50 Comments

Public Accountability grps. w/environmental focus, highly rated (99-100%) by Charity Navigator:

Public Citizen (PC), Climate & Energy Group – Mission: To champion public interest in the halls of power through consumer advocacy. They promote solutions to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis. They work to end injustice by phasing out polluting industries, holding polluters accountable, and ensuring strong public health & environmental protections for economically disadvantaged/vulnerable communities: https://www.citizen.org/topic/climate-energy/

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) – Mission: To place rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions by experts and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future. UCS conducts scientific research focusing on the environment (climate, energy, transportation, food) and democracy, providing critical information to government officials: https://www.ucsusa.org/

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I serve on Public Citizen's board-- an excellent group! Thanks for these recommendations.

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Public citizen is an excellent group. They do their own work in court not just tell you who to vote for

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Thanks for the info, Lee.

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You are so right. All of us humanists snd environmentalists, etc etc, very soon will be labeled terrorists. We must all stay together, face reality, get our families and friends snd the few great politicians into this fight with intelligence and our continued love of people, animals, justice, acceptance of all of our

Differences of which we are PROUD!

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Thank you. I’ve been getting your newsletter for years and now on Substack. You’re a real champion for working people. Thank you.

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I join Lee Alekel in recommending the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) as a premier guardian of our environment. I have been a member for decades.

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We too have been members for decades. UCS also fights to protect our democracy and fights mightily against nuclear war. Great organization with deep scientific knowledge & experts.

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MAGA supporters are adamant that Trump would never cut Medicade and Social Security. They are in for a big shock!

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Many fools thought trump was helping them when he cut the s.s. payroll tax during the pandemic but stopping the funding will just bankrupt social security sooner. He bragged about it in the end of the campaign, it should have backfired but there are a lot of voters that haven't figured out any member of congress can write an immigration bill any time

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Yeah, boy. Stand by.

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SOMEHOW the lower-income folks who voted for the MAGA huckster do not know they will be the ones to suffer the most from his so-called "policies". How do progressive groups reach these folks??

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We all did everything we could, trying to explain to friends and coworkers what Trump is all about. It seemed they always assured me that they got their news from many sources besides Fox News but it was apparent each day that they did not. The news they saw was evidently filtered, carefully and patiently twisting their perspective into one that will hurt them.

They will have to find out the hard way. Again. I swear I thought that they would look back to the daily circus that was 2016-2020 and the wildly inappropriate Cabinet picks and say no to Trump.

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My view is that it is near impossible for the average citizen to "deprogram" folks who are part of a cult. Surely, not all Trump voters are part of this cult -- some just were ill informed because of Fox (not news) and other far right "news" sources, despite many reliable news sources available.

Not sure how, but we have lots of work to do to educate voters, perhaps first by listening to their primary concerns (economy, immigration, and yes democracy!) and addressing these concerns transparently with viable solutions & not mere slogans.

I know I'm preaching to the choir!

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Before we can educate voters, we must educate our children--something the GOP is not at all interested in. Send them to private schools, on public money, which teach the capitalist, Christian Nationalist agenda.

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The Christian Nationalist (& White Nationalist) agenda to ruin our public system of education is very real -- you are correct that their plan is to siphon money away from publicly funded schools and eventually destroy public education. Frightening!

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I wonder, Jim, that you state this as though this guy is installed, already, as secretary. Along with by a whole bunch of other atrocious rich people, he must be confirmed or rejected by the Senate, before being installed, or not.? There are multiple resistance groups circulating petitions against virtually every move Trump is trying to make. In addition to calling our Congressman and Senators, at every opportunity to specifically object to, or support (if anything should happen to be palatable) any item, we can sign every petition that we agree with. Constant resistance is the key.

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So you think for a moment any GOP member of the Senate will risk the Great Leader's wrath? Wishful thinking.

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I have hope that my reps are sensitive enough to be persuaded to vote as constituents ask, and try to feather their own nest’s for reelection potential, rather than go down the drain with Trumps destructive policies. It is much better than standing by and waiting for the storm to come and pass.

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Hope sometimes seems paper thin.. and then I read the Lowdown . and then I know we have people fighting for the people.." everyone does better when everyone does bette"r.. thanks

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AMEN! Jim.

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Capitalism/profits are the motivating force behind Trump's team which we will all pay for.

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The scale of corruption is staggering, with all the foxes guarding the chicken-coops. To extend your food analogy, what a feast!

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I tried to post a small remembrance of the now deceased Former US Senator Fred Harris. It has disappeared. I don’t know if I did that on mistake or what happened to the post. It was respectful in nature.

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Trump has actually said he won't cut either. I want to believe him, but his neverending lies make it very difficult. P.S. My only source of income is a Social Security check every month.

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I was trying to pay my last respect to a person who was a role model to me. He passed away 5 days.

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Anyone who is alive and THINKING must work to pitch out Republicans in the 2026 election. In 2026, we have a chance to turn the Federal legislature (and some state legislatures) back to the people. Vote out Republican gas baggers! We may even have a chance to turn the Senate back to the people. "Just stayin' alive till then".

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One thing I have done that may help is to increase my contribution to the ACLU.

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Thanks for keeping us up to date on the upcoming horror of the Trump cabinet picks. Also anxious to know how I can participate in pushing back.

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And Lutnick is rightly being described as one of the saner picks for the cabinet. And the announcement today that tRump plans 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico--WTF! That means that every avocado, every pint of blackberries, raspberries, most of the winter strawberries, every mango--so much of what consumers take for granted, will cost MUCH more. I hope the MAGA voters enjoy their "better economy" under the new regime.

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I wanted to pay tribute to recently deceased Former US Senator Fred Harris. He was someone who took on corporate greed,and he was a good Democrat. I remember during FDR’s term. Someone said I did not know him, but he knew me!

RIP Fred Harris

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Well folks, the GREEDHEADS have won. At least for now. Roughly 80 million eligible voters didn't even bother to show up. I hope there is a fire extinguisher nearby when Trump puts his hand on the Bible in January and swears to uphold and defend the Constitution. Maybe the Bibles he sells are fireproof. I can't imagine what the aftermath of his second term will look like.

I'd like to suggest a new Cabinet position for the incoming administration: Secretary of Growling. Hulk Hogan would be perfect for the job. Put him on a leash and walk him around while he growls at people at odds with Trump. Maybe he could scare all the illegal immigrants back across the border. The possibilities are endless.

MAGA: MAKE AMERICA GROWL (or groan) AGAIN

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