Wheel of Cuts at Emerson: No Takers at Lunchtime "Fundraiser" for Rep. Todd Akin

If you've read the St. Louis Post-Dispatch coverage of the Missouri Senate race, you've heard about the appalling letter from Emerson Electric Co. CEO David Farr to his employees, 'encouraging' them to give generously to the campaign coffers of Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO).

Since tonight is the night of the big fundraising shindig, it seemed like a great day to go to Emerson's Headquarters in North County and talk with workers there directly. As reported in Political Fix, CEO David Farr will be rewarding Emerson employees that write a hefty check to the Akin campaign ($5000 or more!) with an intimate dinner with the boss after the event.

When he wrote the letter, he may not have expected as much attention to the offer. But for a group of St. Louis activists, reading about it wasn't enough. This morning, they sent over a tongue-in-cheek invitation to Farr, offering to lend a helping hand to the collection efforts:

With 2010 earnings such as yours, it is understandable why you're so committed to putting Todd Akin in the U.S. Senate. His positions have reliably favored CEOs over the interests of middle class workers and the poor. CEOs and Wall Street bankers can sleep a little easier knowing that Todd Akin is in their corner, even if it means the vast majority of his constituents get left behind.

Many of your employees are probably busy this week getting their kids ready for back to school and may have run short of time before tonight's Ladue fundraiser. So to help ensure that as many Emerson workers as possible are able to chip in to Todd Akin's election war-chest, a group of volunteers will come by at lunch time to help personally collect funds for the Senate race.

A collection box was set up so that workers could donate their paychecks to Todd Akin, but there weren't any takers. Instead, workers on their lunch hour just stopped to take a flyer for more information. One put it this way: "I'll take your flyer but I'm not giving him my paycheck!" For Emerson employees concerned about a long record of policies that hurt middle-class workers, including Rep. Akin's outspoken support for Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to end Medicare, the group brought a special carnival game.

The "Wheel of Cuts" lets the player spin to select just one of the critical public services that would be slashed if Akin has his way. But just like in the Ryan budget, CEOs' pay are bonus spaces--Akin is, after all, working for the David Farr's of the world, not the middle- class voters of Missouri's Second District.

Call Today! Save Our Health Centers!

Message from Missouri Health Care for All:

TAKE ACTION!

Our Missouri Health Care for All Principles call for policies that assure access to health care regardless of where someone lives or how much money she makes. The President and Congressional leaders are considering proposals to reduce federal spending, and some of these proposals would slash funding for Missouri's Health Centers as well as drastically cut critically important programs like Medicaid.

Community Health Centers in Missouri include the reduced cost clinics that serve more than 180 local communities. These critical Centers serve more than 400,000 Missourians every year and are important health and economic assets in our communities.

The National Association of Community Health Centers NACHC needs our phone calls to federal elected officials to ask for their support of Community Health Centers. Since Congress is negotiating federal spending, right now, we need you to make calls TODAY!

Please use the NACHC toll-free Advocacy Hotline to make this as simple as possible. You will only need to call 1-866-456-3949 one time and you will automatically be connected to your Representative and both Senator Blunt and McCaskill. We also ask that you call the White House Comment Line at 1-202-456-1111 and leave a message for the President asking for his support of Community Health Centers.

TAKE ACTION!

1) Call Your Members of Congress: Use the toll free NACHC Advocacy Hotline at 1-866-456-3949 and tell Your Representative AND BOTH Senators: “Do not undermine the successful Health Centers program as you negotiate Medicaid changes and cuts to the federal budget. The health and lives of our families and our neighbors should not be negotiated away. I am counting on your support for my Community Health Center.”

a. You only need to call the Advocacy Hotline ONE TIME -- stay on the line at the end of each conversation to be automatically connected to your next policymaker.

2) Call the White House Comment Line at 1-202-456-1111 and leave a message for the President saying: Do not undermine the successful Health Centers program as you negotiate Medicaid changes and cuts to the federal budget. The health and lives of our families and our neighbors should not be negotiated away. I am counting on your support for my Community Health Center.

a. When you call the White House Comment line it may take a few moments to be connected to a LIVE OPERATOR, but you WILL be connected and be able to leave a message with a LIVE person

Photos from United Way's African American Leadership Society Kickoff

Message from the St. Louis United Way:

At the kickoff event, held at Vin de Set in St. Louis, Richard Mark, 2011 African American Leadership Society campaign chair, announced to a crowd of more than 400, a “one-two punch of 1,000 members and $2 million” for the 2011 African American Leadership Society goal for United Way’s fall fundraising campaign.

Nearly $300,000 in pledges was made toward the $2 million goal at the kickoff -- thank you!

In 2010, the Society had more than 800 members and raised more than $1.8 million to help people locally through United Way of Greater St. Louis. This Society recognizes African Americans who donate $1,000 or more to United Way annually.

Society members can expect special events exclusive to Leadership givers, membership in other local and national societies, opportunities for non-profit board trainings, networking events and more.

More than $19.75 million was invested into 61 of United Way’s partner agencies that primarily serve African Americans throughout United Way’s 16-county service area last year.

They're encouraging people to join their new facebook page.

Progress and Missouri, Together At Last

I'm very excited about a new organization that I think will change the face of politics in Missouri: Progress Missouri. They describe themselves as follows:

Progress Missouri is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization that combines cutting edge online organizing and communications with rapid and hard-hitting earned media strategies. Year round, Progress Missouri will work to engage citizens from across the state around issues of immediate state or local concern.

The executive director of the group is Sean Soendker Nicholson, who did a fantastic job at Fired Up Missouri (named the best political blog in Missouri by the Riverfront Times). And they already are perfectly on message in my opinion, asking people to get involved by making sure that Republicans don't dismantle Medicare.

Since I've been here, Missouri politics has always seemed to lack a cohesive and organized progressive voice, held back by internal politics, powerful regressive forces, and a lack of a strategic plan. I think Sean has shown a great ability to be a uniter around the issues that matter to progressives. I hope you check out the group, sign up for their action alerts, and join them on facebook.