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Working Assets - Disturbing "Progressive" long distance program
vanity | April 12, 2004 | ntnychik

Posted on 04/12/2004 9:24:03 PM PDT by ntnychik

I got some really disturbing mail today from something called Working Assets Long Distance. If you join their long distance telephone plan, you get a free pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream every month for a year, 60 free minutes of long distance for 3 months, paid connection fee, free calls every day to targeted decision-makers, and 1% of charges to progressive nonprofit groups.

"Progressive organizations" that were listed were ACLU, Stand for Children, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Center for Economic Justice, Planned Parenthood, Sweatshop Watch, and Children's Defense Fund (of Marian Wright Edelman and Hillary fame).

The final page of the three page insert says, "Check the boxes, and we'll send low-cost CitizenLetters on your behalf." Examples of checkboxes are "protect water supply" and "Fund Public Broadcasting." A detachable coupon to enclose with payment will include two issues a month. Here are the blurbs for the two mentioned:

Keep Sewage Out of Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the relaxation of national sewage-treatment standards. The new rules would allow treatment plants to skip critical sanitation measures when it rains and pump pathogen-filled sewage directly into lakes, rivers and coastal waters. that would mean more disease-causing parasites, bacteria and viruses in your drinking water supply. Urge EPA Commissioner Leavitt to protect our water supply.

Increase Funding for Public Broadcasting Public broadcasters provide an oasis of thoughtful news commentary and culture amid the racket of commercial programming. The federal government supports public broadcasting through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). But Congress has neglected to reauthorize the CPB for the last six years, and funding has lagged badly behind what's needed. Urge your Senator to reauthorize and increase funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The page says "Just check the box on your bill and we'll send a low-cost, well-argued CitizenLetter for you." Other quotes are: "Call targeted decision-makers FREE any day of the week and we'll pay for the call." "Round up your check--it's an easy way to increase support for progressive causes."

Other services:

Read hot-off-the-wire progressive news (WorkingForChange)

Shop and give back at the same time (ShopForChange)

Give decision-makers a piece of your mind (ActForChange)

A page of address labels was included with the mailing. The labels have symbols for environment, peace, human rights, equality, and education. At the bottom of the sticker sheet is written "Your Vote Matters. Not every candidate wins. But every voter does. If you aren't registered to vote, please do so at" a website they provided.

The whole mailing flacks the "progressive" agenda under the guise of normal business solicitation.

A google search of Working Assets includes a mention of voter registration and change of voting registration services.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cfr; longdistance; progressiveorgs; workingassets
This group operates out of San Francisco (where else?) Are any of you familiar with this? Is this part of Campaign Finance Reform? This is a nightmare.
1 posted on 04/12/2004 9:24:03 PM PDT by ntnychik
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To: ntnychik
Nightmare? Merely tell the sales agent (if you decide to waste your time, that is) to attempt to propel certain renal byproducts vertically along a section of woven hemp. The idiot/ditz won't even get it.

Or, if you want to dodge some incoming flak, just ask HOW MANY of the DSA Congresscritters are presently subscribing to their service; then ask, ''Well, why not ALL of them?'' ... and be prepared to duck smoothly.

2 posted on 04/12/2004 9:33:28 PM PDT by SAJ (It's only a malicious rumor that this is a tagline. It's really the famous marginal barrel of crude)
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To: ntnychik
I have met the founder of the company, actually a nice guy. It is now owned by the woman who created Soho Soda.
3 posted on 04/12/2004 9:41:14 PM PDT by Honestfreedom
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To: ntnychik
They are advocating for their beliefs. Where's the nightmare?
4 posted on 04/12/2004 10:16:44 PM PDT by BCrago66
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To: ntnychik
They usually send you first class post-paid envelopes, and on a totally unrelated subject, first class mail goes up to 70 lbs.
5 posted on 04/12/2004 10:20:50 PM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: ntnychik
P.S. They also send donations to HCI/Brady/VPC.
6 posted on 04/12/2004 10:21:20 PM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: SAJ
>>...attempt to propel certain renal byproducts vertically along a section of woven hemp.

I like that creative euphemism. I'd tell the sales agent to ingest bovine digestive byproduct, and cease respiration.
7 posted on 04/12/2004 10:25:34 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Democrats are the real asses of evil.)
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To: ntnychik
"Progressive" being the Democratic buzz word, it would appear that they have a deal with the phone company. You are giving to their causes if you subscribe to their services. I wonder how much...ten cents on the dollar? Not a bad scam.
8 posted on 04/12/2004 10:37:18 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING (He is faithful!)
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To: SAJ
Conservatives would do well to look at these programs and emulate them. to find companies and products that support FREEDOM and to make donations that support the message. "Sell to the masses and eat with the classes." The progressives/communists are finding ways to tell kids business and government are made up of evil people--except for the good businesses like us.

Name two good conservative companies that are raising awareness of the errors of abortion, junk science. Conservative companies need to tell their story BETTER!

For example, the paper and wood people should be SCREAMING that they don't have plants capable of cutting big old growth trees. The two that are left could not process 10% of the old growth (over 48") if they worked 24/7.

9 posted on 04/13/2004 5:42:42 AM PDT by q_an_a
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To: q_an_a
A pro-gun phone company exists, Marathon Long Distance. I'm a customer - it beats shelling out bucks to anti-gun companies including AT&T.
10 posted on 04/13/2004 10:29:26 AM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: coloradan
my point is not that companies have a pro-conservative group, but that they give in combination with others, to create a message. Marathon has a nice web site, but how are they telling the world that guns are used 700,000 times a year to SAVE people? Conservative companies are not working like Burt's Bees, Ben and Jerry, Whole Foods etc etc.

What this web site indicates is that if you are gun owner, use us. nothing else is said about the value of owning a gun.

11 posted on 04/13/2004 11:37:08 AM PDT by q_an_a
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