Article: Connecting the Dots: 3 Actions to Take Today

CONNECTING THE DOTS:

3 ACTIONS TO TAKE TODAY

Access to information is fundamental to saving our democracy. If the corporate control over our lives was reported, we'd know our democracy hangs on by the thinnest of threads. Of course 5 corporations control the media, thus ensuring American ignorance. That leaves us most dependent on the Internet, (again threatened, see below) public forums (like the Future of Democracy in the Current American Electoral System Forum at SUNY New Paltz this past Friday, June 1st about stolen elections and secret vote counting), and those alternative media sources that survive and deserve our appreciation (Radio Free Kingston, WKNY, 1490 AM Sundays 12:30- 1:30; Free Range Thought Radio, WKNY, 1490 Sundays 1:30-3:30, http://www.freerangethought.com/ ; The Real Majority, WVKR Poughkeepsie 91.3 FM, Sundays 9-11; Activist Radio,WVKR Poughkeepsie 91.3 FM, Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM). PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TODAY TO EMAIL OR CALL:

1. Save the Internet: Push Back against Corporate Control of our Airwaves

There's an opportunity TODAY to fight back and reclaim a piece of the PUBLIC airwaves to be used to develop increased Internet Access. Write to the FCC TODAY, MONDAY, JUNE 4TH. Soon-to-be vacated TV airwaves, which are being replaced by the switch from analog to digital TV, are freed up and have the capacity to deliver high-speed Internet signals almost everywhere in the country.

The government could use these no longer used PUBLIC airwaves to make the Internet more neutral, open and affordable for everyone OR the government could hand over our airwaves to the phone and cable companies, lobbying wildly now to control our public airwaves by shutting us out.

Write to the Federal Communications Commission today, the last day by going to Act Now: Keep the New Internet Open to All. Don't let the FCC turn over these airwaves to the same price-gouging corporate giants that control wired access. Al Gore concludes in the final pages of his new book, Assault on Reason, that the key to redeeming our democracy is to ensure that we all are � ��"well and fully connected� �� to an open, neutral and robust public Internet forum.

2. Clean Money Clean Election: Push Back against Corporate Money in our Elections
Governor Spitzer has made full public funding with Clean Money Clean Elections the cornerstone of his reform New York program. But he is getting resistance from Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who is against public funding of campaigns, and from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who favors partial public funding. With partial funding using our tax dollars, candidates would still have to raise the bulk of their money from private wealthy donors, who would continue to have the upper hand in legislative matters.

Call Governor Spitzer's office now 518 474-8390-- he's counting the calls. Say "I'm for full public funding with Clean Money Clean Elections" and give your zip code.
With strong public support, Governor Spitzer will prevail. But he must have that support to stand up to legislators who would rather keep the status quo with partial public funding, as Speaker Silver wants, or no public funding, as Senator Bruno wants.

3. The Holt bill will institutionalize private corporate vendor control over our elections: Push Back- No Fast-tracking of Secret Vote Counting

Call Congress today and ask for full debate on HR 811. Vote no on current HR 811.

Nita Lowey (202) 225-6506 or (914) 428-1707
Elliot Engel (202) 225-2464 or (914) 699-4100
John Hall (202) 225-5441
Maurice Hinchey (202) 225-6335 or (845 344-3211)

HR811 may come up for a vote on the floor of the House tomorrow - Tuesday.
Election Integrity Advocates of the best intentions differ passionately about this bill. It is deeply flawed. (Read the EDA 811 Resource page)
Support EDA's call on Congress to step off the fast track and open up HR 811 to the public debate and careful examination this bill requires.
Our democracy deserves no less.
CALL and FAX your Congressional Rep. It's easy, all the steps are outlined below.
They really need to hear from us, TODAY.

Call Congress for Open, Public Debate on HR 811
No secret vote counting, full public accountability
May 31, 2007
Dear Citizen,

The Holt Bill, HR 811, has been amended and is once again being
"fast-tracked" through Congress. A floor vote could come at any time.

The amendments have been for the worse, and HR 811 now promotes secret vote counting as a matter of federal election law. The bill is opposed by citizen
activists and election administrators nationwide.

Please take action once again.

Send your Representative a fax or e-mail, then follow up with a phone call.

Then please click here to forward this action on to others on your list(s).

Thank you for speaking out for open debate, and open elections.

Election Defense Alliance

Open this link http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

enter your zipcode in the box that says "Write Your Officials,"

and click on your representative's name.

Copy and paste the letter below, add your own words if you wish,

enter your home city, sign your name, and send.

Or, if you have a fax machine, FAXING a copy of your letter is even better.

Then, please follow your note with a phone call to your representative.

For more background on this bill's serious ills, and our alternative prescriptions
for electoral health, see the 811 Resource Page at Election Defense Alliance.

Dear Representative _____________:

We are contacting you because we do not want HR 811 to be fast-tracked.
Our voting system is too important an issue not to allow time for public debate.
We are alarmed that this bill leaves far too many unacceptable vulnerabilities in our election process.

We urge you NOT to support HR 811.

We must do better than HR 811.

This bill federalizes secret vote counting
and invites -- rather than prevents --
systemic corruption of our elections.

We do not consent.

IN LIEU OF HR 811, WE PROPOSE:

1. Paper ballots, not paper trails

2. Federal BUYOUT of all touchscreen voting equipment

3. No secret vote counting, no secret records, no secret contracts,
and no trade secrecy in our public elections

4. No control of voting technologies by four White House appointees

5. No unfunded mandates

Please consider a workable, alternative proposal for essential election reform

outlined in brief presentation here:

http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org/five_point_proposal

Thank you.

_______________ [your name]

_______________ [your city]

Your help is crucial in raising a call for Congress to hear and heed.

Please click to Forward This Alert to others, adding names from your address

book to the Forwarding window that opens from here.

Posting this alert to mail lists that reach many people is especially important.

Speak out for public vote counting, now when it counts.

We're counting on you.

Election Defense Alliance

andi novick

Northeast Citizens for
Responsible Media (Re-Media)
www.re-media.org