Category: Public Policy

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Is a Long-Term Affair Really Worse Than Sexual Harassment?: the Conservative Understanding of Sexuality and Herman Cain

  By Sexual and gender equality

The bizarre moments in our political and cultural lives are sometimes the best windows into currents of thought underlying our explicit beliefs, currents that are so deep that we often don’t even recognize them as our own. Which is worse: sexual harassment or a long term affair? Consider, for example, the reactions of conservatives to Herman Cain’s alleged sexual misconduct. Two weeks ago, when Herman Cain was charged with sexually harassing multiple women, conservative ran to his defense. They claimed that sexual harassment is an overblown phenomenon and attacked the credibility of the women who accused him. And yet last week, when a woman came forth to say that she had a long term affair with Cain, most conservatives criticized him and said that his candidacy was or should be over. One would think that sexual harassment—that is using material inducements and physical pressure to induce a woman to have… Continue reading

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Occupy Philly Goes to Washington (and Why It Is So Important to Keep Going).

  By Economic Justice, Occupy Philly, Political Organizing, Progressive Politics

Last Thursday I led a group of people to Washington, DC to attend a National Nurses United rally in support of a financial transactions tax (FTT) and to meet with two of Senator Bob Casey’s legislative aides. Some of the people with us are heavily involved in Occupy Philadelphia. Others were HCAN, MoveOn or Neighborhood Networks supporters. They all are either sympathetic to or take part in Occupy Philly events. There were 1500-2000 spirited people at the rally. It was nice to meet some folks at the Occupy DC camp. And our meeting with Senator Casey’s staff members impressively showed me why the Occupy Movement is so incredibly importance to this country right now. Meeting with Senator Casey’s Staff Senator Casey is sympathetic to our goals. His staff said that he would look at the FTT and that it fits with his support of taxing the wealthy. His aide, Jennifer… Continue reading

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Yes, I Am Asking You To Vote For a Republican: Singer and Schmidt for Commissioner

  By Philadelphia, Progressive Politics, Voting

Are you really asking me to vote for a Republican? That’s the question I get all the time, when I encourage people to give one of their two votes for City Commissioner to Al Schmidt. (The other one, of course, should go to Stephanie Singer.) I’m a liberal / progressive Democrat. I don’t recommend people vote for Republicans often. I’m pretty sure the last time I voted for Republicans it was for my dad for Village Justice in my hometown of Liberty, New York. New York elections have some peculiarities. One allows for cross-party endorsements. My dad was a Democrat but, knowing they could not beat him for reelection, the Republicans endorsed him. And knowing that I might not ever have a chance to vote for a Republican again, I voted for him on the Republican line. We have some electoral peculiarities in Philadelphia as well. One of them mandates… Continue reading

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Why You Should Go to DC in Support of a Financial Transactions Tax

  By Economic Justice, Occupy Philly, Political Organizing, Progressive Politics, Public Policy, Social Justice, Taxation

Heal America! Make Wall Street Pay! Event The National Nurses Union (NNU) is holding a rally and lobby day this Thursday, December 3, in Washington, DC in support of a financial transactions tax. The event is co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO and other progressive organizations. Here in Pennsylvania, Health Care For America Now (HCAN) is working with the local NNU affiliate PASNAP, to bring people to the rally by bus. The buses are FREE and will leave at 7:00 am from two locations, Temple University Hospital and 16th and JFK Boulevard. After a 11:30 rally, there will be a chance to do some lobbying on Capitol Hill and there may be a meeting with the staff of some of our members of Congress (or, if we can arrange it, the members themselves). The bus will leave Washington to return to Philly at 5:00 pm. Box meals will be provided in both… Continue reading

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Democrats threaten Medicaid, Too

  By Health Care, Published Op-Eds

Originally appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tuesday, July 05, 2011 After a public outcry stopped the Republican plan to radically transform Medicare, a new threat to our health care is coming, this time from a surprising direction. In the negotiations with Republicans about raising the debt ceiling, the Obama administration has proposed new rules for federal matching of state expenditures for Medicaid — we call it “medical assistance” in Pennsylvania — and CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program. These rules are troubling. They would lead to substantial cuts in federal support programs that provide health care to low-income children and parents, people with disabilities and senior citizens, including the 62 percent of seniors in Pennsylvania whose nursing home care is paid for by medical assistance. States now receive different matching rates for different groups of people. The federal government pays 50 percent to 75 percent of the costs for people currently… Continue reading

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Bush era tax cuts fall short

  By Federal Taxes, Published Op-Eds, Social Justice

Originally appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot News, July 3, 2011 Ten years ago last month, President George W. Bush signed a bill cutting taxes by $1.35 trillion over 10 years. It was the first of several Bush tax cuts that ended up costing two and a half trillion dollars over a decade. Dan Gleiter, The Patriot-News Ten years later, what have we gotten for this tax cut? Where is the prosperity President Bush promised? Pennsylvania’s official unemployment rate in June 2001 was 4.8 percent. Today, the seasonally adjusted rate is 7.4 percent. Nationwide, the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent. Today, it is hovering around 9 percent. At the end of last year, supporters of Bush’s policies pushed through an extension of the Bush tax cuts for another two years. Many lawmakers say they want to extend the tax cuts again into 2013 and beyond, which would almost double the federal… Continue reading

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The design behind the Republican voucher plans: Medicare and Education

  By Education, Health Care, Medicare, Published Op-Eds, Vouchers

Appeared in  the “Your View” op-ed column in the Allentown Morning Call on Friday, July 1, 2011 John Locke wrote that “a long train of abuses, prevarications, and artifices, all tending the same way, make the design visible to the people” Two voucher proposals, the Ryan Medicare plan in Washington and the Piccola education voucher plan in Harrisburg, show us the real design of the Republican Party today— to help the very rich by harming working people. Both proposals claim to address real problems. Congressman Ryan’s plan is meant to deal with the long term costs of Medicare. State Senator Piccola’s plan supposedly helps low-income kids who attend failing schools. However, the proposals will not meet those goals. The Medicare plan does nothing to reduce the costs of senior health care. Indeed, it repeals the Affordable Care Act which would reduce those costs by $500 billion in the first ten… Continue reading

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Pennsylvanians thank Senator Casey for standing up for Medicare

  By Medicare, Penn ACTION

On Thursday, June 2nd, about 65 Philadelphians brought together by Penn ACTION, Action United, the Alliance for Retired Americans and SEIU gathered with residents of the Philadelphia Senior Center to personally thank Senator Casey for his vote against the Ryan budget bill that would change both change Medicare as we know it to a voucher system, which would double or possibly triple health insurance costs for seniors and cripple Medicaid. In the 24 hours leading up to the event, we received 100 letters from members of Penn ACTION thanking Senator Casey for supporting Medicare and Medicaid. These letters came from people who are on Medicare, people in their 50s looking forward to receiving Medicare, and even those in their 30s who are still a long way from receiving the benefits. The told many stories: about how Medicare helps people their healthcare bills so they can afford other goods; about how… Continue reading

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Take action: Call Mayor Nutter in support of the earned sick time bill!

  By Earned sick time, Penn ACTION, Take political action

At a time when working people are being kicked around in Harrisburg and Washington, Philadelphia’s City Council, today, stood against the tide and passed the earned sick time legislation. This legislation is a great victory for working people, as it enables workers to earn time that they can use when illness keeps them out of work. And like most legislation that helps working people, this bill helps the entire community as well. It is in all of our interest for people who have a cold, flu, or other communicable disease, to stay home rather than spread the disease to the rest of us. And that is especially important for people who work in restaurants and child care providers. The bill now comes before Mayor Nutter whose administration has qualms about it. So now we need to call Mayor Nutter at 215-686-2181, and tell him how important it is to sign… Continue reading

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Help hold Rep. Pat Meehan accountable for his support of the Ryan Budget

  By Health Care, Medicare, Penn ACTION, Take political action

Have you been wondering when Congressman Meehan will be hosting a town hall?  Do you have questions about his votes on critical issues like Medicare and taxes?  Well now is your chance.  Congressman Pat Meehan has set up a Twitter account to take questions from his constituents. Can you join us for a virtual rally tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21, between 12pm and 2pm by tweeting a question on Medicare? We want to ask Congressman Meehan the hard questions. He didn’t ask what we thought on Medicare before voting on the Ryan budget bill, so now is our chance. Can you join the rally by tweeting a question on Medicare to Congressman Meehan? Please be sure to use the #AskPat hashtag so that everyone joining us in this event can see each other’s questions.  Just click on the #AskPat hashtag or search for #AskPat at Twitter to see what people are… Continue reading