Following is Sandy Oestreich's response to St Petersburg Times Political Blog stating that Pinellas County Commission (FL) members Brickfield and Bostock had refused to sign the Equal Pay Day Proclamation

This in response to an article stating that Bostock (female) and Brickfield (apparently rabid anti-woman) of the Pinellas County Commission refused to sign a simple proclamation declaring Equal Pay Day, an annual event. Seems all others signed, even Karen Seel and Ken Welch, both of whom had previously killed our efforts for more complete coverage of Pinellas County families in need via a Pinellas County Commission for Women (we are the most populated county in Florida; there are 19 others around the state). It was a political kill and Comm. Welch made sure to humiliate me by twisting my words. They voted unanimously against starting a CFW in the St Petersburg-Clearwater area.

My comment to those who voted against signing the Equal Pay Day Proclamation and those whose comments, mostly male, had negative views to express follows:

To claim that women are already paid equally is like proclaiming that there was no Holocaust.Department of Labor is the source for those stats. Women are actually gradually losing ground.

Since when are women not part of the human race and deserving of equal pay for equal work? We cook your meals, bear your children and compare paychecks. American working families are shortchanged an average of $4205 per year because she isn't paid fairly/equally. That puts 1 in 5 elderly women in poverty, on public assistance that YOU and I pay for How about making Corporations pay for that?

How about we stop thinking the latest Lilly Ledbetter and the forthcoming Paycheck Fairness Act will escape the ignoring that the 1963 Pay Equity Act has experienced for 45 years--THAT'S WHY LAWS DO NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, and....

THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA) THAT FLORIDA'S MEN AND WOMEN HAVE RE-IGNITED, DOES.

Let's stop tilting at windmills and get to solving the problem once and for all--

Anyone can contact the Florida Republican leadership, next Speaker Dean Cannon (407 623-5740) and Senate President-elect Mike Haridopolous (321 752-3131) and tell them to HOLD HEARINGS ON THE ERA BILLS BEFORE THEM IN 2011 ! Neither want to do this because they believe wrongly that ERA is either 1)UNimportant!! (with working women holding up the sky now that many male heads of households have been laid off !) OR 2) dangerous to Big Business' bottom line!

Actually ERA SAVES THE STATE MONEY and requires no funding--unlike almost ALL other bills.

ERA is WinWin, tell them. If they hem and haw as usual, ask why they won't hold hearings (and don't accept the lie that "I leave that choice up to the Chair of committee"). When they won't tell you WHY they won't hear this critically important Amendment and just vote it UP or DOWN, then tell them "I guess you must just HATE WOMEN since all of your other concerns have been deflated by 10 years of legal briefs we've been bringing to you IF you allow us an audience, ever."

See www.RatifyERAflorida.net and the blog there for our well-vetted Rationales for Ratifying ERA.

It's time to allow women a place at the table, for as G.Steinem says,"If you're not at the table, then you're ON THE MENU". We're tired of being the appetizer.

All other nations since WWII have an ERA!! Some brought to them compliments of US servicewomen and men.

For American MEN also have inequities that ERA would cure: unfair child custody awards, issues with the draft, immigration, name change, unfair adjudications in the event of teenage consensual sex (HE goes to jail; she goes into hiding).

See www.ratifyERAFlorida.net for the buttons on ERA for Men, for Women, for Moms, for the Wary, for Legislators, En Espanol, etc. Welcome to the New Nation of Equality where the effects are more harmonious marriages, fewer divorces, lowered abortion rates, stabilized communities, and improved economies--See the research studies:
Equal Rights Amendment IS a win-win.

Back us in Florida as we file our bills in 2011 AGAIN, for the TENTH YEAR. Maybe THEN the Republican House leadership will permit women's rights and men's rights to be testified upon in Florida's capitol. It IS the 21st century ! Tourists and new Floridians are aghast that Florida has not yet ratified ERA like their state did years ago and which is being held hostage to good ol boys and gals in Tallahassee. WE JUST NEED 3 MORE STATES: Equal Rights Alliance is filing bills in both state Houses every year for 10 years AND mentoring 5 other states who are filing ERA bills, too! Pitch in for equality or all, ERA. Has NOTHING TO DO with same-sex anything nor abortion. Get with us so we can help YOU and your children and theirs to a better life. We do this FOR FREE for YOU>

Write what YOU think to ratifyERA@cs.com.

Posted by: sandy oestreich | April 23, 2010 at 10:28 PM