Tag: Featured
Health Insurance Cannot Be A La Carte
Health insurance only works if it covers your health care needs and mine. It only works if the pool is big enough. It really isn’t a case of priorities, because, if it were, then that numbers game would result in orphan diseases (very rare diseases that only affect a few) not being covered.
And, I sincerely doubt that those advocating for not covering birth control and maternity coverage would be fighting against coverage for Adrenoleukodystrophy and Landau Kleffner syndrome – let alone Viagra. Know why? Because the debate now raging isn’t about the ACA. It’s, once again, about women and sex. It’s just another branch of the war against women, and the men who love them.
Finance Committee Hearing on the Bonds for the MBNA Charters on Monday
We talked about this here, when this item first came onto the City Council calendar. Monday — January 6, 2014 — at 5:00 is the Finance Committee hearing that will explore this proposal in some detail. You can see the agenda for the meeting here — this is the only item on the schedule. The meeting is open to the public, and is going to be held in the 1st Floor Council Workshop room (next to the Council Chambers) in the Redding Bldg. Pass this info along to anyone you think will be interested in what happens here.
ObamaCare A Qualified Success
We’re 90 days past Sebelius’s near catastrophic launch. In spite of amazing roadblocks, Republican resistance and sabotage, Republican governor’s further undermining a key element to serve the health needs of our poorest citizens, and what our President had the honesty to characterize as “self inflicted wounds”, We’ve got a success here.
Honoring the 2013 MVP’s (Most Valuable to the Progressive Cause)
One of the people in the picture to the left is the MVP this year. There were several worthy contenders who just missed the list this year. Superior legislators like Melanie George Smith and Michael Barbieri deserve consideration every year. Ed Osienski is fast approaching that status. Helene Keeley and Kim Williams were on my list at one time or another during my deliberations.
2013 was a great year for social justice in Delaware. Economic justice, not so much. However, I am encouraged that at least three strong voices for progressive principles joined the General Assembly this year, and a couple of Leg Hall vets found their voices as well. The progressive grassroots became more effective this year, and helped ensure historic victories that would not have happened without their support. Marriage equality, transgender equality, and justice for manufactured home owners, being among them.
The most notable omission from my list, and I struggled with it, is Governor Jack Markell. His role in hastening civil rights for the LGBT community will most assuredly be his lasting positive legacy. But, his actions in slowing the passage of minimum wage; his continued pushing for corporate education solutions and favoring charter schools; his granting of a tax cut for Delaware’s wealthiest citizens; his almost-disastrous actions concerning the Port of Wilmington; and several others, led me to omit him from the list. At best, the good and the bad canceled each other out. And, no, you don’t have to take the bad with the good. Or at least you shouldn’t accept it. I don’t.
Now to the list….
Corrupt Politics, But No Charges
That is the title of the NJ article that tries to summarize the investigation that resulted in the recent report from special prosecutor E. Norman Veasey. If you are interested, you can also read the entire 101 pages of the report here (pdf). I haven’t finished reading the whole of the document, but here are a few thoughts:
Senator Coons, Too Many Cooks In the Iran Kitchen
Well, maybe living in a Blue state is not all its cracked up to be after all. I now read that Senator Coons has signed onto the Menendez bill with some of the worst the Republican party has to offer to mess with the Iran peace/nuke disarmament recipe.
The Year End Chip Flowers Fingerpointing
This is a comment rescue, from a piece that John Manifold linked to for us from Delaware State News, where Chip Flowers is still trying to avoid taking responsibility for the basic management of his office. This time, he wants you to know that the OMB is responsible for terminating an exempt employee that he hired. And “politics” is at fault for the OMB leaving him with the Personnel bag, as it were, even though the employee has already resigned and is done with her medical leave:
Eliz. Warren Gets It Right On Credit Score Bullies
I read with interest that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is submitting legislation to regulate and rein in consumer credit scoring companies on their abuse of our citizens. This warms my populist heart. It mainly aims at employer’s use of this unreliable and often inaccurate information but at least it is a start for us consumers/job applicants.
2013: The Good, The Bad, the Ridiculous
I am El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic. Today, one of my faves, my Delaware year-end review. I went back to January, and chronologically went through our Delaware Liberal archives. Man, our bloggers were en fuego this year. Incredible work from all corners. Cassandra on Wilmington and loads of other stuff, Pandora on education, Jason330 on the suckitude that is our congressional delegation, our beloved leader DelDem liveblogging from the Hall and covering national politics like no other, great Rob Tornoe cartoons. And, next year, ProgressivePopulist will have loads of great entries. Anyway, y’all could do a lot worse than to go back to January and enjoy the journey like I did. You can just click on ‘archives’ at the bottom of the page, and enjoy the journey.
Would it surprise you to learn that I considered only 12 possible entries for the Good? Didn’t think so. I had lots more to choose from in the other two categories, but I’m kind-of a negative person. So, here we go, have at it!
Meet The Best Health Care, The VA
Yes, the best health care in the USA is the VA. Not private, for profit care but the system owned and run by the people of the United States, via the federal government. Yes, government healthcare that is essentially socialized medicine.
The 62 Project: #’s 23 & 39
Bethany Hall Long found herself in the spotlight this session as she was one of the identified ‘undecided’ votes on gay marriage. At first, she reportedly told confidants that her father would disown her if she voted for the bill. However, the right-wing evangelicals in her district spewed their hatred, and Hall-Long had had enough. She made clear that such intolerance was unacceptable and, along with Sen. Cathy Cloutier, her yes vote made the difference in passing HB 75 in the Senate. She also supported transgender equality later in the session. She voted against putting an end to the death penalty, but voted for the minimum wage increase. Her bill sponsorship is largely focused on health-related bills, which makes sense as she chairs the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. However, her knowledge of the intricacies of these issues enables her to be more than just a sponsor pushing through administrative initiatives. She is often involved in working groups developing consensus best-practices proposals.
John Viola was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, defeating longtime incumbent and JFC co-chair Rich Davis, 1897-1802. Davis, a classy guy, said that Viola won because ‘he outworked me’. No recriminations, just a tip of the cap on his way out of Dover. Viola has not had serious opposition since, with the R’s polling no more than 20.1% in those odd instances when they bothered to muster a challenge at all. The best that you can say about John Viola is that he ‘does no harm’. Some people are confirmed bachelors, Viola is a confirmed back-bencher. Nothing especially wrong with that. He’s generally a reliable vote for Democratic priorities. He supported gay marriage, transgender equality, payday loans, criminal background checks for gun purchases, and most other positive initiatives. My main issue with Viola is that he is a legislator who benefits from Delaware Way shenanigans.
Please, Wilmington City Council, Do More Than This!
Last night, one more young person was shot and killed in Wilmington. It is one more tragedy in a city that can’t really take much more of this. But the other thing that the city really can’t take more of is its leadership not facing this issue head on. Last Thursday, the Wilmington City Council passed a resolution asking for the CDC to come to Wilmington to study the causes of violence here.
Day 70 In Pursuit of ACA Health Care
My spouse started her attempt to replace a sub-standard health insurance policy 70 days ago. She is and was a huge supporter of the ACA compromise legislation as also am/was I. We were both big supporters of single payer, still are, but understand political compromise.
Recent Comments