Action Alert

Today, the Senate is debating a housing rescue package that includes $4 billion of neighborhood stabilization funds to help states and localities struggling to manage the fallout of vacant and abandoned properties caused by the foreclosure crisis. Rather than having properties sitting vacant and attracting blight, these funds would help to purchase vacant, blighted properties, rehabilitate them, and resell or rent them affordably to qualified families. More specifically, the $4 billion that would be distributed to state and local governments would:

*Generate $8.6 billion in additional economic activity, more than paying for the cost of the program twice over

*Restore 120,000 homes to productive use, reducing downward pressure on neighboring home values

*Create 80,000 new jobs in construction and other industries

*Save localities $1.2 billion in costs associated with foreclosed properties, ranging from lawn mowing and boarding up properties to adding police patrols and extinguishing fires

*Directly provide $200 million in property tax revenues which would otherwise have been lost

It is anticipated that efforts will be made to remove this funding during the current debate in the Senate and upcoming consideration by the House of Representatives. To take action, please call your Senators, Congressman and Members of the House Leadership and demand that Congress retain this much needed funding that will not only help purchase and rehabilitate these properties, but will also create new jobs and economic activity.

BACKGROUND

At the end of the first quarter of 2008, there were an estimated 1.27 million properties in foreclosure in the United States. In addition, there were approximately 350,000 sub-prime mortgages more than 90 days delinquent where foreclosure proceedings had not yet begun. The national foreclosure crisis is affecting not only individual families, but whole communities, cities and states that are struggling to manage the fallout of vacant and abandoned properties. Already tight state and municipal budgets are hard-pressed to cover the rising costs of boarding up abandoned properties, removing trash and combating increased vandalism, arson and property and personal crimes. Home prices are falling and middle-class wealth, long accumulated through home equity, is dwindling.

Friday Challenge

This is the last day we're going to do the challenge on the Responsible Plan exactly like this. I'll let you know about a different take on it starting Monday.

Today's focus is on Bob Hackworth, from District 10. Call him and ask him to sign on the Responsible Plan (details on the plan are at http://www.responsibleplan.com, you could also use the talking points from our endorsement of the plan, or you could use the argument mentioned at OpenLeft showing candidate Darcy Burner gaining ground in her race because of the plan or that she raised more than $500,000 in the first quarter this year running primarily on this issue). You can contact him at: 727-458-4134, bob@bobhackworth.com.

Second is Samm Simpson, challenger in District 10, who has already endorsed the Plan. If you think this was a good thing for her to do, which you should, you can contribute to her campaign here.

Previous plan endorsers are the following:

Larry Byrnes, FL-14

Alan Grayson, FL-8

Joe Garcia, FL-25

Faye Armitage, FL-7

Timothy Cunha, FL-6

Clint Curtis, FL-24

Stephen Blythe, FL-15

Samm Simpson, FL-10

Clyde Malloy, FL-7

Doug Tudor, FL-12

The other challengers who have yet to endorse the plan, and feel free to contact them about the plan, too, are:

FL-1

James Bryan, 850-652-3350

Robert Peterman, 850-432-2213

FL-4

Jay McGovern , 904-626-9618, jay@jay4congress.com

FL-5

Carol Castagnero, 863-687-8414, jscala00@yahoo.com

David Werder, 727-862-3377

FL-8

Alexander Fry, 407-579-7800, afry@fryforcongress.com

Michael Smith, 407-574-9296, vote@mikesmithforcongress.com

Charlie Stuart, 407-999-9899, Manager@CharlieStuartforCongress.com

Quoc Van, 407-453-4380, vanforcongress@gmail.com

FL-9

Anita de Palma, 727-239-0621

John Dicks, Web form: http://www.johndicksforcongress.com/contact.php

Bill Mitchell, 813-223-1959, mitchlaw@askmitch.net

FL-10

Bob Hackworth, 727-458-4134, bob@bobhackworth.com

FL-13

Christine Jennings, 941-366-8121, info@christinejennings2008.com

FL-14

Jason King, 239-633-8388

FL-15

Paul Rancatore, ?

FL-18

Annette Taddeo, 305-661-6499, Web form: http://www.annette2008.com/index.php?submenu=Contact&src=forms&id=Contact%20Us

FL-21

Raul Martinez, 305-823-8686, info@raul2008.com or raulmartinezjr@mac.com

FL-22

Paul Renneisen, 954-812-2674, info@Renneisen2008.com

FL-23

Ray Sanchez, 561-996-6722, support@raytorressanchez.com

FL-24

Suzanne Kosmas, 386-427-0439, info@kosmasforcongress.com

If you contact anyone on the list, please be completely professional and respectful in doing so. The idea isn't to attack these people, it's to let them know that Floridians support this plan and we want our candidates to do the same.

We have set up an ActBlue page for the Florida challengers that have endorsed the plan. You give to one or all of them here.

Friday Challenge

As I mentioned earlier, the Monday, Wednesday and Friday challenges for the near future will be related to the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, http://www.responsibleplan.com/. What I'll do each of these days is highlight two members of our group of Congressional challengers. One is for you to contact and convince to endorse the Plan. The other is someone who has already endorsed the plan, for you to reward because they did the right thing.

Today's focus is on John Russell, from District 5. Call him and ask him to sign on the Responsible Plan (details on the plan are at http://www.responsibleplan.com, you could also use the talking points from our endorsement of the plan, http://quinnell.us/sspb/?p=1524, or you could use the argument mentioned at OpenLeft showing candidate Darcy Burner gaining ground in her race because of the plan, http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4936, or that she raised more than $500,000 in the first quarter this year running primarily on this issue, http://www.horsesass.org/?p=4656). You can contact him at 813-625-2822, johnrussell@johnrussellforcongress.com.

Second is Joe Garcia, challenger in District 25, who has already endorsed the Plan. If you think this was a good thing for him to do, which you should, you can contribute to his campaign here: http://www.actblue.com/page/fpc2.

Previous plan endorsers are the following:

Larry Byrnes, FL-14
Alan Grayson, FL-8
Joe Garcia, FL-25
Faye Armitage, FL-7
Timothy Cunha, FL-6
Clint Curtis, FL-24
Stephen Blythe, FL-15
Samm Simpson, FL-10
Clyde Malloy, FL-7
Doug Tudor, FL-12

The other challengers who have yet to endorse the plan, and feel free to contact them about the plan, too, are:

FL-1
James Bryan, 850-652-3350

FL-4
Jay McGovern , 904-626-9618, jay@jay4congress.com

FL-5
Carol Castagnero, 863-687-8414, jscala00@yahoo.com
John Russell, 813-625-2822, johnrussell@johnrussellforcongress.com
David Werder, 727-862-3377

FL-8
Alexander Fry, 407-579-7800, afry@fryforcongress.com
Michael Smith, 407-574-9296, vote@mikesmithforcongress.com
Charlie Stuart, 407-999-9899, Manager@CharlieStuartforCongress.com
Quoc Van, 407-453-4380, vanforcongress@gmail.com

FL-9
Anita de Palma, 727-239-0621
John Dicks, Web form: http://www.johndicksforcongress.com/contact.php
Bill Mitchell, 813-223-1959, mitchlaw@askmitch.net

FL-10
Bob Hackworth, 727-458-4134, bob@bobhackworth.com
Max Linn, 727-347-8784, Max@MaxLinn.com

FL-13
Christine Jennings, 941-366-8121, info@christinejennings2008.com

FL-14
Robert Neeld, 239-549-9588, neeldrm@aol.com

FL-15
Paul Rancatore, 772-539-9194, 321-821-2348, 321-766-4131, info@PaulRancatore.com

FL-18
Annette Taddeo, 305-661-6499, Web form: http://www.annette2008.com/index.php?submenu=Contact&src=forms&id=Contact%20Us

FL-21
Raul Martinez, 305-823-8686, info@raul2008.com or raulmartinezjr@mac.com

FL-22
Paul Renneisen, 954-812-2674, info@Renneisen2008.com

FL-23
Ray Sanchez, 561-996-6722, support@raytorressanchez.com

FL-24
Suzanne Kosmas, 386-427-0439, info@kosmasforcongress.com

If you contact anyone on the list, please be completely professional and respectful in doing so. The idea isn't to attack these people, it's to let them know that Floridians support this plan and we want our candidates to do the same.

We have set up an ActBlue page for the Florida challengers that have endorsed the plan. You give to one or all of them here: http://www.actblue.com/page/fpc2.

Good News

GOP Defending 9 of 10 Most Vulnerable Senate Seats. That's on top of defending 29 of 34 open seats in the House (possibly 30 of 35). Not a good year to be a Republican.