Great News for Civil Rights in RI!
Support for Same-Sex Marriage Jumps to 59%
"It shows, for the first time, a convincing majority of
Rhode Islanders supporting equality..."
"Marriage equality is inevitable," Walker said.
"The question is not whether, it is when"
Read the Full ProJo Story Here!
Tell Congress: Protect Consumers and Hold the Big Wall Street Banks Accountable!
Call Senator Jack Reed Toll Free TODAY at 1-866-544-7573.
Tell Senator Reed to support financial reform that holds big Wall Street Banks accountable.
Historic health reform has passed! The bill is a victory for the American people:
- Insurance companies can no longer deny care for pre-existing conditions, charge you more if you’re sick, cap your benefits, sell you junk insurance, or raise rates with impunity.
- For the first time, Members of Congress will get their health insurance from the same system regular Americans do.
- Small business and working families will security and stability knowing they can afford good health insurance that meets their needs.
- 32 million uninsured Americans will get affordable coverage, saving over 30,000 lives per year.
Read an op-ed from a Rhode Island emergency physician explaining why we need reform.
Now write your own!
- Support for Same Sex Marraige Grows in RI!
- Flat Tax Repeal
- Finance Reform
- Health Care Reform
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Ocean State Action
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In a column in this week's Warwick Beacon, OSA Executive Director Peter Asen makes the case clear why we need Congress to pass strong financial regulation and reform, and that we need Senator Jack Reed's leadership to help make it happen.
**Call Senator Jack Reed today at 943-3100 and ask him to keep fighting for financial reform to hold the big banks accountable and stabilize our financial system.**
"President Obama is calling for financial reform, and last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that took steps in the right direction," Asen wrote.
But the financial industry is opposing real change every step of the way. They weakened the House bill in key areas, for example undermining rules to bring the trading of derivatives – key sources of the financial meltdown (and of billions of dollars in profits for the very largest Wall Street banks) – out into the open. The financial services industry spent $344 million on lobbying in the first three quarters of 2009, and they have more than 1,500 lobbyists registered to protect their interests.
Now it’s the U.S. Senate’s turn to act, and the industry is redoubling their efforts to prevent or fatally water down the change we need. Because Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed has a key position on the Senate Banking Committee, he can play a major role in ensuring that the Senate passes strong reform that truly protects consumers and changes the rules of the game for the industry. Senator Reed has made very strong statements in support of a bank tax and a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, but to pass meaningful reform, he will also have to convince some of his colleagues – who seem less inclined to challenge the banks – to take a strong stand.
We need financial reform to rein in the greedy and reckless behavior of big banks on Wall Street that cost millions of jobs, and to crack down on abuses committed by credit card companies and the mortgage lending industry. These reforms will strengthen our financial system and will help to prevent another financial crisis. |
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January 20, 2010
This week, some of the major banks and other financial institutions -- the same ones that received bailout money from the US government -- are announcing their 2009 profits and their bonus packages. Goldman Sachs is announcing its bonuses tomorrow, and is expected to have set aside $22 billion for compensation in 2009, more than its record amount from 2007.
These same institutions are now fighting to oppose and weaken financial reform that would finally protect consumers, strengthen our financial system, and prevent another crisis. But Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed can play a leading role in holding the banks accountable.
**Call Senator Jack Reed today at 943-3100 and ask him to keep fighting for financial reform to hold the big banks accountable and stabilize our financial system.**
President Obama has proposed a new tax on the banks that received bailout funds, and Senator Reed, who is one of the top members on the Senate Banking Committee, expressed his support for that as well.
But as the Providence Journal said in an editorial on January 19, "President Obama’s proposal to slap a new tax on the largest banks is a good way to start serious reform of the financial industry that brought the U.S. economy to the edge of ruin. But we emphasize the word 'start.'"
We need Senator Reed to champion financial reform that will protect working families and small business by reining in the greedy, reckless behavior of big banks on Wall Street that cost millions of jobs, and by cracking down on abuses committed by credit card companies and the mortgage lending industry. These reforms will strengthen our financial system and will help to prevent another financial crisis.
The reforms that the banks are fighting hardest against are the Consumer Financial Protection Agency that will truly protect Americans from unsafe financial products, as well as regulation of financial products like derivatives that are being traded without any oversight. Senator Reed has consistently called for these reforms, but he faces some resistance from other committee members who are close to the banks. That's why we need Sen. Reed to work hard to pass real financial reform.
**Call Senator Jack Reed today at 943-3100 and ask him to keep fighting for financial reform to hold the big banks accountable and stabilize our financial system.** |
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In an article about ways the General Assembly is considering to solve Rhode Island's budget crisis, the Providence Journal quotes OSA's Executive Director about our need to look at "all possible options and other ways to raise revenue" instead of exacerbating the state's upside-down tax structure that is overly dependent on property tax.
The article credits Ocean State Action with leading the fight to eliminate the alternative flat tax, a huge tax break for a tiny handful of the richest taxpayers, most of whom do not even live in Rhode Island. Even though Murphy was one of the leading forces in the passage of the alternative flat tax, he said that the Assembly will have to look at whether it's possible to keep the flat tax given the state's need for revenue.
This is a huge step forward in the fight to fix our upside-down tax structure, as it is the first time since it was enacted that a member of House Leadership has said that they are looking seriously at getting rid of the flat tax. Furthermore, the Senate Leadership has also stated that it is eyeing the flat tax.
The repeal of the flat tax is a responsible way to ensure that Rhode Island can continue to make the investments that build the foundation of a strong economy, since it is a huge tax break that benefited only 808 Rhode Islanders the last year for which data is available.
Learn more about the OSA's Campaign for Rhode Island's Priorities to fight for a more balanced tax system in the Ocean State.
If you are interested in getting involved in Ocean State Action's campaign to fix our upside-down tax system that is too dependent on property taxes, sign up here for more info. |
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Visit the Rhode Island Policy Reporter at What Cheer! for up-to-date policy analysis and reports.
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