Moving Ideas Newsletter

Join the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) for a celebration to help us plan our tax fairness activities for 2006. To the folks in Larimer County, we extend an invitation to assemble on Saturday, January 14, 9 – 10:30 AM at Avogadro’s Number, 605 South Mason Street, Fort Collins. If you have child care, translation or other needs, tell us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. RSVP Online

Join Demos at Strand Book Store for the release of STRAPPED: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead with author and Economic Opportunity Director, Tamara Draut. Published by Doubleday, Strapped offers a groundbreaking look at the new obstacle course facing young adults--the under 35 crowd--as they try to build careers, buy homes and start families. Join Draut in celebrating the release of what Elizabeth Warren calls "compelling, frightening, and ultimately liberating. By giving a clear analysis of what has gone wrong, Draut points the way to how to make it better. This is a must-read for anyone who is young--or anyone who cares about anyone who is young." When: Thurs, January 19, 2006 6:30-8pm Where: Strand Book Store's Second Floor at 828 Broadway (at 12th St.)New York, NY Register: Online or call (212) 633-1405 x533 Get more info on the book or order it online.

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Join a group of fun-loving and freedom-loving Americans to break George Bush’s ban on travel to Cuba. Join co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, together with Academy Award winning producer Paul Haggis, as we visit with farmers at their co-ops, doctors at their family clinics, dancers at the National Folklore Group, and young people at the ballpark. Don’t miss this historic chance to dance salsa, drink mojitos, and visit beautiful beaches -- all while defending our constitutional right to travel!

Opposition to the Iraq War is growing. With the Senate voting against “staying the course” and with Rep. Murtha speaking out against the war it is critically important that the anti-war movement keep the pressure on. In order to do so we are starting the 2006 election year with a national day of education – with town hall forums being held throughout the country. Democracy Rising is joining with Backbone Campaign, Progressive Democrats of America, After Downing Street, Democracy Cell Project, Cities for Peace, MilitaryFreeZone.Org, Operation Ceasefire, United for Peace and Justice, U.S. Tour of Duty, Hip Hop Caucus, World Can't Wait, and Gold Star Families for Peace in asking you to help organize public meetings or smaller gatherings on Saturday, January 7, on the topic of ending the war. The war is costing us dearly in American and Iraqi lives, in security, and in resources. Every day the United States occupies Iraq we become less respected in the world and our security is put at greater risk as Iraq serves as a recruitment and training ground for those who oppose the Untied States. Now, even the Bush administration is talking about a draw down of troops, but we want to insist that ALL troops return home. A partial withdrawal leaving 100,000 troops in unacceptable. The Iraq War needs to end. This National Iraq Education Day will make our demand heard and bring the war to an end. Members of Congress want to know what their constituents think. This is an opportunity for our voices to be heard loud and clear. (Events can also be held on days other than the 7th, to fit the schedules of those involved.) When: January 7, 2006 Because the holidays are coming, the time to organize these events is now.

A Global Exchange Reality Tour to Venezuela, co-sponsored by CODEPINK! At the World Social Forum, five years of uniting the world's peoples' movements, indigenous communities, women's movements, human rights organizations, environmentalists, intellectuals, students, activists, and citizens of the North and South have led to the beginning of true alternative economic structures which prove that Another World is not only possible, it is happening. This group will examine the realities of women, Afro-Venezuelans, indigenous communities, and how new political terrain is being created within Venezuela. When:

Register now for Health Action 2006, the annual grassroots gathering of people working for social justice and health care for all of us. We have much to do -- and we can do it better together. So join us in January. The conference brochure was mailed out earlier this week, but you can register online now. To see the latest on the conference agenda, click here. (Be sure to check back regularly for updates.) When: from 1/26/2006 9:00 am to 1/28/2006 2:30 pm (Eastern Time) Where: Renaissance Mayflower Hotel 1127 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20036 202-347-3000 Hosted By: Families USA202-628-3030 [email protected] RSVP by: January 25, 2006 at 10:00 am (Eastern Time)

In this issue: Who Pays Texas Taxes and Who Doesn’t?; The Battle over Access to Higher Education in Texas; Medical Debt Deep in the Heart of Texas; A Community Lender in Texas Strengthens More than the Financial Assets of Microentrepreneurs; and more.

The Senate bill demonstrates that it is possible to achieve savings in health entitlement programs without compromising care for low-income people, by reducing the cost of health care rather than beneficiaries’ access to it.

A controversial World Trade Organization (WTO) services agreement that will be discussed at this week’s WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong poses a serious threat to state and local authority over land use policy.

This report enumerates Congress' tax breaks for the wealthy.

A bipartisan group of proliferation experts and former government officials sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives voicing serious concern over the “long-term unintentional damage” that the U.S.-Indian nuclear deal poses to the international nonproliferation regime.

Oregonians would suffer at least 14% of the food stamp cuts, even though Oregonians make up less than 2% of the food stamp caseload nationwide.