The New MDS Website

Dear MomsRising member,  

Do you think the 2008 Presidential candidates should have to answer to America's moms? We do.

And with your help, we've got the numbers to ensure that the critically important issues we care about--like health care, getting toxics out of toys, flexible work options, child care, afterschool programs, paid family leave, maternal hiring discrimination, and paid sick days--get the attention they deserve.  Over 140,000 strong and rapidly growing, MomsRising.org members like you have the power to put motherhood and family issues front-and-center during the 2008 Presidential election. 

Will you help us launch MomsVote '08? If 2,000 of us give just $25, together we can conduct a serious campaign that will help shape the debate in 2008.

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2907

What will MomsVote '08 do? As a start, we will:  

• Invite the candidates to talk directly with MomsRising moms--we want them to know first hand what's important to us!
• Seize the media-moment created by a presidential election to get national coverage on the need for a family-friendly America.
• Host a presidential forum on YouTube where citizens can engage the candidates on their platforms to support children and parents.
• And most importantly, on the days leading up to the election, we will pull out all the stops to encourage moms to vote. 

American mothers are acutely aware that they and their children are struggling.  A full quarter of families in our nation with children under six are living in poverty. One in eight children doesn't have any health care coverage at all.  40,000 kindergarteners are home alone after school because of the lack of affordable after school programs. Childcare services are prohibitively expensive and too often of poor quality.  

Today, the U.S. is one of only four countries that doesn't have paid leave for new mothers. The others are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and Liberia. We also lag behind in paid sick days and flexible work options so we can participate in our children's schools and be at home before and after school hours.    

A full three-quarters of mothers are in the workforce, yet mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. Single mothers make just 60 cents to a man's dollar.  Studies show that wage gaps like these narrow when family-friendly policies and programs--like paid family leave and subsidized childcare--are in place.  

We can do better for our children, our families, and ourselves. Let's insist that all of the candidates make "family values" talk be about helping real families. Let's use our combined Mom-Power to make sure that whoever wins has the best policies for families and a mandate for change.

Please donate today to make the MomsVote '08 campaign a reality:  https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2907      

Forward this email to friends and family so they can join with us in telling the presidential candidates that we are a mom-movement that is not going to go away. We are watching, listening, and voting.

Your fellow concerned moms,

-- Joan, Kristin, Mary, Katie, and Roz (and all of us at MomsRising)

PS:  MomsRising.org is a non-partisan organization and, as such, will not be endorsing a candidate. Our MomsVote '08 campaign is designed to put all of the candidates on notice that moms are a powerful, voting constituency.  MomsRising.org will work to ensure that family-friendly policies are at the front and center of each and every candidate's agenda. 

-Your donations make the work of MomsRising possible. To donate today on our new, secure website go to: https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/momsrising/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2156

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