Monday, May 30, 2011

[PDI] Truthout: China's Long View In Competition With The USA; The Most Important Issue Most People Never Heard Of...

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In the spirit of preventing far more grievous Memorial Days in the future...

http://www.truth-out.org/how-china-plans-leapfrog-american-economy-and-it's-not-what-you-think/1306710052


Knowledge is power.

Dan


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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

[PDI] Please call in support of Paul's law HB653

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Please call your ILL State Senator and request that they support HB653 , the vote takes place in Springfield tomorrow afternoon, Wed. May 25th!!
Article which explains why this is important and how it protects the disabled and informs the families of dangerous group home situations:

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/More-abuse-neglect-reported-in-Ill-group-homes-1388608.php#page-2<http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/More-abuse-neglect-reported-in-Ill-group-homes-1388608.php#page-2>

Please call your State Senator and encourage them to vote FOR House Bill 653.

Find your State Senator and his/her contact information:
http://chicago.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=chicago&cdn=citiestowns&tm=8&gps=997_388_1920_877&f=00&tt=12&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/districtofficialsearchbyaddress.aspx<http://chicago.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=chicago&cdn=citiestowns&tm=8&gps=997_388_1920_877&f=00&tt=12&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/districtofficialsearchbyaddress.aspx>

Thank you!

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

[PDI] (fwd) Can You help out in Wisconsin in the next six weeks?

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[Anyone who is interested and available for this, please contact the sender
directly. --GK]

On Sun, 22 May 2011 11:17:39 -0500, "Alan Cottrell" <alan.cottrell@me.com>
wrote:


People in Team Hope, the group I facilitate down here in the South Suburbs,
decided that they wanted to travel up to Wisconsin and help out on the recall
elections that sprung up in reaction to Scott Walker's radical moves in
Wisconsin. I contacted Ben Nuckles, who you may know as the campaign manager of
Governor Quinn's general election campaign, with whom I had also worked in 2004
when the Loop DFA group was sending volunteers up to Wisconsin to work in the
presidential election. Looking at the polling data, Ben's own work with Fred
Clark when he was Chief of Staff for Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton (when they
identified and helped out Clark in his successful first run for St. Rep.), as
well as the goal of electing the THIRD Democrat to the state senate in the
recall, we settled on helping out in the 14th Senate District with Fred Clark's
campaign.

I don't need to explain to you why people down here think that the Wisconsin
Recall elections are important. And this is a winnable seat. Polling from just
this past week shows this, and the Clark campaign has been given the resources
from the state Democratic party to do so. They are organized, have definite,
definable goals and are ready to do what it takes to win. They are a pleasure
to work with, as volunteers.

We just got back from our first trip to Portage, WI. Portage is a historic,
rural town that sits on the Wisconsin river. Despite the fact that Portage
hosted a summer carnival yesterday, and, thus, many of its residents weren't
home, we had a great experience. I found a couple of 1s (strong supporters) and
a couple of undecideds (one who even asked for, and will receive, a phone call
from the candidate himself), and even got them two yard signs! Given the fact
that the recall elections are all special elections, this is all about ground
game, and ground game in what are, at the moment, Republican-held districts. So
outside help is desperately needed.

Wisconsin Democrats recognize this. They have even designated two Out-of-State
Volunteer Liaisons, one for Minnesota and one for Illinois, David Crowley. I've
asked David if he'd be willing to come down here and talk to the different
groups where there might be interest in people going up there to volunteer. I'd
love for you to hear David in the next few weeks, if you have a group that will
be meeting soon. Remember, the (special) election is July 12th (although it
hasn't been called officially, that is the presumptive date towards which they
are working).

More importantly, I'd love for you to notify your networks about going up on
Saturdays in June and the first few weeks in July. Even people who have never
canvassed before will find the experience fun and exciting. Just like we took
Indiana away from the Republicans in 2008, we can take the three seats Democrats
need to restore balance in the Wisconsin state senate this July. But we need
everyone's help to do so.

There is a short window here, which is why I'm contacting all my organizer
friends about contacting their networks and political groups. It would be great
if we could establish staging locations throughout the Chicagoland region so
that people could hook up with rides on Saturday mornings, starting in June, to
go up there and knock on doors. There's a lot of turf, and every little bit
helps.

If you are interested, or need more information, feel free to contact me.
Thanks!

ac
312 315 7302

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Monday, May 16, 2011

[PDI] FW: [News IL Single Payer] ISPC E-News 5/16/2011

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-----Original Message-----
From: Illinois Single Payer Coalition News <news@ilsinglepayercoalition.org>
Sent: May 16, 2011 5:48 PM
To: ISPC Newsletter/alert List <news@ilsinglepayercoalition.org>
Subject: [News IL Single Payer] ISPC E-News 5/16/2011

Sue Saltmarsh, Editor
Illinois News
 
Single-Payer Lobby Day Brings Illinois Activists Together
On April 11, representatives from the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) joined with the ISPC and activists from the Chicago area, Champaign, Carbondale, Metro East, and Springfield to blanket the Illinois General Assembly with information on HB 311, the Illinois Universal Healthcare Act, and the benefits of a single-payer health care system.
 
Also joining the effort were Rich Whitney of the Green Party, Dr. Quentin Young of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), single-payer activist Donna Smith of "Sicko" movie fame, and Ron and Judy Skala, parents of the late Nick Skala, who was instrumental in energizing the ISPC in its early days and in whose name the presentation at the end of the day was named..
 
Due to the legislative schedule that day, many legislators weren't due to arrive in their offices until later in the afternoon. But advocates were not deterred. They visited the offices of both House and Senate members, Democrats and Republicans, delivering literature and enthusiasm about HB 311. Just as in a single-payer system, it was "Everybody in, nobody out!"
 
A press conference was held at which Representative Flowers, AMSA member Aderonke Bamgbose, ISPC Co-chair Dr. Pam Gronemeyer, Champaign County Health Care Consumers executive director Claudia Lenhoff, disability rights advocate Tyler McHaley, Dr. Quentin Young, Martese Chism from the National Nurses Union, and Dr. Diljeet Singh, Co-president of Health Care for All Illinois, the Illinois chapter of PNHP, all spoke eloquently about the need for and advantages of single-payer health care. While there were not as many press and media people there as hoped, it was covered in the Springfield Journal-Register and on one TV station. To see videos of all the speakers, go to http://www.youtube.com/ILSinglePayer. Thanks to Al and Cat of Illinois Media Progressives for once again being videographers extraordinaire.
 
Current PNHP President Dr. Garrett Adams was slated to be the speaker at the first Annual Nick Skala Memorial Lecture, but due to travel problems, he wasn't able to be there. Dr. Pam Gronemeyer stepped up to the plate, however, and presented a slide presentation created by PNHP to an audience of SIU medical students and those who had taken part in Lobby Day.
 
During the presentation, which included stark facts about the state of health care in the U.S., one of the medical students seemed a bit shocked and asked, "Is it wrong that I'm a third year medical student and didn't know any of this was going on?" Her question only highlighted the great need for shining the light on the facts and educating the public, including medical providers, about the crisis most Americans are facing with their health care.
 
Oak Forest Hospital Survives, Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital Doesn't
On May 10, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (IHFSRB) denied, by one vote, the Cook County Board's plan to close Oak Forest Hospital, one of the few resources left to poor and uninsured people in need of medical care. The vote came after a report released last month concluded that the need for intensive care and nursing home beds would increase if the hospital closed. The protesters that crowded the room, many of them former patients, cheered when it was announced that the Oak Forest would stay open.
 
"ISPC has been and continues to be involved in the fight to save the Cook County health care safety net," says Giudi Weiss, ISPC member. The vote to keep Oak Forest open is a victory for those fighting that fight and for the people who depend on Oak Forest for their medical care.
 
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle refused to comment when asked if the county would file a lawsuit or pursue legislation that would exempt the county from the IHFSRB's authority.
 
In contrast, Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital, the only hospital in East St. Louis, was not granted a reprieve. In recent years, Kenneth Hall regional has been reduced to 39 mental health beds and an emergency room that no longer accepted trauma patients.  Since 2000, the hospital has been losing $5 million a year and has been cited for safety violations that would require almost $6 million to correct.
 
Officials predict it will take three to four months to close the facility and open an urgent care center nearby. The Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation plans to move some of the psychiatric beds to a sister hospital in neighboring Centreville.
 
The crisis faced by numerous "charity hospitals" across the country has gone largely unnoticed, but many teeter on the brink of closure due to state and municipal budget shortfalls, increasing numbers of un- or under-insured patients who can't pay their bills, and a slow economy.
 
The solution? Single-payer. DUH!
 
National News
 
Vermont Passes Legislation that May Be a Path to Single-Payer
As I'm sure most have heard, Vermont's state legislature has voted to pass legislation that would, according to an article in The Washington Post, "provide public health care to all residents regardless of income, moving toward a government-run system that will take it as close to Canada philosophically as it is geographically."
 
While there is debate among single-payer supporters as to whether or not Vermont's legislation can correctly be called "single-payer," it moves closer than PPACA to the concept of "everybody in, nobody out" that we all embrace. And Vermont's Governor Shumlin said, "The ultimate goal is a Canadian-style system where health care is a right, not a privilege."
 
There are still unanswered questions about the bill: most importantly, how it will be paid for, what will be covered, and what, if any, co-pays and deductibles it would include.
 
PNHP issued a statement after the bill passed expressing its misgivings. "The Vermont plan promises a public program open to all residents of the state in 2017, but even then it would allow a continuing role for private insurance. This would negate many of the administrative savings that could be attained by a true single-payer program, and opens the way for the continuation of multi-tiered care," the statement said.
 
However, other single-payer organizations are cautiously optimistic. "Vermont is leading the way in having an authentic discussion about what a universal health care system would look like in the state," said Katie Robbins of Healthcare NOW. Hopefully, Vermont's experience will provide a learning opportunity for Illinois and other states that have single-payer bills pending.
 
When asked for comment, Robbins told the ISPC E-News, "I believe that the people organizing in Vermont are strong on this issue and want a healthcare system that eliminates the roles of private insurance asap. We all need to keep fighting and supporting the people on the ground working to make our goal of universal, single-payer healthcare a reality. It's going to be a big fight and we are right in the middle of taking the energy in Vermont and bringing it to the rest of the nation!"
 
Unlike any other state or national effort, Vermont's progress got extensive national media coverage on MSNBC, especially Rachel Maddow's show. While most viewers of MSNBC are the "choir" who don't need to be preached to, certainly the coverage will be heard of in insurance company board rooms and Republican gatherings.
 
You can watch an on-demand video stream of Maddow's interview with Vermont Governor Shumlin here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/vp/42773328#42773328 
 
Sanders Introduces Single-Payer Bill
On May 9, Vermont's intrepid Independent senator Bernie Sanders introduced S.915, the American Health Security act of 2011. The bill is the Senate version of Washington congressman Jim McDermott's H.R.1200, which he introduced in March.  Unlike H.R.676, which is a bill to establish a national system, both S.915 and H.R.1200 would give states guidelines and minimum standards to establish single-payer health care programs. The programs would be federally funded, but administered by the States.
 
The House bill now sits in the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions where it's been since April 4.
The Senate bill was referred to the Committee on Finance. Neither have any co-sponsors.
 
Does America need a new healthcare system? DUH!
Start planning now. In July of 2012, there will be a national march on Washington, the Democratic Uprising for Healthcare (DUH), to demand single-payer healthcare. HIV/AIDS activists came up with the idea to hold the event at the end of July in conjunction with the first International AIDS Society Conference to be held in the U.S. since President Obama lifted the discriminatory travel ban in 2009. A single-payer advocate urged them to expand their vision to include everyone in the U.S. who is living with a medical condition, injury, or disability; any medical provider; any family member or friend—in short anyone who believes healthcare is a human right and wants to see this country live up to its ideals.
 
As details come together, videos will be posted on YouTube and updates will be posted on Facebook and single-payer websites, as well as in this newsletter. For now, if you want more information or have a question, you can contact Sue Saltmarsh at makahwinan@gmail.com. See you in Washington!
 
Single-Payer Events
 
Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 AM—"Medicare Under Attack"
Illinois Alliance of Retired Americans, 333 S. Ashland, Chicago
 
 Thursday, May 19, 12:15 PM—Single-Payer Lecture
 Maywood Rotary Club, 400 N. 5th Ave, Maywood
 
Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 PM—Progressive Democrats of America Healthcare for All Single Payer Issue Organizing Team conference call – to register for upcoming calls and get the call info: http://www.pdamerica.org/events/view/healthcare-for-allsingle-payer-iot-conference-call-48 [5]  
 
Thursday, May 26, 7:30 AM—Cook County Hospital & Health System BOD Meeting, Stroger Hospital, Chicago
 
 Thursday, June 9, 6:40 PM—Monthly meeting of the Illinois Single-Payer Coalition, Access Living, 115 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago
 
Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 PM—ChiSPAN meeting, Access Living, 115 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago
 
Friday/Saturday, June 17/18, All day—One Payer States Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado
 
Editor's Note
This is the first edition of the ISPC E-News. I hope it will grow to be something that single-payer advocates in Illinois look forward to and regard as a good source for news, information, opinion, strategy, and perhaps even inspiration.
 
I welcome any input. Submissions of items to be included in the newsletter are also welcome, with the understanding that they may not be chosen or they may be edited for language, content, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I own my love of, and adherence to, the correct use of the English language. Submission, comments, suggestions, etc. should be sent to makahwinan@gmail.com.
  
It's quite a mountain we have to climb, be it just in Illinois or in the entire country. There will be many obstacles, stumbles, and even defeats along the way. We will disagree and we'll be frustrated and discouraged. But through it all, we must never lose sight of that day in the future when everyone living in Illinois is in possession of his or her own permanent health CARE (not insurance) card, guaranteeing that there will never be a time when a choice must be made between rent or mortgage and seeing a doctor, between food and life-saving medication, between diagnostic tests and keeping the electricity on. We must also never lose sight of the fact that we are not alone, that this "tribe" surrounds and embraces each of us, that together we can go farther, more powerfully, than we could go alone. In the Lakota Sioux way, there is a phrase, mitakuye oyasin—loosely translated it means "all are related" and speaks to the Native American belief that all living things are connected. So to you, my fellow single-payer warriors, I say Mitakuye Oyasin. May we all be truly healthy.
                                     —Sue Saltmarsh, Editor
 
 
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Sunday, May 01, 2011

Re: [PDI] Call your Illinois Rep to oppose Illinois SB7

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Hey Everybody,


The time is past due. We need new Democratic leadership in the General Assembly. I'm tired of these damned DINO's, these corporate toadies. The fight in Wisconsin was with the Repubs, here it's with our "own" Democrats. We need to occupy the Capitol Building and show our state pols that we won't stand for this. Karl

-----Original Message-----
From: Geraldine Perry <healthadvantage@comcast.net>
To: Karl-Heinz Gabbey <khgabbey@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 2:40 pm
Subject: [PDI] Call your Illinois Rep to oppose Illinois SB7


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Hi all,

The following is a request made by a retired college prof and Chicago activist, asking us to call our Illinois Reps to oppose SB7.

SB7 involves bargaining rights of Illinois teachers and was developed by the IEA, IFT, and CTU together with other "stakeholders": http://www.ieanea.org/banner/get-information-on-the-school-reform-bill-sb7-here/ . Here is how a "grassroots" group describes the benefits of SB7: http://www.stand.org/Document.Doc?id=3057

AND this is from the aforementioned Chicago teacher/activist, describing what SB7 REALLY does to the CTU in particular (and Illinois teachers by extension) and ends with his conclusion as to why SB7 needs to be opposed:

<SNIP>
1. Restricts the right to strike to almost impossible conditions (75% of the entire bargaining unit membership must vote yes + 6 months delay).
Handcuffs the CTU just when members face closings and charter replacements, an announced $700,000,000 budget deficit with huge layoffs threatened, and upcoming contract negotiations. Poses a threat of similar legislation to all unions in Illinois.

2. Imposes increased workload for teachers (and students) without a prior agreement with the Union. Added workload without compensation guaranteed. No ability to negotiate an educationally-sound implementation that is student-friendly. Poses a threat of similarly-imposed unpaid workloads for all public sector workers.

3. Excludes Chicago CTU bargaining unit members from the hiring rights of laid- off members which apply to every other teacher union across Illinois. Again, this exception opens the door to extending it against all other teacher and public sector union workers.
4. Excludes CTU from I.E.L.R.A. (IL Educational Labor Relations Act) means eliminating members rights to file and seek relief from Unfair Labor Practices. This would be like taking away a person's right to file a lawsuit when damaged. Again. this sets a precedent directly aimed at all educational workers across the state.
While I originally proposed the first three in my motion to Monday's CORE meeting, I'm coming to think that opposing SB7 is needed since there's not one good thing to salvage. As you can see, the basis exists to reach out to other teachers outside of Chicago, their locals, and other public and even private- sector workers/unions. The specifics aimed at CTU members in SB7 are bullets that can be aimed at them. That's the basis for solidarity-shared interests. An injury to one IS an injury to all.
<END SNIP>
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