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Health Care for America Now Applauds Senator Brown for Supporting Real Health Care Reform
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 01:25 PM
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Dave Harding's Blog
The President recounts America’s great history of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, and pledges to lead America in continuing that tradition.
Focusing on creating a clean energy economy, comprehensive health reform, and revitalizing an education system in need of change, the President pledges not to leave these decades-old problems to yet another generation to solve.
Watch It:
Lorraine Bieber, ProgressOhio, Anthony Caldwell and Bryce Stoepfe of SEIU1199
Two hundred and thirty three years ago, our countrymen declared their independence from the tyrannical British Empire.
Today, will you declare your independence from the tyrannical insurance industry and demand the choice of a public health insurance option?
Click here to sign the petition and declare your independence from the insurance industry!
On July 4, with our friends at SEIU, we will present the signatures to Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15), who has been fighting for us in Congress.
All over the country today, thousands of Americans are holding these truths to be self-evident - we need health care reform that will provide:
- Coverage we can afford;
- Comprehensive benefits we can count on;
- Choice of a private or public health insurance plan; and
- Equal access to quality care
For too long, the insurance industry has held us in their monopolistic grip, so much so that there is no competition in 94% of our communities.1 We have no choice but to pay their absurd rates and receive their sub-standard care so they can pay their CEOs another bonus.
No more! With the choice of a public health insurance option the industry will finally have a competitor strong enough to keep them honest. With this choice, we can restore stability to our lives, with no more unaffordable and low-quality coverage.
When Representative Kilroy returns to Congress after the July 4 recess, she'll be armed with your signature and those of thousands of other fifteenth district patriots.
So join us and declare your independence today!
Sign the petition and throw off the shackles of the insurance industry.
.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers a 4th of July message, which was given to U.S. Embassies worldwide to play at their 4th of July celebrations.
Watch It:
Hello everyone. I am delighted to welcome you on behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States as we celebrate our nation’s 233rd birthday.
For Americans, the 4th of July is a day to reconnect with loved ones, to remember our history, and to renew our commitment to democracy, tolerance, and justice. As President Obama said in Cairo last month, these are not just American values, these are core principles we share with people everywhere. So it is fitting that we open our doors and share this day with our friends and neighbors around the world.
Our fates and our fortunes are intertwined like never before. No one nation can meet today’s global challenges alone. We all share responsibility for working together to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous future.
So I hope that today’s celebration will become tomorrow’s partnership. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish, no challenge we can’t meet, if we work together toward common goals and seek common ground.
Thank you so much for joining us and have a wonderful 4th of July.
Columbus, Ohio - ProgressOhio a member of the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition - the nation's largest health care campaign - released the following statement today in response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee's legislation for health care reform:
"We thank Senator Brown for his support of legislation that will give Americans all across this country what they want - a choice of a strong public health insurance option that will provide lower costs and keep the insurance companies honest. The bill that Senator Brown will vote for will make sure that Americans can keep their own insurance if they want or choose a new alternative to the private insurance industry. That new public health insurance option will encourage better health care delivery at lower cost. The legislation will also make good, affordable health care available to middle-class families in Ohio and includes strict rules to stop insurance company abuses. The bill is a good prescription for health care reform.
Last week well over a hundred HCAN volunteers travelled to Washington, DC from Ohio as part of a 10,000 person rally and grassroots lobby day. Clearly our voices were heard. Over the coming weeks, we will continue to work with Senator Brown and the entire Ohio Congressional delegation to be sure that Congress enacts legislation this year that will make sure every family in Ohio has good, affordable health coverage and lower costs."
- Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.
For decades, Washington has failed to act as health care costs continued to rise, crushing businesses, families and placing an unsustainable burden on governments. Today the Senate HELP committee has produced legislation that lowers costs, protects choice of doctors and plans and assures quality and affordable health care for Americans. The Congressional Budget Office has now issued a more complete review of this bill, concluding that it will cost less and cover more Americans than originally estimated. It also contains provisions that will protect the coverage Americans get at work. When merged with the Senate Finance Committee’s companion pieces, the Senate will be prepared to vote for health reform legislation that does not add to the deficit, reduces health care costs and covers 97% of Americans.
The HELP Committee legislation reflects many of the principles I’ve laid out, such as reforms that will prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the concept of insurance exchanges where individuals can find affordable coverage if they lose their jobs, move or get sick. Such a marketplace would allow families and some small businesses the benefit of one-stop-shopping for their health care coverage and enable them to compare price and quality and pick the plan that best suits their needs.
Among the choices that would be available in the exchange would be a public health insurance option. The public option would make health care affordable by increasing competition, providing more choices and keeping the insurance companies honest.
The legislation also improves the quality of patient care, improves safety for patients and strengthens the commitment to preventive health care – preventing people from getting sick in the first place.
I thank chairman Kennedy, Senator Dodd, and all the members of the HELP Committee for their hard work on health reform.
Sign the Declaration of Support and
Tell Congress to Pass Real Health Care Reform in 2009.
Revised Senate Health Bill Includes Employer Mandate, Public Plan Option
Revised draft health care legislation would result in insurance coverage for 97 percent of Americans at a lower cost than expected — about $611 billion over 10 years, leaders of a key Senate committee say.
The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee could resume work next week on the latest version of an overhaul bill, released Wednesday night.
Chairman Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd , D-Conn., outlined the revised measure in a letter to other panel members. The Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the bill’s cost and coverage puts a far better shine on the legislation than its assessment of an earlier, incomplete version in which CBO said it would cost $1 trillion over 10 years and cover only about 16 million of the 47 million uninsured Americans.
The latest draft bill includes a government-run health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. It also would mandate employers to provide health insurance to their workers or pay a fee instead — a so-called “pay-or-play” requirement that is opposed by many business lobbying groups but drew important support this week from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Businesses with 25 or more employees that don’t offer insurance would have to pay the government $750 per worker per year, or $375 for part-time workers. Those with fewer than 25 employees would be exempt from the requirement.
Together, the two new sections increased the bill’s coverage and reduced its cost, according to CBO.
Two hundred and thirty three years ago, our countrymen declared their independence from the tyrannical British Empire.
Today, will you declare your independence from the tyrannical insurance industry and demand the choice of a public health insurance option?
Click here to sign the petition and declare your independence from the insurance industry!
On July 4, with our friends at SEIU, we will present the signatures to Representative Mary Jo we will present the signatures to Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15), who has been fighting for us in Congress.
All over the country today, thousands of Americans are holding these truths to be self-evident - we need health care reform that will provide:
- Coverage we can afford;
- Comprehensive benefits we can count on;
- Choice of a private or public health insurance plan; and
- Equal access to quality care
For too long, the insurance industry has held us in their monopolistic grip, so much so that there is no competition in 94% of our communities.1 We have no choice but to pay their absurd rates and receive their sub-standard care so they can pay their CEOs another bonus.
No more! With the choice of a public health insurance option the industry will finally have a competitor strong enough to keep them honest. With this choice, we can restore stability to our lives, with no more unaffordable and low-quality coverage.
When Representative Kilroy returns to Congress after the July 4 recess, she'll be armed with your signature and those of thousands of other fifteenth district patriots.
So join us and declare your independence today!
Sign the petition and throw off the shackles of the insurance industry.
To your health,
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
Click to Subscribe to "Shadows on High"
Please forward to your friends and colleagues!
ProgressOhio - "We're Powered By You"
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $83,484,547 to jump start affordable housing programs in Ohio that are currently stalled due to the current economic recession. Funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), HUD’s new Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) will allow the Ohio Housing Finance Agency to resume funding of affordable rental housing projects across the state while stimulating employment in the construction trades.“The intended purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to jumpstart the nation’s ailing economy, with a primary focus on creating and saving jobs in the near term,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “The funding being awarded today is an important step in achieving the goal of putting American people back to work while at the same time providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income families at a time when it is needed more than ever.”
The current economic and financial crises present significant challenges for the construction industry, particularly residential construction. One of the by-products of this crisis has been the freezing of investments in the LIHTC market. Tax credits provide an incentive for investors to provide capital to developers to build multi-family rental housing for moderate- and low-income families across the nation. Since the contraction of the credit market, and as traditional investors remain on the sidelines, the value of tax credits has plummeted. Consequently, as many as 1,000 projects (containing nearly 150,000 units of housing) are on hold across the country.
In response, the Recovery Act provides $2.25 billion for TCAP, a grant program to provide capital investments in these stalled Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. HUD is awarding these TCAP grants by formula to state housing credit agencies to complete construction of qualified housing projects that will ultimately provide affordable housing to an estimated 35,000 households nationwide. Since a major purpose of this program is job creation, the Recovery Act establishes ambitious deadlines for expenditure of grant funds and requires state housing credit agencies to give priority to projects that can begin immediately and be completed by February 16, 2012.
Yesterday was the first time in Ohio's history that a vote took place in the Statehouse to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The Equal Housing and Employment Act will prevent people from being fired or denied housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
It now has a chance of becoming law, thanks to 8 of the 13 Statehouse committee members who voted yes. Equality Ohio and ProgressOhio would like to thank those 8 members for supporting equal housing and employment rights for all of us.
Let them know you'll help them in the fight for equal rights.
Take a minute to sign this letter of thanks which we'll deliver to them.
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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Please forward to your friends and colleagues!
ProgressOhio - "We're Powered By You"
First bond package to use federal stimulus dollarsCOLUMBUS -- Ohio Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce announced today the completion of a $50 million bond sale to improve the state's logistics and distribution infrastructure, saving $2.1 million in the deal by using a federal stimulus program.
The sale marked the first time Ohio has used the Build America Bond Program in a bond deal, a move that helped the state cut down on interest costs.
The deal also was the first bond issuance under the state's $100 million Logistics and Distribution Infrastructure Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Development and created as part of the $1.57 billion Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan passed last June by the Ohio General Assembly.
“We're pleased to have used this federal stimulus program for what it was intended -- to save money for states like Ohio and help stimulate the economy," Treasurer Boyce said. "Helping create jobs and saving taxpayer dollars are ways we can help Ohio emerge from this difficult economic environment."
The $50 million bond package will fund loans aimed at improving and expanding Ohio’s logistics and intermodal distribution centers. These funds are expected to help create 350 jobs and 270,000 construction hours in Ohio.
The future of Ohio's economy depends on the future of our schools and the future of our schools will be decided in the next two weeks, when Ohio passes its budget.
Governor Strickland is working with both parties to lay the groundwork for Ohio's long term economic growth.
He needs your help to pass his education plan.
Governor Strickland's education plan will give students the modernized skills they need to succeed in the jobs that will be available in the near future. By better preparing our students, the state will become more competitive when employers decide where to locate.
Three senators believe that our current system - which hasn't changed since the 1930's - is preparing Ohio's students for the jobs that will be available when they graduate. We need to modernize our education if we want to compete with other states in job creation.
Governor Strickland needs your help.
Please email these three senators and tell them that you support Governor Strickland's education plan to strengthen Ohio's schools and strengthen Ohio's economy.
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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Please forward to your friends and colleagues!
ProgressOhio - "We're Powered By You"
History is made in Ohio
Today, with a vote of 8 to 5, House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act, passed out of State Government Committee in the Ohio House of Representatives.
The committee vote marks the first time in Ohio's history that a vote has occurred on legislation protecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Ohio in either chamber of the General Assembly. The only previous issue to come to a vote in the Assembly related to LGBT issues was the 2003 legislative so called Defense of Marriage Act.
Voting YES were Gerberry, Lundy, Sykes, Williams B., Stewart, Mallory, Sayre, and Hite with Adams, Daniels, Grossman, Hall, and Stebelton casting NO votes. The bill now moves to consideration by the entire House of Representatives.
And the firsts just keep right on rolling. It is expected that next week the entire House of Representatives will vote on HB 176!
It is time to call or email your State House Representative to ask them to support HB 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. This bill would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the existing enumeration of protected classes in our state non-discrimination law.
Families need stable, reliable care for their loved ones. Caregivers need access to ongoing training and professional development. Ohio needs to support its in-home care and childcare workers. We lose thousands every year due to frustration with bureaucratic red tape. Email Chairman Carey and Senator Wagoner and tell them to stand up for Community CARES!
Community CARES is a provision in the budget (House Bill 1) that seeks to provide a necessary framework to allow more than 15,000 of Ohio's Independent Home Care and Child Care Providers to raise their profession's standards and give them a stronger voice in how they serve their consumers. It would accomplish this by providing more training and an increased skill set for home care and child care providers alike.
Email Chairman Carey and Senator Wagoner and remind them that:
- Community CARES improves access to high quality home care and child care.
- Community CARES supports providers of in home care and child care to make sure they are there for families who need them.
- Community CARES saves money by supporting home and community-based care options over institutional care.
Community CARES is an amendment to ORC 4113 codifying the changes made by the executive orders signed by the Governor.
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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ProgressOhio - "We're Powered By You"
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today joined Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) to introduce the Consumers Health Care Act. The legislation would establish a public health insurance plan that provides an affordable and accountable health insurance option for consumers.
“Congress must include a real public plan option if we want to see truly transformative health care reform this year,” said Rockefeller. “I created the Consumers Health Care Act so we can give the American people the complete coverage they need at an affordable rate. As we move forward with health care reform in the Senate Finance Committee and beyond, I will continue to fight for a public plan option. It is time to end our days of private health insurance charging too much for too little, at the expense of the American people.”
“A strong public health insurance option will help reduce health care costs and improve the quality of health insurance plans,” said Brown, who authored a resolution cosponsored by 28 senators calling for a public health insurance option to be included in health reform. “A public health insurance option will keep insurance companies honest and set a gold standard for medical care. I’m proud to work with Sen. Rockefeller on this legislation which will protect consumer choice, improve patient care, and lower health costs.”
President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and many consumer-advocate and health care organizations have come out in support of a public plan option in health reform. Over 60 percent of Americans also want to see a public plan option on the table (source: Kaiser Family Foundation, June, 2009).
The Consumers Health Care Act has been endorsed by many groups including Health Care for American Now (HCAN), the Children’s Defense Fund, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Overview of the Consumers Health Care Act
- Offer a “Consumer Choice Health Plan” as an option alongside private insurance. By bringing a competitive public plan option to the table, private insurance companies will be driven to provide Americans with better value for their health care at a better price, in contrast to the current private insurance framework, which is focused on avoiding risk and increasing their profits.
- Establish America’s Health Insurance Trust as a “good housekeeping seal of approval” to give consumers a voice in health insurance oversight. This nonprofit, consumer-driven organization will evaluate and give ratings to all health insurance products offered through the national health insurance exchange – based on factors such as affordability, adequacy, transparency, consumer satisfaction, provider satisfaction, and quality.
The Consumers Health Care Health Care Act can be found by clicking here.
Let's just say that this is coming at a crucial time. Go Brown and Rockefeller!
Kennedy's bill could give us a real choice in health care - but we need a 50-state strategy to deliver it to the President.
Click here to take action.
Real health care reform includes the choice of a public plan. States across the country from Vermont to California are already using public plans to drive down costs and expand access to healthcare.
Getting state legislators on board is such a great first step: state legislators can attest that choice works. They can speak with authority because states already implement lots of public health care options - like children's health insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare.
Tell your state legislators to get on board by signing the letter for a public plan and real health care reform.
This week, a coalition of legislators will meet with the President and Congress to ask them to unify these local efforts into a national public option - driving down costs and bringing quality, affordable health care to all. They'll have the backing of hundreds of other state senators and representatives across the country, including the following Ohio legislators:
Representative Ted Celeste
Representative Michael Foley
Representative Robert Hagan
Representative Kenny Yuko
Representative Tyrone Yates
Representative John Domenick
Representative Tom Letson
Senator Dale Miller
We need YOUR help to thank these legislators, and to make this list grow! Please contact your state legislators using our online tool. Urge them to sign the letter to the President in support of the public option.
If your legislators have already signed on, they need to hear from you as well - use our online tool to thank them.
Click here to take action
To your health,
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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ProgressOhio - "We're Powered By You"
David Letterman and Sarah Palin have both moved on, but that didn't stop a few dozen protesters from turning up to a “Fire David Letterman” rally outside the Ed Sullivan Theater tonight.
Watch It:
Brunner said that a provision inserted in the Senate’s version of the state budget bill that would divert $2.6 million in federal Help America Vote Act funding to county boards of elections would violate federal law.
“This misguided provision would deprive the state of badly-needed funding for years to come,” Brunner said. “Legislators need to remove this item so the hard work of reforming elections can continue to be properly funded.”
Under federal law, states must certify a state HAVA plan for how federal money will be spent. The proposed $2.6 million is not part of the state HAVA plan as approved at public meetings and then published in the Federal Register.
Potentially, the federal government could withhold future funding since money is being spent in a way that was not certified as part of the state HAVA plan, Brunner said.
The proposed state budget is pending before a conference committee of House and Senate members. By state law, the state budget has to be enacted by July 1.
Join the thousands who will rally Thursday June 25th at 11:30 AM on Capitol Hill to make sure Congress hears all Americans need fair, affordable healthcare, including the right to choose a robust Public Plan.
This is your chance to make your voice heard.
Following the rally we will hold a Town Hall Meeting on the Hill with many Ohio elected officials in attendance.
All buses leave early on June 25 and will arrive back home around 11 PM that day.
The Mansfield GM Fisher Body Stamping Plant played by the rules, did all that was expected of them, and they made it to the top, literally to the top of GM's stamping plants.Yet, GM has decided to close this facility.
Closing this factory would send the wrong message that performance doesn't matter.
It's time to send a message back - keep the GM Mansfield-Ontario Stamping Plant open.
It's not just about keeping jobs in Ohio, it is about doing right by those who've done everything right.
Sign the petition and tell GM that "Mansfield Makes Sense"!
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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We already knew that dozens of Ohio's museums and historical sites may be closing.
Now we know the six people who have the power to save Ohio's history.
The Ohio Statehouse recently decided which six members will have the final word on the state budget.
We need you to join the hundreds of people who have already written them.
Tell Them, Stop State Budget Cuts to the Ohio Historical Society!
Tell them our history matters to you.
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
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Posts By Month
Statement by the President on Health Care Reform Bill Released by Senate HELP Committee Today
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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Kennedy, Dodd Deliver Strong Public Option Bill That Is $400 Billion Below Estimates
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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What Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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SEIU 1199 HEALTH CARE WORKERS PRAISE SEN. BROWN FOR LEADERSHIP ON FIXING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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The Employee Free Choice Act is Vital for Economic Recovery
By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
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By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
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We are seeing the impact of repression
I would like to see this study expanded to examine the incid...
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