest of our government to respond to the needs of the middle class and others of modest income.
This month the special commission that President Obama has set up to advise how to lessen the national debt will make their recommendations. It is expected that they will advise cuts in Social Security and Medicare. There are two ways to deal with the deficit. Increase the income of the government; or cut the domestic programs.
We need to advise our Representative to increase the income of the government by returning to the tax schedules in effect before the Reagan tax cuts.
October 2010
Corporate personhood: The
Supreme Court has ruled that corporations have the rights and
protections of our Constitution. We need to contact our
Representative Jackie Speier and request that she writes legislation to
define what is an American corporation. An American
corporation that has the rights of a person under our Constitution :
1. Must be chartered in a state of the United States.
2. Must have their main headquarters within the United States.
3. Must do their banking in the American banking system.
4. Must pay corporate taxes to the United States.
5. Must obey all laws on wages, working conditions and worker safety
rules, and all American environmental regulations where ever the
corporate work site may be.
Only then can these corporations claim the rights of persons under our
Constitution.
1. Must be chartered in a state of the United States.
2. Must have their main headquarters within the United States.
3. Must do their banking in the American banking system.
4. Must pay corporate taxes to the United States.
5. Must obey all laws on wages, working conditions and worker safety
rules, and all American environmental regulations where ever the
corporate work site may be.
Only then can these corporations claim the rights of persons under our
Constitution.
September 2010
President Bush lowered income taxes
ten years ago. These lower tax rates expire on the last day of this
year. The purpose of the tax cuts was to stimulate our economy but were
not successful in doing this. At this time our government is rapidly
approaching bankruptcy. We need the tax rates to return to what
they were ten years ago. We are asking our Representative to vote NO on
extending the Bush tax cuts.
The purpose of this group is to advise Jackie how we would like her to vote for us in Congress. Each of us agree to contact her at least once a month. It will only take a minute or so to call 650-342-0300, or fax to 650-375-8270 or email her on her web site at Speier.house.gov It will take a little longer to send her a letter at 400 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo, 94402.
Just say, "I want the Bush tax cuts to end as scheduled on the last day of this year."
The purpose of this group is to advise Jackie how we would like her to vote for us in Congress. Each of us agree to contact her at least once a month. It will only take a minute or so to call 650-342-0300, or fax to 650-375-8270 or email her on her web site at Speier.house.gov It will take a little longer to send her a letter at 400 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo, 94402.
Just say, "I want the Bush tax cuts to end as scheduled on the last day of this year."
August 2010
This month the topic is the recent
decision of the Supreme Court that a corporation has the first
amendment right to freedom of speech. Corporations have the
rights of persons to contribute to political campaigns. It will
take an amendment to the Constitution to over rule this decision of the
Supreme Court.
Write Jackie a letter, or give her a call or send an email or fax. Mention the corporate Personhood and other issues about which you are concerned. Many of us are concerned about the threats to Social Security and Medicare, as well as immigration policies.
Write Jackie a letter, or give her a call or send an email or fax. Mention the corporate Personhood and other issues about which you are concerned. Many of us are concerned about the threats to Social Security and Medicare, as well as immigration policies.
July 2010
Our topic for July is No Funding
For Israel. Israel is a prosperous state and there is no
reason for us to be denying services for our citizens while we send our
tax funds to the state of Israel. We need our funds here at home
for our domestic programs. The recent actions of Israel against
the Palestinians people are not honorable and we should not fund these
activities.
June 2010
The People of California District 12 will contact
Jackie Speier to inform her that they are very concerned about a possible
military attack on Iran. There is a constant drum beat by Israel and the
United States that Iran may be attempting to develop nuclear weapons. If
these nations have serious concerns about the danger of the use of nuclear
weapons, they should dismantle their own weapons rather than to threaten other
nations to the point where more nations may decide they must develop their own
nuclear weapons as protection against an American or Israeli attack on
them.
May 2010
HR 5061 Save the San Francisco Bay Act.
The topic for May is HR 5061 Save San Francisco Bay. This bill would fund clean up and restoration of the bay for $100 million a year. Jackie Spiere is the sponsor of this bill.
We should write to compliment her for attempting to spend some of our tax funds on important projects within the United States. We can also compliment her for voting against supplemental funding for the illegal wars in the middle east and ask her to not support a war against Iran.
April 2010
No on the Police State Act. (S.B. 3081)
This bill put before the Senate by McCain and Liberman, creates a
new classification of persons to be denied the rights of Habeas
Corpus. Persons who are classified as High Value Interrogation
Group (HIVG's) will be denied the right to go before a court to inquire
why they are in custody. They need not be charged with a crime or
even to know who accused them of being a 'terrorist' to be held for as
long as the government thinks is necessary. Habeas Corpus was English law prior to 1225 and is mentioned in our Constitution. We must insist that all people have the right of Habeas Corpus.
March 2010
Corporate Personhood. The Supreme Court has
made a decision that a corporation has the rights of a person under our
Constitution. The question was about corporate funding in our political
system but the ruling goes far beyond that. We will request that our
Representative work on an Amendment to the Constitution that states clearly that
a corporation is not a person and is not entitled to the rights and protections
of persons under the Constitution. We think it is important that the
corporations be under the control of the people, instead of the other way
around. Our government is falling to corporate control. We
want a government of, by and for living people.
February 2010
HR 1826 - Public Finance for qualified
candidates for Congress
Since the decision of the Supreme court that corporations are persons and may not be limited in the funds they spend to educate the voters this proposed bill is extremely important. This bill will allow candidates to use our current system or choose to apply for public funding for their campaign. To apply for the public funding they must gather the signatures and small contributions from 1,500 registered voters in their district. The candidate must not accept any other funding nor use their own private funds. The qualified candidates will receive funds to the amount spent in that district in the last election. Additional funds will be made available if the corporately funded candidate increases the amount spent on the campaign. Under this proposed law voters can know the candidate if funded by the corporations or by the people.
Since the decision of the Supreme court that corporations are persons and may not be limited in the funds they spend to educate the voters this proposed bill is extremely important. This bill will allow candidates to use our current system or choose to apply for public funding for their campaign. To apply for the public funding they must gather the signatures and small contributions from 1,500 registered voters in their district. The candidate must not accept any other funding nor use their own private funds. The qualified candidates will receive funds to the amount spent in that district in the last election. Additional funds will be made available if the corporately funded candidate increases the amount spent on the campaign. Under this proposed law voters can know the candidate if funded by the corporations or by the people.
January 2010
Our Constitution puts the power to
declare war in the Congress. This must be enforced.
President Obama has now expanded the 'war on terror' into two more
sovereign nations--Yemen and Somalia. Our task is to inform our
Representative that we do not want this expansion of the wars.
December 2009
HR 1826 for public finance of
Congressional candidates is the topic of the month. This bill
would establish public funding for qualified candidates running for
congress. To qualify, a candidate must receive a large number of
small contributions from people registered to vote in the
district. The exact number of these voters would be set by the
population of the district. This program is not mandatory for all
candidates. To receive public funding a candidate must agree not
to use their personal or family wealth nor accept any other funding
after the qualifying period. The candidate would receive
$900,000. of public funds. 40% of these funds would be available
for the primary election. Qualified candidates would be able to
participate in open debates with the other candidates and receive a 20%
reduction in the cost of TV advertising.
November 2009
Our government is near
bankrupt. Massive cuts are being made in all of our domestic
programs and the value of our dollar is falling. The attempt to
stay off a depression with the bail of the Wall Street firms coupled
with the ongoing wars and occupations are leading to economic
collapse. Our government needs funds to continue to
function. We need to return to the tax rate schedule which was in
effect during the Eisenhower administration, before the Reagan
tax cuts on the very rich. Further tax cuts for the extremely
wealthy and the corporations have been made with each following
administration. This tax 'relief' for the wealthy must be
reversed.
October 2009
Until the Ronald Reagan
administration the Federal Communications Commission had a rule, the
Fairness Doctrine, that required networks to have a balance in network
commentary and election coverage. We want this doctrine to be
reinstated in the F.C.C.
Please mention this issue in your contact with our Representative. Go to the web site to remind yourself of our past issues---they still need mention to Jackie---especially HR 676, Medicare for All, Single Payer.
Please mention this issue in your contact with our Representative. Go to the web site to remind yourself of our past issues---they still need mention to Jackie---especially HR 676, Medicare for All, Single Payer.
September 2009
HR 3458 Internet Freedom Preservation Act
Please write, call or email our Representative
Jackie Speier and ask her to vote YES on HR 3458. This act will amend the
Communications Act of 1934 to establish a national broadband policy, safeguard
consumer rights, spur investment and innovation. This Act will not
allow communication networks to block, interfere with, discriminate against,
impair or degrade the ability of any person to use an Internet service to
access, use, send, post, receive or offer any lawful content, application
or service through the Internet.
August 2009
TAX THE RICH (at the rates at the beginning of the
Reagan administration.) At that time the tax rates for the wealthy were
lowered from 50% to 28% while the rates for lower income people were raised from
11% to 15%. The higher rate for UNEARNED INCOME was removed.
President Obama has suggested we add one more level of income on the rate schedule. He wants income of over $250,000.00 (for individuals) and $500,000.00 for couples to be taxed at a higher rate. Good idea!! but we need the rates to continue to raise with the level of income reported. We need to reinstall the concept of 'unearned income' and tax that income at a higher rate than earned income. Reagan also lower tax rates for corporations.
Lowering tax rates for the wealthy did not result in 'rising all boats'. The 'trickle down theory' did not improve the standard of living of working people. The very wealthy used the tax cuts to use leveraged buy outs of competitors, move factories off shore and speculate on the stock market.
President Obama has suggested we add one more level of income on the rate schedule. He wants income of over $250,000.00 (for individuals) and $500,000.00 for couples to be taxed at a higher rate. Good idea!! but we need the rates to continue to raise with the level of income reported. We need to reinstall the concept of 'unearned income' and tax that income at a higher rate than earned income. Reagan also lower tax rates for corporations.
Lowering tax rates for the wealthy did not result in 'rising all boats'. The 'trickle down theory' did not improve the standard of living of working people. The very wealthy used the tax cuts to use leveraged buy outs of competitors, move factories off shore and speculate on the stock market.
July 2009
HR 1826 Fair Elections Now
Act
Urge Jackie Speier to vote yes on HR
1826 This bill will provide public funds for qualified
candidates running for the House of Representatives. The candidates
must get registered voters in their district to sign a document supporting the
candidate, and make a small donation. The candidate must agree not to
take other contributions or use their own wealth for campaign expenses.
The Act will limit funding from political parties and prohibit the formation of
other groups to gather donations for the candidate. The act provides for
public debates and reduced TV advertising rates for qualified candidates.
Candidates not wishing to follow these rules and not accepting public funds may continue the present system of campaign finance.
June 2009
Abolish the Federal Reserve
Our Constitution states that the
monetary system of our nation shall be under the control of
Congress and the Treasury Dept -- but in 1913, late at night just
before the Christmas break, Congress passed the Federal Reserve
Act. This act created a private for profit bank cartel to be in
charge of our monetary system. What we have come to accept as
normal, the ups and downs of the business cycle of inflation and
deflation, are the results of expanding or contracting the money
supply. With this power to control the money supply the private
bankers have been getting richer and more powerful for these ninety six
years. The bankers (or as I call them, the banksters) are the
most powerful force on our government. The power of the
manufacturing corporations and the oil corporations are
declining. The financial sector is the most powerful force in our
government.
Many of our Presidents have spoken forcefully against the concept of a group of private banks having this power. Woodrow Wilson apologized for signing it into law. He said it was a terrible mistake. Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln warned us of the danger of putting the bankers in charge of our money. One of the last actions of President Kennedy was Presidential order 11110 to abolish the Federal Reserve Bank. He was killed just after this and it was not enforced.
Because our money is under the control of the Federal Reserve our government has to borrow from the Fed and PAY INTEREST to the Fed. All funds are backed by the taxing power of the government with no risk to the banks. The 16 trillion dollar bail out of the bankers shows what happens. The government borrowed the money from the Fed and then gives it back to them with no strings and we pay interest on it!!
The Treasury has the power to print treasury notes, and could print dollar treasury notes as well. This was done by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Doing this we would not have to pay interest on the national debt.
You can Google lots of information on the Federal Reserve. Alex Jones has a new movie that you can see on line that has a lot of information about the Federal Reserve. Goggle Alex Jones The Obama Deception to see the film on line. It's about two hours long and very informative (See flash movie trailer below at bottom of page) .
Write, call or email our Representative asking her to vote YES on HR833. --Pat Gray
Many of our Presidents have spoken forcefully against the concept of a group of private banks having this power. Woodrow Wilson apologized for signing it into law. He said it was a terrible mistake. Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln warned us of the danger of putting the bankers in charge of our money. One of the last actions of President Kennedy was Presidential order 11110 to abolish the Federal Reserve Bank. He was killed just after this and it was not enforced.
Because our money is under the control of the Federal Reserve our government has to borrow from the Fed and PAY INTEREST to the Fed. All funds are backed by the taxing power of the government with no risk to the banks. The 16 trillion dollar bail out of the bankers shows what happens. The government borrowed the money from the Fed and then gives it back to them with no strings and we pay interest on it!!
The Treasury has the power to print treasury notes, and could print dollar treasury notes as well. This was done by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Doing this we would not have to pay interest on the national debt.
You can Google lots of information on the Federal Reserve. Alex Jones has a new movie that you can see on line that has a lot of information about the Federal Reserve. Goggle Alex Jones The Obama Deception to see the film on line. It's about two hours long and very informative (See flash movie trailer below at bottom of page) .
Write, call or email our Representative asking her to vote YES on HR833. --Pat Gray
May 2009
Prosecute the torturers!
Torture has been committed by the United States which is against international
law. The United States has signed a treaty forbidding using torture.
A treaty has the same value as the Constitution. We need to
prosecute the people charged with this crime. It is not enough to have an
investigation and say never again. These people need to be prosecuted so
that is is very clear that saying you were just following orders IS NOT A
DEFENSE. If it is seen that there is no enforcement of this crime, it will
continue in the future. Obama doesn't want to look back, but we do.
APRIL 2009
NO MORE BAILOUTS! TAX THE RICH!
Our government is nearly bankrupt
due to the cost of the bailout of the banksters for their work crashing
the economy of our nation and the world economy. Billions were
given to the banksters without supervision or requirements on how they
use our tax funds. There are no requirements that they even tell
us where the money went!
Since the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, the taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations have been lowered. These tax cuts did not benefit the working people of our nation. The corporations used their tax cuts to merge and consolidate in order to do away with their competition. These funds were also used to move our manufacturing 'off shore' to avoid paying American labor costs.
Since the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, the taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations have been lowered. These tax cuts did not benefit the working people of our nation. The corporations used their tax cuts to merge and consolidate in order to do away with their competition. These funds were also used to move our manufacturing 'off shore' to avoid paying American labor costs.
MARCH 2009
President Obama is sending more troops to Afghanistan. He is going to continue and increase the illegal war of aggression against Afghanistan. This war is bankrupting our nation and depriving our domestic programs of desperately needed funds.
We must request that our Representative demand a discussion of this 'surge' in Afghanistan by the House of Representatives. Our Constitution puts the power to declare war in the Congress, not the President.
February 2009
President Obama is sending more troops to Afghanistan. He is going to continue and increase the illegal war of aggression against Afghanistan. This war is bankrupting our nation and depriving our domestic programs of desperately needed funds.
We must request that our Representative demand a discussion of this 'surge' in Afghanistan by the House of Representatives. Our Constitution puts the power to declare war in the Congress, not the President.
February 2009
Gaza and Israel -- Cut
military funding to the state of Israel because of their use of weapons
given to them by the United States that must only be used for defense
of the state of Israel. These weapons were used in an
attack on civilians living under Israeli occupation.
January 2009
SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE HR 676
This bill is to establish a new health care system administered by a government agency for all the people in our nation. There would be on involvement of the for profit insurance corporations.