Tuesday, March 22—Columbia, Missouri
GRO – Grass Roots Organizing volunteer canvasser gets a student on MU Campus who’s dressed as a pea pod to collect food for local pantries nearby to stop and do a hand written letter to Senator Claire McCaskill urging her to stand with the people and to protect Social Security
NPA groups showed those on and around capitol hill what democracy looks like! Click on the link below…
ACA One Year Anniversary!
GRO’s HC Reform 1st Birthday Parties
Central Missouri Celebrates Health Care Reform’s
1st Birthday!
Cupcakes and Thanks to McCaskill –Less Friendly Visit with Luetkemeyer
March 21, 2011 – Columbia, Missouri – GRO – Grass Roots Organizing part of Health Care for America Now (HCAN) held a 1st Birthday Party for Health Care Reform today to mark the one-year birthday of the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law on March 23, 2010. A delegation of residents from across central Missouri held birthday parties at Columbia offices of two Missouri electeds this afternoon – Senator Claire McCaskill and Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer.
Greeted by staff at Senator McCaskill’s office, the group extended thanks and cheer for her support of the ACA and urged that she keep moving forward on defending the law. The delegation sang “Happy Birthday Affordable Care Act,” and delivered a giant cupcake with the message “Thank You! ~The People!” to the Senator. The celebratory group came with cupcakes, noisemakers, signs and balloons! Local residents shared their stories of benefiting from the reforms, emphasizing that the Senator’s support of the Law had benefited thousands and thousands of Missourians, and was supportive of the people of Missouri, and not of the corporate elite. “I’m one of the many faces of people who are benefiting,” said Kate Eiring a recent college graduate, who works at a local business “I was able to get back on my parents’ insurance plan thanks to the passage of health care reform.”
The group then traveled to Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer’s Columbia office. As the delegation of 25+ gathered in the parking lot, the Congressman, himself, exited his office, but refused the opportunity to meet with his constituents, quickly entering his car and driving past with closed windows, despite their attempts to meet with him. Determined to have their message heard, the group entered the office and spoke with the Congressman’s staff. There, they delivered black balloons and a cupcake that said “The Richest 2%.” They spoke of how Congressman’s ‘no’ vote on the ACA was a vote that benefited only the wealthiest of Americans and was without regard for the “Other 98%” – the Missourians he was elected to represent, and so blatantly disregarded just moments before. The group again highlighted stories of individuals who have already benefited, emphasizing that those individuals are representative of many thousands. “My senior mother now lives with me, and the $250 donut hole rebate came in handy as we worked to pay for her expensive prescription drugs,” said Columbia resident, Brenda Procter. They urged that the Congressman reconsider his position with regards to the ACA and demanded that he stop undermining the concrete benefits of the Law to his constituents by voting to de-fund programs in the Bill.
Today’s event was one of nearly 200 events and actions taking place across the country this week with seniors, children, small businesses and young people coming together to explain how they are being helped by the law and to highlight what is at stake as opponents of reform work overtime to take away those benefits, including:
News Coverage Check out GRO in the News!
Columbia Tribune: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/22/a-year-later-law-still-divisive/
KRCG (CBS affiliate): http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=595481
Fired Up! Missouri: http://firedupmissouri.com/content/luetkemeyer-ignores-cupcakes-constituents-and-real-need-health-care-reform
St. Louis Beacon: http://www.stlbeacon.org/health-science/health/109077-first-anniversary-look-back-at-aca (GRO members Shari Korthuis and Alaina Boyett are featured in this article!)
Radio Interviews:
We had two one-hour radio interviews this week on Columbia’s local community radio station, KOPN! Lily Tinker Fortel and Amy Smoucha (GRO member, STL Jobs with Justice Health Care Organizer) were interviewed on Evening Edition with Mark Haim on Tuesday evening, where they talked about the Affordable Care Act.
Robin Acree and Lily Tinker Fortel were interviewed on Women’s Issues, Women’s Voices Thursday evening, where they talked with Sarah Caitiln-Dupuy about GRO’s history and about our current work around Social Security, health care, and corporate accountability!
Other ACA Anniversary Events in Central Missouri The Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance, of which GRO is a member, held a Small Business Round Table to discuss the benefits of the Affordable Care Acts for small businesses on Wednesday morning!
Columbia Missourian: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/03/23/meeting-held-discuss-effect-affordable-care-act-small-businesses/
KOMU (NBC Affiliate): http://www.komu.com/news/business-owners-talk-health-care-one-year-later/ (Look for GRO member, Dr. Hope Tinker in this story!)
Columbia Tribune: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/23/power-for-patients/
KBIA (NPR Affiliate): http://www.kbia.org/news/business/business-beat-march-22-2011
In case you are looking! Here is some valuable info about personal finance that GRO and the University of Missouri provide during the tax season and more!
Plus if you want more info from MU Extension here is the link to their really helpful home page
REPORT FINDS PAYDAY LENDING SHOPS IN MISSOURI TARGET COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AT THREE TIMES THE RATE
African Americans homeowners suffered an 88% decrease in overall home refinance loans while White homeowners experienced a 12% increase
As we celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, “Credit Segregation” a report released today by National People’s Action reveals how available financial services remain harmfully bifurcated along racial lines. Midwestern communities of color face an influx of poor services and predatory credit. Neighborhoods in major US Midwestern cities with relatively large populations of African Americans or Latinos have on average two payday lending locations within one mile and six payday lenders within two miles. By comparison, predominately White communities on average have only payday lenders within two miles.
The report also reveals that across the spectrum of consumer credit products, conditions are the most troubling in the Midwest’s communities of color. The analysis shows that many African-American and Latino communities in Missouri have been increasingly abandoned by mainstream credit markets during the financial recession and are being targeted with wealth-stripping credit products like high-fee cash advance lending.
The nation’s major banks, including Wells Fargo and Bank of America contribute to the credit crisis in communities of color. They fund approximately 38% of the payday lending operations in the Midwest study area, according to the report from National People’s Action. Furthermore, the research reveals that the nation’s four major banks made 60% more refinance loans to White homeowners, while they extended 73% fewer refinance mortgages to African-Americans from 2006 to 2009.
Robin Acree and Fenny Dorsey of Mexico, MO-based GRO – Grass Roots Organizing will discuss the report and payday lending this evening in St. Louis at an event sponsored by Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice. Also on the panel is Rob Swearingen, staff atty. for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. (See attached flyer for more information.)
WHAT: A Path to Poverty: The Shame of Predatory Lending in Missouri
WHO: Rob Swearingen, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri; Robin Acree, Director, GRO – Grass Roots Organizing; Fenny Dorsey, Missouri Organizer, GRO
WHEN: Thursday, February 10, 2011 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd.
Credit Segregation can be found and downloaded at http://showdowninamerica.org/node/931
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Get Your Taxes Prepared for FREE!
GRO – Grass Roots Organizing
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
304 E. Breckenridge St, Mexico, MO
573-581-9596
IRS Trained Volunteers Hours of Operation
January 22, to April 15, 2011
§ Mondays, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
§ Tuesdays, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
§ Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Taxpayers assisted first come, first served basis –
NO appointments.
2011 January Priority Setting Mtg
Thursday, January 20, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
GRO Outreach Office
611 N. Garth, Columbia
Missourians’ lifelines are threatened.
The hours and times to access Family Support workers have been reduced.
There are five job seekers for every available job opening that is posted.
November 30, 2010 the unemployed worker who reached their 26 week limit do not get an extension of their unemployment insurance benefits, thanks to Congress. While corporate America will likely get another tax break!
The need rises every day for public benefits and human support. Unemployment hovers around 10% and the numbers living in poverty condition is at an all time high!
Unite and fight back! Beat back the corporate attack!
Stop those who want to eliminate human services for the public good! Corporate lobbyists influence our lawmakers’ decisions. And, misguided state politicians want to do away with rural family services offices and eliminate public jobs from our struggling rural economies!
Enough is enough. Governor Jay Nixon must stand up for the public good in our State! Save the lifeline for our rural Missourians! If legislation comes across his desk to eradicate Family Support Division offices and the good jobs the offices provide; then he must use the power of his veto pen and stop them in their tracks!
Please join us!
12:00 pm, Wednesday, December 1
Boone County Family Support Division office
1500 Vandiver Drive, Suite 103
Columbia, MO 65202
Support Workers and Neighbors!
Call Out Corporate Cronies and Misguided Politicians!
For more information
(573) 581-9595 or in Columbia (573) 443-4476
