Author: Marc Stier

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Voucher bill won’t help those who need it most

  By Education, Vouchers

Originally published in the Germantown Chronicle and the Mt. Airy Independent, April 29-May 11, 2011 Seven years ago, as I campaigned for State Representative in Nicetown and Germantown, I saw that many people, and especially African Americans, felt betrayed by the public schools. They were frustrated with inadequate funding, inexperienced teachers, limited school services, and unresponsive administrators. So I’m not surprised that State Senators who rightfully care about these communities, such as LeAnna Washington (D-4), would consider supporting SB1, the voucher proposal that will be voted on soon in Harrisburg. Good public policy, however, cannot be made on the basis of frustration. There are voucher proposals that progressives like myself could support—proposals that equalize funding statewide for all students and that guarantee everyone a place in a good school where professional teachers are honored, respected and well paid. But SB1 is not that proposal. SB1 is, in fact, a fraud. Continue reading

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Pennsylvanians follow Gov. Corbett to Washington to say NO to vouchers

  By Education, Penn ACTION

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn6jbA9e1uE That’s video from Penn Action’s May 9 D.C. rally against vouchers.  Along with Action United and with help from the SEIU, the PSEA, USAction and the Philadelphia Student Union, a bus of concerned citizens travelled from Bucks County and Philadelphia to Washington D.C. to protest against school vouchers.   Pennsylvania’s Gov. Corbett joined his role model, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, in addressing the American Federation of Children, a pro-voucher, anti-public school organization.  We wanted to be there to let Gov. Corbett know that vouchers are not the solution to any problems Pennsylvania schools have – and that his $1.2B of cuts are not helping.   You can read and watch accounts of the event from a number of media outlets that covered the event. Politics PA UFCW Photos Philadelphia Inquirer and here Philadelphia Daily News (AP) Washington Post Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WHTM-TV 27 (ABC) Harrisburg Teamster Nation AFL-CIO Daily Kos… Continue reading

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Bucks County constituents tell Rep. Fitzpatrick that they don’t want to be worked to death

  By Health Care, Penn ACTION, Social Security

A longtime professor of literature at Bucks County Community College, Chris Bursk, knows that not every story has a happy ending. Much as the 68-year-old teacher loves his job, Bursk isn’t entirely thrilled at the prospect of working till age 80. “I’d like to retire. But I don’t think I could afford it,” he said. His students’ future seems bleaker still, Bursk said. “So many worry about the world they will inherit and how they will get by,” he said. That’s an excerpt from the Bucks County Courier Times coverage of Penn ACTION’s Work ’till You Die event at the office of Cong. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08).   The world Chris Bursk’s students will inherit will be a lot harder for them if the Ryan/Fitzpatrick plan to destroy Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is made law.  To help prevent that from happening, the Save Social Security Coalition, which is led in Pennsylvania… Continue reading

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Penn Action volunteer responds to Rep. Fitzpatrick’s attack

  By Health Care, Penn ACTION

As you know, in March, the Congressman fled from constituents standing the legally mandated distance from his office to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act.  Shortly after that, a story about his avoidance of us ran in the Bucks County Courier Times.  In response, his office placed a guest opinion attacking Penn Action and volunteer, Barbara Stakes.  Barb is a Bucks County resident and tireless advocate for health care justice.   She’s told her story countless times at events to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act.   She continues to fight to protect it from defunding at the hands of the new Congress.  Her response to the Congressman’s attack ran in the Courier on April 25.  You can read it here.  From Barb’s guest opinion: In October, I qualified for the PA Fair Care Highmark Blue Shield program made possible by the ACA’s… Continue reading

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Work till you die events around Pennsylvania

  By Penn ACTION, Social Security

The Save Social Security Coalition, which is led in PA by Action United and Penn ACTION is holding four events around Pennsylvania this week to say no to efforts to  end Medicare as we know it and to reduce Social Security benefits. We are going to call out members of Congress–including Representatives Barletta, Dent, Fitzpatric, Gerlach,  and Meehan, who have voted for proposals to replace Medicare with a voucher that after ten years will provide only a third of the benefits seniors get today; who have voted for a $1.7 billion reduction in Social Security; who have voted to slash 1.4 trillion from Medicaid which provides health care fo seinors, women, children and people with disabilities; and who voted to give another $1.1 trillio ntax cut to the riches Americans and cut their tax rate and the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%. SE PA:  Chester April 28th 10:45… Continue reading

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Congressman Fitzpatrick’s diversionary tactics

  By Health Care, Penn ACTION

One of the most effective speakers of our citizen’s rally in Harrisburg was Barb Stakes of Bucks County. Look for her in the video. For years, she went without health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. The cheapest insurance offered to her would have cost $10,000 a year. Now, because of the ACA, she has good health insurance for $283 a month. The day after we were in Harrisburg,  our Program Director, Robin Stelly, along with Barb Stakes and other activists demonstrated outside the office of Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, who voted to repeal the ACA. Congressman Fitzpatrick, to our disappointment, saw us but got in his car and drove away. When a video of his doing so appeared on the website of the papers and on youtube, the Congressman, had his district director write an op-ed attacking Robin and Barb. Congressman Fitzpatrick attacked us for being funded by George Soros.… Continue reading

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Tell Us Why You Want to Protect Social Security

  By Penn ACTION, Social Security

Penn Action and the Strengthen Social Security Campaign have been working to get calls into our Senators in support of the Sanders/Reid Protect Social Security Amendment.   Click here to find out how to call if you haven’t already.  While calls are flooding D.C., we’re also asking you to tell us why you made your call.  Why do you want to protect Social Security? I called because my grandfather died when my mom was only eleven years old and her younger brother was three.  Social Security survivor benefits helped keep my mom’s family afloat during that difficult time.  Social Security survivor benefits are part of the reason my grandmother could keep her home and my mom and her brothers were able to go to college, helping to secure their families’ place in America’s middle class.  I owe a lot to Social Security, which is why I made the call to protect… Continue reading

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Help Save Your Social Security: Call Today

  By Penn ACTION, Social Security, Take political action

Penn Action is proud to be part of the Strengthen Social Security Campaign.   We’re eager to continue the fight against the deficit hysteria used to call for benefit cuts to the most successful social program in the history of country.   Make no mistake: They are coming after benefits you earned. On Monday, March 28, the Strengthen Social Security Campaign joined U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Capitol Hill to demand a halt to needless attacks on Social Security and the citizens who receive it.  We can stop these cuts but all of us we need to take action to do it. Please call your Senators today and demand that they vote for the Sanders/Reid Social Security Protection Amendment. Please call now: 1-866-251-4044 ACT NOW!  Your voice needs to be heard. Senator Sanders and Majority Leader Reid are leading the Senate with an amendment to protect Social Security from drastic cuts.  Their amendment simply says: Social Security benefits for current… Continue reading

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It’s about security for working people and the middle class

  By Social Justice, US

  Our 2011 Program: It’s about security for working people and the middle class or Why and how we must expose and fight back against the dirty little secret of right wing economic policy As a multi-issue organization, Penn ACTION will be taking on a lot. But while we will be engaged in many different struggles—health care, women’s health, unemployment insurance, fair taxes, education, and starting this week, the fight to preserve Social Security—there is a core commitment and a unified strategy that lies behind all our work. The core commitment is to provide security for working people and the middle class. Market Economies and Insecurity We know that a market economy can be a great generator of income and wealth. But from the beginning, capitalism has also been a generator of uncertainty and insecurity. Capitalism initially generated great wealth not just by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs but by generating insecurity, specifically… Continue reading

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Citizen’s hearing and rally celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act

  By Health Care

Harrisburg, PA (March 23, 2011) — While members of Congress convened in Pennsylvania’s State Capitol to consider a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, real Pennsylvanians held a “consumers’ hearing” in the Rotunda to tell the true story about the landmark law. Consumers testified to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act — from ending preexisting conditions and other abusive insurance practice to covering preventative care services for seniors to expanding access to quality, affordable health insurance for small businesses and individuals. “My husband and I were able to put our 24-year-old son back on our family’s health insurance plan because of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows us to do so,” said Theresa BrownGold, one of the consumers to testify. The “consumers’ hearing” took place while the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a field hearing at the State Capitol focused on repealing… Continue reading