Obama Announces Afghanistan Escalation

By Tom Hayden

The Nation

December 1, 2009

It’s time to strip the Obama sticker off my car.

Obama’s escalation in Afghanistan is the last in a string of disappointments. His flip-flopping acceptance of the military coup in Honduras has squandered the trust of Latin America. His Wall Street bailout leaves the poor, the unemployed, minorities, and college students on their own. And now comes the Afghanistan-Pakistan decision to escalate the stalemate, which risks his domestic agenda, his Democratic base, and possibly even his presidency.

The expediency of his decision was transparent. Satisfy the generals by sending 30,000 more troops. Satisfy the public and peace movement with a timeline for beginning withdrawals of those same troops, with no timeline for completing a withdrawal.

Continue reading Afghanistan Escalation: NO! →

Aetna prepares for loss of 600,000 members as it raises 2010 prices

By Emily Berry, amednews staff. Posted Nov. 30, 2009.

Back when it was the largest private health plan in the country, Aetna downsized its membership by millions but boosted profits during an overhaul of its business several years ago.

Now it looks to be making a similar — but smaller — move with a planned price increase for many of its customers in 2010.

The company figures it will lose between 600,000 and 650,000 members next year because of the price hikes.

In a conference call with investment analysts to discuss the company’s third-quarter earnings, Chair and CEO Ron Williams told analysts, “The pricing we put in place for 2009 turned out to not really be what we needed to achieve the results and margins that we had historically been delivering.”

Continue reading Aetna to Wall Street: We’ll raise prices, cut benefits, and dump 600,000 policy holders to boost 2010 profits →

Study calls Pennsylvania taxes unfair to poor and middle class

From the Erie Times-News                Published: November 20. 2009 12:01AM

Working families in Pennsylvania pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than their wealthiest counterparts, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy. 

In 2007, middle-class earners paid nearly double the share of their income in taxes than the very wealthiest Pennsylvanians. For minimum-wage earners, the share of family income spent on taxes was even larger. 

Continue reading PA Taxes favor the wealthy →

Group forms to save Braddock Hospital

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A working group of community leaders, elected officials and residents from the Braddock area convened last night at Heritage Health to discuss how the community might sway UPMC to reverse its decision to close the hospital there.

Since the hospital system announced the closing of UPMC Braddock, slated for Jan. 31, community members have mobilized efforts to change the hospital’s mind, starting last Thursday with a rally that drew a few hundred people.

The objective of the working group, facilitated by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, is two-pronged. Its first priority is to lobby UPMC against closing, and its second is to create a contingency plan should the hospital close.

Continue reading Braddock group’s goal: Repeal closing of hospital →

Pennsylvania and Illinois Faculty Unions Endorse HR 676

Two faculty unions affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Legislative Assembly of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) voted overwhelmingly to endorse HR 676.  ASPCUF represents 6,000 faculty members at the fourteen public university campuses across Pennsylvania.  Seth Kahn, Grievance Chair at West Chester University, said:  “APSCUF recognizes the importance of single-payer healthcare for unions everywhere.  We are pleased to offer our strong endorsement.”

In Chicago, Illinois, the Executive Board of the Roosevelt University Adjunct Faculty Organization (RAFO) also voted to endorse HR 676 reports LuAnn Swartzlander, RAFO President.  RAFO is affiliated with the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the NEA.