To mobilize, energize and inspire ourselves and others to action
To work as individuals and in community for social justice
Help support the work of our organization with a tax-deductible donation:
Who We Are
We are a group of ardent, progressive St. Louis area women who finally got fed up.
We became so concerned about the direction of this country and where its priorities seem to be that we decided we must do something. From our frustration and determination, Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice was born.
We are not fund-raisers. We are not envelope-stuffers. We are not a single-issue group. And we do not want to re-invent the wheel. Therefore, we have built an organization that enables us to study many different issues and take action for a variety of causes. We frequently support other progressive organizations in their efforts. But first, we study and learn about the issues.
Our members are curious, creative, competent and caring.
We believe in doing something meaningful in support of our values, and we have great fun and camaraderie in doing so. If you would like to add your voice to ours, we welcome you to join us.
Next Meeting
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Making Amends: The Missouri Restorative Justice Initiative
Speaker: Nina Balsam, J.D., Administrator of the Missouri Restorative Justice Coalition
6:30 for coffee, 7:00 program
Ethical Society of St. Louis - 9001 Clayton Rd, 63117 (Directions)
Members of Women's Voices have voted to endorse the one-half cent sales tax proposal to fund public transit that will be on the ballot in St. Louis County in April, 2010. We believe that public transportation is a social justice issue and affects citizens both economically and environmentally. Read our position paper on this issue.
Members of Women's Voices have voted unanimously to oppose bills currently under consideration in the state legislature that would replace individual and corporate income taxes with a greatly expanded sales tax structure. Read our position paper on this issue.
Rallies for Health Reform Intensify
The Jan. 30 death of Women's Voices member Melanie Shouse, who spent four years battling both breast cancer and her insurance company, has spurred activists across the country to ramp up their efforts for meaningful health care reform. Recently supporters on the East Coast launched a "March for Melanie," starting in Philadelphia and ending in Washington, DC, to stress the need for access to affordable health insurance.
In St. Louis, members of progressive organizations took to the street on Feb. 17 in front of the Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield building to protest the insurer's planned increase in premiums. One of the featured speakers was Women's Voices treasurer Mary Clemons. Click here to read her remarks.
On Feb. 19, members of Women's Voices joined other activists at Shaw Park in Clayton to build a memorial for Melanie Shouse and others who have died due to lack of access to health insurance. Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation, a Women's Voices member, and other clergy spoke about the need for health care reform. WV member Romona Taylor-Williams told the crowd about Melanie's remarkable influence as she worked to advance social justice on many fronts in this country.
The week of Feb. 22, health care activists marched from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. where they were met by hundreds of others from across the country. The "Melanie's March " organizers arranged a meeting with several senators. Women's Voices member Romona Taylor Williams described the work of Melanie Shouse. Melanie's partner Steve Hart presented Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with a book containing thousands of letters of condolence. View videos of:
Women's Voices member Melanie Shouse spent the last five years of her life fighting breast cancer and her insurance company, trying to get coverage for much of her treatment. She died on January 30, 2010, at the age of 41, four days after watching Obama's first State of the Union speech in which he vowed to accomplish health care reform.
On Feb. 4 the President spoke via webcast to members of Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee. Following is an excerpt from his remarks:
"I got a letter -- I got a note today from one of my staff -- they forwarded it to me -- from a woman in St. Louis who had been part of our campaign, very active, who had passed away from breast cancer. She didn't have insurance. She couldn't afford it, so she had put off having the kind of exams that she needed. And she had fought a tough battle for four years. All through the campaign she was fighting it, but finally she succumbed to it. And she insisted she's going to be buried in an Obama t-shirt. (Laughter.)
But think about this: She was fighting that whole time not just to get me elected, not even to get herself health insurance, but because she understood that there were others coming behind her who were going to find themselves in the same situation and she didn't want somebody else going through that same thing. (Applause.) How can I say to her, "You know what? We're giving up"? How can I say to her family, "This is too hard"? How can Democrats on the Hill say, "This is politically too risky"? How can Republicans on the Hill say, "We're better off just blocking anything from happening"?
The president did not divulge the name of the woman - but the White House says he was referencing Melanie Shouse. (Read her St. Louis Beacon obituary.) Her death has inspired many of our members who have worked tirelessly for health reform to renew their efforts. Here is a letter Mary Clemons sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after Melanie's death:
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
Melanie Shouse has died. She was 42 years old. You met her on October 3, 2009 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis.
After taking out loans to start her own business at the age of 37, Melanie was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She did not have quality affordable health insurance. While fighting her cancer she battled the broken health care system, going on Medicaid and finally Medicare.
During her 5 years with cancer she campaigned vigorously to elect our President. She became an advocate for health care reform speaking at forums with Representative Carnahan, appearing on news shows, protesting at Anthem offices and at the offices of our elected officials.
We promised Melanie we would not give up the fight. We urge you, no, we insist that you complete the job and pass a health care reform bill now. Thirty million Americans are counting on you. We are counting on you.
Respectfully,
Mary and Dale Clemons
Encouragement for Social Welfare Warriors!
Courtesy of St. Louis American
Readers of the St. Louis American newspaper get a weekly treat when they read the columns of Jamala Rogers, prominent local activist and long-time leader of the Organization for Black Struggle. In Rogers' Jan. 28 column, she pays tribute to what she calls "social justice junkies."
Rogers was an early supporter of Women's Voices and says she was thinking of this organization when she wrote her column. She writes "....when injustices raise their ugly heads, it's the network of activists and organizers who confront them and demand justice for its victims......They take turns putting their finger in the dike that holds back the turbulent waters of 'isms' that threaten to take away people's dignity as well as their rights. They are the force that the enemy hopes will stay under-funded, under-appreciated and most importantly, under-recognized."
Families who borrowed from a payday lender in the past year were more likely to be minorities and single women than their counterparts. They also tended to be younger and have less education and access to other sources of credit. Such loans can hurt borrowers. According to Michelle Corey, president and CEO, Better Business Bureau of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, "Desperate, unknowing people can get caught up in a downward financial spiral and end up in a worse conditions."
The latest Missouri Division of Finance report documents that payday lenders in Missouri charge an average interest rate of 430.68%.
Missouri's weak law allows interest rates of up to 1,980%.
Last year alone, there were 1,315 licensed lenders in Missouri, an increase of 44% since 2003.
Unlike surrounding states (Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nebraska, Illinois, Oklahoma), Missouri allows six loan renewals. Fees are charged for each renewal, resulting in financially unsophisticated workers falling into a spiral of debt, which often results in the repossession of cars and other belongings.
According to the Missouri Better Business Bureau, more than 90 Missouri nursing homes have payday loan operations inside them, allowing the lender to deduct the loan, interest, and fees straight from the paychecks of nursing home workers. The Associated Press reports that the Community Financial Services Association, a national trade association for the payday loan industry, says it knows of no other states with similar arrangements between nursing homes and payday lenders.
On November 12, 2009, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on a speech given by David Farr, CEO of Emerson, the St. Louis-based maker of electrical equipment. In his speech, to a group of executives attending an industrial outlook conference, Mr. Farr blasted the U.S. government for making it difficult for his company to do business. Citing "cap and trade, medical reform, and labor rules," he complained that "Washington is doing everything....to destroy U.S. manufacturing."
Outlining his intention to move jobs to India, China, and other emerging markets, Mr. Farr said, "We as a company today are putting our best people, our best technology and our best investment in these marketplaces to grow. My job is to grow that top line, grow my earnings, grow my cash flow and grow my returns to the shareholders." And, he continued, "I'm not going to hire anybody in the United States. I'm moving."
I imagine few of us were aware that Emerson was having such a difficult time. A recent news release from the company was headlined "Emerson Reports Fiscal 2009 Results With Improving Trends in 4th Quarter." The company's 4th quarter sales of $5.3 billion were up 4.6 percent from the 3rd quarter. Emerson generated $2.6 billion of "free cash flow." And last year the company received $43 million in government contracts (that's from the same government that Mr. Farr distains).
The 54-year-old Mr. Farr probably isn't suffering personally, either. His compensation last year, including salary, stock options, and other benefits, totaled more than $12 million.
It's hard to reconcile Mr. Farr's remarks with the reputation of his company in St. Louis. Emerson is usually thought of as a responsible corporate citizen. In 2007 the Emerson Charitable Trust gave $26.7 million to 2500 charities and non-profit organizations across the country, many of them in St. Louis.
On the same day that Mr. Farr's remarks appeared in the paper, Rabbi Mark Shook of Congregation Temple Israel delivered a commentary on KWMU, the St. Louis public radio station. He called for public recognition of companies that "do the right thing." The rabbi said he would like to read about "local entrepreneurs who, in acts of selflessness and courage, forgo the quick buck or windfall profit that came at someone else's expense and put the money back into the community." He would also like to hear about "people who chose not to dodge their tax responsibilities or lobby against tax increases, but chose instead to pay them...because they knew that the city or county needed the money for better roads or schools."
One day, two men, two totally different world views. If Mr. Farr's plans are carried out, it seems unlikely that the rabbi will be reading about Emerson in the context of "doing the right thing" for anyone other than Emerson.
to efforts in the Missouri legislature to eliminate the minimum wage increases approved by voters in 2006.
to more than 90 nursing homes in Missouri that have payday loan operations in their facilities. This arrangement lets lenders deduct the loan, interest and fees directly from the paychecks of nursing home workers. And a concurrent ...
to the state of Missouri's weak laws that regulate payday loans. Missouri allows interest rates of up to 1,980 percent on these transactions.
to proposals under consideration in the Missouri legislature that would replace the state income tax with a wide-ranging and greatly increased state sales tax. If any of these proposals were enacted, sales taxes would have to increase dramatically, which would pose additional hardships on low and middle-income families. In addition, sales taxes would be imposed on practically every purchase, from doctor visits to funerals.
to Rep. Bill Deekin (R-Jefferson City), who has once again proposed the creation of a death penalty study commission. If passed, the legislation would force a two-year moratorium on executions in the state while the study takes place.
to Rep. Michael Frame (D-Eureka), who has pre-filed a bill that, if passed, would enable early voting in Missouri. More than 30 states offer early voting options, making it easier and more convenient for citizens to cast their ballots in general elections.
on an initiative petition that, if passed, would eliminate the St. Louis city earnings tax. While taxes are generally unpopular and it's easy to be against many of them, elimination of this tax would have a disastrous effect on the city's ability to function and to protect its citizens.
to the U. S. Senate for passing historic health care reform legislation on Christmas Eve. When reconciled with the bill previously passed by the House, and signed by President Obama, this legislation will bring us closer to making access to quality, affordable health care a reality for all Americans.
to Governor Jay Nixon who campaigned to insure every Missouri child but now has decided not to participate in the new federal program that would provide health care to 27,500 of Missouri's 108,000 uninsured children. The federal law would use programs such as food stamps to identify eligible children. Although the federal government pays the majority of the cost Nixon feels it is an expensive option. Children's advocates say the state would save money by providing children with routine care who now go to emergency rooms where care is expensive.
to Emerson CEO David Farr, who said in a recent speech that "cap and trade, medical reform and labor rules" were hurting his business and vowed "not to shrink and roll over for the U.S. government." Farr reportedly said, "I'm not going to hire anybody in the United States. I'm moving." In addition to a variety of electrical equipment, Emerson manufactures garbage disposals.
to anti-stem cell activists in Missouri, who recently filed their 30th ballot proposal aimed at undermining the lifesaving efforts of doctors and researchers on behalf of Missouri patients
to the Indiana Court of Appeals and the League of Women Voters. The court ruled 3-0 that the Indiana Voter ID law must be declared void because it regulates voters in a way that is not "uniform and impartial." The judges say the ID law treats in-person voters and mail-in voters differently. The League of Women Voters challenged the law on state constitutional grounds after the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld it. The Indiana law required voters to show government-issued photo identification.
to former President Jimmy Carter for his article Losing My Religion for Equality, in which he expands on this statement issued by The Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
to Ameren UE for its planned methane-to-electricity project, which will use gas produced by decomposing garbage to generate enough electricity to power 10,000 homes.
to Washington University for planning to close the Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values. (Read article) One objective of the Center's interdisciplinary program has been to enable faculty from different schools to work together and focus on understanding complex ethical issues. Dr. Ira Kodner, Director and Founder, has spoken on embryonic stem cell research and the need for quality affordable healthcare at meetings many of our members have attended.
to residents of the north St. Louis area, who have joined together to form the Northside Community Benefits Alliance. The new organization is designed to engage residents in grassroots community planning and development.
to Kaldi's Coffee in Kirkwood for installing recycling bins for customers to deposit paper, plastic, and glass.
to Mike Prosperi of Imo's Pizza for speaking out in favor of a smoking ban for public places, including restaurants, in Kirkwood. Prosperi told the Kirkwood City Council at a recent meeting that his business has not been harmed since his restaurant went nonsmoking.
to the St. Louis Preservation Board, which approved the demolition of the San Luis Apartments (formerly the DeVille Motor Hotel) on Lindell Blvd. in the Central West End to make way for a parking lot. Although opinions on the San Luis were mixed, there are many questions about the wisdom of tearing down a city's heritage in order to build one more parking lot.
to developer Paul J. McKee Jr., chairman/CEO of McEagle Properties, owner of the historic James Clemens House on Cass Ave., who has let the property deterioriate to dangerous conditions. The property, a rare antebellum mansion, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And a concurrent ...
to the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, which has named hundreds of McKee-owned properties in north city on the list of endangered sites in St. Louis.
to drugstore giant Walgreens, which is offering free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of 2009.
to efforts in the Missouri legislature to eliminate the minimum wage increases approved by voters in 2006.
to Rep. Bill Deekin (R-Jefferson City), who has once again proposed the creation of a death penalty study commission. If passed, the legislation would force a two-year moratorium on executions in the state while the study takes place.
