<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Katie Gonzalez</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:katie@massuniting.org" target="_blank">katie@massuniting.org</a>></span><br>
Date: Thu, Aug 2, 2012 at 11:51 AM<br>Subject: MassUniting Press Round-up: 8.2.12<br>To: Jason Stephany <<a href="mailto:Jason@massuniting.org" target="_blank">Jason@massuniting.org</a>>, Nora Boedecker <<a href="mailto:nora@massuniting.org" target="_blank">nora@massuniting.org</a>><br>
<br><br><br clear="all"><div><b><font size="4">MassUniting Press Round-up<br></font></b><font size="4"><font><i><font><font><font>Youth Demand Fair Jobs at Bain -- 8.2.12</font><br><br></font></font></i></font></font><a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061150023&srvc=rss" target="_blank"><b>Boston Herald I Youth Plan Protest for Summer Jobs</b></a><br>
One
hundred young people from the Youth Jobs Coalition said today they will
gather in front of the John Hancock Building on Clarendon Street at
5:15 p.m. tomorrow to urge financial companies Bain Capital and Ernst
and Young to hire youth and meet with members about this issue.<br><br>Members
said they will visit the companies’ offices in person, adding youth
leaders will also make short statements on this issue, hand out fliers
and lead chants.<br>
<font><br></font><font><font><font><font><a href="http://www.boston.com/businessupdates/2012/08/01/youth-jobs-coalition-protest/p4H9ocQKruwO4VJECcy2hI/story.html" target="_blank"><b>The Boston Globe I Youth Jobs Coalition Protest in Copley Square Calling for More Teen Hiring</b></a></font></font></font></font><br>
Members of the Youth Jobs Coalition gathered in Copley Square
Wednesday afternoon to protest what they call a lack of teen hiring by
Bain Capital, LLC, accounting firm Ernst & Young, and other Boston
companies.
<p>While the city’s youth employment program reached its goal of 10,000
jobs this summer, members of the coalition say that more needs to be
done. They cited statistics from the Center for Labor Market Studies at
Northeastern University that show only 39 percent of Massachusetts youth
had jobs last summer, compared with 62 percent in 1999. The city’s
statistics show that among the 590 Boston companies with 100 employees
or more, 80 percent do not hire teens for summer jobs.
</p>
<p>Lewis Finfer, a leader of the Youth Jobs Coalition, said Bain and
Ernst & Young had not returned calls seeking a meeting about the
issue and that the group would hand-deliver letters during the protest
to ask for such meetings. At the demonstration, which attracted about 40
youth and organizers, the group also applauded youth hiring efforts by
John Hancock and State Street Corp.; the group defines youth as 14- to
18-year-olds.</p><p><i>Boston Janitors To Protest Today -- 8.2.12</i></p><b><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/01/4681794/janitors-and-supporters-in-17.html" target="_blank">PR Newswire I Janitors and Supporters in 17 Cities Rally to End Poverty Wage Jobs in Houston, Says SEIU</a></b><br>
Support
for Houston janitors is spreading across the country following the
Tuesday arrests of seven people, including 5 janitors, who participated
in an act of peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience at a protest in
support of a living wage for Houston janitors.<br><br>Today, hundreds of
janitors and human rights activists in 17 cities are protesting in
front of office buildings cleaned by the same cleaning contractors that
employ Houston janitors—who are now on their fourth week of an unfair
labor practices strike.<br><br>The cities where solidarity actions are
taking place are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit,
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City,
Portland, San Diego, San Ramon, Seattle, St. Louis, Toronto, and
Washington, D.C.<br><br><a href="http://hereisthecity.com/2012/08/02/janitor-says-call-me-jamie/" target="_blank"><b>HITC Business I Online Campaign Trashes Jamie Dimon</b></a><br>The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has launched a
national online advertising campaign calling on JP Morgan Chase CEO
Jamie Dimon to meet with striking Houston janitor Adriana Vasquez, with
the tagline 'Call Me, Jamie'.
<p>The online ads, which feature images of Dimon and Vasquez and
allow viewers to send an email appeal to Dimon, are running in New York,
Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.</p><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/seiu-launches-national-ad-campaign-calling-on-jpmorgan-chase-ceo-to-meet-striking-houston-janitor-2012-08-01" target="_blank"><b>The Wall Street Journal I SEIU Launches National Ad Campaign Calling on JPMorgan Chase CEO to Meet Striking Houston Janitor</b></a><br>
Janitors
in Houston, who are paid as little as $9,000 a year, have been on
strike for three weeks protesting unfair practices by cleaning companies
employed by JPMorgan Chase and other Houston building owners. The
online campaign contrasts the janitors with Dimon, who pays himself
$9,000 every 49 minutes leading a company that reported $19 billion in
profits in 2011.<br><br>The ads will run on more than 1,000 websites,
including the New York Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Houston
Chronicle, the Nation Magazine and other national publications.
Additional ads have also been launched tying national real estate firms
Brookfield Properties to poverty wages in Houston.<br></div><font size="4"><font><i><font><br><font>Foreclosures -- 8.2.12<br>
<br></font></font></i></font><font><font><a href="http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/tucker-family-fights-against-foreclosure" target="_blank"><b>WWLP I Tucker Family Fights Against Foreclosure</b></a><br>
(With Video)</font><br></font></font>The Tucker family's home was foreclosed on, and they say the bank has not been willing to work with them on a compromise.<br><br>They
could be given a 48 hour eviction notice any day now, but the Tuckers
say they plan on fighting it with some help from the community.<br>
<br>According to Catrece Tucker, "We're not giving up, we're not moving.
We have a program that's working with us, ‘No One Leaves,’ and if they
come out to put us out we'll have an eviction blockade."<br>
<br>Members of “No One Leaves” say they will form a humane blockade and are prepared to be arrested.<br><br><a href="http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2012-08-03/Your_City/Senate_House_Agree_on_Legislation_Preventing_Mortg.html" target="_blank"><b>Leominster Champion I Senate, House Agree on Legislation</b> <b>Preventing Mortgage Foreclosures</b></a><br>
State Representative Dennis A. Rosa (D-Leominster) joined his
colleagues in the Legislature on Thursday in sending legislation to the
Governor that will prevent unnecessary and unlawful foreclosures, reduce
the number of abandoned properties across the Commonwealth and help
remove one of the biggest remaining barriers to the state’s ongoing
economic recovery.
<p>“Representing one of the legislative districts hardest hit by the
foreclosure crisis, I want to commend everyone involved in putting forth
this very important and thoughtful piece of legislation, said Rosa.
There is nothing like owning your own home, and with the passage of this
bill it will help families keep their homes, stay in their communities,
and enjoy the benefits of homeownership. This is definitely a
steppingstone to strengthening our economy.”</p><b>State House News Service I Activists Object to Language in Foreclosure Bill on Gov's Desk</b><br>(No link)<b><br></b><font face="Arial">Anti-foreclosure activists have seized on
language within the foreclosure bill on Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk that
they say could hamper those who have lost their homes to foreclosure
from recovering the properties in lawsuits.<br>
<br>
The language says that third-party buyers will “be immune from any
liability” when they buy foreclosed property even in cases where the
foreclosure was improperly handled because the foreclosing entity did
not hold the note for the property, according to Jason
Stephany, of MassUniting, a liberal activist group. Even if the
foreclosure was improper in that way, the third-party buyer would get to
keep the property as long as the foreclosing entity files an affidavit
that says it has complied with the law.
<br>
<br>
“The affidavit could be a lie,” said Grace Ross, a former Green-Rainbow
candidate for governor. “You go to court; you prove that it was a lie;
you still can’t get your home back.”<br>
<br>
However, one of the drafters of the law said that the activists are fighting for a right that does not currently exist.<br>
<br>
“I don’t think Grace and their group can cite one case where the
homeowner ever got their house back,” said Adam Martignetti, chief of
staff to Rep. Michael Costello, a lead conferee on the conference
committee that reconciled House and Senate versions of the
bill. He said he had not seen a case where a person defaulted on a
mortgage, lost a home in foreclosure and then successfully sued to take
the house back from a third-party that had bought the home in a
foreclosure auction.
<br>
</font><br><a href="http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/01/13068766-regulator-defies-white-house-rejects-mortgage-plan?chromedomain=bottomline" target="_blank"><b>NBC News I Regulator Defies White House, Rejects Mortgage Plan</b></a><br>
In
the latest chapter in the long-simmering feud, Edward DeMarco, head of
the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said Tuesday that offering relief to
homeowners with bloated mortgages could encourage more people to
default. The agency’s latest analysis defended DeMarco’s assertion that
the White House plan would not stop enough foreclosures to be a
cost-effective use of taxpayer funds....<br><br>The conflicting analysis
of the plan's impact reflect differing assumptions about how many
struggling homeowners would apply for help and whether modifying their
loans would save them from default. The debate has also been heavily
influenced by political differences over whether tax dollars paid by
homeowners who are keeping up with loan payments should be used to help
others who are struggling. <br><br>Even as the housing market has
begun showing signs of bottoming after the worst collapse since the
Great Depression, roughly one in every four homeowners with a mortgage
owes more than their home is worth. Those “underwater” households
represent a continued drag on home sales because their owners -- from
growing families looking for more space to older people looking to
downsize -- can’t afford to pay off their mortgage.<br><br>So far, the
Obama administration’s efforts to prod lenders to write down underwater
mortgages have fallen far short of expectations. With less than 100 days
to the November election, the administration is eager to convince
voters that it has made every effort to help ease the financial pain of
the housing collapse and the resulting recession.<br><br>Obama’s
Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, has argued that the government’s
efforts have only prolonged the housing downturn and that the real
estate market should be allowed to hit bottom to build a sustainable
recovery.<p><i>MBTA -- 8.2.12</i></p><a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/08/01/doubling-the-ride-fare-strains-users/r3ChpbTdgbUvajQaYtzqTL/story.html?camp=newsletter" target="_blank"><b>The Boston Globe I Doubling of MBTA Shuttle Fares Strains Disabled Users</b></a><br>
James
Nowlan, who uses a wheelchair and is on a fixed income, had to make
some changes when MBTA fare increases took effect July 1. He depends on
The Ride shuttle for disabled people, but he can’t afford to pay an
extra $80 per month for his usual 40 rides.<br><br>To cut costs, Nowlan,
51, now volunteers just two days per week instead of three. He also
uses the Salem Council on Aging shuttle instead of The Ride as much as
possible.<br><br>For the Council on Aging service, he pays a $1
suggested donation for an in-town, one-way trip, versus $4 for the same
trip on The Ride.<br><br>“I’m kind of cutting back a little bit because I
have medical appointments coming up and will probably have to use The
Ride,” said Nowlan, who has muscular dystrophy. “I enjoy volunteering,
but I can’t do as much now. My rent is going up, and I can’t be spending
more on my transportation.”<br><br>Around the region, disabled people
are feeling an especially tight pinch from last month’s MBTA fare
increases. While average T fares rose 23 percent, users of The Ride now
pay 100 percent more, as one-way rates jumped from $2 to $4. And since
many who use The Ride are unable to work, higher fees need to come out
of their fixed incomes.<br clear="all"><br><i>Sen. Scott Brown -- 8.2.12<br><br></i><a href="http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/08/01/scott-brown-promoted-colonel-national-guard-honored-ceremony-with-john-mccain/XtCjGNDP8cG0auPsy5lsaL/story.html" target="_blank"><b>The Boston Globe I Scott Brown, Promoted to Colonel in National Guard, Honored in Ceremony with John McCain</b></a><br>
In a private ceremony presided over by Senator John McCain in the US
Capitol on Wednesday, Senator Scott P. Brown formally became a colonel
in the Army National Guard, according to Brown’s office.
<p>Brown’s promotion from lieutenant colonel was approved by his Senate
colleagues late last week as part of series of 800 promotions adopted
with unanimous consent. <br></p><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79282.html?hp=l7" target="_blank"><b>Politico I Scott Brown, McCain Bond Over Military</b></a><br>When
he heard a few years ago that a Republican was planning to run for Ted
Kennedy’s Senate seat in deep-blue Massachusetts, Sen. John McCain
thought it was “a pretty good joke.”<br><br><b><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/08/02/scott_brown_urged_by_gun_control_group_to_back_federal_assault_weapons_ban/" target="_blank">The Boston Globe I Big Ad to Goad Congress on Assault Guns</a><br>
</b><span>A Newton-based advocacy group is calling on US Senator Scott Brown
and other members of Congress to support a federal ban on assault
weapons, and the group plans to add a banner on Thursday to a billboard
near Fenway Park that highlights the dangers of gun violence. “How can
Congress live with themselves, knowing they allow criminals and
terrorists to buy guns undetected?” said John Rosenthal, founder and
chairman of Stop Handgun Violence.<br><br><a href="http://barnstable-hyannis.patch.com/articles/senator-brown-to-lunch-in-hyannis-what-would-you-ask-him" target="_blank"><b>Barnstable-Hyannis Patch I Scott Brown to Lunch in Hyannis -- What Would You Ask Him?</b></a></span><br>
Senator
Scott Brown will get some face-time with local residents at a Cape Cod
Chamber sponsored luncheon at the Hyannis Golf Club on August 8. <br><br>The
doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and the Senator will arrive shortly
thereafter to have one-on-one conversations with those present. Lunch
will be served while the Senator addresses the group. Reservations must
be made in advance through the Cape Cod Chamber website or by calling
the Chamber directly at <a href="tel:508-362-3225%2C%20ext.%20%C2%A0532" value="+15083623225" target="_blank">508-362-3225, ext. 532</a>. Tickets are $28 per
person and include lunch in the terrace room.<br><br><span><a href="http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/letters/ci_21216818/vote-scott-brown-is-one-job-creation" target="_blank"><b>Sentinel & Enterprise I A Vote For Scott Brown is One for Job Creation</b></a><br>
</span>(Letter to the editor)<br><span><p>We need our elected officials and political
candidates to be advocating for policies that will encourage job
creation, not deter it. Scott Brown knows that with almost 250,000
Massachusetts citizens out of work, creating jobs should be Washington's
No. 1 priority.
</p><p>With that in mind, he has passed innovative solutions, such as
the Hire a Hero Act, which gives tax incentives to companies that hire
veterans, and proposed other ideas designed to boost hiring, including
tax cuts on small businesses so they can create more employment
opportunities.
</p></span><span><font color="#888888"><br>-- <br>Katie Gonzalez<div>Communications Assistant</div><div><b>MASS</b>UNITING</div><br>
</font></span></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div>"Our goal is a society that prioritizes the needs of all before the profits of the few." passed by Occupy Boston General Assembly 11/29/11</div>
<br>