Fw: now-action-list Stop NOW!

[Guest guest]

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation

Dallas, Texas Headquarters

-----Original Message-----

From: National Organization for Women <now@...>

now-action-list@... <now-action-list@...>

Date: Friday, January 19, 2001 7:20 AM

Subject: now-action-list Stop NOW!

>Please feel free to forward the following to activists:

>

>From the National Organization for Women Action Center:

>

>Tommy , the Bush nominee for Secretary of Health and Human

>Services, is a dangerous choice. Please take a moment to TAKE ACTION and

>send an email letter to your Senators.

>

>You can do this by clicking on:

>http://www.capweb.net/now/LegAlert.morph?LegAlert_id=454

>

>You can also sign an online petition opposing both and

>Ashcroft as attorney general by going to:

>http://www.now.org/issues/economic/alerts/nominees-petition.html'>http://www.now.org/issues/economic/alerts/nominees-petition.html

>

>

>BACKGROUND:

>Gov. 's experience as governor of Wisconsin has revealed him to be

>a far-right conservative who shows little regard for low income families

>and women's rights. His social welfare policies have been coercive,

>punitive and intrusive and his record opposing women's reproductive rights

>makes him eminently unacceptable.

>

>His lack of commitment to basic social welfare programs at the state level

>calls into question his ability to coordinate the Department of Health and

>Human Services at the federal level. Contrary to rosy press reports, the

>decline in virtually every social indicator for Wisconsin welfare

>recipients and welfare leavers is of great concern. Numerous studies show

>that families are significantly poorer after " W-2 " , 's welfare

>reform program, than before.

>

>Gov. has gone out of his way to prevent poor individuals from

>gaining additional education and job skills by vetoing legislation that

>would have allowed Wisconsin welfare recipients to do this. Persons with

>disabilities have had an especially hard time under 's reform

>scheme: he vetoed a bill that would have exempted from work requirements a

>parent of a disabled child.

>

>Of particular concern is the governor's disregard for women experiencing

>domestic violence; thus far he has failed to assure that battered women on

>welfare have access to necessary services.

>

>Gov. 's privatization of the welfare system has resulted in

>widespread allegations of mismanagement and corruption by contractors.

>Reportedly, the governor has consistently failed to require strict

>accountability and has turned a blind eye to cases of fiscal abuse

>documented by both state and federal auditors. Private contractors,

>reportedly, have amassed substantial profits while turning away eligible

>applicants from needed services.

>

>To top it all off, the State of Wisconsin cut its own contribution to

>welfare programs and diverted federal anti-poverty funds for tax cuts. It

>is doubtful that the governor would assure full accountability in the many

>programs that the Department of Health and Human Services oversees.

>

>As for women's reproductive rights, Gov. has a deplorable record.

>He has pursued every opportunity to limit women's access to abortion,

>contraception and other basic reproductive health care services. He

>supports legislation that would criminalize safe abortion procedures used

>prior to fetal viability; he opposes abortion except only in cases of a

>pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when the woman's life is

>endangered. An individual with such a record should not be entrusted with

>the nation's most important position affecting numerous health-related

>matters. Gov. would likely use his position as Secretary to

>further undermine women's access to reproductive health care.

>

>Please TAKE ACTION by writing or calling your Senators NOW.

>

>

>==================================================

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>Visit the NOW Web site at http://www.now.org/ where you can support these

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>

>Visit our Legislative Action Center at http://www.now.org/congress