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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>To USA Colleagues,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>In this political season, are you concerned that
"Christian" priorities are being discussed mostly from the perspective of the
far right? And that candidates need to be held accountable for treating
facts with respect? The Peace with Justice Committee of our county Council
of Churches has put together a packet of materials which will go to all
affiliated churches and other faith communities that have worked with us on
past community efforts. The materials are non-partisan, dealing with
policies rather than with particular candidates or parties. I spent much of
last week editing the longer material into 2 pages for the packet, so that
church adult groups could discuss them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>In two messages are some excerpts that might interest
you personally or a church group where frank discussion is encouraged. A
third message has 2 good fact checking web sites which hold both parties
accountable for ads and candidate assertions, and a link to a League of Women
Voters site which you may find helpful re races in your own area. I hope
you will be as involved as possible in this election.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Janice Ulangca</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Preamble to Priorities for a Faithful
Federal Budget<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=3>“By following our sacred imperative to ‘love our neighbor as ourselves,’
we not only can pass a budget that makes sense, but pass a budget that begins to
create a more just society and a healthier world” said the Rev. Gradye Parsons,
Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). By March 2012, the Faithful
Budget Preamble was endorsed by 37 religious denominations and organizations.
Included are Network, a national Catholic Social Justice Lobby, and United
Methodist, United Church of Christ, Friends (Quakers),<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>ELCA (Lutheran), Unitarian Universalist,
Presbyterian, Progressive National Baptist, and Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) social justice groups.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Other endorsers include Reform Jewish and Muslim groups, Bread for the
World, and the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This Faithful Budget is being promoted
by the national “Nuns on the Bus”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>tour as well as local events in several locations including central
New York.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(Video of national Nuns
on the Bus tour at </FONT><A href=""><FONT color=#0000ff
size=3>www.billmoyers.com</FONT></A><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Click on Moyers & Company, then full
show from August 24, 2012.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=3><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">Here is</SPAN> Part 1 of an overview of
the Preamble to Faithful Budget priorities. Link to the full document at
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A
href="http://www.faithfulbudget.org"><FONT color=#0000ff
size=4>www.faithfulbudget.org</FONT></A></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">-----------------------------------------</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=4>THE PREAMBLE</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><FONT size=4><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT
size=4 face=Tahoma>Our Message to Political Leaders</FONT></SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>We write as communities of faith
where respect and care for one another is a sacred imperative and we are
learning to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” But American society as a whole
is, or should be, also such a place, where we delight in the value of each and
every one, and gladly accept a mutual responsibility for one another’s
wellbeing. …</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 8pt 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>In the current political and
economic climate, neither party is giving voice to the needs of the families who
are struggling to overcome poverty. It is simply not true that we must reduce
assistance for the poorest among us in order to achieve fiscal recovery. A
Faithful Federal Budget can advance fiscal responsibility while increasing
support for the poor and vulnerable, by focusing on job creation and economic
revitalization, an equitable tax system based on fairness, and true human
security over disproportionate military spending. …</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 8pt 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4></FONT> </P>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=4 face=Tahoma>In this time of global economic crisis, Jews, Christians,
Muslims, and other communities of faith, guided by our sacred texts, advocate a
constructive vision of the directions needed for a just society and a healthier
world. … </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=4 face=Tahoma></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">
<H2 style="TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Principles of a Faithful Federal
Budget</SPAN><BR><FONT size=4><FONT face="Times New Roman"><U>Restoring Economic
Opportunity:</U></FONT></FONT></H2>
<H2 style="TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=4>The
opportunity to work hard and improve one’s economic condition is a value that
defines this nation. But it is a reality increasingly available only to those
who are already wealthy. … The principles of “liberty and justice for all”, as
enshrined in our Pledge of Allegiance, seem hollow in light of the pace at which
wealth and opportunity have shifted from the many to the few. We believe that
everyone deserves equal opportunity and must have equal access to the building
blocks for success. <EM>We urge Congress to make the long-term investments
needed to sustain the United States’ economic renewal, create economic
opportunity for all, and work toward ending poverty. This requires investments
in high-quality, affordable education, sustainable jobs with living wages, and
policies that help families to build assets.</EM><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H2>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4><STRONG><U></U></STRONG></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4><STRONG><U>Ensuring Adequate
Resources for Shared Priorities</U></STRONG>: </FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>From the time a federal income tax
was established, the concept of a progressive tax system, based on the ability
to pay, has been widely accepted as fair and equitable. Over the last several
decades our tax system has grown less progressive, and now frequently places
more of a tax burden, as a percentage of income, on the middle class than it
does on the wealthiest among us.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>…<STRONG><EM> Investment in the
renewal of our nation’s economic well-being and protecting the poor and
vulnerable will itself serve to reduce the long-term deficit. Such investment
should be financed through an equitable tax system founded on fairness, where
those who have reaped extraordinary benefits contribute proportionately to the
good of all.</EM></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><EM><FONT
size=4></FONT></EM></STRONG> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>(Continued in Part
Two)</FONT></P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
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size=4 face=Tahoma></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
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