CCHCC publicly launched our Campaign for the American Dream at a press conference last Thursday, October 27. CCHCC was joined by leaders from veterans, labor, and seniors’ organizations to help us launch this campaign.
With a packed room, the press conference was a great success to launch the Campaign for the American Dream! The press conference featured speakers from four community organizations and received media coverage from The News-Gazette [please see Friday’s paper (10/28/11) – front page of Section B or click here], WCIA, and WICD.
Please read below for more information on the speakers and statements, and CCHCC’s Campaign for the American Dream’s CALLS TO ACTION!
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STATEMENTS:
Claudia Lennhoff, Executive Director of CCHCC and co-lead organizer of the new campaign, began by talking about CCHCC’s local effort as part of the growing national grassroots American Dream movement and the ten principles that make up the founding document, the Contract for the American Dream. To download Claudia’s statement (pdf), please click here.
Ricky Baldwin, Field Organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and founding member of Central Illinois Jobs with Justice – who has endorsed CCHCC’s new campaign – spoke in solidarity with the Campaign for the American Dream and addressed the current jobs crisis in our country. To download Ricky’s statement (pdf), please click here.
Barbara Franklin addressed the current and continued threats to Social Security and other vital social programs. She is the president of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans and the president of AFSCME Retirees Subchapter 88 of Champaign, Vermilion, and Piatt Counties. To download Barbara’s statement (pdf), please click here.
Scott Kimball, Board member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, spoke out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and especially on the state of affairs for our nation’s veterans, who have proudly served our country and have come home to outrageously high unemployment rates, lack of serves, and threatened cuts to veteran’s benefits. To download Scott’s statement (pdf), please click here.
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TAKE ACTION!
CCHCC’s Campaign for the American Dream issued three Calls to Action at the press conference
You can TAKE ACTION by:
1. ADDING YOUR NAME TO THE CAMPAIGN:
Click here to add your name!
2. CONTACT THE SUPER COMMITTEE TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, VETERANS’ BENEFITS, MEDICARE, AND MEDICAID
For a sample phone call script and the Super Committee members’ contact information, please click here.
3. CONTACT SENATORS DURBIN AND KIRK TO CREATE AND PROTECT JOBS
Our country has a Jobs Crisis, not a Debt Crisis. Join us in TAKING ACTION to address the Jobs Crisis by calling on your Senators to pass the individual packages of the American Jobs Act to create and protect JOBS NOW!
For sample phone call scripts and our Senators’ contact information, please click here.
Stay tuned for more ways to TAKE ACTION to rebuild and advance the American Dream!
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LINKS & RESOURCES:
CCHCC’s Campaign for the American Dream
Contract for the American Dream
Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
Iraq Veterans Against the War