No comments

Another week, another 17 Health Care Events

  By Health Care

Pennsylvania HCAN and our partners did another seventeen events to push health care reform along this week. Click on the links to go to detailed accounts of these events along with pictures and press reports. Our Erie Coalition met Congresswoman Dahlkemper at the Erie Airport on Sunday November 8 to thank her for vote.   We held a health are forum in Williamsport the same day with citizens who have been active in lobbying Congressman Carney.   We did six drop-in thank you events at the offices of Congressmembers Brady, Carney Doyle, Kanjorski, Schwartz and Sestak on Monday November 9.   We did a thank you event for Representative Patrick Murphy on Tuesday November 10.   And we did nine other events on Thursday November 12, thank you events for Representatives Carney, Dahlkemper, Doyle, Kanjorkski and Schwartz who voted for the legislation and shame on you events for four Representatives… Continue reading

4 Comments

Why progressives should embrace HR 3962

  By Health Care, Social Justice

Some progressives, motivated in part by Dennis Kucinich’s vote against HR 3926 are expressing disappointment with and even opposition to the health care reform legislation going through Congress. While HR 3926 is not perfect—and the anti-abortion language added to it is terrible and will, we believe, be removed later in the process—it is a bill progressives should and must support. In a long post I’ve explained in detail why I think single payer advocates like Kucinich are misguided in opposing the bill. Here, in this short version, I want to summarize the case for progressives giving active support to the legislation. Continue reading

No comments

Dennis Kucinich’s Temper Tantrum or Why Progressive Should Enthusiastically Embrace HR 3962.

  By Health Care, Progressive Politics

This is a long post. But if you want to know what’s in the bill, why progressive should support it and why they should not pay attention to Dennis Kucinich or other single payer critics of the bill, this is a good place to start. In one of the political traditions in which I was raised, one of the more useful epithets was “infantile leftist.” An infantile leftist was someone who took the most extreme left position even though it made little sense as either policy or politics. And they did it, primarily for internal political reasons—to win support on the left—or to show themselves and others that they are more pure or progressive or left than anyone else in the room. That phrase came to mind when I saw that Representatives Kucinich and Massa had voted against HR 3692 because it was not single payer and even more when… Continue reading

No comments

Health Care Reform: What you do in the next few days could make the difference

  By Health Care

All the work we have been doing to create a guarantee of quality affordable health care for all is coming to a point: The House vote on HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act is scheduled to take place this Saturday, November 7 at around 6:00 pm. The vote will be close. We don’t know whether we it will pass or not. It really depends on you. Three members of Congress in Pennsylvania–Jason Altmire, Chris Carney, and Paul Kanjorski–undecided. If we can get more of their constituents to call them, they would be more likely to decide in favor of reform. Continue reading

No comments

Rally against Tom Donahue and the Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia–and what we learned from it.

  By Progressive Politics, Social Justice

Last Friday, close to twenty advocacy groups and labor unions came together in front of the Loew’s Hotel in Center City Philadelphia to protest Tom Donhaue, the President of US Chamber of Commerce, who was speaking there. And, in the process, we learned something about the nature of political struggle in the United State today and about what we progressives must to do be successful We were there because, on issue after issue, Donahue has lead the US Chamber of Commerce to stand with the biggest, and most politically connected, corporations in the United States, and with their immensely overpaid chief executives, against the interests of not just the public at large, but most small and large businesses in the United States. Continue reading

No comments

You are my heroes

  By Health Care, Political Organizing

I spoke tonight at the beginning of the health care week being put on by the Penn Democrats. With the news that Harry Reid had decided to put a public option in the bill he intends to bring to the floor, it was a good night to be speaking. I gave a different kind of speech than usual, putting our campaign for health care reform in the context of the revival of progressive politics. I’ll write that up soon. But on this very good day for our campaign when we have seen some inkling of success coming from our hard work over the past fifteen months, I did want to post the following reconstruction of my closing remarks. I said at the beginning of my talk that the election of Barack Obama was the start of the rebirth of progressive politics in America. And I said that to keep this… Continue reading

No comments

Coming Attractions: Learning from getting older

  By About me, Philosophy, Political Organizing

I wrote this essay about four years ago and have revised it from time to time since. I’ve started to post it once or twice but hesitated because, as a friend of mine said, “it’s awfully personal.” But I was looking for another piece of writing on my computef today and took a look at this again and decided both that I really like it and that it might be useful the people for whom it was written—my younger political and academic friends. With a few exceptions, I’ve left this written as it was when I last revised it two years ago, before I ran for Council and became a full time political organizer. I’ve just updated it in a few places to talk about the health care campaign I’m currently running in Pennsylvania I have been thinking about getting older lately. Partly this is because I turned fifty not… Continue reading

No comments

If you keep the faith, we are going to win

  By Health Care

The last committee hurdle has been jumped. The Senate Finance Committee has reported a bill. It’s not great. It’s not we want. But it moves us a step closer to the real reform we must get in 2009. I want to give you some idea of how we are going to get the reforms we want this year. What we know and don’t know Now if anyone tells you he knows what will happen in Congress this year on health care, he or she is not to be trusted. As Yogi Berra once put it, predictions are hard, especially about the future. And they are especially hard in politics, where so many factors—ideology, interest, ambition, and skill—play a role in determining what happens, especially on issues as difficult and complicated as health care. But I do have a sense of how things will play out this year and I want… Continue reading

No comments

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-18

  By Twitter feed

CIGNA denied Dawn Smith care for her brain tumor. Come support her Thursday at noon at 1601 Chestnut. RSVP at http://ping.fm/xhey5 # RT @common_squirrel da do run run run da do run run # Support CIGNA victim Dawn Smith as she confronts their CEO Thursday October 15 at noon, 1601 Chestnut Street. RSVP at http://ping.fm/vp6V3 # was offered tix for Springsteen on the 20th but had to turn them down because of our Time To Deliver day of action. # Continue reading

No comments

The dangers of Philadelphia’s zoning code revision for neighborhoods

  By Neighborhoods, Philadelphia, Progressive Politics, Urbanism

I’ve been predicting for some time that the Philadelphia zoning code revision is going to be the next flashpoint for progressives. I’ve been concerned that a zoning code commission heavily weighted towards developers will attempt to limit the power of community groups to guide development in their neighborhoods. So I’m not surprised to that at YPP Matt Ruben has pointed out that a provision in the zoning code revision would undermine the impact of community groups over the zoning process. Matt and others have suggested some ways to improve the process. I’m not yet sure we have the best solution although some of the ideas put forward on that thread are good starting points. But one problem with the whole reform process is being missed in this discussion. Paul Boni points out that community groups generally are welcome at the ZBA, Planning Commission, and Historical Commission. This is true and… Continue reading