Hi again, Kossacks. Thanks for the wonderful response to my first-ever diary. 1 for 1 in making the rec’d list is a pretty good ratio :) .
To reintroduce myself, my name is S.R. Sidarth, and I am the Communications Director at the Pennsylvania Democratic State Senate Campaign Committee.
With only 5 weeks left until Election Day, things are picking up in a number of our races. We are working hard here in Harrisburg and across the state to reduce our 4-seat deficit in the State Senate.
You might be asking, don't a Democratic Governor and House offset this deficit? Well, let me give you an example of why not.
Governor Ed Rendell has been pushing for a long time for a universal health care package that would cover EVERY Pennsylvanian. Due to the slim one-seat majority that Democrats enjoy in the House, only a watered-down version got through, called the Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (ABC) Plan. While the ABC Plan is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
Here is Governor Rendell's comment on its passage in March 2008:
"A plan to provide health insurance has been on the table for more than one year," Governor Rendell said. "There has been ample time for study and discussion of this issue. Uninsured individuals and small businesses from across the state are clamoring for relief and help. The time to act is now. I urge the Senate to follow the House’s lead and support ABC."
Unfortunately, that's when the bill went to the Senate, the graveyard of progress in Pennsylvania.
In the Senate, neither Governor Rendell's plan nor the House bill has seen the light of day. Instead, Senate Republicans have proposed a plan that would send people to health clinics. Why is that not a solution? First, NOT A SINGLE MORE Pennsylvanian would be insured. Second, the plan would mandate your health care provider and add another layer of bureaucratic red tape to our already jumbled health care system. That is not the answer.
Even worse, Senate Republicans will not even consider the ABC Plan until medical malpractice insurance is extended. I’m not here to argue about which provision is more important, but clearly these two serious issues should be considered in tandem. And playing political games-- and catering to special interest groups-- with public health is unacceptable.
Please help us continue to fight the good fight.
Stay tuned for an event our candidates are organizing on Friday, October 10th. That is when the fall legislative session ends. Can you imagine: our full-time legislators are working for a grand total of 9 DAYS OVER A 4-MONTH PERIOD through the end of the year?
In recognition of Senate Republicans’ hard work (and refusal to schedule any additional days to resolve our health care crisis, energy crisis, etc.), we will recap their legislative accomplishments (or lack thereof). We especially will focus on the 9th District, home to the Senate Majority Leader, the 15th District, home to the former Senate Majority Whip, and the 29th District, home to an out-of-touch 28-year incumbent.
Help us elect Senators who know the meaning of hard work and will take on the issues of the day. Thank you.
As an added bonus for slogging through my diary :) , here is the first TV commercial on the airwaves for 15th District candidate Judy Hirsh: