Two Alerts: rip off of home equity, withdrawal from Afghanistan

[carolyn bninski]

1) Action Alert on Wall Street rip off of  home equity & bill to stop it in the Colorado Legislature
2) Action Alert on withdrawal from Afghanistan

 

Call/Email CO House Members about S.B. 234: Stop Wall Street from Stealing Your Home Equity

 

Ask the chair and vice-chair of the Colorado House of Representatives Local Government Committee and your Colorado State House rep. to support SB 234, which prohibits the dangerous financial scheme of private transfer fee covenants on homes. Often unnoticed by homeowners, Wall Street Home Resale Fees (otherwise known as Private Transfer Fees) are inserted into home sale contracts by private third parties, and require that every time a home is sold for the next 99 years, a percentage of the sale of the home (usually 1%) be paid to the third party.  In return, homeowners receive nothing but reduced home equity and a harder time selling their home.

SB 234 passed in the passed in the Senate on 4/29/11 by a vote of 31-2 with two excused. The bill was introduced today in the Colorado House of Representatives Local Government Committee. Please call and email Rep Laura Bradford, Chair  at 303-866-2583 and  laurabr...@gmail.co and LIBBY SZABO, Vice Chair  at 303-866-2962  and libby.sz...@state.co.us  and your representative (see www.congress.org if you’re not sure who that is) and ask them to support SB 234. Below is more info on this.

The Coalition to Stop Wall Street Home Resale Fees (http://www.stophomeresalefees.org/about) is organizing to fight the dangerous financial scheme of private transfer fee covenants and to protect homeowners across the country. Together, we are fighting to ensure that homeowners keep full equity in their home, and have the freedom to buy or sell their home without paying off an unaffiliated third party.

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U.S. SENATE BILL FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN:

 

Ask Senator Mark Udall and Senator Michael Bennet to co-sponsor S.186, the Safe and Responsible Redeployment of United States Combat Forces from Afghanistan. The bill states that it is U.S. policy to begin the phased redeployment of U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan by July 1, 2011. It also requires the President to submit a plan to Congress, by July 31, 2011, for the phased redeployment of U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan, including a completion date for such redeployment. The bill was introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer on January 25, 2011 and has four sponsors. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. A copy of the bill is below

 

Senator Michael Bennet

 

Phone: 303-455-7600   Toll-free: 866-455-9866    Fax: 303-455-8851

 (202) 224-5852   Fax: 202-228-5036

 

Email Senator Bennet at http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/

 

Senator Mark Udall 

 

Washington, D.C. Office   Phone: (202) 224-5941   Fax: (202) 224-6471

 Phone: (303) 650-7820   Fax: (303) 650-7827

 

Email Mark Udall at http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact_us

 

S.186 Safe and Responsible Redeployment of United States Combat Forces

from Afghanistan Act of 2011 (Introduced in Senate IS)

S 186 IS

112th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 186

To provide for the safe and responsible redeployment of United States combat

forces from Afghanistan.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 25 (legislative day, January 5), 2011

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, and Mr. BROWN of Ohio)

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee

on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To provide for the safe and responsible redeployment of United States combat

forces from Afghanistan.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of

America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Safe and Responsible Redeployment of United

States Combat Forces from Afghanistan Act of 2011'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) October 7, 2011, will mark the 10‐year anniversary of the start of

Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

(2) Members of the United States Armed Forces and coalition forces

have served valiantly and at great personal sacrifice in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom.

(3) As of January 25, 2011, 1,457 American military personnel have

lost their lives in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and 10,226

have been wounded.

(4) As of January 20, 2011, United States taxpayers have spent an

estimated $336,000,000,000 for operations in Afghanistan.

(5) During a speech at the United States Military Academy at West

Point on December 1, 2009, President Barack Obama outlined a

detailed plan to allow the United States `to begin the transfer of our

forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011'.

(6) President Obama also stated, `It must be clear that Afghans will

have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no

interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.'

(7) It is essential to begin turning responsibility for security in

Afghanistan over to the Government and people of Afghanistan.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON PHASED REDEPLOYMENT OF UNITED

STATES COMBAT FORCES FROM AFGHANISTAN.

It is the policy of the United States to begin the phased redeployment of

United States combat forces from Afghanistan not later than July 1, 2011.

SEC. 4. PLAN FOR COMPLETION OF PHASED REDEPLOYMENT OF COMBAT

FORCES.

Not later than July 31, 2011, the President shall submit to Congress a plan for

the phased redeployment of United States combat forces from Afghanistan, to

include an end date for the completion of that redeployment.

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