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Quotes from the illustrious dead

  By A political memoir

There are three approaches to life, that of anger, gratitude and laughter. Those who take the path of anger become bad people, who bring destruction on themselves and others. Those who take the path of gratitude become good people, who bring happiness to themselves and others. And those who take the path of laughter become teachers, who teach us about the choices before us. —dead white Greek guy, I think. It’s not enough to follow the Oracle’s injunction to “know thyself.” We must also have the courage to act on that knowledge—another dead Greek guy Continue reading

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Where we are on health care reform

  By Health Care

Don’t make yourself crazy! I generally don’t recommend health care activists follow the ins and outs of the legislative process in Washington. There is always a tug of war between progressives and conservatives and it changes as we move from one field of play to another, that is from one committee to another and then to the floor of each house of Congress. Bills get better and they get worse. There is little that any of us can do to influence the details of legislation at each of these moments. The fundamental thing we need to do is to shape the overall environment in which legislation is being considered by getting the word out about health care reform; building our movement; and keeping pressure on our members of Congress by means of letters, phone calls, emails. We especially need to focus on those who seem to be wavering in support… Continue reading

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The death of Marlene Dietrich

  By Life Stories

The death of Michael Jackson and a video I just saw reminded me of something: When the news came on TV that Marlene Dietrich died in 1992, I was in a coffee shop in a hotel, I think, in Boston. I saw a tall bald man who must have been in his mid-seventies, with a tan shirt and round horn-rim glasses standing in front of the TV. He was looking up at it, with an espresso cup in his hand, and tears streaming down his face. Was he crying because of what she had meant to him? Over his lost youth? Over something else that connected him to her? I don’t know. But it was pure and touching and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Continue reading

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Where is the movement? Notes on the PA HCAN campaign.

  By Health Care, Pennsylvania, Politics, US

Pretty much every day for the last few weeks, I talk to  a health care activist last week who is freaking out about the ups and downs in Congressional consideration of health care. “Relax” I said. “There are always ups and downs whenever Congress is considering any important legislation. There is always  a great deal of tension and division and dispute—some of it is real and some of it is posturing. We are going to win, because we are building a real movement for historic reform.” “But where is that movement?” he said. It’s a good question. And I have to say that, despite my spending twenty five years as a political scientist who sometimes taught and wrote about political and social movements, I don’t think I ever understood what a political movement was until this moment. I understand what one is now because at this moment I’m kind of… Continue reading

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50,000 Congressional Contacts on Health Care Today!

  By Health Care

That’s our goal, nationwide. And we are hoping for 3-4000 from Pennsylvania. Can you help? You can use our on-line tool to send and email to your own member of the House http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/speakout/affordability Or you can call at 1.877.264.4226 And if you really want to help, you can do phone banking into the districts of PA Blue Dogs. I’ll send you a script and a list of people to call if you contact me at MarcStier@hcanpa.org. Thanks! Continue reading

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The rural health care issue and Pennsylvania

  By Health Care

The Blue Dog leader on Health Care is Congressman Mike Ross of Arkansas. He has been arguing that we need to increase Medicare reimbursement rates in rural areas because they are lower in those areas and have to be raised in order to attract good doctors and to keep hospitals open. We share those concern. But like the Blue Dog idea of negotiating reimbursement rates in the public health insurance plan instead of setting them at Medicare rates plus 5%, Rep. Ross’s solution will raise premiums in the public health insurance plan, not just in rural areas but across the country. It will also cripple the public plan and reduce competition for private insurance, which will also raise premiums. And, because higher subsidies will be required for these higher premiums, the cost to the Federal government and, ultimately, taxpayers will be greater. And, at any, rate it’s not totally clear… Continue reading

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Blue Dogs: running with the wrong pack

  By Health Care

Five members of Congress from Pennsylvania—Representatives Jason Altmire, Chris Carney, Kathy Dahlkemper, Tim Holden, and Patrick Murphy—are part of the Blue Dog Coalition, whose demands for changes in the Health Care reform bill before the House of Representatives has gained a great of attention in the last week or so. While at least one of those demands might actually improve the bill, others are deadly to the health care reforms we so badly need around the country. Indeed those demands are so deadly for reforms that will very much benefit Pennsylvanians, that it’s time for us start asking our Pennsylvania Blue Dogs, why are you running with this wrong pack? Continue reading