WNPJ Action Alerts: Week of January 30th

Action Alert 1: Feb. 4th: Say NO to war on Iran
Action Alert 2: Push for proper cleanup at Badger
Action Alert 3: Save Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Action Alert 4: Stop plan to gut campaign-finance laws

Action Alert 1: Feb. 4th: Say NO to war on Iran
Background: Even though Defense Secretary Leon Panetta admitted as recently as January 8th that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon, the U.S. is escalating a campaign of economic sanctions and military threats against Iran, maintaining the position that any Iranian "nuclear capability" must be stopped. On Tuesday, President Obama said in the State of the Union address that "No option is off the table" with regard to Iran, a phrase widely understood to be a threat of military attack. On January 12th, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in a car bomb attack, the fifth such attack in the past two years.
Take Action: Peace organizations around the country have called for Saturday, February 4th to be a national day of action against war and sanctions on Iran. Click here to see events scheduled (there are currently no events listed for Wisconsin) or to post an event of your own. If you plan a Feb. 4 event, please send event details to info@wnpj.org so we can include them in our online events calendar.
Contact for more info: International Action Center, 212-633-6646, online contact form here...

Action Alert 2: Push for proper cleanup at Badger
Background: As part of the cleanup plan for the former Badger Munitions plant in Baraboo, the Army is required to test groundwater and soil at the site for traces of the toxic byproducts of explosives manufacture. One of these is dinitrotoluene (DNT). Although the Army regularly tests groundwater for all six forms of DNT, it has limited soil testing to only two forms (isomers) of the carcinogenic compound.  As a result, the total amount of DNT in surface and subsurface soils left by the Army could be significantly underestimated.  The Army has refused to test soil for all six forms of DNT, claiming it "could not justify spending already limited funds" to do so. Soon after the Army's decision, the Wisconsin DNR, which had earlier ordered the Army to test for all forms of DNT in both the water and soil at the site, withdrew its order.
Take Action: Members of the Badger Oversight Management Commission – which include representatives of local, state, federal and tribal government – sent a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) supporting its earlier effort to require the U.S. Army to test soils for all six forms of the explosive dinitrotoluene (DNT). Click here to send your own letter to the DNR urging them to "really clean up Badger."
Contact for more info: Laura Olah, Citizens for Clean Water Around Badger, 608-643-3124, info@cswab.org

Action Alert 3: Save Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Background: President Obama is completing work on his FY2013 budget recommendations, due out in early February. One program under threat of cuts is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which received $45 billion from the 2009 stimulus bill to serve the growing number of families seeking food assistance. The SNAP program is scheduled to be cut in 2013 and time limits for low-income adults without dependents which had been suspended could be reinstated.
Take Action: Anti-hunger advocates are urging the President to continue his support for SNAP and other nutrition and low-income safety net programs. Click here to email the President to urge him to continue full finding for this essential nutrition program.
Contact for more info: Scott D. Anderson, Wisconsin Council of Churches, 608-837-3108, sanderson@wichurches.org

Action Alert 4: Stop plan to gut campaign-finance laws
Background: Wisconsin law requires anyone donating to a political campaign to disclose their occupation and employer if they donate more than $100. This disclosure requirement helps citizens track the special interests that are financing political campaigns and helps expose conflicts of interest. SB 292, A new bill in the state Senate, would eliminate the disclosure requirement for donations of up to $250 in a calendar year. For offices with four-year terms such as governor and state senator, this means contributions of up to $1,000 could be made over the course of an election cycle with no disclosure of the financial interests of the donor. WNPJ member group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign says, "Our searchable online database of contributions to candidates for state office is 100% dependent on the disclosure law that SB 292 would cripple."
Take Action: Please contact your state Senator to urge them to keep our current campaign donation disclosure requirements in place and vote against SB 292.
Contact for more info: Beverly Speer, Advocacy Director, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 608-255-4260, speer@wisdc.org

WNPJ is forwarding these weekly alerts from member organizations, individual members and national affiliates. If you are a WNPJ member and have an alert you would like posted , please send it to Steve Burns at: outreach@wnpj.org