By Megan Slack –

Unless the House of Representatives takes action before January 1, 2013, taxes will go up on 114 million middle-class families. Nearly everyone in Washington agrees that’s a bad idea. That’s why President Obama is calling for — and the Senate has already passed — legislation that will keep the middle class from paying thousands of extra dollars next year.

Republicans in the House of Representatives, however, are refusing to extend middle-class tax cuts without also giving massive tax cuts to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. In fact, House Republicans have proposed their own tax plan that would actually raise taxes on 25 million families making less than $250,000, while giving families making more than $1 million an average tax cut of $160,000 next year.

Here are 11 facts about the two plans and what’s at stake for middle-class families.

Go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/08/15/11-facts-about-tax-debate

By Hadas Kuznits

Philadelphia (CBS) — Over 35,000 union workers were estimated to have attended this afternoon’s Stand for America rally at Eakins Oval.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee, says the Workers Stand for America rally is sure to send a message to lawmakers about what’s important to America’s working class.

“The second bill of rights is so incredibly important so that we make sure that we can reinforce our focus on fighting for the middle class and working families.”

Liz McElroy, secretary treasurer of the Philadelphia AFL CIO says there’s nothing wrong with wanting a better life.

“We want to advance an agenda where it’s okay to have a middle class again and workers who speak up for their rights are not vilified and people who have a decent pension and maybe a little healthcare when they retire aren’t the enemy.”

Thousands turned out for this rally. Many were bussed in from across the country.

By Alfred Lubrano —

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER —

They came in buses to Philadelphia, proudly wearing the t-shirts of their unions.

By mid-day Saturday, organizers of a national AFL-CIO rally claimed more than 35,000 attended, exceeding expectations. Police did not provide crowd estimates.

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman took to the podium in the minutes following Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his vice president.

When she mentioned Ryan, the crowd booed loudly. When they finished, she said, “I couldn’t agree more. What a devastating impact a Romney-Ryan ticket would have on working families.

She added, “A child needs an education more than a million needs a tax break,” she said to cheers from the crowd.

The crowd, which spilled over onto the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, also cheered when she invoked President Obama.

The event, Workers Stand for America, was organized by the AFL-CIO, to draw attention to issues involving the middle class.

“This is about changing the conversation in America,” said Liz McElroy, secretary-treasurer of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO said Friday. “It’s about making sure politicians of all stripes hear us.”

The rally is open to all, union and nonunion workers alike. Organizers expected about 20,000 arriving on 300 buses from nearby states.

On Friday, union officials including Trumka signed the rally’s centerpiece, America’s Second Bill of Rights. Organizers will ask politicians to sign the five-point bill, which calls for the right to obtain full employment, participate in the voting process, form unions, receive a quality education, and be able to count on retirement and health-care benefits. The rally is drawing international media attention —-

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120811_They_came_in_buses__proudly_wearing_the_t-shirts_of_their_unions.html

“Workers Stand for America” Rally – Saturday,  August 11, 2012 at 11AM
Attention: Philadelphia Area Union Brothers, Sister, Family Members and Supporters,

On Saturday, August 11^th, 2012, the National AFL-CIO has chosen the City of Philadelphia, the birthplace of American Freedom, to conduct the largest and most important rally of union members and their families that we may ever see in our lifetime. The event is titled “Workers Stand for America” and will take place at Eakins Oval located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, directly across from the Philadelphia Art Museum, beginning at 11:00 AM.

The purpose of the “Workers Stand for America” rally is to call together every union, not only in our State of Pennsylvania, but from the surrounding states of New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. to send a unified message to all politicians, at every level of government, that ‘we are the electors’ and will no longer tolerate the type of partisan politics that has for the past several years, caused the economic crippling of our nation to linger without resolution while at the same time ignoring the financial problems of millions of middle class American citizens, who are losing their homes at the rate of over eight thousand (8,000) families per day due to mortgage defaults.

If this is not a good enough reason to stand up and rally together, then there will never be one! The “Workers Stand for America” rally is just too important to miss!

Therefore, each and every union member is urged to make plans to attend, along with any members of your family that wish to participate.

                                                         New Campaign to Refocus National Debate on
                                                       Economic Opportunity and Middle-Class Rights

                               Unions Announce Aug. 11, Rally in Support of America’s Second Bill of Rights

For Immediate Release

July 12, 2012
                                                                                                                   Contact:       Jim Spellane 202-728-6014
                                                                                                                                       Josh Goldstein 202-637-5018

 Washington, D.C. – At a press event, union leaders announced plans to launch a national campaign to refocus America’s national priorities on the needs of working men and women, demanding an economy
that works for all, not just those at the top.

“In many ways, what we are saying here today is not new,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka at the National Press Club news makers press conference July 12. “What is new is the energy we plan to put behind insisting that the power structure in America pay attention to the needs of the men and women whose labor drives this country.”

“Workers Stand for America” will feature a major rally on Aug. 11 in Philadelphia, bringing together working people – union and nonunion – in the run-up to the Democratic and Republican national conventions to urge elected officials to stand with working families in supporting a Second Bill of Rights promoting individual freedom and economic opportunity for all.

“Economic recovery is not reaching the vast majority of working men and women in America, and it is time to refocus the agenda on rebuilding economic opportunity for all,” said International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers President Edwin D Hill. “Our message to both political parties is to return to the basic values that created America’s best days.”

Emphasizing the nonpartisan nature of the event, Hill said, ” Republicans and Democrats need to hear what the people are saying and break through the gridlock and the attacks on the rights of workers at all levels of government.”

Inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s proposed 1944 economic Bill of Rights, rally participants will be encouraged to sign their names to America’s Second Bill of Rights, which will be presented to delegates at both nominating conventions.”

America’s Second Bill of Rights is a broad-based statement of what the American people need and deserve,” Trumka said. “If some of it sounds redundant, it is because we once took some of these rights for granted.”

More information on the Aug.11 rally as well as the Second Bill of Rights is available on www.WorkersStandforAmerica.com .

The Second Bill of Rights is also available for people to sign online.

“This is not a union bill of rights, ” Trumka said. “And our campaign and rally on Aug. 11 is not just for union members. As the largest body of organized working people in America, the labor movement is
leading the way, but we invite all who share our goals and values to sign on in support of America’s Second Bill of Rights. “

Who:

• Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO

• Edwin D. Hill, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

For more information, go to www.WorkersStandforAmerica.com . Follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorkersStandforAmerjca and on Twitter at @workers4America