Single-Payer Healthcare Alliance
Forms in Washington, D.C.

l-r: Kay Tillow, Rep. Conyers, Tim Carpenter

November 15, 2008, Washington, DC – With Barack Obama about to assume the presidency and take up the healthcare issue, leaders of single-payer healthcare organizations met for two days, November 11 – 12, at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP), Healthcare-NOW! , and Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) convened the meeting. Providing healthcare to the millions of Americans who lack it was a centerpiece of the presidential campaigns.

Approximately sixty people representing over a dozen organizations and three members of Congress were in attendance. The agenda included a political overview, developing a legislative strategy, and alliance-building discussions. Among the represented groups were Healthcare-NOW!, the AFL-CIO, All Unions Committee for Single-Payer, American Medical Students Association, Rep. John Conyers, and aides from the offices of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

There was broad agreement among the participants that a single-payer healthcare plan, H.R. 676 specifically, is not only the solution to solving the problem of providing healthcare to every American, but is also a sensible part of any economic stimulus package and lasting economic recovery.
Continue reading Medicare for All Summit Meeting in Washington, D.C. →

Oregon Teamster Local Endorses HR 676

Portland, Oregon.   Teamster Local 206, which represents workers in a
variety of occupations through out the state of Oregon, has endorsed HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).

Tom Leedham, Local 206 Secretary-Treasurer said: “Members of our union are
very involved in health care and have studied a number of proposals for
reform both at the state and national levels.  Health care and health care
issues are often the subject of discussion at our general and contract
ratification meetings.  Because we enjoy a high quality schedule of
benefits we are not inclined to support a proposal that would be a
reduction in benefits or an increase in costs for 206 Teamsters.  A
national single payer plan like HR 676 is the only program we see that
meets our quality and cost criteria.  HR 676, like no other, is consistent
with our union’s overall philosophy: ‘everybody in, nobody out’.

Don’t Wait For
Slow-Motion
River Wrecks

By Randy Shannon
Progressive Democrats of America

“As the region’s federal engineer, it is my responsibility to report that the Lower Mon Project is facing a perfect storm. Inefficient funding; the insolvency of the IWTF; an aging and crumbling infrastructure; an increase in unscheduled, unexpected repairs; and a flat-lined operations and maintenance budget coupled with rising costs…threaten the reliability of the sytem.” – Colonel Michael P. Crall, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, July 3, 2008

Our new President and Congress need to act with urgency to address the critical state of this artery of the regional economy. Don’t watch the slow motion wreck. Take action to get the word out and up the chain to Washington! The US Army Corps of Engineers is not a lobbying organization. The people of western Pennsylvania must lobby for their share of any new funds allocated to infrastructure upgrading.

Click on this link gx-dam-jl-10-26 to view a map of the US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District facilities. See the location of the fourteen of twenty-three locks and dams that are rated at high risk of breakdown.

For more information read the US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District 2008 State of the Infrastructure report at this link corpsinfrastructure.

Click on this link comparetransport-modes to view a graphic comparison of river, rail, and ground transport efficiency.

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Dump Lieberman! Don’t Wait for Change!

Please join me to urge the Democratic Party Senate leaders to strip Sen. Joe Lieberman, who campaigned for war and austerity with McCain, of all and any leadership positions with the majority Democratic caucus.

I just signed this petition to the members of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, who now determine Joe Lieberman’s fate as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Harry Reid has told Lieberman that he has to go, but Joe is now openly threatening the caucus.  Please sign this petition and let them know that Lieberman must go, once and for all.

After you sign the petition please send your friends the link to this site.

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/petition/nomorejoe/fdayfl

Here is list of Senators on the Committee

http://democrats.senate.gov/steering/index.cfm?pg=6

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Photo: Kyle Jones, Beaver Falls Obama Fan

AFL-CIO and the
Steelers Going
All Out for Obama

By Carl Davidson

Progressives for Obama

Organized labor has set its sights on winning Western Pennsylvania for Barack Obama. They see a victory in this battleground “swing state” as critical to the national election, and are pulling out all stops to “Git ‘er done.”

AFL-CIO chief John Sweeny came to the IBEW Local 712 Hall in Vanport, Pa on October 25. He was joined by United Steelworker union top officials as well as members of Pittsburgh Steelers football team who were scheduled to be at the afternoon rally. In between, the unions deployed over 2200 rank-and-file union members to knock on the doors of some 31,000 union family homes across the state in a single afternoon, an effort that will become even more earnest in the next ten days. Continue reading ‘SteelBlitz For Barack’ Hits Beaver County →