Stand up for students, not banks

We have an amazing opportunity right now to make college more affordable.

In the new budget, Congress is considering making a big increase in financial aid funding for low-income students. Even better, this measure wouldn't cost taxpayers a penny in new spending.

The House and Senate will hammer out a final budget plan by the end of April - please sign our petition to make sure the final plan makes higher education more affordable.

http://studentpirgs.org/action/higher-ed/budget-petition

On average, we're graduating with $17,500 in student loan debt - that makes searching for jobs, paying rent, and saving money after college a big challenge. And hundreds of thousands of qualified high school graduates are choosing not to go to college because of the high costs.

The Obama budget plan would increase the Pell grant maximum to $5,550. And it pays for itself by cutting $47 billion in excessive subsidies to banks and lenders, like Sallie Mae, and redirecting the money to students.

Banks and lenders aren't happy about $47 billion going to students instead of to themselves, and they'll do whatever they can to stop the plan. Last year, they contributed over half a million dollars to lawmakers to maintain their privileges.

We think Congress should support students, not banks.

Please sign the petition: http://studentpirgs.org/action/higher-ed/budget-petition

Jobs for Seniors!!

This is our generation's defining moment. We have inherited some very big problems - from a failing economy and a broken health care system to the challenge of global warming.

We didn't ask for these problems, but it's our responsibility to help solve them.

As you think about what to do when you graduate, consider a job with U.S. PIRG and consider being a part of solving the problems our country faces.

http://uspirg.org/jobs

• Health Care: We're paying more and getting less from our health care system. Take on the health care companies and pharmaceutical giants that resist the change we need to fix the system.
• Overdependence On Oil: Push past the powerful lobbyists from Big Oil and Detroit's Big Three to get America on the track to clean, renewable energy and public transit.
• Economy: We're on the brink of collapse. Step up to rein in Wall Street firms that triggered the crisis, and help build an economy that works for all of us.

By organizing in our communities and getting more people involved we can stand up to powerful interests, make our voices heard, and solve these problems.

President Obama got his start as an organizer, and most experts agree that his commitment to organizing the grassroots is the primary reason he won the presidency.

We've been perfecting the craft of organizing for over 35 years. We're hiring smart, talented, dedicated people and giving them a crash course in social change, a ton of responsibility from day one, and the powerful experience of helping to fix the problems facing America.

For more information and to apply check out our website: http://uspirg.org/jobs - or send us an email at: jobs@uspirg.org

Spring Kickoff Meeting!!

Can you join us to launch our spring campaigns?

CALPIRG KICKOFF MEETING
Monday, April 6
6:00pm
Olson 106

It’s the best time to find out exactly what CALPIRG is and what we’ll be working on this quarter. You can also find out about our internship program as well.

You can read more at the Facebook event:
RSVP NOW!

Don’t wait to get involved in making sure we’re solving society’s toughest problems.

Hope to see you there!!

If you can’t make our kickoff meeting you should still come to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness Conference here at UC Davis April 10-12!! Register at http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/conference

Internship Opportunities

Climate Hero Tour Update

On Monday morning I met up with students from across the state in San Francisco to kick off CALPIRG's Spring Break Climate Hero Tour. It's not too late to join us - find out how below!

Instead of spending my spring break in Cancun or Florida, I am traveling around the state with 50 other students to build support for global warming solutions.

We finally have a President and a Congress that are ready to take action, so we are calling on Congress to pass global warming legislation that is based on scientific research and dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020.

We are working to push our California Congresspeople to go "greener, cleaner, faster, stronger" in the midst of pressure from the oil and gas industry and other special interests.

At Monday's first press conference, we presented the Climate Super Hero Award to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office for her work increasing renewable energy tax credits, strengthening CAFE gas mileage standards, and investing billions of dollars in clean energy technology.

We also collected photo petitions for members of Congress and staged a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall with a backdrop of solar panels and a giant wooden wind turbine. Channel 2 KTVU recorded the story for the evening news and a team of professional filmmakers began documenting the trip.

After a quick lunch, it was off to San Jose City Hall, where students in Captain Cooldown costumes collected more photo petitions, pitched the story to reporters from the San Jose Mercury News, and dropped by Council members' offices to generate support for comprehensive climate change legislation in 2009.

It was an exciting day and a great alternative to the beaches of Mexico. For the next rest of the week, we will be driving up and down the state building more support for legislation that will bring a new era of green jobs and environmental stewardship.

It's not too late to join CALPIRG's Climate Hero Tour: Spring Break 2009! Check out the info below on how to join the tour.

Thanks,
Gabe Elsner
UC Berkeley Student
CALPIRG
http://CALPIRGstudents.org

Join the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=56380334353

Below is the itinerary for the rest of the week. Feel free to join us at a stop or at multiple stops. If you plan on staying overnight make sure to bring a sleeping bag and warm clothes, as well as money for food and to pitch in for gas.

CALPIRG Climate Hero Tour Itinerary

San Luis Obispo
Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Mitchell Park: corner of Osos & Pismo, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Santa Barbara
Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Courthouse: 1100 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

San Diego
Thursday at 10 a.m.
SD County Administration Building: 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101

Los Angeles
Friday at 10 a.m.
Los Angeles City Hall: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Unacceptable AIG

You can't make this stuff up.

AIG has received more than $170 billion in taxpayer bailout money. Now, incredibly, they want to award $165 million in bonuses to their top management.

These are the same executives whose bad business decisions drove AIG and our economy into the ground.

This is unacceptable!

Sign the petition now to demand that AIG stop paying bonuses with taxpayer money:
http://studentpirgs.org/action/consumer/stop-aig-bonuses

With the near-unanimous condemnation of their actions, and the media spotlight focused on them, you would think that AIG bosses would give back the money.

Think again.

Now, some officials are saying that AIG contracts might require that the bonuses be paid. And, in The New York Times, Andrew Sorkin wrote: "Maybe we have to swallow hard and pay up . . . "[1]

I'm not ready to pay up!

If you're not ready to pay up either, please click here to sign our petition to AIG.

How can we give multi-million dollar rewards to executives whose business decisions bankrupted a company and destabilized our economy? How is it acceptable to reward these executives with tax dollars from hard working folks who are struggling in a bad economy?

It's our generation that will be forced to pay for these mistakes for decades to come, which is why I'm fired up to make sure these bonuses are returned.

Let's make sure that AIG knows that we won't back down until these bonuses are returned. We'll also be sending copies of our petition to President Obama to urge him not to back down.

Once you sign the petition, forward it to your friends and post the link on your Facebook status.

P.S. For more on the AIG scandal, click here to read U.S. PIRG Senior Fellow Ed Mierzwinski's blog.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/business/17sorkin.html

Sign up for the 2009 Hunger Cleanup

You can make a difference in people's lives.

With an uncertain economy, more and more families are struggling with poverty. In Yolo county, 1 in 5 residents are faced with hunger. It's especially important right now that we volunteer our time and money for those in need.

The Hunger Cleanup is a serve-a-thon - a day of service and fundraising. You volunteer for a few hours in your community and get your friends and family to sponsor you. This helps local agencies meet their urgent needs, while also raising money for national and international agencies fighting poverty.

UC Davis Hunger Cleanup
Thursday, April 23rd

Please sign up now for the Hunger Cleanup: http://hungercleanup.org

Right now poverty is growing along with the struggles of low-income families. Soup kitchens and shelters can't keep up with the growing demand. Students from over a hundred schools will join the Hunger Cleanup, making this one of the largest community service events in the country.

If you can't volunteer for the day, please make a donation to help those in need: http://hungercleanup.org