Health care coverage for millions of U.S. children hangs in the balance

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Wednesday August 08, 2007 · 2:08 PM PDT

2007/08/08 · 14:08

There are currently 48 million Americans without health insurance, a large number of whom are children. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program, enacted a decade ago - intended to help kids whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but who have neither employer-paid insurance nor private health care policies - is now up for renewal.

This very successful program has broad bi-partisan support, but President Bush has threatened to veto, apparently, because SCHIP might work better than private insurance. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility...you’re really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government," Bush told the Washington Post Monday.

The House legislation, the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection or CHAMP Act, was passed along party lines Aug. 6 with a vote of 225-204. It authorizes an additional $50 billion in health care coverage over five years, benefiting 6 million children currently covered by SCHIP and an additional 5 million additional low-income children who are eligible but not receiving care due to funding shortfalls.

mrickard

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Monday July 02, 2007 · 10:48 AM PDT

2007/07/02 · 10:48

ACORN, the nation’s largest grassroots community organization representing low-income families, is holding a Democratic Presidential Candidates Forum at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia today, starting at 1 p.m., focusing issues of particular concern to low and moderate-income people.

The event is being simulcast at www.acorn.org/candidatesforum

Sen. Hillary Clinton, former senator John Edwards and Rep. Dennis Kucinich will answer questions from ACORN members, beginning at 2:45 p.m., which will be streamed on the ACORN Web site.

mrickard

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Monday June 25, 2007 · 2:16 PM PDT

2007/06/25 · 14:16

A June 22 New York Times editorial insinuated that John Edwards’ Center for Promise and Opportunity, "a nonprofit organization with the stated mission of fighting poverty," was merely a vehicle to finance his presidential campaign.

The writer, Leslie Wayne, asserts “the organization became a big part of a shadow political apparatus for Mr. Edwards after his defeat as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 and before the start of his presidential bid this time around.”

Despite that Edwards has talked about income inequality and “two Americas” from the beginning of his political career, the editorial calls the poverty center a “shadow political apparatus.” ACORN’s Wade Rathke writes this in his Chief Organizer blog about the Times story and Edwards’ motivations...

mrickard

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Thursday June 21, 2007 · 2:43 PM PDT

2007/06/21 · 14:43

Thirty-five ACORN members met yesterday with Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke and Fed. Gov. Randall Kroszner at the agency's headquarters in Washington DC to discuss the possibility of regulating predatory lending to slow the rate of home foreclosures.

The Federal Reserve Board has the authority to address mortgage problems, but had not done so, while an estimated 2.2 million U.S. home loans are predicted to foreclose as a result of subprime lending during the past decade.

Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke agreed to meet with ACORN representatives after the community organization held more than a dozen protests June 6 in front of Federal Reserve offices.

mrickard

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Wednesday June 20, 2007 · 10:29 AM PDT

2007/06/20 · 10:29

ACORN members called on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to ban predatory lending practices, and held press conferences and rallies two weeks ago in more than a dozen U.S. cities. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke quickly agreed to meet with ACORN representatives today to discuss regulating the lending industry to help forestall the torrent of home foreclosures.

Poll

24 votes Show Results

What should be done about the home foreclosure crisis?

24 votes Vote Now!

What should be done about the home foreclosure crisis?

Set a one-year moratorium to allow homeowners to refinance

4 votes

The Federal Reserve should regulate lenders

12 votes

It's a free market - let the chips fall where they may

8 votes

Give me your tired, your poor and a $5,000 fine.

mrickard

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Monday May 21, 2007 · 3:08 PM PDT

2007/05/21 · 15:08

Democratic and Republican senators reached a compromise on immigration Friday, but the result was a bill that satisfies no one.

The current bill offers legal status to 12 million immigrants already living in the United States – which some critics consider "amnesty." Illegal workers already in the United States could achieve legal status, receiving a temporary Z visa, but to become U.S. citizens, they would have to pay steep fines, periodically return to their home countries, wait at least eight years – and pay their own health insurance.

United States’ immigration policy has historically been oriented to uniting families, but this legislation provides limited means to petition for relatives.

mrickard

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Friday May 18, 2007 · 2:49 PM PDT

2007/05/18 · 14:49

Pundits consistently extol the importance of safeguarding children, yet child care continues to get short shrift. There are currently 12 million children under 5 year enrolled in child care in the United States today, yet the people who care for them are among the nation’s lowest paid workers.

A 1998 study conducted by the Center for the Child Care Workforce found that childcare workers’ hourly pay averaged just $6 – less than parking lot attendants. In New York City, where the cost of living is one of the highest in the nation, day care providers now earn about $19,000 per year.

But that might soon change. N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed an executive order last week, giving 60,000 home-based child care providers the right to unionize.

mrickard

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Thursday May 17, 2007 · 3:39 PM PDT

2007/05/17 · 15:39

An Arizona copper mining company is attempting to resume operations after having been shut down since 1999 when worldwide copper prices fell. But local residents, environmentalists and the El Paso City Council are opposing its permit approval due to concerns for public health.

The plant is located less than a mile from the New Mexico border where state officials said emissions had created arsenic and lead soil contamination, The Associated Press reported.

In October 2005, administrative judges ruled that Asarco’s permit should not be renewed because the company had been unable to prove it would not contribute to air pollution.

mrickard

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 07, 2007 · 5:17 PM PDT

2007/05/07 · 17:17

According to the Center for Responsible Lending, 2.4 million U.S. homes are projected to foreclose as a result of recent subprime lending. ACORN offices have been taking action to inform homeowners at risk of losing their homes of the options available to them to avert foreclosure. They are also putting pressure on lenders and legislators to place a one-year moratorium on seizures.

A new study released March 26 by Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit research group, showed Ohio to be the worst in the nation with regard to home foreclosures. The state’s foreclosures were up 25 percent since last year with more than 79,000 homes at risk.

mrickard

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Wednesday May 02, 2007 · 2:37 PM PDT

2007/05/02 · 14:37

It seems only logical that if we as a nation value public health that restaurant and hospitality industry workers should not come to work sick. Yet, 85 percent of food-service workers do not get paid time off when they are ill. To make matters worse, those workers, who usually get hourly pay that is lower than the minimum wage, cannot afford to take time off for illness. So, they come to work sick.

It does not take a policy expert to figure out this poses not only a public health concern, but concern for the children of workers’ without paid sick pay.

Connecticut took a step forward this past Friday when paid sick days legislation (SB 601) cleared the judiciary committee with a vote of 19-13. Forty percent of Connecticut workers are currently without paid sick days. The bill still needs to pass the Senate.

mrickard

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Monday April 30, 2007 · 10:04 AM PDT

2007/04/30 · 10:04

In a corner of New Orleans, next to the infamous 17th Street canal breached during Hurricane Katrina almost two years ago, there are signs of hope and grief – and evidence that so much more needs to be done.

Volunteers who come to this city acquire some understanding of American history circa 19th century, as well lessons in failed 21st century domestic policy, while lending a hand in the enormous rebuilding process that daily confronts New Orleans residents.

On a recent Saturday morning, I accompanied a group of ACORN volunteers who gutted a small, one-story brick house in the Gentilly neighborhood. Fourteen were students from Elon University in North Carolina and a dozen were bloggers from all over the country who post and contribute to First Draft, a progressive blog, averaging 2,500 readers a day.

mrickard

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday April 26, 2007 · 3:55 PM PDT

2007/04/26 · 15:55

The Bush administration announced today that federal housing assistance for more than 120,000 families displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina - and still living in trailers - will receive assistance through March, 2009. Assistance was scheduled to end Aug. 31.

ACORN has been pushing for months to get FEMA to extend assistance to hurricane survivors. Hundreds of ACORN members protested at FEMA headquarters in Washington March 12 and sent e-mails to members of Congress.

In addition, starting Sept. 1, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will take over responsibility from FEMA for managing housing for hurricane evacuees. HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson said the aid extension would cost more than $1 billion.

This transfer of authority is long overdue. HUD is experienced in managing housing while FEMA clearly is not.

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Health care coverage for millions of U.S. children hangs in the balance

Democratic presidential candidates answer questions at ACORN forum today

Edwards' motivations in advocating for the poor defended

ACORN members meet with Federal Reserve Leaders to discuss home foreclosures

ACORN to meet with Federal Reserve chair today on predatory lending

Give me your tired, your poor and a $5,000 fine.

N.Y. state child care workers get right to organize

El Paso smelter opposed due to air quality concerns

ACORN acting to stop home foreclosure epidemic

Connecticut legislature working toward passing paid sick days

New Orleans shows signs of hope and grief

Katrina survivors get extension of federal aid