(something hopeful about health care... - promoted by poligirl)
well, sort of ... in a letter, at least ...
msnbc.com
President Obama issued a public letter to Sens. Ted Kennedy and Max Baucus, the two Democrats seen as most key to the design of potential health-care legislation.
June 2, 2009
Dear Senator Kennedy and Senator Baucus:
[...]
In short, the status quo is broken, and pouring money into a broken system only perpetuates its inefficiencies. Doing nothing would only put our entire health care system at risk. Without meaningful reform, one fifth of our economy is projected to be tied up in our health care system in 10 years; millions more Americans are expected to go without insurance; and outside of what they are receiving for health care, workers are projected to see their take-home pay actually fall over time.
We simply cannot afford to postpone health care reform any longer.
[...]
I agree that we should create a health insurance exchange market where Americans can one-stop shop for a health care plan, compare benefits and prices, and choose the plan that's best for them, in the same way that Members of Congress and their families can. None of these plans should deny coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition, and all of these plans should include an affordable basic benefit package that includes prevention, and protection against catastrophic costs. I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest.
[...]
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
(some Arkansas politics... - promoted by poligirl)
The Arkansas Progress Team began organizing three months ago to bring new leadership, ideas, and membership to the Arkansas Young Democrats by focusing on progressive offline and online grassroots organizing. Their three main goals are to increase membership (check this one already), increase fund raising, and increase awareness on the issues important to Young Democrats. On Saturday, April 18th, over 200 Young Democrats turned out to vote at the State Capitol Building and delivered the Arkansas Progress Team a victory.
Left to Right: Eric Bell (Sec/Treas), Jonathan Spinks (Committeeman), and Chris Burks (President)
(a use for the stimulus... - promoted by poligirl)
I am cross posting this for a fellow blogger, jenyum at DailyKos, who is also a great Tacoma activist.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am deep in the throes of campaigning for a local school bond election. Every year or two our school district has to undertake this ritual, the legacy of a state constitutional amendment that limited property taxes to 1% of assessed value, unless voters approve a bond levy by a 60% majority. "So what?" You say. "Shouldn't the voters have a say?" Well, yes, in theory, but in practice it means that necessary school construction projects are put off until our schools are literally crumbling around the kids. It also means that in times like these, when construction prices are low and construction jobs are desperately needed, voters balk at the idea of any additional property taxes.
But all of that is just talk. It is easy enough to say "fine, but not now" to school construction until you see the reality of what some of our kids are asked to live with every day.
This is a hallway ceiling at Hunt Middle School in Tacoma, Washington. Large parts of the school feature water damage just as severe. Maintenance staff dutifully replace ceiling panels and repaint when they can, but the water just seeps right through.
Well a lot happened last week -- besides CPAC! (sorry Joe T P -- your 15 Minutes are SO Over Dude!)
Much more Noteworthy: The President gave an excellent [Non-] State of the Union speech.
The President's Administration [specifically the OMB] outlined a very ambitious and encouraging set of goals and priorities -- especially if you're one of the hundreds of millions, mired in the Middle Class.
So I was curious, if there were any new "Talking Points" for the Middle Class, in all this Hopeful Messaging of the last week -- any consistent new Frames and Memes, that would be worth learning about, and perhaps even (gasp!) repeating ...
So I did some homework this morning, -- and here are some of my "take away points" for Progressive-minded Patriots, from this very important week ...
Clearly, there is a strong tendency toward the Progressive caucus among the Populists, even though they were organized by a New Democrat. Further, Progressive punch puts the median lifetime score on "crucial votes" for this group at 55.5 of 256 (between [Joe] Courtney at 54 and [Dave] Loebsack at 57) in the Democratic caucus, placing it decidedly in the left-wing of the party.
[...]
Notably, the Populists are also heavy on the class of 2006, as 14 of the 20 members listed by the Huffington Post were first elected to Congress that year (and Massa came within an inch of being a 15th that year). Only Boswell, DeFazio, Filner Sanchez and Schakowsky were first elected to Congress before 2006. As such, while it displayed the same fractured tendencies of all ideological caucuses across the three bailout votes, the Populist Caucus appears to be primarily a caucus of progressive sophomore Representatives. This is particularly interesting since the class of 2006 was supposed to be a conservative dominated class ushered in by then -DCCC chair Rahm Emanuel. Now, the progressive members of that class appear to have organized a new caucus for themselves.
(Lincoln was a liberal... :D - promoted by poligirl)
On this 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, I am reminded of some very intriguing ideas, that he brought to the National Dialog. As one of our greatest Americans Presidents, his words and ideas are certainly worth remembering, heeding, and perhaps even studying.
Here's an intriguing example, of Lincoln's likely Progressive leaning:
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed".
-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Ref: The Lincoln Encyclopedia, Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)
Corporations have been enthroned?
Kind of sounds like Lincoln was the 1st Champion of Labor!
(on the new Middle Class Task Force... - promoted by poligirl)
If you've had "your fill" of the Blago tour, and Rush Windbag project, and the non-stop spinning from the GOP (the Grand Obstructionist Party) -- How about spending a few minutes on "some News you can use!"
Obama Says Economic 'Disaster' Requires Focus on Middle Class By Roger Runningen and Holly Rosenkrantz - Bloomberg -- Jan 30 2009
The president cited a Commerce Department report showing the economy shrank 3.8 percent at an annual pace in the last three months of 2008 as he said Vice President Joe Biden will head an expanded task force that will come up with policies to help middle-income Americans. ...
"We have to reverse many of the policies toward organized labor," President Obama said. "I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem."
I do most of my writing at the Iowa progressive community blog Bleeding Heartland.
Last year at this time I was scrambling to make as many phone calls and knock on as many doors as I could before the Iowa caucuses on January 3.
This week I had a little more time to reflect on the year that just ended.
After the jump I've linked to Bleeding Heartland highlights in 2008. Most of the links relate to Iowa politics, but some also covered issues or strategy of national importance.
I only linked to a few posts about the presidential race. I'll do a review of Bleeding Heartland's 2008 presidential election coverage later this month.
Neither of the two segments went so far as to compare Americans graduating deep in debt to the systems of other industrial nations but many of the facts and figures given point to a failing nation.
The first segment aired Monday evening with John Merrow on location at a state university. There is also a video available of his findings at UMass Boston called College Cost Rising at Unprecedented Rate.
The ending pointed out the state of this nation. After an interview with Rep. George Miller where he stated the only sign of optimism is the students, John Merrow closed the first of the two segments with;
The National student debt now tops over $500 billion. That's just what owed to the government. Nobody knows what's owed to private lenders. With unemployment projected to climb to 8 percent; recent collage graduates, the most heavily indebted generation in American history, face tough times.
(Braley was an Edwards guy and boy do we need a populist caucus! :D - promoted by poligirl)
Just a quick hit to let the Progressive Blue community know that Congressman Bruce Braley (D, IA-01) is forming a new Populist Caucus.
Matt Stoller has the Dear Colleague letter Braley is circulating. The Populist Caucus will focus on tax, wage, employment, health care, education, consumer protection and fair trade policies to benefit working families and the middle class.
It's been reported today that American fourth- and eighth-graders have improved substantially on math but remain stagnant on science, according to the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
U.S. strides in math were notable. The average score among fourth-graders has jumped 11 points since 1995, to 529.
Eighth-graders also earned a higher average score than in 1995 and bested counterparts in 37 countries.
It was argued that No Child Left Behind helped the math scores by requiring schools to administer annual math tests.
But average science performance, although still stronger than in many countries, has stagnated since 1995.
The U.S. [fourth graders] had an average score of 539 on a 1,000-point scale, higher than peers in 25 countries. In eighth grade, students in nine countries earned higher average scores than their U.S. counterparts.
