From David Swanson:

The peace movement has stood for peace and justice, for ending wars, preventing new ones, and building peace. Our top priority in Washington, D.C., has been ending the funding of the occupation. That work is over for the next year, because Congress has provided that funding.

We can still work against recruitment, we can still educate, we can still agitate, we can still oppose an attack on Iran. But one of our secondary priorities in Washington has been imposing a penalty for the illegal attack on Iraq in order to discourage future attacks on Iran or anywhere else.

We have pushed half-heartedly for impeachment,
with our main lobbying focus on cutting off the money.

Now, at the same time that the money is
a done deal for another year,

the possibility of impeachment is beginning to spark. After over two years of declaring impeachment "off the table," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has relented and suggested that some sort of preliminary hearing be held in the Judiciary Committee - and specifically on the impeachable offense of misleading a nation into war.

If the peace movement is not just a movement against one war or occupation, but a movement for peace, we should push with everything we've got for that (impeachment) hearing to happen, happen soon, and happen well.

We should ask everyone who cares about peace to phone Pelosi and Committee Chairman John Conyers, as well as their own representatives, whom they should ask to introduce their own articles of impeachment.

We've been on a losing streak, brothers and sisters, and the door is cracking open toward a major victory. Let's open that door fully and lead a peaceful march of millions through it.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34705

PLEASE CALL and demand that Impeachment Hearings be started
BEFORE the Election

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr.: (202) 225-5126
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: (202) 225-4965
And your Congressman:Contact info

Please join our weekly Impeachment Events, see our Calendar on the website ImpeachCO.com or in the Calendar here on ProgressNowAction.org

John H Kennedy, organizer
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com

..

The Cheney Impeachment effort in the US House is moving forward.

Congresswoman Yvette Clark (D., NY) has joined Congress Members Jan Schakowsky, William Lacy Clay, Albert Wynn, and Dennis Kucinich in Co-Sponsoring Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney (H. Res. 333).

We now have 5 US Representatives backing Impeachment, Kucinich and 4 Co-Sponsors.

Kucinich will need more Co-Sponsors. If You care about the US Constitution and the US Soldiers who are dying and being maimed for Cheney's WMD lies You Should call Your Congressmen/women (at 800-828-0498) and demand that they become a Co-Sponsor on Kucinich's Impeach Cheney Bill.

Since Speaker Pelosi uttered her now infamous edict that 'impeachment is off the table' the movement toward impeaching any of the liars in the Bush Administration has grown slowly but it is growing. Recently Rep. Kucinich filed a Bill to impeach VP Cheney and it has taken off.

If Clinton can be impeached for a lie about sex, Cheney 'must be impeached' for lying about the reason for the Iraq Invasion and the 25,000 plus US Soldiers mained and the over 3,400 dead because of the lie.

None of the Colorado Democrats in Congress has offered support for impeaching Cheney.

They all deflect impeachment questions by saying things like: If we impeach Bush then Cheney will be president or we can't impeach because then Congress won't get anything else done.

Golly, if our state's representatives impeach Cheney then Cheney will never be president.

And not impeaching Bush gives them Bush to run against in Nov. '08. It is the best of all possible strategy for Democrats.

Show the international community we as a people repudiate Cheney and all he and his neocons stand for and coast into victory in '08 running
against Bush, the worst president American ever had.

Remember it is Bush's Iraq War but Cheney's manipulation of intelligence and WMD lies that gave Bush the opportunity to get Congress to vote for the invasion of Iraq.

The trial of Scooter Libby has produced overwhelming evidence that Vice President Cheney personally led the campaign to attack Joe Wilson through the media.

This "get Wilson" campaign included telling numerous reporters that Wilson was sent to Niger by his wife Valerie Plame, a CIA operative. Cheney was told by the CIA that Valerie Plame worked as a covert agent in the CIA's Nonproliferation Division, which is the critical division of the CIA responsible for stopping the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Is exposing a CIA agent a treasonable offence?

Cheney's efforts to expose Plame actually exposed her entire covert network, at tremendous cost to the CIA's secret war against terrorism. If Plame's work had been exposed by a double-agent in our government like Aldrich Ames or Robert Hanssen, that person would face prosecution for espionage and treason.

The evidence of Cheney's role is more than enough to start an impeachment investigation.

Real investigation will not start until Kucinich's Impeachment Bill is seriously considered by the House Judiciary Committee. Kucinich needs more Co-Sponsors to make that happen.

Now that Cheney's former Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby has been convicted and sentenced to 30 months in Federal Prison it is time to turn to his boss, Vice President Cheney. Is there a point where a Vice President who manipulates intelligence and facts about going to war commits treason?


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET CONGRESS TO IMPEACH CHENEY.

Call the Congressional 800 Number: 800-828-0498

Ask for Speaker Of The House Pelosi's office,
Ask for your Congressman/woman's office.

Tell the staff member who you are and where you live.

Then tell them to say to your Representative..

Impeach Cheney for lying about WMD and exposing a CIA agent.

Tell them to Co-Sponsor Kucinich's Bill to Impeach Cheney.

Call them each week.

Call as many of the US Congressmen/women as you can with the same message.

See US Rep. Kucinich's Bill here:
Link

The bill is 'H Res 333' (and not HR 333).

Plenty of info about Impeaching Cheney at: Link

The following sources were used: Link Link



..

Please join Congresswoman Diana DeGette tonight at the Windsor Gardens Auditorium as she gives her constituents a progress report from Washington.

I got this information from her Denver Congressional District Office just a few minutes ago.

Location: Windsor Gardens Auditorium 595 S. Clinton St.

Time: 7 pm Tuesday evening May 29 (TONIGHT) 1 hour only... talk fast!

Directions from Denver: East on Alameda to Clinton and then South on Clinton for 1-2 blks. The Auditoriun is attached to the clubhouse and to the rear of it.

A great time to ask about her saving 1,000 US Soldiers lives by stopping the Iraq War Now, not next year.

And oh yes there is the issue of the Cheney WMD Lies that put our soldiers in harms way in the first place.

Is DeGette going to protect Cheney from accountability for the lies and make him pay a political price for lying.. or let Cheney skate?

Will she become a Co-Sponsor on US Rep. Kucinich's Bill to Impeach Cheney?

Does she think it is important that she vote to uphold and protect the US Constitution?

Does she think someone worse than Bush will every be President?
Could it be a threat to our Constitutional Republic if that happened?

Tell her Presidents will never fear Impeachment or respect Congress if she and the others Never Impeach anyone.

How about Gonzales?

She's your Congresswoman and she works for you.

Tell her (respectfully) what you want her to do.

The River of Light Enterprise, a local non-profit organization, invites you to celebrate

Spring in the Rockies
Bi-Annual Plant and Seed Exchange

PROCEEDS BENEFIT FOOD, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE CITIZENS - HOMELESS VETERANS, DISABLED ADULTS, HIGH RISK YOUTH, FRAIL ELDERLY - IN THE METRO AREA

Bring to Exchange with Fellow Gardeners
Seeds - Starts - Shrubs - Bulbs -Tree Saplings - Vegetable seedlings
Indoor and Outdoor Plants Welcome

Bring as many plants as you wish and take home an equal amount from others' donations

If you don't have plants or seeds to share from your yard, we suggest bringing vegetable sprouts

All native plants are Welcome

Please separate and label plants individually, ready to be taken home by fellow gardeners - We suggest placing individual plants in small wax paper cups

Save $ toward your landscaping needs - Add a variety of new and interesting plants to your yard

A $10 per family donation is requested at the gate
Join us for this unique and fun family event

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT JULIE AT 303-667-6032

Senator Tupa says WE (you & me) can

Save the Colorado Anti-Iraq War Escalation Bill.

There are two versions, Senate & House. The Senate last voted to stick with their version. I'm told many House Representatives did not read the Senate version prior to voting on the House version. They will do today.

Now that it is going back to the House TODAY! there is a good chance to ask for passage of 'a bill' and/or compromise by both House and Senate Leadership to pass it TODAY or this week.


So please IMMEDIATELY.. Email the following
(or in your own words)


Subject: Please support Senate's SMJ2 or Find Compromise and Pass 'An' Anti-Escalation Bill this session.


I ask that you support the Senate Version of SMJ2 or find a Compromise position with Senator Tupa and the Senate Leadership.

Above all, Pass 'An' Anti-Escalation Memorial this Session.

Above all... support your Congressional Democrats in their struggle with Bush over ending the Iraq War.

Thank You for all your effort given this goal now and in the past.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR CITY, CO YOUR ZIP
YOUR PHONE NUMBER




Email the above letter to:

Speaker Romanoff

And a Carbon Copy ( CC ) to

Alice Madden

And the rest of the House

BE SURE To Put IN your BCC Field
( Cut & Paste the following in to the BCC Field)


debbie.benefield.house@state.co.us,
aliceb321@aol.com,
bernie@buescher.org,
morgancarroll@webaccess.net,
terrance.carroll.house@state.co.us,
mpcerbo@yahoo.com,
kathleencurry@montrose.net,
randy.fischer.house@state.co.us,
kjerry.frangas.house@state.co.us,
sara.gagliardi.house@state.co.us,
rafael.gallegos.house@state.co.us,
michael@michaelgarcia.info,
dan.gibbs.house@state.co.us,
gwyngreen@yahoo.com,
maryhodge@aol.com,
cheri.jahn.house@state.co.us,
joeljudd@aol.com,
john.kefalas.house@state.co.us,
akerrhd26@earthlink.net,
jeanne.labuda.house@state.co.us,
claire.levy.house@state.co.us,
alice.madden.house@state.co.us,
rosemary.marshall.house@state.co.us.
buffie2006@hotmail.com.
anne.mcgihon.house@state.co.us,
wes.mckinley.house@state.co.us,
michael.merrifield.house@state.co.us,
cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us,
jack.pommer.house@state.co.us,
dianne.primavera.house@state.co.us,
joe.rice.house@state.co.us,
jim.riesberg.house@state.co.us,
romanoff@coloradohouse.org,
judy.solano.house@state.co.us,
john.soper.house@state.co.us,
nancy.todd.house@state.co.us,
reppaul@aol.com, ken@kengordon.com,
ron.tupa.senate@state.co.us,

JOIN US TODAY at NOON @ E 6th & Speer- IMPEACH CHENEY RALLY-
in Denver, CO

and CALL 800-828-0498

ASK YOUR CONGRESSMAN TO

CO-SPONSOR Rep. Kucinich's IMPEACH CHENEY BILL

Call all of Colorado's Democratic Congressmen/Women while you are at it.

It just takes a few minutes
to leave a message of support
for Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment of Cheney

Today is National Impeachment Day for Activist Groups http://www.A28.org
and we'll all be out there..

Please Join us.TODAY Link

-----------------------------------------

Two things you can do to help US Rep. Kucinich succeed
in Impeaching Cheney are:

1. Memorize this phone number... 800-828-0498 and use it often.

And then Tell all your friends that have bitched about Cheney or Bush and Tell Them to Call The Number and Support Kucinich.

(it is one of a number of toll free ways to contact
your Congressman/Senator's Office... DO IT WEEKLY


2. Call the number and ask for your Congressman
(if you don't know who that is tell them where you live
and they will connect you to the correct office.)

Tell your Congressman to become a 'Co-Sponsor' on
US Rep. Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment.

Then call all other Colorado Democratic Congressmem/women
offices to make the same request.

Then call US Rep. Kucinich's office and leave a message
thanking him for having the guts to do this.

I have used this number frequently and get through quickly.

It should take only a few minutes to say something like..

"My name is John Kennedy of Denver, Co and I support
Representative Kucinich's filing of Articles of Impeachment
against VP Cheney and I urge you to become a Co-Sponsor."

Simple, yes?


Go for it.............


========================================



PLEASE ALSO JOIN US

Every WED at The State Capital

at Lincoln & 14

Where we do a

Weekly Vigil To Impeach Link

And to Stop The War Now and Save The Lives Of the 800 US Soldiers who will die in the next year and the 7-8000 who will be seriously wounded.



========================================
Check out this great article

There's HUNGER For Impeachment. Will We Feed It?
Link

Some excerpts


we have to break the Barrier of Silence being enacted against gressroots America by the monopolized "mainstream" media. This is the FIRST step in the Impeachment of Cheney.

In EVERY neighborhood across America people are saying "they should be impeached" WITH NO CLUE THAT THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF US TRYING TO DO JUST THAT!!

They just need to Join Us at our Rallys, Vigils, Protests


One wag observed recently that if Dick Cheney were impeached, that would make George Bush president.

Who was it whose office personally orchestrated the lies passed off to us as intelligence on Iraq? Who was it who masterminded the outing of one of our best assets in preventing the proliferation of the REAL weapons of mass destruction, and all to keep the high crimes they had already committed from being exposed? Who has been the real acting president of the United States all these years?

Elections DO have consequences. Because now at least there are enough votes in Congress to call for that accountability, if only we will speak out in sufficient numbers to demand it. Constitutional crimes MUST have consequences. That is what the Constitution demands if we will honor it. Will we listen to those who have tried to take ultimate accountability off the table, or will THEY listen to us?

It's not as if those voices are not out there, to speak against a president of vice with a 9% approval rating. But it's up to us to reach out to and mobilize the remaining 91% who are not hiding from the truth, and let them know there is a way to effectively make their voices heard.

Two things you can do to help US Rep. Kucinich succeed
in Impeaching Cheney are:

1. Memorize this phone number... 800-828-0498 and use it often.

(it is one of a number of toll free ways to contact
your Congressman/Senator's Office)


2. Call the number and ask for your Congressman
(if you don't know who that is tell them where you live
and they will connect you to the correct office.)

Tell your Congressman to become a 'Co-Sponsor' on
US Rep. Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment.

Then call all other Colorado Democratic Congressmem/women
offices to make the same request.

Then call US Rep. Kucinich's office and leave a message
thanking him for having the guts to do this.

I have used this number frequently and get through quickly.

It should take only a few minutes to say something like..

"My name is John Kennedy of Denver, Co and I support
Representative Kucinich's filing of Articles of Impeachment
against VP Cheney and I urge you to become a Co-Sponsor."

Simple, yes?


Go for it.............

Since Jan 24 our group PNA 1stProtestInTheStreet.Org Link
has through it's project website
WeeklVigilsToImpeach.US Link
has held two weekly vigils-protests per week to

a. Stop The Iraq War ( Now! and save
the 800 US Soldiers who will be killed
and the 8000 who will be seriously wounded
prior to the
fantasy withdrawal dates that have been proposed in 2008.

b. Impeach Bush and Cheney
for lying to Congress to get an OK to go to War
( and a few other reasons of course)

Many members of ProgressNowAction.Org have emailed us
or signed up on the Calendar listings
to say they were coming to the
Stop Iraq War Now protests.

The only one who 'ever' showed up was Mike Collins last week
and we were thrilled...

Thanks Mike.

As a Vietnam Vet you know this is important
and you put your feet on the street that day to support
our effort to 'support the troops' by bringing them home.

We hope that today and each Wednesday more of you will attend and show our Colorado and Washington legislators that Stopping The War Now and Impeaching Bush/Cheney are important to you.

Todays event listing: Link

We had a little fun with 'Foxy' the fox today... NO, not That Kind of Fun!

We heard that Frontier was doing a Campaign Interview style promo for the 'Foxy' Frontier's Favorite Animal at the Civic Center today across from the City Hall. So we thought this would be great test of our Concept of Instant Vigils.

We flew downtown and did a 'one indian' to their 'circle the wagons' maneuver. The media types applauded my arrival but grumbled later when they had trouble getting a shot without our signs in the background.

Our sign on one side said.

Call Foxy and tell her to
Stop the Iraq War
and impeach Bush

and on the other side

Call Foxy and say
Stop the War and
impeach Bush.

Amazing the amount of eyeballs these signs got.

It was Fun...
you all shoulda been there.

Maybe next time, eh! Join Us.
Impeachment can be fun.

John

WeeklyVigilsToImpeach.Us
Link

ProgressNowAction Member
Link

Weekly Vigils To Impeach & Stop The Iraq War

Will be at the State Capital at Noon at 14th & Lincoln


We will also be joining the fun at Sen. Salazar's Office at
2 pm. today.

Member of 'The Occupation' will be visiting Salazar's Office with some requests and may stay 'quite a while' I'm told.

I understand that another group will protest the Iraq War outside.

And of course our Group Weekly Vigils To Impeach...

Link

will be there

Come one, come all

Join us

Last week at the Capital we had a good group of activists. Our efforts were rewarded by motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists with a lot of honking and waving.

The Iraq War was the central issue of the 2006 Election and the public still wants Bush and Cheney held accountable.

During World War II Franklin D. Roosevelt had four (4) Republican led investigations going against him. The last finished up after his death. They were trying to prove he knew in advance about Pearl Harbor and failed to warn the military in Hawaii. they never succeeded in making the charge stick.

If the greatest US war President of modern times can have this much oversight, why is Bush and Cheney about to get away with lying to Congress in order to get permission to invade snother country?

We wonder when the Democrats who campaigned against Bush's Iraq WMD lies and Iraq Invasion Outcome will begin to hold serious investigations, hearings and if warranted impeachment? Will it ever happen?


Our group will be there to remind them... and you are all invited to stand with us.

We'll be there...

Every Wednesday Noon at the State Capital ( Lincoln & 14th) and

Every Thursday Noon at DeGette's Office ( East 6th & Grant)
There is a proposal to move this vigil around to different US Reps offices each week day. Tell us what you think about this.

We have extra signs if you don't. If your schedule is tight, come and stay for only a few minutes. It all helps.

We think the 'freezing' fog scared off the volunteers today. Actually the sun was out at DeGettes office and it was great.

It was just Ken and I today, but We got a lot of supportive honks and waves in reply to the big Impeach Signs. The people want this.

The Wednesday vigil at the State Capital this week was well attended and we really appreciate your support.

Hope we see you at
the Weekly Vigil To impeach Bush & Cheney and Stop The Iraq War,
at the State Capital on Wednesday next week at Noon....
bring your signs or use ours.

John Kennedy

Our group

Link
1stProtestinTheStreet.org
is having a MeetUp 7 pm TONIGHT at the Hooked On Colfax Coffee House (w/ Free Wifi ) at 3215 East Colfax Ave, Denver. Anyone interested in the possibility of holding Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes is welcome to join us. We believe that we can put enough public pressure on our US Representatives we might be able to cause a Bill of impeachment. ( Yes..especially the Democrats we elected... the ones who dissed Bush/Cheney so, who now are Congressmen who have the power to Impeach).

We are doing two weekly vigils so far, one on
">Link
Wednesdays at Noon at the State Capital in Denver and on Link
Thursdays at Noon at US Rep. DeGette's Denver Office at East 6th & Grant. The purpose of the Wednesday and Thursday Vigils is to attract the attention of our State Legislature. our two Daily Newspapers, and the public. We hope that someone in the Legislature will carry a bill to ask the US House to begin proceedings on Impeachment (as New Mexico's Democrats are doing).

We hope the newpapers will consider that if Bill Clinton can be brought up on Impeachment for lying about sex... then perhaps the more serious offense of lying to Congress ( and Voters) just before a vote on War Resolution should require the same journalistic attention.

We hope the public will begin to see that this ( lying to Congress) is a more serious matter even than the Iraq War itself (if that is possible). The previous 'do nothing' Republican Congress was not much of a check on Bush's Imperial ambitions and our current Democratic Congress' Leadership would like to ignore impeachment and 'move on 'as they say, and hope it just goes away. What they are trying to ignore is the fact that all of Bush's lies and Signing Statements add up to a huge expansion of Presidential Power. We need to protect our grandchildren from the future Imperial excesses of the next President RunAmuck, regardless of which party they come from.

We need to put the Fear Of Impeachment into all future presidential candidates.

Bush doesn't think the Congress will call his bluff and impeach him, so he will push his supposed 'powers' to the limit. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are kidding themselves if they think he will back off. And even if he does, shouldn't he be held accountable for lying to Congress about a War resolution in the first place... to prevent this from recurring? And about the 700 plus Signing Statements. Saying he will ignore US Laws, after taking an Oath to Uphold them.

I'll stop now....

See you tonight at Hooked On Colfax,
and Wed. at the Capital,
and Thursday at DeGette's Office

PS... We've already started getting Push Back, from Democrats no less, about Vigiling in front of DeGette's Office. Why her they say... Well.. she is in a 'safe' seat, she now has powerful positions on very important Congressional Committees. She Can support this without endangering her re-election far more than other Democratic US Reps.

As a lifelong Democrat, I've voted for DeGette in every election and carried signs for her and probably will do so in the future. I think she is Super. However, I think she and all the other Democratic Reps will duck Impeachment if we let them. We will Vigil at other Colorado US Representative's offices as soon as we have the volunteers (all of them).
join us.

Say out loud. We Can stop the Iraq War, We Can Impeach Bush and Cheney
(repeat often)

Yes we can... but first we have to do three things ,

a. 'always believe we can' because  our 60's experience tells us we can.

b. 'believe' we can.. that if even a few of us Vigil Weekly, we bring enormous pressure on US Officials

c. 'change' the way you think, believe and behave, so join one of our vigils and make it happen

If each of the Colorado activist organizations send just a few activists to help staff our vigils and if just a few of we Progress members  also attend our vigils, we can bring immense pressure on our US elected officials.  Impeachment CAN happen.  The Iraq War CAN be stopped.

In the 60s We did just exactly that... stopped the Vietnam War, and through the Congress We threatened to Impeach Nixon, prompting his resignation.

Are you any less gutsy than 60's Americans?

For those of you nervous about Pelosi becoming President.  Consider this.

Would the present and future be different with a President Pelosi?    

Different than with a President Bush or President Cheney?

A lot less lying, spying, and dying. for sure. 

Perhaps not a perfect President but heaven compared to Bush, Cheney and their NeoCon handlers.  ( All current Democratic contenders will diss this)

Please Join us at one of this weeks two Impeachment & Anti-Iraq War Vigils.

Wednesday @ Noon at our State Capital: see link on ProgressNowAction.org   Link or See Our Website: Link

Thursday @ Noon at Degette's Office: see link on ProgressNow Action.org   Link or See Our Website:

Please go to the links above on ProgressNowAction.org and sign up to attend. 

We all will be one step closer to what we all want.

John Kennedy

protestinthestreet@yahoo.com

This time of year it always gives me hope when I hear all the "good will" stories of people helping other people. This year's "giving season" was kicked off in a major way by Oprah, who gave the members of her studio audience $1,000 with the condition they must give it away in "random acts of kindness" to one or more strangers. They were to record their experience with a video camera on loan to return their results on tape. People across the Country are "buzzing" about it and here in Colorado and across the country it's been a springboard for "giving back" holiday food, clothing and gift drives.

It reminds me though that Francis Moore Lappe, best selling author and founder of the Small Planet Institute said, "The problem with the phrase 'giving back' is that it denies our true nature. It presumes that we perceive ourselves as standing on the outside of community, feeling obligated to contribute because we are so privileged, instead of feeling connected and deeply entrenched in community as participants."

As I listened this week to the stories of simple acts people did for another or someone did for them that made a huge difference, it warmed my heart. It also made me a little sad because as wonderful as the stories are, I know that to really address some of our most challenging social issues in health care, housing, education and economic security, it will take more than a few random acts - it will take people like:

Chaplain Barbara McArthur with Blessing House Partners in Faith, who provides housing for 40 homeless women while working another job to pay her own bills. They may have to close the doors right after Thanksgiving because she can't continue to carry the costs for the women she's helping while they struggle to find full-time work.

Or the Hernandez family, who runs the Senior High Rise Food Bank and feeds over 400 people each month from their garage, yet are struggling and may have to close just after Christmas because they can't continue to pay for utilities, and gas to pick up food that's been donated on their retirement incomes.

Or the volunteers from the American GI Forum and Veterans for Peace who are personally struggling with their own battles with the Veterans Administration yet have come together to establish the Veterans Justice Alliance to provide support, care and comfort to the 800 homeless and disabled veterans living on the streets in the Denver area each night!

And these are just three of more than thirty social entrepreneurs ROLE is currently working with, each are committing their hands, hearts and souls - and most of their own money - to fill the gaps in our broken social safety net.

These are people who are fully entrenched in community and "walk the talk" each and every day. The River of Light Enterprise, Inc. (ROLE) - the nonprofit organization I am proud to lead - has established the Chamber of Compassion to "serve those who serve" by helping these unsung heroes get the support they need to keep many vital neighborhood-based programs alive.

Right now the people we serve who help so many others are in dire straights themselves and many may have to close their doors if the community doesn't step in and donate the cash they need to keep going. Most people think that those who serve the poor get tax money, foundation grants, or lots of donated money from the general public to support the work they do -- but the truth is…

· The Bush FY 2007 budget cuts 141 domestic programs, led by a $36-billion cut in Medicare spending for the elderly over the next five years and the complete elimination of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program that provides food assistance to low-income seniors, needy pregnant women and children.

· According to the 1998 National Congregations Study, the first comprehensive study of churches and their spending showed that less than 3% of the average congregation's total budget was spent on social services.

· According to the Independent Sector, the share of giving that goes to organizations known for helping the poor, hit a record low in 2004, accounting for less than 10% of the $248 billion donated by Americans and their philanthropic institutions.

Eliminating poverty is not a "random act" - it takes consistency, commitment, and perseverance. And it takes CASH! Cash for things like phones to coordinate donations; for gas and oil to deliver necessities to those in need and for paying utility bills at emergency housing units.

Right now, Blessing House needs $5,000, or all 10 women looking to start a new and prosperous life will be back out on the street right after Thanksgiving!

Unless we can raise $5,000 to help Senior High Rise Food Bank pay their utilities and transportation costs, people will be hungry by Christmas!

And if we don't raise another $5,000 to support the Veterans Justice Alliance through the end of the year, we will be unable to provide on-going care and support to over 20 Veterans who are struggling to keep food on their tables and a roof over their head while they are waiting for their claims to be processed.

These are OUR neighborhood resources that have been selflessly helping quietly while we are living our lives. They start their days feeding people who are hungry, searching for shelter for those who are homeless, and challenging bureaucrats to respond to people who have "fallen through the cracks" of our broken safety net. And they do it with little or no recognition or sufficient support from the community they serve.

Hubert Humphrey once said, "Government will never replace the helping hand of a neighbor". Unless we can all come together as a community and support not only the large organizations who can afford to advertise their programs on television and in large ads in the local newspapers but the small food bank or shelter right in our own neighborhoods - we may loose the only programs that are currently catching those who have already fallen through the cracks.

My prayer is that we all take Oprah's challenge and practice random acts of kindness with more focus. Better yet, I challenge you to consider making "consistent acts of kindness", and perhaps becoming a sponsoring member of the RIVER OF LIGHT ENTERPRISE. Our pledge is to use ALL of the money raised to keep Blessing House, the Senior High Rise Food Bank and the Veterans Justice Projects open and serving the most vulnerable among us. If you'd like to discuss these issues or would like more facts, I welcome your call at 303-667-6032.

Sincerely,

Julieann Murphy-Cross
Pres./CEO River of Light Enterprise
http://www/rivereoflight.org
303-667-6032

I read a short story by Ivan Moreno (Rocky Mountain News, September 27, 2006 - Veterans' plight is focus of rally) on a recent rally to raise awareness to the plight of homeless Veterans in Colorado and had two responses - the first being "duh" - it's only something Veteran Service Advocates have been saying for more than a decade! My second response was "Thank God" that someone is starting to listen!

Unfortunately, your article only touched the tip of the iceberg. Most people are unaware of the true deficit in services that exist for Veterans in our community. The general perception is that the Veterans' Administration is caring for the needs of vulnerable Veterans. Reality, however, is far from the truth. Consider the following:

 Almost one-half of the 2.7 million disabled U.S. Veterans receive $337 or less a month in benefits, which comes from the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. Less than one-10th of disabled Veterans are rated 100-per-cent disabled. To an outsider, the VA benefit formulas can seem like a riddle. If, for instance, a vet is diagnosed as 70 percent physically disabled and 30 percent disabled as a result of post-traumatic stress, the total disability does not necessarily add up to 100 percent; it could amount to 80 per cent. And that means a monthly check of $1,277; $1,500 for a family of four - poverty level!

 The backlog of unprocessed claims has reached the astronomical count of 489,297, a number which is unfortunately increasing all of time. There are also currently 500,000 Compensation and Pension cases still pending. This means that close to a million Veterans and their families are at risk of financial ruin and homelessness, while the VA processes the paperwork!

 More than 1 million American soldiers serve in Iraq and according to a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15 to 17 percent of Iraq vets meet "the screening criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD." Of those, only 23 to 40 percent are seeking help - in part because so many others fear the stigma of having a mental disorder. Those who do reach out often find long waiting lists for treatment within the Veterans' Service Network and a Civilian Service System that is ill-prepared to meet their needs.

 Over 1.7 million Veterans do not have any health insurance nor do they have access to health care through the Veterans' Administration. Another 3.9 million Veteran households do not have health insurance nor do they have access to Veterans' health care due to ineligibility.

 The Denver 2005 VA CHALENG Report acknowledges Colorado has 3,895 homeless veterans yet there are only 102 beds dedicated to meet their needs. The majority of these are operated by non-Veteran run organizations that may or may not have unique services for Veterans or even have Veterans on staff. In fact, while the growing body of research supports the fact that the most effective services for homeless Veterans are "Vet to Vet" - of the eight organizations listed by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans to be providing services in Colorado, only three are Vet run organizations. .

 According to the Denver Metro Homeless Initiative Point in Time Survey conducted on January 23, 2006, 813 homeless individuals indicated they had served in the US Military yet only 110 (or 1 in 7) were collecting Veterans' Benefits. The true picture of homelessness among Veterans in Colorado cannot fully be known as the only question asked was whether the individual served in the US Military. There was no exploration as to whether Veterans are over represented among the chronically homeless, although given 85% of those identified as chronically homeless are men.

 The FY 2005 CHALENG Report (the VA equivalent to the Point in Time Survey) indicated that long-term permanent housing is among the top three unmet needs and has been consistently over the past five years. As the author of the very first CHALENG Report in 1997 in the Denver-metro area, I can tell you this has been true for the past 10 years!

Contrary to the perceptions that our nation's Veterans are well-supported, the fact is that many go without the services they require and are eligible to receive. Neither the VA, State, or County Departments of Veteran Affairs, or community-based and faith-based service providers are adequately resourced to respond to these veterans' health, housing and supportive services needs.

For example, the VA reports that its homeless treatment and community-based assistance network serves 100,000 Veterans annually. With an estimated 500,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness at some time during a year and the VA reaching only 20 percent of those in need, 400,000 Veterans remain without services from the department responsible for supporting them. Likewise, other federal, state, and local public agencies--notably housing and health departments--are not adequately responding to the housing, health care and supportive services needs of Veterans. Indeed, it appears that Veterans fail to register as a target group for these agencies.

It is disconcerting and difficult to reconcile the Nation's call to "support our troops" with the systematic denial of benefits to Veterans and their families created by administrative barriers. These barriers are failing to fully fund the programs or even honoring the most basic assurances of Veterans preferences in hiring and contracting work.

Even more disconcerting is the given the number of Veterans from WW II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War who are still fighting for recognition and benefits they earned. We are willing - as a Nation - to subject another generation of soldiers to the same fate. Already community-based organizations from across the Nation are seeing returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in their shelters, soup kitchens and food banks.

After spending months in a war zone, many of the 170,000 soldiers who've returned home are struggling with their transition to back-to-civilian life. They are dealing with everything from coping with a maze of red tape and contradictory messages on healthcare to finding affordable housing and jobs with adequate incomes to accessing disability payments.

One of the biggest problems, according to advocates and a report by the Government Accountability Office, is a lack of resources to deal with battle fatigue, or posttraumatic stress disorder, as it's now called. Another is providing support for Reserve and National Guard troops, who make up 45 percent of the troops in Iraq.

"The bottom line is that the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] wasn't prepared for the 33,000 troops that have come back and gone to the VA needing care," says Paul Rieckhoff of Operation Truth, a nonprofit advocacy group for Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. "They're definitely not ready for the flood that's going to come back next year."

Operation Truth and the Circle of Friends for American Veterans mentioned in your article are National efforts to bring justice to our Veterans. Locally, the River of Light Enterprise, Inc, Veterans Justice Alliance Project has joined in partnership with the American GI Forum, Veterans for Peace and Veterans Faith Based Village to raise the level of awareness and justice for Colorado Veterans.

The project will kick-off on October 4th from 7-9 pm with a lecture and book signing by local author John DeVore at the Tennyson Gallery in northwest Denver (44th & Tennyson). John, a combat Vietnam Veteran, will share his story from a soldier of war to a warrior of peace, in his lecture the "Myth and Reality of War". While the event is free, proceeds from the sale of John's book "Sitting in the Flames: Unleashing Fearlessness to Serve Others", will support services to homeless and incarcerated Veterans living in the Denver-metro area.

We encourage Veterans who are seeking their own journey back to a sense of peace as well as people who really want to both understand how to support Veterans in their lives to attend. To quote one Veteran I met recently: "If people really supported our troops they'd do more than throw a parade…they'd make sure Veterans received the benefits they were promised!"

Denver, Colorado - September, 1 2006 - The River of Light Enterprise, Veterans Justice Alliance Project, with the gracious support of local Gallery Director Trina Hoefling and her staff, will be hosting local author John DeVore. The free event will be held Wednesday, October 4th from 7:00 to 9:30 at the Tennyson Street Gallery at 44th and Tennyson.

John DeVore, a decorated Viet Nam combat Veteran, will introduce his recently released work "Sitting in the Flames: Uncovering Fearlessness to Help Others" and will speak to the journey combat Veterans and the Nation must take to heal the wounds of war.

For 40 years, John Edwin DeVore carried the weight of war before finally removing the burden and looking closely at what it signified. "Sitting in the Flames" is a fascinating and thought provoking study of human character blinded by corporate greed, by the passion to consume, by the myth of armed conflict and by cultural conditioning that fosters what one believes, as opposed to how one behaves. DeVore has written a critically important and timely perspective of war, and he offers a very compelling and priceless message.

As reviewed by New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh, "In clear, heartfelt prose, DeVore describes a brave and unflinching confrontation with his past, made necessary in order for him to have a more meaningful future. War, he realized, isn't just one man's experience-it's the sum total experience of an entire country. To stop wars, he argues, we must understand them and why we seem to need them. Beautifully told, DeVore's book is an important and unforgettable addition to the literature of Vietnam..."

The event is the first in a series of events that will be held throughout the fall to bring public attention to the critical gaps in services to vulnerable Veterans living in the Denver-metro area. Currently research indicates that nearly 35% of all homeless people in America are Veterans of US Military Services yet nearly 1 million Veterans across the Country are awaiting the benefits that will keep them out of poverty because the Veterans Administration hasn't finished processing their claims!

The River of Light Enterprise, Veterans Justice Alliance Project was established to raise funds and support "vet to vet" programs to address the long-term care needs of disabled Veterans. The River of Light Enterprise is working closely with Veterans for Peace, the American GI Forum, Veterans Faith Based Village and other Veterans Service Organizations to increase services to Veterans and their families throughout the Denver-metro area.   Read More »

I've been a fundraiser since the day I could reach the doorbell. It started with selling Girl Scout cookies door to door so I could earn my way to camp each summer. By the time I graduated from High School I was a pro - cookies for camp, candy bars for band, magazines for sports, and flower sales for prom. Then just when I thought my fundraising days were over my "professional" life took over. Just like high school football is nothing like the "Pro's" - the "professional fundraising biz" is a whole different game than selling a few trinkets. Over the last 29 years I have raised millions of dollars for charities throughout the Country through benefits, grants and government contracts and I can tell you it takes a lot more than a good cause to raise real money these days.

Today in my role as President of the River of Light Enterprise, one of my charges is to support our Partner Members (an emerging network of community and faith based entities) gain the resources they need to operate their programs. Needless to say - fundraising still takes up a good portion of my day! Yet in today's environment it's not just that "getting money" is tough - it's what the money could cost you that is the real threat to the Independent Sector (nonprofits).

Money's Tight

In the fall of 2005, while the Country watched the unfolding horror of the Hurricane Katrina States on the evening news, the US Census Bureau quietly released its annual report entitled "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States." Not surprisingly, the report revealed that poverty increased last year. There were 37 million (12.7 percent) people living in poverty, an increase of 1.1 million people since 2003. This was the fourth consecutive year in which poverty has increased. Since President Bush took office, 5.4 million more people, including 1.4 million children, have found themselves living in poverty. Link

Yet as the US Census was reporting that more people needed help, America's legislative bodies were at the same time passing a budget resolution that will slash nearly $35 billion dollars from programs like Medicaid, Food Stamps, Head Start, Housing, and even Veterans Benefits. http://www.ombwatch.org. Unfortunately, those Americans who find themselves "cut-off" from public programs will most likely seek services from community and faith-based organizations only to find what the "trickle down" economic theory really means.

Given it is estimated that the majority of non-health related charitable programs report 20% or more of their budgets are derived from government funds, and the figure for direct human service providers closer to 33%, without some "hardcore fundraising" a lot of programs serving America's most vulnerable will be radically reduced if not closed altogether Link

When money is tight, very few nonprofit Board's charged with ensuring their nonprofit has the resources to serve people will risk a major portion of the resources they have left by taking a strong vocal voice against an Administration that has demonstrated itself to be swiftly vindictive when opposed. http://www.theocracywatch.org

Golden Handcuffs

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition 2000 defines "golden handcuffs" as "a lucrative incentive to an executive intended to discourage resignation or ensure long-term cooperation after departure." The phrase however has been used to describe a variety of situations where the "cost of comfort or benefit" is paid through the loss of freedom and control over one's own life. It's a phrase that could be used in conjunction with women who are economically bound in abusive relationships, or a small company that must constantly appease their largest customer, or in this case to describe the situation many community and faith based organizations are increasingly finding themselves in with funding sources - whether they are public, private or corporate in nature.

The Independent Sector has historically provided the voice for the forgotten and abused in our communities. And throughout this history, there has been a continuing tension between advocacy and service. Often a "movement" is born out of a passion to "right a wrong" through a change in laws and/or a redirection of resources to solve a specific social need. And the expected outcome of these Movements, have most often been an outpouring of public resources to establish programs to make amends.

Over the last 30 years I have had the privilege and opportunity to have been involved either directly in the legislative action or by operating services that were a result of the Women's Movement, the Peace Movement, the Gay Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the United Farm Worker Movement, the Labor Movement, the Homeless Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Immigration Amnesty Movement, and the Veterans Movement. I would stand shouting on the steps of the capital to gain attention to an abuse of the "system" in the morning and sit submissively in the offices of public funding bureaucrats in the afternoon trying to eek out a few more dollars in the latest service contract to keep my little agency alive.

When I was in college, I remember some professor saying that Saul Alinsky - the noted "father of community organizing" - was quoted as saying "the quickest way to kill a movement is to throw money at it". At the time, I remember thinking "yea, easy for you to say, I've got 150 people waiting at the office looking for food, I'll take a little less Movement and a lot more money right now myself." But age brings wisdom and I hate to admit it - but Saul was right!

In retrospect, the more successful the "movement" (no matter which one it was) has become at raising the level of public funding for programs, the less time we spend on the steps of capitals and the more time we spend in the offices of a myriad of bureaucrats. Our time now is spent almost exclusively on appeasing "our biggest funder" to retain the limited dollars we've gained as opposed to standing on the "steps" calling for the civil and basic human rights of our constituents - regardless of "which movement" we are.

Our argument is generally "better to keep what we have and serve than risk being without funds or services". Or "we can't push to hard - or they'll cut our funding and then what?" We've determined we needed to be more "business-like" - more like them - and now the "golden handcuffs" account for increasing portions of our budgets and we've almost forgotten who we really work for - the community!

Getting Real

Robert Egger, founder of the DC Central Kitchen one of the most successful 21st Century nonprofits in the Country, is noted as saying "Whether it's employing felons, paying a living wage, being eco-friendly or giving ownership to staff, if we can show that it's possible to do the above and STILL make a profit, then we will be leading by example which is the best form of advocacy. More importantly, we'll be demonstrating that, in the future, philanthropy will be linked with how you spend your money everyday, not how much you give away at the end of the year."

Egger has just written Begging for Change (with Howard Yoon) (Harper Business, 240 pages), which delivers this basic message: Non-profits must stop chasing money and start focusing on the true work at hand and is deeply critical of those in the non-profit sector who are more interested in the status quo than in "tearing down walls, break(ing) routines and look(ing) for more efficient ways of running service organizations." But "tearing down walls" is not easy work and the first step - like they say in 12-step programs - is to admit we are powerless over "self serving" funding we've become "addicted" to! Continuing in that theme, I propose a NPO 12-Step Program for "breaking the golden handcuffs" -

Step 1 We admitted our silence has been purchased with "self-serving funding" that has weakened our ability to realize justice, equality, and opportunity for all Americans

Step 2 We have come to believe that breaking the "golden handcuffs" of public and self-serving philanthropic funding sources can restore our independence and return us to our place as the "authentic" voice for the most vulnerable in our Nation

Step 3 We have made a conscious pledge to "stop chasing" the money and focus our attention on strategies that addresses the core systemic barriers to meeting the vital mission we were established to address

Step 4 We have made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our programs, policies and budgets to find areas of inefficiency, ineffectiveness and compromise that prevent us from realizing our vital missions

Step 5 We pledged to our Boards, Staff, Volunteers, Consumers and Communities that we will work to "be the change" by standing as an authentic, independent and accountable advocate for those we serve

Step 6 We are entirely ready to take affirmative steps to eliminate our dependence on "self-serving" funding sources that diminish our capacity to speak for the voiceless or protect the most vulnerable among us

Step 7 We humbly ask the community and those we serve to support us in this effort and will prove ourselves worthy of this support by operating with the highest level of integrity to assure the public trust

Step 8 We have established and will adhere to a clear statement of ethics and developed policies to ensure our fundraising never compromises our ability to stand as an independent, authentic voice for those we serve

Step 9 We have taken active steps to create programs that promotes personal responsibility, shared accountability and self-determination by offering opportunities to serve, build wealth, and work cooperatively for a better community without sacrificing our collective future

Step 10 We will serve as stewards of the community and assure the public of the integrity of our efforts through transparent management and accountability

Step 11 Seek to improve our conscious contract with those who entrust us with the resources to use them as they were intended as efficiently and effectively as possible

Step 12 Having regained our Independent Voice as the result of these steps we tried to carry this message to other like-minded organizations to practice

As a "recovering public fund junkie" I can tell you - hitting the "delete" button on the continuous flow of public RFP's that hit my e-mail daily is not an easy thing. I am operating a fledging nonprofit and its not that I don't know "how" to play the game and pick up a few government grants but that the cost of that money in an era when those I've pledged to devote my life in service to need a independent voice more than ever. And it's true we all are still pulling dollars out of our pockets each month to pay the bills instead of collecting paychecks - but our hands are clean and "business" is picking up. And each time someone tells me the solution to all our problems is to go get a "government grant" I just smile and tell them "No thanks - I'm in recovery so can you just write me a check?"   Read More »

According to the National Priorities Project (http://www.costofwar.com) Taxpayers in Colorado will pay $5.0 billion for the cost of war in Iraq. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

* 911,052 People Receiving Health Care or
* 96,067 Elementary School Teachers or
* 716,231 Head Start Places for Children or
* 2,223,172 Children Receiving Health Care or
* 25,316 Affordable Housing Units or
* 732 New Elementary Schools or
* 1,238,473 Scholarships for University Students or
* 99,247 Music and Arts Teachers or
* 102,116 Public Safety Officers or
* 11,769,883 Homes with Renewable Electricity or
* 72,516 Port Container Inspectors

The optimum word is could have - instead, the Administration continues to cut the budgets of those programs that serve the most vulnerable among us.

In a review of the FY 2007 Proposed Federal Budget, the Center for American Progress (Link found that the President proposes to reduce Medicare funding by $36 billion through provider payment cuts and through increasing premium payments for some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries. The budget also calls for further reductions in Medicaid funding.

And when the funds are cut, its the local based secular nonprofit and faith based communities that step up and shoulder the burden of caring for the most vulnerable among us.

Reading the reviews and financial analysis of the Federal budget is one thing - seeing the impact its has on community based programs and those they serve in person however will fuel your activism with honest emotion and first hand experience. I just learned of an upcoming opportunity to see a wide array of programs that are supported by funding that is threatened is an upcoming week-long focus on Community Development in Adams County.

A Forum and Resource Fair will be held Monday April 17th from 5:30 - 8:30 pm at the Adams 12 Five Star Schools Training Center, 1500 E. 128th Ave, Thornton, CO 80241. Four of the main service agencies in Adams County will also be hosting open houses to showcase their programs throughout the rest of the week.

For more informaiton call the Adams County Office of Community And Economic Opportunity at 303-453-8500.

Trust me - once you've seen these valiant agencies at work your political activism will gain power and this is a good chance to "fuel up"!

Do you remember that 1993 movie called "Ground Hog Day" with Bill Murray - the one where he wakes up on the worst day of his life over and over and over again? As I was watching the National news today, I suddenly had the sense that I was somehow trapped in that same movie with Murray - a giant cosmic time loop of sorts.

As I watched the news video of the 50,000 people marching to demand Immigration Reform I was transported back to 1976. It now has been almost thirty years since I entered VISTA and began my "professional career" as a Social Entrepreneur and Activist. My first "gig" was with an agency that had been spawned from the organizing work of Cesar Chavez called the Colorado Migrant Council and served undocumented immigrants working the crops in southeastern Colorado primarily because no one else would.

I spent my days back then providing food and shelter to farm workers who worked in the fields picking lettuce, beans and potatoes (back braking work) from sun-up to sun-down. I came to appreciate and admire the dedication and commitment they had to building a better life for their children often spending over 60 hours in the field and committing their nights and weekends studying English, learning to read and gaining the skills they needed to fully participate in the community.

Back then, as a service provider, we had to "make sure everyone we served was a citizen" before we were allowed to help them. It didn't matter whether they were hungry and hadn't eaten for days - we were instructed to ask everyone "if they were a citizen" before we opened our cupboards to feed them. Worse, we were specifically instructed NOT to serve anyone who wasn't a "citizen" no matter how hungry they were.

And - this is where the reference to Ground Hog Day comes in - today, 30 years later on what is now known as Cesar Chavez Day, the opening story on National news is about the need for Immigration Reform and the threat that those who serve illegal immigrants might face criminal charges if they offer care!

I had to look at the calendar --- it was such a "flashback" like experience I had to take a deep breath and close my eyes just to center myself. When I closed my eyes, this little "power point" like presentation started running in my head and went something like this….

Then….United Farm Workers improving the lives and conditions of farm workers….today…major threats to civil liberties for all Americans, not just undocumented workers

Then...women gaining more equality…today we still have more women living in and/or at risk of poverty than every before and our right to choose in matters pertaining to our OWN bodies genuinely threatened.

Then...opened up the doors to government through Sunshine laws to restore faith in the democratic process…today there are threats to the integrity of our voting process, wide scale abuse, mismanagement and even criminal investigations in all areas of our government.

I opened my eyes, my head still reeling, and wondered aloud, "Am I stuck in a time loop? Was the last 30 years of progress just a dream?" Or - to paraphrase an old Kenny Rogers song - "did we get tired or did we just get lazy - forgetting every form of refuge has its price?"

The price of "refuge" the current Administration continues to try to sell us --- is just way to high! The Administration is trying to sell us a "refuge of economic health" by giving the wealthiest of our Country tax breaks that will result in the downsizing or closing of some of our most vital publicly funded programs and services for the least among us even while:

 Two-thirds of Americans will use at least one means-tested welfare program at some time between ages 22 and 65 - including temporary assistance to needy families, aid to the needy dependent, and food stamps, social security and Medicare.

 Over 1.7 million Veterans do not have any health insurance nor do they have access to health care through the Veterans Administration due to ineligibility.

 3 in 10 men and 1 in 4 women leave the workforce due to a long lasting or life threatening illness or disability prior to retirement age and nearly 55% of all disabled households live in poverty.

 Nearly a third of all those over the age of 65 dervive at least 90 percent of their total income from Social Security with an average benefit of $10,740 annually and leaving about 10 percent of the elderly living below the official poverty level.

Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Nothing matters more than the assurance of a just, peaceful, sustainable world for all and its time to recognize our interdependence with all life throughout the earth.
Together we can achieve this by:

 Committing our time, life choices and financial resources to the values of diversity, tolerance and justice

 Promoting policies that encourage individual growth and collective action to build close-knit, compassionate and caring communities

 Holding our economic, political, social, educational, and religious institutions accountable for the consequences of their actions by demanding transparency, accountability and stewardship for the common good ans a sustainable future

 Individually and collectively consider the consequences of our decisions so that potential harm is anticipated, prevented or at least mitigated to the greatest extent possible.

We must start from where we are, we must do what we can individually and support each other's efforts collectively so that we can become a model of a world that is just, peaceful and sustainable for all life.

By each of us doing our part, we can prevent this Administration's attempt to make us re-fight the last 30 years worth of social justice battles in this Country. We can and must stand up and say enough!

We can and must restore America's greatness by reactivating the collective spirit that won the battles for sustainable energy, just and equitable distribution of resources, just and peaceful resolution of conflict and disputes, meaningful work balanced by purposeful prosperity, and the assurance of the most basic needs for food, housing, primary education and access to health care for all members of the community is the norm as opposed to the exception.

It won't happen without you though! You can and must find an group to become involved in that can best use your passion, time, talent and resources to achieve our collective vision. There are plenty of outlets on the Progress Now Website and there are over 10,000 nonprofits in the Denver-metro area alone who are always looking for willing, dedicated volunteers with heart. Find an outlet for your passion and stand up today because remember: "You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the win/loss record of the referee" (John Holcomb)   Read More »