Potical Geek Rock Concert! part 1

From July 6, 2015 until July 12, 2015, I was in the party of political rock stars! I was at the Alliance for Retired Americans Legislative Conference(7/7-10) and the AFSCME Retirees Council (7/10-12). Although we did many work sessions (about TPP, strengthening and expanding Social Security, Medicare, Working with Coalitions to name a few), this post is just about the speakers.
What speakers they were! And, of course, I have some excerpts from their speeches, maybe not the most quotable, but I don't have that type of equipment. Also, I'm going to have to use links...cuz blogger's being mean about size....pssssshhhhhh!

We began with a bang with Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO who, as usual, knocked it outta the park. Did you know that he was the youngest person elected as President of the United Mine Workers at 33?  He spoke about raising wages for all working folks: youth, women, minorities and white men which, when wages are higher, we all live better and helps secure our retirement future and helps those already retired.
On July 7, we also heard from Nora Super, the Executive Director of the White House Conference on Aging. This conference is held every 10 years, since 1961. The last time it was held was under President Bush, who is the only president who never showed up for the conference, 'magine that? This conference was held by having town hall meetings in 5 areas: Seattle, Cleveland, Phoenix, Boston, and Tampa, along with tele-conferences(over 100). President Obama addressed the Conference on July 13. The link in this paragraph will give you more information about the conference and the President's speech.
Also, "in the house" was the Executive Director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, Diane Oakley, who spoke about it being time to change the conversation from, "baby boomers are going to bankrupt Social Security and Medicare" to one that shows the facts that Boomers offer more to America than seniors in the past due to their community activism and being involved in their community. Also, that it's time to strengthen and expand Social Security and Medicare, not cut as the Republicans in congress are always trying to do. She highlighted the savings crisis that is hurting so many older Americans who, because of no pensions, just 401K plans, lost much of their savings due to the Great Recession of 2008. She spoke about why pensions are still a better bang for the buck for all involved, both employee and employer and how the Laura and John Arnold foundation has been funding many of the pension bashing rants and legislation throughout the country. If you don't know who John Arnold is, he used to run a little energy company called Enron...he didn't ruin enough middle class retirement funds when Enron imploded so he now runs a hedge fund and tries to take down the rest of us who are still holding onto a middle class life. 
This was just the first 3 hours of our conference! Much more to come: Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow...and Elizabeth Warren! Yep, Rock Concert...just with talking....see you soon.

The Political Right's War on Healthcare for Citizens

Again, during this campaign we have seen and heard Republicons' vitriolic babble on what they're gonna do when they are in control....repeal health care is # 1 on their list(and 1.5 is the Lily Ledbetter act, 2 is defund schools...). They say this because it will be so much better under them (hmmm.....I remember Shrub, Bush I, King Ronnie..nope very much not better for women), but just for debate's sake, I'll decide not to say they're just lying...I mean they are the party that wants schools to get rid of teaching critical thinking skills...so instead of just laughing at their babble, how about tearing it apart with facts and logic, something the 'cons are very lacking:

So, first the evil ObamaCare...or its real name, the Affordable Care Act..Repeal that and women can get insurance easily, right? Wrong.

The ACA provides free screenings for many basic items for men women and children, although I will highlight women and children: mamograms(and breast cancer chemoprevention counseling is she's high risk) being one of the most important, birth control another.  But also, depression, diabetes 2, cholesterol, blood pressure screening are included for basic health concerns. All normal immunizations for children are covered(the ones that children need to go to school). Also, an annual free well-person visit.

Also included for women are screenings for gestational diabetes, HIV, HPV, Hepatitis B, STD(screening/counseling--obviously this is for both genders), Rh Incompatibility, tabacco use, Osteoporosis, folic acid supplements, anemia screening, cervical cancer, domestic/interpersonal violence screening and counseling and breastfeeding counseling

For children? Some of the screenings are: autism, blood pressure, depression, alcohol/drug use assessments for teens, behavioral assessments for all ages, developmental screening, dyslipidemia(if at risk of lipid disorders), hemoglobin screening, lead screening TB testing, vision screening, medical history, obesity screening/counseling. Also many tests for newborns such as: congenital hypothyroidism, hearing, hemoglobinopathies, PKU.

And why is care for children listed in my post about women? Because even if the child lives in a 2-parent household, mothers are the ones that take time off from work for children's health care issues, whether that issue is a doctor's visit, sitting around in a county health center(bring a book and stuff for child to do) or a child's illness. Yes, I know there's that one dad out of thousands that stays home with the kids or the 2 dads out of thousands that shares childcare equally with mom, but they are not in the majority. Not...even...close. It's gotten better, but women still make most of the decisions on many of these issues and spend more time on children's healthcare.

Just this July, people and companies started receiving rebate checks from the Insurance companies due to the Medical Loss Ratio section of the ACA. See, it is now law that Insurance companies must use at least 80%(85% for large companies) of the premium paid for health care. Up until this law, Insurance companies were using maybe 70% for health care, the other 30% was used for "administrative costs"...you know, marketing, those so-called seminars to Costa Rica? Or the bonuses/raises/outlandish salaries paid to the upper echelon of the corporate structure. For comparison, Medicare spends under 5% for Administration costs, Veterans Affairs is under 3% and both of these programs have a much higher patient approval rating than private insurance companies. The ACA also allows children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26, giving the kids a bit of breathing room after college and parents some peace of mind about the "baby". From personal experience this has been great for my son who was laid off(he worked with the developmentally disabled in schools), but could still access my insurance for a root canal, glasses and allergies.

Did you know that some insurance companies considered pregnancy as a pre-existing condition? No, not that you are pregnant and looking for insurance...you had been pregnant in the past and may become pregnant again so we won't insure you. Under the ACA this practice is illegal. As of July, 2010 children must be covered and no pre-existing condition denials are legal. In 2014 all use of pre-existing crap is no more.

Also, because of that silly pregnancy stuff, women pay higher insurance rates than men in most states. Again, this is now illegal.

Since the takeover of the House of Representatives by the bats**t crazy teabaggers(who even hold their own Speaker hostage), the House has voted 33 times to repeal health care for Americans...oh, and not one vote on any other Jobs bill....

And how does the Romney/Ryan ticket want to handle this? Annihilate it! Those families don't deserve nuthin'!

The Romney/Ryan ticket, along with the Republicons, have promised to repeal the ACA right after he's declared president. And what does he want to do to replace? Well, that's the question, isn't it? "ObamaCare" was fashioned from a republican view--Bob Dole's plan, Heritage plan and oh, yeah, "RomneyCare"...so, this should be pretty embarrassing for the right wing. Of course that would be true if corporate media actually reported this instead of the screaming mimis of the right's doom and gloom...

His answers to this is "secret", just like all of his other plans...memories of Nixon and his "secret plan" to end the Viet Nam war(which actually ended when the Democratic Congress refused to fund it). Any time Romney mentions what he would do during an interview, one of his staff comes up behind him and says, "Well he really didn't mean what he said". Of course Mittiot is being interviewed on National TV and the other guy is reported on radio/newspaper--where many people, specially low information, do not garner information. Romney is not trying to protect citizens...he wants to make sure that the insurance companies can still live in the plutocratic/objectivist paradise of less taxes, less services to citizens and more obscene profits. Take away the ability of women to get free screenings for breast & cervical cancer. Take away the ability of women to receive birth control without having to pay high prescription rates(and please remember that women who use birth control consistently account for only 5% of the rate of unintended pregnancy--and birth control is much cheaper for insurance companies than pregnancies. And, again, many women and children not being able to use our medical system for less expensive preventative care rather than having no choice, but to live in fear of both medical and financial disaster--and costing all of us much much more.

And, Again, Mr. Romney,

WHERE ARE YOUR TAX RECORDS?!?!?!?

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?!?!!?!

There has been much skuddlebutt about who wants to do what to/for seniors...so where are the views of the 2 parties and the candidates? Glad you asked:

1. Maintain Medicare's free preventive services:

Because of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Medicare patients now receive many screenings and an annual "Wellness visit"(although you must use this terminology when making your appointment with your doctor). Seniors also receive cancer screenings and other disease prevention services with no copays.

Obama supports this, Romney wants to terminate this care

2. Continue closing the Medicare part D "donut hole".

First, for people who haven't dealt with this, this is how the donut hole worked prior to the ACA(Obamacare): Senior prescriptions were covered until they got up to $2750...then, even tho seniors were still paying the drug insurance premium, they were responsible for prescription costs up to $4500, then Part D would kick in again. This may not sound like much...except I know that one of my prescriptions, without my insurance, costs about $400, and I have 2 more that add up to $400...this is per month( I have insurance and I only pay a co-pay)...and these are for asthma, blood-pressure, not some rare disease. So it'd only take maybe 3 months for part D to throw me in the donut hole, not too much help.

In the ACA, the "donut hole" has already been cut in half and will be closed by 2020 and this affects over 4 million seniors!

Obama, obviously, supports this. Romney? Nope, let those seniors pay the high prices.Can't afford it, get a job.

3. Stop waste, fraud, abuse in Medicare:

The ACA puts laws in place that ends subsidies for insurance companies, tracking down fraudulent providers who either overcharge or try to swindle Medicare. Just this piece of the legislation is predicted to add about 10 years to Medicare Solvency! In one Fiscal Year alone, this act saved over $4 Billion in fraud and overcharges. 

And yes, again, Obama supports this, but Romney doesn't....

So is there anything that Romney supports? Oh, sure.....

4. Raise the Retirement age:

Romney, Ryan and many of the republicon congress support a requirement for all Americans to work to age 69 or 70 before being able to collect full Social Security earned benefits and not receive Medicare until 67. You betcha Romney supports this(and President Obama opposes).

This has been an ongoing march because, we all know that people are living longer! I mean our basic mortality is now in the 80's so we should be able to work longer! Another lie. 

Our life span has not been lengthen because all of us are getting old..remember, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and many other of the fore-fathers lived well into their 70's and 80's. The difference is that infant, child, women of child-bearing age was much lower until the 1950's or so. In the 1930's our life expectancy was about 58, its now 77. BUT the difference in infant mortality? In 1935, the infant mortality rate was 56.7 per 1000 live births. In 2009? It was only 6.7 deaths per 1000 live births. Just that fact skewers the idea that Americans are living so much longer....no, its just that many more people are making it through childhood!

The other fact that is not included in this factoid is there is a big difference on who can work until old age. Look at the Supreme Court! I'm sure their average age is about 65! This works well for people who have worked in higher income workplaces. But for the working poor? Those people who serve you at diners, work fast food, retail(yes, I'm really thinking about mallwart here), middle class workers such as police, firefighters, trades--all of these people are at risk of shorter life spans.

Again, Romney is just fine with people working until they die. President Obama opposes this.

5. Medicare Coupons..or the Ryan plan of Medicare vouchers.

We already know who's plan this is....So Romney/Ryan/Republicons want to end Medicare and give Seniors a voucher of about $7000 to "shop" for health care insurance. Now, any senior that has to search through Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans knows how difficult and aggravating that is. And the triple R's want you to do that with insurance companies...why not just farm it out to Groupon like a spa coupon? I can see the email:

"Hurry for your chance at this medicare groupon discount!!! Our program ensures you'll get some care...just don't be very ill cuz it doesn't cover cancer, transplants, heart disease...or anything else that may be considered too expensive for our partners to be able to make any money!"

Add to this, their idea of repealing the ACA and losing the savings that Medicare has seen since 2010 and that spells financial ruin for many middle class seniors.

This is one of the Romney/Ryan's great plan, Romney has called Ryan's budget, "Marvelous"...President Obama Opposes.

6. Block-Grant Medicaid and reduce funding.

Why should seniors worry about Medicaid? That's for poor people. Sorry, but one of the largest uses of Medicaid funds is for Nursing homes for middle class seniors. The House budget committee would cut funding by $800 Billion and allow states to spend the remaining funds any way they want.

Romney, of course, supports this. President Obama opposes.

Romney doesn't care about seniors who aren't as rich as he, and before you go to the polls, you need to know this. If you are a senior and vote for Romney and the other R Politicos, you are, in all probability, affecting your ability to live safely and securely with the knowledge that your health care is covered...and again....

Mr. Romney where are your TAX RECORDS!!!!!

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!!!

ACA and the Supreme Court

Now, you must have known I'd have to do a post on this, right? I mean its the biggest thing since sliced bread so.....
First:
 I'm glad that SCOTUS found the law "constitutional" , not doing backflips, but it is a step in the right direction, cuz we're moving towards what the rest of the 1st world countries have--health care for their citizens that doesn't throw them into bankruptcy if they get ill. That gives us more freedom and liberty rather than less. I would prefer(along with many others) single payer, but the ACA does give America some basic health care and gets rid of recission of insurance and so-called pre-existing conditions and some of the worst parts of Bush's poison pill Medicare, part D--the doughnut hole, Medicare Advantage and stronger law/enforcement on Medicare fraud.
Second:
I don't think that Roberts did this because he has seen the light and is trying to amend his ways. Nope, but I do have some other views on why he would do this:

• He doesn't want history to remember the "Roberts Court" as the clown court--the Citizen's United being the most horrendous. The ACA decision allows historians to argue that Roberts was just looking out for the letter of the law.
• He saw the writing on the wall, if ACA was turned over, single payer was closer, the left would be energized for the election and the right just can't excited about Romney.
• Another small deal is Roberts own health issues--he has epilepsy(a pre-existing condition) and does understand some of the issues with our insurance corporations. OK, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt on this one, but that is my happy clappy liberal way!

Third:
New battle cry for cons--abortion/gun control/gay marriage/religion. Facbook, among other places, has gone crazy--specially the right. Calling it a tax has the "right" energized for the election, to the point that McConnell is now saying that since its called a tax, when he becomes Senate leader, he will bring it to the floor under reconciliation(cannot be filibustered)...but President Obama can still veto it...so I guess this one's really just a talking point.
But, again the right just isn't too swift on Romney. And that goes in the favor of sane voters.
Oh and lets not forget the mature words from Mike Malzone, founder of the Merrimac Tea Party of Merrimac NH. On Facebook, his status read, "I hope the 5 Supremes get colon cancer." Well, at least now, they are promised care!

President gets to sign a bill!!!! STOCK act

Today, President Obama signed into law the Stock Act. This act means that congress and their staff must now obey the same rules on insider trading as the rest of us do! Well, close to it, anyway.
Now, why is this a big deal? Because there was bi-partisan support for the bill! It got through the do nothing house and there wasn't a filibuster in the senate. It's like the republicans decided to govern instead of act like toddlers that need a nap after too much sugar(and are just yelling, "NONONONONO!")
The STOCK(Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act stops members of Congress, their families,  their staff and executive branch employees from using inside information they garner from their positions to trade stocks and securities and limits them from buying stock in initial public offerings to those that are also open to the general public.
But WAIT, there's more!
The STOCK Act updates the 1978 Ethics in Government Act and improves the transparency of personal financial disclosure statements. Some of the improvements include:

• By September, Congress is required to make personal financial disclosure reports filed by executive branch hi-level employees,  lawmakers, candidates and congressional employees on the web. 
• Starting in July, transactions previously reported annually must be reported within 45 days. Prior to this law, a stock purchase/sale might not be made public for up to 18 months, depending on when it was bought/sold.
• By the end of 9/13, information contained in personal financial disclosures will be made available as a downloadable database.

For more information, please check the fact sheet. It doesn't fix everything, but its a good start.
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Now, when are we gonna get that bill out of committee on the DISCLOSE Act and Citizen's United pimping?