(After last night's debate, it's important to remember the human and health costs of Rick Perry's energy and environmental policies. - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
Rick Perry just unveiled his energy plan for America. The plan, if implemented, will poison our air and water with toxic pollutants like soot, smog, arsenic, cadmium, dioxin, lead, and formaldehyde. It would also undercut safeguards from mercury, which is a neurotoxin and is known to harm developing fetuses.
"Rick Perry's energy plan reads like a roadmap for making America's kids sick," said Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. "Under this plan, we can expect to see much higher rates of asthma among children, and risk to pregnant women from mercury exposure. Republicans like Perry are putting polluters' profits first and our kids' health last. The Republican mantra should be 'wheeze, baby, wheeze."
Perry's plan calls for scaling back basic EPA safeguards that protect our clean air and water. It would simultaneously expand development of dirty energy like coal, oil, and natural gas amounting to a one-two punch to Americans' health.
"American families have enough to worry about," Brune said. "They don't need to spend more time taking their kids to the doctor or more money on hospital bills. The only people who stand to profit from this plan are overpaid oil, coal and natural gas CEOs."
"Dismantling the EPA and assuming that states are properly watching over natural gas drilling is dangerous and puts the health of our families and communities at risk."
Perry's plan would also undercut the expansion of jobs in industries like solar-the fastest-growing industry in the energy sector.
"There's a solution to the current epidemic of pollution-related illness that will also create good, lasting local jobs, and secure America's energy independence," said Brune. "It's clean energy. America's clean energy industry is strong and thriving, even in this down economy. Rick Perry's plan would stifle that growth and return our country to a dirty, antiquated energy system. Under his plan, we'll see asthma rates among American kids soar, while countries like China surpass us in reaping the benefits from clean energy like solar and wind."
In fact, America is predicted to become the world's leader in solar energy by 2014, and in 2010, the U.S. was a net exporter of solar by $2 billion. Solar energy creates seven times more jobs than coal, nuclear and natural gas.
In the aftermath of 9/11, we saw thousands of workers develop devastating respiratory conditions and other illnesses as a result of exposure to toxic dust that filled the air in the days and weeks after the twin towers fell. To this day, these peoples' plight continues to add misery to the ongoing tragedy of 9/11. What makes it even worse is that these people were assured the air was safe. As we all know now, it wasn't.
Today, sadly, history may be repeating itself in the Gulf of Mexico.
Amazingly, despite reports like this one, BP "continues to pretend that - just like an oil spill of this magnitude could never happen - there also could not possibly be a worker health concern." While the potential health hazards posed by chemical dispersants and oil itself are debatable, it is clear that significant risks existed.
Already, we've seen evidence of the impact that spilled oil can have on human health. For starters, an increasing number of workers and residents in Gulf Coast areas have reported "suffering from nausea, vomiting, headaches and difficulty breathing." Considering that oil contains "petroleum hydrocarbons, which are toxic and irritating to the skin and airways", as well as volatile chemicals "which can cause acute health effects such as headaches, dizziness and nausea" it's no surprise that these symptoms are appearing.
So now, with the "60 exposure-related complaints filed with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals", not to mention the "overwhelming evidence that many of the compounds found in crude oil are dangerous," shouldn't BP be protecting the people who are cleaning up this mess? If they aren't doing so, why aren't they?
The bottom line is this: people along the Gulf Coast deserve to know the facts regarding the dangers they are facing and how to protect themselves. It's bad enough that their economic livelihoods are in danger of destruction in part due to BP's greed and recklessness. But if their lungs and other organs are damaged by oil and dispersant particles in the air, more than their economic livelihoods could be damaged.
None of us should ever forget that this disaster was brought on, at least in part, by BP cutting corners to save a few (million) bucks, and by the government's failure to prevent the company from doing so. As a result, the unthinkable has happened. We must learn from those grave mistakes, not repeat them. That means, in the long term, ridding ourselves of our dangerous, destructive addition to oil. But what must happen now - right now - is for BP to stop cutting corners with the health of the people cleaning up the Gulf.
At the minimum, BP must switch its philosophy from "hope for the best" to "do whatever it takes, whatever the cost, to make sure people are safe." If BP won't "make it right," as the company's ads like to say, then the government should force BP to do so. In the words of one Venice, LA mother: "I've got the two most beautiful children in the world. If something were to happen to them, how could I look in those baby blues and say, Mommy didn't know?" It's a great question. What's the answer, BP?
(Metroplex readers, get on out there and stand up for health care reform! - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
Organizing for America's 'Let's Get It Done' bus has been making its way across the country calling for real health care reform.
On Monday, the bus stops in Dallas for a rally with OFA's national executive director, Mitch Stewart and other dignitaries. Stand with fellow Texans this Monday to show your support for the President's reform efforts. A quarter of all Texans are uninsured, and too many others risk losing insurance if they lose their jobs or get sick. America can do better. The time for action is now.
Location: Gilley's, 1135 S. Lamar, Dallas, TX 75215
Time: Doors open at 11 a.m., rally starts at noon.
RSVP:Click Here
Directions: Gilley's is just south of the Dallas Convention Center on Lamar. Free public parking available. Gilley's also can be reached by taking DART light rail to the Cedars station (red and blue lines). Turn left on Belleview and walk approximately one block north on Lamar (i.e. towards downtown).
As the health care debate keeps heating up, there is an onslaught of rallies, meetings, town halls filled with people who have passionate feelings about this issue. These are the voters who will make a difference in November 2010. Lamar Smith has voted no on health insurance reform, no to providing health care to poor, uninsured Texas children, and it's time that we say NO to Lamar Smith.
To get our message across, I need your help to print these flyers and distribute them at every health care and political event you care to attend. This will ramp up the pressure on those who want to stand in the way of progress. They can be printed in black and white or color and be cut in half to save on paper. Hand them out, put them on car windows, use them where ever people are interested in health care on both sides of the issue. I want CD21 voters, including those in Smith's own party, to understand that he's not working for The People. And I need them to know that just like you, I already AM working for The People. The intended audience is all voters, the majority of whom agree with these basic principles: stop the pre-existing condition discrimination, make insurance portable, and end financial crisis due to catastrophic and chronic health care.
For my benefit in creating future messaging, I'd appreciate it if you would look at the flyer and tell me what you think. Collectively, we'll create the message that voters cannot ignore. At Ronnie Earle's event the other day all the cars were flyered with John Sharp info. Yes, blanketing the area is a great way to tell voters there is already an alternative to the status quo in Congress. I need everyone who is able to help out with this.
I hear the audience is growing at both the Schertz and Kerrville Lamar Smith town halls on Monday. I hope to see you there!
After weeks of Representative Lloyd Doggett taking the heat from anti-health care reform protesters, the shoe is finally on the other foot. Representative Lamar Smith, who has avoided facing his constituents on this issue up to now, has scheduled two health care forums in our district to listen to his constituents on Monday, August 24th.
This is our opportunity to voice our support for health care reform and show that this can be done with respect, dialogue, and without needing to use vile, divisive language.
Rep. Smith has scheduled these events only for San Antonio and Kerrville, but will be attending a Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Sept 2nd at the Hyatt in Austin. If you want to let him know that you'd like him to change his vote to yes on reform, please go to any or all of these events. He is looking for letters from constituents, so come prepared with lots of letters.
Local grassroots organizations are working on a combined effort to show a united front for reform. Contact Moveon, Organizing for America and your local democratic party for more information.
We need to make it clear to Rep. Smith that we will remember his no votes at the election booth in 2010. I am counting on that! If you are a supporter of health care reform, please support my campaign.
The events:
Kerrville (open to the public):
August 24, 9:30 a.m.
The Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts
910 Main Street
Kerrville, TX 78028
San Antonio (open to the public):
August 24, 12:30 p.m.
Schertz Civic Center
1400 Schertz Parkway,
Bldg. #5 in the Municipal Complex
Schertz, TX 78154-1634
Austin ($55 cost to attend):
Congressman Smith Shares Updates On Policies That May Impact Your Bottom Line
WHEN: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 208 Barton Springs Road, Foothills Ballroom, 17th floor, Austin, TX 78704
This morning on NPR there was a story on fracking (hydraulic fracturing, in which water and chemicals are pumped into the ground at extremely high pressures to force natural gas to the surface), interviewing one Texan, Steve Harris, who believes the practice contaminated his drinking water. Fracking is completely exempted from federal regulation due to a loophole inserted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Steve Harris believes that pressure also ruined his well. He lives on 14 acres south of Dallas. Shortly after a driller fracked a nearby well, he and his neighbors noticed a change in water pressure.
"When you'd flush the toilet - in the back where the bowl is - water would shoot out the top of the bowl," says Harris.
When he took a shower, there was a foul odor, and the water left rashes on his grandson's skin. His horses stopped drinking from their trough, and there was an oily film on top of the water.
There was quite a bit going on Tuesday night: the democratic presidential debate aired on TV, UTA college students were cramming for finals, and a small audience spent the evening finding out about a proposed solution to the disaster that is health care in Texas. This educational forum called “Solutions to the Texas Health Care Crisis” was held at the Rosebud Theater at UTA, and dealt with a plan for addressing issues such as skyrocketing costs, evaporating benefits, and the one-in-four Texans who have no health insurance at all.
The audience learned about a single-payer universal health care plan named Texas Insurance Plan that would be run by a non-profit Health Care Authority. Replacing the for-profit health insurance industry in Texas would reduce the 27% overhead cost of current health insurance coverage to just 3%. They also learned that insurance rates are largely determined by the size of the risk pool. With 20 million Texans to spread the risk, premiums can be significantly lower while providing for complete medical coverage. Overall expenditures for pharmaceuticals can also be reduced through price negotiation similar to that used by the Veteran's Administration.
There was no shortage of questions after the presentation. Yes, diabetes and hearing aids are covered. Pre-existing conditions are covered. Surgery, hospitalization, prescription drugs, dental, eyeglasses, mental health, all covered. There are no deductibles, no co-pays and yes, you can choose your doctor.
One employer asked, “How much is this going to cost me?” Employers who provide health insurance are currently paying 7% or more of payroll. In this plan, the employer’s portion is 5.3% of payroll. Your employee, making anywhere from minimum wage to $200,000, would pay 2.5% on gross earnings.
How are the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries going to react to this? They'll hate it and fight it with everything they've got. Expect misinformation, denial, well funded advertising campaigns, large political contributions to compliant politicians and generally the same kind of tactics the Tobacco companies used for 20 years to suppress the truth about the harmful effects of their product.
How can you ensure that the financial incentives remain high enough to maintain providers? TIP will negotiate service rates just as for-profit insurance companies do now. By using a four-dollar "smart card" that electronically stores patient information and streamlines administrative processing, providers will save approximately $8.50 per office visit.
Could this program entice companies to relocate to or expand their operations in Texas? If they want to increase their competitive edge it is entirely possible. Health care costs are becoming a major problem for large employers like General Motors.
The issue of health care coverage for undocumented aliens seemed to be a hot-button topic for many. If you’re a Texas resident more than 90 days, you’re covered and if employed, you pay premiums. It’s that simple. Undocumented aliens who have no health insurance now use hospital emergency rooms, often at public expense.
Dr. Merrill Matthews, Resident Scholar at the Institute for Policy Innovation and Executive Director of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, presented an opposing opinion and cited plans initiated in Oklahoma and Tennessee as previous unsuccessful attempts at universal health care. He neglected to mention that the Tennessee plan, TennCare, was a replacement for Medicaid and designed as a "Managed Care Model" to extend coverage only to uninsured and uninsurable persons who were not eligible for Medicaid. This is a very selective risk pool, which doesn't meet the definition of universal health care. The plan was funded by general tax revenues, not employer and employee contributions and is not even vaguely similar to the proposed Texas plan.
Doctor Matthews also forgot to note that the Oklahoma plan, SoonerCare, is Oklahoma Medicaid, with the same kind of risk pool as TennCare, and is funded by state and federal funds from general taxes. Amnesia is usually a medical issue, except when it's used as a convenient political tactic.
Dr. Merrill believes that “markets work in health care” and that the for-profit insurance industry, which has left 46 million Americans without health insurance, will somehow (a miracle occurs here) provide the answer. Just don’t hold your breath.
The designers of the Texas Insurance Plan think it’s valuable to know how others have failed because it lets you avoid repeating those mistakes. Studying numerous examples of systems that fail gives you a much better chance to build one that works. So, thank you Dr. Matthews, we'll take it under advisement.
It’ll be an uphill battle to get even the best plan considered by the state congress-critters in Austin. Weaning political creatures from the cash cows of Big Pharma and Big Insurance will not be easy. Politicians rarely, if ever, initiate anything on their own that benefits the public. They usually just find a huge parade in progress, then jump out in front of it and pretend to lead. Maybe it’s time to start a parade!
More information on the proposed Texas Insurance Plan can be found at the web site HTTP://www.healthcar...
Organizing for America's 'Let's Get It Done' bus has been making its way across the country calling for real health care reform.
