IT IS MOST URGENT THAT YOU ACT IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY’S FUTURE.

These powerful U.S. GOP Senators and Congressmen seem inclined to let the sequester become effective on March 1, 2013 (this Friday!). They are unwilling to accept what the majority of our citizens want – no cuts to entitlement programs without additional tax revenue from the wealthiest. They refuse to accept any tax increase on corporations, millionaires or billionaires despite large compromises offered by President Obama (Ctrl+click HERE). They despise him and do not want to give him any credit for anything. They believe that by allowing the devastating sequester cuts to take effect, they can pin the blame on the President, who has bent over backwards to compromise. Hopefully, if they are stupid enough to believe this charade, it will be a time bomb for the GOP (ctrl+click HERE). By nearly a 3-to-1 margin, respondents to a NBC/WSJ poll conclude that the Republican Party is emphasizing partisanship more than unity (ctrl+click HERE).

The 6^th key decision maker is your U.S. Representative. It is extremely important that you become involved by contacting her/him as well as the rest of your federal officials (ctrl+click HERE) as soon as possible to express your opinion on this time-critical issue. First prepare your response in your word processor, and then click on “Write All Your Federal Officials”. Fill out the preliminary portion of the web page, and then cut and paste the body of your letter. It is quick and simple to do, and your message will be sent to those who count.

My Congressman is Jim Gerlach, and here is his response to my last CNN iReport regarding sequestration, gun control, voter suppression, social security, Medicare, food safety, income disparity, immigration and (ctrl+click here MORE):

“Let me make it explicitly clear that my policy positions and votes on legislation are driven and determined by what I believe will be in the best interests of the over 700,000 constituents who I represent in the Sixth Congressional District of Pennsylvania.”

If Congressman Gerlach and your Congressperson are interested in being reelected even with gerrymandereddistricts (ctrl+click HERE), then they should indeed abide by the majority of their constituents wishes, and not their tea party base. Despite the fact that President Obama won the Pennsylvania popular vote, the Republicans won an astonishing 13 out of 18 (72%) Congressional House seats due to gerrymandered redistricting.

This link discusses the following points in more detail. Be sure to listen to the video to learn more about sequestration (ctrl+click HERE).

1. Shrinking unemployment benefits.  Unemployment benefit ctrl+clicks are being pared by 9.4%.

2. Beef and chicken to cost more and even face a shortage. Americans will have to pay more and deal with shortages of chicken, eggs, pork and beef, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Food safety could be compromised," he said in a letter.

3. Granny won't get her lunch. More than 4 million home-bound and disabled seniors may have to go without supper this year because of cuts to Meals on Wheels programs.

4. Your preschooler could be stuck at home. Some 70,000 children from lower income families will not be able to enroll for pre-schools and daycare centers run by Head Start programs this fall, thanks to at least $400 million in cuts.

5. National parks will close campgrounds or open late.

6. Longer lines at the airport. Domestic travelers can add an extra hour to airport security lines, while international travelers may have to wait four hours to clear customs.

7. Roofs blown off by Hurricane Sandy won't get repaired.

I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY FOLLOWING FORMATTING PROBLEMS. I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH WORD.

Washington Post February 21-24 Pew poll results illustrate sequester consequences and blame (ctrl+click HERE). Some of the findings are:

1.  Q: If automatic federal spending cuts take place, do you think they would have a major effect, a minor effect, or no effect on the U.S. economy? Top response: 60% selected major effect.

2.  Q: If automatic federal spending cuts take place, do you think they would have a major effect, a minor effect, or no effect on the federal budget deficit? Top response: 45% selected major effect.

3.  Q: If automatic federal spending cuts take place, do you think they would have a major effect, a minor effect, or no effect on the U.S. Military? Top response: 55% selected major effect.

4.  Q: And would the effect on the U.S. economy be mostly positive or mostly negative? (Results based on all respondents)? Top response: 62% selected major effect.

5.  Q: If an agreement to prevent automatic federal spending cuts is not reached before next weeks deadline, who do you think would be more to blame (Republicans in Congress) or (President Obama)? Top response: 45% selected Republicans in Congress. Next highest response: 32% selected President Obama.

57 (not Heinz variety) Terrible Consequences of the Sequester (ctrl+click HERE).

Bernanke on Sequester Cuts: Too Much, Too Soon (ctrl+click HERE).

Workers at naval shipyard visited by Obama fear sequester will cost jobs (ctrl+click HERE).

Marylanders fear sequester will hit their pocketbooks. 78 percent of state residents see the planned cuts to defense and domestic spending as having a negative effect on the state’s still sluggish economy, and 59 percent anticipate feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks (ctrl+click HERE).

Napolitano: Sequestration Would Mean Severe Cuts to Border Patrol (ctrl+click HERE).

If Congress allows the sequester to kick in on March 1, cuts to food safety would be one of the “most damaging” consequences of the automatic budget reductions, according to a memo put out by the White House on Friday. (ctrl+click HERE).

Duncan: Sequestration Cuts Could Take a Major Toll on Higher Ed. Duncan said the cuts would be particularly harmful to the nation’s neediest students at the K-12 level and take a major toll on higher education (ctrl+click HERE).

Please, be sure to contact your federal Senators and Congress legislators to inform them of your position on sequestration (ctrl+click HERE).

Also please distribute this to your family and friends.