Democrats Abroad In Argentina For Bernie Sanders

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Janis: Nobody who works 40 hours a week should live in poverty.

The current federal minimum wage is a starvation wage, and it must become a living wage. That is why I recently introduced legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next several years.

When we first talked about this idea, hundreds of people wrote in to share how a raise to $15 an hour would change their lives. I heard from parents caring for young children, from children caring for their aging parents, from students, and from countless others. I want you to read two of those notes:

"Raising the minimum wage would mean that my single mother would no longer have to break her back working two jobs just to barely afford to support me and our family."

And:

"If I made 15 dollars an hour at one job, I would not have to work 65 hours a week at three different jobs to afford rent, bills, food and other living expenses. If I made 15 dollars an hour I could easily support myself while having money left over to put in savings, invest back into the economy, and have a rainy day fund in case my car breaks down or something unexpected comes up without having to rely on a credit card or small personal loans. I think psychologically I would be a lot happier."

The good news is, we are making progress on this issue. We started with Democrats advocating for an increase from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour in 2014. Earlier this year, a handful of senators introduced a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour. And just last week, the call to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour was approved as part of the official Democratic Party platform.

I believe that position should be adopted by all of the candidates running for president. Sadly, that is not yet true, even for the Democrats.

Sign my petition if you agree that every Democratic candidate running for president should publicly support a $15 minimum wage.

It is a national disgrace that millions of full-time workers are living in poverty and millions more are forced to work two or three jobs just to pay their bills. We live in the richest country in the world, but that reality means very little because so much of that wealth is controlled by a tiny handful of individuals.

But real change is possible when large numbers of ordinary Americans speak out, vote, and get involved in the democratic process. If we stand together, we will win. If we are divided, the big money interests opposed to raising the minimum wage will win.

Nothing significant happens in this country without a strong grassroots movement. That’s what this political revolution is all about.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders
 
Living in Argentina we unfortunately are exposed to real poverty. $7.25 an hour is not poverty. Even adjusting for cost of living you don't get close to what we know as poverty here.
 
Janis -

The middle class is at a tipping point, and it won't last another generation if we don't boldly change course now.

The surest path to the middle class for American workers is with unions. The security and strength of a union job means that workers can have good pay, health care, and a voice at work.

Today our country celebrates Labor Day in honor of the working people who fought for our rights to regular hours, fair pay, and a decent living. For decades, the labor movement propped up the middle class in America by ensuring a level playing field for workers.

There are many reasons for the growing inequality in our economy, but perhaps the most significant reason for the disappearing middle class is that the rights of workers to join together and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions have been severely undermined.

That is why this fall I will introduce a bill in Congress whose sole purpose is to restore and encourage workers' rights to bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It's called the Workplace Democracy Act, and if it is made law, it will help rebuild the middle class.

Click here to celebrate Labor Day by signing the petition to support the Workplace Democracy Act.

Workers need unions because there are people working for minimum wage, barely able to afford to put food on the table — if even that. There are people whose jobs are dangerous, or even life-threatening, who can't speak up for workplace safety for fear of being fired. And there are countless people working without sick days or even health insurance.

Unions change that equation. When workers have unions, they are no longer afraid to speak up. They have a clear path to getting health care, sick days, basic safety precautions, and better pay. They don't have to live in fear of their employers, and they can work to provide for their families.

That is unfortunately far from the reality that exists today. Under the current law, it is incredibly easy for corporations to prevent workers from joining unions. One in five workers who try to form a union today will be fired for doing so. And half of all employers threaten to close or relocate their businesses if workers elect to form a union.

But there's effectively no deterrence for when companies do break the law. The penalties are far too weak, and there is no incentive to stop corporations from dragging their feet when workers want to negotiate contracts.

The Workplace Democracy Act changes that equation. Our bill would:
1. Ensure companies can’t prevent workers from getting a first contract.
2. Make it easier for workers to form unions through a majority sign up process.
3. Strengthen the enforcement when corporations break the law.

This is a commonsense idea that will help our economy and rebuild the middle class. Can you say you support it?

For Labor Day, join me in standing with working people. Click here to say you support the Workplace Democracy Act.

Thank you for your support.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders
 
Janis --

When we entered this race, people thought there was no way we could compete in New Hampshire.

Now we're ahead in New Hampshire: Bernie Sanders has 41%, while Hillary Clinton has 32%.

Then people said there was no way we could win Iowa. Now we're ahead there, too, according to a new poll released just this morning:

Iowa Democratic Caucus Poll
Bernie Sanders: 41%
Hillary Clinton: 40%

Now our opponents claim to be building an "electoral firewall" in other states across the country. Let's show them the prairie fire we are starting in Iowa can't be stopped.

People should not underestimate us. Your $3 contribution to our campaign will help us compete and win in all 50 states.

Our successes in these polls are a clear indication that Bernie's message is resonating with voters. And the more people hear about Bernie's vision of economic, racial and social justice, the more our support grows. But we need your help to keep spreading the word.

We don't have any Super PACs or billionaires. This campaign is being funded by hundreds of thousands of Americans. Your support is not only appreciated, it is essential to the success of this campaign.

Your contribution will allow us to invest in people, helping them organize their communities, and build an organization of people who are empowered to create change all across the country.

The organization we're building will win Iowa, will win New Hampshire, will win the Democratic nomination for president, will win the White House, and that, most importantly, will usher in the political revolution that our country so desperately needs.

Your $3 contribution will help us win. Please make a contribution to our campaign today.

Feel the Bern,

Jeff Weaver
Campaign Manager
Bernie 2016
 
Matt84 said:
In what way is this entire thread not spam?
Click to expand...
You don't read it, the same with any post on this forum.
-------------------------------------

Dear Janis,

Back when I was in the U.S. House, I was the first member of Congress to take constituents across the border to Canada to highlight the huge disparity between the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. and other nations.

On that first trip were a number of women struggling with breast cancer.

I will never forget the tears in the eyes of women who were able to buy the breast cancer drug tamoxifen in Canada at one tenth of the price they were paying for that drug in the U.S.

In 2014, the pharmaceutical industry spent over $250 million on lobbying and campaign contributions -- far more than any other industry in America. This grotesque spending results in Americans paying more money for medication than anyone else in the world.

The time has come to say very loudly and very clearly that enough is enough. The greed of the pharmaceutical industry is killing Americans. It has got to stop.

Last year, 35 million Americans could not get their prescriptions filled because they could not afford it.

People should not have to go without the medication they need just because their elected officials aren’t willing to challenge the drug and health care industry lobby. Yet that is exactly what is happening.

I have a plan to change this. Last week I introduced a bill in the Senate — and when I am president, I will work to make it law — that will stop the soaring costs of prescription drug prices.

Add your name to support my plan to reduce drug prices and send a message to Congress and the prescription drug lobbyists that Americans should not die because they can't afford drugs. Click here to support my plan.

My plan to reduce prescription drug prices is based around getting a better deal for the American people, and keeping drug companies in check over outrageous and unfair practices.

Medicare should negotiate lower drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. Due to a provision in law written by the pharmaceutical industry, Medicare is banned from using its purchasing power to lower prescription drug prices. My plan will empower Medicare to negotiate lower costs for our seniors, and save us all money.

Americans should be able to import drugs from Canada and other well-regulated countries. Individuals, pharmacists, and wholesalers should be able to import prescription drugs from licensed Canadian pharmacies. Americans pay 40% more per person than Canadians for prescription drugs. Anyone in our country should be able to take advantage of those savings for medications they need.

We need better transparency around drug costs. Right now, the pharmaceutical industry can arbitrarily set prices for drugs, and the public has very little insight into why certain drugs cost what they do — even though some of the research costs are often funded with U.S. taxpayer dollars. I believe that drug companies should tell us about how much drugs cost to research and develop, how much taxpayer money went towards those costs, what drugs actually cost in the United States, and how much they cost in other countries.

Generic drugs should be widely available, and drug companies shouldn't be able to pay off competitors to keep cheaper drugs off the market. Brand-name drugs cost, on average, 10 times as much as generics. Right now, it is a common practice for big drug companies to pay their competitors to restrict generic drugs from the public. We need to ban this practice, and make cheaper drugs readily available.

Drug companies that break the law should face severe penalties. If any drug company is convicted of criminal or civil fraud, they should face severe penalties including the prospect of losing their government-granted monopoly on a drug. Over the last decade, most major-branded drug makers have either settled or been convicted of fraud for violations including off-label promotion, kickbacks, anti-monopoly practices, and Medicare fraud. It's time to step up the penalties for breaking the law.

What good is it to live in the richest country on earth, if so many of our people cannot afford medications that could save their lives?

The American people are sick and tired of paying the highest prices for prescription drugs in the world. The skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs are an example of the greed of the pharmaceutical companies that has got to stop.

Now, I believe that the true solution is a national health care system that puts people ahead of profits and health ahead of special interests, and I will soon introduce legislation to provide a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system to provide health care for all Americans.

But we must also address these outrageous costs of prescription drugs, and my plan that I outlined here will do that.

Say you want to take on the prescription drug companies by adding your name to support my plan. Click here to take action now.

Thank you for all you do.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders
 
You could say the same about the posts selling Viagra or the Nigerian princes who want to send you money. This is spam. You're just copying and pasting promotional material.
 
I like this thread, it is usefull for me. I decide to click and read it, you both can perfectly choose not to.
 
Dear Janis,

It's time to break up the banks.


The greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street drove this country into the worst recession since the Great Depression. Their casino-style gambling has helped divert 99 percent of all new income to the top one percent. And it has contributed to the most unequal level of wealth and income distribution of any major country on earth.

In the midst of all of this grotesque inequality sits a handful of financial institutions that are still so large, the failure of any one would cause catastrophic risk to millions of Americans and send the world economy into crisis.

If it's too big to fail, it's too big to exist. That's the bottom line.

I introduced legislation in Congress that would break up banks that are too big to fail. Can you sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of my bill to show your support?

Click here to add your name as a citizen co-sponsor of my bill to break up the banks.

Banking should be boring. It shouldn't be about making as much profit as possible by gambling on esoteric financial products. The goal of banking should be to provide affordable loans to small and medium-sized businesses in the productive economy, and to Americans who need to purchase homes and cars.

That is not what these financial institutions are doing. They're instead creating an economy which is not sustainable from a moral, economic, or political perspective. It's a rigged economy that must be changed in fundamental ways.

Let's be clear who we're talking about: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, and other institutions; they're all too big to fail. So they must be broken up.

Wall Street can't be an island unto itself separate from the rest of the productive economy whose only goal is to make as much money as possible. I fear very much that the financial system is even more fragile than many people may perceive.

Millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, while virtually all new income goes to the people who need it the least. In fact, the top 14 wealthiest people saw their wealth grow more last year than the bottom 130 million have in total.

We must break this cycle to save the middle class in America. Can you show your support for my bill to break up the banks?

Add your name as a citizen co-sponsor to my legislation to break up banks that are too big to fail.
https://go.berniesanders.com/page/s/break-up-banks-petition

I'm running for President of the United States because I believe that it is incumbent on us to try to take back our country from the billionaires and make it thrive again for the working and middle class. Breaking up the banks is a critical part to making that a reality.

Thank you for all of your support.

Senator Bernie Sanders
 
I don’t have a Super PAC, Janis. I am not going to travel around the country begging millionaires and billionaires for money. That’s just not going to happen.

But the success of our campaign certainly has the billionaires' attention.

Yesterday, one of Hillary Clinton’s most prominent Super PACs attacked our campaign pretty viciously. They suggested I’d be friendly with Middle East terrorist organizations, and even tried to link me to a dead communist dictator.

It was the kind of onslaught I expected to see from the Koch Brothers or Sheldon Adelson, and it’s the second time a billionaire Super PAC has tried to stop the momentum of the political revolution we’re building together.

They’ll keep trying … unless we make them pay a price for their attacks.

Make the Super PACs pay for attacking us by making a $3 contribution to our campaign today. Let’s send a powerful message that we have had ENOUGH of the billionaire class buying elections.

If we stand together to fight back against these ugly attacks, we can ensure this election is about who has the best ideas, and not who has the biggest donors.

They should not underestimate us.

Bernie Sanders
 
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