A very cool thing from our Democratic Party that is so easy to share:
http://progress.democrats.org/
This website is not only fun to play with, it is yet another tool we can use to counter the distracting, deceptive, GOP-driven media narrative. I am sharing it with friends today.
Go to http://progress.democrats.org/ and enter your zip code or your state. See the hard numbers showing how President Obama and the Democratic Congress are rebuilding the economy in your area. There are also summaries of many projects funded by the Recovery Act that have not only created or retained jobs that would otherwise have been lost, but are laying the foundation for future economic growth. You can also download a nicely-formatted pdf fact sheet summarizing progress in your Congressional District, with a reminder of the challenges we inherited from the Bush-Cheney administration:
- National unemployment skyrocketed from 5.8 percent in 2002 to 9.3 percent in 2009.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
- The national debt nearly doubled from $5.7 trillion to $10.6 trillion.
Source: Treasury Department
- The deficit exploded to $1.4 trillion from a $128 billion surplus.
Source: Office of Management and Budget
For example, when I entered my Washington zip code I found these numbers:
67,000: Number of jobs created or saved through June statewide because of the Recovery Act
20,200: Number of small businesses in my Congressional District eligible for health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act
291,000: Number of middle-class families in my Congressional District that received a tax cut through the Recovery Act
12,300: Number of residents in my Congressional District with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be denied coverage by health insurance companies
3,300: Number of teachers' jobs saved statewide because Democrats passed a deficit-neutral state-aid bill
And I found these projects:
A Solution to the "Mercer Mess"
The City of Seattle is using a $30 million Recovery Act TIGER grant to solve the "Mercer Mess." The Mercer Corridor Redevelopment project will alleviate congestion around the "Mercer Mess," which has long been a major bottleneck hindering access to Seattle's fastest growing neighborhood, South Lake Union. The $160.7 million project, supported by $30 million in Recovery Act funds, will transform Mercer Street into a two-way boulevard that links South Lake Union and the Seattle Center to the rest of the Puget Sound region. The project also provides significant bicycle, pedestrian and freight improvements, including 30 blocks of sidewalks, and will relieve severe traffic congestion for the 80,000 vehicles that use it every day. The city of Seattle estimates 1,200 direct construction jobs will be created by the project, which broke ground in September 2010 and will be completed in Summer 2012.
Federal grant bringing Wi-Fi to rural areas
A $20.4 million grant announced by the federal government will make available fast wireless broadband to more than 68,000 residents in rural Stevens, Spokane and Ferry counties -- areas underserved by Economy service providers. It could generate more than 230 jobs initially and lay the groundwork for future business growth, a state press release noted. Broadband grants, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are awarded to help residents and businesses gain access to broadband information.
45,000 Jobs have been created or saved in Washington since the Recovery Act took effect.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said about 45,000 jobs have been retained or created since the stimulus money first started being released early last year. About 14,000 of those have come since October. Benton County got $1.6 million for improvements to Webber Canyon Road and $1 million for improvements to Sheridan Avenue, while Franklin County got $750,000 for highway infrastructure improvements.
420 Recovery Act grants to the University of Washington have created or retained more than 1,000 jobs.
... the University of Washington has won 420 grants and collected $191.2 million in federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The harvest of federal dollars has created or retained more than 1,000 jobs, according to the UW. 'The federal stimulus bill has been responsible for retaining or creating all types of jobs -- including those for scientists, technicians and support staff. Keeping them in Washington is vital to the future of our state's economy,' said UW President Mark Emmert. The university is citing an analysis by Dick Conway, co-publisher of Puget Sound Economic Forecasts, that money going to the university has generated $400 million worth of economic activity and can be credited with another 1,000 jobs. All told, the stimulus plan has allocated $359 million for research to Washington institutions, the majority of it to the University of Washington.
President Floyd goes to Washington
WSU has received nearly $35 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These funds created more than 200 full-time positions and have directly benefited research at the university.
And oh yes, in case you live in Washington and haven’t gotten your e-mail yet, here are the Washington State Democrats’ recommendations for voting on Nov. 2:
Congress:
Patty Murray for Senate
Jay Inslee (WA-1), Rick Larsen (WA-2), Denny Heck (WA-3), Jay Clough (WA-4), Darryl Romeyn (WA-5), Norm Dicks (WA-6), Jim McDermott (WA-7), Suzan DelBene (WA-8), and Adam Smith (WA-9) for Representative
Legislative and Local Candidates - Click here for our endorsements: http://www.wa-democrats.org/...
Statewide Measures:
Yes on Initiative 1098
Yes on Referendum 52
No on the rest
Protect your right to vote! If you have any questions or problems, go to www.yourvotecountsnow.org or call 1-877-WAvote1 (1-877-928-6831)
Once you get your ballot, remember to sign the outside of your return envelope. Drop it in the mail or at a dropoff location by November 2nd. Remember, your ballot must be postmarked by November 2nd for it to count, so make sure it is in the mail before the last pickup at your mailbox.