The #RustBelt Revival

Our farm is in a once-industrial region whose population has been in steady decline for well over a century.

In the Mohawk Valley of NY, along the Erie Canal, are abandoned textile mills, food processing facilities, factories, whole towns.

I still wonder at the explosive growth of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

One by one, local small businesses re-purpose stone and brick mills. Bridges are repaired. Broadband is icumen in.

Yes we CAN #BuildBackBetter

RT @Women2Dc@twitter.com

🚨JUST NOW: I just ran into @Sen_JoeManchin@twitter.com! I begged him to #BeAHero, stand up for working people, for WVians who overwhelmingly support #BuildBackBetter and the healthcare, childcare, housing, climate funds, dental care it provides.

He said, “Why don’t you run for office?”

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/Women2Dc/status/1453069784141254664

Hit one of the Nola history guy’s accounts with a big ole block in the first significant accomplishment of the @HellOrBywater Mastadon administration. #BuildBackBetter

The "Pay For It" Scam

Great video by the very hot Carlos Maza. His videos are always great tho. Highly recommended. While it's technically about US politics, these strategies are most certainly not exclusive to the US.

https://youtu.be/MCKeXhta3H0

#CarlosMaza #politics #BuildBackBetter #MedicareForAll #GreenNewDeal

@TonyStark OK, OK but I’m telling Bennet and Hickenlooper to send any personal bills of Manchin’s down the laundry chute until he passes #BuildBackBetter …

This is an important reminder that although I am also sick of Joe Manchin, not one Republican is behind #BuildBackBetter in the Senate. Zero.

What good have Republicans done in the last decade for ordinary, working American families? They lowered taxes a lot for really rich people, made health care more expensive, and fought for the rights of big business to ruin our environment. 

Republican response to COVID-19 has been to spread the disease and make it more difficult for everyone. Republican response to a bill that would be great for everyone in the country is to reject it.

They get much more of the blame.

Opinion | Joe Manchin isn’t the only obstacle to Build Back Better:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/20/joe-manchin-isnt-only-obstacle-build-back-better/

#BuildBackBetter

Lowers child care costs for working families.

Establishes free, high-quality universal pre-school programs for all three- and four-year-olds.

Permanently authorizes the first-ever national paid family and medical leave guarantee for U.S. workers.

Extends the expanded Child Tax Credit, first enacted in Biden's American Rescue Plan, to make sure nearly 40 million American families continue to receive this tax cut. It will also ensure lower-income families are permanently eligible for full benefits, helping to cut child poverty nearly in half.

Extends the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to provide financial support to millions of low-wage workers, including millions of essential workers.

And a lot more. This is an investment plan to help real human beings. When I look at the programs in the bill, I can’t think of a better use of government.

CBO delivers surprisingly good news to Democrats on Build Back Better:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/18/why-dems-shouldnt-listen-to-the-cbo/

@MariaHill While a certain Dem Rep. in ME-02 voted for the infrastructure bill, he was among those who stoped a vote on #BuildBackBetter . SSRMaineFO accounts are still working on him, or maybe working him over?
☕️😏

Both infrastructure bills should indeed be passed immediately. However, Joe Manchin and 50 Republicans still exist.

Manchin said he doesn't like the Democratic bills because they spend too much money. He stated that the people of W VA are just like him - they don't spend beyond their means and neither should the government. What?

What Manchin is leaving out is that W VA folk are not noted for having the "means' to spend much money on anything. They are among the poorest people in the US and the world. The social infrastructure bill would actually move 25% of Manchin's constituents out of poverty, i.e., put thousands in cash and it's equivalents into their pockets and bank accounts of West Virginians who need it and they won't be the ones paying for it: people like Manchin and his friends will.

Someone needs to take this message to them because Manchin sure won't. #BuildBackBetter

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/04/memo-democrats-be-loud-be-proud/

Public transportation: $2.8 billion would be invested over five years.

Broadband expansion and assistance: Pennsylvania would receive $100 million to expand broadband internet to nearly 400,000 state residents, and assist 2.9 million low-income families in Pennsylvania by making them eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit to help them pay for broadband.

Biden's plans fund public transportation, roads and bridges, abandoned mine reclamation, broadband and other physical infrastructure projects, create thousands of new local job opportunities and improve education. This is just in #Pennsylvania.

It's paid for. It's an investment. It helps everyone. The only reason Republicans are against it is because it cuts into their and their high-income donors' pile. It's time for all of us to speak up wherever we can in support of #BuildBackBetter and get this country moving forward.

Biden's infrastructure bill: These projects could get a boost from funds:
https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/20/bidens-infrastructure-bill-projects-boost-funds-bridge-roads/8524094002/

@TonyStark

Wow! Thanks Tony, this is amazing. Just called. Will send a text too. Sending these link to a few friends that are not on mastodon.

#BuildBackBetter

@TonyStark
Oh wow! That map's pretty cool! I'm making the time to encourage my Dem senators to keep working to pass #BuildBackBetter

Pretty cool link about the #BuildBackBetter Act.

70% of Americans support the Build Back Better Act. A handful of Senators, corporations, and billionaires who are benefitting from being against progress want to block it.

Click on this map to see how it helps where you live and call or write your Senators to make sure they represent us. #CallToAction :CTA:

You can be connected by calling 202-224-3121, you can look up office numbers, addresses, and emails at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members, or you can use a service like https://resist.bot/. Yes, it's a holiday but you can leave messages or email/text. Thank you.

Build Back Better plan: How it will help you-
https://thedemlabs.org/2021/10/11/whats-in-the-build-back-better-plan-for-you-freedom-to-thrive/

@TonyStark
There's been so much assault by Republicans on democracy, it's easy to forget their assault on the environment.

But we can't and we need both bills to pass. Every day, evidence mounts. #BuildBackBetter is good for people, jobs, and the climate.

@TonyStark

The world can’t afford another decade of inaction, and what Congress does next will help determine the future of the climate.

Please Call your States members of Congress and tell them to support the #BuildBackBetter infrastructure bills.

The #BuildBackBetter plan could be our last, best chance to pass serious climate legislation. It has to be passed alongside the bipartisan infrastructure package.

The main points:

- Clean Electricity Payment Program that gets us on the path to 100% clean, renewable power by 2035.
- Civilian Climate Corps that creates millions of good-paying jobs working on essential climate projects, and with pathways to long-term careers.
- The elimination of all subsidies for fossil fuel corporations, including all direct and indirect subsidies.
- Polluters Pay Climate Action Fund to make big polluters pay for the damage they've caused with the resulting funds going to support climate projects.
- Tax incentives for clean energy and clean vehicles, full funding for electric buses and EV charging stations, and policies to ensure 40% of funds go to frontline communities.

We can't wait. Both must pass.

Major Climate Action at Stake in Fight Over Twin Bills Pending in Congress: https://nyti.ms/3apQyka

The author of this piece is right. The payoff down the road is worth much more than the price of the #BuildBackBetter plan and these investments in infrastructure are long overdue.

The U.S. House of Representatives is back this week. Can you make a call to your House Rep. at 202-224-3121 or to a local office and ask them to make this happen? Here's an idea of what to say:

"Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I know the House may vote on the Build Back Better plan this week. Congress needs to support the full $3.5 trillion in investments in healthcare, eldercare, childcare, education, housing, child tax credits, clean energy and more, funded by making big corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. It’s time for our tax code to reward work, not wealth. Oh, and make sure the subsidies for fossil fuel are removed from the plan. Thanks." #CallToAction :CTA:

Column: There's more to 'Build Back Better' than its price tag-
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-09-17/bidens-infrastructure-plan-would-be-costly-but-worthwhile

RT @SecGranholm@twitter.com

#RunningOnSunshine is the cheapest+fastest way to grow our source of clean energy, power homes in the U.S. by 2035, & employ ~1.5 million people.

Our blueprint supports @POTUS@twitter.com' #BuildBackBetter Agenda w/ strong renewable energy & decarbonization policies.https://bit.ly/3jSmVgM

@TonyStark This is the first step of many. #BuildBackBetter

That’s how progress happens.

Biden showing us how a President can actually make a deal. And showing us what an actual infrastructure week looks like.

If this ultimately passes, it is entirely because we have President Joe Biden. When your roads get fixed, you can thank Joe. The GOP had four years with the former guy and couldn't even get one bill together.

Investing back into America's infrastructure, to pay future dividends, is the best example of placing America and its people first. #BuildBackBetter

Here’s how the bipartisan infrastructure deal would invest $280 billion in transportation:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/07/28/transportation-spending-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal/