U.S. Poverty Weekly Update May 26, 2015


May 26, 2015

U.S. Poverty Campaigns

Weekly Update | May 26, 2015

“With wages still low and the wealth gap higher than ever, making EITC and CTC provisions permanent is a step in the right direction.”

– RESULTS Bremerton (WA) volunteer Grace West in a May 19 letter to the editor in the Kitsap Sun

“Tell [Congress] to make these improvements permanent. And remember, there is no recess for these families.”

– RESULTS  Des Moines volunteer Stephen Blobaum in a May 26 letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register

In This Week’s Update:

Quick Action: Register for the RESULTS International Conference!

Take Action!

Got Two Minutes? Urge Congress to Protect Tax Credits for Working Families (May Action)

For several years now, RESULTS has been pushing Congress to make critical improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) permanent. If these improvements are allowed to expire, 16 million people, including 8 million children, will fall into or deeper into poverty. Any tax bill that Congress brings up should include a permanent extension of these improvements. Congress really needs to hear that message from you. They have been busy trying to pass ill-advised tax cuts just in the last few weeks while ignoring the needs of working families. In April, the House passed a $270 billion tax cut for the 0.3 richest families in America and then just last week they passed a huge corporate tax break costing another $180 billion. They seem to have plenty of time and energy to cut taxes for those who need it least while working families face greater financial insecurity. Your letters will remind them to get their priorities straight.

TAKE ACTION: To two minutes to tell members of Congress to put working families first. Use our online e-mail action to tell your representatives and senators to make key improvements to the EITC and CTC permanent. Before sending your e-mail, please be sure to personalize the subject line and the content of the e-mail; this will increase your chances of being noticed. For additional information and talking points, see the May Action.

Got Ten Minutes? Register for the RESULTS Conference – Last Week for Discounted Registration and Hotel Rates!

As Benjamin Franklin once famously said “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Well, this is the last week for you to save not just a penny, but $100 by registering for the RESULTS International Conference before June 1. After that, our registration rates will go up by $100. Also, you must book your hotel room for the conference before June 1. After that, we cannot guarantee a room at our conference negotiated rate.

Don’t miss your chance to sign up for RESULTS’ biggest event of the year before the prices go you. REGISTER TODAY!

TAKE ACTION:  Take ten minutes to register for the 2015 RESULTS International Conference. Go to our conference website today to learn about the great speakers and exciting agenda and then sign up to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Bring a friend, go to the Gala. Do you have a friend, colleague, or family member who you know would be a great advocate? Any RESULTS volunteer who recruits a NEW person to attend the 2015 International Conference will be entered into a raffle to win two free tickets to the RESULTS 35th Anniversary Benefit Gala on July 22 with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (plus a free room night at the conference hotel for July 22). Just find a friend to join you at the conference and register in advance, then let Jos Linn ([email protected]) know who you are and the person you registered and we’ll make sure you’re entered into the raffle for Gala tickets.

Already registered for the conference? Visit our Conference Resources page to find helpful information to prepare you for this year’s conference.

Got Twenty Minutes? Call about Town Halls This Week and  Draft a Laser Talk for Events

In addition to writing letters to members of Congress about the EITC and CTC this month, use this week’s congressional recess to talk to them face-to-face about creating economic mobility for all. Members of Congress are home all this week and some might be holding town halls or other public events you can attend. Asking questions at these events is an excellent way to not only get your representatives and senators to take a public position on the issue, but to also educate others in your community about the importance of policies that lift and keep people out of poverty. Contact your House and Senate schedulers today.

Also, get ready for these events by drafting an EPIC Laser Talk about the EITC and CTC to ask a question at an event. The May Action has helpful information and talking points to help with your Laser Talk. Include stories or local data if you can; the more personal you make your question, the better. If you are not sure what to write or are new to the EPIC Laser Talk format, use our sample EITC/CTC Laser Talk to help you get started.

TAKE ACTION: Take five of your twenty minutes to contact your House and Senate schedulers about any town halls or public events that you can attend during this week’s congressional recess. Find scheduler contact information on our Elected Officials page. You can also see if you can get a last-minute face-to-face meeting or schedule one for the next time they are home. Either submit a request now or follow up on one you’ve already submitted. Then use your remaining fifteen minutes to draft an EPIC Laser Talk about the EITC and CTC. See the May Action and our sample EITC/CTC Laser Talk to help you.

Once you get a meeting or town hall confirmed, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) for coaching on specific requests for your meeting. Be sure to take copies of our Tax Credit and SNAP Lobby Meeting requests with you to these events.

Also, if you want to learn best practices for lobby meetings, including what to expect on Lobby Day at the RESULTS International Conference, join RESULTS for our Advocacy Training: Advocacy 101 Training and What to Expect at the International Conference, next Tuesday, June 2 at 8:00 pm ET. You can join the webinar online at: https://www.fuze.me/28699630 or by phone at (201) 479-4595, passcode 28699630. This webinar will also be repeated on June 24 at 9 pm ET and July 9 at 1 pm ET.

RESULTS Outreach: Welcome Salt Lake City; Invite Someone to Friday’s RESULTS Intro Call

Last Tuesday, RESULTS Director or U.S. Poverty Campaigns Meredith Dodson traveled to Salt Lake City, UT for a RESULTS outreach meeting to start a new U.S. Poverty group. Utah is a key state for us (Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which decides whether to permanently extend the EITC and CTC improvements). The event was a great success – 23 people attended and at least 7 people signed up to form a new RESULTS group. Yay! The group begins its new group training next Tuesday, June 2 at 6:30 pm MT. If you know someone in the Salt Lake City area, invite them to attend this training and join the group (contact Meredith Dodson at [email protected] for details). Welcome, Salt Lake City!

Also, our next RESULTS Introductory Call is this Friday, May 29 at 1:00 pm ET. If you want to invite someone to learn about RESULTS and how to get involved, these 30-45 minute calls are just the ticket. They’ll get to talk to a staff person about RESULTS and our work. It’s an easy, low-key, and inspiring way to introduce new people to RESULTS. Just send them the link to our RESULTS Intro Call Registration page (www.tinyurl.com/RESULTSMeetandGreet/) where they can sign up for an upcoming call.

Upcoming Events

Go to the RESULTS Events Calendar to see a full list of RESULTS events.

Next Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: May 23-31, June 29 – July 6. Request face-to-face meetings.

RESULTS Introductory Call, May 29 at 1:00 pm ET. If you are new to RESULTS, learn more about our work by joining our next RESULTS Intro Call. Register for an upcoming call on the RESULTS website.

Advocacy Training: Advocacy 101 Training and What to Expect at the International Conference, June 2 at 8:00 pm ET. Join online at: https://www.fuze.me/28699630 or by phone at (201) 479-4595, passcode 28699630. This webinar will also be repeated on June 24 at 9 pm ET and July 9 at 1 pm ET.

RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Meeting, June 13 at 12:30 pm ET. Listen to previous conference calls and meetings on our National Conference Calls page.

RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Call, June 16 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join online at: http://fuze.me/27491886; or by phone at (201) 479-4595 and enter Meeting ID: 27491886. For more information, contact Jos Linn ([email protected]).

Independence Day Holiday, July 4. All RESULTS offices closed on July 3.

Attend the RESULTS International Conference, July 18-21. Join us for the RESULTS International Conference at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC. This is the biggest event of the year for RESULTS. Register TODAY!

Find a list of the RESULTS U.S. Poverty staff with contact information on the RESULTS website.

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