It's been an exciting year. For starters, TrueMajorityAction has seen its list grow by over
100,000 concerned Americans -- which is more than the population of Green Bay, WI! All while members, like yourself, were busy working on some of the most important issues facing our country. Just take a look at some of the highlights from everything you and your fellow TrueMajorityAction members were a part of in 2007:
Iraq
We're saddened to see our troops spend another holiday season in Iraq. Recent votes in Congress make it clear that we've still got lots of work to do to get lawmakers to accept the will of most Americans for ending the war. Yet America is far closer to ending this mistake than we were at the beginning of the year, and much of that credit goes to you.
In January, more than 5,000 TrueMajorityAction members hit the streets to speak their mind at 600+ demonstrations as part of our "America Says No" campaign. Then we added them to 50,000 petitions collected online and worked with activists from across the country to hand-deliver them to Congressional offices. A month later, we launched our "Faces of War" project where each day, members downloaded a page with the photo, name, age, and other information about a U.S. service member killed in Iraq, and mailed it to the local office of that dead soldier's Congressional representative. TrueMajorityAction members also turned out for vigils and meetings across the country over the summer as part of the "Iraq Summer" campaign.
Global Warming
In May, TrueMajorityAction joined forces with Greenpeace on a historic global warming campaign called "Project Hot Seat." Our mission is simple: Push Congress to raise gas mileage standards, cut carbon emissions, and create more renewable energy. Over the summer we collected thousands of postcard signatures and hand-delivered lobby packets to Representatives when they were home on break in August.
Together we DID succeed in getting the first required increase in gas mileage in a generation, and that's a big deal. But it's not enough. That's why we'll continue turning up the heat on Congress in 2008 with Project Hot Seat.
Accountability
Whether it was demanding the resignation of Alberto Gonzales, calling on Congress to punish Blackwater for killing innocent civilians in Iraq or working to hold the giant telecommunications companies responsible for illegally spying on American citizens for the President, TrueMajorityAction members were there. And you can be sure that won't change in 2008.
Budget Priorities
Setting the federal budget priorities straight has always been of top importance for TrueMajorityAction and its members. And 2007 was no different. TrueMajorityAction members pushed Congress to provide healthcare to 4 million kids, assist those who will need help this winter paying their heating bills and redirect billions in military spending by supporting the "Common Sense Budget Act" (H.R. 1702) introduced by Rep. Lynn Woolsey.
2007 also brought with it some exciting organizational changes.
On September 1st, TrueMajorityAction merged with another young organization doing great things, USAction. While we've been connecting online with hundreds of thousands like you, they've been growing a network of state-based, on-the-ground organizers who hold rallies, set up town hall meetings and run get-out-the-vote campaigns. It's a really wonderful development and we expect 2008 to hold plenty of opportunities to combine the expertise of both groups.
Then, in November, thanks to the support of thousands of members like you,
TrueMajorityAction received more votes than any other group in the 2007 Peace Primary and was named the winner. Winning the Peace Primary also brought with it a $100,000 prize to support our work on peace in 2008.
As we enter the last year of George W. Bush's presidency, there are a lot of challenges. But there is also a lot of hope. We will be welcoming a new president to the White House in November and hopefully a more progressive Congress. Together we have a chance to move America toward its true values -- openness, compassion, and equal protection and opportunity for all. If 2007 is any indication, then we are in pretty good shape.
We created TrueMajorityAction to help people like you, who care about getting our country back on track, stay on top of what our leaders are up to and find ways to get involved when it counts. Let us know how we're doing and how we can do that job better.
We are all TrueMajorityAction.
With thanks for all that you do,
Matt, Darcy, Lil' Ben, C. Lincoln and Ben K.
