Today, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) released the Chairman’s mark of his health care reform bill along with a CBO report on the legislation. I’ve found seven interesting and important issues in the report.
1. It looked like Baucus purposely left himself a small possible giveaway to liberals. His bill in fact saves $49 billion, which could be used to increase subsidies by that amount while still keeping it budget neutral. A little “look, liberals won something”:
According to CBO and JCT’s assessment, enacting the Chairman’s proposal would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $49 billion over the 2010–2019 period
2. It appears that the CBO agrees with almost every health care reform expert and also concluded that Conrad’s small state-based co-ops are worthless.
The proposed co-ops had very little effect on the estimates of total enrollment in the exchanges or federal costs because, as they are described in the specifications, they seem unlikely to establish a significant market presence in many areas of the country or to noticeably affect federal subsidy payments.
In a historic vote that adds the nation’s leading voice of American workers to a broad national campaign, the AFL-CIO voted unanimously at its national convention here today to endorse the enactment of single-payer, universal healthcare for all Americans.
The resolution was sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and the Alameda County (California) Central Labor Council.
In urging its support, CNA/NNOC Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro, an AFL-CIO National Vice-President, noted the recent death of Crystal Lee Sutton, the real-life union organizer from the film Norma Rae who died last week after a long battle with cancer, exacerbated by her own three-year fight with her insurance company.
Michael Moore’s
Labor Fans Hit
Pittsburgh’s Streets
For a Film Premiere
By Carl Davidson Beaver County Blue
When we heard Michael Moore was going to do a surprise premiere of his new film, ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ at the AFL-CIO convention Sept 14 and we were all invited, it was a no-brainer—how many names could we nail down in time and how many cars could we get for the drive to downtown Pittsburgh the next day?
We knew union delegates to the convention that could go. But Moore, the California Nurse’s Association, and Leo Girard, head of the United Steel Workers, wanted the area’s battleground fighters for HR 676 ‘Medicare for All’ to have a shot at the seats in the Golden Triangles’ Byham Theater. That qualification certainly fit the 4th CD’s Progressive Democrats of America and its ally, Beaver County Peace Links. They had been working of HR 676 for years at the grassroots, showing Moore’s ‘Sicko’ documentary on health care many times.
For a spur-of-the moment happening, the event was wildly successful. Thousands rallied at the David Lawrence Convention Center, then poured into the evening sunset-lit downtown streets with chants and banners, for a militant and spirited march to the cultural district. Michael Moore, appropriately clad in a bright red shirt and red ball cap, helped carry the front row banner, leading the chants. Continue reading Watching ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ with Michael Moore→
In his message posted below Sen. Arlen Specter states his support for the hotly debated public option. The public option was originally proposed as a large inexpensive Medicare- administered plan to allow access to good healthcare for the 46 million uninsured and the millions of under-insured. As the White House slowly moves to accomodate the powerful corporate health insurance lobby, opportunists like Specter are climbing aboard offering support with qualifiers that further water down the public option.
Now the public option will only cover a few million persons. And if Specter has his way it will have to cost no less than what the private insurance companies charge. This means it will be unaffordable and offer no competition to hold down the cost of private insurance. The current legislation being considered does not control the rising insurance premiums. It does call for restraining the outlays for Medicare, even though Medicare is the most affordable and most efficient administrator of healthcare outlays.
The bill makes it a crime for an individual not to buy junk insurance. It’s no wonder that Wall Street is already celebrating the victory of health insurance reform over healthcare reform by bidding up the stock prices of their favorite insurance companies and hospitals.
In a recent Pittsburgh Post Gazette article, Congressman Jason Altmire is quoted saying that he will probably vote for the health insurance bill after he voted against it in committee. Mr. Altmire is a former lobbyist for the Federation of American (for-profit) Hospitals and UPMC. This is another sign that the bill will favor the large corporate entities such as UPMC and hurt the working people of the 4th Congressional District. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09256/997454-114.stm
The Grove City Democrats club headed by Lou Razzano hosted a showing of Michael Moore’s Sicko at Rudy’s Restaurant on Sept. 10. The film was screened by the W. PA organizer for Democracy for America Lou Hancherick. Joe Talarico, coordinator of the W PA Progressive Network answered questions after the film.
Following dinner from 5:00 to 6:30 some 55 people viewed the film and responded with enthusiastic applause and cheering. Bob Lark, head of the Mercer County Democratic Committee attended.
Plan would destroy state forests on altar of natural gas industry
Drilling Rig on Marcellus Shale
The proposed budget deal announced September 11, 2009 includes a massive giveaway to huge, multi-national energy corporations that want substantial and immediate access to drill, baby, drill in our public forests and parks.
Tell your state legislators that opening up much of the state’s forest lands to gas drilling is NOT the way that Pennsylvania should solve its budget crisis.
Greedy gas companies spent more than one million dollars lobbying state government this year, and it looks like it paid off. The state budget does not include a severance tax on natural gas drilling even though it injures Pennsylvania taxpayers. To add insult to injury, the budget deal also opens up state parks and forests to gas drillers. Because gas prices have fallen, gas leasing prices have also fallen, so now giant multi-national energy corporations will be able to make a sweetheart deal to lock up leases at bargain basement prices.
‘Healthcare Not Warfare’ Vigil
Meets the 912 Tea Bagger Rally
By Carl Davidson and Tina Shannon Beaver County Blue
Things were different than usual in front of the Beaver County Courthouse at 1:00 pm this Saturday September 12th. For one thing, a well-used car, festooned with the message “Support Health Care Reform!” was parked across the street. A Beaver County Transit bus driver and his family had arrived at 11:30 to park it there.
“We knew you’d be here,” his Dad said. “We showed up early so we’d get a good parking spot. We wanted it to be here for you.”
So when some 200 right wing ‘Teabaggers’ showed up for their anti-Health Care and anti-Obama protest at the Beaver County Court House, they found that their message wasn’t unchallenged. Directly across the street were over sixty people with a large ‘Bring the Troops Home Now!’ banner and dozens of placards declaring ‘Healthcare Not Warfare!’ and ‘Honk for Peace!’
The Teabaggers were newcomers to this venue, stirred up by a steady drumbeat from the Fox News network and its over-the-top racist commentator Glenn Beck. Their anxiety over the economic crisis had been stoked into a divisive politics of fear and resentment by the far right wing of the Republican Party.
The vigil for peace and healthcare, on the other hand, had been at this spot every Saturday for the last six years, since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan got underway. Sponsored by Beaver County Peace Links and the 4th CD Progressive Democrats of America, their ‘Honk for Peace’ signs and other placards linking ending the war to health care and supporting the troops had become a well-known and popular fixture to county residents. Continue reading Contending Views at the Beaver County Court House – Progressives Push Back Tea Party→
Beaver County Daycare Providers Meet Republican Senator Elder Vogel: Dismayed by His Lack of Concern for Children
By Tina Shannon
September 10, 2009
Last Thursday night, five daycare providers sat down with Pennsylvania 47th District Senator Elder Vogel and his aide Joe Weider to talk over the state budget. I arrived at the Senator’s office in the hilltop neighborhood of upper Rochester about 6:30 pm, even though the meeting didn’t start until 7:00.
Charlie Hamilton, my friend who had helped set up the meeting with Senator Vogel, was waiting . Charlie is a retired postal worker who has extensive experience dealing with legislators.
Several weeks earlier I had gone on an angry rant about the budget proposed by Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled State Senate. I wanted to have a public meeting denouncing Vogel, who is our newly elected Republican Sate Senator. Charlie counseled restraint. “First you have to give the guy a chance to do the right thing,” he said.
So Charlie graciously set up the meeting.
I contacted several of my colleagues, looking for people who understood the importance of maintaining social services in our county by funding them in the budget. A handful of wonderful women responded. I also brought an articulate impassioned young woman who is one my clients.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the first time yesterday suggested she may be backing off her support of the public option. According to CNN, Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “said they would support any provision that increases competition and accessibility for health insurance – whether or not it is the public option favored by most Democrats.” When “asked if inclusion of a public option was a non-negotiable demand – as her previous statements had indicated Pelosi ruled out any non-negotiable positions,” according to CNN.
This announcement came just hours before Steve Elmendorf, a registered UnitedHealth lobbyist and the head of UnitedHealth’s lobbying firm Elmendorf Strategies, blasted this email invitation throughout Washington, D.C. I just happened to get my hands on a copy of the invitation from a source – check out this OpenLeft exclusive:
AFL-CIO Convention Endorses Medicare for All
by Randy Shannon
‘Healthcare Not Warfare’ Vigil
Beaver County Daycare Providers Meet Republican Senator Elder Vogel: Dismayed by His Lack of Concern for Children
Beaver County Blue: Voice of the 17th CD of Progressive Democrats of America 