DECLARATION OF FREEDOM

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Friday August 28, 2020 · 10:32 AM PDT

2020/08/28 · 10:32

9 Freedoms: Demand a ray of hope for health justice.

9 Freedoms of Health Justice

We, the People of the United States, demand comprehensive healthcare as a right, including (but not limited to) the following freedoms:

1. FREEDOM to obtain medically necessary care regardless of personal financial means.

2. FREEDOM to get comprehensive care regardless of employment.

3. FREEDOM to obtain primary and preventive care, medical, dental, mental healthcare, prescription drugs, addiction treatment, hearing and eye care, women’s healthcare and pediatrics, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, long term care, and other medically necessary services and products.

4. FREEDOM to choose doctors, hospitals and other providers regardless of “networks” or other fabricated obstacles restricting access to care.

5. FREEDOM to obtain needed care free of charge at point of service with no bills, medical debt or fear of resulting financial burden.

6. FREEDOM from the need to self-ration necessary care and prescription drugs.

7. FREEDOM to obtain care without excessive paperwork. This can mean simply show a card, get treated, go home.

8. FREEDOM from health insecurity — such as fear and stress stemming from uncertainty about qualifying for needed care or paying for it.

9. FREEDOM for patients and providers to thrive in a true “free market.”

To enable these freedoms we call on Congress to enact universal healthcare as embodied in HR 1384, the Medicare for All Act of 2019, or equivalent, and do it swiftly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, we affirm that economic studies show universal healthcare will produce significant net job growth while removing a drag on wages.

To ensure sustainability, we support the single-payer concept endorsed by more than 200 economists in their May 21, 2019 open letter to Congress and 2,000+ physicians in their January 21, 2020 letter in the New York Times.

We note that economic analyses across the political spectrum show single-payer can save us taxpayers and families hundreds of billions of dollars a year through administrative efficiencies and other cost savings — freeing up potentially trillions of dollars per decade for productive use — thus stimulating the economy while benefiting those of us who own businesses or are self-employed.

———

We declare our right to these freedoms. We demand that foot-dragging members of Congress stop depriving us of them. People are sick and dying. No more excuses: the time to act is now.

Stunning new Quinnipiac poll: Sanders 10 times more likely to beat Trump!

ari9999

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Thursday March 24, 2016 · 9:46 AM PDT

2016/03/24 · 09:46

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore,Wikipedia Commons

Upcoming primary voters: Want to make absolutely, positively sure Donald Trump does not take office ten months from now? Then force him to face Bernie Sanders in November.

The latest Quinnipiac poll, released yesterday (3/23/16), shows Sanders with a greater-than-tenfold better chance than Clinton of beating Trump.

The poll throws into doubt that Clinton could even beat Trump. With a Clinton candidacy we could all be watching President Drumpf be sworn into office next January. A frightening prospect.

Even big bad Trump d eclares he would rather face Clinton in November. The new Quinnipiac poll explains why he’s scared of Sanders.

Here are the new Quinnipiac poll findings and how I interpret them:

CLINTON 46, TRUMP 40 in a November matchup, according to Quinnipaic.

But there's a plus-or-minus 2.6 percent margin of error. So the result could be...

CLINTON 43.4, TRUMP 42.6 — Clinton's low end against Trump's high end, within the poll’s margin of error.

Notice, it leaves just 0.8 percent between Clinton and Trump — such a slim lead, it’s all but meaningless this early in the general-election season.

The implication: Clinton and Trump are a virtual tossup. Flip a coin and we could be watching The Drumpf take office.

But OMG, look at Quinnipiac's result for Sanders versus Trump:

SANDERS 52, TRUMP 38 — a 14-point landslide.

Now let's adjust for Quinnipiac's 2.6-percent margin of error:

SANDERS 49.4, TRUMP 40.6. That is Sanders' low vs. Trump's high, within the margin of error.

The spread in Sanders' favor? Still a solid 8.8 percent — more than ten times greater than Clinton's almost nonexistent spread in the November election.

These poll numbers show that Sanders is the ONLY way to ensure that Trump does not win in November.

Oh, and by the way: in the same poll, voters gave Sanders a 50-percent POSITIVE favorability rating.

Clinton? 56-percent NEGATIVE.

That's a greater-than-100-percent difference! The spread is so yuuuuge, it would be humorous if the issue were not so serious.

(Note: Bernie Sanders is the only major candidate with any positive rating, let along a strong one. I think it says a lot about American politics and, by contrast, about Sanders.)

So, headline rhetoric aside, are you serious about keeping Donald Trump out of the White House?

If yes, you have only one sure course: deny Trump what he really wants, the opportunity to face Clinton.

Please, go to the polls. Cast a vote for Sanders in your state's upcoming primary. Make sure Trump faces the one candidate who is certain to beat him.

Because other states have voted, it is up to you. YOU are now responsible for ensuring that Sanders faces Trump.

Please protect us from the tossup chance of a Trump presidency.

And thanks for listening.

WTF?! Immigration judge insists 3-year-old can represent herself at hearing

ari9999

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Saturday March 05, 2016 · 9:33 AM PST

2016/03/05 · 09:33

720px-Seal_of_the_United_States_Department_of_Justice.png — The DOJ can't explain its own motto, calling it "somewhat enigmatic." In some modest way, could this in turn help explain why the DOJ is so screwed up?

You can't make this stuff up. US Department of Justice immigration judge Jack H. Weil insists 3-year-olds can represent themselves without legal counsel at deportation hearings, as reported yesterday (3/4/16) by the Washington Post.

“I’ve taught immigration law literally to 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds,” Weil said. “It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience. They get it. It’s not the most efficient, but it can be done.”

What's worse, Weil isn't just any judge. He's a senior DOJ official who trains immigration judges. He also teaches a college course, "Bias and Ethics for Administrative Law Judges."

Weil's eye-popping comment on children wasn't a casual slip. He stated it in sworn testimony in an ACLU lawsuit — and twice repeated his assertion to make clear he really meant it.

There is so much wrong here, I hardly know where to begin.

I recommend reading the entire WaPo story, but here’s a tidbit:

Legal and child psychology experts ridiculed Weil’s assertions, noting that key milestones for 3- and 4-year-olds include cooperating with other children, saying simple sentences and building towers of blocks.

“I nearly fell off my chair when I read that deposition,” said Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple University, who is a witness for the plaintiffs in the Seattle case. “Three- and 4-year-olds do not yet have logical reasoning abilities. It’s preposterous, frankly, to think they could be taught enough about immigration law to be able to represent themselves in court.”

A DOJ spokesperson took a shot at damage control. She said:

Jack Weil was speaking in a personal capacity and his statements, therefore, do not necessarily represent the views of...the Department of Justice.

Judge Weil's statements do not necessarily represent DOJ's views. Which means actually they might, as the DOJ is admitting to us.

Further, it appears the Department of Justice lied about Judge Weil speaking in a "personal capacity."

Ahilan Arulanantham, deputy legal director at the ACLU of Southern California and the attorney who questioned Weil in the deposition, said... “This is the person in charge of training immigration judges about how to treat children? And this is the witness the government puts forward to present their views as to how this is supposed to happen? That is horrifying."

Then there's the issue of fairness. Under current rules:

...children charged with violating immigration laws have no right to appointed counsel, even though the government is represented by Department of Homeland Security attorneys.

Toddlers versus Homeland Security lawyers! As I said, you can't make this stuff up.

Perhaps the issue could be settled with a new rule: in these hearings, no government representative can be older than the child who's charged with immigration law violations. Picture it: 3-year-olds against 3-year olds!

Now that would be closer to a fair contest — something DOJ officials should have learned in kindergarten.

Meanwhile, said ACLU attorney Arulanantham,

Weil’s assertions “are going to be a significant issue in the case.”

I sure hope so.

Brave editor takes credit unions to the woodshed

ari9999

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Tuesday February 09, 2016 · 12:45 PM PST

2016/02/09 · 12:45

CU Times executive editor Heather Anderson penned a shocker of an op-ed.

I know all you kossacks read Credit Union Times. Right? In case you missed it, a few days ago CU Times executive editor Heather Anderson did a really brave thing.

In a 2/4/16 op-ed, "The CFPB Is Right About Overdrafts," Anderson tells credit union managers to stop harming their members (depositors) with overdraft fees, the way most banks do:

...the average bank overdraft charge is $30. The average credit union charge is $29.

She reminds them how big this problem is:

More than 40 million Americans overdraw their checking accounts each year, roughly 12.5% of the population. I’d imagine that percentage climbs significantly among those of modest means.

As of June 2015, overdraft fees topped $32 billion on an annual basis. If credit unions claim roughly 10% of the financial services market, that’s $3.2 billion in annualized overdraft fees.

She adds:

Credit unions aren’t financial nannies, but a little compassion would be nice.

...For years, consultants have told credit unions that young members want transaction accounts that don’t go negative. Credit unions have ignored them, and then have the nerve to wonder aloud why the average member age keeps rising.

Wow! Is this any way to talk to one's readers and subscribers? Apparently, yes!

A dash of truth-telling is occasionally required, but few editors — least of all editors of mainstream industry publications — have the grit to actually deliver the necessary, as Anderson has done.

I think this lady has guts. She may have riled up a bunch of her subscribers, but I hope credit union managers take her critique in the spirit in which she intended it: as a wakeup call to somehow find a way to do the right thing. Somehow.

Anderson acknowledges how difficult this could be:

...drastically reducing overdraft income would threaten safety and soundness for many credit unions.

That’s because many CUs rely on overdraft fee income to survive. If they do away with these high fees, how will they stay afloat? Should credit unions just shut their doors and tell their members to go bank at Chase?

How can CUs add some extra income, and remain sustainable, while not hurting their members? Anderson doesn't say. It's an open question, and a vital one.

But despite this huge unsolved problem, she doesn’t back off, not an inch:

Income inequality is a growing problem in America. The popularity of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is evidence of that. Remember a few years ago at NAFCU Caucus when Sanders was booed on stage when he said redistribution of wealth was necessary? Most of you think he’s crazy, but millions of American voters who aren’t earning six figures think otherwise.

...The well-off don’t worry about overdraft fees, and in the rare instance they do, it doesn’t harm their household budgets. However, when a poor American is hit with a $29 fee, the domino effect can be severe.

Darn right. Credit unions have to figure this out — somehow. If it takes a courageous editor to hustle them along the path, so be it.

You go, Ms. Anderson!

Starring Hillary Clinton as...The Bride of Wall Street!!!

ari9999

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Friday February 05, 2016 · 10:34 AM PST

2016/02/05 · 10:34

She wanted to be president...but was owned by BANKSTERS! Thrill to the HORROR!!!

The Bride of Wall Street. . .wedded to Goldman Sachs, the Vampire Squid!

“Blind to her own greed!” —Washington Post

Grasping tens of millions from billionaires and banksters!!!

Coming soon to a polling place near you!

New Contract with America. Yep, on Friday the 13th.

ari9999

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

Friday November 13, 2015 · 5:37 PM PST

2015/11/13 · 17:37

Bloomberg reports that Congressional wingnuts are drafting a born-again Contract with America.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus are preparing a "Contract With America II" that would call for. . .replacing Obamacare, overhauling entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and repealing the estate tax.

[It] also calls for legislation to slash government regulations by 20 percent, cut corporate tax rates and expand offshore oil drilling.

But wait, there's more. The early draft obtained by Bloomberg. . .

. . .calls for closing corporate tax "loopholes" and cutting the top corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent; banning federal funds for Planned Parenthood and other groups that perform abortions; overhauling entitlement programs and enacting measures "to promote workfare, not welfare."

This heartwarming news emerged today. You know, Friday the 13th. Perfect.

In line with recent Supreme Court rulings, the new Contract will contain a forced-arbitration clause: opposition will be evaluated and summarily crushed by a panel of 'judges' vetted by the Tea Party and funded by the Koch brothers.

You know, kind of like forced-arbitration clauses in the fine print of most consumer and labor contracts these days.

So, what did you expect?

Poll

48 votes Show Results

What's your take on the new Contract with America?

48 votes Vote Now!

What's your take on the new Contract with America?

Hate it!

14 votes

This is a joke, right?

32 votes

Love it!

2 votes

To anti-Muslim protesters who flaunt their 'equipment'...

ari9999

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

Friday October 09, 2015 · 11:33 AM PDT

2015/10/09 · 11:33

Hunter published a diary yesterday (10/8/15) about gun-toting anti-Muslim protesters.

I feel this poster applies especially to anti-Muslim protesters who feel the need to, uh, compensate.

ari9999

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Wednesday September 16, 2015 · 8:23 AM PDT

2015/09/16 · 08:23

New 2016 Bernie Sanders bumper sticker says it all.

For those special moments when "Enough is enough" just isn't...uh...enough.

Today, NPR made Sanders an unperson...at least for NPR listeners

ari9999

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Wednesday September 02, 2015 · 10:02 PM PDT

2015/09/02 · 22:02

NPR political correspondent Mara Liasson performed acrobatics before a live audience of radio listeners today (9/2/15) — twisting herself into a pretzel to avoid mentioning (whisper:) Bernie Sanders and his stunning campaign successes.

Her four-minute piece focused on Joe Biden and whether or not he would choose to enter the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. But halfway through, she veered to the existing Dem field — but mentioned only one name: Clinton.

Ironically, Liasson began this part of her, uh, analysis this way... (below the curlicue).

ari9999

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Tuesday July 28, 2015 · 2:51 PM PDT

2015/07/28 · 14:51

This is a tale of two op-eds.

On 7/22, Joe Dinkin published a piece at The Nation and Robert Reich posted at his own blog. Both focused on what happened at Netroots Nation days earlier.

Their perspectives were very different. Dinkin got it right. Though I'm a big Reich fan, his take fell short.

First, what happened at the event: Bernie Sanders (and Martin O'Malley) blew an opportunity to win hearts and minds of people of color.

Black Lives Matter protesters, fresh with outrage over the crazy-unjustified arrest of Sandra Bland and her subsequent death in police hands, shouted the names of black women who have died in police custody.

Dinkin:

With the protest, Sanders was presented an opportunity on a silver platter: He could overcome his perceived negatives and grow his base. All he would have had to do was act with a little humility.
But instead, he talked over the protesters, got defensive about his racial-justice bona fides, and stuck to his script. Essentially, he appeared to be arguing that economics and class trump all. For an audience mourning the death of Sandra Bland, a woman who was arrested at a traffic stop on the way to her new job before mysteriously dying in police custody, the jobs program Sanders suggested just didn’t seem like a sufficient answer.

How did Reich handle it? See below.
Read More

The Five Most Dangerous Words

ari9999

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Monday November 03, 2014 · 11:25 AM PST

2014/11/03 · 11:25

Dear Non-Voter:

I have to hand it to you. You are THE power in the United States. You will determine who controls the US Senate come January.

Polls find that you lean Democratic. Generally speaking, you're with the 99% and against the 1%. You want a fair break for ordinary folks instead of obscene breaks for the super-rich.

But by not voting, you virtually guarantee that Republican stooges of Wall Street and the super-rich will take power in Washington.

All you have to do is stay home on Election Day.

But here's the personal part, the face-yourself-in-the-mirror part. . .

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DECLARATION OF FREEDOM

Stunning new Quinnipiac poll: Sanders 10 times more likely to beat Trump!

WTF?! Immigration judge insists 3-year-old can represent herself at hearing

Brave editor takes credit unions to the woodshed

Starring Hillary Clinton as...The Bride of Wall Street!!!

New Contract with America. Yep, on Friday the 13th.

To anti-Muslim protesters who flaunt their 'equipment'...

New Sanders bumper sticker says it all

Today, NPR made Sanders an unperson...at least for NPR listeners

First Things First - Black Lives Matter

The Five Most Dangerous Words