Personal News, Important National, International News

Just because it's nearly Christmas doesn't mean we all get presents.  Food stamps have been cut.  Since last month I've been struggling with the state entity responsible for Medicaid and about half of my income.  They want to take both away it seems and keep Losing my re-re-re-submitted paperwork.  So, how do I pay the heat bill, (today's high temp. may be in the 20's.  There was blowing snow when I went out earlier this morning, and it's going to get colder.  I don't dare take advan advantage of that grocery cupon because I Can live without that food.  Here's to the garden!  And to the Deer and my friends who don't like dark meat turkey, so gave it to me.  I mixed it up with frozen garden veggies and have been eating turkey stew since Thanksgiving, almost gone now.  I'm fine today, bt scared, which brings about angry feelings, concerning the future.

But then Missouri is firing about 700 case workers, to save money.  Merry Christmas for them, too.

Every time this state bids out a contract for caring for elderly, poor, and disabled citizens, it bombs!  I can think of two past instances where low bidders fom other states were brouht in and had their contracts canceled due to a death and public outcry.  But they're doing it again.  Sometimes I Deeply want to leave this place with its rabidly conservative politics and religious intolerance!!!!  But where would a deaf-blind person who knows no one go?  Where would it be any better?  I'd rather live in the country where I could grow ood, but where?  At least here I Do have a network of top notch friends who give a sh--.  Anyway, like I said, I'm fine for now.  Just uncertain how many days Now will last.

Multi-Nationals Could Get Rights to Sue All Governments, Who's Running the World?

Corporations could get increased rights to sue the US government

, thanks to a secret global trade treaty called the TPP.

President Obama wants to ram the deal through Congress with "fast track", stifling

any debate.

We need House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi to speak out to stop this -- can you

call her office now?

Make a call

Tobacco giant Philip Morris is suing Australia for billions of dollars in lost profits

 -- just because the government took action to reduce teenage smoking.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is suing Canada for $500 million

 -- just because Canada has laws to keep essential drugs affordable. Worst of all,

these cases are happening in secret, in international tribunals to which only corporations

have access.

Now,

more of these corporate lawsuits against governments could be coming to the US

, thanks to the Obama Administration.

For months, world leaders have been negotiating a trade deal -- called the TPP --

that would massively expand these secret tribunals.

It’s NAFTA on steroids

, and international. The text of the deal is still completely secret and the public

can't look -- but over 600 corporate lobbyists who are helping write the treaty can.

Now President Obama is trying to ram this deal through by seeking “fast-track” authority,

which would

prevent Congress from making any changes to the deal and stifle any debate

. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have spoken out against fast track

authority, and if we can get more Democrats to join them, we’ll have a real chance

to stop this corporate power grab.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is key.

 She’s on our side, but needs our support to speak out. Can you call her office today

and tell her to stop fast-track?

Our government is negotiating right now to lock a deal. Call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to sign off on a deal the American people can’t read!

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is called a trade deal, but it's really

 a corporate wish-list aimed at attacking everything from environmental protections

to affordable medicines to internet freedoms

.

There's lots wrong with the TPP, but the unaccountable system it would set up to

allow corporations to sue governments is one of the worst. If the deal is signed,

future laws designed to protect consumers, our health or our environment could be

challenged by corporations who claim that the law reduces their profit -- and

there is nothing we or our governments could do to stop them.

Corporate lobbyists and government insiders are keeping the text of the deal secret

because

they know that if the full details got out into public view, we wouldn't like what

we saw

. Even Congress can’t see the bill, but the Obama administration wants authority

to negotiate without any oversight. But we already know enough through leaks to know

it's really bad.

We can't let this sail through without public scrutiny, and the only way we can give

the public time to review the bill is by stopping fast track now!

Can we count on you to call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to let the TPP sail through

without real oversight?.

Our government is negotiating right to lock a deal. Call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to sign off on a deal the American people can’t read!

Thanks for all you do,

Paul, Martin, and the rest of us.

 SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3. net. |

Better News on Another Issue.

Thanks to you, we just came one BIG step closer to getting justice for the memory

of Cherice Moralez, the 14-year-old girl in Montana who was raped by her teacher.

Moralez committed suicide before her case could be brought to trial, and Billings,

Montana, Judge Baugh blamed her for the rape after sentencing her rapist to

a mere 30 days in prison.

 Baugh said Cherice was "older than her chronological age" and "as much in control

of the situation" as her 49-year-old rapist.

After months of pressure from UltraViolet members, Montana NOW, and our allies,

Montana prosecutors filed an appeal on Saturday to put Stacey Dean Rambold, Moralez's

rapist, behind bars--this time for 10 years.

1

 This might not have happened without the 86,500 UltraViolet members, including YOU,

who signed a petition demanding justice for Cherice.

THANK YOU.

Here's what we've accomplished so far:

86,500 petition signatures demanding justice for Cherice Moralez and Judge Baugh's

removal

Hundreds of people rallied in Billings against Judge Baugh

495 sexual assault survivors who signed an open letter calling for Baugh's removal

News stories in Fox News and Montana KRTV recognizing UltraViolet members' demand

for justice2

This fight isn't completely over. We'll closely follow the appeal to see if Rambold

serves more prison time, and we're staying updated with our friends at Montana NOW

who have filed an official complaint to have Baugh removed from the bench.

But this appeal--with a request for 10 years of prison time--is

a critical step in the right direction.

 Without the spotlight you helped shine on Montana, Cherice Moralez's memory might

have been swept under the rug and her rapist given a free pass.

Thanks for speaking out and demanding justice for Cherice.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1.

Montana rape case: Was 31-day sentence for teacher illegal?

, The Christian Science Monitor, December 1, 2013

2.

Critics seek ouster of Montana judge, allege bias in teacher-student rape case

, Fox News, September 24, 2013

Petitioners demand that Montana judge resign over rape sentencing

, KRTV, September 24, 2013