Next Tuesday (November 2) is the mid-term election. Many of you may already have your minds made up on how you will vote, but the polling suggests a large percentage have not. If you are still uncertain, don’t miss the special section on resources to help with your decision making for the election below. Several groups have posted results of candidate questionnaires on important issues for your consideration.
Check out the Actions, Events, Opportunities and Resources, and News Posts below—just click on the links under each category to get to the information. We’ve placed the most critical issues under Important Actions and Issues.
We understand that there is a lot of information here. Please know that you aren’t expected to act on everything! Just choose the issues that are most important to you and take action. Sometimes you will be directed to action pages of other organizations—don’t worry! These are organizations that we work with regularly and who share a common interest.
Please consider contacting your legislators to thank them when they support your position as well, or to express your disappointment when they don’t. We don’t follow up with them often enough. They need our feedback to understand how we feel. Go to our Take Action page (http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page630.htm) to find links to contact information for your legislators.
Our website is updated regularly—please visit to find updated links, resources, etc. at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org. It is a work in progress, and issue pages continue to be created as time permits. If there is something you would really like to see that isn’t there, please contact us at s.strauss@pachurches.org.
And finally—If you appreciate this ministry, we would very much appreciate your support; you can learn how by clicking here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
Member of Congress Positions on Torture (New)
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5811
Check out the Gubernatorial Candidates’ Positions on Sustainable Growth (New)
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5896
Check Out Environmental Positions of PA Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5026
State Legislators Scored by Green Groups (New)
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5912
Where Do Pennsylvania’s Gubernatorial Candidates Stand on Child Welfare?
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5749
How Well Do Your Members of Congress Protect Children?
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5354
Gubernatorial and U.S. Senate Candidates Talk About Government Reform
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5597
Gubernatorial Candidates Respond to Integrity Questionnaire
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5715
Learn About Gubernatorial Candidates’ Plans for Education
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5331
IMPORTANT ACTIONS AND ISSUES—Urgent!
Pennsylvania Leaves $100 Million on Table as Senate Nixes Severance Tax Promise—Take Action
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5848
Urge Congress to Extend Unemployment Benefits and TANF Emergency Fund
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5836
Call In to Support Voting Rights for Released Persons Who’ve Served their Sentences—November 1
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5867
Actions for Child Nutrition Reauthorization Needed During the Break
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5449
Learn More and Act to Restore and Promote Clean Water
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5537
Important News!
Prison Economics Help Drive Arizona Immigration Law
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5908
U.S. Now Ranks 49th in Life Expectancy
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5899
Election Protection on November 2 at 1-866-OUR-VOTE 1-866-OUR-VOTE
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5852
November 2 is the General Election—PLEASE VOTE and urge everyone you know to get to the polls!
In case you don’t know, find your polling place at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/where_to_vote/13520.
Council Poverty Study Guide Now Available!
http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/Poverty_Guide.pdf
Download the Council’s “Get Connected” Bulletin Insert at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/Get_Connected_insert.pdf for information about how members of your congregation can connect with the Council’s e-advocacy network.
ACTIONS
Please visit our “Take Action” page at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page630.htm for the most up-to-date listing of all current actions you can take by category. Categories include: New Actions; Children and Families; Economy and Economic Justice; Education; Environment; Global Issues; Government Reform; Health Care; Housing; Human Rights; Hunger; Immigration; Peacemaking; Torture; Trade; Women.
You can also check out our Weblog Take Action page at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?cat=10.
Posted below are the NEWEST ACTIONS you can take.
FEDERAL
Urge EPA to Regulate Coal Ash as a Toxic Substance
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5870
Raising the Minimum Wage in Hard Times—Take Action
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5888
STATE
EVENTS
For a full listing of events, go to the Events Calendar at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?page_id=92.
Events this coming week:
Screening of Gasland—October 29, Harrisburg
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5540
Town Meeting for Jobs Not Wars—October 30, Philadelphia
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5804
Speaking Series to Showcase the Power of Active Nonviolence—October 31-November 2, Philadelphia
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5817
Update on Ozone and Air Quality—November 4, Carlisle
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5902
Screening of A Day Without A Mexican—November 5, Springfield
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5235
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Conference—November 6, York
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5654
TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch: The Global Plastic Pollution Crisis—November 6, State College
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5666
Farming in Biblical Times—November 7, State College
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4902
Here are the NEWEST EVENTS added to the Calendar.
“Amazing Faiths” Dinner-Dialogue—November 10, Harrisburg
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5882
National Dropout Prevention Center’s 22nd Annual Conference—November 14-17, Philadelphia
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5829
EPA Public Listening Session/Discussion on National Stormwater Rule—November 17, Harrisburg
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5864
Pennsylvania Voters Coalition Elections Symposium—December 2, Harrisburg
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5773
Health Action 2011 Registration Open—January 27-29, Washington, DC
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5855
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO LEARN AND ACT
This is a current listing of opportunities and resources to participate in national conference calls, calls for comments on policies or legislation, and activities that individuals/congregations can engage in aside from Actions.
For recently posted resources via these news summaries, go to http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?cat=24.
For a listing of Council-related resources go to the “Resources” link at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page498.htm.
For links to organizations that address many of the Council’s advocacy issues, visit “Related Links” at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page560.htm. This list is updated continually. Please report broken links to s.strauss@pachurches.org.
Fellowships—Families USA Offers Health Care Policy and Advocacy Fellowships—January 2011 Deadlines
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5648
Opportunity—If I Had a Trillion Dollars: Youth Video Contest—Deadline November 30
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5093
Opportunity—Community Responders Network to Address Incidents of Intolerance
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5891
Resource—Launching: “A Daily Dose of Truth” About Health Reform
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5762
Resource—Refundable Credits Expanded in the Economic Recovery Act—Impacts of Making Them Permanent
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5768
Resource—Report: Unemployment Would Be in Double Digits Across PA if Not For Federal Action on the Economy
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5885
Resource—Learn More About Prison Sentencing Policies
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5782
NEWS POSTS
Please visit our weblog (http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?page_id=24) for the latest news and information. For previous News Summaries, click on the “News Summaries” link on the right side of the page.
Subscribe to our weblog via RSS (What is RSS?) or e-mail.
Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5753
On Politics and God
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5826
Christian Witness Amid the Partisan Fray
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5858
Danforth Center Seeks Civility with Faith, Politics
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5861
2010 Pennsylvania School Readiness Report Available
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5759
More Working Families Getting Government Food Aid
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5765
Karen Heller: Expert: Hunger Has More to do with Opportunity than with Food
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5873
Recession in Midstate Hitting Children Hardest
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5801
Hardest Existence of Poverty is Spiritual Issue
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5823
Health Care and the Campaign
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5786
Report: How to Enact (and Maintain) Tax Reform
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5905
Gas Industry “Not Very Concerned” About Severance Tax
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5839
Inaction on the Marcellus Shale Severance Tax Has Consequences
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5845
Governor Establishes Moratorium on Drilling Leases in State Forests
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5842
PA’s “Pollution Pathway” Takes Heat in Chesapeake Bay Plan
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5798
Farm Lobby Targets Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Bill
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5879
Susquehanna in Crisis
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5814
Gupta: Chemicals Around Us – We Must Know More
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5832
Chemicals: Lautenberg Hearing Aims to Spur Senate Action on TSCA
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5876
EPA Announces Next Steps on Fuel Economy Standards
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5792
Recent Environmental News
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5789
Fun Environmental Stuff
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5795
Coming Out Illegal—Why We Need the DREAM Act
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5808
Battling Predatory Enterprises–Working to Prevent Gun Violence
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=5820
SUPPORT THE COUNCIL’S ADVOCACY WORK
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