Month: October 2009

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Support Dawn Smith as she confronts CIGNA tomorrow

  By Health Care

Businesses often do things that harm innocent people or the public. But the health insurance industry is the only business in America that ties to increase its profits by deliberately targeting people who are sick or likely to be sick. Dawn Smith has a rare but treatable brain tumor and health insurance with CIGNA. But CIGNA has been denying her the health care she needs. And recently, CIGNA raised the co-pay for her pain medication from $10 to $1000. Dawn has traveled from Atlanta to Philadelphia in a mobile home to demand a meeting with CIGNA’s CEO, Ed Hanway. A rally with Dawn will take place tomorrow, Thursday, October 15 at noon at CIGNA’s headquarters at 2 Liberty Place (16th St and Chestnut St). Can you take a few minutes to join us in support of Dawn! RSVP here. The actions we are doing here are making the case, throughout… Continue reading

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Press Coverage and other reports on our Cigna civil disobedience event

  By Health Care

We got a fair amount of press coverage of our civil disobedience action last week. And people also posted video of most of the event. There was a good report about the campaign in general I the Philadelphia Inquirer There was a radio report on KYW Local TV coverage Coverage of HCAN protest & arrests at CIGNA: NBC 10, 5 pm, 10/6/09 Coverage of HCAN protest & arrests at CIGNA: Fox 29, 5 pm, 10/6/09 Blog posts on FireDogLake http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8795 http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8784 Two of our blog posts explaining what we did and why: http://blog.hcanpa.org/?p=204 http://blog.hcanpa.org/?p=206 YouTube Overview of event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI56EMceY50 More Complete Video coverage on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSlK3w6Vw08&feature=related Rally followed by Introduction by Marc Stier and stories about insurance company abuses. Stacie Ritter telling her story, Joan Kosloff talking about her son, Eric Julian Aycox , Michael Ladson talking about his younger brother Samuel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TroigMwRgNI Dawn Smith’s story told by Ray Torres… Continue reading

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Fourteen hours in the lock-up

  By About me

It wasn’t much fun. Indeed for most of the time it was excruciatingly boring. But it was an interesting experience and I learned something from my almost fifteen hours in the lockup at police district 9. Of course, I could have learned most of this in a shorter period of time. If they ever give opportunities to be jailed for, say, three hours tops, you should grab it. Continue reading

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Why Were Arrested Yesterday

  By Health Care

Click here to send a fax to your Members of Congress and let them know that you consider the insurance industry to be engaged in criminal behavior. Dennis Short Joan Kosloff, Michael Ladson, Ray Torres and I were arrested yesterday at 12:30 pm for blocking the doors to CIGNA’s world headquarters in Philadelphia today. The fourteen hours I was in jail were not much fun—although it was a day in the park compared to the suffering that insurance companies in America regularly deal out not only to those they refuse to insure and but those they do insure. The crowded cell, noise, stench, stale air, and hard steel bench were not were not really conducive to thought. But I had time on my hands and spent some of it thinking about how to explain, especially to those of you who may have had some doubts about our action, why we turned… Continue reading