"CenturyLink is a Bad Corporate Citizen!"

I am a veteran who is disabled with an inoperable brain tumor, and this is how CenturyLink treats me. In February of this year I decided to switch providers, even though I had used Qwest then CenturyLink for years. One thing that bugged me initially was they didn't give me the discount for folks living at the poverty level, which was a few bucks a month. This was when I moved to Sheridan, WY from Buffalo WY in September 2008. Over the next 3+ years I saw my monthly phone bill rise a little bit each month to over $100 a month, or 10% of my monthly income---now this was just for one landline phone and internet, and long distance which I used to call my parents twice a week, and some sibling regularly, like once every few months. On a many occasions I got these letters from them to "Review" my account, so I decided to call, and see if they can give me a better deal, and they said they couldn't, but I could buy this really neat cellphone and "Bundle" it to my account. It was about helping me, it was about another way to try and sell me something I don't need.

So, In February I switched to another local telecommunications company for my phone, local and long distance and my internet needs. I saved 30% off what I was paying with CenturyLink. On February 7, 2012 they officially switched me over. Prior to that when I was at their office, my new company that is, we discussed what I had to do to switch over, and they gave me some papers to sign, and I asked if I should call CenturyLink, and they said they will know when they get the official switching carriers paperwork. So, I thought nothing of it, the switch went well, and I figured CenturyLink would send me a final bill for my services used. Well, I waited a month and still hadn't gotten a final bill, so I called them, meaning you folks at CenturyLink, And told the representative the situation. And she said I was still a customer, and that I didn't call CenturyLink, so therefore I am still connected. I said know I wasn't, and that the local company switched me over on February 7th, 2012, and told here to check her records. She comes back and says, "Oh yeah, it looks like they switched you over back on Feb. 7th, but that doesn't matter, because you didn't call us and tell us". I said I was told that you would realize that I officially switched when you got the notice from my new company, and I didn't need to call you. She was like, "It still doesn't matter, you didn't call, so you still owe us. And, do you want me to disconnect your account today?" I said it's been a month, and since I disconnected, and I'm not paying for an additional month. I'll pay what I owe, but not for when I was disconnected from you all---that's insane.

So, I figured CenturyLink would send me a real and true reconciled bill, but that has yet to happen. Instead, what CenturyLink has done, something that a dirtbag would do and that is they sent my bill to collections. It's been 4 months since I last spoke with them, and they send my debt to a collection agency. All I can say is someone is a real scumbag there. I never said I wouldn't pay, but a wanted a legitimate bill, and not one where I pay for a month I wasn't even connected.

So America, This is how CenturyLink screws with Veterans who are disabled---they fuck with them and try to cheat them.

Thanks for being a great corporate citizen there CenturyLink!

 

Best wishes always,
Bill Harasym

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." -Paolo Friere-

"Official Lies, Misinformation and Bullshit from Congresscorporatist Cynthia Lummis!"

See if you can spot the Lies, Misinformation and all around Bullshit from Wyoming's corporate-owned Cynthia Marie Lummis, who like Barrasso and Enzi has decided that selling her soul to the Devil has become her Legacy in Congress. She's a sad excuse for a congressperson, and is the result of 1 of Wyoming's very few faults, that is the low-information voters who, like lemmings, walk blindly off the cliff, following people who are truly working against their best interest. Shame on them, as they have brought us Liars like: Lummis, Enzi and Barrasso, who just so happens to be the King of Liars in the Senate.

 

July 27, 2012     William Harasym 200 Smith Street Apt 410 Sheridan, WY 82801-3842   Dear William:   Thank you for contacting me regarding coal mining in Wyoming.   I am a strong, unapologetic supporter of coal mining in Wyoming, and use of coal for affordable electricity. The Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming and Montana is the Saudi Arabia of coal. The total amount of recoverable resources in this tiny area of the country is staggering. In fact, the PRB supplies about 40% of the entire country's coal supply for electricity generation. Coal production in Wyoming is safe, environmentally sound, and a massive economic driver for our state and country.   Contrary to the claims of some, coal use will not diminish in this country or the world anytime soon. While the Obama Administration is doing everything in its power (and many things outside of its power) to advance its anti-coal agenda, it cannot hide from the verifiable fact of strong demand for coal. Domestically, coal remains the most abundant, affordable, and reliable source of low cost energy for middle class families and the manufacturing sector of our country. Internationally, coal usage grew by 60% over the last decade, and is expected to continue to grow exponentially in the next decade. While we in America wring our hands over first world problems like what emissions reductions work best, today, nearly 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity in the world. There is no debate that coal will be the primary source of bringing power to these parts of the world.   Some have called President Obama's anti-coal agenda a "war on coal." In my estimation it is a war on affordable electricity. Take for example the Environmental Protection Agency's recently proposed rules on carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. That rule set carbon emissions standards so low that it effectively bans any new coal-fired power plants from being built in the United States ever again. In fact, the emission level is set so unrealistically low that it might even ban natural gas plants at higher elevations. By the stroke of a pen, the EPA has single-handedly taken our most abundant and affordable natural resource off the table.   The costs of the carbon emissions regulations alone to the American economy will be staggering. Combine that with the other coal-related proposed or final rules at the EPA and Department of the Interior, and the total cost to the U.S. economy rises to the billions of dollars every year by the EPA's own estimate. In fact, in response to the EPA's onslaught of regulations, 59 power plants that produce 25.4 gigawatts of power are slated to close. That's enough electricity to power 19.1 million homes, and those plants employ 29,000 workers.   Perhaps most troubling is that even if the EPA is successful in shutting down our economy in their zeal to cut emissions, they will have succeeded at nothing. A complete and total end to U.S. carbon emissions would not put a measurable dent in global carbon output. I cannot stand by while the EPA single-handedly prevents our economic recovery over an issue they cannot control even if I were to ascribe to them the best possible intentions. I fully intend to continue my battle to halt the Obama Administrations war on affordable electricity, and to support Wyoming's hard working coal families by any legislative means available.   Thank you again for taking the time to write to me.  I value your input.  If you haven't done so already, I would like to encourage you to visit my website at www.lummis.house.gov.  There you can sign up to receive my newsletter, and have access to a wealth of other information.  I won't flood your email box, but I will provide you with updates once in a while about activities in Washington that affect our lives in Wyoming.  I hope you will sign up so that we can stay in close touch, and I look forward to seeing you in Wyoming.   Sincerely, Cynthia M. Lummis Member of Congress COMMITTEES Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Subcommittee on the Interior and the Environment Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education E-Mail Via Website http://lummis.house.gov Follow Me on Twitter Like my Facebook Page DC Office Location: 113 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-2311 District Office Locations Cheyenne Casper Rock Springs Sheridan

Message from Yelp HQ Regarding comment about the homophobic Masterpiece Cakeshop!

From: mailto:no-reply@yelp.com

Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 12:58 PM

To: no-reply@yelp.com

Subject: Message from Yelp HQ [ 852023 ]

 

__________________________________

JUL 23, 2012  |  11:58AM PDT

Hi there,

We're writing to let you know that we've decided to remove your review of Masterpiece Cakeshop. We're sorry to hear about this situation and understand users will want to talk about it. We hope you'll understand that our Content Guidelines (http://www.yelp.com/guidelines) require reviews that focus on actual customer experiences, and we think this is important for maintaining Yelp as a useful site for consumer reviews. Reviews of businesses on Yelp are not the place for responding to a news story or matters not related to your own experience. Please be aware that we will not be accepting further postings from you for this listing and that doing so could result in account closure.

Thanks for your understanding, and for keeping in mind our guidelines as you continue to participate on Yelp.

Regards,
Holly
Yelp User Support
San Francisco, California

Yelp Official Blog | http://officialblog.yelp.com
Yelp Frequently Asked Questions | http://www.yelp.com/faq
Yelp for Business Owners | https://biz.yelp.com

For your reference this is Case #: 852023

[[51758c369c697e4859bfe9f01c6b2630d2097815-52650978]]

“The GOP & Cynthia Lummis faux-jobs package is far more political than practical.”

The GOP jobs package, which currently includes 32 bills, represents Republicans' and Cynthia Lummis's hallmark legislative accomplishment over the past two years. In the months ahead of the election, they will lean on it as proof of two things: that they are not the do-nothing obstructionists that Democrats paint them as, and that they are working hard to address the 8.2 percent unemployment rate.

But there's a problem with their jobs bills: They don't create JOBS! At least, they won't any time soon.

Five economists said the GOP jobs package would have no meaningful impact on job creation in the near term. Some said it was not likely to do much in the long term, either.

"A lot of these things are laughable in terms of a jobs plan that would produce noticeable improvements across the country in the availability of employment in the next four or five years," said Gary Burtless, a senior economist at Brookings. "Even in the long run, if they have any effect all, it would be extremely marginal, relative to the jobs deficit we currently have."

Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, agreed that the bills would have almost no effect on job creation in the short term, though he was slightly more optimistic about their long-term prospects.

"These kind of changes will matter over a period of three to five years," Zandi said. "It takes that long before businesses can digest changes and respond to them."

He noted, though, that legislation as narrowly targeted as the Republican package is unlikely to do much for real job creation.

"For it to show up in a meaningful way in the natural economy, you can make specific changes that could affect a specific industry or a few companies, but it's not going to make a big difference in terms of the monthly job numbers," Zandi said. "It takes some very significant changes across lots of different industries to really make a big difference."

Carl Riccadonna, a senior economist at Deutsche Bank, said some of the bills could create jobs, but that they would amount to more of an afterthought in terms of achieving broader policy goals.

"They are very narrowly targeted, and it gives the impression that maybe some of this is special interest really pursuing these, not really taking a macro view but a very, very micro focus in what the impact would be," Riccadonna said. For most of the bills in the package, "jobs are a second- or third-order effect, not the main priority."

At the heart of the GOP jobs package is a push for rolling back regulations -- and gutting environmental laws that regulate clean air and water -- to spur job growth. The House Republican Conference website makes the argument that deregulation will "remove onerous federal regulations that are redundant, harmful to small businesses, and impede private sector investment and job creation."

But the economists said that regulation has had a minimal impact on the unemployment rate. Their claim is backed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows that just under 16,000 jobs, or 0.4 percent, were lost because of "government regulations/intervention."

"It's just hard to believe that the paperwork requirements to starting a business represent a major impediment to starting businesses right now," Burtless said. "That's not why we had lots more business creation in the late '90s."

Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, warned that any potential job creation from environmental deregulation could be offset by health concerns.

"If you increase employment but you have a lot more sick people, you have to ask yourself, 'What's the trade-off?'" he said. "The highest level of GDP is not necessarily the highest level of national satisfaction or national health."

Indeed, environmental advocates argue that many of the GOP proposals are more likely to kill people than create jobs.

"It won't save them jobs, it won't even save them that much money, but it is going to cause illnesses, deaths, more hospital stays or days lost because of illness," said Scott Slesinger, legislative director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "That's why we have all these environmental laws."

Not all of the GOP proposals are focused on environmental deregulation. A handful call for weakening the authority of the National Labor Relations Board as a way to boost businesses' savings, which could, in theory, then be reinvested in new jobs.

But Burtless said those proposals are more likely to impact those currently working than those seeking work.

"They may weaken the ability of current workers to negotiate for better working conditions or wages. They may lessen the ability of workers who want to join unions to do so in companies that are currently unorganized," he said. "But it's just hard to believe that they create jobs in the short run."

Even one of the more popular bills in the mix -- a small business tax cut -- won't do much for job creation, some of the economists said. They argued that it's not that businesses need more money for hiring, but that they need a sufficient demand for their products.

"They know that if they hire people to produce more widgets, they won't be able to sell the widgets," Prakken said. "Giving them a tax break just increases their profits," but doesn't encourage hiring.

Riccadonna disagreed. He acknowledged that weak demand is the biggest problem facing businesses, but said the small business tax cut is still the most likely of all the GOP bills to create jobs.

"We should be focusing on small businesses and what we can do to make business conditions more favorable for them, because that's where the real turn in labor market will lie," he said. "So anything that makes life or operating conditions a little bit easier for them, that I would certainly be in favor of. That will have a meaningful jobs impact."

Ultimately, each economist was clear on one point: "The GOP package is far more political than practical."

"It's game playing to try to pretend like they're doing something," said Jesse Rothstein, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. "It's silly season, and so they know they have to put up something that has the label 'job creation' on it, whether or not it would work."

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel demurred when asked for a response. He reiterated that Senate Democrats are holding up their job-creation bills.

"The House has passed more than 30 jobs bills that are awaiting action in the Democrat-controlled United States Senate," said Steel. "We have passed a responsible budget that deals with our deficits and debt, a bill to replace the 'sequester,' which would be disastrous for our national security, and ... we will vote to stop the tax hike on every American taxpayer, which is scheduled for the end of this year. In short, we are acting on the American peoples' priorities: jobs and our economy."

A Cantor spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.

For all their complaints about Senate inaction, Boehner and Cantor regularly fail to point out that the Senate has, in fact, passed nearly a dozen of Republicans' so-called jobs bills in the last two years. Eleven have already become law, and another one has passed the Senate but hasn't been signed into law yet.

 

Best wishes always,
Bill Harasym

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." -Paolo Friere-

182 of President Obama's Accomplishments! With Citations!

By: Milt Shook

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're one of those people who thinks President Obama is a "disappointment," condolences for not getting your unicorn. And it's time to grow up, get over it. We have four months to go before an election that will feature more political ads than you have ever seen before in your life. We're not just having to beat Willard Romney; we also have to beat Citizens United. There will be TWO choices for president. You can either work for Obama and every other Democrat (yes, including Blue Dogs), or you can sit back and watch Willard Romney complete the job of taking apart the social fabric of the country that was begun by Ronald Reagan. 

What makes the "disappointment" argument even more irritating is that it's simply not true. He's done nearly everything we elect a president to do, and he did it all with little support from the left, and massive obstruction from the right. .

Is he perfect? No, he's human. Does he deserve some criticism? At this point, it really doesn't matter.

What does matter is that this president has compiled a STELLAR record. If you can look at this list of the president's accomplishments after three years, and not be excited, you have a serious problem with perspective.

Pass this list around to everyone you know. And don't be afraid; unlike many such lists, every item includes a link to a citation supporting it.

                                            

He Returned The Executive Branch To Fiscal Responsibility After the Bush Debacle

1. Within his first week, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse.   http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5

2. Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money.   http://n.pr/hcgBn1

3. On his first full day, he froze White House salaries.  http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx

4. He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov

5. He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems. To that end, he also signed the Democratic-sponsored Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, which attempted to put a stop to waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system.  http://bit.ly/hOw1t1     http://bit.ly/fz8GAd

6. Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  http://bit.ly/hwKhKa

He Improved the Economy, Preventing a Bush Depression

7. Pushed through and signed the Democratic-sponsored American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as "the stimulus package." The bill passed, even though only three Republicans voted for it. In a major departure from the previous administration, he launched recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from the Act.   http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs   http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk

8. The Bush-led Great Recession was costing the economy nearly 800,000 jobs per month by the time President Obama took office. But by the end of his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy by  3.5%.  http://reut.rs/i46CEE

9. Not only did he completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, he also leaned on the banks and others, and recovered virtually all of the bail-out money. http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS   http://bit.ly/eCNrD6

10. He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan.  http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl

11. Oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY

12. Along with Democrats, and almost no Republicans, implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs.  http://bit.ly/ibhpxr   Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest.  http://bit.ly/gj7mt5 This resulted in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world.  http://lat.ms/zIJuQx Willard Romney, on the other hand, advocated for the entire industry to go belly-up. http://nyti.ms/k0zp 

13. Doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency.  http://bit.ly/eYD4nf 

14. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown.  http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7

15. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.  http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS

16. Increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw

17. Signed the Democratic-sponsored and passed Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market.  http://bit.ly/eEpLFn

18. Through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery.   http://bit.ly/dZgXXw   http://bit.ly/gORYfL

19. Initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses. 
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b

20. Created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.)   http://www.business.gov

21. Played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis.   http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5 

22. Took steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7

23. Created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ 

24. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.   http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc

25. Dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu

26. Along with Congressional Democrats, provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession.  http://bit.ly/g0IKWR

27. Used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan.   http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV

28. Crafted an Executive order establishing the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE

Created Greater Transparency and Better Government, After the Excesses of the Bush Years

29. Signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch.  http://bit.ly/fsBACN

30. Signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years, and put strict limits on lobbyists' access to the White House.   http://nyti.ms/gOrznV

31. Held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public.  http://bit.ly/gVNSgX

32. Became the first to stream every White House event, live.  http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5

33. Established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities.   http://www.serve.gov

34. Provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history.  http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV

35. Crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. Provides the public with greater access to historic  White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them.  http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb

36. Improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent when processing FOIA requests.  http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2 

Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection

37. Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money.  http://huff.to/eAi9Qq

38. Along with Congressional Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.  http://bit.ly/hWCPg0   http://bit.ly/geHpcD

39. Through Dodd-Frank legislation, created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  http://1.usa.gov/j5onG

40. Through Dodd-Frank, the Executive Branch fashioned rules that reduce the influence of speculators in the oil market.  http://bit.ly/MDnA1t

41. Fashioned rules so that banks can no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers' interests.  http://bit.ly/fnTayj

42. Supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation.  http://bit.ly/fnTayj

43. Endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes.   http://bit.ly/esOdfB    http://bit.ly/eG4DPM

44. Negotiated a deal with Swiss banks that now permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and  tax evaders.  http://bit.ly/htfDgw

45. Established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses.  http://bit.ly/fnTayj 

46. Oversaw and then signed a Democratic bill constituting the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression.  http://thedc.com/gxkCtP

Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination

47. Along with Congressional Democrats, advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.  http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7

48. Pushed through, signed and demanded the Pentagon enact a repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy that forced soldiers to lie in order to be eligible to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping.  http://bit.ly/fdahuH  http://bit.ly/mZV4Pz

49. Appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.  http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0

50. Helped Democrats in Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act. http://bit.ly/th0JC8

51. Extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.  http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj

52. Appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history.  http://bit.ly/g1lA7D 

53. Changed his mind and publicly expressed support for the right to enter into a same-sex marriage.  http://bit.ly/JsiFKp

54. Issued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGT

55. Wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families.     http://bit.ly/e1puTk   http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMM

56. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill.   http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg

57. Expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x

58. Under his guidance, National Labor Relations Board issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees' rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including websites and intranets, beginning November 2011.  http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQ 

Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad

59. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office.   http://bit.ly/hZycda

60. As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g  

61. Helped to restore America's reputation around the world as a global leader that does the "right thing" in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the world.   http://bit.ly/h743y7  http://bit.ly/ho4TCr

62. Re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues.  http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj

63. Closed a number of secret detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9l

64. Improved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys.  http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGe

65. Pushed for military to emphasize development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLV

66. Offered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence.  http://bit.ly/9axfWh

67. Refused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program, and thus avoid another war that Republicans wanted.  http://bit.ly/xVmSZK

68. Worked with Democratic Congress to make donations to Haiti tax deductible in 2009.  http://huff.to/6YkAVY

69. Established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.   http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP

70. Issued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia.  http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8U

71. Established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them.  http://n.pr/hY3Kwa   http://nyti.ms/emQBde

72. Ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and, unfortunately, progressive Democrats) who prevented follow through.  http://bit.ly/eW6CVF

73. Ordered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called "enhanced interrogation." He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual.  http://bit.ly/g6MTuC

74. Ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed.  http://bbc.in/h6N9ax

75. Released the Bush torture memos.  http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0

76. On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all  Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention.  http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve    http://nyti.ms/hzWWys

77. In response to the emerging "Arab Spring," he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9

78. Passed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war, and to encourage Iran to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjb 

79. Ended the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tyS

80. Authorized and oversaw a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9Fz 

Began a Push Toward a More Realistic Approach to "Defense"

81. Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat.  http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE

82. Authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2

83. Restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush.   http://lat.ms/gkcl3i

84. Signed and pushed through ratification a new SALT Treaty.  http://bit.ly/f3JVtw

85. Negotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will last until at least 2021.  http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4

86. Through the Defense Authorization Act, reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq.   http://bit.ly/hk73OJ

87. Developed first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan.  http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs 

88. Returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUna

89. Negotiated a deal with Afghan government, to withdraw troops and military support, while assisting in rebuilding and modernizing of the country.  http://bit.ly/K362an

90. Took steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world.  http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6

91. Negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India.  http://1.usa.gov/aHp0Cn

92. Took decisive action to use NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that the Libyan people could topple a despotic government and determine their own fate.  http://aje.me/qAh4Sj 

Treating  Soldiers and Veterans with Respect

93. Along with Congressional Democrats, not only reauthorized families of fallen soldiers to be able to visit when the body arrives at Dover AFB, but also provided funding for it.  Ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers.  http://nyti.ms/glqN66   http://bbc.in/gWSSkA

94. Funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans' services.  http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo

95. Provided active combat troops with better body armor.  http://bit.ly/hzSv2h

96. Created Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order  to improve the quality of their medical care.  http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW

97. Put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm's way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one.) http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q

98. Along with Congressional Democrats, supported and signed Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans.  http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1

99. Along with Congressional Democrats, ushered through largest spending increase in 30 years for Department of Veterans Affairs, with money to go to improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities.    http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x 

100. Created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs.  http://bit.ly/epwUQY

101. Oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals.  http://bit.ly/gjzTxX 

Refocused he Government on Education

102. Repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process.   http://bit.ly/gYWd30   http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr   http://bit.ly/eEzTNq 

103. Reformed student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate.   http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt

104. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.   http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr  

105. Oversaw major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide   http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 ,

 106. Oversaw major expansion in school construction.  http://bit.ly/fYwNrV 

107. Also through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2Rr

108. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0  http://bit.ly/hPhG7J

109. Oversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low income students to go to college.  http://bit.ly/hI6tXz

110. Along with Democratic Congress, passed and signed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds.  http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe  

National Safety and Security

111. Restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural  disasters successfully.   http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z

112. Authorized Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B

113. Has repeatedly beefed up border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i

114. Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden.  http://bit.ly/jChpgw 

Science, Technology and Health Care

115. Created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.  http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw  

116. Opened up process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.  http://bit.ly/j0KV2U 

117. Eliminated Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, and provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research.   http://bit.ly/h36SSO    http://ti.me/edezge 

118. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs.  http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7

119. Signed Democratic-sponsored Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.  http://bit.ly/fOi2rb

120. Expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc

121. Obama EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as "guinea pigs" in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics.  http://bit.ly/bKgqdS

122. Conducted a cyberspace policy review.   http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC

123. Provided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr 

124. Oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use.   http://bit.ly/dNTRyP

125. Along with Democrats in Congress, ushered through and signed a bill authorizing FDA to regulate tobacco.  http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB As a result,  the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as "light."

126. Through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs.  http://bit.ly/ecQSgA 

127. Increased funding for community-based prevention programs.  http://bit.ly/frMPG3

128. Oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iq    http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9

129. Eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b

130. Two weeks after taking office, signed Democratic-sponsored Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million.   http://bit.ly/fDEzGv

131. Urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Democratic Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put increase on hold for two months.    http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C

132. Ushered through and signed Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to at least 30 million more people, ended many common insurance company practices that are often detrimental  to those with coverage.  He also established healthcare.gov, so that taxpayers could keep up with developments.  http://www.healthcare.gov/

133. Through ACA, allowed children to be covered under their parents' policy until they turned 26.   http://nyti.ms/fNB26V 

134. Through the ACA, provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance.  http://nyti.ms/fNB26V 

135. Through the ACA, expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level.  http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo

136. Through the ACA, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care.  http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

137. Provisions in the ACA have already resulted in Medicare costs actually declining slightly this fiscal year, for the first time in many years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The increase in 2011 was 4%, which is very low compared to the average 12% annual inflation rate during previous 40 years. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpTh 

Strengthening the Middle Class and Families

138. Worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families.  http://bit.ly/fNfidS

139. Cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor.   http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj

140. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , cut taxes for 95% of America's working families.   http://bit.ly/eSEI4F 

141. Tax rates for average working families are the lowest since 1950.  http://bit.ly/f74pD8 

142. Extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years.  http://bit.ly/eFeSdP

143. Extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he's extended unemployment benefits several times.  http://aol.it/evtVxD   http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ    http://bit.ly/hOtIpg    http://bit.ly/fTT7kz 

Fighting Poverty

144. Provided  a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps).  http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM

145. Signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.  http://wapo.st/eWECA8 

Environment and Energy

146. Fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal standards.    http://nyti.ms/e8e94x

147. Fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in a decade.   http://politi.co/hiaPKM

148. Oversaw establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y

149. Obama EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history.  http://bit.ly/lP3yEL

150. Ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances.    http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu

151. Ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p  (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)

152. Oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R

153. Bypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.   http://bit.ly/froaP5 

154. Obama EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN

155. Oversaw doubling federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE

156. Pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars.   http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y

157. Created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.   http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq

158. Reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a "hoax."  http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3  http://bit.ly/fE2PxK  http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv

159. Fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.  http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO

160. Required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P

161. Following the neglect of Bush's eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.  http://bit.ly/fzQUFO

162. Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars.   http://bit.ly/glCukV

163. Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.   http://bit.ly/h5KZqy   http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c    http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk 

164. Oversaw and pushed through amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo 

165. Actively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3

166. Initiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a

167. Through his EPA, he asserted federal legal supremacy, and barred Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own.  http://bit.ly/ww8eMd

168. Strengthened the Endangered Species Act.  http://bit.ly/hscjsH

169. Obama EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year.  http://bit.ly/jYH7nt

170. Through the EPA, attempted to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2

171. Increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10%  http://bit.ly/fbJPjY

172. Announced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards.  http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K 

173. Announced a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025   http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW 

That's Not All...

174. Expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA.  http://bit.ly/etznpY 

175. Oversaw funding of  the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015.  He protected the funding during the recent budget negotiations.   http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO    http://bit.ly/ff5Luv

176. Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. http://bit.ly/dFb8qF

177. Nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court's history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.   http://huff.to/eOChg6  http://bit.ly/i02wgP

178. Appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president.   http://bit.ly/dX6vNB

179. Eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and rescinded the global gag rule.  http://bit.ly/eCFAI1  http://bit.ly/f92drF

180. Loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference.   http://huff.to/eQfa7j

181. Signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program.   http://bit.ly/idgQH5 

Legislative Prowess

182. Despite the characterizations of some, Obama's success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office.  Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson's success rate in 1965 was only 93%.   http://n.pr/i3d7cY 

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." -Paolo Friere-