We’ve been talking a lot lately about the current financial state of play in electoral politics. Despite the mega-finances poured into the current election cycle, working families have more power than they think—power at the polls.

It’s not just the presidential race that’s being flooded with money. Every political race—from your local sheriff to state and local judges to your state governors and legislators—is receiving more donations from an ever greedier financial elite.

Andy Richards on our Field Communications staff sends us this.

With the holidays only days away, Pittsburgh-area faith leaders, community members and union families came together Friday to hand bring holiday cheer and hand out hundreds of toys and donations to families in need.

Doug May, a communications intern at the United Steelworkers, sends us this.

Volunteers from United Steelworkers (USW) locals from the South and Midwest aided communities this spring after a burst of tornadoes killed more than 500 and left a swath of destruction.

In less than a year, Texas wildfires have consumed 3.6 million acres, roughly the size of Connecticut, notes Paul Begala, an affiliated professor of public policy at Georgetown and Daily Beast and CNN contributor. Four people have been killed and some 1,400 homes have been lost just in the most recent fire. Of the 10 largest wildfires in Texas history, six have occurred this year. Yet, as Begala points out:

Texas governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry has cut funding for volunteer firefighters, who are the first responders to 90 percent of all wildfires in Texas, by 75 percent.

Brian Pugh, deputy political director for the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, sends us this report.

The Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation celebrated the end of summer with a Brunch to Build Homes on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh. Dozens of union members took part in the Sept. 10 fundraiser on the Newburgh Waterfront and raised $2,000. Labor sponsors included the HVALF, the Wappingers Congress of Teachers, AFGE Local 3740, Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 302, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1500 and Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 30.

AFL-CIO Field Communications staffer Cathy Sherwin sends us this report.

When Emerson Electric Co. CEO David Farr sent a letter to his employees urging them to donate their hard-earned money for the Missouri Senate campaign of Rep. Todd Akin (R), he dangled a pretty big carrot for those ponying up $5,000 or more: an intimate dinner with their boss and his wife. He probably didn’t expect the attention his offer would generate.