Posts in the category Front Page

A Single-Payer Healthcare System For Ohio

Dennis Spisak — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 07:49:49 EDT

A Single-Payer Healthcare System For Ohio

The Green Party of Ohio supports the Health Care for All Ohioans Act.

Under this single-payer system, all Americans would be covered for all medically necessary services, including: doctor, hospital, preventive, long-term care, mental health, reproductive health care, dental, vision, prescription drug and medical supply costs. Patients would regain free choice of doctor and hospital, and doctors would regain autonomy over patient care.

Physicians would be paid fee-for-service according to a negotiated formulary or receive salary from a hospital or nonprofit HMO / group practice. Hospitals would receive a global budget for operating expenses. Health facilities and expensive equipment purchases would be managed by regional health planning boards.

A single-payer system would be financed by eliminating private insurers and recapturing their administrative waste. Modest new taxes would replace premiums and out-of-pocket payments currently paid by individuals and business. Costs would be controlled through negotiated fees, global budgeting and bulk purchasing.

Ted Strickland will keep the current system of healthcare in Ohio. I call for Single-Payer Healthcare for all Ohioans.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Primary on May 4th!

formore info,contact 330-503-1407.

ZACK, WHAT WOULD NIXON DO?

David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:30:41 EDT

"It’s astonishing that Republicans today are lined up overwhelmingly against a health care package that is more modest and moderate than one that Richard Nixon proposed in the early ’70s." (Nicholas Kristof column, Access, Access, Access, New York Times, March 18.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/opinion/18kristof.html?src=tp

Surely, in the health care debate, we've always known what Jesus would do.

Now, according to Kristof, we'd know what Nixon would do as well.

The question remaining this weekend is what our own local congressman, Zack Space (18th), and other holdout Democratic House members will do when the final bill comes up for a vote

It's a lot harder to figure out politicians than basketball players, and that's why I don't fill out brackets going into March Madness and I usually don't predict how any particular politician will vote. In either case, too many ways the ball can bounce.

But I'm betting (for real, through my minimal campaign contributions) that although Space is holding out, hoping that Speaker Pelosi won't need his vote, in the end he'll do the right thing and vote "YES." if needed.

Why would he take such a political risk in his Republican-leaning district?:

He voted earlier for the more liberal House version of the health care bill and it's not like his Republican opponents and critics are going to forgive and forget, even if he votes NO on the final measure. Can you imagine all seven 18th District Republican hopefuls quitting the race and throwing bouquets instead of bricks at the Democratic incumbent? Do you really think a NO vote would lift the bullseye the GOP has put on Space's back?
Although a Democrat in a nominally Republican district, Space has amassed a large campaign war chest and won't face a well-known opponent, regardless who emerges from the messy Republican primary.
Space has done a good job over the past four years being attentive to the concerns of voters in his 16-county district, and has followed through with the energy and intelligence to do something about these concerns. He's been responsive to farmers and agricultural interests and has looked out for the interests of small business and community development. Progressives will support him because he's shown courage in supporting health care and cap-and-trade energy legislation. Yellow-dog Republicans (those who would vote for a yellow dog before ever voting for a Democrat) won't be in his column come November regardless of how he votes now, but by establishing creds as an independent thinker, Space should do okay with independents.
Space has been adopted as a favorite son by Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic House leadership, as well as by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Why would he jeopardize all that leverage in Washington?
What up-and-coming Democrat wants to be on the wrong side of history when health care is so central to not only the Obama presidency but the future of the party?
And now he can argue that he's only doing what (Jesus) (Nixon) would have done.

That's my view, anyway. Just don't ask me where the Buckeyes will wind up in the Big Dance. Let's hope that in this regard, President Obama (who gave Ohio State an early exit) doesn't know what he's talking about.

David Sirota: WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH DEMOCRATS?

Doug — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:11:29 EDT

Published on Friday, March 19, 2010 by Creators Syndicate
What's the Matter with Demorcrats?
by David Sirota

Ever since Thomas Frank published his book "What's the Matter With Kansas?" Democrats have sought a political strategy to match the GOP's. The health care bill proves they've found one.

Whereas Frank highlighted Republicans' sleight-of-hand success portraying millionaire tax cuts as gifts to the working class, Democrats are now preposterously selling giveaways to insurance and pharmaceutical executives as a middle-class agenda. Same formula, same fat cat beneficiaries, same bleating sheeple herded to the slaughterhouse. The only difference is the Rube Goldberg contraption that Democrats are using to tend the flock.

First, their leaders campaign on pledges to create a government insurer (a "public option") that will compete with private health corporations. Once elected, though, Democrats propose simply subsidizing those corporations, which are (not coincidentally) filling Democratic coffers. Justifying the reversal, Democrats claim the subsidies will at least help some citizens try to afford the private insurance they'll be forced to buy - all while insisting Congress suddenly lacks the votes for a public option.

Despite lawmakers' refusal to hold votes verifying that assertion, liberal groups obediently follow orders to back the bill, their obsequious leaders fearing scorn from Democratic insiders and moneymen. Specifically, MoveOn, unions and "progressive" non-profits threaten retribution against lawmakers who consider voting against the bill because it doesn't include a public option. The threats fly even though these congresspeople would be respecting their previous public-option ultimatums - ultimatums originally supported by many of the same groups now demanding retreat.

rest here:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/19-5

Representative Steve Driehaus: Keep standing up for us, not the insurance companies

User from Washington, DC — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:30:58 EDT

The health reform vote is coming in the House. Representative Steve Driehaus (OH-01) needs to keep standing up for us, not the insurance companies.

In Driehaus' district, the House's improvements to the Senate health reform bill will [pdf]:

Improve coverage for 394,000 residents with health insurance.

Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 156,000 families and 13,800 small businesses to help them afford coverage.

Improve Medicare for 93,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.

Extend coverage to 44,000 uninsured residents.

Guarantee that 10,300 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.

Protect 1,300 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

Allow 49,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.

Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 39 community health centers.

Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $52 million annually.

A vote for health reform is a vote to stand with these people. A vote against health reform is a vote for the status quo, where insurance companies make record profits by raising rates by double digits (40% in Ohio in the last few months) and dropping millions of customers from their rolls.

The House may vote on health reform as early as this weekend. When the vote comes, Representative Driehaus has a chance to show us that he's still on our side.

Click here to call Representative Driehaus and everyone else in the House and tell them to vote YES on health reform.

I'm proud to work for Health Care for America Now

Representative John Boccieri: Listen to us, not the insurance companies

User from Washington, DC — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:27:53 EDT

The health reform vote is coming in the House. Representative John Boccieri (OH-16) needs to listen to us, not the insurance companies.

In Boccieri's district, the House's improvements to the Senate health reform bill will [pdf]:

Improve coverage for 414,000 residents with health insurance.
Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 167,000 families and 13,200 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 111,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
Extend coverage to 38,500 uninsured residents.
Guarantee that 9,800 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
Protect 1,700 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
Allow 3 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.
Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $56 million annually.

A vote for health reform is a vote to stand with these people. A vote against health reform is a vote for the status quo, where insurance companies make record profits by raising rates by double digits (40% in Ohio in the last few months) and dropping millions of customers from their rolls.

The House may vote on health reform as early as this weekend. When the vote comes, Representative Boccieri has a chance to show us that he's on our side.

Click here to call Representative Boccieri and everyone else in the House and tell them to vote YES on health reform.

I'm proud to work for Health Care for America Now

Representative Zack Space: Keep standing up for us, not the insurance companies

User from Washington, DC — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:22:31 EDT

The health reform vote is coming in the House. Representative Zack Space (OH-18) needs to keep standing up for us, not the insurance companies.

In Space's district, the House's improvements to the Senate health reform bill will [pdf]:

Improve coverage for 356,000 residents with health insurance.

Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 183,000 families and 11,700 small businesses to help them afford coverage.

Improve Medicare for 111,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.

Extend coverage to 59,500 uninsured residents.

Guarantee that 12,300 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.

Protect 1,400 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

Allow 49,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans.

Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 8 community health centers.

Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $57 million annually.

A vote for health reform is a vote to stand with these people. A vote against health reform is a vote for the status quo, where insurance companies make record profits by raising rates by double digits (40% in Ohio in the last few months) and dropping millions of customers from their rolls.

The House may vote on health reform as early as this weekend. When the vote comes, Representative Space has a chance to show us that he's still on our side.

Click here to call Representative Space and everyone else in the House and tell them to vote YES on health reform.

I'm proud to work for Health Care for America Now

Payday Lenders' Campaign Contributions Carving Out Exemptions in CFPA

Ohio Consumer Advocate — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:26:35 EST

Two pieces in the last couple of days have highlighted the campaign contributions from payday lenders' that appear to have helped the industry carve out an exemption for themselves in financial reform legislation being negotiated in the United States Senate. In an article in the New York Times on Tuesday, March 9th, it would appear that Senator Bob Corker (despite assertions to the contrary) is being heavily influenced in his thinking by payday lenders in his home state of Tennessee.

From the Times:
"The Senate Banking Committee’s chairman, Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, proposed legislation in November that would give a new consumer protection agency the power to write and enforce rules governing payday lenders, debt collectors and other financial companies that are not part of banks."

"Late last month, Mr. Corker pressed Mr. Dodd to scale back substantially the power that the consumer protection agency would have over such companies, according to three people involved in the talks."

So, why might Senator Corker be pressing to scale back the CFPA's power over non-bank financial institutions? In all likelihood it's because Cleveland, Tennessee is home to Check into Cash, one of the nation's largest predatory payday lenders and long-time contributor to Senator Corker's political campaigns.

"Mr. Jones, his relatives and his employees have given money to Mr. Dodd, Mr. Shelby and other members of the Banking Committee, but have been particularly active donors to Mr. Corker, records show. They have contributed at least $31,000 to his campaigns since 2001, when he was running for mayor of Chattanooga."

"In 1999, Mr. Jones and other payday lenders started the Community Financial Services Association to lobby against regulation. The group’s political action committee gave $1,000 to Mr. Corker last year."

It's unfortunate that just one Senator on the Senate Banking Committee is able to wield such power in favor of moneyed interests in his backyard. Predatory payday lenders are capitalizing on the financial crisis in which we find ourselves, bilking hard working low-income Ohioans out of millions upon millions of dollars. It would be a shame for our lawmakers to pass up an opportunity to regulate those industries that have played a role in bringing our nation's economy to it's knees. Especially for $31,000 in campaign cash...

You can read the entire New York Times piece here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/business/10regulate.html?dbk

DCCC DISCOVERS THE 12th

David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:19:26 EST

After years of ignoring central Ohio's 12th Congressional District, it's nice to see that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is finally willing to commit some muscle to helping Democrat Paula Brooks oust incumbent Republican Pat Tiberi.

This site has hammered Tiberi for years for his partisan flip-flopping, voting YES for every budget-busting spending spree put forth during the Bush administration only to suddenly claim to be a fiscal conservative after Obama moved into the White House.

Yet the 12th district race has remained invisible while the DCCC lavished attention on Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy in the 15th and Zack Space in the 18th.

Indeed, Brooks, currently Franklin County commissioner, is so excited (surprised?) by this sudden interest from Washington that she's announced it twice in two months:

Jan. 14, 2010: "Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, just called Paula to let her know that her campaign is on the list of "Top Races" nationwide!"

March 11: 2010: "Yesterday, our campaign was placed on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list. This is a selective group of campaigns deemed by the national party to be winnable in 2010."

David Robinson, who ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi in 2008 on a shoe-string budget, sure could have used some of this love from the DCCC. And Robinson's election would have likely given Obama one more vote in the House for his programs instead of the steady drip of No, No, No, offered up by Tiberi and his party.

Robinson, by the way, is now running for state representative in Franklin County's 21st Ohio House District and has a good shot at winning. At a Wednesday night political meeting in Columbus, he vowed to run "a robust and well-organized campaign" to claim the seat for the Democrats this November. The 21st District sprawls across areas of Columbus and Worthington in northwest Franklin County.

Although this is a Franklin County race, some of us in Licking County will support Robinson just because he ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi two years ago -- and spent a lot of time here getting to know us even though Licking is not friendly ground for Democrats.

Over the past two years, he's gained a wife (Lorraine) and a ton of political experience, although he says he's still driving that same old pick-up truck. (Hey, it worked for Scott Brown!)

Although Robinson this year is auditioning for a smaller role on the political stage, state legislative races take on a new importance this year since, following the 2010 census, it's the Ohio House which will decide how voters are grouped into the new congressional districts. Democrats have fought an uphill battle in congressional races for a decade just because a Republican-controlled legislature gerrymandered the Ohio map in favor of its party following the 2000 census.

If you want to continue to support David and help keep the Ohio House in Democratic hands, check out his web site at: http://robinsonforohio.com/

FDIC Chairman on Mortgage Interest Deductions & Consumer Protection

Ohio Consumer Advocate — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:03:26 EST

FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair this week suggested that our nation's tax deduction for mortgage interest was one of the many causes of the financial crisis.

Chairman Bair is quoted in an online Fox Business piece this week saying that the deduction may have contributed to the housing bubble by encouraging consumption, fueling speculation and enhancing the drive for short-term profits.

“This crisis is the culmination of a decades-long process where national policies have skewed economic activity, away from savings and toward consumption, away from investment in our industrial base and public infrastructure and toward housing, and away from the real sectors of our economy and toward the financial sector,” Bair told the National Association for Business Economics on the opening day of its two-day policy conference. “Examples of these policies include federal tax and credit subsidies for housing, a tax code that can unduly favor short-term profit, and implied government backstops for financial firms that have now, in many cases, been made explicit.”

This, I think, is a good first step towards having a serious discussion about our federal housing policy. In addition to promoting home ownership over rental housing, the mortgage interest tax deduction unfortunately disproportionately rewards the wealthy and encourages the purchase of larger and larger and more expensive homes. This undoubtedly contributed to the housing bubble we experienced over the last decade.

Bair goes on to say that financial reform must deal with systemic risk, lax regulation and enhance the government's role in protecting consumers from risky and predatory products:

"She said the government should “re-establish the central role of consumer protection in financial services,” adding, “there is ample evidence that consumers did not understand the consequences of the subprime and nontraditional mortgages that were sold to them.""

"Those protections, she said “help markets function better by reducing information gaps between lenders and borrowers.”
One cause of the mortgage and housing meltdown, she suggested, was “lightly regulated companies at the periphery of our regulated financial system…pushing complex and risky mortgage products that consumers really do not understand ... exploiting this information gap at the expense of companies who wish to do legitimate business in more suitable financial products.""

Bair, a Republican and Bush appointee to the FDIC, makes a strong case that we must incorporate consumer protection and regulation of banks and non-bank financial institutions into whatever passes for financial reform in Congress.

To read the entire Fox Business piece, visit: http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/economy/fdic-chairman-questions-mortgage-tax-deduction/

ZACK SPACE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:54:39 EST

The deterioration of our politics is shown in today's coverage in the Newark Advocate of a town hall debate in Mt. Vernon joined by Congressman Zack Space's seven potential Republican challengers in this year's 18th district race.

Seven is usually a lucky number but with this bunch, the GOP appears stuck with a rather weak field at a time when Space, a two-term Democrat, has to overcome not only the conservative leanings of his sprawling, mostly rural district but also the bitter partisanship which has spilled out of the health care debate in Washington.

Space was reportedly invited to participate but wisely didn't, since he would have been cast as the pinata. Naturally, all the GOP hopefuls argued that he (and his fellow Democrats) had to go. But, as the Advocate reported it, their talking points were exceedingly shallow given the complexity of the issues before Congress right now. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100307/NEWS01/3070337

Clutching for the Far Right, tea-party vote, all seven chimed in on a chorus of lament about big government and high taxes leading the nation to ruin.

Newark businessman Beau Bromberg's solution was a cut in congressional pay.
Mt. Vernon farmer and former State Ag Director Fred Dailey would cut social welfare programs.
Thornville teacher/preacher Dave Daubenmire wants God-fearing folks to reject government aid.
State Sen. Robert Gibbs, Lakeville, apologized for votes he made to build light rail and increase sales taxes.
Former State Rep. Ron Hood, Ashville, declared himself "battle tested" and therefore electable.
Dover pastor Hombre Liggett delared himself not battle tested and therefore electable.
Ex-Zanesville Judge Jeanette Moll grabbed the flag as pro-gun, pro-life and pro-Constitution.

That's it, the face of the Republican Party in the 18th District: pro-gun, pro-life, pro-God and Constitution and opposed to any expansion (or even maintenance) of civil society through community taxation and/or government programs.

Compare these talking points to those raised by 18th District candidates in the spring of 2006, the last time there was this large a field of candidates in the district.

In April of that year, This Week - Licking County - asked each of the six candidates in the 18th for their views on the Iranian situation, health care reform and the future of Social Security. With one exception, their answers showed serious thought by serious people. Looking just at the health care responses:

Space, a Dover attorney running for the first time, said reform should allow the government to negotiate with the industry to bring down Medicare costs and permit Americans to buy cheaper drugs in Canada. (Alas, neither provision is in the pending reform bill.)
Rep. Bob Ney, the then-Republican incumbent, said legislation he introduced would extend tax credits to offset rising insurance premiums and "establish a safety net for the uninsured." (Ney was forced to resign later that year -- and subsequently jailed - for corruption in the Abramoff scandal)
Zanesville Republican James Harris, a financial analyst, backed tax-free private health accounts and well as importation of cheaper drugs from Canada.
State School Board Member Jennifer Stewart, a Zanesville Democrat, would have reduced health costs by more use of generic drugs and local health care clinics as well as through government incentives to reduce patient co-pays.
Chillicothe Mayor Joe Sulzer, a Democrat, wanted the government to negotiate lower Medicare drug prices and permit re-importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and Europe.
Columbus property manager Ralph Applegate, a Democrat, was a tea-bagger before his time, but he at least admitted to being stumped by the problem: "I do not have an answer to that serious health-care question," he told the newspaper. "Would you advise me, please?"

Four years later, Space is wrestling with how to vote on the Obama health care plan, Ney is out on parole and the other 2006 candidates in the district have evidently lost their ardor for serving in Congress (and who could blame them?).

Back in 2006, we were all overjoyed to be rid of Ney, whose junkets with and favors for the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff rained shame on the GOP. But considering the shallowness of the current Republican talking points, I have to admit a bit of Ney nostalgia is setting in.

Repost: Student Aid and John Kasich

Nation Of Gandhis — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:46:25 EST

http://ohio15th.blogspot.com/2010/03/student-aid-and-john-kasich.html

*** Here is a dumb quote from Kasich (Pomeroy Daily Sentinel):There’s one reason why John Kasich, R-Westerville, is running for governor —
“I want this state to be great again.”

Duh! Does he think he is the only person in the state that wants Ohio to be restored to a vibrantstate? Gov. Ted Strickland wants the same thing, but there is one difference in the way thatStrickland will rebuild Ohio--- by repairing the economy of Ohio for all the people, not just thewealthy. Kasich, on the other hand, will give tax breaks for the rich on the backs of budget cutsin agencies that serve the poor and elderly, children in public schools, selling off public land, etc.,etc., etc. An analysis of Kasich's budget by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (5/19/98)had this:...Among the most striking features of the Kasich budget plan are its disproportionate cuts in
programs for low-income families and its focus on reducing support for low-income working families
and individuals and those seeking to leave public assistance for work.

Programs targeted on low-income families and individuals make up only 23 percent of all mandatory program expenditures but would bear 42 percent of the mandatory program reductions outlined in the Kasich budget document.(1) These programs would bear nearly twice their proportionate share of the plan's mandatory program reductions.....

The missing piece of the health care debate

Mark — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:39:30 EST

Amidst all of the wailing, rending of clothing and gnashing of teeth over the current health care reform bill in Congress...I don't hear anything regarding the down stream effects of failing to pass meaningful health care reform.

What I am speaking of is the effects on health care providers. Failure to pass health care reform will result in more and more people joining the ranks of the uninsured as health insurance providers price more and more people and businesses out of the market. As a direct result, these people will resort to hospital emergency rooms as primary care providers of last resort. The people will arrive sicker, requiring lengthier and more complex hospitalizations...all without compensation. This will force hospitals to cut expenses further than they already have, and they have cut them to the bone. Already overworked nurses, techs and others will find even greater demands placed upon them.

"The War on Women"

One Oar in the Water — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:26:14 EST

From the Diamondback, the Univeristy of Maryland's student newspaper:

"The War on Women"
Drug war has disproportionate impact on females, SSDP panel says
With more than 2 million Americans in jail, a growing number of them women, four advocates yesterday pointed to the criminal justice system’s “prejudiced” and “insensitive” drug policy as the culprit in a panel at Stamp Student Union last night.
Since the 1990s, with the introduction of conspiracy law — which allow the government to prosecute individuals for their associations with drug offenders — the number of women in prison has skyrocketed. Women, who often are not directly involved in drug deals, are especially vulnerable to the laws, representatives from the Drug Policy Alliance, Americans for Safe Access and the Sentencing Project said.
“Women are held under the full weight of the crime, even if they haven’t seen, touched or distributed [drugs],” Drug Policy Alliance representative Jasmine Tyler said. “She answers the phone, uses the money to pay the bills, she may have went shopping.”
The panel said conspiracy laws, along with other drug policies, can result in girlfriends facing longer sentences than their drug king boyfriends, mothers losing custody of their children, low income families losing housing and welfare and a staggering amount of broken families.
“Women and youth are the new populations that are being targeted,” Tyler said. “The men are gone and the rate of women in jail is skyrocketing. This is the next population to exploit.”
Read the rest here.

When Booty Calls: Columbus Pastors Issue Complaint Against The Family

Nation Of Gandhis — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:38:15 EST

By Bob Fitrakis
2.28.10

Finally! The Columbus area ministers who filed a complaint to revoke the non-profit status of the secretive “Family” are to be congratulated. “The Family,” founded in 1935, has a public agenda of promoting “prayer breakfast groups” but their real agenda has always appeared to be preying, not praying. The non-profit behind “The Family” is the Fellowship Foundation. It’s 501(c)(3) mission statement reads: “To develop and maintain an informal association of people banded together, to go out as ‘ambassadors of reconciliation’ modeling the principles of Jesus, based on loving God and loving others.”

At least they’re not hypocrites. At the notorious swinging pad known as the C Street house at 133 C Street, Washington D.C., owned by the Family, U.S. representatives and senators practice their mission of “loving others.” They rent rooms for a reported $600 per month where they stay as “short-term” guests. Most recently one of their Christian brethren, former Congressman and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, was caught up in a highly publicized affair with an Argentinian woman. Also, last year, Congressman Chip Pickering’s wife sued him for divorce, alleging he had an affair “…while living in the well-known C Street complex in Washington D.C.” In June 2009, long-time guest at the C Street complex, Senator John Ensign, also admitted to an extra-marital affair.

In this former convent, once belonging to St. Peter’s Church, members can practice Christian love with foreign and domestic booty. Ensign’s affair was with his former campaign treasurer and the wife of his co-Chief of Staff, Doug Hampton. Although Hampton probably saw it coming, since he was a friend and fellow Family worshipper.

Big Pharma Gets Big Plug from CDC Panel

One Oar in the Water — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:29:46 EST

It looks like Big Pharma is ready to take in a lot of money...

From Aude Sapere:

As the thinking world is learning the H1N1 scare was just that, a big scare. We know now that this was a contrived plot launched by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control to help mitigate the huge amount of money big pharma invested into this spurious vaccine, which on the front end funded weak academic research and padded a few of those Post hole Diddlers pockets.
Now it looks like the those same Post hole Diddlers want a little bit more money. At the moment they are working to make the flu vaccine mandatory for all Americans, even those between the ages of 16 to 49 years. Think about how much money the academic community and big pharma will make off of this scam when you consider there is 304,059,724 people living in the US.

More Proof That he is a Conservative: Strickland says he will oppose proposed ballot issue

Dennis Spisak — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:54:00 EST

From the Columbus Dispatch today:

Gov. Ted Strickland said today that if a proposed constitutional amendment backed by the U.S. Humane Society and other groups reaches the statewide ballot in Ohio this fall, he will oppose it.

The proposed amendment would require the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, which was created by voters through a separate amendment last fall, to adopt anti-cruelty standards for treatment of farm animals.

Supporters are expected to launch a petition drive soon to collect the 402,275 valid signatures of registered voters needed to place the issue on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot.

But Strickland, who joined with the Ohio Farm Bureau and other groups in supporting the ballot issue last fall to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, said during a speech today at 2010 Ag Day at the Capitol that the effort this year is "unnecessary."

Once again Ted Strickland proves he is nothing more than a Conservative parading around as a populist.
He is GOP-Lite compared to John Kasich.

As Green Party candidate for Governor, I support the Ohioans for Humane Farms ballot proposal. The Ohioans for Humane Farms is spearheading a new, citizen-backed ballot initiative to prevent some of the cruelest factory farming practices in Ohio. The measure will require the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board to adopt certain minimum standards that will prevent animal cruelty, improve health and food safety, support family farms and safeguard the environment throughout the state of Ohio.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Choose a Green Party Primary ballot and Vote Green May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: Contact 330-503-1407

Retirees Praise Obama Health Reform Proposal

User from Washington, DC — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:41:36 EST

The following statement was issued today by Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the health insurance reform proposals unveiled today by President Obama:

The health insurance reform proposal released today by President Obama contains several major steps toward improving the health and well-being of current and future retirees.
President Obama’s plan recognizes the millions of seniors who are struggling to afford to see a doctor or get a prescription filled. Today’s proposal would close the ‘doughnut hole’ coverage gap in Medicare Part D, make long-term care more affordable for middle-class families, and finally end the $3.60 per month every senior pays in higher premiums to subsidize the big insurance corporations who run Medicare Advantage.
We are pleased that the proposal significantly delays the excise tax on some health insurance benefits. This tax, which the Alliance strongly opposes, would disproportionately harm retirees and older workers, as it may lead employers to eliminate or greatly reduce coverage for this age group. Moreover, these are individuals who sacrificed wage increases over the years in exchange for retiree health coverage.
President Obama took a bold step today toward ending the gridlock in Washington that has delayed meaningful health reform. For retirees, continued inaction would be devastating. Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs would soon eat up more than one-third of a retiree’s Social Security benefits. A typical older couple would need to save $300,000 for medical bills not covered by Medicare.
Help cannot come soon enough. We urge all participating in this week’s White House health reform summit to take bold, swift action to help Americans of all ages.

(The Alliance for Retired Americans is a national organization that advocates for the rights and well being of over 4 million retirees and their families.)

Why We Need Single-Payer Health Care In Ohio: Top Five Health Insurers Posted 56 Percent Profit Gains in 2009

Dennis Spisak — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:18:30 EST

Why We Need Single-Payer Health Care In Ohio: Top Five Health Insurers Posted 56 Percent Profit Gains in 2009

John Bryne wrote last week : According to a study by a pro-health reform group last published Thursday, the nation's largest five health insurance companies posted a 56 percent gain in 2009 profits over 2008. The insurers including Wellpoint, UnitedHealth, Cigna, Aetna and Humana, which cover the majority of Americans with insurance.
The insurers' hefty profit gains came even as 2.7 million more Americans lost their insurance coverage due to the declining economy.

Notably, the study also found that insurers spent less money on medical care as a percentage of their premiums from customers. Salaries, administrative expenses and profits made up more of the insurer's expenses in 2009.

Wellpoints Anthem Blue Cross California created a stir last week by announcing that they will raise premiums on individuals by 39 percent in 2010. The increase was so high it drew a rebuke from the Obama Administration.

This is why we need The Health Care for All Ohioans Act passed. As long as Ted Strickland accepts $10,000 in donations from Medical Mutual, insurance rates, premimums, and expenses will continue to skyrocket for the aveage Ohioan and their family.

This is why I support passage of the Health Care for All Ohioans Act.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Harry Reid Must Go

Mark — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:28:40 EST

As Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), has done little in the way of actual leadership. He has, however, given in to Republican demands without so much as a whimper...all for the sake of the snipe hunt that has become the search for "bi-partisanship" in Washington.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McLipless...er...McConnell (R-KY) made it abundantly clear from the outset of the Obama administration that the GOP was going to become the party of "NO!", which they have done. Majority Leader Reid shares no small part of the blame for this as his apparent timidity has failed to keep both the Blue-Dogs in line and make it clear to the GOP minority that they are, indeed, THE MINORITY PARTY.

It is time for Senator Reid to step down and allow another to take the reins of leadership in the Senate. Russ Feingold springs to mind as does Al Franken or our own Sherrod Brown.

Senator Reid, through his actions or, more appropriately, his inaction, threatens the very future of the Obama administration and the possibility of passing ANY progressive legislation to roll back the damage done during the eight years of the Bush administration.

LEFT-WING MEDIA?

David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:23:09 EST

With all the partisan preachers hollering up cable TV, who can get angry at those inoffensive, mild-mannered political church mice spreading the news over at public broadcasting?

Me, that's who.

As a political activist and a news junkie, I should worship PBS, especially on Friday evenings when WOSU-'TV (ch. 34) devotes three prime-time hours to news and public affairs programming. Unfortunately, with the exception of Bill Moyers Journal at 10 p.m., the spectrum of political viewpoints stretches only enough to allow in radical Rightists, Republican party loyalists, middle-of-the-road journalists and slightly left-of-center Democratic liberals.

That's about as fair-and-balanced as Fox News unless you think that all those conservative talkers are balanced by inviting in a few reporters or the occasional representative from a public interest group.

Tea-baggers and Republicans keep screaming "Socialism!!" but when was the last time you actually saw a socialist on television (other than Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders)? Let alone, God forbid, a communist.

Back in the 1930s, socialists and others from the radical Left held down important positions (including political columns) at some of the nation's leading newspapers. But today, despite conservative complaints about the so-called "left-wing media," socialists and real Leftists are almost never invited to pontificate at the pundit parties.

That's why I was so glad to learn last week that Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, has been invited to write a regular column for the Washington Post. Now I don't know if vanden Heuvel is a socialist, but she's certainly an ardent Leftist who's been getting increasing amounts of face time on MSNBC to give the progressive side of the story.

Memo to PBS and WOSU: Before you ask me for any more money, see if you can't find a few real left-wing progressives like Katrina to round out your panels on shows like The McLaughlin Group and Columbus On The Record.