I received this information from an activist and friend in town. Please pass it along to everyone in your mailing list, your blog, and in any possible venue.
My Book:http://ReadMyBookNow.com
Reports of the last few days indicate that the attack on health care reform will continue and, in all probability, escalate in the final days of this mid-term electoral season. Why? Because polls show that attack ads work -- even if they are not completely true or, worse, false. Shame on us!
As people of faith -- trusted messengers -- it's our turn! With fewer financial resources, but with relationships that reach into the depth and breadth of our communities, it is our job to transcend partisan politics and economic self-interests, and to be the truth-tellers in support of a compassionate health care future with a system includes and works well for all of us.
We begin with the declaration that "truth is witness to the whole." We know that one short sound-bite taken out of context -- even if it's a fact -- does not necessarily represent the whole truth. We denounce the use of such sound-bites (from any party!) when they are intended to pervert truth for electoral gain. In the end, we acknowledge that a manipulation of facts to frighten and confuse vulnerable populations is just plain immoral.
We can change what's happening, but it means each of us must be willing to share the TRUTH when we hear it. We can and must make a difference because health care is, first and foremost, a people issue that should not be relegated to the caverns of political ideologies. In sharing TRUTH, we are not supporting one candidate over another. We are simply making sure that people make their choices based on truth that witnesses to the whole -- not on distorted perceptions based on mis-represented facts.
"A Daily Dose of Truth" will arrive in your email each day to help you compare what you are hearing to the real TRUTH in the Affordable Care Act. Please help spread the message to the far reaches of our country -- via viral email, Facebook, telephone calls, chats with neighbors, and discussions in your communities of faith. Help us counter what is touted as true (with a little "t") with what is actually the TRUTH!
A Daily Dose of Truth #1: Medicare in Health Care Reform
When health care reform was passed in March 2010, our nation's seniors became the beneficiaries of a strengthened, improved, and re-structured Medicare system. A number of provisions will improve Medicare services for enrollees and extend Medicare's solvency for another ten years.
Direct benefits of health care reform for Medicare beneficiaries
Prescription drugs. The prescription drug coverage gap (the "doughnut hole") will be eliminated over ten years. In 2010, the coverage gap will be reduced by $250 in the form of rebate checks that have already been sent to millions of beneficiaries who have reached the doughnut hole. In 2011, program enrollees will receive a 50% discount off the price of brand name drugs during the coverage gap. In ten years, the doughnut hole will be closed completely. Other provisions will expand assistance for some low-income beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare drug program.
Preventive care. For traditional Medicare beneficiaries, in 2011 co-pays and deductibles will be eliminated from most preventive services. An annual comprehensive wellness visit and personalized prevention plan are added, which are not subject to coinsurance or deductibles.
Medicare Advantage plans. The private-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans will be prohibited from charging beneficiaries higher cost sharing for services than is allowed in traditional Medicare. Plans that offer extra benefits will be required to give priority to wellness, preventive care services, and cost-sharing reductions over benefits not covered by traditional Medicare.
Physician incentives. Generous incentives are in the Affordable Care Act to increase the number of primary care physicians and to encourage primary care physicians to treat Medicare beneficiaries.
Low-income program. Outreach and enrollment assistance will be increased to beneficiaries eligible for the Part D low-income subsidy program.
$500 billion savings to the system
The $500 billion in cuts that are being denounced in attack ads are NOT cuts to benefits. They are cuts in waste, fraud, abuse, and government subsidies for private-for-profit insurance.
Private-for-profit Medicare Advantage. Payments to private-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans will be restructured. Excess payments will be rolled back, and performance bonuses will reward quality plans. Part of the argument to privatize Medicare is that the private market can provide the same or more benefits at a lower cost than the federal government can do it. Supporters believe that competition will keep the prices down and the quality up. However, recent research is showing that the government is actually paying $1000+ more for Medicare enrollees in private plans than those in traditional Medicare. Further, only 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are in the private plans subsidized by the government, but 100% of enrollees are paying for those subsidies!
Waste, fraud, abuse. Penalties will be enhanced on providers for waste, fraud, and abuse.
Hospital readmissions. Reimbursements to hospitals with excess preventable readmissions and hospital-acquired infections will be reduced.
Coordinated purchasing. Value-based purchasing for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies will be established.
THE TRUTH (with the "big T"): Because of the 2010 reform of U.S. health care, Medicare is strengthened; beneficiaries will receive increased benefits; and costs will be controlled by cuts in waste, fraud, abuse, and government subsidies to private insurers.
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It has been a Republican mantra for decades that private enterprise is more efficient than government. In 2005 President George W. Bush led the charge to privatize Social Security. Between the collapse of Enron and the banking system can you imagine where we'd be if he hadn't failed? When the same president led us into the war in Afghanistan his administration used private security contractors, mercenaries - many of whom are not American citizens, to provide security for supply convoys and military bases. When President Bush led us into the war in Iraq his administration further privatized the war effort by using mercenaries to protect state department personnel leading to the alleged atrocities by Blackwater guards at Nisour Square where 17 innocent Iraqi civilians were killed.
During that same period President Bush appointed two new members to the Supreme Court. Those two members recently joined with three other activist judges from the right in a decision that effectively privatizes the United States Congress and Presidency. The decision in the Citizens United vs. the FEC which allows corporations both domestic and foreign to effectively purchase federal elected officials could well be the most enduring legacy of the George W. Bush administration.
Populist activists from the right and left, like the Tea Party and MoveOn.org should make common cause to call for a constitutional convention as provided for by Article V of the U.S. Constitution to reverse this disastrous decision by amending our constitution.
Has anyone read the latest posts about the Jack McDonald vs Michael McCaul race for the Texas 10th District? We deserve a strong, progressive Democratic candidate in a district which is trending Blue. Increasingly, it looks like McDonald has the same "I'm not really a Republican" problem plaguing Tom Schieffer's candidacy.
I have found a few documents that I find very surprising and require some answers. A short ten years ago, Jack McDonald was registered as a Republican in New York City where he worked for a prominent Wall Street law firm. See the link below:
Okay, so he was once registered GOP - I'd like to know why and what changed his heart and I'm sure I can accept those answers. What deserves a little more explanation is why he was repeatedly donating to George W Bush - one big contribution coming as late as 2003. See the link below:
Our last TX-10 candidate, Larry Joe Doherty recently put his support behind Jack McDonald, but is anyone asking any questions about McDonald's past political affiliations, his donations, and his positions on key progressive issues? I think it is very important that we know who he is, what he stands for, and where he is going to lead our Congressional District, if elected.
(It was fun meeting this trio at Netroots Nation. Their product seems very appropriate given BOR's early history. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Hey y'all, longtime lurker and fan here. Not a fan of gay republicans who make life miserable for other gay people. So my friends and I went through and make an entire deck of cards featuring Gay Republican Hypocrites (WWW.GAYREPUBLICANCARDS.COM) featuring all your favorites - Foley, Craig, Jeff Gannon, Glenn Murphy - and many more. Each card is sourced to police or news documents - we did massive amounts of (very disturbing) research for the cards.
All three of us are Austin residents and UT grads and you probably met us if you were at the BOR party at Cedar Door or Netroots. A portion of the profits are donated to gay rights groups here in town.
I'd appreciate everyone's comments on the cards or the website or anything else. Thanks to the BOR guys for everything. Thanks!
CNN, in an article titled Grumbling Clinton supporters make Democrats nervous, is reporting that the McCain camp is actively courting Clinton supporters.
A few hours after her speech -- which was free of attacks on Obama's fall opponent -- McCain aide Michael Goldfarb wrote on the campaign's official blog that "there is a genuine affection for her here at McCain HQ. During her speech there was no small amount of pleading with the TV: 'Don't do it, you can still win!' "
"Sen. Clinton has really grown on us over here in Crystal City over the past few months," wrote Goldfarb, calling her an "impressive candidate" who "inspired a generation of women" but "fell victim to a vast left-wing conspiracy that resented her generally centrist foreign policy views."
And one of the first posts on the newly launched blog was a video of Abba's "Take a Chance on Me" under the headline, "Take a Chance on McCain." Wrote Goldfarb: "Attention disaffected Hillary supporters, John McCain is a huge Abba fan. Seriously.''
While the article makes the point that 22% of her supporters have been polled as saying they would stay home this fall and another 17% would vote for McCain, it later goes on to report that, despite similar anger from Dean supporters in 2004, only 8% supported Bush over Kerry (still way too high).
The article also kindly points out that the difference between Clinton's positions and McCain's positions on major topics of interest like Iraq, tax cuts, reproductive rights and health care are miles and miles apart.
One last item of note from the article: Joe Lieberman is making his intentions quite clear, announcing that he was, "heading a new grass-roots organization, Citizens for McCain, with a direct appeal to Clinton's disappointed supporters."
Several lackluster Cherokee County, Texas incumbents are seeking reelection in 2008 and are running unchallenged by either political party. Namely Elmer Beckworth, Cherokee County's second term district attorney running on his 20 + years as assistant DA and his fictitious legislation co-written by the then TX District 3 State Senator Todd Staples (Rep.-Palestine, TX). Legislation he claims was designed "to allow state judges more discretion in denying bail to people who violate the terms of their bail." As if the Texas constitution did not already allow for the denial of bail for repeat offenders. That's why it is called "bail;" if you violate the conditions you get to sit in jail before your trial. The lie is that before this 'legislation' a defendant on felony bond could have that bond reset repeatedly if the conditions of the bond were violated, even in a case of escalating domestic violence.
The pretext of the 2005 proposition, Prop.4 was to pay homage to slain Jacksonville, TX resident Faye Harris, murdered in 2003 by her estranged ex-husband Michael Harris. Mr. Harris could have had his felony bond revoked with one phone call on the day he forfeited it and months before he eventually murdered Faye Harris. His restraining orders were not enforced by Cherokee County despite efforts after the fact to smokescreen with an insincere measure named after the victim. Has any other county in the state of Texas seen defendants out on felony bond violate restraining orders and get their bail set and reset and reset for each worsening occurrence while their trials are postponed indefinitely? While they are in protective custody and each time threatening to kill their wife?
Michael Harris was under watch at the Rusk State Hospital for drug treatment and had repeatedly violated the conditions of his bail AND the restraining orders against him. His initial bond for a pending felony arson trial (he allegedly burned down his ex-wife's home) was set and reset and reset multiple times by the non-operational Cherokee County district court. Michael Harris' pattern of increasingly violent terroristic threats and vandalism against his wife was documented up to his indictment and 2006 plea bargain (given to him by candidate Elmer Beckworth). Harris accepted life in prison and Beckworth accepted an honorary 'victim's rights' award bestowed for the preventable death of Faye Harris. Cherokee County's negligence was quickly turned into a publicity stunt by the district court, the sheriff department and the local state representative's office.
This hoax of denying repeat offenders' bail was voted and approved by amendment in 2006 after several Texas newspapers fell for the talking points. Other media outlets did not accept the legislation's emotional overtones and saw Proposition 4 for what it was: excuse making by a negligent East Texas district court for the murder of woman whose protective orders were not enforced by local law enforcement. An avoidable malfeasance that did not result in a judicial reprimand, but the actual course of action Elmer Beckworth, et al hold as their political platforms. The amendment was so good in fact, it popped up again in 2007 (as a duplicate proposition written in committee) for another sympathetic vote. Voters got a second chance to vote twice for the same 150 year-old legal precedent, because legislators know most people don't pay attention to the propositions on the ballot. And unknown backwater prosecutors begging for attention get their names in the paper by running a con game.
The same ruse with the same wording appeared in 2007's list of proposed amendments, namely November 6th's Proposition 13. Proposition 13 was worded as "the constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of bail to a person who violates certain court orders or conditions of release in a felony or family violence case." Elmer Beckworth of Cherokee County told himself and the state legislature he alone had discovered that "flaw in the Texas constitution" and that hole was plugged in 2006. But you can bet the exact legislation will appear again by another 'victim rights' champion down the road, who sees the Bill of Rights and the Texas State Constitution as an obstacle. Just like the same repeat bills trying to ban abortion and drugs or making it illegal to do something illegal.
This type of legislation is co-opted to give the impression that Cherokee County has been lenient when assessing bail in the past. Proponents (feigning opposition) travel back to when Texas' founding father Sam Houston was imprisoned for inciting a revolution. Poor Sam Houston couldn't petition the Mexican government to set his bail back then, 300 something years ago...The fact is Cherokee County is always facing federal rights class action suits because of the policy of denying bail to defendants in order to extract confessions during incarceration in the county jail. And to stave off future lawsuits for the ongoing civil rights violations of minorities at the hands of Cherokee County law enforcement.
Elmer Beckworth's logic in advocating stiffer bail requirements falls on deaf ears when in 2007 Cherokee County just watched their decorated Jacksonville, TX police officer Larry Pugh be sentenced to 12+ years in federal prison for multiple rapes and retaliation. After "Elmer's Law" had already passed unanimously. However, Larry Pugh never had to face rigorous bond hearings because Elmer Beckworth did not indict him on state charges until AFTER Pugh was sitting in federal prison. And never investigated Pugh's missing victims scheduled to testify against him, even though a complainant's decomposed naked body was found in the national forest. Officer Larry Pugh's federal bond was revoked after he was caught trying to pull his last rape accuser into a van with a belt around her neck. Pugh's single state charge, levied by district attorney Elmer Beckworth, involved Officer Pugh having "sex with an inmate," not him retaliating and trying to kill a protected federal witness. Or the 30 other official rape victims that came forward in Cherokee County. This surviving female witness filed a successful civil suit against the city of Jacksonville, TX.
The 369th District Court also had the opportunity to see their bailiff Constable Randall Thompson coordinate trials and provide security at the Rusk, TX courthouse, while simultaneously issuing subpoenas, writing speeding tickets, helping out on drug raids, etc. etc.---ignoring the fact that Thompson was out on federal bond for selling narcotics to an undercover federal agent. In 2006 Constable Thompson was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for intent to distribute meth. No state charges needed to be levied for Thompson's drug dealing; nor any type of bond hearing or suspension of Thompson's law enforcement duties until the US Department of Justice indicted him. And you can bet the Cherokee County at Law and District Attorney's office continued to prosecute everything Thompson sent to them after his federal arraignment.
But let's not digress.
The fact is the Texas Constitution has always REQUIRED a repeat offender to be denied bail. It REQUIRES a district judge to revoke the bond of a repeat offender, hence Cherokee County's dragging of the heels and postponements when it comes to prosecuting the few cases that make it to trial. And besides, Cherokee County, Texas has never had a problem with denying anyone's bail before. Because the 4th Amendment in the Bill of Rights is arbitrary in their eyes.
Let's face it folks, the Texas Constitution has never been at fault for allowing some dirtbag out on felony bond to murder someone. It is the lack of initiative the Cherokee County district court has in enforcing the protective orders they themselves pretend to crusade. There were never any ancillary conditions of Michael Harris' bond to keep him from killing his wife. In fact, in a county with only 1 or 2 murder trials every term of the district attorney, these homicides are lauded in the local media and reprinted over and over again. To make it appear to outsiders in civilization that the letter of the law is actual upheld, amongst multiple federal convictions of Cherokee County's bailiff, constables, chief of police, patrolmen and correctional officers. To make it appear they are with the times and not immersed in racial tensions brought on by ingrained and outdated prejudices. To make it appear they are players in the State's political arena. But just because they say it, don't make it so.
Criminal negligence and propaganda might impress the local yokels in the upcoming March primaries, but it should not make an impact on the rest of the state. These hypocrites may go unchallenged in their respective political primaries, but hopefully they will stay in their East Texas rat holes. Until another violent homicide they could have prevented helps them find another "flaw in the Texas Constitution."
During the early voting period just completed, the city of Houston offered free flu shots to people at selected locations. This was challenged by the Harris County Republican Party, which claimed through their chairman Jared Woodfill that it was a "scheme" to get Democrats to the polls. Mayor Bill White promptly ceased the program.
One of the vile local conservative blogs -- this is the only hint I'm giving -- quoted Jesus out of context from Matthew 26:11: "the poor be with ye always".
This rankles me on several levels:
1. I could simply note that the Harris County branch of US Hezbollah, also known as the Republican Party, is as sorry as Satan regarding this matter and leave it at that, but I won't.
2. Bill White is a bigger coward than John Kerry for rolling over on this. I hereby declare my support for whomever happens to be White's Democratic primary opponent when he runs for higher office.
3. The biblical quotation is not only out of context but incomplete as well. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the Holy Scriptures -- that barely describes me, incidentally -- can easily figure out that Jesus wasn't contradicting his many statements about the poor being blessed, the meek inheriting the Earth, that people should not covet earthly possessions and in fact should sell them, that the moneychangers were sinful, that the wealthy have almost no chance of entering heaven, and so on. Michael Dawson does a much better job of dissembling this atrocious rationale.
I don't go to church, I hardly even believe in a higher authority, but I sure know an Elmer Gantry when I hear him.
What the Harris County Republican Party managed to pull off this week is absolutely NOT what Jesus would have done. But that won't stop them from wallowing happily in the stench of their hypocrisy like pigs in s***.
(GOP is in bad shape when you lose Dick Armey's support - promoted by John McClelland)
Democrats have long struggled with communicating their core issues to the base American electorate. New polls and general anecdotal evidence are showing that it has started happening by default. Democrats now control the agenda on issues that are truly important to Americans, and it is due in large part to an unlikely ally - traditional Republican base voters.
Morethana few newspapers around the state last week covered the story of Patricia King, a prison guard who won a $250,000 sexual harassment suit in 1999 against the state. It's nearly seven years later, and the legislature is just finally getting around to taking care of her claim.
[King's] judgment, which with six years of interest, court costs and fees totals more than $640,000 because the state never paid the original jury award after it withstood appeal. [. . .]On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed a measure to pay the judgment.
