262 Public Interest Organizations Support Swift Action to Restore Strong, Comprehensive Whistleblower Rights<\/p>\n
January 29, 2009<\/p>\n
To: President Barack Obama;
Senator Daniel Akaka,
Senator Susan Collins,
Senator Joseph Lieberman,
Senator George Voinovich,
Rep. Edolphus Towns,
Rep. Darrell Issa,
Rep. Chris Van Hollen<\/p>\n
The undersigned organizations and corporations, representing millions of Americans, write to support the completion of the landmark, nine-year legislative effort to restore credible whistleblower rights for government employees. We offer our support to expeditiously re-initiate the process of reconciling House and Senate passed versions of this vital good government legislation, which both chambers passed last Congress as H.R. 985 and S. 274. Whistleblower protection is a foundation for any change in which the public can believe. It does not matter whether the issue is economic recovery, prescription drug safety, environmental protection, infrastructure spending, national health insurance, or foreign policy. We need conscientious public servants willing and able to call attention to waste, fraud and abuse on behalf of the taxpayers. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, every month that passes has very tangible consequences for federal government whistleblowers, because none have viable rights. Last year an average of 16 whistleblowers lost every month in initial decisions from administrative hearings at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). For final rulings by the MSPB, the record is 2- 53 under the current Chair. Since January, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a monopoly on appellate review, has ruled against whistleblowers in another thirteen consecutive decisions on the merits, leaving a track record of 3-206 since October 1994 when Congress last strengthened the law. <\/p>\n
We stand ready to provide any information that would help expedite the process, and to help you come to agreement on any unresolved issues. Any compromise should protect several critical provisions, which have already passed with overwhelming support. It is crucial that the final bill:<\/p>\n
We know that your offices share the commitment of every group signing the letter below and we deeply appreciate the years of effort to create more accountability in government. Please let us know how we can participate to expeditiously complete this badly needed good government reform. Once the reconciled version becomes law, the real winners will be the public! <\/p>\n
Sincerely, <\/p>\n
Marcel Reid, Chair
ACORN 8 <\/p>\n
Adele Kushner, Executive Director
Action for a Clean Environment <\/p>\n
Pamela Miller, Director
Alaska Community Action on Toxics <\/p>\n
Dan Lawn, President
Alaska Forum on Environmental Responsibility <\/p>\n
Cindy Shogun, Executive Director
Alaska Wilderness League <\/p>\n
Ryan Pleune, Outreach
Alice Ferguson Foundation <\/p>\n
Susan Gordon, Director
Alliance for Nuclear Accountability <\/p>\n
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility <\/p>\n
Gil Mileikowsky, M.D.
Alliance for Patient Safety <\/p>\n
Linda Lipsen, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs
American Association for Justice (AAJ) <\/p>\n
Mary Alice Baish, Acting Washington Affairs Representative
American Association of Law Libraries <\/p>\n
F. Patricia Callahan, President and General Counsel
American Association of Small Property Owners <\/p>\n
John W. Curtis, Ph.D., Director of Research and Public Policy
American Association of University Professors <\/p>\n
Christopher Finan, president
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression <\/p>\n
Caroline Fredrickson, Director, Washington Legislative Office
American Civil Liberties Union <\/p>\n
Michael D. Ostrolenk
American Conservative Defense Alliance <\/p>\n
Dr. Paul Connett, Executive Director
American Environmental Health Studies Project, Inc. <\/p>\n
John Gage, National President
American Federation of Government Employees <\/p>\n
Charles M. Loveless, Director of Legislation
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) <\/p>\n
Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary
American Friends Service Committee <\/p>\n
Caitlin Love Hills, National Forest Program Director
American Lands Alliance <\/p>\n
Jessica McGilvray, Assistant Director
American Library Association <\/p>\n
Alexandra Owens, Executive Director
American Society of Journalists and Authors <\/p>\n
Charlotte Hall, President
American Society of Newspaper Editors <\/p>\n
Patricia Schroeder, President and CEO
Association of American Publishers <\/p>\n
Ms. Bobbie Paul, Executive Director
Atlanta WAND (Women's Action for New Directions) <\/p>\n
Samuel H. Sage, President
Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc. <\/p>\n
Jay Stewart, Executive Director
Better Government Association <\/p>\n
Matthew Fogg, First Vice-President
Blacks in Government <\/p>\n
Nancy Talanian, Director
Bill of Rights Defense Committee <\/p>\n
Diane Wilson, President
Calhoun County Resource Watch <\/p>\n
Peter Scheer, Executive Director
California First Amendment Association <\/p>\n
Terry Franke, Executive Director
Californians Aware <\/p>\n
Reece Rushing, Director of Regulatory and Information Policy
Center for American Progress <\/p>\n
William Snape, Senior Counsel
Center for Biological Diversity <\/p>\n
Charlie Cray, Director
Center for Corporate Policy <\/p>\n
Gregory T. Nojeim, Senior Counsel and
Director, Project on Freedom, Security & Technology
Center for Democracy and Technology <\/p>\n
Joseph Mendelson III, Legal Director
Center for Food Safety <\/p>\n
J . Bradley Jansen, Director
Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights <\/p>\n
Paul Kurtz, Chairman
Center for Inquiry <\/p>\n
Robert E. White, President
Center for International Policy <\/p>\n
Lawrence S. Ottinger, President
Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest <\/p>\n
Merrill Goozner, Director
Integrity in Science
Center for Science in the Public Interest <\/p>\n
Linda Lazarus, Director
Center to Advance Human Potential <\/p>\n
Craig Williams, Director
Chemical Weapons Working Group & Common Ground <\/p>\n
Phil Fornaci, Counselor
C.H.O.I.C.E.S. <\/p>\n
Leonard Akers
Citizens Against Incineration at Newport <\/p>\n
Evelyn M. Hurwich, President and Chair
Circumpolar Conservation Union <\/p>\n
David B. McCoy, Executive Director
Citizen Action New Mexico <\/p>\n
Doug Bandow, Vice President for Policy
Citizen Outreach <\/p>\n
Deb Katz, Executive Director
Citizens Awareness Network <\/p>\n
Barbara Warren, Executive Director
Citizens' Environmental Coalition <\/p>\n
Elaine Cimino
Citizens for Environmental Safeguards <\/p>\n
James Turner, Chairman of the Board
Citizens for Health <\/p>\n
Michael McCormack, Executive Director
Citizens for Health Educational Foundation <\/p>\n
Gerard Beloin
Citizens for Judicial Reform <\/p>\n
Laura Olah, Executive Director
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger <\/p>\n
Anne Hemenway, Treasurer
Citizen's Vote, Inc. <\/p>\n
Rick Piltz
Climate Science Watch <\/p>\n
John Judge
Coalition on Political Assassinations
9\/11 Research Project <\/p>\n
Zena Crenshaw, 2nd Vice-Chair
3.5.7 Commission on Judicial Reform <\/p>\n
Sarah Dufendach, Vice President for Legislative Affairs
Common Cause <\/p>\n
Greg Smith, Co-Founder
Community Research <\/p>\n
Clarissa Duran, Director
Community Service Organization del Norte <\/p>\n
Joni Arends, Executive Director
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety <\/p>\n
Lokesh Vuyyuru, MD, Founder
Concerned Citizens of Petersburg <\/p>\n
Daniel Hirsch, Member, Executive Committee
Concerned Foreign Service Officers <\/p>\n
Matthew Fogg, President
Congress Against Racism & Corruption in Law Enforcement (CARCLE) <\/p>\n
Ellen Bloom, Director of Federal Policy
Ami Gadhia, Policy Counsel
Consumers Union <\/p>\n
Bob Shavelson, Director
Cook Inlet Keeper <\/p>\n
Neil Takemoto, Director
CoolTown Betta Communities <\/p>\n
Tonya Hennessey, Project Director
CorpWatch <\/p>\n
Louis Wolf, Co-Founder
CovertAction Quarterly <\/p>\n
John Issacs, Executive Director
Council for a Livable World <\/p>\n
Anne Weismann, Chief Counsel
CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington <\/p>\n
Cathy Harris, Founder, Executive Director
Customs Employees Against Discrimination Association <\/p>\n
Mary Elizabeth Beetham, Director of Legislative Affairs
Defenders of Wildlife <\/p>\n
Sue Udry, Director
Defending Dissent Foundation <\/p>\n
Paul E. Almeida, President
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO <\/p>\n
Courtney Dillard, Founder
Dillard-Winecoff Boutique Hotel <\/p>\n
Ben Smilowitz, Director
Disaster Accountability Project <\/p>\n
Dr. Patrick Campbell
Doctors against Fraud <\/p>\n
Dr. Disamodha Amarasinghe
Doctors for National Healthcare <\/p>\n
James J. Murtagh, Jr., President
Doctors for Open Government <\/p>\n
Dr. John Raviotta
Doctors for Reform of JCAHO <\/p>\n
Stephen D'Esposito, President
Earthworks <\/p>\n
Larry Chang, Founder
EcolocityDC <\/p>\n
Thea Harvey, Executive Director
Economists for Peace and Security <\/p>\n
Lisa Walker, executive director
Education Writers Association <\/p>\n
Mike Ewoll, Founder and Director
Energy Justice Network <\/p>\n
Gregory Hile
EnviroJustice <\/p>\n
Chuck Broscious, President
Environmental Defense Institute <\/p>\n
Judith Robinson, Director of Programs
Environmental Health Fund <\/p>\n
Peter Montague, Ph.D, Director
Environmental Research Foundation <\/p>\n
Jason Zuckerman
The Employment Law Group <\/p>\n
John Richard
Essential Information <\/p>\n
George Anderson
Ethics in Government Group (EGG) <\/p>\n
Bob Cooper
Evergreen Public Affairs <\/p>\n
Gabe Bruno
FAA Whistleblowers Alliance <\/p>\n
Robert Richie, Executive Director
FairVote <\/p>\n
Janet Kopenhaver, Washington Representative
Federally Employed Women (FEW) <\/p>\n
Steven Aftergood, Project Director
Federation of American Scientists <\/p>\n
Marilyn Fitterman, Vice President
Feminists for Free Expression <\/p>\n
Ellen Donnett, Administrative Director
Fluoride Action Network <\/p>\n
Andrew D. Jackson, Asst. Campaign Coordinator
Focus-On-Indiana for Judicial Reform <\/p>\n
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director
Food and Water Watch <\/p>\n
Bob Darby, Coordinator
Food Not Bombs\/Atlanta <\/p>\n
Andy Stahl
Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) <\/p>\n
Tom Ferguson, Coordinator
Foundation for Global Community\/Atlanta <\/p>\n
Ruth Flower, Legislative Director
Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers) <\/p>\n
Conrad Martin, Executive Director
Fund for Constitutional Government <\/p>\n
Gail Naftalin, Owner
Gail’s Vegetarian Catering <\/p>\n
Karyn Jones, Director
G.A.S.P
Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution <\/p>\n
Gwen Marshall, Co-Chairman
Georgians for Open Government <\/p>\n
Denny Larson, Executive Director
Global Community Monitor <\/p>\n
Paul F. Walker, Ph.D., Legacy Program Director
Global Green USA
(The US Affiliate of Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman) <\/p>\n
Bill Owens, President
The Glynn Environmental Coalition <\/p>\n
Tom Devine, legal director
Government Accountability Project <\/p>\n
Bill Hedden, Executive Director
Grand Canyon Trust <\/p>\n
Molly Johnson, Area Coordinator
Grandmothers for Peace, San Luis Obispo County Chapter <\/p>\n
Alexis Baden-Mayer
Grassroots Netroots Alliance <\/p>\n
Luci Murphy
Gray Panthers of Metropolitan Washington <\/p>\n
Alan Muller
Green Delaware <\/p>\n
Jenefer Ellingston
Green Party of the United States <\/p>\n
James C. Turner, Executive Director
HALT, Inc. — An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform <\/p>\n
Tom Carpenter, Executive Director
Hanford Challenge <\/p>\n
Arthur S. Shoor, President
Healthcare Consultants <\/p>\n
Helen Salisbury, M.D.
Health Integrity Project <\/p>\n
Vanessa Pierce, Executive Director
Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah) <\/p>\n
Gerry Pollet
Heart of America Northwest <\/p>\n
Liz Havstad, Chief of Staff
Hip Hop Caucus <\/p>\n
Doug Tjapkes, President
Humanity for Prisoners <\/p>\n
Keith Robinson, Interim President
Indiana Coalition for Open Government <\/p>\n
Scott Armstrong, Executive Director
Information Trust <\/p>\n
Arjun Makhijani, Ph.D., President
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research <\/p>\n
Brenda Platt, Co-Director
Institute for Local Self-Reliance <\/p>\n
Donald Soeken, President
Integrity International <\/p>\n
Michael McCray, Esq., Co-Chair
International Association of Whistleblowers <\/p>\n
Mory Atashkar, Vice President
Iranian American Democratic Association <\/p>\n
Mark S. Zaid
James Madison Project <\/p>\n
John Metz, Executive Director
JustHealth <\/p>\n
Brett Kimberlin, Director
Justice Through Music <\/p>\n
Elizabeth Crowe, Director
Kentucky Environmental Foundation <\/p>\n
Tom FitzGerald, Director
Kentucky Resources Council, Inc. <\/p>\n
Kit Wood, Director
Kit’s Catering <\/p>\n
James Love
Knowledge Ecology International <\/p>\n
Josephine Carol Cicchini
LeapforPatientSafety <\/p>\n
Jonathon Moseley, Executive Director
Legal Affairs Council <\/p>\n
James Plummer
Liberty Coalition <\/p>\n
Greg Mello, Executive Director
Los Alamos Study Group <\/p>\n
Dr. Janette Parker
Medical Whistleblower <\/p>\n
Ayize Sabater, Organizer
Mentors of Minorities in Education's Total Learning Cic-Tem <\/p>\n
Jill McElheney, Founder
Micah's Mission
Ministry to Improve Childhood & Adolescent Health <\/p>\n
Ellen Smith, Owner and Managing Editor
Mine Safety and Health News <\/p>\n
Mary Treacy, Executive Director
The Minnesota Coalition on Government Information <\/p>\n
Helen Haskell
Mothers Against Medical Error <\/p>\n
Mark Cohn, President
MPD Productions, Inc. <\/p>\n
James Landrith, Founder
The Multiracial Activist <\/p>\n
Larry Fisher, Founder
National Accountant Whistleblower Coalition <\/p>\n
Tinsley H. Davis, Executive Director
National Association of Science Writers <\/p>\n
Jim L. Jorgenson, Deputy Executive Director
National Association of Treasury Agents <\/p>\n
Dominick DellaSala, Ph.D., Executive Director of Programs and Chief Scientist
National Center for Conservation Science & Policy <\/p>\n
Joan E. Bertin, Esq., Executive Director
National Coalition Against Censorship <\/p>\n
Russell Hemenway, President
National Committee for an Effective Congress <\/p>\n
Sally Greenberg, Executive Director
National Consumers League <\/p>\n
Terisa E. Chaw, Executive Director
National Employment Lawyers Association <\/p>\n
Andrew Jackson
National Judicial Conduct and Disability Law Project, Inc. <\/p>\n
Kim Gandy, President
National Organization for Women <\/p>\n
Paul Brown, Government Relations Manager
National Research Center for Women & Families <\/p>\n
Sibel Edmonds, President and Founder
National Security Whistleblowers Coalition <\/p>\n
Pete Sepp, Vice President for Policy & Communications
National Taxpayers Union <\/p>\n
Colleen M. Kelley, National President
National Treasury Employees Union <\/p>\n
Steve Kohn, President
National Whistleblower Center <\/p>\n
Amy Allina
National Women's Health Network <\/p>\n
Terrie Smith, Director
National Nuclear Workers For Justice <\/p>\n
Doug Kagan, Chairman
Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom <\/p>\n
Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby <\/p>\n
Ron Marshall, Chairman
New Grady Coalition <\/p>\n
Rick Engler, Director
New Jersey Work Environment Council <\/p>\n
Caroline Heldman Ph.D., Director
New Orleans Women’s Shelter <\/p>\n
Marsha Coleman-Abedayo, Chair
No FEAR Coalition <\/p>\n
Nina Bell, J.D., Executive Director
Northwest Environmental Advocates <\/p>\n
Alice Slater, Director
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, New York <\/p>\n
David A. Kraft, Director
Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) <\/p>\n
Michael Mariotte, Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service <\/p>\n
Jay Coghlan, Executive Director
Nuclear Watch New Mexico <\/p>\n
Gwen Lachelt, Executive Director
Oil & Gas Accountability Project <\/p>\n
Sean Moulton, Director, Federal Information Policy
OMB Watch <\/p>\n
Nikuak Rai, Arts Director
One Common Unity <\/p>\n
Rob Kall
Op Ed News <\/p>\n
Patrice McDermott, Executive Director
OpenTheGovernment.org <\/p>\n
Paul Loney, President
Oregon Wildlife Federation <\/p>\n
Ellen Paul, Executive Director
The Ornithological Council <\/p>\n
Joe Carson, Chair
P. Jeffrey Black, Co-Chair
OSC Watch Steering Committee <\/p>\n
Judy Norsigian, Executive Director
Our Bodies Ourselves <\/p>\n
Betsy Combier, President and Editor
Parentadvocates.org <\/p>\n
Ashley Katz, MSW, Executive Director
Patient Privacy Rights <\/p>\n
Blake Moore
Patient Quality Care Project <\/p>\n
Dianne Parker
Patient Safety Advocates <\/p>\n
Former Special Agent Darlene Fitzgerald
Patrick Henry Center <\/p>\n
Paul Kawika Martin, Organizing, Political and PAC Director
Peace Action & Peace Action Education Fund <\/p>\n
Bennett Haselton, Founder
Peacefire.org <\/p>\n
Rev. Paul Alexander, Ph.D., Director
Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice <\/p>\n
Michael McCally, MD, PhD, Executive Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility <\/p>\n
Dale Nathan, J.D., President
POPULAR, Inc. <\/p>\n
Vina Colley, President
Portsmouth\/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security (PRESS) <\/p>\n
David Banisar, Director, FOI Project
Privacy International <\/p>\n
Evan Hendricks, Editor\/Publisher
Privacy Times <\/p>\n
Robert Bulmash, President
Private Citizen, Inc. <\/p>\n
Ronald J Riley, President
Professional Inventor's Alliance <\/p>\n
Dr. Paul Lapides
Professors for Integrity <\/p>\n
Tim Carpenter, Director
Progressive Democrats of America <\/p>\n
Danielle Brian, Executive Director
Project On Government Oversight <\/p>\n
Ellen Thomas, Executive Director
Proposition One Committee <\/p>\n
David Arkush, Director, Congress Watch
Public Citizen <\/p>\n
Jeff Ruch, Executive Director
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility <\/p>\n
Robert L. FitzPatrick, President
Pyramid Scheme Alert <\/p>\n
Dr. Diana Post, President
Rachel Carson Council, Inc. <\/p>\n
Lucy A. Dalglish, Executive Director
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press <\/p>\n
Kirsten Moore, President and CEO
Reproductive Health Technologies Project <\/p>\n
Tim Little, Executive Director
Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment <\/p>\n
John W. Whitehead, president
The Rutherford Institute <\/p>\n
Adrienne Anderson, Coordinator
Safe Water Colorado and Nuclear Nexus Projects
Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center
(Whistleblower Anderson v Metro Wastewater) <\/p>\n
Angela Smith, Coordinator
Seattle Healthy Environment Alliance (Seattle HEAL) <\/p>\n
Dr. Roland Chalifoux
The Semmelweis Society International (SSI) <\/p>\n
Rufus Kinney
Serving Alabama's Future Environment (SAFE) <\/p>\n
Ed Hopkins, Director of Environmental Quality Program
Sierra Club <\/p>\n
Shane Jimerfield, Executive Director
Siskiyou Project <\/p>\n
Andrea Shipley, Executive Director
Snake River Alliance <\/p>\n
Matthew Petty, Executive Director
The Social Sustenance Organization <\/p>\n
Dave Aekens, National President
Society of Professional Journalists <\/p>\n
Amy B. Osborne, President
Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries
Don Hancock, Director of Nuclear Waste Safety Program
Southwest Research and Information Center<\/p>\n
Donna Rosenbaum, Executive Director
S.T.O.P. – Safe Tables Our Priority <\/p>\n
Kevin Kuritzky
The Student Health Integrity Project (SHIP) <\/p>\n
Daphne Wysham, Co-Director
Sustainable Energy and Economy Network (SEEN) <\/p>\n
Jeb White, Executive Director
Taxpayers Against Fraud <\/p>\n
Alec McNaughton
Team Integrity <\/p>\n
Ken Paff, National Organizer
Teamsters for a Democratic Union
Thad Guyer, Partner
T.M. Guyer & Ayers & Friends <\/p>\n
Marylia Kelley, Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
Communities Against a Radioactive Environment <\/p>\n
Paul Taylor
Truckers Justice Center <\/p>\n
Francesca Grifo, Ph.D., Director
Scientific Integrity Program
Union of Concerned Scientists <\/p>\n
Dane von Breichenruchardt, President
U.S. Bill of Rights Foundation <\/p>\n
Dr. Joseph Parish
U.S. Environmental Watch <\/p>\n
Gary Kalman, Director, Federal Legislative Office
U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S.PIRG) <\/p>\n
Nick Mangieri, President
Valor Press, Ltd. <\/p>\n
Dr. Jeffrey Fudin, Founder
Veterans Affairs Whistleblowers Coalition <\/p>\n
Sonia Silbert, Co-Director
Washington Peace Center <\/p>\n
Nada Khader, Foundation Director
WESPAC Foundation <\/p>\n
Gloria G. Karp, Co-Chair
Westchester Progressive Forum <\/p>\n
Mabel Dobbs, Chair
Livestock Committee
Western Organization of Resource Councils <\/p>\n
Ann Harris, Executive Director
We the People, Inc <\/p>\n
Janet Chandler, Co-Founder
Whistleblower Mentoring Project
Dan Hanley
Whistleblowing United Pilots Association <\/p>\n
Linda Lewis, Director
Whistleblowers USA <\/p>\n
John C. Horning, Executive Director
WildEarth Guardians <\/p>\n
Tracy Davids, Executive Director
Wild South <\/p>\n
Kim Witczak
WoodyMatters <\/p>\n
Tom Z. Collina, Executive Director
20\/20 Vision <\/p>\n
Paula Brantner, Executive Director
Workplace Fairness <\/p>\n
Cc: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
House Minority Leader John Boehner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
262 Public Interest Organizations Support Swift Action to Restore Strong, Comprehensive Whistleblower Rights January 29, 2009 To: President Barack Obama; Senator Daniel Akaka,Senator Susan Collins,Senator Joseph Lieberman,Senator George Voinovich,Rep. Edolphus Towns,Rep. Darrell Issa,Rep. Chris...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[60,9],"tags":[142],"class_list":["post-1629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-letters-to-government-agencies-signed-by-tma","category-advocacy-and-letters","tag-advocacy-letters"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p89tuq-qh","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Advocacy-Work.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3952,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629\/revisions\/3952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}