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Response to State of the Union |
 What newspapers has George Bush been reading lately? Here is how we see the state of the union:
We see our civil liberties are being daily eroded as our government secretly spies on American citizens without a warrant and holds them prisoner as “enemy combatants” without providing access to the courts. Click here to see what Human Rights Watch has to say.
[read more]
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Budget Bill Cuts Programs to Aid Low-Income Families |
 On Wednesday evening, February 1st, the House passed the Deficit Reduction Act by an extremely slim margin, 216 to 214, sending the legislation to the President for signature. By cutting almost $40 billion from programs like Medicaid, student loans, child support enforcement, and disability assistance the bill will have profound effects on low income families.
Click here to learn how you can help.
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Act Now to Raise the Minimum Wage |
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Legislative action is expected in Harrisburg as early as next week on bills that would raise the minimum wage in two steps from its current $5.15 to $7.15 per hour. At JSPAN, we believe that raising the minimum wage is both an economic and moral imperative.
Click here and learn more.
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Is there Hope for Alito? |
 As sorry as we were to see Samuel Alito confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, we were encouraged by his first recorded vote. Publicly disagreeing with Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia and Thomas, Alito joined a 6-3 majority of the Court in refusing to allow Missouri to execute a prisoner by lethal injection.
Click here to learn more
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Impact of the Palestinian Elections |
 The surprise victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections has provoked an immediate and enormous outpouring of comments by writers, scholars and activists.
Click here for links to provocative news and opinion pieces.
Click here to share your comments.
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Want to Join?
To become a voting JSPAN member, please go to www.JSPAN.org. On the right side of your screen you will be able to start a secure transaction and become a voting member.
Make all checks payable to:
JSPAN
2033 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
JSPAN Officers
Jeffrey Pasek
President
Kenneth Fox
Vice President
Kenneth Myers
Vice President
Joel Beaver
Treasurer
Stewart Weintraub
Secretary & General Counsel
Directors:
Susan Myers, Chair
Connie Beresin
Deanne Comer
Hon. Ruth Damsker
Helen Fox
Nancy Gordon
Jerome Kaplan
Eve Klothen
Barry Kramer
Ruth Laibson
Theodore Mann
Sidney Margulies
Joshua Pasek
Jared Solomon
Rabbi David Straus
Barry Ungar
Rabbi Avi Winokur
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In This Issue