Haiti sees aid boost from Bill Clinton appointment/Project Outreach
Bill Clinton named envoy 10 min-->
UN Chief Ban Ki-moon (right) named Bill Clinton, (who visited Haiti while president in 1995) as his special envoy to Haiti. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
UNITED NATIONS - UN CHIEF Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday named Bill Clinton as his special envoy to Haiti, a choice immediately hailed by the former president's wife, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
UN deputy spokesman Marie Okabe announced that the ex-president would 'help to jumpstart social and economic recovery efforts in Haiti' and 'focus attention on the importance of new partnerships and efforts among the private sector, civil society and donors as well strengthen local capacity.'
She added that the post, which is not a 'full-time job,' would be similar to Mr Clinton's previous service as UN special envoy for tsunami recovery after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Mr Clinton, who has sought to focus world attention on the Caribbean island which was devastated by hurricanes last year and is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, issued his own statement saying it was an 'honour' to be named to the post.
'Last year's natural disasters took a great toll, but Haiti's government and people have the determination and ability to build back better, not just to repair the damage done but to lay the foundations for the long term sustainable development that has eluded them for so long,' Mr Clinton said.
The US top diplomat, Hillary Clinton, endorsed the choice of her husband for the post.
'We think that Ban Ki-moon has chosen a high-profile envoy to raise the visibility of the needs of the people of Haiti,' she said. 'And it's the kind of partnership that we're looking for across the board.
'We had already begun putting a team together, led by my Chief of Staff and Counsellor, Cheryl Mills, to harness the support of the US government to assist Haiti,' she added. 'And this is going to be an added bit of leverage and focus for us that we can all work on together.'
For his part, Mr Ban said he 'is confident that President Clinton will bring energy, dynamism and focus to the task of sustaining world interest in Haiti's recovery and reconstruction efforts.' In March, Mr Ban and Bill Clinton toured Haiti together and urged the international community to continue to aid the impoverished Caribbean country.
Mr Clinton, who visited Haiti while president in 1995, was the first US leader to travel to the country while in office since Franklin Roosevelt in 1934. -- AFP
window.google_render_ad();
Ads by GoogleSponsor a Child Sponsor a Child & Touch an Entire Community. Meet a Child to Sponsor.www.PlanUSA.org
Sunday, May 31, 2009
WE DID IT. SustiNet Passes the Senate 23-12 Saturday May 30
At approximately 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May30th, HB6600 AAC SustiNet Plan passed the Connecticut Senate 23-12. This is historic.THANK YOU for the phone calls, the letters and emails -- and for coming out to the rallies and forums and more. This great victory of ours is proof of what we can accomplish when we unite. Hundreds of people from a host of organizations, unions, clergy, student groups and ordinary citizens raised our voices in unison to achieve this great victory.
Juan Figueroa, President of Universal Health Care Foundation, stated "It's not often that elected leaders get to enact major reforms of this magnitude. The people of Connecticut delivered a clear message to the House and Senate -- and they responded. Now Governor Rell has the opportunity to sign SustiNet into law and deliver health care we can all count on to everyone in Connecticut."
There is still work to be done. More to follow.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Call to Action: Drown out the Nay-Sayers, the Swiftboat Ad Attacks, Help Pass SustiNet
To all readers of this post, thank you all for continuing to keep your voices raised high to bring about change! Over the past few months, Connecticut has witnessed unity like we have rarely seen, on health care reform, on education, on green jobs, energy and the environment. Side by Side, we continually stand united to bring about change in our communities and on the federal level in support of our President's agenda.The frenzied, irrational rantings of nay-sayers have not thwarted our efforts nor diminished our resolve. We are committed now more than ever to do all that we can to bring about the change we so hungered for and demanded on November 4, 2008.
As always, there is something for everyone to get involved with. Here's how we can continue to take action:
HEALTH CARE - CT. HB6600 overwhelmingly passed the House and is in the Senate.
Action. Call or email your Senator and ask them to support SustiNet. You can find your Senator by logging onto Healthcare4every1.org and easily find your senator and send them an email. Click here for a shortcut to send an email.
Face Book and Twitter Users. Search for your Senator on Face Book and Twitter and send them a message or tweet and ask them to support SustiNet.
S.O.S SAVE OUR SCHOOLS - CT. Governor Rell's latest budget proposal slashes the charter school budget and, should her proposal get passed in its current form, Connecticut's charter schools are at risk. We need to come to the table and discuss best practices to ensure ALL of CT's children have access to a quality educational experience. Until this happens, we cannot afford to allow the existing charter schools become extinct.
Action. Contact Jodi Rell and ask her to not cut funding for charter schools. Here's how: On Face Book, On Twitter, via Email Governor.Rell@ct.gov
Telephone: Greater Hartford Area: 860-566-4840, Toll Free: 800-406-1527, TDD: 860-524-7397
Mailing Address:
Governor M. Jodi Rell
Executive Office of the Governor
State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM - SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN
Remember the swiftboat ad attacks? Rick Scott is back spreading complete lies about the President's Health Care plan. Rick Scott's ad, "Not So Innocent," is scheduled to be aired TOMORROW, May 31st on NBC and Meet the Press.
Action. Click here to sign the letter online and tell NBC and Meet the Press to not air Rick Scott's swiftboat attack.
OFA JUNE 6TH NATIONAL HEALTH CARE LAUNCH. On June 6th, thousands of people across our nation will come together to organize for health care reform by hosting or attending a Health Care Organizing Kickoff. No experience is required to host or attend. Everything you need to is online at the OFA website.
At these kickoffs, you’ll watch a special message from the President, meet like-minded supporters in your neighborhood, make plans for reaching out in your community--and start to put those plans in action.
Let us all unite to win health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. Click here to get started right now.
STAND WITH JUDGE SOTOMAYOR. Change will not take place without inertia and that is how we should view the irrational and outrageous commentary being offered by Gingrich, Limbaugh, Cheney and others, as they level attacks against Judge Sotomayor. You know how when you turn on the hose for the first time in the spring, a lot of rust and gunk comes out -- well, that's what is happening here. It is up to us to be the clear, refreshing water that follows.
Action Watch and share this video of President Obama introducing Judge Sotomayor and share it with your friends and family via email, twitter, Face Book, etc.
Then, click here and follow the links to take action where you can declare your support, call your Senator, write a letter to the editor or display your support. OFA has streamlined-lined the process so that all it takes is just a few minutes of you time.
The nay-sayers are filling the airways with outrageous comments that are offensive at best. Follow the links above and let's fill the media and the Internet with a united voice of hope and confidence for the future by rallying behind Judge Sotomayor!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND SAVE THE DATES.
June 25th Health Care for America Now and Connecticut Citizens Action Group will be sending bus loads of grassroots volunteers to the nation's capital for a one-day trip to talk to legislators and show our support of the President's Health Care Plan. Sign up and information on this will be released shortly.
June 27th. OFA will be announcing a special day of service in support of health care, such as:
*Donate healthy food items to food pantries and soup kitchens
*Host a walk-a-thon through your local church or community organization
*Host a health care forum to talk about nutrition and ways to eat smart
*Have a healthy snack meet up in your backyard -- this is especially great for those with young children/grandchildren.
More to follow.
July 11th. Unity March on Washington. On July 11th, the "teabaggers" will host yet another "tea party" in an effort to thwart the President's Plan for America. Rev. Clyde Dunning is organizing a march on Washington to show our support, bringing together members of the clergy, grassroots volunteers and a host of organizations. To date, 3,288 people have already signed up for this event. Click here to sign up and get more details. Here is the web site for United Outreach for Change where you can find out more about the march, the sponsor and who is attending.
************
Through our united voice, let's win together everyday.
Thank you for all that you do.
Val McCall, State Chair
Organizing for Connecticut
Visit Organizing for Connecticut
OFC on Face Book
Friday, May 29, 2009
Gov. Rel - Still Snipping Away
I have never been one to fully support the concept of Charter Schools or Magnet schools. I am not fully in support of the Sheff decision either. Go figure. I still believe in community and that students should be able to learn within their community. When the schools flourish, the community thrives and unites around common goals for its residents. But until we all come to the table to sit down and flesh out the best practices to ensure that every child in our state has access to quality education, we cannot do away with the Charter Schools that have begun -- especially those that are enjoying success.
The governor's new budget proposal cuts deep into the Charter School budget, so much so that Jumoke Academy in Hartford may not be able to reopen it's doors this fall. Jumoke Academy is considered a ConnCAN success story because it is one of the highest performing public schools in Hartford and is closing the achievement gap.
More troublesome is that charter schools appear to be singled out in the Governor's budget, as it is being reported that charter schools are the only type of public schools to get cut. there's something very wrong with this picture. And whatever it is, we cannot afford to let this happen. We have no time to waste in order to take action.
Connecticut's legislature ends (theoretically) on Wednesday, June 3rd. This gives us just days. If we all raise our voices high, we can make a difference. Here are ways that you can reach out to Governor Rell and encourage her not to cut charter schools:
Governor Rell on Face Book
Governor Rell on Twitter
Governor Rell's email Governor.Rell@ct.gov
Telephone: Greater Hartford Area: 860-566-4840, Toll Free: 800-406-1527, TDD: 860-524-7397
Mailing Address:
Governor M. Jodi Rell
Executive Office of the Governor
State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
We need to answer this action with our voices. Please write, email, tweet or call Gov. Rell today. Pass this appeal on to everyone you know in Connecticut.
The governor's new budget proposal cuts deep into the Charter School budget, so much so that Jumoke Academy in Hartford may not be able to reopen it's doors this fall. Jumoke Academy is considered a ConnCAN success story because it is one of the highest performing public schools in Hartford and is closing the achievement gap. More troublesome is that charter schools appear to be singled out in the Governor's budget, as it is being reported that charter schools are the only type of public schools to get cut. there's something very wrong with this picture. And whatever it is, we cannot afford to let this happen. We have no time to waste in order to take action.
Connecticut's legislature ends (theoretically) on Wednesday, June 3rd. This gives us just days. If we all raise our voices high, we can make a difference. Here are ways that you can reach out to Governor Rell and encourage her not to cut charter schools:
Governor Rell on Face Book
Governor Rell on Twitter
Governor Rell's email Governor.Rell@ct.gov
Telephone: Greater Hartford Area: 860-566-4840, Toll Free: 800-406-1527, TDD: 860-524-7397
Mailing Address:
Governor M. Jodi Rell
Executive Office of the Governor
State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
We need to answer this action with our voices. Please write, email, tweet or call Gov. Rell today. Pass this appeal on to everyone you know in Connecticut.
STAND WITH JUDGE SOTOMAYOR
The airways are filled with attacks from Gingrich, Limbaugh, Cheney and more. Judge Sotomayor's record is impressive with years of experience on the bench -- more than any other Supreme court Nominee in recent history. So why the personal slurs and base attacks? That's all the likes of Gingrich, Limbaugh and Cheney have. Remember, they are the party of "no" for the sake of "no." Log onto Organizing for America and see how you can take action now by showing your support for Judge Sotomayor. Use the call tool to call your Senator. Use the writing tool to write your Senator. Get the code for the button above and share it on Face Book, twitter and other social networks. Let's drown out the nay-sayers and swiftboat ads with the sound of the voice of reason, experience and progress. Let's stand with the President's Supreme Court Nominee Judge Sotomayor.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passes the House
Another perfect example of the power of our voice united, many in body/one in mind!
After a six hour grueling debate last night (May 27th), Connecticut's House of Representatives voted to pass Election Day Registration in Connecticut. The next stop is on to the Senate.
Nine states have some form of Election Day voter registration: Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Montana began Election Day voter registration in 2006, North Carolina in 2007, and Iowa in 2008. Connecticut is on it's way to becoming the 10th state to do so. (See House Approves Same-Day Registration, by Christopher Keating | The Hartford Courant | 5/27/2009).
States that offer election day registration have seen on average a 10-12% increase in voter voter turnout rates. Moreover, the five highest states for voter participation in the 2008 general election were states that offer election day registration.
With Connecticut's gubernatorial elections on the horizon, as well as other elections, election day registration is critical. We passed the house and now we need to pass in the senate. Here's what you can do.
Click here to call your state senator and urge them to vote for Election Day Registration! Or you can call the Connecticut State Senate general number at (860) 240-8600.
Key Talking Points:
Election day registration raises the voter turnout in states by 10 – 12%
No appreciable rate of fraud associated with election day registration has been found in over 25 years of studies.
Identification requirements for election day registration are the same as for regular registration.
The Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut supports election day registration.
After a six hour grueling debate last night (May 27th), Connecticut's House of Representatives voted to pass Election Day Registration in Connecticut. The next stop is on to the Senate.
Nine states have some form of Election Day voter registration: Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Montana began Election Day voter registration in 2006, North Carolina in 2007, and Iowa in 2008. Connecticut is on it's way to becoming the 10th state to do so. (See House Approves Same-Day Registration, by Christopher Keating | The Hartford Courant | 5/27/2009).
States that offer election day registration have seen on average a 10-12% increase in voter voter turnout rates. Moreover, the five highest states for voter participation in the 2008 general election were states that offer election day registration.
With Connecticut's gubernatorial elections on the horizon, as well as other elections, election day registration is critical. We passed the house and now we need to pass in the senate. Here's what you can do.
Click here to call your state senator and urge them to vote for Election Day Registration! Or you can call the Connecticut State Senate general number at (860) 240-8600.
Key Talking Points:
Election day registration raises the voter turnout in states by 10 – 12%
No appreciable rate of fraud associated with election day registration has been found in over 25 years of studies.
Identification requirements for election day registration are the same as for regular registration.
The Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut supports election day registration.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Carmina Burana was not Written for Scarey Movies or Swiftboat Ads
Carl Orff is one of my favorite composers. I have performed Carmina Burana, and Catulli Carmina, many times. These two works are from a trilogy (Trionfi meaning "triumphs) written by Orff in the early 1930s, and is comprised of songs about lust and unrequited love, religious hymns and plays, about gambling and games, about the life of vagabonds and life's tribulations in general. Orff describes his trilogy as "the celebration of the triumph of the human spirit through sexual and holistic balance." For this reason, Orff's trilogy is often considered, and performed during, a "summer" or "spring" work.
Orff's trilogy is a musical masterpiece. The most difficult work, with its syncopated rhythms and expansive vocal range, is Catulli Carmina, which did not enjoy the same kind of exposure and popularity as Carmina Burana, the most famous work of the trilogy. Carmina Burana's popularity is due in large part to the opening and closing song, O Fortuna (O Fortune in Latin and also known as the Roman Goddess of Fortune). When I first performed Carmina Burana, we sang O Fortuna in its original key as Orff wrote it, which was a soprano's dream. Those of us in the first soprano section reveled at the chance to dance on those high b flats and c notes. We lived for those moments! My introduction to Orff was Catulli Carmina. I loved the intricate rhythms, the solos, especially the baritone/tenor/counter-tenor solo that is exquisite and spans across three vocal ranges -- almost instantly, making it not that easy to sing, but indescribably wonderful to listen to.
Orff's music is no easy task to master. In addition to the challenging rhythms and vocal ranges, there is the constant shifting between languages within themselves, i.e., is this "regular" German or Middle High German. Then flip the page to the next piece and begin immediately singing in Latin. Carmina Burana is comprised of 21 of a collection of 24 poems of the same name, written in about 1230, and Catulli Carmina consists of a number of poems written by Catullus, a Roman poet of the 1st century BC, hence the language challenges.
I first performed Catulli Carmina in high school (quite some time ago), but not until after much ado about the sexual content -- even though it was in Latin, German and Middle High German. In those days, we did not memorize notes and sounds, we learned the language and the full depth and breath of the meaning behind the song, along with the historical perspective -- all of which was part and parcel of Orff's pedagogy for musical learning. Pedagogy aside, the lustiest songs were cut out - or had parts of them cut out. That did not deter us students. Determined to find what the text really said, we rushed to G. Schrimer's (a sheet music store in NYC) and purchased a full copy. As we tackled each song, at least one of us would show up in class with the "real" translation.
No doubt, the strength and power of O Fortuna, coupled with it's deliberate building on the pulsating underlying rhythm, starting softly yet definitely after the opening chorus and building into a profound crescendo (triple forte) at the end. A lot of movies and commercials have used O Fortuna to depict strength, warriors going into battle covered with blood guts and gore, and, quite often FEAR. (OOOOO!)
Tonight, I watched a swiftboat ad on television that uses O Fortuna as the background music. The ad is about the closing of Guantanamo and implies (with words) that "terrorists" will be released into our neighborhoods if we allow the President to close Guantanamo. While pictures of "terrorists" are streamed across the screen with a blood red backdrop, O Fortuna plays on.
As I watched the ad, I laughed so hard thinking about the real meaning behind the music. It was hilarious. Instead of conjuring up fear, the ad conjured up the stories about suicide bombers imagining that if they killed themselves in this manner they would be received by 100 virgins when they reached heaven. Knowing the composer's intent, this is more inline with the music. I realize that is not so nice, but really! Whomever put this ad together obviously did not do his or her homework -- as usual, they ignored the facts. We're not shaking in our boots with fear, we rolling on the floor, laughing out loud.
The days of my youth came spilling forth as I recalled sitting with my classmates in study hall, huddled over the "real" translation, covering our mouths to muffle our snorts and giggles. When you read the translation of O Fortuna without the benefit of the rest of the piece, you loose the meaning behind the song -- especially without knowing about the wheel of fortune that is referenced in this piece.
So, swiftboat ad-person, you think this music is meant to emphasize fear? Read the translation to the song -- here's a hint, someone did not get any luck from the goddess of fortune so the rest of the folks should sing a mournful tune with that person. I guess the phrase "misery loves company" applied even in the latter part of the Middle Ages -- and at the end of the day, could very well apply here as each "detainee" laments that the Roman goddess of fortune rained on their parade. Go figure. Here's a translation of the song:
O Fortune,
like the moon
Stands constantly changing,
ever waxing
or waning;
hateful life
now oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Fate - monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
stand malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.
Fate, in health
and virtue,
is against me
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!
----------------
Now playing: Carl Orff - Carmina Burana - O Fortuna
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Now playing: Carl Orff - O fortuna
via FoxyTunes
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Round Two for SustiNet
Congratulations! SustiNet has taken a major step forward to becoming implemented in Connecticut. Yesterday, SustiNet passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 107 Yea to 35 Nay; a vote along party lines. The passage of the bill is something to be proud of, but also shows us that we have some work to do before it is voted on in the Senate.
Republicans are voting against the bill, which means we need to inform them that Connecticut wants and needs SustiNet now. We need to make sure some Republicans vote for the bill in the Senate because we have to worry about not only having them pass the bill, but start fortifying enough votes to obtain a veto-proof.
The Governor will most likely kill this bill. So, the time to convince our legislators that this is important to us is now, before it reaches her desk. Let's not sit-back and be content that it will pass the democratically-controlled Senate without a problem. Even though it most likely will, we need to send the message now and prepare for a veto from the Governor. Let's get the votes from our legislators while we still can.
Therefore, I challenge you to contact your legislators; especially if they are Republican! If you are in a Republican district- reach out to your neighbors, make calls, write letters. You may have to work a little harder but you have a tremendous amount of clout in this situation. Please take advantage and help SustiNet break the boundaries of passing by just party vote.
Republicans are voting against the bill, which means we need to inform them that Connecticut wants and needs SustiNet now. We need to make sure some Republicans vote for the bill in the Senate because we have to worry about not only having them pass the bill, but start fortifying enough votes to obtain a veto-proof.
The Governor will most likely kill this bill. So, the time to convince our legislators that this is important to us is now, before it reaches her desk. Let's not sit-back and be content that it will pass the democratically-controlled Senate without a problem. Even though it most likely will, we need to send the message now and prepare for a veto from the Governor. Let's get the votes from our legislators while we still can.
Therefore, I challenge you to contact your legislators; especially if they are Republican! If you are in a Republican district- reach out to your neighbors, make calls, write letters. You may have to work a little harder but you have a tremendous amount of clout in this situation. Please take advantage and help SustiNet break the boundaries of passing by just party vote.
Gitmo Fear Spreading Faster than H1N1
As soon as the torture at Guantanamo Prison was revealed, many of us voiced our indignation and disgust that such deplorable acts were taking place at the hands of Americans. When President Obama signed an executive order to close Guantanamo and publicly stated that America does not torture, we all breathed a sigh of relief -- the voice of reason had returned to the White House and was embarking on restoring our moral standards.
Fast forward to yesterday and I was amazed that so many voted "no" in the Senate on the issues surrounding closing Guantanamo. Did someone put something in the drinking water that caused the left side of the aisle to join in on the chorus of "just say no" right side? At least the right side of the aisle seemingly has an excuse -- effective January 21st, their SOP is to just say no to any and everything. But Sen. Reid and others ... it was one of those "huh?" moments.
In trying to sort this out for my own peace of mind, I decided to check into explanations from "the experts." Robert Mueller, FBI director, told a committee in the House of Representatives that, "The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing to terrorists, radicalizing others with regard to violent extremism, [and] the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States."
On the surface, Mr. Mueller's statement sounds like a reasonable explanation, especially since he is the director of the FBI -- he should know. His statement, however well-stated, does not sit well in light of the already existing extremism within our borders that comes from our own citizens.
The neo-nazi movement speaks exactly to this kind of extremism. Our Senators should visit the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) web site to see a list of these groups:
Aryan Nations members at Hayden Lake, Idaho in 1995. Buford Furrow (second from right), at the time an Aryan Nations guard, killed one person and wounded five others in a 1998 shooting spree in Los Angeles.
In a report released in July 2007, the ADL showed that as of 2004, 26 states had active militia groups: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Granted some of these groups are fledgling, some barely active. While I in no way endorse these groups, I have to say that their existence, their ideologies, and their activities negate the arguments posed by Mr. Mueller, Sen. Reid and others, because violent extremism already exists within our borders from our own citizens.
My search for more information kept coming across Blackwater (d/b/a XE), Katrina and the war in Iraq. I decided to follow and let the dots lead the way. I started first by checking out Blackwater and came across Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army," who had this to say:
.
In March 2009, Blackwater changed it's name to XE, brought on new leadership, and after the new administration advised XE that it will not renew it's lucrative contract to protect US diplomats in Iraq (done by the former administration), is shifting its focus to training, aviation and logistics at its three training centers in California, Illinois and North Carolina (headquarters). The dots also lead me to three aviation affiliates of XE.
My quest for information has lead me to emphatically state that we must close Guantanamo, albeit with thoughtful and purposeful action, as expeditiously as possible. Simultaneously, we must continue to build upon renewing our country and address those issues that will ensure our peace and prosperity, namely, creating a new industry and products to address our energy consumption and preservation of our planet, quality education coupled with equal access to quality education for all peoples, and access/coverage to and for quality health care.
Fast forward to yesterday and I was amazed that so many voted "no" in the Senate on the issues surrounding closing Guantanamo. Did someone put something in the drinking water that caused the left side of the aisle to join in on the chorus of "just say no" right side? At least the right side of the aisle seemingly has an excuse -- effective January 21st, their SOP is to just say no to any and everything. But Sen. Reid and others ... it was one of those "huh?" moments.
In trying to sort this out for my own peace of mind, I decided to check into explanations from "the experts." Robert Mueller, FBI director, told a committee in the House of Representatives that, "The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing to terrorists, radicalizing others with regard to violent extremism, [and] the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States."
On the surface, Mr. Mueller's statement sounds like a reasonable explanation, especially since he is the director of the FBI -- he should know. His statement, however well-stated, does not sit well in light of the already existing extremism within our borders that comes from our own citizens.
The neo-nazi movement speaks exactly to this kind of extremism. Our Senators should visit the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) web site to see a list of these groups:
American Front, Aryan Nations, Council of Conservative Citizens, Creativity Movement, Elohim City, Greater Ministries International, Hammerskin Nation, Institute for Historical Review, Little Shell Pembina Band, Militia of Montana, National Alliance, National Socialist Movement, Nazi Low Riders, New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, Public Enemy Number 1 (PENI), Volksfront, White RevolutionThe ADL states that the National Socialist Movement is "One of the most explicitly “Nazi-like” neo-Nazi groups, emulating the uniforms and paraphernalia of the Third Reich ... It has a vaguely paramilitary structure, with military ranks for its members." In addition, it has a "white supremacist social networking website, New Saxon ... online radio shows and [a] ... white power music company, NSM88 Records."
Aryan Nations members at Hayden Lake, Idaho in 1995. Buford Furrow (second from right), at the time an Aryan Nations guard, killed one person and wounded five others in a 1998 shooting spree in Los Angeles.In a report released in July 2007, the ADL showed that as of 2004, 26 states had active militia groups: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Granted some of these groups are fledgling, some barely active. While I in no way endorse these groups, I have to say that their existence, their ideologies, and their activities negate the arguments posed by Mr. Mueller, Sen. Reid and others, because violent extremism already exists within our borders from our own citizens.
My search for more information kept coming across Blackwater (d/b/a XE), Katrina and the war in Iraq. I decided to follow and let the dots lead the way. I started first by checking out Blackwater and came across Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army," who had this to say:
.
In March 2009, Blackwater changed it's name to XE, brought on new leadership, and after the new administration advised XE that it will not renew it's lucrative contract to protect US diplomats in Iraq (done by the former administration), is shifting its focus to training, aviation and logistics at its three training centers in California, Illinois and North Carolina (headquarters). The dots also lead me to three aviation affiliates of XE.
Aviation Services LLC, located in Melbourne FL, whose web site I did not link to because of the Malware warning.There are more "dots" to follow along this trail of armed mercenaries and other entities contracted by our misguided former administration, who, it seems, sought to privatize our lives for the sake of filling their purses.
Greystone, Ltd. is a division of XE that was formed when it was Blackwater to market aviation services to governments and other entities outside the United States. Interesting to note is that Greystone is a member of International Peace Operations Association (IPOA), which has an interesting mix of members, and the Private Security Company Association of Iraq, which also has an interesting list of members.
The third subsidiary, Presidential Airways, was located in Melbourne FL but relocated to XE headquarters in North Carolina.
My quest for information has lead me to emphatically state that we must close Guantanamo, albeit with thoughtful and purposeful action, as expeditiously as possible. Simultaneously, we must continue to build upon renewing our country and address those issues that will ensure our peace and prosperity, namely, creating a new industry and products to address our energy consumption and preservation of our planet, quality education coupled with equal access to quality education for all peoples, and access/coverage to and for quality health care.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Guys Behind The Door - Video Blog
Last night, I departed from seeking out my usual fare of social issues and political righteousness and tracked down The Guys Behind The Door, J. Stan McCauley, playwright of The Door, owner/found of AccessTV and Light Source Productions, and Marcus A. Jarvis, director of The Door, and composer of The Door's musical score and songs.
Marc and Stan have had a long journey with The Door. Their excitement about this production is infectious as the talk about their experiences in putting this project together. This video says it all.
Marc and Stan have had a long journey with The Door. Their excitement about this production is infectious as the talk about their experiences in putting this project together. This video says it all.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
SustiNet Being Voted on Today -- You Can Still Take Action
Here's an important message from Paul Wessel, Exec. Dir., Healthcare4ever1.org:
We just found out that SustiNet, HB 6600, will likely be voted on late today, Tuesday, May 19.
Over the last week, we've worked with House leadership to refine a SustiNet bill that sets Connecticut on the road to quality, affordable health care for everyone while navigating the challenges of the 2009 Connecticut legislative session.
Please email your State Representative one last time!
The basic provisions of the amended bill are
* No new state money needed in the next two-year budget
* Establishes a Board with the right expertise to implement SustiNet
* Within 60 days of any federal health care reform, the SustiNet Board makes recommendations to the legislature regarding state action
* The Board reports a full action-ready bill to the legislature in January 2011
* SustiNet opens to voluntary enrollment in 2012
* Projects annual savings of $1.75 billion for individuals and businesses by 2014 with an average savings of $875 per person
We'll be at the Capitol tonight (join us if you'd like), and we'll keep you informed as the bill progresses on to the Senate. There are just 15 days left until the June 3 end of the 2009 legislative session.
Thank you for the work you've done to get SustiNet to the House floor. Take a breath (after sending your email) because our work has just begun.
Sincerely,
Paul Wessel
Field Director
healthcare4every1 Campaign
P.S. check out the video from SustiNet Day @ the Capitol on May 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Kq2a4KI9Y
We just found out that SustiNet, HB 6600, will likely be voted on late today, Tuesday, May 19.
Over the last week, we've worked with House leadership to refine a SustiNet bill that sets Connecticut on the road to quality, affordable health care for everyone while navigating the challenges of the 2009 Connecticut legislative session.
Please email your State Representative one last time!
The basic provisions of the amended bill are
* No new state money needed in the next two-year budget
* Establishes a Board with the right expertise to implement SustiNet
* Within 60 days of any federal health care reform, the SustiNet Board makes recommendations to the legislature regarding state action
* The Board reports a full action-ready bill to the legislature in January 2011
* SustiNet opens to voluntary enrollment in 2012
* Projects annual savings of $1.75 billion for individuals and businesses by 2014 with an average savings of $875 per person
We'll be at the Capitol tonight (join us if you'd like), and we'll keep you informed as the bill progresses on to the Senate. There are just 15 days left until the June 3 end of the 2009 legislative session.
Thank you for the work you've done to get SustiNet to the House floor. Take a breath (after sending your email) because our work has just begun.
Sincerely,
Paul Wessel
Field Director
healthcare4every1 Campaign
P.S. check out the video from SustiNet Day @ the Capitol on May 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Kq2a4KI9Y
Disparities in Health Care and Beyond
A couple of weeks ago, a relative of mine slipped and fell on their head. Naturally, this person went to the hospital to be checked by a doctor to insure no unforeseen internal injuries existed. This relative was released from the hospital the same day, and to the best of my knowledge, was told to get some rest and take an over-the-counter pain medication when needed. A couple of days later, my relative returned to the hospital in a comma and died shortly thereafter at the age of 52.
At question is the depth of the examination that was performed for someone who had jut fallen on their head and almost rendered unconscious. There is a growing knot in my stomach as we wait for the results of an autopsy and information as to what tests were administered to determine that my relative had no internal bleeding or other serious injuries requiring treatment beyond aspirin and rest.
This event caused me to remember an incident with one of my children.
A number of years ago, my young teenage son was riding home on his bike as it was turning dark. The lack of daylight caused him to misjudge where the curb started/ended. He slammed into the curb, which caused him to be tossed into the air, flip over and come down head first, hitting his head on the concrete curb. Upon his arrival home, I immediately took him to the emergency room to make certain that no internal injuries, i.e., concussion, internal bleeding, etc., existed.
Once in the emergency room, I explained his accident to the receiving nurse, filled out all the intake paperwork, including providing my health insurance information. A neurologist was called and he advised me that he was scheduling my son to have an x-ray and he would exam him to rule out any broken bones or fractures, internal bleeding, concussion, etc.
Abruptly, the exam and x-ray, which had not yet been performed or taken, were ruled out and the neurologist was told he was not needed by another doctor who stepped in and said he was taking over. The neurologist stayed around for a little while -- until he received another call. He stated his disagreement to the second doctor, saying that my son should at least be examined by him and he should go ahead with the x-ray since it was a fall to the head. The second doctor did not back down and the neurologist shook his head in obvious frustration and left.
The second doctor began insisting that my young teenage son was on drugs and how he knew "all about kids in the streets." He did not examine my son in any way, rather, he performed an interrogation. When my son repeatedly denied having taken any drugs or alcohol, this doctor insisted on speaking with my son alone. Concerned that my son would not be treated at all, I stepped just beyond the curtain out of sight but definitely not out of listening range. I was horrified as this doctor did his best to try and get my son to say he was on drugs or alcohol, which my son emphatically denied.
The doctor refused to implement the tests and exam that the neurologist wanted to do saying that the x-ray was too expensive to waste on someone who was probably just on drugs or got high on something. The doctor did, however, hand me a bill -- for full payment -- which was odd since our health insurance, which I had provided upon arrival, more than adequately covered any charges. I suspect he realized that his bill would never be authorized for payment. What would he charge for since no exam was performed? Young teenage African American male with his mother enters emergency room and occupy two chairs for 12 hours?
I looked at the bill and calmly advised the doctor that a "bill" is generally what is given in exchange for services rendered. His refusal of allowing anyone on his staff to administer medical services, coupled with his refusal of providing those services himself as a doctor to my son, thereby going against the Hippocratic oath he took when he became a licensed medical practitioner, nullified any request for payment. No service, no payment. I gently returned the bill to this doctor and quietly suggested he frame it before he saw a nickel from me or my insurance carrier as I exited the hospital. The neurologist returned as I was leaving and I advised him that I had placed a call into my pediatrician. He urged me to definitely follow up with another doctor, saying it is best to err on the side of caution when it comes to head injuries and seemed relieved that I was doing so.
I called my pediatrician and the following morning, which by that time was only hours away, my son received the necessary medical services to ensure his health and well being.
So what happened here? At the time, both my husband and I were working (I am retired) and we had pretty good health insurance coverage for our family through our employers (mine private, his government). So, insurance was not at issue. We enjoyed a good income, so money was not at issue. We were residents/home-owners of the community and citizens. So immigrant status or non-resident status was not at issue. We were at a hospital that boasts a long-time rating as among the top 100 in the country. So availability (not access, as I was clearly being denied access) to quality health care was not at issue.
Moreover, what if? What if a person seeks medical attention and actually is intoxicated? Are not hospitals supposed to treat that person or, at the very least, thoroughly examine the person to determine if injury of any kind exists or not before releasing that person; especially after valid, full insurance coverage has been provided?
Disparities in health care access and coverage have long been at issue on many levels all across this country. Racial and gender disparities are high up on the list and not just in health care.
Yesterday, Applied Research Center (Advancing Racial Justice Through Research, Advocacy and Journalism) released it's May 2009 report, "Race and Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and How to Change the Rules." The report's opening statement reads:
At question is the depth of the examination that was performed for someone who had jut fallen on their head and almost rendered unconscious. There is a growing knot in my stomach as we wait for the results of an autopsy and information as to what tests were administered to determine that my relative had no internal bleeding or other serious injuries requiring treatment beyond aspirin and rest.
This event caused me to remember an incident with one of my children.
A number of years ago, my young teenage son was riding home on his bike as it was turning dark. The lack of daylight caused him to misjudge where the curb started/ended. He slammed into the curb, which caused him to be tossed into the air, flip over and come down head first, hitting his head on the concrete curb. Upon his arrival home, I immediately took him to the emergency room to make certain that no internal injuries, i.e., concussion, internal bleeding, etc., existed.
Once in the emergency room, I explained his accident to the receiving nurse, filled out all the intake paperwork, including providing my health insurance information. A neurologist was called and he advised me that he was scheduling my son to have an x-ray and he would exam him to rule out any broken bones or fractures, internal bleeding, concussion, etc.
Abruptly, the exam and x-ray, which had not yet been performed or taken, were ruled out and the neurologist was told he was not needed by another doctor who stepped in and said he was taking over. The neurologist stayed around for a little while -- until he received another call. He stated his disagreement to the second doctor, saying that my son should at least be examined by him and he should go ahead with the x-ray since it was a fall to the head. The second doctor did not back down and the neurologist shook his head in obvious frustration and left.
The second doctor began insisting that my young teenage son was on drugs and how he knew "all about kids in the streets." He did not examine my son in any way, rather, he performed an interrogation. When my son repeatedly denied having taken any drugs or alcohol, this doctor insisted on speaking with my son alone. Concerned that my son would not be treated at all, I stepped just beyond the curtain out of sight but definitely not out of listening range. I was horrified as this doctor did his best to try and get my son to say he was on drugs or alcohol, which my son emphatically denied.
The doctor refused to implement the tests and exam that the neurologist wanted to do saying that the x-ray was too expensive to waste on someone who was probably just on drugs or got high on something. The doctor did, however, hand me a bill -- for full payment -- which was odd since our health insurance, which I had provided upon arrival, more than adequately covered any charges. I suspect he realized that his bill would never be authorized for payment. What would he charge for since no exam was performed? Young teenage African American male with his mother enters emergency room and occupy two chairs for 12 hours?
I looked at the bill and calmly advised the doctor that a "bill" is generally what is given in exchange for services rendered. His refusal of allowing anyone on his staff to administer medical services, coupled with his refusal of providing those services himself as a doctor to my son, thereby going against the Hippocratic oath he took when he became a licensed medical practitioner, nullified any request for payment. No service, no payment. I gently returned the bill to this doctor and quietly suggested he frame it before he saw a nickel from me or my insurance carrier as I exited the hospital. The neurologist returned as I was leaving and I advised him that I had placed a call into my pediatrician. He urged me to definitely follow up with another doctor, saying it is best to err on the side of caution when it comes to head injuries and seemed relieved that I was doing so.
I called my pediatrician and the following morning, which by that time was only hours away, my son received the necessary medical services to ensure his health and well being.
So what happened here? At the time, both my husband and I were working (I am retired) and we had pretty good health insurance coverage for our family through our employers (mine private, his government). So, insurance was not at issue. We enjoyed a good income, so money was not at issue. We were residents/home-owners of the community and citizens. So immigrant status or non-resident status was not at issue. We were at a hospital that boasts a long-time rating as among the top 100 in the country. So availability (not access, as I was clearly being denied access) to quality health care was not at issue.
Moreover, what if? What if a person seeks medical attention and actually is intoxicated? Are not hospitals supposed to treat that person or, at the very least, thoroughly examine the person to determine if injury of any kind exists or not before releasing that person; especially after valid, full insurance coverage has been provided?
Disparities in health care access and coverage have long been at issue on many levels all across this country. Racial and gender disparities are high up on the list and not just in health care.
Yesterday, Applied Research Center (Advancing Racial Justice Through Research, Advocacy and Journalism) released it's May 2009 report, "Race and Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and How to Change the Rules." The report's opening statement reads:
While all Americans worry about economic insecurity during this crisis, its most damaging effects have been unevenly distributed. People of color are unemployed, hungry, homeless and without health care at alarming rates. Many have already fallen through the widening cracks in the social safety net, and countless more are about to go under. This dire and worsening situation amounts to a state of emergency. Examining the disparities reveals patterns that are not simply coincidental. Indeed, people of color face barriers to opportunity at every turn, and the impact is devastating, not just to them, but also to struggling white people. Ultimately, to ensure a stable and growing economy for all will require solutions that directly address these disparities.The report goes on to outline six policies that should be implemented within the next year to combat these disparities as:
• Employee Free Choice ActTo read more: Click here for executive summary. Click here for full report.
• Community Reinvestment Act Modernization
• Immigrant Legalization
• Green Jobs-Good Jobs
• Raise the Minimum Wage
• Pass Comprehensive Universal Health Care
Monday, May 18, 2009
Support The Youth Promise Bill
Hello all,
Please take the time to read and respond to this posting. It will only take a few seconds. But yet so important.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Gangs have plagued Black communities across the country for decades, but we've seen few large-scale efforts that go to the root of the problem. Thanks to Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, that could change. Now he needs our support.
The Youth PROMISE Act, Scott's bill, focuses on giving young people real alternatives to gangs, instead of locking them up and throwing them into a system that often turns them into hardened criminals.
The bill has some support in Congress, but a strong show of support from everyday people like us will help make sure that it passes. Please take a moment to add your voice, and please ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://www.colorofchange.org/promise/?id=2048-459801
It's clear that the current national strategy to combat gang participation isn't working.1 Every day more young people are thrown into jail instead of being given opportunities to turn their lives around. It does very little to solve the problem of gangs, and it compounds the hopelessness that leads to participation in gangs in the first place.
The Youth PROMISE (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education) Act would change this by providing young people with critical support and opportunities to succeed so they'll see that they have options that don't involve joining a gang.
The Youth PROMISE Act would give communities greater access to a range of youth intervention methods with a record of success -- like mentoring and after-school programs -- and let those communities decide which practices are best suited to their specific needs. It would give communities funding to hire police officers specially trained to deal with youth. And it would provide crucial mental health services to young people who need them.2
By signing on in support, you'll join dozens of national civic groups, religious denominations, justice organizations, and political leaders who realize that the kind of change offered by the Youth PROMISE Act is long overdue. Even law enforcement officials are coming to the conclusion that we can't simply arrest our way out of this problem.3
Now it's our turn. Together, we can show that thousands of everyday people are behind this kind of change. Please take a moment to sign on in support, and ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://www.colorofchange.org/promise/?id=2048-459801
Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team May 13th, 2009
P.S. Crips and Bloods: Made in America is a powerful film that many of our members have seen and praised. It provides insight into the rise of gangs in South Central Los Angeles, with a historical perspective that's rarely provided. You can purchase the film online with a special discount for ColorOfChange.org members. When you purchase the film, use coupon code CBCHANGE and you'll get a $4 discount. You can check out the film and buy it at www.colorofchange.org/cripsbloods.
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU--your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or corporations and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=2048-459801
References:
1. "A Promise for our Children," The Huffington Post, 12-18-2008 http://tinyurl.com/4ugc7q
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
Please take the time to read and respond to this posting. It will only take a few seconds. But yet so important.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Gangs have plagued Black communities across the country for decades, but we've seen few large-scale efforts that go to the root of the problem. Thanks to Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, that could change. Now he needs our support.
The Youth PROMISE Act, Scott's bill, focuses on giving young people real alternatives to gangs, instead of locking them up and throwing them into a system that often turns them into hardened criminals.
The bill has some support in Congress, but a strong show of support from everyday people like us will help make sure that it passes. Please take a moment to add your voice, and please ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://www.colorofchange.org/promise/?id=2048-459801
It's clear that the current national strategy to combat gang participation isn't working.1 Every day more young people are thrown into jail instead of being given opportunities to turn their lives around. It does very little to solve the problem of gangs, and it compounds the hopelessness that leads to participation in gangs in the first place.
The Youth PROMISE (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education) Act would change this by providing young people with critical support and opportunities to succeed so they'll see that they have options that don't involve joining a gang.
The Youth PROMISE Act would give communities greater access to a range of youth intervention methods with a record of success -- like mentoring and after-school programs -- and let those communities decide which practices are best suited to their specific needs. It would give communities funding to hire police officers specially trained to deal with youth. And it would provide crucial mental health services to young people who need them.2
By signing on in support, you'll join dozens of national civic groups, religious denominations, justice organizations, and political leaders who realize that the kind of change offered by the Youth PROMISE Act is long overdue. Even law enforcement officials are coming to the conclusion that we can't simply arrest our way out of this problem.3
Now it's our turn. Together, we can show that thousands of everyday people are behind this kind of change. Please take a moment to sign on in support, and ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://www.colorofchange.org/promise/?id=2048-459801
Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team May 13th, 2009
P.S. Crips and Bloods: Made in America is a powerful film that many of our members have seen and praised. It provides insight into the rise of gangs in South Central Los Angeles, with a historical perspective that's rarely provided. You can purchase the film online with a special discount for ColorOfChange.org members. When you purchase the film, use coupon code CBCHANGE and you'll get a $4 discount. You can check out the film and buy it at www.colorofchange.org/cripsbloods.
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU--your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or corporations and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=2048-459801
References:
1. "A Promise for our Children," The Huffington Post, 12-18-2008 http://tinyurl.com/4ugc7q
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
SUSTINET Day @ The Capitol
Hi folks, Wednesday was a fabulous day at the Capitol in Hartford. Hundreds of us wore our red Healthcare4every1 tee shirts and had a fab time. I spoke w/several Reps from NW CT. Most were pro HB6600; however, Craig Miner from the 66th district is totally against this bill. I asked him directly why and his reply was "We can't afford it". I replied that "We can't afford NOT to pass this bill". He then tried to dismiss me, but I managed to ask him "Mr. Miner, would you be interested in trading your health care package for mine?", at which point he walked away. I did hear very positive responses from Roberta Willis and Joe Taborsak. Also got the opportunity to testify at Sen. Andrew Roraback's office. He has indicated that he is embarrassed by his coverage and is also for passage of this bill. We must continue the fight and bring it all the way to the White House.
Lois Pike
Lois Pike
Friday, May 15, 2009
Senator Dodd: Rally on Credit Card Bill & Town Hall on Health Care Reform
There are two big events with Senator Dodd coming up this weekend, providing two opportunities for him to hear from us--especially on the issue of health care reform!On Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16, Senator Chris Dodd is holding two events in Connecticut. On Friday he is holding a rally in support of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, and on Saturday he wants to hear first hand from the people of Connecticut about their views and ideas for health care that works for everyone.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Congressman John Larson will accompany Senator Dodd at Friday's rally in East Hartford (full details below).
Joining Senator Dodd at Saturday's Connecticut Prescriptions for Change event will be Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and White House Office of Health Reform director Nancy-Ann DeParle.
This is your chance to influence three national leaders in their work on health care reform.
Saturday's event is the fourth in a series of town hall meetings on health care that Senator Dodd is hosting across the state.
Videos from the first CT Rx for Change event, which focused on health care coverage and access, are available on our website, as are videos from the second event in Danbury, which focused on prevention. Videos from the third event in New London are available at this link.
FRIDAY EVENT DETAILS (Credit Card Reform Rally):
Date: Friday May 15
Time: 1:30 PM
Place: Machinists Local 1746 Union Hall, 357 Main Street, East Hartford, CT
RSVP: For more information, please call 860.258.6940 or email CTBanking@dodd.senate.gov
SATURDAY EVENT DETAILS (CT Prescriptions for Change):
Date: Saturday May 16
Time: 11:30 AM
Place: Griffin Hospital Cafeteria, 130 Division Street, Derby, CT
RSVP: For more information, please call 860.258.6940 or email CTRx4Change@dodd.senate.gov
Please feel free to pass this invitation along to your family, friends, and neighbors.
Posted by Connecticut Citizens Action Group
SustiNet Day at Connecticut's State Capitol
On Wednesday, over 500 red-shirted healthcare4every1 Campaigners at SustiNet Day @ the Capitol delivered 4,314 postcards signed by Connecticut residents telling our Connecticut Senators that we can't wait.Hundreds of conversations took place in the nooks-and-crannies of the Capitol building as constituents pushed their elected officials to act.
The end result? Over the course of day, some key legislative leaders strengthened their resolve to act boldly.
We expect a House vote on SustiNet as early as next Tuesday. Leadership has worked with Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut to strengthen the bill and position Connecticut to be action-ready for the expected federal health care reform legislation.
Now, as the final bill language is being decided, please send a quick email to your Representative and Senator to remind them: Connecticut can't wait. It's time to fix health care.
Sincerely,
Paul Wessel
Field Director
healthcare4every1 Campaign
Take Action - Sign Petitions for Health Care reform
It is amazing how many studies and marketing research tools there are out there to tell companies and campaigns here's your target audience and here's how to win them over. The "experts" dig through mountains of research, "facts" and figures to try and find a way to poise an argument or present a product that the masses will believe in or buy, whether true or not, whether needed or not.
On November 4, 2008, we defied all of the odds, nullified the swift boat ads tactics and sent the researchers into a tailspin. We woke up. We realized our empowerment to decide our own destiny based on fact and not fiction all dressed up.
This was no isolated incident. Our voices are still working. Last week, Health Care for America now and SEIU joined together in getting the truth out about Rick Scott's swift boat style ad, Conservatives for Patients Rights (which is against health care reform), pulled off the air by the two stations running the ad. HCAN and SEIU members sent 20,000 emails to CNN and Fox that shed light on the misleading ad and on the shady background of Rick Scott. Check out the video below.
The Seminal posted an article on what happens when we raise our voices along with this new's clip (on YouTube) from both news stations confronting Scott about his misleading ad and his less than desirable dealings in the health care industry.
Here's how you can help -- sign the online petitions for national and Connecticut health care reform below.
National Health Care Reform: Let congress know we want quality, affordable health care reform this legislative session by signing the petition online.
Connecticut Health Care Reform: Take action and sign the online Petition for Passage of SustiNet HB6600 Health Care Reform Plan. (See below) SustiNet (HB 6600) is the most complete Connecticut-specific health care reform plan ready for action at the state legislature. SustiNet is built on experience and input from people who know firsthand the good and bad of our current health care system - doctors, nurses and hospitals; small business owners and corporate leaders; people without health insurance and with inadequate coverage; labor unions; faith leaders; and health care advocates. They worked with Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut and leading national experts to design the best plan for our state that delivers quality, choice, better health and economic sustainability.
On November 4, 2008, we defied all of the odds, nullified the swift boat ads tactics and sent the researchers into a tailspin. We woke up. We realized our empowerment to decide our own destiny based on fact and not fiction all dressed up.
This was no isolated incident. Our voices are still working. Last week, Health Care for America now and SEIU joined together in getting the truth out about Rick Scott's swift boat style ad, Conservatives for Patients Rights (which is against health care reform), pulled off the air by the two stations running the ad. HCAN and SEIU members sent 20,000 emails to CNN and Fox that shed light on the misleading ad and on the shady background of Rick Scott. Check out the video below.
The Seminal posted an article on what happens when we raise our voices along with this new's clip (on YouTube) from both news stations confronting Scott about his misleading ad and his less than desirable dealings in the health care industry.
Here's how you can help -- sign the online petitions for national and Connecticut health care reform below.
National Health Care Reform: Let congress know we want quality, affordable health care reform this legislative session by signing the petition online.
Connecticut Health Care Reform: Take action and sign the online Petition for Passage of SustiNet HB6600 Health Care Reform Plan. (See below) SustiNet (HB 6600) is the most complete Connecticut-specific health care reform plan ready for action at the state legislature. SustiNet is built on experience and input from people who know firsthand the good and bad of our current health care system - doctors, nurses and hospitals; small business owners and corporate leaders; people without health insurance and with inadequate coverage; labor unions; faith leaders; and health care advocates. They worked with Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut and leading national experts to design the best plan for our state that delivers quality, choice, better health and economic sustainability.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Secretary Sebelius Discusses New Report on Roadblocks Women Face on Access to Health Care
A new report was released recently entitled, Roadblocks to Health Care: Why the Current Health Care System does not work for Women. The report shows how the current health care system leaves too many women without access to coverage for quality health care. Secretary Sebelius discusses the report in the video below and notes the disparities in cost between men and women -- even young women.
Read the report and others, including Hard Times in the Heartland, Bottom Line, and Costs of Inaction at http://www.healthreform.gov/. You can also sign up for email updates.
Read the report and others, including Hard Times in the Heartland, Bottom Line, and Costs of Inaction at http://www.healthreform.gov/. You can also sign up for email updates.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Voices of Healing
This video has been circulating around Connecticut and being sent to state leaders. I saw it after a religious group sent it to one to of the representatives I work for.
Please take a few moment to watch it. I enjoyed that so many different religious leaders from the State of Connecticut banned together and voiced their concern for the uninsured or poorly insured residents of our state.
As of today, the SusiNet bill has a House calendar number, which means it will be voted on by our representatives shortly. It is imperative that we voice our support to them in the few remaining days that we have until they vote.
Hopefully this video will either motivate you to take action or keep you motivated in your efforts!
Cheney and Cheney: On the Road to Security
Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz, have been appearing, rather increasingly, in the media and emphatically stating that the "security measures" (torture redressed as not torture during the former administration) of the past administration were and still are an effective legal tool to gather intelligence and keep Americans safe. They argue that dismantling the programs that allow implementation of enhanced interrogation techniques -- such as water-boarding -- put our country at risk for future terrorist attacks. Their argument, however, does not hold water (no pun intended) when compared with the facts.
The actions taken at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib (and other secret prisons) made a mockery of our legal system by doing exactly what was done in South Africa (and other countries from time to time) to justify apartheid by writing into law that which is illegal. Those actions cut out the heart of our humanity, causing our young men and women to act in deplorable and unspeakable ways, and only served to put them in risk of retaliation were they caught by an enemy. Those actions ignored the Geneva Conventions, which we ratified, thereby eroding trust in our government by the American people and the rest of the world.
Despite many reports by reputable scientists, psychologists, senior military personnel and seasoned interrogators that torture is an unreliable form of intelligence gathering (and in direct conflict with the Geneva Conventions), the Cheneys keep talking about these measures as if they were the best thing since sliced bread. The tactic here seems to be one of if you keep repeating the same thing over and over on television, on radio, in print and on the Internet, it will eventually become true and people will believe you.
Let's revisit some key excerpts from a report prepared by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba in response to allegations of human rights abuses at Abu Ghraib.
(B)etween October and December 2003, at the Abu Ghraib Confinement Facility (BCCF), numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees. This systemic and illegal abuse of detainees was intentionally perpetrated by several members of the military police guard force (372nd Military Police Company, 320th Military Police Battalion, 800th MP Brigade), in Tier (section) 1-A of the Abu Ghraib Prison (BCCF).In 2006, several interrogators, psychologists and scientists came together at Georgetown University to research and study the effectiveness of torture as a reliable method of gathering intelligence. Fathali Moghaddam, prof. of psychology, Georgetown University, stated at a press conference about the study, “Torture is based on outmoded behaviorist ideas. Threats may change overt behavior, but it is naïve to assume that threats make a person tell the truth.” A statement released by the study group noted that:
In addition, several detainees also described the following acts of abuse, which under the circumstances, I find credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses:
a. Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees;
b. Threatening detainees with a charged 9mm pistol;
c. Pouring cold water on naked detainees;
d. Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair;
e. Threatening male detainees with rape;
f. Allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound of a detainee who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell;
g. Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick.
h. Using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee.
(T)he intentional abuse of detainees by military police personnel included the following acts:
a. Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet;
b. Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees;
c. Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing;
d. Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time;
e. Forcing naked male detainees to wear women’s underwear;
f. Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped;
g. Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them;
h. Positioning a naked detainee on a MRE Box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture;
i. Writing “I am a Rapest” (sic) on the leg of a detainee alleged to have forcibly raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked;
j. Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee’s neck and having a female Soldier pose for a picture;
k. A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee;
l. Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee;
m. Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees.
These findings are amply supported by written confessions provided by several of the suspects, written statements provided by detainees, and witness statements.
The various detention facilities operated by the 800th MP Brigade have routinely held persons brought to them by Other Government Agencies (OGAs) without accounting for them, knowing their identities, or even the reason for their detention. The Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center (JIDC) at Abu Ghraib called these detainees “ghost detainees.” On at least one occasion, the 320th MP Battalion at Abu Ghraib held a handful of “ghost detainees” (6-8) for OGAs that they moved around within the facility to hide them from a visiting International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) survey team. This maneuver was deceptive, contrary to Army Doctrine, and in violation of international law.
The interrogators participating in the research have conducted interrogation and other human intelligence operations in various military operations, including Vietnam, Grenada, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the ongoing war in Iraq. They maintained that, even in the most urgent situations, torture can not be considered a viable option. The involuntary circumstances of the disclosure would compromise the integrity of the information obtained. According to the psychologists participating in the group, decades of research into directly relevant topics such as social influence, stress, cultural and religious identification, false confessions, and interpersonal relationships point to the same conclusion. full statement.Further, and with regard to the Geneva Conventions, as noted by Ian Buruma (prof. of democracy, human rights and journalism, Bard College, NY) in The TaiPei Times yesterday, "Tying a person to a board and bringing him to the point of drowning, over and over, or forcing a prisoner — stripped naked and covered in his own excrement — to stand with his hands shackled to the ceiling for days, until his legs swell to twice their normal size, may not have constituted torture in memos prepared by government lawyers, but such practices are surely cruel, inhuman and degrading."
So who do we believe? More importantly, who are we as a people? Our country was born out of a desire for people to be free from tyranny; to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion.
Now that these horrible acts and programs/laws that put them into place are being rightfully dismantled, the Cheneys claim we are being made vulnerable and unsafe.
There is an old saying that the lion, king of beasts, is destroyed by the parasite in his bowels. The near-crash of our economy did not come from an outside source, it came from within -- in 1929, in the 1980's with the S&L crisis and now. History has repeatedly shown us that. The tactics of the past eight years have put us at greater risk, eroded our trust and eroded our humanity.
It is time for America to gain back the jewel in it's crown by returning to and building upon those values and standards that birthed us as a nation. Our greatest fortune is to have in the White House the kind of leadership that will do just that and more. The real problem for those who took advantage of the past eight years is that the parasite is being exposed and routed out.
Once again, it's the economy Mr. Cheney, Ms. Cheney. You want a safe and secure America - stop sending our jobs overseas. Stop allowing thousands of American citizens to go without access to affordable, quality health care and coverage. Stop allowing our public school system (the hallmark of freedom) to fall behind the rest of the world, industrial or otherwise. And when we do find ourselves at that awful juncture of mobilizing our military -- stop sending them into harms way, tour after tour, after tour without regard to the physical and mental well-being.
Mr. Cheney, Ms. Cheney, go home and allow our new administration to rebuild this great nation of ours without further distraction.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
President Obama hosts White House Latino Town Hall
President Obama hosts first White House Latino Town Hall meeting at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Building, May 8th, 2009. This is historic. This meeting was conducted entirely in Spanish.
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hola. (Applause.) Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat. (Applause.) Muchas gracias. Thank you very much. Please, everybody have a seat.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Viva Obama! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Now, I don't want to take up too much time. I just wanted to stop by and let you know how important I think this is.
Obviously, all of us are concerned about the health of our families and our children. And our experience with the H1N1 virus over the last couple of weeks is a sobering reminder of how vital it is that we all recognize we're all in this together. We're one country, we're one community. When one person gets sick, that has the potential of making us all sick. And when we help to make everybody well, one person well, then everybody has the potential to get well. We can’t be divided by communities. Full text.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Murphy: Time nears for health care reform
The New Haven Register posted an article, "Murphy: Time nears for health care reform," on Tuesday May 5, 2009, quoting Connecticut Congressman Chris Murphy (5th CD) stating, "[T]he cost of the current health system has increased threefold in the last five years and gobbles up 17 percent of gross national product. ... In return ... the United States, despite spending twice as much as any other industrial nation, ranks near the bottom on many health outcomes and is last in addressing preventable deaths. (Check out the blog post by Robin about the DeJesus family for a chilling example of this.) Here's more from the article.
Yesterday, HB6600 AAC the SustiNet Plan, passed in the Insurance Committee with a vote of 13-4. This is the 4th legislative committee that HB6600 has overwhelmingly passed. Today, May 7th, is SustiNet day at the Capitol -- all day. Folks are gathering and talking to legislators about why they should vote Yes for SustiNet.
Get involved -- check out Organizing or Connecticut's Health Care for Connecticut Now page for ways you can make your voice heard on health care reform. Visit Connecticut Citizen's Action Group or Healthcare4every1.org web sites for more ways.
We are all in this together. Let's win!
By Mary E. O'Leary, Register Topics Editor. HARTFORD — U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy, D-5, told state lawmakers Monday the appetite for health care reform in Washington is palpable, and the plan likely to get the most attention will have elements similar to the state’s proposed SustiNet plan.
“The prospects for reform have never been better. You can just feel it in the air,” Murphy said of federal reform that will take a multi-front approach, including building on the employer-based system, major changes for the insurance industry and tying payments to providers to outcomes more than to the number of patients seen.
“Our entire economy is at a global competitive disadvantage ... so long as we ask employers to bear the full burden of health care,” Murphy told lawmakers in an update on federal initiatives.
He said Congress has set an ambitious schedule for adopting reform, with the House hoping for a vote before the August recess, while the Senate is looking at early summer. Murphy thought the fall was probably more realistic.
The SustiNet plan would first set up an administrative structure to oversee an insurance pool of state workers, retirees and Medicaid recipients and would also be open to private employers.
It would compete in the private market with other plans, with subsidies for the poor and better reimbursements for practitioners, at a cost of $950 million, not kicking in until later. It projects savings of $1.7 billion by 2014, and eligibility for $800 million more in federal money. full text.
Yesterday, HB6600 AAC the SustiNet Plan, passed in the Insurance Committee with a vote of 13-4. This is the 4th legislative committee that HB6600 has overwhelmingly passed. Today, May 7th, is SustiNet day at the Capitol -- all day. Folks are gathering and talking to legislators about why they should vote Yes for SustiNet.
Get involved -- check out Organizing or Connecticut's Health Care for Connecticut Now page for ways you can make your voice heard on health care reform. Visit Connecticut Citizen's Action Group or Healthcare4every1.org web sites for more ways.
We are all in this together. Let's win!
Cut Off by Medicare after Diagnosis of Terminal Colon Cancer
My question is in regards Medicare.
There is a man who is a part of our cleaning team in our office. His name is Cosmo Torres Dejesus. His wife has been diagnosed with Colon Cancer. When she was diagnosed back in December of 2008, Medicare was covering her. She has since came out of the hospital after a bad spell. The bill is $90,000.00. For 16 days. And that is just one bill acquired since her being diagnosed in December.
Medicare and Social Security have cut her off. No more Coverage for anything.
Cosmo Is a hard working American Citizen, as well as his wife, until she got sick. How is it that when his wife is on her death bed, Medicare can just take away all medical coverage? This poor woman has not only lost her trust in the loyalty our country says it has towards it citizens, she has also lost her will to try and live. She sees no hope without any money to pay for the medical bills that keep piling up and the costly Medical Treatment she must receive in order to live.
With no assistance in any way being offered to her, and everything being taken away from her. She feels like she might as well give up now. Why is Medicare and Social Security allowed to treat people like this? These people are here legally. Working hard and trying to live up to the "American Standard of life." I can't believe that it is legal for Medicare to just stop all means of assistance for this woman so she can afford to get all of the medical assistance she needs in order to hopefully save her life.
Isn’t the main objective for her to live if possible? Shouldn’t Medicare be giving her all of the assistance she needs in order for her life to be saved? Instead of basically telling her you do not qualify to live any longer, and snatching away any hope and means of support she was receiving?
I do apologize if I am all over the place with this question. However, it is very upsetting to me. I can't stand to see the pain in Cosmo's face every time I ask him how his wife is doing. To stand there and look this man in the face while he tells me how much sicker she is getting every day. And, not only is there very little help out there for them.
But what they did have has been taken away. Then when he is done telling me how things are going, all I can do is just shake my head and walk away. It is all I can do to keep from breaking down right in front of him. I feel so helpless.
There has to be some kind of help regarding situations like this one. Are we supposed to just sit here and watch this poor woman die until we get Congress to pass the bill on affordable public Medicare? Please tell me what measures I must take in order to help these people.
Regards,
Robin Rawls
There is a man who is a part of our cleaning team in our office. His name is Cosmo Torres Dejesus. His wife has been diagnosed with Colon Cancer. When she was diagnosed back in December of 2008, Medicare was covering her. She has since came out of the hospital after a bad spell. The bill is $90,000.00. For 16 days. And that is just one bill acquired since her being diagnosed in December.
Medicare and Social Security have cut her off. No more Coverage for anything.
Cosmo Is a hard working American Citizen, as well as his wife, until she got sick. How is it that when his wife is on her death bed, Medicare can just take away all medical coverage? This poor woman has not only lost her trust in the loyalty our country says it has towards it citizens, she has also lost her will to try and live. She sees no hope without any money to pay for the medical bills that keep piling up and the costly Medical Treatment she must receive in order to live.
With no assistance in any way being offered to her, and everything being taken away from her. She feels like she might as well give up now. Why is Medicare and Social Security allowed to treat people like this? These people are here legally. Working hard and trying to live up to the "American Standard of life." I can't believe that it is legal for Medicare to just stop all means of assistance for this woman so she can afford to get all of the medical assistance she needs in order to hopefully save her life.
Isn’t the main objective for her to live if possible? Shouldn’t Medicare be giving her all of the assistance she needs in order for her life to be saved? Instead of basically telling her you do not qualify to live any longer, and snatching away any hope and means of support she was receiving?
I do apologize if I am all over the place with this question. However, it is very upsetting to me. I can't stand to see the pain in Cosmo's face every time I ask him how his wife is doing. To stand there and look this man in the face while he tells me how much sicker she is getting every day. And, not only is there very little help out there for them.
But what they did have has been taken away. Then when he is done telling me how things are going, all I can do is just shake my head and walk away. It is all I can do to keep from breaking down right in front of him. I feel so helpless.
There has to be some kind of help regarding situations like this one. Are we supposed to just sit here and watch this poor woman die until we get Congress to pass the bill on affordable public Medicare? Please tell me what measures I must take in order to help these people.
Regards,
Robin Rawls
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Oh Where is the Line between Fact and Fiction - Lost, I fear
Oh where, oh where have the taxes gone
Since Ms. Tea Party shooed them away.
She bade them scat and clickety clack,
They ran down the rail road track.
Ker-plunk and crash. For taxes they were,
Fat with big feet that covered the street.
Stepping high on each track so careful
Not to crack not even a one.
High on the hill Ms. Tea Party stood still,
Calling far and wide to the people's will.
Tax Freedom we have so put your money away.
Put it back, put it back I say.
Put it back in your wallets for forever and a day.
Tax freedom is here to stay.
The Facts. The Facts. They cried out in despair.
Do not leave us out for truth we bear.
The Facts. The Facts. Ms. Tea Party they pleaded.
Hear us. See us. We are most certainly needed
To clarify the truth of these matters.
They clamored and climbed to the top of the hill
Ms. Tea Party. Ms. Tea Party if only you will
Take a look at the Facts before you make claims
That will lead the people astray.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Health Care Panel at the Capitol
Today, I was fortunate enough to attend a health care panel at the Capitol. The discussion I heard reinforced what I wrote yesterday, in which I described that Connecticut takes more of a risk by not trying to improve the health care system than by attempting a revolutionary plan . The plan that I believe is revolutionary and must be implemented is SusiNet. Connecticut needs SusiNet to be "Obama ready".
"Obama ready"? That's how Speaker Donovan describes the state-of-mind Connecticut should be in. The Obama administration is looking to give money to states with bold ideas and new plans. SusiNet is that and since Obama has stated that health care in a priority, all the evidence points to money coming to states prepared to deal with health care. Therefore, Connecticut better be "Obama ready" and one way to ensure that is to have SusiNet in Connecticut.
It was also reassuring to hear Congressman Murphy say that the atmosphere in Washington is uplifting when it comes to health care. There is a bipartisan effort to solve the crisis and an aggressive schedule to solve health care in the United States. Congressman Murphy complemented Connecticut for always being leaders in the health care field and hopes we can be that once again now that the country has a leader that wants to take on health care.
SusiNet is the right plan at the right time. Two years ago would have been to early and two years from now might be too late. We have to act when that window is open... and I feel a breeze.
"Obama ready"? That's how Speaker Donovan describes the state-of-mind Connecticut should be in. The Obama administration is looking to give money to states with bold ideas and new plans. SusiNet is that and since Obama has stated that health care in a priority, all the evidence points to money coming to states prepared to deal with health care. Therefore, Connecticut better be "Obama ready" and one way to ensure that is to have SusiNet in Connecticut.
It was also reassuring to hear Congressman Murphy say that the atmosphere in Washington is uplifting when it comes to health care. There is a bipartisan effort to solve the crisis and an aggressive schedule to solve health care in the United States. Congressman Murphy complemented Connecticut for always being leaders in the health care field and hopes we can be that once again now that the country has a leader that wants to take on health care.
SusiNet is the right plan at the right time. Two years ago would have been to early and two years from now might be too late. We have to act when that window is open... and I feel a breeze.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
SusiNet
I am going to be honest with you, I was not ecstatic the first moment I heard about the SustiNet bill. In fact, I was very skeptical. I tell you this because I feel that it adds merit to the fact that I now whole-heartily support the bill and will advocate to have it become a reality in Connecticut.
"SustiNet" is a new health care program thats purpose is to extend health insurance to Connecticut's uninsured. This includes people with unaffordable or inadequate insurance; small businesses, municipalities, non-profits and businesses of any size; self-employed and self proprietors; and the uninsured. This is done by the state pooling together state employees, HUSKY and SAGA which in turn., creates a large self-insured health plan.. There are obviously many other factors that go into the foundation of the plan, but I believe this sums up the overall picture.
The bill, HB 6600, was first introduced to me by some Yale college students that came to the Capitol to plead for support from legislators. As a Legislative Aide, I went to speak to them on behalf of one of my legislators. At first glance my impression of the bill was that it appeared structurally solid, worthy in principle and had passionate supporters backing it. However, I had one question; the million dollar question (or closer to the 8 billion dollar question if you're talking about Connecticut) is how much is this going to cost the state?
Their answer is what sparked my skepticism. It basically went along the lines of that the bill is revenue neutral for the first two years but than after that it is still uncertain. Due to the budget crisis, this made me a little uneasy. See, the problem is that the State of Connecticut is partially reimbursed for HUSKY by the federal government. However, the federal government will not reimburse the state if the payment exceeds a certain payment level. SusiNet, according to Connecticut's Office of Fiscal Analysis, cannot be determined to stay under the limit and thus creating the potential problem of not being able to receive total reimbursement.
The reason I give you this information is because I believe this is and will be the Nay-Sayer's biggest argument against the bill. It was again the reason I was not initially ecstatic about the bill. But now let me give you the reasons why I have turned around for SusiNet and believe it is what Connecticut needs more than ever.
I look at SusiNet as a calculated risk. Connecticut Congressmen, spearheaded my Congressman Murphy, support this kind of health care reform as do many others serving us on the federal level. We across the country have voted for those that believe our health care system is broken and new measures must be created. So it is reasonable to believe that changes are going to be made on the national level which in return will allow for SusiNet to prosper and maintain complete funding. On the contrary, the gamble would be to keep health care the same in Connecticut, which is financially hurting the state and bankrupting so many of our residents.
There is also the key factor of having President Obama. We voted Obama in to make changes to our country and one of his promises to us was that he was going to do all he could to fix health care. Connecticut could be one of the first states to reform the system and why not try knowing we have an ace in the hole: a president that wants to see the United States on a health care plan more like SusiNet than in its current stage. Perhaps, Connecticut will have the plan that will be modeled off of nationally.
The bill may not have all the certainties laid out but then again, what is a certainty any more? As General Patton said, "It's better to go with a good plan early, than a great plan too late". Well, I think this plan is "very good" so let's go with it before it's to late. Connecticut deserves it.
"SustiNet" is a new health care program thats purpose is to extend health insurance to Connecticut's uninsured. This includes people with unaffordable or inadequate insurance; small businesses, municipalities, non-profits and businesses of any size; self-employed and self proprietors; and the uninsured. This is done by the state pooling together state employees, HUSKY and SAGA which in turn., creates a large self-insured health plan.. There are obviously many other factors that go into the foundation of the plan, but I believe this sums up the overall picture.
The bill, HB 6600, was first introduced to me by some Yale college students that came to the Capitol to plead for support from legislators. As a Legislative Aide, I went to speak to them on behalf of one of my legislators. At first glance my impression of the bill was that it appeared structurally solid, worthy in principle and had passionate supporters backing it. However, I had one question; the million dollar question (or closer to the 8 billion dollar question if you're talking about Connecticut) is how much is this going to cost the state?
Their answer is what sparked my skepticism. It basically went along the lines of that the bill is revenue neutral for the first two years but than after that it is still uncertain. Due to the budget crisis, this made me a little uneasy. See, the problem is that the State of Connecticut is partially reimbursed for HUSKY by the federal government. However, the federal government will not reimburse the state if the payment exceeds a certain payment level. SusiNet, according to Connecticut's Office of Fiscal Analysis, cannot be determined to stay under the limit and thus creating the potential problem of not being able to receive total reimbursement.
The reason I give you this information is because I believe this is and will be the Nay-Sayer's biggest argument against the bill. It was again the reason I was not initially ecstatic about the bill. But now let me give you the reasons why I have turned around for SusiNet and believe it is what Connecticut needs more than ever.
I look at SusiNet as a calculated risk. Connecticut Congressmen, spearheaded my Congressman Murphy, support this kind of health care reform as do many others serving us on the federal level. We across the country have voted for those that believe our health care system is broken and new measures must be created. So it is reasonable to believe that changes are going to be made on the national level which in return will allow for SusiNet to prosper and maintain complete funding. On the contrary, the gamble would be to keep health care the same in Connecticut, which is financially hurting the state and bankrupting so many of our residents.
There is also the key factor of having President Obama. We voted Obama in to make changes to our country and one of his promises to us was that he was going to do all he could to fix health care. Connecticut could be one of the first states to reform the system and why not try knowing we have an ace in the hole: a president that wants to see the United States on a health care plan more like SusiNet than in its current stage. Perhaps, Connecticut will have the plan that will be modeled off of nationally.
The bill may not have all the certainties laid out but then again, what is a certainty any more? As General Patton said, "It's better to go with a good plan early, than a great plan too late". Well, I think this plan is "very good" so let's go with it before it's to late. Connecticut deserves it.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
This is a RALLY Call
We are so so close to achieving health care reform in Connecticut with the SustiNet Plan. So here's my rally call to all of my grassroots friends out there in the universe.
From now until the end of Connecticut’s legislative session, OFC/OFA, HCAN, CCAG, AFL-CIO, UHCF, CT College Students, Interfaith Health Care Alliance and hundreds of other organizations and citizens across this state are uniting together to achieve health reform in Connecticut. No matter how much or how little time you have to spend, this is a grassroots effort and there is something for everyone. Here’s how you can get involved.
1. Help us tell our Senators and Representatives to vote Yes for SustiNet by hosting a:
This kind of change will not take place if we "wait for some other time or some other person." Take Action Now.
From now until the end of Connecticut’s legislative session, OFC/OFA, HCAN, CCAG, AFL-CIO, UHCF, CT College Students, Interfaith Health Care Alliance and hundreds of other organizations and citizens across this state are uniting together to achieve health reform in Connecticut. No matter how much or how little time you have to spend, this is a grassroots effort and there is something for everyone. Here’s how you can get involved.
1. Help us tell our Senators and Representatives to vote Yes for SustiNet by hosting a:
- Pledge Canvass/Tabling event in your neighborhood. The pledges will hand-delivered to the State Capitol. Details.
- Letter writing house party to write our legislators and ask them to vote Yes for SustiNet.
- Cell phone bank to call our legislators and ask them to vote Yes for SustiNet
- Educate everyone on the merits of SustiNet via blogs, Face Book, Twitter, letters to editors and participate in radio talk shows. Details.
This kind of change will not take place if we "wait for some other time or some other person." Take Action Now.
Friday, May 1, 2009
The College Students of Connecticut Support SustiNet
Last Friday, thirty students from Yale College, Medical School, and School of Public Health traveled to Hartford to lobby for H.B. 6600. In the morning, we had the opportunity to hear from the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut Campaign Manager Lynne Ide, State Health Advocate Kevin Lembo, Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, and numerous other state representatives. This goal of this trip, however, was not just to listen but to act. During the rest of the day we connected with over one hundred legislators, meeting with both elected officials and their aides.
It is time that politicians in Hartford hear the student voice on this issue:
- One in four adults age 18-24 in Connecticut are uninsured
- Young people fall through the cracks of our broken health care system because they do not quality for HUSKY and many employers do not offer insurance coverage for entry-level jobs
- Contrary to stereotypes about "young invincibles," many young people suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes and depression
- Without a greater focus on prevention, some experts predict that today's youth may not live as long as their parents
Not only does this issue affect us in a deeply personal way, but it also ties directly to our future, the future of Connecticut, and the future of this nation. Health care costs are expected to double in the next ten years and young adults will ultimately bear the burden of paying for them. These rising health care costs drag down the economy as a whole and make it difficult to find good jobs. By guaranteeing quality, affordable health care, our legislature will keep students in Connecticut, working for Connecticut.
The economic arguments are powerful on their own, but nothing is stronger than the moral imperative. As young adults, full of excitement about the future, we refuse to let a broken health care system damage our nation. We refuse to countenance our rank as number 37 on the list of best health systems across the globe. We refuse to see monied interests deciding who lives and who dies. We demand a new vision and a new way. SustiNet is our chance to establish that new way in Connecticut. It's smart. It's right. It's time.
Ben Stango
President, College Democrats of Connecticut
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)