California NOW

Monday's Action Checklist

The Senate begins debate on health care reform legislation this week. So far, the Senate bill does not include the House’s harmful Stupak-Pitts amendment, which takes away essential abortion coverage that 87% of insurance plans provide today. In the United States, 1 out of every 3 women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Abortion is healthcare for women.
Take action with NOW.
Sign the NWLC petition.
Sign the BWHI petition.
Sign the FMF petition.
Sign the Advocates for Youth petition.
Thank CA Senators Boxer & Feinstein for supporting a vote on health care reform.
Join The Hanger Project and raise awareness in your school or community!

Join a CODEPINK protest against escalation in Afghanistan:
Berkeley: 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2, 64 Shattuck Square (gather at Marine Officers Recruiting Station), then to join the San Francisco protest at 5 p.m. [contact: info@bayareacodepink.org]
Los Angeles, CA: 5 p.m., Dec. 2, Federal Building, Wilshire Veterans, [contact: codepinkla@gmail.com, 310-827-4320]
Orange County: 5:30 p.m., Dec. 2, Plaza Square (Chapman Ave Glassell St) in Orange, CA [cathy@codepinkoc.org]
San Francisco: [contact: Janet Weil, codepinkjanet@gmail.com]
* Press conference, 11 a.m., Dec. 1, New Federal Building, 7th Mission
* Activist gathering to watch the President's address, 5 p.m., Dec. 1, Tommy’s Joynt at Van Ness Geary;
* Street protest and candlelight vigil, 5 p.m., Dec. 2, Powell Market, and Federal Building
More information. 

Across the country, more than 70% of three and four year olds have no access to publicly funded early education programs. Half a million of these children come from low-income families. Investing in early education is smart. Research indicates that every dollar spent on high-quality pre-kindergarten is worth $7 in taxpayer savings and economic productivity. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would provide billions in funding for early childhood education, but opponents are trying to block this crucial funding in the Senate. Ask your Representative to support early education funding.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a study on hunger in America. The study highlighted a staggering statistic: 1 in 4 children in our nation are now on the brink of hunger. That's the highest number since the USDA started keeping track. The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act would ensure that millions more children across our country have access to healthy foods. This Act will add meal or snack options for children who need them, helping to cover the costs of food for children who are in care for longer hours, and making more family child care providers eligible for higher levels of reimbursement. Tell your Senators that children across our country are depending on them. 

The economic recession has impacted all of our lives in one way or another. It has been especially harsh on older Americans, whose retirement and health care options may be at stake. As many as 2.5 million people age 65 and older may need some level of assistance with money management. By sharing your story, you can help demonstrate the crucial need for programs and services aimed at helping older Americans manage their financial lives.

Women & Health Care Reform: Myths & Facts

Here are some myths and facts about women and health reform from the National Women's Law Center.

MYTH: We don’t need health care reform. This country has a great health care system and there’s nothing wrong with it.
FACT: The United States might have some of the best doctors in the world, but Americans pay more for health care than people in any other industrialized country. And we get less for our money.

Even worse, we have millions of uninsured people who cannot access health care. Eighteen percent of women in the U.S. do not have health insurance. Women who do have insurance are more likely than men to have insufficient coverage that leaves them vulnerable to financial risk and unmet health needs. More than half of all women — 52% — have had trouble getting health care due to cost, compared to 39% of men.

MYTH: Our economy is slowly recovering. We can’t afford health care reform.
FACT: The House bill that recently passed is projected to save us money — about $104 billion over 10 years. Health care reform is also expected to increase the number of insured Americans and help make health insurance more affordable.

What we can’t afford is doing nothing. We are spending $2 trillion per year now on health care. And if health care costs continue to rise, at least half of U.S. households will spend more than 45% of their income on insurance by 2016.

MYTH: Women aren’t charged more than men for health insurance. We already have laws against that.
FACT: Actually, when women buy health coverage directly from insurance companies, they can be charged more than men. Female non-smokers are often charged more than men who smoke. And businesses that have a large number of female employees are charged more for insurance than other businesses.

Current health care reform legislation would end this discriminatory practice.

Women need comprehensive health care reform, including access to abortion care and other reproductive health services.

Women need health care reform that meets our needs, including comprehensive reproductive health services that cover abortion care. Together, we can win the fight to keep the House-passed anti-choice Stupak-Pitts amendment, which will cause millions of women to lose the abortion coverage they now have, out of the final Senate bill and then finally pass good health care reform legislation.

Take Action

Sign CA Senator Barbara Boxer's petition against Stupak.  
Then sign the Planned Parenthood petition too.  
Sign this petition and CREDO Action will send a coat hanger to the 20 formerly pro-choice Democrats who voted to take away women's rights.  
And then sign the ACLU petition against Stupak as well. 

Have Our Thanks, and a Discount on Great Feminist Gifts for the Holidays!

California NOW wants to thank you, our strong supporters, for helping us to promote the message of equality for women and girls throughout California and across the country.  

To say thank you, we're giving you a special discount on all of our great feminist merchandise, from now through the end of the year.

So buy a t-shirt, a tank top, some panties, postcards or DVDs, and know that not only are you getting a great deal, you're helping to promote feminist efforts statewide.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Toward Women and Girls

Today, Wednesday, November 25th, a noon press conference will take place on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, immediately followed by a 1-3 PM healing ceremony for survivors of violence with a multi arts performance in the esplanade across the street, entitled “They Are All Our Daughters.”   

As the Bay Area community reels in horror due to recent gang rapes, a coalition of local arts and human rights groups announce a community healing ceremony, free multi-arts performance and press conference.  November 25 is the UN mandated day to kick off 16 days of action for the elimination of violence towards women and girls, globally.  Similar activities will take place around the world that day.

Monday's Action Checklist

For decades, a very difficult and delicate compromise has held firm: Women can use their own private funds for legal reproductive health care procedures, but federal funds cannot be used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. The Stupak Amendment would change all of that, telling women who participate in the new health insurance exchange that they can't even use their own funds to buy a policy that includes abortion coverage. It would be one of the biggest setbacks to women's health in recent decades -- and we can't let it pass. Please stand with us to protect women's health and keep the Stupak Amendment out of the final health care bill.
Sign CA Senator Barbara Boxer's petition against Stupak.  
Then sign the Planned Parenthood petition too.  
Sign this petition and CREDO Action will send a coat hanger to the 20 formerly pro-choice Democrats who voted to take away women's rights.  
And then sign the ACLU petition against Stupak as well. 

Some conservative Democratic Senators are still trying to kill the public health insurance option. Instead of opposing it outright, they're pushing a sneaky proposal called a "trigger" that could delay it indefinitely—by forcing us to wait for the health care crisis to get even worse before the public option becomes available. We've got to send an overwhelming message right away that the trigger is unacceptable, and show the Senate that voters demand a real public option. Sign the MoveOn.org petition opposing the weakened "trigger" option.  

It's time to remind Congress (yes, again!) that real people -- their constituents -- will not be pacified until Congress passes a healthcare reform package that does right by women, children, and families. Twenty members of Congress are wearing MomsRising's pacifier lapel pin to show their support for getting health reform right for kids and families. Now, it's your turn! Show your support for health reform by wearing your very own pacifier pin -- on Facebook!  

Did you know that Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been implicated in everything from miscarriages to cancer to sexual dysfunction? And it can be found in your food containers! BPA is in a broad range of food packaging including baby bottles, water bottles, almost all soda can liners and many other types of packaging. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing BPA, and they will release their recommendations next week. The more of us working together right now to finally rid food containers of toxic BPA, the better. It's time for action. Join us in signing CREDO Action's petition to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging a ban of BPA in all food packaging!  

For years, scientists at our federal agencies have been silenced – discouraged from going public with critical health issues. Where our health is concerned, we certainly want scientists to be allowed to speak openly and honestly. But just last year, news came to light that former Vice President Cheney's office censored pages of congressional testimony from scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to cover up the health threats posed by global warming. Urge federal agencies to improve their media policies – and let scientists speak out about critical public issues.  

Five million seniors live on less than $10,000 a year and 25 percent survive on social security alone. The economic crisis has intensified demand for programs and services serving America's older citizens. But still many more are simply falling through the cracks. Too many seniors across America have faced a difficult time in the current recession. They struggle with unaffordable housing and health care, along with rising costs for utilities, prescriptions and basic living expenses. Add your name to the list of people who believe seniors should receive the help they need to lead better and more fulfilling lives - with independence, dignity and control.  

The Obama administration has proposed new standards that would require new cars sold in the U.S. to average 34.1 mpg, cutting our greenhouse gas emissions and saving us money. There's just one problem: loopholes in the new standards would allow automakers to dodge the new regulations instead of meeting them. BUT we have a chance to close the loopholes and strengthen the rule if we act before Friday, the 27th! Please write the EPA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) right now, and urge them to close the loopholes that would allow automakers to evade the new standards.