Month: July 2008

Today, July 8, in Washington and about 50 cities around the country, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie, a new movement for health care reform will be born, Health Care for America Now! (HCAN). The Philadelphia HCAN kickoff will be held at 1 pm in the Caucus Room (Room 401), at City Hall. Confirmed speakers include • Liz McElroy, political director, AFL-CIO Central Labor Council. • Randy Barge a Presbyterian minister and board member of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. • Carolyn Banks, a member of Acorn who has had issues related to access to health care. • David Grande, MD, of National Physician’s Alliance We have invited the members of City Council, and Philadelphia State house and Senate members. HCAN is being created by a large number of organizations nationally and in Pennsylvania. It is co-chaired nationally by SEIU and AFSCME and our Pennsylvania organization is being brought together by SEIU,… Continue reading

I wrote this op-ed for Antoinette Kraus, who signed it when it was published by the Pottsville Mercury on June 30, 2008. Poll and poll shows that, after the economy, health care is the issue of greatest concern to people in our state. It doesn’t really matter whether people have health insurance or don’t have it; whether people are poor or rich; whether they are Democrats or Republicans. So why is the Republican leadership of the State Senate standing in the way of SB 1137 and HB 2005, two bills that would expand health insurance for the uninsured and reduce health insurance costs for those of us who have health insurance? Continue reading