Every year, millions of Americans are locked out of our country’s health care system because of federal policies that prohibit some immigrants, including legal permanent residents, from obtaining health benefits. These are bad policies that cost lives and money. They are policies that were not remedied during health care reform. They should be addressed now, as the country moves forward to fix the broken immigration system.

As people of faith and moral calling, we can no longer tolerate our neighbors suffering after being imprisoned because of treatable mental health issues and substance abuse. We call on our representatives to help heal our communities with funding for treatment alternatives and diversions for our neighbors who made nonviolent errors in judgment. We cannot allow incarceration to continue to break apart families and cause suffering in our communities. $75 million/year in increased funding of existing treatment courts and other proven alternatives and diversions, will save the state money and improve the health and safety of our communities. Incarceration costs nearly twice as much as treatment. The state saves $1.93 with each dollar spent on alternatives versus incarceration. In addition, people who get treatment are 20% less likely to return to jail or prison and 13% more likely to be employed after the program than if they were incarcerated. Additionally, treatment gives parents a second chance and can transform their lives. They can return to their children and friends to rebuild their families, neighborhoods, and communities. For more information, visit www.prayforjusticeinwi.org.

For thousands of New Yorkers this winter, the unwanted and uninvited guest is Sandy. Three months after the storm devastated New York, 8,600 New Yorkers living in the Rockaway Peninsula still don’t have power, heat, or help to fix mold so severe it’s causing health problems in children and adults. Clergy in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Lower Manhattan are supporting congregations reeling from Sandy, and families are trying to maintain their holiday spirit in spite of the hardship. Join faith and community leaders from across New York City as we stand with families in the Rockaways who will be forced to spend their winter in the dark and cold.

We believe dramatic change is needed so that our proud democracy lives up to the values of being “of, by, and for the people.” As faith leaders, we stand for honoring the voices of each person created in God’s image and for protecting the integrity of those voices in our democratic process. Together, we have worked to sound the alarm over a flood of special interest money into our political system from a privileged few and call upon our leaders to pursue bold solutions to this crisis of democracy. Candidates are spending so much time courting donors that they have less and less time to speak with voters or craft solutions to our biggest problems. Voters, especially younger Americans, tune out because they view our elections as un-democratic and potentially corrupt. The rich and the poor grow further and further apart, a trend reinforced by a path to electoral victory studded with high-dollar fundraisers and special interest backroom deals. Attack ads blanket the airwaves, dividing us when we need to come together to solve our country’s enormous challenges. New York’s national prominence ensures that a strong message will be sent to Washington, D.C., that real, serious change is possible, especially now as we have just witnessed, from coast to coast, an election awash in unprecedented amounts of money. We appreciate that you recognize that the heart of such change must include the establishment of a citizen-led, small donor-driven campaign fundraising system. This paradigm, already in place in New York City and in several states, would encourage candidates to rely on everyday voters for their campaign funds, instead of spending extensive energy and precious time courting a handful of affluent campaign donors or turning to an army of professional influence-seekers and deep-pocket vested interests. It would broaden civic participation, invite citizens back into our democracy and strengthen the ties between officeholders and their constituents. Importantly, it would send a signal that New Yorkers could trust that their election officials were working for them. Just as the prophets and saints from our faith traditions railed against economic wealth and power that resulted in injustice for the people, we follow in their footsteps and cry out against a system that tears at the fabric of our democracy. Your leadership will not only benefit New Yorkers, but give great hope to all of us who treasure, and depend upon, a robust American democracy. ______________ The Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson is President of Auburn Theological Seminary, and an international leader in theological education for excellence in religious leadership and progressive moral leadership in the public square. Auburn Seminary equips bold and resilient leaders with the tools and resources they need to bridge religious divides, build community, pursue justice, and heal our complex, multifaith world. For more on this campaign http://bit.ly/VklbXY

At $7.25 per hour, New York’s minimum wage remains decades out of date. With growing numbers of New York State residents relying on low-wage jobs to survive, too many workers do not earn enough to afford basic expenses. Governor Cuomo proposed raising New York's minimum wage to $8.75 per hour during his State of the State address this year. Key leaders in the Assembly and Senate have promised action on raising the minimum wage during this session. Now it's time for the legislature to deliver. New York’s lowest-paid workers cannot wait any longer. The Senate and Assembly should pass legislation raising the minimum wage to $8.75 per hour and indexing it to rise automatically with the cost of living each year. Raising the minimum wage is politically popular and morally right. Eighty percent of New York voters support raising the minimum wage.

This is important because having access to healthcare is a crucial part of not only surviving, but thriving, as human beings. Jesus revealed to us that access to healthcare was important to Him; this is why he told us the story of the Good Samaritan. As United Methodists, advocating for everyone to have the economic ability to see a doctor, or to be able to obtain needed surgery, medications, or other treatments is in accordance with our Book of Resolutions. http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/health-care-for-all-in-the-united-states

Since 2006, Catholics in Southwest Florida have been suffering under Bishop Dewane and asking for an investigation into his misconduct. He has intimidated and banished workers and his violent outbursts and unpredictable anger have become a pattern which, in the name of justice, demands an investigation. After years of letter writing and local action, Catholics in the diocese are writing again to Pope Francis, and asking for the support of others around the country. (For more information on the pastors and parishioners leading the campaign, visit www.cta-usa.org/SWFL)