Keystone Progress

Kate Michelman to receive Anna Burger Award at PA Progressive Summit

2013-02-13T14:23:31Z

(HARRISBURG, PA)--The Board of Directors of Keystone Progress is honored to announce that the winner of the 2013 Anna Burger Award is Kate Michelman. Kate is one of the most respected and influential women leaders in America today.

She will receive the award and speak at the 2013 Pennsylvania Progressive Summit in Harrisburg on March 2. The Anna Burger Award is given to a Pennsylvanian who has dedicated his or her life to promoting progressive values.

For nearly 20 years, she served as President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, catapulting the organization to prominence as the nation's premier reproductive rights group--an achievement that has earned her a reputation as a nationally recognized expert not only on women's issues but also on grassroots organizing and strategic organizational development. Under Kate's leadership, NARAL Pro-Choice America transformed the political debate and positioned a woman's right to choose as a fundamental American liberty. She has also been a professor, consultant and author.

Michelman joins an incredible lineup at the PA Progressive Summit, the largest gathering of progressive activists in Pennsylvania. This year's Summit will be at the Harrisburg Hilton on March 2. Other highlights of this year's Summit include:

David Cobb, national spokesperson for Move to Amend will talk about the need to amend the Constitution to define "persons" as human beings, not corporations;
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D, AZ) will bring word from the Progressive Caucus in Congress;
More than three dozen workshops, panels and other sessions with nearly 100 presenters;
All 3 PA Row Officers--Atty. Gen. Kathleen Kane, Aud. Gen. Eugene DePasquale and Treas. Rob McCord--speaking at lunch;
Bi-lingual (Spanish/English) Campaign Academy
More at www.paprogressivesummit.org

The Anna Burger Award is named after the former Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union and Chair of the Change to Win Federation. Ms. Burger was the first woman to lead an American labor federation.

Michelman, who first honed her organizing skills in the civil-rights movement, dedicated her life to women's equality and health with a focus on reproductive freedom after her own humiliating experience with a pre-Roe v. Wade abortion in 1969 when abortion was largely illegal. In order to obtain a hospital "therapeutic" abortion to avoid injury and possible death in a back-alley procedure, she was required by law to obtain the consent of the husband who had deserted their family as well as a hospital panel comprised entirely of men.

Prior to joining NARAL Pro-Choice America in 1985, Michelman was executive director of Planned Parenthood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she expanded the range of reproductive health services available in the area. She also trained medical students and residents in child development as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. She has also been a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.

Prior winners of the Anna Burger Award are Eileen Connelly (2010), Anne Feeney (2011) and Marylou Stefanko (2012)

Group: Corbett Budget Fails to Deliver Brighter Days

2013-02-11T13:58:48Z

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Governor Tom Corbett's budget proposal does too little for schools and too much for corporations that aren't creating jobs, according to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, which researches and analyzes the effects of state policies on working families.

Sharon Ward, the Center's director, said the blueprint does little to mend deep cuts to education and health care made during Corbett's first two years in office. And yet, Ward said, it contains funding elsewhere that will cost the Commonwealth $2.5 billion a year.

"He has allowed new corporate tax cuts that really undermine our ability to fund all of these things into the future, and shifts costs onto local property-tax payers," she declared.

Ward said the governor's transportation funding plan is a welcome development after long delays and stalled infrastructure investments. But she added that Corbett's budget lacks foresight on the topic of expanding Medicaid to cover more Pennsylvanians.

"Governor Corbett really missed a great opportunity that would allow Pennsylvania to opt into a coverage expansion that will bring in tens of billions of dollars into the state, create new jobs, and spur growth in our health-care manufacturers."

Ward said there are what she believes to be substantial holes in Corbett's funding formula for his "Passport for Learning" block grant program, which is meant to increase student safety and expand science and math in schools. It relies on revenue from selling the state-run liquor store system, an idea the Legislature has shot down twice before.

"First, it's highly uncertain, and second, it's one-time money that will disappear in a few years," she said. "I think our kids need more security and a better funding system than that."

Ward said Corbett's "silent tax loopholes" would remain in effect regardless of the state's fiscal health, and she predicted that will not only tie the hands of future leaders, but also let corporations shift their profits tax-free to states like Delaware and Nevada.

Corbett has said his budget helps put Pennsylvania on a solid financial footing for the future.

See the 2013-2014 budget proposal online at www.portal.state.pa.us.

If you can't beat 'em, rig the game

2013-02-06T20:14:25Z

Pennsylvania Senate and House Democratic Leaders Issue Joint Statement on GOP's Effort to Change the Electoral College to Benefit GOP Candidates

Harrisburg - Senator Jay Costa and Representative Frank Dermody, the leaders of the Democratic Caucuses of the Pennsylvania Senate and House, released the following joint statement in response to the Republican Party's renewed effort to rig the Electoral College system to benefit GOP candidates. Under the proposal of Republican Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, Pennsylvania would abandon the current system where the winner of the Pennsylvania vote receives all 20 of the state's electoral vote, as is done in 48 other states. Instead, the GOP plan seeks to allocate the electors based on the proportional vote of each candidate, effectively negating Pennsylvania's important historic role as a swing state.

Senator Costa blasted the plan, describing it as a "partisan scheme that diminishes the voice of Pennsylvania voters on the national stage." Costa described the cynical nature of the vote-rigging effort, pointing out that, "This proposal is being made in Pennsylvania because President Obama carried the state. Texas and Alabama and other states that voted Republican are not having their electors split in two. Republican Governors in Ohio and Virginia have rejected these schemes, as violating a basic sense of fairness, but, sadly, Governor Corbett has failed to categorically reject this assault on fair elections."

Representative Dermody said that, to appeal to Pennsylvania voters, the Republican Party should alter its extreme views, rather than the rules of elections. "Although Republicans are couching their proposals in language of fairness," Dermody said, " the motivation for changing the Electoral College is purely partisan. The Republican Party lost in 2012 because they failed to appeal to the majority of voters in Pennsylvania. They know they can't win on the issues, so they're resorting to underhanded tactics and undermining the principal that the candidate who obtains a majority of the votes should prevail." Highlighting the absurdity of the GOP's position that the electoral vote be equally distributed, Mr. Dermody pointed out that, "Nearly half the voters in the state voted for Mr. Corbett's opponent, but no one suggested that the Governor's term be split in half. The GOP plan is not about fair elections, it is about rigging the game and diminishing Pennsylvania's influence over who becomes our next President."

Both Senator Costa and Representative Dermody urged Governor Corbett to immediately voice his opposition to this partisan plan, and, instead, work in a bi-partisan manner to address the important issues facing Pennsylvania, such as the need to address our neglected transportation infrastructure and to improve our educational system throughout the state. "Who can blame our citizens for viewing the Republican Party in this state with such contempt," said Senator Costa, noting that, "This isn't the first time we've seen Republicans try to rig the election in their favor. In 2012, the Republican Party led a coordinated campaign to disenfranchise millions of voters through burdensome voter ID laws that one Republican leader said would help Mitt Romney win Pennsylvania. This latest Republican effort to change the Electoral College in Pennsylvania is more of the same - if you can't win elections fair and square, rig the game."

Education Advocates: Corbett Budget Lacks Dollars and Vision

2013-02-06T10:41:58Z

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

HARRISBURG, PA. - Education advocates in Pennsylvania say a $90 million funding increase in Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal falls far short of what schools have seen cut from their budgets in the past two years - and what students need for a quality education.

Susan Gobreski, executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania, a group aimed at keeping the public informed on public school issues, said the nearly $2 billion in education cuts during Corbett's first two years in office have led to decreases in staffing, increases in class size and reductions in programs for students.

"We need something that works for communities to support their schools," she said, "so we're not constantly pushing things down onto property taxes, which creates more disparity and pressures communities in other negative ways. It needs to be constitutional - and, for goodness sakes, we've got to get politics out of this."

Nicole Bassett, whose three children attend public schools in Macungie, said the impact of the past two years is clearly visible.

"I think the biggest area where you can see that is class sizes. In our district, which is a good district, our class sizes in the elementary schools are upwards of 30 kids in some cases."

The more details that emerge on the budget, the more shortcomings will be exposed, Gobreski predicted, "ranging from the gimmicks around using the liquor stores up to and including the fact that there are a lot of tax breaks for corporations, even as we are under-investing in our schools."

Corbett said his spending plan represents a 1.7 percent increase from current spending levels. He also has called for a program that he said would boost school safety, enhance full-day kindergarten and expand math and science in grades 6 through 12. Corbett said the program would be funded by privatizing the state liquor-store system.

David Cobb will be keynote speaker at PA Progressive Summit

2013-02-04T15:43:41Z

Patriotic, Progressive and Pissed Off

The Pennsylvania Progressive Summit is pleased to announce that our 2013 keynote speaker is David Cobb.

David Cobb is the provocative and dynamic national spokesperson for Move to Amend (MTA), a coalition of more than 250,000 people and organizations working together for social and economic justice, ending corporate rule, and building a vibrant democracy that is genuinely accountable to the people, not corporate interests. MTA calls for an amendment to the US Constitution to unequivocally state that inalienable rights belong to human beings only, and that money is not a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment and can be regulated in political campaigns.

Prior keynote speakers have included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, William McNary and Wiscosin Senator Jon Erpenbach.

The 2013 Pennsylvania Progressive Summit is going to be the most important event for progressive leaders and activists this year. This year, it will be in Harrisburg on March 2. It's an incredible opportunity to learn from the best and brightest progressive leaders, network with activists from around the state and have a chance to reenergize for the battles ahead.

We've posted all of the sessions on the website. Click on the agenda tab to see the list of workshops and presenters.

Some of the highlights:

· Over 100 progressive speakers, representing the best and brightest leaders and activists in PA and across the nation.

· All of our PA Row Officers--Attorney General Kathleen Kane, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Treasurer Rob McCord--talking about how PA will be different now that they are in office.

· Representatives from the White House answering your questions.

· About a dozen State Legislators providing insight on what is happening in the General Assembly this year.

· Practical, how-to sessions on everything from running a campaign to enhancing your social media abilities.

· In-depth presentations on many of the key issues being proposed in Harrisburg and Washington.

It's the political event of the year, and you need to be there.

Meet the newly elected row officers at the PA Progressive Summit

2013-01-15T15:07:24Z

Meet the newly elected row officers-

Attorney General Kathleen Kane

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale

Treasurer Rob McCord (invited)

Register now for the 2013 PA Progressive Summit

The 2013 Pennsylvania Progressive Summit is shaping up to be even more exciting, educational and inspiring than in previous years.

It's scheduled to be held in Harrisburg on March 2, 2013 at the Harrisburg Hilton.

This year's Summit will include a lunchtime panel of our three newly elected row officers. They will give brief presentations, then answer your questions about how their offices can advance progressive principles.

The Summit has become the premiere event for Pennsylvania's progressive activists, and the 2013 version will be even better than the first three.

We've lowered the price this year to only $65, including all sessions, materials and lunch!

Join hundreds of social justice advocates, labor organizers and grassroots activists as we come together
to build a progressive future in Pennsylvania. While we are not always in agreement about tactics, the organizations that make up today's progressive movement have vital convictions in common. If we are to succeed in moving our communities and our nation forward, we must recognize our shared goals and learn to work together

Don't miss out. Register today!

And don't forget to book your room with the Summit discount. There are other events taking place on Friday, March 1, and on the evening on March 2, so you should think about staying over both Friday and Saturday nights if you are coming from out of town.

Join us in Harrisburg on March 2 for exciting speakers, training, and networking with others who are working on the issues that matter.

In Solidarity,

The PA Progressive Summit Team

Pennsylvania Report Card on School Breakfast: Progress with Room for Improvement

2013-01-15T14:32:07Z

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Educators and physicians alike have talked for years about how kids learn better when properly nourished. A new report takes a look inside Pennsylvania schools to see how school breakfast programs are serving low-income pupils. The School Breakfast Scorecard is released each year by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Julie Zaebst, policy manager with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, says the latest numbers show an upside and a downside to the equation.

"Last year they found that 42.6 percent of students who ate school lunch also ate school breakfast, and this year that figure has increased to 44 percent. The bad news is that the state still lags behind the national average of fifty percent."

Zaebst says that in order to boost the numbers further, schools should increase access to school breakfast for pupils by taking breakfast out of the cafeteria and expanding it to classrooms and even hallways.

"For younger students, they walk into their classroom in the morning and breakfast is available to them then. And for older students, 'grab and go' programs - where they get breakfast in the hallway or other locations and take it to their first-period class - has been really successful."

Crystal FitzSimons, director of school and out-of-school time programs for the Food Research and Action Center, says schools benefit by getting more eligible students involved.

"One of the best ways to run a more cost-effective program is actually to increase participation, because then schools are able to benefit from the economies of scale that that creates."

In the bigger picture, more than half of all low-income children who took part in school lunch also ate school breakfast, and more than 90 percent of schools that operate the National School Lunch Program also offered the School Breakfast Program. Overall, more than 10.5 million children received a free or reduced-price breakfast each school day during the 2011-2012 school year, an increase of nearly 740,000 from the previous year.

See the full report at FRAC.org.

BREAKING: House Speaker Boehner Pulls Fatally Flawed "Plan B" Tax Bill Off The Table After Failing to Rally Enough Support from Fellow Republicans

2012-12-21T10:52:22Z

It's Time for 'Plan A':

Congressman Jim Gerlach Implored to Call on Boehner to Schedule Vote on Senate-passed Middle Class Tax Relief Bill That Will Head Off Impending Tax Hike on 98% of Americans & 97% of Small Businesses

With time running out for Congress to avert an automatic tax hike on all Americans on January 1, Republican House Speaker John Boehner chose to waste precious time playing politics, putting forward a bill to protect tax breaks for millionaires at the expense of the middle class that was so fatally flawed that he could not even rally enough support from fellow House Republicans. As a result, late Thursday night, Republican Boehner reportedly pulled the so-called "Plan B" bill off the table. The bill stood no chance of passage in the Senate, as it would give millionaires an average $50,000 tax break, while raising taxes by an average of $1,000 on 25 million working families with children and students.

You Had Your Chance, Mr. Speaker, and Now It's Time for 'Plan A': The Action-Pennsylvania called on Congressman Jim Gerlach and his Pennsylvania GOP congressional colleagues to be strong independent voices for Pennsylvania families and demand that Speaker Boehner immediately hold a vote on a responsible alternative bill that already passed the U.S. Senate and that the President is ready to sign. This bill would immediately cut taxes for the middle class and extend the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest 2%, generating $400 billion more in revenue to help close our long-term budget gap and support critical investments that create and sustain jobs.

Mike Morrill of Keystone Progress, which is coordinating the efforts of The Action-Pennsylvania, said: "With a $2,200 tax hike set to hit middle class families on January 1^st, all Speaker Boehner has accomplished this week is to waste time and further fan the flames of economic uncertainty. But one thing is absolutely certain: he and his party's insistence on protecting tax breaks for millionaires at all costs is hugely unpopular. The American people will hold the GOP responsible if taxes to go up on the middle class next year."

"It's time for Congressman Jim Gerlach to stand up and do what's right, for he'll certainly take the blame if he comes home to Pennsylvania while the economy drives off the fiscal cliff," Morrill continued. "Congressman Gerlach will need to answer to middle class families who will have $2,200 less to spend on groceries or on filling a prescription, to pay the rent or tuition. He also will need to answer to his constituents that lose their jobs due to less demand for goods and services."

Even Congressman Gerlach's Republican colleague Governor Tom Corbett recognizes the pain Congress will cause when he said "The potential impact of going over the 'fiscal cliff,' on every state, is enormous." [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 12/12/12]. Corbett's Administration reported that the failure to avert the fiscal cliff will cost Pennsylvania $300 million, slashing services for pregnant women and young children, schools, and home heating assistance for seniors and others struggling to keep warm through the winter.

"Time is running out," Morrill added, "but Congressman Gerlach and his GOP colleagues in Pennsylvania still have a chance to save their constituents from economic hardship and themselves from political fallout. They can forget 'Plan B' and simply pass 'Plan A,' a middle class tax relief bill that will extend tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses. If Congressman Gerlach and his colleagues demand that Speaker Boehner call them back to work to pass that bill immediately, they can deliver for the people they serve, before it's too late."

Keystone Progress is one of over 150 national, state and local organizations part of The Action - a grassroots movement calling for the end of the Bush-era tax breaks for the richest 2 percent that have shortchanged critical investments that create and sustain jobs.

Today, Pennsylvania Congressional Republicans Face Two Tax Votes and One Clear Choice: Will They Stand with the Middle Class or Millionaires?

2012-12-20T14:26:44Z

PA House Republicans Pressured to Back Senate-Passed Bill That Continues Tax Relief for 98% of Americans and to Reject Boehner "Plan B" Bill That Gives Millionaires a Tax Break While Taxing Millions of Middle Class Working Families

PENNSYLVANIA- With taxes set to go up by $2,200 for average American families at the beginning of the year and the Republican Congressional leadership choosing to halt negotiations that could forge a solution, the community group Action-Pennsylvania called on U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA-3), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8), Jim Gerlach (R-PA-6), Charlie Dent (R-PA-15), Patrick Meehan (R-PA-7), and Lou Barletta (R-PA-11) to choose the middle class over millionaires in two votes to be taken in the U.S. House today.

Votes are expected to take place in the U.S. House today on two contrasting tax bills: 1) a responsible bill already passed by the Senate that would immediately extend the Bush tax cuts for those with incomes under $250,000 for a couple and $200,000 for an individual; and 2) the so-called "Plan B" bill put forward by House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican House leadership, which would recklessly continue tax cuts for the wealthy - and in fact would give millionaires an average $50,000 tax break - while raising taxes by an average of $1,000 on 25 million working families with children and students. Compared to the Senate-passed middle-class tax cuts bill, "Plan B" would generate $400 billion less in revenue to close our long-term budget gap and make investments that create and sustain jobs.

Michael Morrill, Executive Director at Keystone Progress: "Pennsylvania's representatives in Congress - especially U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA-3), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8), Jim Gerlach (R-PA-6), Charlie Dent (R-PA-15), Patrick Meehan (R-PA-7), and Lou Barletta (R-PA-11) - must confront some clear facts. They are defying those who sent them to Washington if they hold up middle tax relief to protect tax breaks for millionaires. And the public will hold them responsible if they allow taxes to go up on every American family."

Morrill continued: "Failure to pass the Senate bill only brings us closer to an automatic tax hike costing the average middle class family $2,200 and to painful service cuts that will hurt Pennsylvania families and seniors. Even Governor Corbett and his team recognize this: they have projected that if a deal is not reached, Pennsylvania will take a hit of $300 million, slashing services for pregnant and young children, school students, and seniors who need assistance heating their homes. Instead of wasting precious time on a useless vote to protect millionaires, these Congressmen have a golden opportunity to approve the Senate bill to immediately extend tax relief to 98% of the American people and 97% of small businesses."

"'Plan B' is not a serious alternative," added Morrill. "Pennsylvanians have a simple message for their representatives: Don't ring in the New Year by dropping the ball on middle class tax relief. Vote NO on Plan B."

Americans for Tax Fairness on Boehner's "Plan B"

2012-12-19T19:29:14Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans for Tax Fairness, a campaign with more than 230 national, state, and local organizations united in support of a tax system that works for all Americans, released a statement today on U.S. House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B," which is scheduled for a vote on Thursday.

"Speaker's Boehner's Plan B stands for bogus. It fails three tests - It does not raise taxes on the richest 2 percent, it does not come close to raising enough revenue to reduce the deficit and rebuild the economy, and it would raise taxes by an average of $1,000 on 25 million working families with children and students," said Frank Clemente, campaign manager of Americans for Tax Fairness.

"Plan B is nothing more than a political ploy. It's time for the Speaker to stop playing political games and accept President's Obama tax plan that would raise $1.3 trillion by asking the richest 2 percent of Americans to pay their fair share."

Analysis of what Boehner's Plan B would do and would not do:

· Raise taxes on the richest three tenths of one percent (0.3%), rather than raise taxes on the richest 2 percent - the latter is what the American people voted for in the last election and support by overwhelming numbers in public opinion polls.

· Raise $1 trillion less from wealthy Americans than Obama's last tax plan offer. This additional revenue is essential for serious deficit reduction, to prevent a gutting of critical programs that benefit the middle class, and to make new investments to rebuild the economy. Boehner's plan would raise $300 billion, according to White House estimates, whereas Obama's last offer was to raise $1.3 trillion from the richest 2 percent.

· Raise taxes on 25 million low- and middle-income Americans by an average of $1,000 each. According to White House estimates, Plan B does this by ending improvements made in tax credits and incentives passed in 2010 to the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which helps pay for college; the Child Tax Credit, which helps working families offset the costs of raising children; and the Earned Income Tax Credit, which encourages and rewards low-income families that work.

· Continue an estate tax giveaway that loses $120 billion over 10 years, compared with the Obama plan, and affects just 2 out of every 1,000 estates. Obama's estate tax plan would affect just 3 out of every 1,000 estates.

Fix the Filibuster

2012-12-04T16:40:42Z

The Senate is supposed to be a place of compromise, a home for grand debates on the biggest issues.

But Republicans are abusing the rules, turning the time-honored filibuster into a tool of obstruction and gridlock to prevent any debate or progress. Since becoming the minority in 2007, Republicans have threatened to filibustermore than 400 times - twice as much as any previous term.

With the current rules, just the threat to filibuster is enough to halt proceedings. And they do it to block progress on everything from mundane procedural votes to judicial nominees and the budget.

Abusing this time-honored tradition, Republicans have blocked:

Judicial confirmations to fill 55 judicial vacancies, including 34 considered "judicial emergencies."

Food Safety Enhancement Act

Wounded Veteran Job Security Act

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

And the list goes on and on...

But, in just a few weeks the Senate has the chance to change its rules and require members who threaten afilibuster to actually take to the floor in a real-live debate.

The window for change is short - rules can be changed when a new Congress starts next month. So, we need you to contact your Senator today.

Keystone Progress is working on the cmapaign with our partner, ProgressNow NewMexico.

Sign the petition to reform to Rule XXII (the filibuster rule) so that bills can actually come to the floor and force members in opposition to debate the merits publicly, even with a filibuster if they wish - so long as they actually stand up and speak for as long as they want to filibuster.

Tell your Senator it's time to fix the filibuster and put Washington back to work.

Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress

Pennsylvania Hunters and Anglers Back Clean Wind Energy

2012-12-04T14:24:43Z

Tom Joseph, Public News Service-PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Hunters and anglers from Pennsylvania are among those urging national lawmakers to extend tax incentives that encourage the production of clean wind energy. The Production Tax Credit and the Investment Tax Credit promote renewable-energy production and energy efficiency, and are due to expire at the end of the year.

The director of policy for the National Wildlife Federation's Climate and Energy program, Joe Mendelson, says 37,000 jobs related to wind energy will disappear if the credits are not extended.

"We need Congress to act now, and they're sitting on their hands. It's time to take action, pass these credits, extend them so the industry can continue, the jobs can continue, and we have clean energy for the rest of the country."

The wind industry currently provides approximately 75,000 jobs nationwide.

In a letter to Congress today, 118 sportsmen's and conservation groups encourage lawmakers to continue the tax credits. They say investment and growth in clean energy and conservation are the best ways to fight climate change, sustain communities, create jobs and promote economic growth.

Ed Perry is Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation. He says hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts understand the value of conservation better than most. He says aside from the 4000 jobs and power to 180,000 homes tied to wind energy in Pennsylvania, he supports developing clean, renewable-energy resources that are protective of fish and wildlife habitat.

"The reason I, as a lifelong fisherman and hunter, am so interested in wind power is that I'm concerned about the effects of climate change on our natural resources. "

A September poll released by the National Wildlife Federation found that 72 percent of hunters and anglers back renewable-energy solutions.

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the richest 2%

2012-12-03T13:23:13Z

Click here to send this message to Congress:

Allowing taxes to go up an average of $2,200 per family of four would pose an additional hardship on middle-class families who have already suffered through the Great Recession and its aftermath.

The fairest way to address the current fiscal situation and to promote economic growth and to protect middle-class families is to extend tax cuts for the middle class and allow cuts for the wealthiest two percent to expire.

Please support a deal that allows the Bush-era tax cuts to expire for the wealthiest 2% and extends tax cuts for those earning under $250,000.

Click here to send this message to Congress

Tell Congress to end the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest 2%

2012-11-29T19:30:27Z

The election is over and it's time to make it count. Grassroots power is not just for elections.

Congress has until December 31st to make a critical and historic choice. They can ask the richest 2% of Americans to pay their fair share, or they can put more money in wealthy pockets at the expense of the struggling middle class.

There is too much money and power in too few hands and the system is rigged to keep it that way. It's time to level the playing field. It's time to make things right.

The first step is telling Congress, loud and clear: Don't give more tax breaks to the people who need them least.

Yesterday was The Election. Today is The Action.

The Action is a grassroots movement that demands Congress end the Bush-era tax cuts for the richest 2%--those making more than $250,000 per year. The Action is for critical investments that create and sustain jobs. Keystone Progress is leading The Action efforts in Pennsylvania because we believe this issue is crucial to our economy, our pocketbooks and the entire progressive agenda

It's time to join The Action.

There are many ways to get involved:

Send a message to Congress. Tell them to stand up for working families by ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the richest 2%.
Join The Action. Sign up for national alerts from The Action.
Find local Actions. There are events being planned all over the country, with dozens being planned across Pennsylvania.
Become a local leader for The Action. We have organizers in some congressional districts, but we need grassroots leaders to help us in every community. Sign up by sending an email to our field director, Anne Batchelder.
Contribute. We need money to win this campaign. You know the other side will be well-funded, so please contribute $5, or whatever you can afford.

This is a unique opportunity to protect the middle class AND to build a unified progressive movement that can win on every issue we care about. Please join The Action today and get as involved as you can.

Mercer residents deliver turkey to Rep. Kelly

2012-11-22T12:01:54Z

There has been much talk about the so-called "Fiscal Cliff," but little discussion about how the issue would affect working families and the most vulnerable people in Pennsylvania. Senior citizens, the disabled, and low-income families would be hardest hit if Congress does not come to an agreement on taxes and spending by the end of the year.

Some Mercer County residents delivered a turkey today to Rep. Mike Kelly's office in Greenville as a reminder of those who would be hardest hit if a deal is not reached that preserves the social safety net. Inspired by the new movement called "The Action," they told Kelly's staff that they expect Kelly to represent the interests of working families in negotiations.

Kelly's staff agreed to arrange a meeting with members of Keystone Progress, but remained non-committal about how Kelly would vote.

Keystone Progress

Kate Michelman to receive Anna Burger Award at PA Progressive Summit

Group: Corbett Budget Fails to Deliver Brighter Days

If you can't beat 'em, rig the game

Education Advocates: Corbett Budget Lacks Dollars and Vision

David Cobb will be keynote speaker at PA Progressive Summit

Meet the newly elected row officers at the PA Progressive Summit

Meet the newly elected row officers-

Attorney General Kathleen Kane Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Treasurer Rob McCord (invited)

Register now for the 2013 PA Progressive Summit

Pennsylvania Report Card on School Breakfast: Progress with Room for Improvement

BREAKING: House Speaker Boehner Pulls Fatally Flawed "Plan B" Tax Bill Off The Table After Failing to Rally Enough Support from Fellow Republicans

Today, Pennsylvania Congressional Republicans Face Two Tax Votes and One Clear Choice: Will They Stand with the Middle Class or Millionaires?

Americans for Tax Fairness on Boehner's "Plan B"

Fix the Filibuster

Pennsylvania Hunters and Anglers Back Clean Wind Energy

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the richest 2%

Click here to send this message to Congress:

Click here to send this message to Congress

Tell Congress to end the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest 2%

The election is over and it's time to make it count. Grassroots power is not just for elections.

Mercer residents deliver turkey to Rep. Kelly

Attorney General Kathleen Kane

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale

Treasurer Rob McCord (invited)