Latest health care reform bill leaves Americans vulnerable to insurance companies: Dennis Kucinich

By Plain Dealer guest columnist

March 14, 2010, 3:01AM

View full sizeFile photoU.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich / U.S. Representative

President Barack Obama is in northern Ohio on Monday to campaign for his health care plan, and I will be here to welcome him. I have met with the president three times to discuss how we can work together to address the serious deficiencies in our health care system. Even at this late date, I am hopeful that the White House will be able to reinstate key reforms that passed the Education and Labor Committee on which I serve.

Unfortunately, the president’s plan, as it currently stands, leaves patients financially vulnerable to insurance companies. It requires all Americans to buy private health insurance policies, while failing to ensure those policies do what they are supposed to do — protect people from financial catastrophe caused by injury or illness.

Continue reading Cong. Kucinich Explains Current Healthcare Bill →

by Randy Shannon

MoveOn.org is demonstrating at Dennis Kucinich’s Cleveland office. The President brought him to his rally in Ohio to twist his arm.

Along with 76 other so-called Progressive Democratic Congresspersons, Dennis Kucinich signed a pledge not to vote for a healthcare bill that did not contain a public option to control the runaway premiums that people would be forced to pay by the insurance mandate.

Now there is one single Congressman out of that 77 who has the guts and the principle to stand by his pledge to the American people. Dennis Kucinich remains unbought and unbullied, hated by Rahm Emanuel and the insurance lobbyists. While Obama and the Democratic leadership were just funnin’ about the public option, Kucinich was serious.

If the healthcare vote comes down to one vote difference, then Dennis Kucinich’s vote can easily be moved to the yes column by adding the public option. 51 Senators have said they would vote for the public option in reconciliation, a majority. The White House and the the Congressional leadership have sold out to the insurance companies. Only Dennis Kucinich can force them to include the public option.

Help him by joining with thousands of others across the nation who are sending donations to Dennis through the Firedog Lake blog. Join with others who are canceling their affiliation with MoveOn.org. If you want to help go to the link at the end of the article below to contribute. Even $5 will send the message. 

 donate to Dennis Kucinich to send a message that progressives have not become a  tool of corporate America.

Continue reading LAST MAN STANDING for Healthcare Reform: Dennis Kucinich. Progressives: Stand by Your Man! →

Indiana Apprenticeship Program

Graduates Its First Green Technicians

This Monday, the Apollo Alliance was proud to co-sponsor an event honoring the first “Green Technician” graduates of an Indianapolis training program run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 481 and the National Electrical Contractors Association of Central Indiana. After receiving their certifications, the newly minted Green Technicians displayed an array of solar panels and a wind turbine they recently installed at the Electrical Training Institute, where they received their instruction.

“Each graduate of the Green Technician program will be an Industry Certified Technician, ready to work on anything from windmills to retrofits of existing buildings that need to become more energy efficient. We are incredibly proud of their achievement,” said Jim Patterson, director of the Electrical Training Institute.

U.S. Representative Andre Carson, D-Ind., and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler were on hand to honor the graduates. “It’s important that American workers stay at the cutting edge of green technology so they can access the high-quality jobs that are being created in the global clean energy economy,” Shuler said. “The race is on to build a 21st century clean energy infrastructure, and the AFL-CIO continues to push for it to be nurtured here in the U.S. and built by American workers.” Continue reading Steal This Idea for Western PA: Green Jobs, Union Apprentices →

Labor Unions Speak Out:

‘Why We’re Marching on March 20’

By Bill Hackwell
March 13, 2010

The statement below was released by the ANSWER Coalition:

Labor organizations and unions are joining with thousands of others who will be marching on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 20.

Among the over 1,500 endorsers of the National March on Washington are U.S. Labor Against the War, New York City Labor Against the War, North Carolina Labor Against the War and New Jersey Labor Against War.

The United Steelworkers (USW) are sponsoring a bus to D.C. leaving from their headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh.

Dan Kovalik, the senior associate general counsel for USW, said:

“The USW will be sending a bus of protesters from its headquarters in Pittsburgh to the March 20 demonstration for peace. The time is long overdue that our nation’s resources be spent on real health care reform, a social safety net and job creation rather than on weapons of mass destruction and senseless wars. We march for that change in our government’s set of priorities.”

United University Professions (UUP)—the union representing more than 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 State University of New York campuses and several other New York State schools—passed a resolution at its 2010 Winter Delegate Assembly calling on UUP leaders, chapters and members to build UUP participation in the March 20 demonstration in D.C. as part of the labor contingent. Continue reading Steelworkers Have Bus Seats for DC Antiwar Demo March 20 →

Gas Drilling Rig with Holding Tank for ‘Fracturing’ Sludge

GOP Whitewashes
Marcellus Shale Dangers
In Western Pennsylvania

By Carl Davidson
Beaver County Blue

If you’re looking for a full-throttled booster of the natural gas industry to be your representative in the Pennsylvania legislature, then Jim Christiana’s clearly your man.

But if you’re looking for a representative that puts the general public of Beaver County’s largely working-class 15th District in first place, and then brings local business into line with their common interests, you’ll be happy there’s an election this year.

That’s the main conclusion I drew from Christiana’s ‘Informational Event’ on the Marcellus Shale and the natural gas industry held at the Shadow Lakes County Club in Aliquippa, PA, at 8am in the morning, Friday, March 5, 2010. Continue reading Christiana Wants No Fed Oversight on Drilling →

Natural Gas Drilling Tip Line

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region has a natural gas drilling tip line for reporting dumping and other illegal or suspicious hauling and/or disposal activities.

Tip line number (toll free): 877-919-4372 (877-919-4EPA)

Tip email address:       eyesondrilling@epa.gov

Tip mailing address:    EPA Region 3
                                   1650 Arch Street (3CEOO)
                                    Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029

Continue reading EPA Tip Line for Gas Driller Contamination or Dumping →

Trout Unlimited opposes gas drilling in the Monongahela National Forest

by Randy Shannon

The Pennyslvania Commonwealth Court has ruled that gas drillers must present their appeals of Municipal regulations to the local zoning board first and not to the Court of Common Pleas.

The Commonwealth Court also specifically upheld six regulations affecting the use of land by shale gas drillers. These six regulations are:

1. identifying a zoning district in which gas production activities can be conducted;

2. establishing setback requirements in relation to public buildings, public or private streets, property lines, and properties designated as landfills or properties that contain hazardous substances;

Continue reading PA Commonwealth Court Upholds Authority of Municipal Zoning Boards to Hear Challenges to Municipal Ordinances by Gas Drillers →