Monday, August 31, 2009
Video Lunch: Health Care Wars
From the Real News Network:
From pro-single payer to anti-government plans, a report from a town hall in Virginia with Howard Dean.
Texas Progressive Alliance Roundup - August 31, 2009
It's the week before Labor Day, and the Texas Progressive Alliance is hard at work bringing you the best of the Texas blogosphere. Here are this week's highlights.
The Texas Cloverleaf wonders why only one person showed up to a budget meeting where taxes are being increased in Denton County. No tea bags left?
Neil at Texas Liberal offered the fullest extension of the back of his hand to opponent's of Houston's Ashby High Rise.
TXsharon wonders what Governor Perry is thinking to appoint a global warming denier as the highest environmental official in Texas at a time when polling shows Americans support Obama on reducing greenhouse emissions and when the EPA has just confirmed water contaminated with hydraulic fracture fluid. Maybe the question should be: Does Perry think?
South Texas Chisme wants you to know that Medicare is a PUBLIC heath care option. Ciro, stand up. Henry, wise up.
Bay Area Houston has video of Republican Pete Olson punking himself punked at his own town hall meeting while trying to use a sick kid for political gain.
Lightseeker over at TexasKaos insists that we not hold health care reform hostage to solving the Abortion Wars. See this and more in his posting, Abortion Wars, Health care and Private Enterprise.
Off the Kuff analyzed some policy papers from Houston's leading Mayoral candidates, examining Gene Locke's crimefighting plan, Annise Parker's education plan, and Peter Brown's energy plan.
WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts about The good news health care reform would bring to TX-31 and Williamson County.
Setting a date for the eventual US Senate special election is all about the MoFo, according to PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.
This week, McBlogger asked a very good question... Why do we even care about Joe Lieberman?
At Texas Vox, Citizen Sarah reports on Houston Mayor and Senate Hopeful Bill White's Energy Security Policy, per his panel at Netroots Nation. Video included.
Teddy at Left of College Station covers the Chet Edwards town hall on health reform live from the Brazos Center, and then shares his thoughts on the town hall, and why a vocal minority is against health care reform. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines: remembering Senator Ted Kennedy.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Week in Headlines: Remembering Ted Kennedy
The American Prospect
Ted Kennedy: Keeper of the Liberal Flame
Mother Jones
Kennedy and Health Care, Then and Now
The Nation
The Fighting Liberal
The New Republic
Liberalism's Torch Bearer
New York Times
The Great Gradualist
Newsweek
Moving On
Salon
Ted Kennedy Wanted the Public Option
Slate
The Lion of the Senate
Time
Of Memory and the Sea
Washington Post
A Steady Voice
Ted Kennedy: Keeper of the Liberal Flame
Mother Jones
Kennedy and Health Care, Then and Now
The Nation
The Fighting Liberal
The New Republic
Liberalism's Torch Bearer
New York Times
The Great Gradualist
Newsweek
Moving On
Salon
Ted Kennedy Wanted the Public Option
Slate
The Lion of the Senate
Time
Of Memory and the Sea
Washington Post
A Steady Voice
Video Lunch: How Racism Impacts Pregnancy Outcomes
From Unnatural Causes:
UCLA obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Michael Lu believes that for many women of color, racism over a life time, not just during the nine months of pregnancy, increases the risk of preterm delivery. To improve birth outcomes, Lu argues, we must address the conditions that impact women's health not just when they become pregnant but from childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thoughts From a Town Hall
The crowd was lined up from the doors of the Brazos Center to Briarcrest Drive; all waiting for a chance to take part in the town hall on health care reform. While I waited in line I listened to the people around me, particularly to the two women behind me. What I heard could simply be described as the irrational fear of change that has been fermented by misinformation.
According to the women behind me Canadians pay 60% in personal income tax, however, according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 2005, Canadians tax burden is 31.6% of personal income comparable to a 29.1% tax burden in the United States. Also, the women behind said that Canadians have to pay an 18% tax on food, however, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is actually only 5%.
The evening began with a story from Vickie Buenger about her daughter, Erin, who passed away earlier this year after a seven year battle with neuroblastoma. She shared her daughter’s actual words about Edwards which described how he listened to her and took what she had to say seriously. It would be worth it to read Vickie’s opening remarks in full, and to read about how health care and illness affects people on a personal level.
After the introduction, Edwards gave his opening remarks. Then there was about twenty questions asked over the course of two hours. Of course all of the topics that you would expect to be covered where covered: abortion, death panels, reading of the bill, and health care for illegal aliens. Edwards was able to answer questions well, and usually I thought he answered them in a way that most people could understand and agree with. As a liberal I disagreed with someone of his answers, and I noticed that it was usually during those answers that he received the loudest boos. I thought it was very interesting that when I did not agree with the answer, many in the audience just did not believe his answer.
Overall the event was relatively calm, when compared to other more publicized town halls. The Young Conservatives of Texas (Texas A&M Chapter) where present at the town hall, and held up signs in the front of the room until the forum began. Cheers and boos could be heard during different times, but Edwards was really never shouted down or booed relentlessly during his answers. There were a few people that shouted out during the forum, only to be shushed by the crowd. The Brazos County Republican Party had a table outside the Brazos Center, and there was even someone standing at the table with a shirt on promoting “Texas Succession.” Also, with the exception of being unplugged rather rudely, I was not directly confronted by anyone who disagrees with health care reform.
There is a vocal minority in Bryan-College Station that fears anything that has to do with change, and they will voice their opinions about what they may think is wrong with the system but they will also voice their opinions about why that system does not need to change. The only thing I really saw at the town hall meeting was a group of mostly white middle class people that only desire that things will stay the same as they remember through rose color glasses, and that their “freedom” will not be taken away. Even if it means that someone else’s freedom is continued to be denied.
According to the women behind me Canadians pay 60% in personal income tax, however, according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 2005, Canadians tax burden is 31.6% of personal income comparable to a 29.1% tax burden in the United States. Also, the women behind said that Canadians have to pay an 18% tax on food, however, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is actually only 5%.
The evening began with a story from Vickie Buenger about her daughter, Erin, who passed away earlier this year after a seven year battle with neuroblastoma. She shared her daughter’s actual words about Edwards which described how he listened to her and took what she had to say seriously. It would be worth it to read Vickie’s opening remarks in full, and to read about how health care and illness affects people on a personal level.
After the introduction, Edwards gave his opening remarks. Then there was about twenty questions asked over the course of two hours. Of course all of the topics that you would expect to be covered where covered: abortion, death panels, reading of the bill, and health care for illegal aliens. Edwards was able to answer questions well, and usually I thought he answered them in a way that most people could understand and agree with. As a liberal I disagreed with someone of his answers, and I noticed that it was usually during those answers that he received the loudest boos. I thought it was very interesting that when I did not agree with the answer, many in the audience just did not believe his answer.
Overall the event was relatively calm, when compared to other more publicized town halls. The Young Conservatives of Texas (Texas A&M Chapter) where present at the town hall, and held up signs in the front of the room until the forum began. Cheers and boos could be heard during different times, but Edwards was really never shouted down or booed relentlessly during his answers. There were a few people that shouted out during the forum, only to be shushed by the crowd. The Brazos County Republican Party had a table outside the Brazos Center, and there was even someone standing at the table with a shirt on promoting “Texas Succession.” Also, with the exception of being unplugged rather rudely, I was not directly confronted by anyone who disagrees with health care reform.
There is a vocal minority in Bryan-College Station that fears anything that has to do with change, and they will voice their opinions about what they may think is wrong with the system but they will also voice their opinions about why that system does not need to change. The only thing I really saw at the town hall meeting was a group of mostly white middle class people that only desire that things will stay the same as they remember through rose color glasses, and that their “freedom” will not be taken away. Even if it means that someone else’s freedom is continued to be denied.
Local News: Edwards Holds Town Hall Meeting on Health Care
Health Meeting Raucous
By Matthew Watkins
From Bryan-College Station Eagle
The emotional forum lasted two hours, and 20 voters asked questions of the congressman. Of that 20, four expressed support for the health care proposal or said they wished the bill would do more, 13 expressed opposition to the bill and three didn't make their views clear.
Much of the dialogue was interrupted by jeers or applause from each side, and many audience members shouted at Edwards or other people in attendance.
The Democrat remained calm throughout the event as he paced back and forth on the Brazos Center stage with a microphone pinned to his lapel.
Much of the discussion, and much of the shouting, was about whether certain controversial items are included in the current bill in the House. One person asked whether government "death panels" would be created to determine whether it would be worthwhile to provide medical care to elderly patients. Edwards said emphatically that they wouldn't. Several others asked whether illegal immigrants would be provided any new services in the bill. They wouldn't, Edwards said.
Edwards stressed that he had not yet made a decision on how to vote, but he did lay out certain provisions that he hoped to see.
He said that he wouldn't support a single-payer, government-run health insurance plan similar to those in Canada and England but that he hadn't made up his mind on an optional government-run program that would compete with private insurers.
He said he supported reforming insurance to prevent companies from dropping or withholding coverage from patients with pre-existing conditions or imposing lifetime or annual caps on medical expenses. He also said he wanted the bill to expand coverage to many of the 46 million Americans who are currently uninsured.
"I think our goal ought to be to continue the public private-partnership that we have today and do the best we can to see that you have access to quality health care that nobody can take away from you," he said.
Many people who spoke at the meeting, however, raised concerns about the cost of the plan and the ability and right of the federal government to bring reform.
"I currently have a right to a private health care system if I want it," Tom Konderla said as many in the audience cheered. "Where does it say in the U.S. Constitution that the federal government can usurp that right and impose their will upon me as a citizen of the United States?"
Edwards responded that the federal government has been involved in health care for years by providing subsidies, health insurance for veterans and programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. He asked those in the crowd if they would support eliminating Medicare and Medicaid, and a large group raised their hands and said they would. Edwards countered that he believed such views didn't represent the opinion of the majority of his district.
Responding to the concerns about the cost of the bill, which is estimated at $100 billion a year over the next 10 years, Edwards said he would support only a bill that made it clear how the government would pay for it. In the current bill, half would be paid for by savings in the health care system and much of the rest would come from tax increases for people who earn more than $350,000.
The descriptions of tax increases brought loud jeers from many in the audience. A smaller but substantial group expressed support for the health care legislation and applauded many of Edwards' comments.
The crowd was energetic from the beginning, and at times seemed more like rival football fans than participants in a policy debate.
A line formed outside the building about two hours before the event began and stretched down the street by the time the doors opened.
Groups from both sides of the debate carried signs -- even though they were banned from the event -- and chanted as they entered the building.
In an apparent effort to eliminate any speculation that the questions were preselected, attendees wrote their names on cards as they entered the building. Members of the crowd then drew the names out of a bowl, and those selected were allowed to ask their questions.
"I think it is a great tribute to the citizens of this district that they showed up in such large numbers," Edwards said in a brief interview afterward. "I am glad they had an opportunity to express their views. ... My goal is to hear from all side of this issue."
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009
By Matthew Watkins
From Bryan-College Station Eagle
The emotional forum lasted two hours, and 20 voters asked questions of the congressman. Of that 20, four expressed support for the health care proposal or said they wished the bill would do more, 13 expressed opposition to the bill and three didn't make their views clear.
Much of the dialogue was interrupted by jeers or applause from each side, and many audience members shouted at Edwards or other people in attendance.
The Democrat remained calm throughout the event as he paced back and forth on the Brazos Center stage with a microphone pinned to his lapel.
Much of the discussion, and much of the shouting, was about whether certain controversial items are included in the current bill in the House. One person asked whether government "death panels" would be created to determine whether it would be worthwhile to provide medical care to elderly patients. Edwards said emphatically that they wouldn't. Several others asked whether illegal immigrants would be provided any new services in the bill. They wouldn't, Edwards said.
Edwards stressed that he had not yet made a decision on how to vote, but he did lay out certain provisions that he hoped to see.
He said that he wouldn't support a single-payer, government-run health insurance plan similar to those in Canada and England but that he hadn't made up his mind on an optional government-run program that would compete with private insurers.
He said he supported reforming insurance to prevent companies from dropping or withholding coverage from patients with pre-existing conditions or imposing lifetime or annual caps on medical expenses. He also said he wanted the bill to expand coverage to many of the 46 million Americans who are currently uninsured.
"I think our goal ought to be to continue the public private-partnership that we have today and do the best we can to see that you have access to quality health care that nobody can take away from you," he said.
Many people who spoke at the meeting, however, raised concerns about the cost of the plan and the ability and right of the federal government to bring reform.
"I currently have a right to a private health care system if I want it," Tom Konderla said as many in the audience cheered. "Where does it say in the U.S. Constitution that the federal government can usurp that right and impose their will upon me as a citizen of the United States?"
Edwards responded that the federal government has been involved in health care for years by providing subsidies, health insurance for veterans and programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. He asked those in the crowd if they would support eliminating Medicare and Medicaid, and a large group raised their hands and said they would. Edwards countered that he believed such views didn't represent the opinion of the majority of his district.
Responding to the concerns about the cost of the bill, which is estimated at $100 billion a year over the next 10 years, Edwards said he would support only a bill that made it clear how the government would pay for it. In the current bill, half would be paid for by savings in the health care system and much of the rest would come from tax increases for people who earn more than $350,000.
The descriptions of tax increases brought loud jeers from many in the audience. A smaller but substantial group expressed support for the health care legislation and applauded many of Edwards' comments.
The crowd was energetic from the beginning, and at times seemed more like rival football fans than participants in a policy debate.
A line formed outside the building about two hours before the event began and stretched down the street by the time the doors opened.
Groups from both sides of the debate carried signs -- even though they were banned from the event -- and chanted as they entered the building.
In an apparent effort to eliminate any speculation that the questions were preselected, attendees wrote their names on cards as they entered the building. Members of the crowd then drew the names out of a bowl, and those selected were allowed to ask their questions.
"I think it is a great tribute to the citizens of this district that they showed up in such large numbers," Edwards said in a brief interview afterward. "I am glad they had an opportunity to express their views. ... My goal is to hear from all side of this issue."
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Video Lunch: Why We Need Government-Run Universal Socialized Health Insurance
From Earthly Comics:
An explanation of why we need a public health insurance option from Earthly Comics.
Remembering Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy: Keeper of the Liberal Flame
Kennedy was the champion of the uninsured, the undocumented, and the forgotten.
By Harold Meyerson
From The American Prospect
He was, as he lay dying, new again. Ted Kennedy outlived the Reagan-Thatcher conservative era to which for so many years he led the opposition. He played a key role in putting Barack Obama in the White House, creating the possibility for a renaissance of American liberalism, the cause he led for the past four decades. He came to Washington one last time to vote for the kind of Keynesian stimulus that had been out of favor in the age of laissez-faire but that embodied, however imperfectly, Kennedy's belief that government had the ability and the duty to create an economy that not only mitigated capitalism's excesses but made it work for ordinary Americans.
He did not get to liberalism's promised land, of course. The universal health coverage he'd fought for throughout his career is still unrealized; his death may make it harder to realize, at least in the immediate months to come. Labor law remains unreformed, and America's 12 million undocumented immigrants still live in the shadows with no legal path to citizenship. These were all battles that Kennedy would have led; he was the go-to guy, the champion, the orator, the deal-maker for the uninsured, the undocumented, the unable-to-join-unions; the senior senator from Massachusetts and for all the excluded in American life.
I was fortunate to have been in the room when he was at his greatest, at a succession of speeches beginning at the Democratic Party's Midterm Convention in Memphis in 1978. Kennedy and the United Auto Workers had been pushing the Carter administration to bring an ambitious plan for universal health care to the Hill, but Carter demurred. The administration also began moving away from classic New Deal economic policies, deregulating industries and cutting back spending as joblessness spiraled. Increasingly, it was Kennedy who spoke out against many of these changes. At Memphis, Carter delivered a lackluster speech that won a tepid response, but Kennedy absolutely electrified the delegates with a passionate address on the need for universal health care. The delegates stood and cheered straight through the last two minutes of Kennedy's delivery -- his voice was so resonant that he concluded, rightly, that he could be heard even over the din. The speech laid out and created the momentum for his coming challenge to Carter.
(It also set the template for a Kennedy convention speech. There was in Kennedy's podium presence a kind of old-school stentorian formality, and a kidding of that stentorian formality, rolled into one. Like his brother John, he reveled in the rites of politics and certainly seemed to be having a very good time.)
Two years later came his greatest and most celebrated speech, at the 1980 Democratic Convention in Madison Square Garden, in which he devoted all of one sentence to endorsing Carter, who'd narrowly defeated him in the primaries, and the rest of the half-hour to making an impassioned case for what by then had become the embattled liberal cause. In the early primaries that year, Kennedy's had been an uncertain trumpet, but as his attacks on Carter's proto-neo-liberalism grew sharper and his defense of New Deal economics grew stronger, he began rolling up victories. By the time he got to the Garden, he was ready for the speech of his life.
The talk included characteristically elegant affirmations of the causes of women's and civil rights and biting attacks on Republican nominee Ronald Reagan and his crazy notions. It concluded with a moving description of the Americans Kennedy had met while campaigning who were suffering through hard times, and his pledge to continue fighting for them. But read today, what stands out is his opposition to the rightward movement of the economic mainstream and to the Democrats' retreat from their historic commitment to full employment. Even more, what stands out is his apprehension that the unionized, industrial America that anchored the nation's prosperity and the Democrats' popular majorities was giving way to a meaner economic order.
"My fellow Democrats and my fellow Americans," he began, "I have come here tonight not to argue as a candidate but to affirm a cause. I am asking you to renew the commitment of the Democratic Party to economic justice. I am asking you to renew our commitment to a fair and lasting prosperity that can put America back to work.
"Our cause has been, since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the cause of the common man and the common woman. Our commitment has been, since the days of Andrew Jackson, to all those he called "the humble members of society -- the farmers, mechanics, and laborers." On this foundation we have defined our values, refined our policies, and refreshed our faith.
Later, taking aim at the recession that Carter's Fed Chief Paul Volcker had engineered, Kennedy continued, "Let us pledge that we will never misuse unemployment, high interest rates, and human misery as false weapons against inflation. Let us pledge that employment will be the first priority of our economic policy. Let us pledge that there will be security for all those who are now at work, and let us pledge that there will be jobs for all who are out of work; and we will not compromise on the issues of jobs.
"These are not simplistic pledges. Simply put, they are the heart of our tradition, and they have been the soul of our party across the generations. It is the glory and the greatness of our tradition to speak for those who have no voice, to remember those who are forgotten, to respond to the frustrations and fulfill the aspirations of all Americans seeking a better life in a better land.
"To all those who are idle in the cities and industries of America let us provide new hope for the dignity of useful work. Democrats have always believed that a basic civil right of all Americans is that their right to earn their own way. The party of the people must always be the party of full employment.
"To all those who doubt the future of our economy, let us provide new hope for the reindustrialization of America. And let our vision reach beyond the next election or the next year to a new generation of prosperity. If we could rebuild Germany and Japan after World War II, then surely we can reindustrialize our own nation and revive our inner cities in the 1980s.
"Finally, we cannot have a fair prosperity in isolation from a fair society. So I will continue to stand for a national health insurance. We must -- We must not surrender -- We must not surrender to the relentless medical inflation that can bankrupt almost anyone and that may soon break the budgets of government at every level. Let us insist on real controls over what doctors and hospitals can charge, and let us resolve that the state of a family's health shall never depend on the size of a family's wealth."
This was a litany of causes soon to be lost, if they were not lost already. Industrial policy, jobs for the inner-city poor, universal health care -- these were causes that the Democrats discarded in the years that followed. Kennedy maintained his hold on the party's heart, but its head moved off to neo-land, to the more modest ambitions of a Gary Hart and Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton. No one could stir the Democrats like Kennedy, but his speeches to conventions increasingly became affirmations of tribal allegiance, not outlines of the policy directions that the party would take.
Besides, Kennedy had a separate arena for policy directions. After he lost the 1980 presidential primary contest, he became not only liberalism's public cheerleader but its foremost congressional deal-maker -- whether the deal was forestalling the worst excesses of Republican presidents or rounding up the votes for reforming immigration laws, creating the Americans with Disabilities Act, raising the minimum wage, or keeping Robert Bork off the Supreme Court.
By 2009, however, Kennedy's New Deal Democracy was new again. With Obama in the White House and the Democrats controlling Congress, the causes for which he fought are just a few maddening votes short of passage. Industrial policy has reappeared in the Democrats' lexicon. Re-regulation is in the air. Unions and health care, the causes of Kennedy's lifetime, are in furious battle on the Hill. The Democratic head and the Democratic heart are more closely aligned than they've been in decades.
More than any other American, Ted Kennedy kept liberalism's flame burning through the dark of the Reagan era. The liberals who continue his battles will need all the wit and smarts and joy and passion for justice that he brought to those fights.
Published on Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Video Lunch: Universal Health Care Message to Americans From Canadian Doctors & Health Care Experts
Canadian Doctors for Medicare hosted a celebration of Medicare in Canada. The speakers included Roy Romanow, former Saskatchewan Premiere and Commissioner on Health Care in Canada. They tell Americans that Canadian universal health care works and encourage Americans to implement a single payer universal health care systems.
Local News: Watch Edwards Town Hall Live on KBTX
KBTX.com to Stream Edwards' Healthcare Town Hall LIVE
Reporter: KBTX Staff
From KBTX
KBTX.com will provide live streaming video of Congressman Chet Edwards' town hall meeting on healthcare in Bryan Wednesday.
The event is one of three in-person town halls being held by the District 17 representative.
The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and last two hours. It will take place at the Brazos Center in Bryan, and the capacity for the event is 1,200.
In partnership with News Talk 1620, WTAW, KBTX.com is pleased to provide the Brazos Valley a chance to watch and listen to the local discussion on American healthcare reform.
Last week, Edwards held a telephone town hall with District 17 residents. Some 20,000 people listened in to some or all of the meeting.
Other in-person town halls being held by Edwards are in Waco on Saturday and Cleburne on Friday, September 4.
The following is the August 21 press release from Rep. Chet Edwards' Washington office concerning the town halls:
U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today announced details for his three regional town hall meetings in Brazos, McLennan, and Johnson counties. The first will take place in Brazos County on Wednesday August 26th, the second in McLennan County on Saturday August 29th, and the third in Johnson County on Friday September 4th.
Edwards said, “The issue of health care is vitally important to our families, businesses and nation’s future. By having open, honest and respectful discussions, I hope we can further the cause of protecting the strengths of our present health care system while addressing the concerns of rising health care costs.”
Congressman Edwards held a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday August 20th from 6:30-8:00pm with nearly 20,000 constituents participating in the call from all twelve District 17 counties. This week alone, Congressman Edwards is holding 19 meetings on health care with doctors, nurses, hospitals, small businesses, working families, and community leaders throughout the district. These meetings have been scheduled for weeks and dozens more will be held through Labor Day on the topic of health care.
“I am pleased with the productive nature of the 19 health care meetings with doctors, nurses, families, and community groups. Every meeting has been respectful and insightful, and it is clear that people want to learn how reform will affect them and their families.
Format: Questions for the town hall will be selected at random by an independent third party in a lottery system. District 17 Constituents who want to ask questions will fill out cards as they come in, and they will be called on randomly to ask their question. No printed signs, electronic or recording devices will be permitted.
Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Reporter: KBTX Staff
From KBTX
KBTX.com will provide live streaming video of Congressman Chet Edwards' town hall meeting on healthcare in Bryan Wednesday.
The event is one of three in-person town halls being held by the District 17 representative.
The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and last two hours. It will take place at the Brazos Center in Bryan, and the capacity for the event is 1,200.
In partnership with News Talk 1620, WTAW, KBTX.com is pleased to provide the Brazos Valley a chance to watch and listen to the local discussion on American healthcare reform.
Last week, Edwards held a telephone town hall with District 17 residents. Some 20,000 people listened in to some or all of the meeting.
Other in-person town halls being held by Edwards are in Waco on Saturday and Cleburne on Friday, September 4.
The following is the August 21 press release from Rep. Chet Edwards' Washington office concerning the town halls:
U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today announced details for his three regional town hall meetings in Brazos, McLennan, and Johnson counties. The first will take place in Brazos County on Wednesday August 26th, the second in McLennan County on Saturday August 29th, and the third in Johnson County on Friday September 4th.
Edwards said, “The issue of health care is vitally important to our families, businesses and nation’s future. By having open, honest and respectful discussions, I hope we can further the cause of protecting the strengths of our present health care system while addressing the concerns of rising health care costs.”
Congressman Edwards held a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday August 20th from 6:30-8:00pm with nearly 20,000 constituents participating in the call from all twelve District 17 counties. This week alone, Congressman Edwards is holding 19 meetings on health care with doctors, nurses, hospitals, small businesses, working families, and community leaders throughout the district. These meetings have been scheduled for weeks and dozens more will be held through Labor Day on the topic of health care.
“I am pleased with the productive nature of the 19 health care meetings with doctors, nurses, families, and community groups. Every meeting has been respectful and insightful, and it is clear that people want to learn how reform will affect them and their families.
Format: Questions for the town hall will be selected at random by an independent third party in a lottery system. District 17 Constituents who want to ask questions will fill out cards as they come in, and they will be called on randomly to ask their question. No printed signs, electronic or recording devices will be permitted.
Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Video Lunch: Sunday Show Roundup: No Rush
Your Daily Politics Video Blog: Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says health care reform is a little too difficult to do during an economic recession, so let's just put off the toughest decisions for another day. Plus, will John McCain condemn the "death panel" language used by his former running mate Sarah Palin? All that and more in today's Sunday Show Roundup.
Local News: Congressman Edwards Deliberates Vote on Health Care Reform
Edwards Says He's Still Deciding How to Vote on Health Overhaul Plan
By Matthew Watkins
From the Bryan-College Station Eagle
U.S. Rep Chet Edwards spent Friday in Brazos County speaking with constituents about health care. Almost everyone had a story to tell.
Kristine Weaver said she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer 14 years ago. She was pregnant at the time, and her doctor told her she had three months to live.
Her family was in good financial health, she said, but she was eventually forced to make a decision. She could stop getting treatments and die, or she could continue to fight for her life and bankrupt her family.
Weaver chose to fight and survived. Her family declared bankruptcy but has pulled itself back together, and she now works at the American Cancer Society in Bryan.
Because of her job, she said, she buys condolence cards in bulk to send to the families that weren't as fortunate.
"I can't tell you how many patients come into our office that have Stage 2 cancer and they die," she said. "I don't see that I am different than that person, but I happen to be in a position where I had insurance and can get help. I see people come in, and I know their cancer isn't nearly as bad as mine, but I am buying sympathy cards for their families."
She said the government must make an effort to provide health care to those families.
Each story and each varying opinion showed the difficulty Edwards faces in determining how to vote for the health care bill supported by President Barack Obama. Edwards said he had spent the past week speaking with residents across his district to help him form a decision.
In the 21 meetings he held in his district through this week, the Democrat has heard many perspectives.
Friday morning, Edwards spoke with patient advocates at the United Way of Brazos Valley headquarters in College Station. He met doctors and health care professionals at the School of Rural Public Health at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in the afternoon.
Dr. Tim Matthews, a pediatrician based in College Station who came to the afternoon meeting, said he had always looked out for the poor. He said when he started as a doctor in Navasota, he sometimes collected cash payments. If the fee was $7, but the patient could only pay $1, he said, he would collect the dollar and do the work.
He said he recently participated in a federal health care program so he could receive differential reimbursements for the care of disadvantaged children.
"I was excited to get to do that at first," he said, adding that he soon became frustrated. "The government bureaucracy of checking Box 3 on Page 2 and making sure that we are adhering to the guidelines stands in the way of taking care of my patients. I don't want the government to stand in the way of me taking care of my patients, going where they have to go and getting what they need to have done."
Edwards stressed repeatedly Friday that he would wait to make a decision on the health care bill until he had read the final version cover to cover and analyzed its impact. He did lay out some hopes and goals for the bill over the course of the day.
He said he would not support a single-payer, government-run socialized health insurance plan.
"Single-payer is not realistic within the Congress today, and I do think that within the district and throughout the country there is great concern about having Washington run the entire health care system," he said.
He also stressed that he would support only a bill that was budget-neutral and would not increase the national debt. The current bill, he said, would be paid for partially by tax increases for people who earn more than $350,000 a year.
Another goal, he said, was to lower significantly the number of people who are uninsured. Edwards praised estimates that the current bill in the House would find coverage for 97 percent of the public.
But Edwards didn't take a stand on the "public option" of a government-run health care plan that would compete with private insurers. He said he was still looking into the alternative of cooperative insurance groups that are run by their clients.
He said he did support reforming some of the ways insurance companies do business. Companies shouldn't refuse to accept patients or groups of patients because of pre-existing conditions, he said. Companies should also be willing to support more preventive care, he said.
As a small-business owner, Denise Fries, who owns Fries Financial Services in Bryan, said she had a hard time filling open positions because she was unable to provide her employees with health insurance if they had pre-existing conditions.
"Nobody wants us," she said. "For any price, we can't get group health insurance. I have to seek out employees who have spouses that work for A&M so they can use their insurance."
But Dr. Eric Wilke, director of emergency services at College Station Medical Center, expressed concerns about the side effects of seeking out equal access to health insurance.
"We talked about leveling the playing field, and we can only level the playing field if we lower it to the lowest common denominator," he said.
Some people who have poor health care may see no improvement because the government can't afford to provide top-flight health care for everyone, he said.
He expressed dismay that malpractice reform wasn't a top priority of Congress. Edwards said he supported leaving those legal issues to the states.
Edwards acknowledged that the health care issue had been divisive in recent weeks and said he had heard strong opinions from all areas of the spectrum about what should be done. He said that he had found a consensus that some kind of reform was necessary and that he would continue to meet with constituents during Congress' August recess.
He announced Friday that he would host a public town hall meeting at the Brazos Center on Wednesday. The event will take place at 6 p.m., and those who attend will be able to submit their names for a random drawing to ask questions.
No printed signs or recording devices will be allowed.
"I think there is a way to find common ground in this debate and come up with a health care plan that is paid for and that protects the quality of the great private-public partnerships we have in health today and at the same time reduces the cost of health care and helps those falling through the cracks," he said.
Published Saturday, August 22, 2009
By Matthew Watkins
From the Bryan-College Station Eagle
U.S. Rep Chet Edwards spent Friday in Brazos County speaking with constituents about health care. Almost everyone had a story to tell.
Kristine Weaver said she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer 14 years ago. She was pregnant at the time, and her doctor told her she had three months to live.
Her family was in good financial health, she said, but she was eventually forced to make a decision. She could stop getting treatments and die, or she could continue to fight for her life and bankrupt her family.
Weaver chose to fight and survived. Her family declared bankruptcy but has pulled itself back together, and she now works at the American Cancer Society in Bryan.
Because of her job, she said, she buys condolence cards in bulk to send to the families that weren't as fortunate.
"I can't tell you how many patients come into our office that have Stage 2 cancer and they die," she said. "I don't see that I am different than that person, but I happen to be in a position where I had insurance and can get help. I see people come in, and I know their cancer isn't nearly as bad as mine, but I am buying sympathy cards for their families."
She said the government must make an effort to provide health care to those families.
Each story and each varying opinion showed the difficulty Edwards faces in determining how to vote for the health care bill supported by President Barack Obama. Edwards said he had spent the past week speaking with residents across his district to help him form a decision.
In the 21 meetings he held in his district through this week, the Democrat has heard many perspectives.
Friday morning, Edwards spoke with patient advocates at the United Way of Brazos Valley headquarters in College Station. He met doctors and health care professionals at the School of Rural Public Health at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in the afternoon.
Dr. Tim Matthews, a pediatrician based in College Station who came to the afternoon meeting, said he had always looked out for the poor. He said when he started as a doctor in Navasota, he sometimes collected cash payments. If the fee was $7, but the patient could only pay $1, he said, he would collect the dollar and do the work.
He said he recently participated in a federal health care program so he could receive differential reimbursements for the care of disadvantaged children.
"I was excited to get to do that at first," he said, adding that he soon became frustrated. "The government bureaucracy of checking Box 3 on Page 2 and making sure that we are adhering to the guidelines stands in the way of taking care of my patients. I don't want the government to stand in the way of me taking care of my patients, going where they have to go and getting what they need to have done."
Edwards stressed repeatedly Friday that he would wait to make a decision on the health care bill until he had read the final version cover to cover and analyzed its impact. He did lay out some hopes and goals for the bill over the course of the day.
He said he would not support a single-payer, government-run socialized health insurance plan.
"Single-payer is not realistic within the Congress today, and I do think that within the district and throughout the country there is great concern about having Washington run the entire health care system," he said.
He also stressed that he would support only a bill that was budget-neutral and would not increase the national debt. The current bill, he said, would be paid for partially by tax increases for people who earn more than $350,000 a year.
Another goal, he said, was to lower significantly the number of people who are uninsured. Edwards praised estimates that the current bill in the House would find coverage for 97 percent of the public.
But Edwards didn't take a stand on the "public option" of a government-run health care plan that would compete with private insurers. He said he was still looking into the alternative of cooperative insurance groups that are run by their clients.
He said he did support reforming some of the ways insurance companies do business. Companies shouldn't refuse to accept patients or groups of patients because of pre-existing conditions, he said. Companies should also be willing to support more preventive care, he said.
As a small-business owner, Denise Fries, who owns Fries Financial Services in Bryan, said she had a hard time filling open positions because she was unable to provide her employees with health insurance if they had pre-existing conditions.
"Nobody wants us," she said. "For any price, we can't get group health insurance. I have to seek out employees who have spouses that work for A&M so they can use their insurance."
But Dr. Eric Wilke, director of emergency services at College Station Medical Center, expressed concerns about the side effects of seeking out equal access to health insurance.
"We talked about leveling the playing field, and we can only level the playing field if we lower it to the lowest common denominator," he said.
Some people who have poor health care may see no improvement because the government can't afford to provide top-flight health care for everyone, he said.
He expressed dismay that malpractice reform wasn't a top priority of Congress. Edwards said he supported leaving those legal issues to the states.
Edwards acknowledged that the health care issue had been divisive in recent weeks and said he had heard strong opinions from all areas of the spectrum about what should be done. He said that he had found a consensus that some kind of reform was necessary and that he would continue to meet with constituents during Congress' August recess.
He announced Friday that he would host a public town hall meeting at the Brazos Center on Wednesday. The event will take place at 6 p.m., and those who attend will be able to submit their names for a random drawing to ask questions.
No printed signs or recording devices will be allowed.
"I think there is a way to find common ground in this debate and come up with a health care plan that is paid for and that protects the quality of the great private-public partnerships we have in health today and at the same time reduces the cost of health care and helps those falling through the cracks," he said.
Published Saturday, August 22, 2009
Texas Progressive Alliance Roundup - August 24, 2009
School is starting, and the Texas Progressive Alliance is prepared as always to ace the test. Here is this week's roundup of blog highlights.
From TXsharon: Woo Hoo! EPA testing has now confirmed wells are contaminated “with various substances connected with gas drillingâ€--proof that hydraulic fracturing contaminates our drinking water. Even Motley Fool supports the FRAC Act and says industry is "crying wolf."
Should Texans care about NJ? The Texas Cloverleaf examines why the GOP thinks we should.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme says a 'Wise Latina' kicks Republican butt once again.
For a long time it has been universally agreed upon that people should engage in end-of-life planning, at least until right-wing pundits made end-of-life planning an easy but incidental target of their battle against health care reform. Xanthippas at Three Wise Men takes aim at these critics, and the very real harm they do to people with their dishonest and partisan attacks.
WCNews at Eye On Williamson shows why everyone must call their Represenatives and Senators because It’s time to end America’s health care emergency.
Off the Kuff spent the week following the Sharon Keller trial. He wasn't impressed by her defense.
Over at TexasKaos, jaxpagan gets us the scoop on Ted Poe's Town Hall meeting in a funeral parlor. Snark , with a wicked point!
At McBlogger, Harry Balczak takes a few moments to tell us what he thinks about Whole Foods and it's 'health care for all' hating CEO.
Neil at Texas Liberal is back from a two-week vacation that took him to Chicago, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. This itinerary is consistent with a post Neil made earlier this summer encouraging folks to visit the industrial midwest. With vacation over, it's time now to think of school and swine flu. It sure would help if more working people had paid sick days to help manage getting sick themselves and having kids sick at home.
John Coby at Bay Area Houston has some questions to ask Congressman Pete Olson at his town hall mtg on Aug 29.
Some of the very worst of Texas was on full display last week, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs documented the atrocities.
BossKitty at TruthHugger is still appalled at the chaos and conflict demonstrated by a Bi-Polar America trying to decide Who is Worthy of a Healthy Life and Who is Not.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Week in Headlines
Activism
Soldiers Who Just Say No
Texas Politics
Texas Heat Index Checks Truth of Candidate Claims
Politics
Bipartisanship Is Bad
Media
Why News Organizations Need a Facebook Strategy
Economy
Americans Working Much Harder – For Less Pay
Education
The Truth About Tuition
Environment
Kenya's Lions Could Disappear in 20 Years
Health Care
If Obama Discards Public Option, What's Left of Reform?
Civil Rights
Death Row Prisoner Wins Hearing
Immigration
Caught in the Desperation of Immigration Detention Centers
Reproductive Rights
Abortion Evangelist
Women’s Issues
Congo's Rape Epidemic Worsens
GLBT Issues
Gay Panic in Cowtown
Race and Racism
Breaking the Minority Attorney Drought
From the Blogs
Simple Green Frugal:
Brazos Locavores - Visit to Dogrun Farms
Capitol Annex:
Hutchison Makes Run For Texas Governor Official
Texas Vox:
Grassroots vs Astroturf- The Difference in Citizen Activism
Soldiers Who Just Say No
Texas Politics
Texas Heat Index Checks Truth of Candidate Claims
Politics
Bipartisanship Is Bad
Media
Why News Organizations Need a Facebook Strategy
Economy
Americans Working Much Harder – For Less Pay
Education
The Truth About Tuition
Environment
Kenya's Lions Could Disappear in 20 Years
Health Care
If Obama Discards Public Option, What's Left of Reform?
Civil Rights
Death Row Prisoner Wins Hearing
Immigration
Caught in the Desperation of Immigration Detention Centers
Reproductive Rights
Abortion Evangelist
Women’s Issues
Congo's Rape Epidemic Worsens
GLBT Issues
Gay Panic in Cowtown
Race and Racism
Breaking the Minority Attorney Drought
From the Blogs
Simple Green Frugal:
Brazos Locavores - Visit to Dogrun Farms
Capitol Annex:
Hutchison Makes Run For Texas Governor Official
Texas Vox:
Grassroots vs Astroturf- The Difference in Citizen Activism
Video Lunch: Democracy Now! Headlines
Headlines from Democracy Now!:
* 12 Die in Suspected US Drone Strike * Report: Blackwater Involved in CIA Drone Program * CIA to Release Torture Report * Lithuania Hosted Secret CIA Prison * Military Lawyers Questioned for Seeking to Identify CIA Torturers * Ridge: Bush Admin Tried to Raise Alert Level Before 04 Vote * 40 Killed in Iraq Violence * 26 Afghans Die in Election-Day Attacks * Thousands March in Honduras for Zelayas Return * Iran Allows Inspections at Nuclear Sites * Families Urge Iran to Free Jailed Americans * Scotland Frees Libyan Jailed for Lockerbie Bombing * Iraq, Afghan War Veteran in Murder-Suicide * Judge: U.S. Wrongly Froze Assets of Muslim Charity * FCC to Probe Wireless Industry
Local News: Health Care Telephone Town Hall
Chet Edwards, GOP Challengers Address Health Care Reform in Waco
By Regina Dennis (Tribune-Herald staff writer)
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
Central Texas residents who participated in a telephone town hall Thursday evening with U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, about health care reform were most interested in how the bill might affect their health care services.
“We’re a family of four, and we have private insurance through my husband’s employer. And we pay $300-plus a month for that. What changes could we expect from a health reform bill?” asked a woman identified as Jennifer from Waco. Only first names and cities or counties of residence were announced.
Patricia, a resident of Brazos County, asked “How will this affect our Medicare, because I am an elderly person?”
Edwards answered 13 questions during the 90-minute phone call about specific provisions in the bill being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Edwards told Patricia that the bill would not change Medicare services and would make some prescription drugs cheaper for senior citizens under the Medicare Part D program.
Edwards told Jennifer that the bill would still allow people to remain with their private insurance companies but help keep costs from skyrocketing.
“You might like your insurance today, but who knows, your husband’s employer could drop their health insurance altogether, or they might dramatically increase you premiums or the deductibles you have to pay,” Edwards said.
Jerry, of Hubbard, asked how the health care reform measures would be funded and whether the middle class would see any tax increase because of the legislation.
Edwards explained that half the reform measures would be paid for through reducing waste in Medicare program, $110 billion in concessions by pharmaceutical companies to provide cheaper prescriptions medicines to senior citizens under the Medicare Part D program, and getting more people to see primary care doctors instead of going to the emergency room for care. The other half of the costs would be covered through a health tax on those who make more than $350,000 a year, Edwards said.
“There has been some discussion in the Senate to look at other ways to raise revenue for the half of this bill not covered by cost reductions and reducing inefficiencies in our current system,” Edwards said, adding that the plan is expected to cost $100 billion per year. “However, even a bill that has other good things in it, if I am not convinced that it is fiscally responsible, I’m not going to support it.”
The questions also revealed some fears that the bill would lead to reduced quality of medical care. The final question of the night, from a man named Mike who lives in the southern part of Edwards’ district, focused on whether the country’s current medical staff would be able to handle the needs of an influx of newly insured patients or if rationing could be expected.
Edwards acknowledged that the current number of family care doctors in the country is insufficient but said the bill would encourage more new doctors to become primary care physicians by offering incentives to reduce the cost to practice. He also questioned the notion that the bill will introduce an overwhelming number of new patients into the health care system.
“Because of the high number of uninsured, those people are walking into our emergency rooms with no insurance at all, and some cases are true emergencies, but many of those cases are really primary care problems,” Edwards said. “The key is not that we will be adding that many people to the system but that we will be trying to put them through the system much more efficiently and have them see primary practice physicians as much as possible.”
Rob Curnock, a Republican who ran against Edwards previously and plans to run against him again, held a town-hall meeting in Waco on Thursday, which attracted more than 100 people.
Curnock said the meeting, held at 4709 Bosque Blvd., was scheduled before Edwards arranged his phone conference.
Chuck Raines, a former truck driver who doesn’t have health insurance, spoke out against the health care bill at the meeting. He called the bill “a catastrophe” and “a disaster” and said it proves government officials “want absolute control of your life.”
Curnock said he held the meeting so Central Texans would realize that they had a voice in the health care debate. Curnock’s camp plans to synthesize the information they gathered from attendees and pass it along to legislators.
Dave McIntyre, a Republican from College Station, has also announced his campaign to run for Edwards’ seat in the 2010 Republican primary. He went on a six-county “see-the-people” tour Thursday that included a stop in Waco. McIntyre criticized the telephone town hall, saying that it would not yield the same impact and dialogue as speaking face-to-face with residents.
McIntyre also said he disagrees with the direction of the current health care reform bill, saying that a complete overhaul of the health care system is not needed to address problems affecting a minority of Americans. He advocates reducing fraudulent claims by patients and doctors, enacting safeguards for doctors against frivolous lawsuits and increasing the number of physicians and medical staff.
“If someone says the price of an apple is too high, you don’t fix the problem by giving them $1,” McIntyre said. “You fix the problem by growing more apples. And I think we will have to increase competition in health care by bringing in more doctors and nurses, and that will lead to lower costs.”
After originally only committing to the telephone town-hall meeting, Edwards announced earlier this week that he will also have in-person town-hall meetings in McLennan, Brazos and Johnson counties later this month. The dates and locations of those meetings have not been finalized.
Edwards’ staff said the entire phone-based town-hall discussion will be posted on his Web site at edwards.house.gov by 5 p.m. today.
Published on Friday, August 21, 2009
By Regina Dennis (Tribune-Herald staff writer)
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
Central Texas residents who participated in a telephone town hall Thursday evening with U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, about health care reform were most interested in how the bill might affect their health care services.
“We’re a family of four, and we have private insurance through my husband’s employer. And we pay $300-plus a month for that. What changes could we expect from a health reform bill?” asked a woman identified as Jennifer from Waco. Only first names and cities or counties of residence were announced.
Patricia, a resident of Brazos County, asked “How will this affect our Medicare, because I am an elderly person?”
Edwards answered 13 questions during the 90-minute phone call about specific provisions in the bill being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Edwards told Patricia that the bill would not change Medicare services and would make some prescription drugs cheaper for senior citizens under the Medicare Part D program.
Edwards told Jennifer that the bill would still allow people to remain with their private insurance companies but help keep costs from skyrocketing.
“You might like your insurance today, but who knows, your husband’s employer could drop their health insurance altogether, or they might dramatically increase you premiums or the deductibles you have to pay,” Edwards said.
Jerry, of Hubbard, asked how the health care reform measures would be funded and whether the middle class would see any tax increase because of the legislation.
Edwards explained that half the reform measures would be paid for through reducing waste in Medicare program, $110 billion in concessions by pharmaceutical companies to provide cheaper prescriptions medicines to senior citizens under the Medicare Part D program, and getting more people to see primary care doctors instead of going to the emergency room for care. The other half of the costs would be covered through a health tax on those who make more than $350,000 a year, Edwards said.
“There has been some discussion in the Senate to look at other ways to raise revenue for the half of this bill not covered by cost reductions and reducing inefficiencies in our current system,” Edwards said, adding that the plan is expected to cost $100 billion per year. “However, even a bill that has other good things in it, if I am not convinced that it is fiscally responsible, I’m not going to support it.”
The questions also revealed some fears that the bill would lead to reduced quality of medical care. The final question of the night, from a man named Mike who lives in the southern part of Edwards’ district, focused on whether the country’s current medical staff would be able to handle the needs of an influx of newly insured patients or if rationing could be expected.
Edwards acknowledged that the current number of family care doctors in the country is insufficient but said the bill would encourage more new doctors to become primary care physicians by offering incentives to reduce the cost to practice. He also questioned the notion that the bill will introduce an overwhelming number of new patients into the health care system.
“Because of the high number of uninsured, those people are walking into our emergency rooms with no insurance at all, and some cases are true emergencies, but many of those cases are really primary care problems,” Edwards said. “The key is not that we will be adding that many people to the system but that we will be trying to put them through the system much more efficiently and have them see primary practice physicians as much as possible.”
Rob Curnock, a Republican who ran against Edwards previously and plans to run against him again, held a town-hall meeting in Waco on Thursday, which attracted more than 100 people.
Curnock said the meeting, held at 4709 Bosque Blvd., was scheduled before Edwards arranged his phone conference.
Chuck Raines, a former truck driver who doesn’t have health insurance, spoke out against the health care bill at the meeting. He called the bill “a catastrophe” and “a disaster” and said it proves government officials “want absolute control of your life.”
Curnock said he held the meeting so Central Texans would realize that they had a voice in the health care debate. Curnock’s camp plans to synthesize the information they gathered from attendees and pass it along to legislators.
Dave McIntyre, a Republican from College Station, has also announced his campaign to run for Edwards’ seat in the 2010 Republican primary. He went on a six-county “see-the-people” tour Thursday that included a stop in Waco. McIntyre criticized the telephone town hall, saying that it would not yield the same impact and dialogue as speaking face-to-face with residents.
McIntyre also said he disagrees with the direction of the current health care reform bill, saying that a complete overhaul of the health care system is not needed to address problems affecting a minority of Americans. He advocates reducing fraudulent claims by patients and doctors, enacting safeguards for doctors against frivolous lawsuits and increasing the number of physicians and medical staff.
“If someone says the price of an apple is too high, you don’t fix the problem by giving them $1,” McIntyre said. “You fix the problem by growing more apples. And I think we will have to increase competition in health care by bringing in more doctors and nurses, and that will lead to lower costs.”
After originally only committing to the telephone town-hall meeting, Edwards announced earlier this week that he will also have in-person town-hall meetings in McLennan, Brazos and Johnson counties later this month. The dates and locations of those meetings have not been finalized.
Edwards’ staff said the entire phone-based town-hall discussion will be posted on his Web site at edwards.house.gov by 5 p.m. today.
Published on Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Why Progressives Should Be Calling for a Town Hall with Chet Edwards
If you get a phone call tonight it could be from your Congressman. Chet Edwards is holding a telephone town hall meeting tonight between 6:30-7:00pm, and will call over 200,000 households throughout the twelve counties of Texas’ 17th Congressional District. It should be expected that those phone calls will be filled with questions about the Obama Administration’s health care reform plan. Many of the people that Edwards will talk to tonight will be critical of the plan to reform health care. It is evident from reading the internet forums, the comment sections of local media, and the letters to the editor that conservative constituents, that comprise a significant portion of this district, are critical of Edwards and have expressed their disapproval. However, in reality the people that should be expressing their disapproval are Progressives. While Edwards may not be conservative enough for some of his constituents, who would never vote for a Democrat, he may be losing support from the very people that help him get elected. While conservatives may have the loudest concerns with Edwards, progressives have the most legitimate concerns with Edwards.
Health care is one of the most important issues facing Americans today, and perhaps the most significant problem in the health care system is the number of uninsured people in America. The National Coalition on Health Care notes that “nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007.” According to Health Affairs, due to the economic recession the number of uninsured people in America will increase by 6.9 million by 2010. Bloomberg reports that health-insurance premiums for families have risen 119 % since 1999, and in the last fifteen years America has increased the amount it spends on health care from $912 billion to $2.5 trillion and the amount of uninsured has only increased.
Edwards states that his goals are “lowering costs, maintaining competition and choice, and preserving quality health care.” However, the most significant way to lower cost is to provide a public option, without a public option it is unlikely that health care reform will actually be able to significantly lower the cost of health care. Also, the idea that Edwards supports maintaining competition and choice suggests that there is current competition and choice, while for many Americans that only competition is the choice they have to make on whether or not they will actually be able to afford health insurance. It is obvious that “preserving the quality of health care” is important, but the real goal should be expanding access to the quality health care that is currently not available to many Americans. It is often said that the best quality health care can be found in the United States, however, who is that health care actually available to?
Congressman Edwards has said that he will “oppose any single-payer plan that socializes our health care system or prevents people from keeping the quality private health care plan of their choice.” Even though Edwards believe the current health care system is “financial unsustainable,” a public option would increase access to quality health care while the status quo is what is keeping millions of Americans from having quality health care.
Conservatives have tried to paint Edwards as a liberal, and have constantly promoted the idea that because Edwards voted with the Democrat Party 96% of the time during the 110th Congressional session that makes him a liberal. This is a distortion of the truth. The percentage of votes that a lawmaker cast that are in line with his party does not necessarily correspond to their political ideology. Congressman Randy Neugebauer (Texas-19) is ranked by the National Journal as the most conservative member of the House of Representatives, however according to the Washington Post database he only voted with the Republican Party 93.3% of the time. Congressman Sam Graves (Missouri-6) voted with the Republican Party 97.3% of the time, which is more than any other Congressman in the House of Representatives, but Graves is ranked by the National Journal as the 104th most conservative member of the House of Representatives.
The truth is that Congressman Edwards is a conservative Democrat, and any attempt to paint him as a liberal is disingenuous at best. While there are issues that Edwards supports that progressives have agreed with, progressives that have support Edwards becuase he is better than the alternative. However, the alternative now seems to be not too far away from an obstructionist Republican, which will be plentiful in this year’s Republican primary in the 17th Congressional District. What Edwards needs to realize is that while his moderate record garners him bipartisan support in a conservative district, the people that knock on doors and make phones calls for his campaign are the same people that have the most legitimate concerns.
Health care is one of the most important issues facing Americans today, and perhaps the most significant problem in the health care system is the number of uninsured people in America. The National Coalition on Health Care notes that “nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007.” According to Health Affairs, due to the economic recession the number of uninsured people in America will increase by 6.9 million by 2010. Bloomberg reports that health-insurance premiums for families have risen 119 % since 1999, and in the last fifteen years America has increased the amount it spends on health care from $912 billion to $2.5 trillion and the amount of uninsured has only increased.
Edwards states that his goals are “lowering costs, maintaining competition and choice, and preserving quality health care.” However, the most significant way to lower cost is to provide a public option, without a public option it is unlikely that health care reform will actually be able to significantly lower the cost of health care. Also, the idea that Edwards supports maintaining competition and choice suggests that there is current competition and choice, while for many Americans that only competition is the choice they have to make on whether or not they will actually be able to afford health insurance. It is obvious that “preserving the quality of health care” is important, but the real goal should be expanding access to the quality health care that is currently not available to many Americans. It is often said that the best quality health care can be found in the United States, however, who is that health care actually available to?
Congressman Edwards has said that he will “oppose any single-payer plan that socializes our health care system or prevents people from keeping the quality private health care plan of their choice.” Even though Edwards believe the current health care system is “financial unsustainable,” a public option would increase access to quality health care while the status quo is what is keeping millions of Americans from having quality health care.
Conservatives have tried to paint Edwards as a liberal, and have constantly promoted the idea that because Edwards voted with the Democrat Party 96% of the time during the 110th Congressional session that makes him a liberal. This is a distortion of the truth. The percentage of votes that a lawmaker cast that are in line with his party does not necessarily correspond to their political ideology. Congressman Randy Neugebauer (Texas-19) is ranked by the National Journal as the most conservative member of the House of Representatives, however according to the Washington Post database he only voted with the Republican Party 93.3% of the time. Congressman Sam Graves (Missouri-6) voted with the Republican Party 97.3% of the time, which is more than any other Congressman in the House of Representatives, but Graves is ranked by the National Journal as the 104th most conservative member of the House of Representatives.
The truth is that Congressman Edwards is a conservative Democrat, and any attempt to paint him as a liberal is disingenuous at best. While there are issues that Edwards supports that progressives have agreed with, progressives that have support Edwards becuase he is better than the alternative. However, the alternative now seems to be not too far away from an obstructionist Republican, which will be plentiful in this year’s Republican primary in the 17th Congressional District. What Edwards needs to realize is that while his moderate record garners him bipartisan support in a conservative district, the people that knock on doors and make phones calls for his campaign are the same people that have the most legitimate concerns.
Video Lunch: Ask the Expert: Why We Need Health Reform
From the Center for American Progress:
The second in a series of videos with Sen. Daschle on why we need health care reform.
Local News: Congressman Edwards Telephone Town Hall
Waco U.S. Rep. Edwards Expects Productive Telephone Town-Hall Meeting on Health Care
By Regina Dennis (Tribune-Herald Staff Writer)
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards acknowledges that more education is needed on the proposed legislation for health care reform — both for constituents and members of Congress.
“There has been a lot confusion about what is actually in the bill and false rumors such as there will be death panels to implement euthanasia for senior citizens, and nothing could be further from the truth,” Edwards said. “I understand their confusion. This is a complicated, 1,000-page bill, and I am still in the process of reviewing it carefully. It will take me weeks to have enough information to be able to make a decision on how I will vote.”
The Waco Democrat will hold his first town-hall meeting by telephone from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday. A conference call system will randomly dial about 200,000 households today in the 12 counties that make up Edwards’ district to notify them that they were selected for the town hall. The system, Teleforum, will also call cell phones, and voice mail messages will be left for households that do not answer.
The households will receive a second phone call Thursday at the start of the town hall, and participants simply have to remain on the line to listen to Edwards answer questions submitted live. Listeners can sign up to ask a live question by pressing a button on the phone to be transferred to an operator who will log the caller and question order.
“Not everyone will be able to ask a question — that’s always the case even in a regular town-hall meeting,” Edwards said. “I think there is a lot of consistency in the questions people have, and I think an hour and a half of questioning will allow us to have a dialogue on key concerns and questions being raised on health care reform.”
Listeners who do not get to ask a question during the time permitted for the town hall can remain on the line to leave Edwards a voice mail message, and he will answer those questions later.
M.A. Taylor, vice chairman of the McLennan County Republican Party, said for Edwards’ telephone town hall to be effective, it must allow a random selection of residents to ask questions and not a select group.
“It can’t look orchestrated,” Taylor said. “It has to be a spontaneous selection process for questions to be submitted. It has to look and be fair and open. We don’t want a production of this thing. People are looking for information.”
Taylor said he participated in a statewide telephone town hall Monday conducted by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. That town hall also had a telephone system that randomly dialed participants. Listeners could also punch in a certain combination on their receivers to submit a question.
“I think that worked pretty well, as far as being able to have a good dialogue and getting different voices heard,” Taylor said. “The purpose of a town hall should be to get the feelings of those constituents that are there and allow the many different sides to be heard.”
Edwards also plans three regional town-hall meetings in McLennan, Brazos and Johnson counties later this month, though those dates and locations have not been finalized. Though he originally committed to just the telephone town-hall meeting, he said the interest from citizens in his district on health care reform prompted him to add the face-to-face meetings.
“While I had some original hesitation that a few people might use a town hall to disrupt and intimidate other citizens from having an open dialogue, I came down to the principle that citizens and their members of Congress should have an open and honest dialogue on health care,” Edwards said.
Competing Meetings
Rob Curnock, the Waco Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Edwards in the November election and plans to face him again in 2010, had previously announced a series of town-hall meetings in the same Central Texas counties Edwards will visit this month.
Curnock dismissed Edwards’ telephone town-hall conference, which bumps heads with Curnock’s Waco town-hall meeting Thursday, saying that “a controlled teleconference call is just not an ideal environment to get widespread input on such an important issue.”
“I have committed to the people of Distrct 17 that we will listen to their feedback and pass it along to conservative leaders in the House and the Senate,” Curnock said in a press release. “We are continuing with our plans to hold town-hall meetings on health care in Waco, Burleson and Bryan, and are adding a fourth meeting in Clifton on Aug. 31.”
Edwards defended his decision to hold a telephone town hall, saying that it will connect him with people in all the counties in his district and also allow people who may not be able to travel to a town-hall meeting, such as senior citizens and disabled residents, a chance to have their voices heard.
Edwards said the town-hall meetings will be part of the information shaping his opinion on health care reform legislation being considered by Congress this year. Already he has had 10 meetings with health care professionals in his district this week. Edwards will meet with doctors, nurses and administrative staff at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center early today.
Edwards reiterated his stance that he would not support a health care reform measure that includes a public health insurance plan paid for in part by taxpayers.
“That would essentially create an unlevel playing field that would eliminate the private insurance market, and our goal should be to lower costs without eliminating the private market,” he said.
Published on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
By Regina Dennis (Tribune-Herald Staff Writer)
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards acknowledges that more education is needed on the proposed legislation for health care reform — both for constituents and members of Congress.
“There has been a lot confusion about what is actually in the bill and false rumors such as there will be death panels to implement euthanasia for senior citizens, and nothing could be further from the truth,” Edwards said. “I understand their confusion. This is a complicated, 1,000-page bill, and I am still in the process of reviewing it carefully. It will take me weeks to have enough information to be able to make a decision on how I will vote.”
The Waco Democrat will hold his first town-hall meeting by telephone from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday. A conference call system will randomly dial about 200,000 households today in the 12 counties that make up Edwards’ district to notify them that they were selected for the town hall. The system, Teleforum, will also call cell phones, and voice mail messages will be left for households that do not answer.
The households will receive a second phone call Thursday at the start of the town hall, and participants simply have to remain on the line to listen to Edwards answer questions submitted live. Listeners can sign up to ask a live question by pressing a button on the phone to be transferred to an operator who will log the caller and question order.
“Not everyone will be able to ask a question — that’s always the case even in a regular town-hall meeting,” Edwards said. “I think there is a lot of consistency in the questions people have, and I think an hour and a half of questioning will allow us to have a dialogue on key concerns and questions being raised on health care reform.”
Listeners who do not get to ask a question during the time permitted for the town hall can remain on the line to leave Edwards a voice mail message, and he will answer those questions later.
M.A. Taylor, vice chairman of the McLennan County Republican Party, said for Edwards’ telephone town hall to be effective, it must allow a random selection of residents to ask questions and not a select group.
“It can’t look orchestrated,” Taylor said. “It has to be a spontaneous selection process for questions to be submitted. It has to look and be fair and open. We don’t want a production of this thing. People are looking for information.”
Taylor said he participated in a statewide telephone town hall Monday conducted by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. That town hall also had a telephone system that randomly dialed participants. Listeners could also punch in a certain combination on their receivers to submit a question.
“I think that worked pretty well, as far as being able to have a good dialogue and getting different voices heard,” Taylor said. “The purpose of a town hall should be to get the feelings of those constituents that are there and allow the many different sides to be heard.”
Edwards also plans three regional town-hall meetings in McLennan, Brazos and Johnson counties later this month, though those dates and locations have not been finalized. Though he originally committed to just the telephone town-hall meeting, he said the interest from citizens in his district on health care reform prompted him to add the face-to-face meetings.
“While I had some original hesitation that a few people might use a town hall to disrupt and intimidate other citizens from having an open dialogue, I came down to the principle that citizens and their members of Congress should have an open and honest dialogue on health care,” Edwards said.
Competing Meetings
Rob Curnock, the Waco Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Edwards in the November election and plans to face him again in 2010, had previously announced a series of town-hall meetings in the same Central Texas counties Edwards will visit this month.
Curnock dismissed Edwards’ telephone town-hall conference, which bumps heads with Curnock’s Waco town-hall meeting Thursday, saying that “a controlled teleconference call is just not an ideal environment to get widespread input on such an important issue.”
“I have committed to the people of Distrct 17 that we will listen to their feedback and pass it along to conservative leaders in the House and the Senate,” Curnock said in a press release. “We are continuing with our plans to hold town-hall meetings on health care in Waco, Burleson and Bryan, and are adding a fourth meeting in Clifton on Aug. 31.”
Edwards defended his decision to hold a telephone town hall, saying that it will connect him with people in all the counties in his district and also allow people who may not be able to travel to a town-hall meeting, such as senior citizens and disabled residents, a chance to have their voices heard.
Edwards said the town-hall meetings will be part of the information shaping his opinion on health care reform legislation being considered by Congress this year. Already he has had 10 meetings with health care professionals in his district this week. Edwards will meet with doctors, nurses and administrative staff at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center early today.
Edwards reiterated his stance that he would not support a health care reform measure that includes a public health insurance plan paid for in part by taxpayers.
“That would essentially create an unlevel playing field that would eliminate the private insurance market, and our goal should be to lower costs without eliminating the private market,” he said.
Published on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tonight on Biased Transmission
This week on Biased Transmission our studio guest will be Lowell Kane, coordinator of the GLBT Resource Center; Kane also serves as advisor for the GLBTA, Aggie ALLY facilitator and committee member, Vice President of the GLBT Professional Network. Topics of conversation will include the GLBT Resource Center, the GLBTA, the Aggie Allies, the GLBTPN, PFLAG, and local and national GLBT issues.
Listen to Biased Transmission tonight on 89.1FM KEOS College Station-Bryan from 6-7pm, to hear Teddy Wilson, Michael Alvard, Danny Yeager, Ann Preston, Srikanth Sastry, and guest. If you have a question or comment you can post it here, or call the KEOS Bell Studios: 979-779-5367.
Biased Transmission on Facebook
Internet Archive of Biased Transmission
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Setting the Record Straight
Does correcting the record matter? Yes, and no.
An article in the Columbia Journalism Review looked at research that studying whether or not correcting misinformation actually corrected people’s perception of the information. What these studies found is that once someone hears factually inaccurate information it becomes very difficult to change that individuals mind about the accuracy of that information. Also, when someone hears factually inaccurate information that reinforces their ideologically views, they are predisposed to believe that information ever after it has been corrected. One of the more interesting parts of one of the studies was that in some cases when information is presented to an individual that corrects misinformation this actually backfires, and that person now may be more likely to believe that false information.
The study shows that there is actually psychological reason for this; when we first learn that something as “truth” we develop an association with that “truth.” It becomes harder to counter that “truth” when there is not direct opposition to that “truth.” An extreme example of this is the comparisons made between the Barack Obama birth certificate conspiracy theorist known as “birthers” and the September 11th conspiracy theorist known as “truthers.” Despite the evidence presented to them both parties think that their beliefs are correct, and in fact it does seem that as the evidence mounts against their claims the more hardened they become in their beliefs.
As the CJR notes, one of the major problems that journalist are facing in correcting the factual errors in the public record is simply that they are no longer the soul source of information. As both the news cycles and the world has gotten smaller through technology the grip that journalist have on the information stream has loosened dramatically. The public is also focusing less on media that focuses on content, and more on media that focuses on entertainment. A recent CBS News/New York Times Poll found that 60% of those surveyed got most of their “news about what's going on in the world today” from television. That same poll found that among those surveyed 50% had a fair amount of trust and confidence “in the traditional news media.” In an historical perspective however, the public has less confidence in the media in general that it had thirty to forty years ago.
There are a few conclusions that can be drawn from this information. The first conclusion is that there is going to be people that you will not be able to convince without any amount of facts, and the second conclusion is that despite that it is still very necessary to set the record straight. It matters just as much that you set the record straight for the people that are interested, as it does that you set the record straight we you are debating the people that are not interested.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you
know for sure that just ain’t so.”
-Mark Twain
The study shows that there is actually psychological reason for this; when we first learn that something as “truth” we develop an association with that “truth.” It becomes harder to counter that “truth” when there is not direct opposition to that “truth.” An extreme example of this is the comparisons made between the Barack Obama birth certificate conspiracy theorist known as “birthers” and the September 11th conspiracy theorist known as “truthers.” Despite the evidence presented to them both parties think that their beliefs are correct, and in fact it does seem that as the evidence mounts against their claims the more hardened they become in their beliefs.
As the CJR notes, one of the major problems that journalist are facing in correcting the factual errors in the public record is simply that they are no longer the soul source of information. As both the news cycles and the world has gotten smaller through technology the grip that journalist have on the information stream has loosened dramatically. The public is also focusing less on media that focuses on content, and more on media that focuses on entertainment. A recent CBS News/New York Times Poll found that 60% of those surveyed got most of their “news about what's going on in the world today” from television. That same poll found that among those surveyed 50% had a fair amount of trust and confidence “in the traditional news media.” In an historical perspective however, the public has less confidence in the media in general that it had thirty to forty years ago.
There are a few conclusions that can be drawn from this information. The first conclusion is that there is going to be people that you will not be able to convince without any amount of facts, and the second conclusion is that despite that it is still very necessary to set the record straight. It matters just as much that you set the record straight for the people that are interested, as it does that you set the record straight we you are debating the people that are not interested.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you
know for sure that just ain’t so.”
-Mark Twain
Breaking News: Texas A&M Student Body President Resigns
Via Email:
Howdy Ags,
It is with a heavy heart that I write my last email to you as your Student Body President. As of August 17, 2009, I am resigning the office of Student Body President for a variety of personal reasons. After a great deal of reflection and thought, I have decided that I will no longer be able to effectively fulfill the responsibility of the office of Student Body President.
As outlined in the constitution of the Student Government Association, taking my place will be Kolin Loveless, who was elected in April as the Speaker of the Student Senate. He is more than qualified for this position and has accepted the responsibility of SBP with an eager heart to serve students and Texas A&M University. I cannot think of anyone more passionate about this university, and I trust him completely. I look forward to seeing the great things that he and his team will accomplish.
With my resignation I reassure you that the idea of serving students will not fall through the gap, and I hope that you will rally behind Kolin, your new SBP. I want to say thank you one last time for giving me the opportunity to serve you as Student Body President.
Thanks and Gig 'Em,
Eric Beckham '10
Howdy Ags,
It is with a heavy heart that I write my last email to you as your Student Body President. As of August 17, 2009, I am resigning the office of Student Body President for a variety of personal reasons. After a great deal of reflection and thought, I have decided that I will no longer be able to effectively fulfill the responsibility of the office of Student Body President.
As outlined in the constitution of the Student Government Association, taking my place will be Kolin Loveless, who was elected in April as the Speaker of the Student Senate. He is more than qualified for this position and has accepted the responsibility of SBP with an eager heart to serve students and Texas A&M University. I cannot think of anyone more passionate about this university, and I trust him completely. I look forward to seeing the great things that he and his team will accomplish.
With my resignation I reassure you that the idea of serving students will not fall through the gap, and I hope that you will rally behind Kolin, your new SBP. I want to say thank you one last time for giving me the opportunity to serve you as Student Body President.
Thanks and Gig 'Em,
Eric Beckham '10
Video Lunch: Ask the Expert: Health Reform Is Good for Doctors and Patients
From the Center for American Progress:
Senator Tom Daschle on Why Health Reform Is Good for Doctors and Patients
Local News: Congressman Edwards Announces Town Halls
Edwards Plans Health Care Meetings in District
By Ken Sury
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, has announced that he will be involved in a series of health care meetings with constituents throughout his district for the next three weeks.
His telephone town hall meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
The release from his office is below.
U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today announced a series of health care meetings with constituents throughout his district on the topic of health care over the next three weeks. Edwards will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday August 20th from 6:30-8:00pm that will dial over 200,000 homes in all twelve District 17 counties.
Later in the month, Edwards will hold three regional town halls in Brazos, McLennan, and Johnson counties. Dates and locations for regional town hall meetings will be announced once details are finalized. From Monday through Saturday of this week, he will have 19 meetings with doctors, nurses, hospitals, small businesses, working families, community leaders and local journalists.
“I intend to spend the next three weeks carefully listening to health care providers and everyday citizens in our district about what the proposed health care reforms would mean for them and their families. I will not vote for a single-payer, Canadian-style nationalized health care plan, and before I make any commitment on any health care legislation in Congress, I want to hear the views and concerns of as many constituents as possible. That is why I made it clear earlier this month that I would not support a vote on health care in the U.S. House before Members of Congress had a chance to carefully review the legislation and to listen to constituents,” commented Edwards.
“In addition to the intensive health care schedule we had planned weeks ago, including a telephone town hall call to over 200,000 homes in twelve counties, I am adding three regional public town hall meetings. While I had some initial concerns about a handful of people disrupting the discussion, the overriding principle for me is to allow district constituents the opportunity to ask questions, have their voices heard, and participate in an honest dialogue on health care.
“Over the last several days, a number of protesters have agreed with me that it would be inappropriate to disrupt public meetings on health care. I appreciated their comments and hope they will keep their commitment to respect the rights of all citizens to be heard.
“The issue of health care is vitally important to our families, businesses and nation’s future. By having open, honest and respectful discussions, I hope we can further the cause of protecting the strengths of our present health care system while addressing the concerns of rising health care costs,” concluded Edwards.
Published on Monday, August 17, 2009
By Ken Sury
From the Waco Tribune-Herald
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, has announced that he will be involved in a series of health care meetings with constituents throughout his district for the next three weeks.
His telephone town hall meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
The release from his office is below.
U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today announced a series of health care meetings with constituents throughout his district on the topic of health care over the next three weeks. Edwards will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday August 20th from 6:30-8:00pm that will dial over 200,000 homes in all twelve District 17 counties.
Later in the month, Edwards will hold three regional town halls in Brazos, McLennan, and Johnson counties. Dates and locations for regional town hall meetings will be announced once details are finalized. From Monday through Saturday of this week, he will have 19 meetings with doctors, nurses, hospitals, small businesses, working families, community leaders and local journalists.
“I intend to spend the next three weeks carefully listening to health care providers and everyday citizens in our district about what the proposed health care reforms would mean for them and their families. I will not vote for a single-payer, Canadian-style nationalized health care plan, and before I make any commitment on any health care legislation in Congress, I want to hear the views and concerns of as many constituents as possible. That is why I made it clear earlier this month that I would not support a vote on health care in the U.S. House before Members of Congress had a chance to carefully review the legislation and to listen to constituents,” commented Edwards.
“In addition to the intensive health care schedule we had planned weeks ago, including a telephone town hall call to over 200,000 homes in twelve counties, I am adding three regional public town hall meetings. While I had some initial concerns about a handful of people disrupting the discussion, the overriding principle for me is to allow district constituents the opportunity to ask questions, have their voices heard, and participate in an honest dialogue on health care.
“Over the last several days, a number of protesters have agreed with me that it would be inappropriate to disrupt public meetings on health care. I appreciated their comments and hope they will keep their commitment to respect the rights of all citizens to be heard.
“The issue of health care is vitally important to our families, businesses and nation’s future. By having open, honest and respectful discussions, I hope we can further the cause of protecting the strengths of our present health care system while addressing the concerns of rising health care costs,” concluded Edwards.
Published on Monday, August 17, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Video Lunch: Sunday Show Roundup: Wasted Effort
Your Daily Politics Video Blog: From the start of the health care reform debate President Obama has insisted that creating a government-provided "public option" to compete with private insurance companies is critical to comprehensive reform. But is the administration now hinting that it is willing to forsake such an option in the interest of getting a bill passed? We investigate in today's Sunday Show Roundup.
Local News: Red Light Debate
Red Light Ballot Listing Debated
By Cassie Smith
From the Bryan-College Station
A description relating to how the red light camera issue will appear on the November ballot has a College Station resident leading efforts to dump the program over concerns about its legality.
An item on Monday's City Council agenda describes efforts demanded in the petition as repealing the law, but Jim Ash -- who started the petition drive -- said that wasn't their intention. He said they wanted to create a law against the city using the revenue generator and that the city isn't reading their petition correctly.
A referendum, according to the city's charter, would have been legal if done within 20 days after the law was enacted, but it took effect in early 2008.
"My point is that if they say it's a referendum and they approve it as a referendum and we vote to remove a referendum on red light cameras, than anyone can assert the city charter wasn't followed in this," he said. "They're trying to set this up so they can take it to a vote, and if they lose the vote, that anyone has the legal standing to challenge the vote. Basically, they can take their cake and eat it too."
Mayor Ben White said city officials disagree with Ash's interpretation of the wording and that he trusts in the advice of city attorneys.
White said if an error is discovered it can be fixed before Aug. 27, which is when the City Council will make a decision on whether to send the issue of red light cameras to the voters Nov. 3.
The city recently voted to extend its contract by 20 years with American Traffic Solutions, the company that runs the program. Officials said in June that more than 18,300 citations had been issued for violations caught on cameras and that the city has collected more than $906,000 in fines since starting early last year. Nine red light cameras are at seven intersections in the city.
Per state law, money collected from red light camera tickets must be used for traffic and safety improvements. Officials have said the city is using its portion to invest in traffic lights and battery backup systems that keep signals operational during power outages.
White said Monday's meeting will be the first step for the city in getting the issue on the ballot. The City Council will verify a report from the city secretary that the petition was valid and listen to residents who may speak during a public hearing.
City Secretary Connie Hooks is expected to turn over the petition with 846 signatures from registered College Station voters, which constitute 25 percent of the number of residents who voted in the last city election in May -- a requirement to get on the ballot.
City Manager Glenn Brown and Assistant City Manager Kathy s could not be reached for comment late Sunday.
Ash, who lost his appeal of a $75 ticket he received in September for making a right turn without stopping, has called the appeals process unconstitutional since there is no opportunity for a jury trial.
He said he's concerned that the council will continue to use the word "repeal," when the goal of the petition is to have the red light cameras be declared unenforceable.
White said that isn't the case and that city attorneys are the authority on law.
"The transparency and the efforts we go to, to be transparent is unbelievable," White said.
Ash said if the council approves the agenda item the way it is Monday, he'll file court documents to try and have a judge decide what the petition wording means and how that translates to the ballot.
Published on Monday, August 17, 2009
By Cassie Smith
From the Bryan-College Station
A description relating to how the red light camera issue will appear on the November ballot has a College Station resident leading efforts to dump the program over concerns about its legality.
An item on Monday's City Council agenda describes efforts demanded in the petition as repealing the law, but Jim Ash -- who started the petition drive -- said that wasn't their intention. He said they wanted to create a law against the city using the revenue generator and that the city isn't reading their petition correctly.
A referendum, according to the city's charter, would have been legal if done within 20 days after the law was enacted, but it took effect in early 2008.
"My point is that if they say it's a referendum and they approve it as a referendum and we vote to remove a referendum on red light cameras, than anyone can assert the city charter wasn't followed in this," he said. "They're trying to set this up so they can take it to a vote, and if they lose the vote, that anyone has the legal standing to challenge the vote. Basically, they can take their cake and eat it too."
Mayor Ben White said city officials disagree with Ash's interpretation of the wording and that he trusts in the advice of city attorneys.
White said if an error is discovered it can be fixed before Aug. 27, which is when the City Council will make a decision on whether to send the issue of red light cameras to the voters Nov. 3.
The city recently voted to extend its contract by 20 years with American Traffic Solutions, the company that runs the program. Officials said in June that more than 18,300 citations had been issued for violations caught on cameras and that the city has collected more than $906,000 in fines since starting early last year. Nine red light cameras are at seven intersections in the city.
Per state law, money collected from red light camera tickets must be used for traffic and safety improvements. Officials have said the city is using its portion to invest in traffic lights and battery backup systems that keep signals operational during power outages.
White said Monday's meeting will be the first step for the city in getting the issue on the ballot. The City Council will verify a report from the city secretary that the petition was valid and listen to residents who may speak during a public hearing.
City Secretary Connie Hooks is expected to turn over the petition with 846 signatures from registered College Station voters, which constitute 25 percent of the number of residents who voted in the last city election in May -- a requirement to get on the ballot.
City Manager Glenn Brown and Assistant City Manager Kathy s could not be reached for comment late Sunday.
Ash, who lost his appeal of a $75 ticket he received in September for making a right turn without stopping, has called the appeals process unconstitutional since there is no opportunity for a jury trial.
He said he's concerned that the council will continue to use the word "repeal," when the goal of the petition is to have the red light cameras be declared unenforceable.
White said that isn't the case and that city attorneys are the authority on law.
"The transparency and the efforts we go to, to be transparent is unbelievable," White said.
Ash said if the council approves the agenda item the way it is Monday, he'll file court documents to try and have a judge decide what the petition wording means and how that translates to the ballot.
Published on Monday, August 17, 2009
Texas Progressive Alliance Roundup - August 17, 2009
It's time for preseason football games, but the Texas Progressive Alliance is always in midseason form. Here are this week's blog highlights.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders why we put up with temper tantrums and intimidation from the far right? Everyone should have their say in our democracy.
Off the Kuff takes a look at the At Large City Council races in Houston.
BossKitty at TruthHugger has been awakened from slumber by the nightmare of the Health Care Debacle. Look who's causing all the trouble and whose being thrown to the wolves. Without Health Options – Where Is Your Voice? OpEd
Over at TexasKaos, lightseeker connects the dots between the fear mongering, health care and history. He then throws in the return of the militias for good measure. If armed , frightened groups are reappearing in Iowa, how long before they show up in Texas. You do remember Republic of Texas movment, don't you? See it all in Fear, Health Care and History: A Reflection Updated! - Return of the militias
Harry Balczak at McBlogger begins a new feature, This Week In Lawyerin', in which he'll take a look at some arcane legal concept and educate you on it. This week, what to do when caught with kiddie porn.
WCNews at Eye On Williamson shows that nothing will change no matter who is the GOP nominee for governor in 2010, Kay, Rick and the Trans-Texas Corridor – nothing new here.
Rachel Maddow vs. Dick Armey on Press the Meat Sunday morning was previewed and then summarized by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs. It so happens that even Joe Scarborough thinks Armey is a douchebag.
Neil at Texas Liberal is in Cincinnati. Cincinnati police last week staged a "blue flu" where some members of the force called in sick even though they were not sick. They are upset over possible layoffs of police. Yet they are not so concerned about this prospect that they are willing to make some minor contract concessions in order to help the City of Cincinnati with a budget deficit. It's the same old story with the Cincinnati Police Department. They expect you to do what they say, but they have a hard time doing what they are told to do and a hard time caring about fellow city employees.
DosCentavos reports on the happenings in HD-127 now that Joe Crabb is finally retiring. He's also running a poll, so check it out!
Nat-Wu at Three Wise Men is not so impressed with the new Calvinists "manly" Jesus.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Tonight on Information Underground
Tonight on Information Underground the studio guest will be Charles Baish of the Human Rights Coalition, our topics will include human rights activism and the recent announcement by the Obama Administration of the closure of the T. Don Hutto immigrant detention facility in Taylor, Texas.
Listen to Information Underground on 89.1FM KEOS on Sundays from 5-6pm after Tavis Smiley, for all the alternative news, politics, and commentary that you don’t hear in the mainstream media. To listen to Information Underground online and to listen to past episodes visit Information Underground on BlogTalkRadio. Tune in every week to hear headlines, interviews, and political and social thought to the Left of College Station.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Week in Headlines
Texas Politics
Lawmaker Asks Perry for Emergency Help
Politics
If the politicians in a sharp-elbowed place like Houston can work across party lines, why can't yours?
Media
Do the Netroots Matter?
Foreign Policy
Why Kurdistan Matters
Immigration
Drawing a Picture of Immigration Detention
Reproductive Rights
The Bigger Picture: The Politics of Health Reform, Medicaid, and Access to Abortion
Women’s Issues
Tyler Perry's Gender Problem
GLBT Issues
Judge: "Gay" Not a Dirty Word
Race and Racism
Red-Baiting and Racism: Socialism as the New Black Bogeyman
From the Blogs
David Ortez:
An Open Letter to My U.S. Senators Regarding Health Care
Texas Kaos:
Refuting the Whole Foods Alternative to "ObamaCare"
Vet Voice:
60th Anniversary of Geneva Conventions
Video Lunch: National Health Care Discussion
From the Real News Network:
Richard Wolff, economist at the New School in New York City speaks to Paul Jay about the possibility of national health care being available to workers. He says that if the government creates the choice, employers will pressure workers off company care, even if the alternative is lower quality. He also says the reason there is a mushrooming number of retirees companies have to support through health insurance plans is because they've pushed them out in exchange for low-paid new employees.
Local News: Be Green in Bryan Program Launched
Bryan Launches Green Program
Free workshops educate public on resource preservation
By: Alex Worsham
From the Texas A&M University Battalion
The City of Bryan is launching the Be Green in Bryan program this fall.
"This is a sustainability program designed to guide the city on projects and policies related to sustainability issues, waste and parks," said sustainability programs coordinator Mary Strauss. "There are several different areas we're trying to expand and research."
The sustainability programs office will have a series of free workshops on the second floor of the Bryan Public Library to teach residents about ways they can preserve resources.
Workshops
Aug. 24, Rainwater Harvesting 101
Sept. 4, Worm Composting 101
Oct. 5, Greening Your Home 101
Nov. 5, Home Energy Efficiency
Dec. 1, Green Living 101
"Green Living in December gives [residents] the basics to go green as their New Year's resolution," said Struass.
In addition to the Green Living workshops, the sustainability programs office will provide a Be Green in Bryan training program on Oct. 24. This program will train its attendees to teach environmental sustainability to other groups.
"The first step in going green is to educate yourself on what that means: meeting the needs of the present without affecting the future," Strauss said.
The program also has a twice-monthly segment on the City of Bryan television show Bryan Living and Learning.
"We did a segment about eating locally, we talked about Camp Energy and we did a segment about the greenhouse bakery," said communications and marketing specialist Allen Bruggman.
Be Green in Bryan is involved in online social networks.
"Right now we've got a BeGreenInBryan.com Web site," said webmaster and multi-media specialist Shawn Smith. "When there's a new program I post the information on the Web site and I post the videos on Youtube and Facebook."
Get Involved
Follow Be Green in Bryan on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
"It's about leaving a legacy," Bruggman said. "The whole thing is about sustaining the environment and what we have. If someone's skeptical [about the workshops] they should at least check it out."
Published on Monday, August 10, 2009
Free workshops educate public on resource preservation
By: Alex Worsham
From the Texas A&M University Battalion
The City of Bryan is launching the Be Green in Bryan program this fall.
"This is a sustainability program designed to guide the city on projects and policies related to sustainability issues, waste and parks," said sustainability programs coordinator Mary Strauss. "There are several different areas we're trying to expand and research."
The sustainability programs office will have a series of free workshops on the second floor of the Bryan Public Library to teach residents about ways they can preserve resources.
Workshops
Aug. 24, Rainwater Harvesting 101
Sept. 4, Worm Composting 101
Oct. 5, Greening Your Home 101
Nov. 5, Home Energy Efficiency
Dec. 1, Green Living 101
"Green Living in December gives [residents] the basics to go green as their New Year's resolution," said Struass.
In addition to the Green Living workshops, the sustainability programs office will provide a Be Green in Bryan training program on Oct. 24. This program will train its attendees to teach environmental sustainability to other groups.
"The first step in going green is to educate yourself on what that means: meeting the needs of the present without affecting the future," Strauss said.
The program also has a twice-monthly segment on the City of Bryan television show Bryan Living and Learning.
"We did a segment about eating locally, we talked about Camp Energy and we did a segment about the greenhouse bakery," said communications and marketing specialist Allen Bruggman.
Be Green in Bryan is involved in online social networks.
"Right now we've got a BeGreenInBryan.com Web site," said webmaster and multi-media specialist Shawn Smith. "When there's a new program I post the information on the Web site and I post the videos on Youtube and Facebook."
Get Involved
Follow Be Green in Bryan on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
"It's about leaving a legacy," Bruggman said. "The whole thing is about sustaining the environment and what we have. If someone's skeptical [about the workshops] they should at least check it out."
Published on Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
First Draft of History
While there is currently a national debate over our future, in Texas there is a debate over our past. The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) released the first draft of proposed new social studies curriculum standards this week, and there is expected to be a debate over what and how history is taught in Texas. This comes only months after the debate about science curriculum standards in which there was a debate over teaching evolution or intelligent design (creationism). The Texas Freedom Network reported that the first draft was encouraging, and that “teachers, academics and other community members on the curriculum writing teams refused to bow to far-right pressure to inject political agendas into history, geography and other social studies classrooms.”
The SBOE appointed a panel of experts to advise the SBOE on the social studies curriculum, and points of debate include the role of the Bible and Christian influence on the founding of the United States; debates on which historical figures should be included in lesson plans, textbooks, and standardized tests. The debates about curriculum in Texas have been hyper partisan; a group of fundamentalist Christian social conservatives controls a majority voting block on the SBOE. This partisan divide has far reaching effects, as the curriculum standards, specifically the language used in text books, has a national impact because the text books purchased by Texas (the second largest purchaser of text books in the country) are often used as a model for other states text books.
The panel of expects is also divided along ideological lines; three of the six appointees have urged a greater focus on the religious influences on the origin of the country and political system. The social conservatives on the SBOE have attacked what they characterize as “multiculturalism” and a claimed “overrepresentation of minorities” in the social studies standards. According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman, appointee Peter Marshall, a Presbyterian minister from Massachusetts, states that it is his mission to “"restore America to its Bible-based foundations." Another appointee David Barton is founder of the religious organization Wallbuilders, whose purpose is to eliminate the idea of the separation of church and state.
The draft of purposed standards addresses the role that religion, including Christianity, played in the history of the United States, and the standards also includes the contributions that people of different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds have made in the formation of the United States. However, the Texas Freedom Network noted that one disconcerting part of the standards was the inclusion of “significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals” when discussing the nation’s transition to the 21st century but not including any significant liberal organizations and individuals in the same context.
Learning about the different cultures and people that have shaped America is vitally important to a students understand of this country; this country may have been founded by white landowning men but they are not the people who built this country. It is critically important that students learn the unvarnished version of history, that even though America has had great successes we have also had great failures. To paraphrase Howard Zinn: To emphasize the successes and to deemphasize the failure is not a necessity but an ideological choice. The point is not to accuse, to judge, or condemn because it is too late for that, but the easy acceptance of atrocities as the price for progress teaches us the idea of a moral proportion. In order to prepare for the future we must truly be able to understand all the successes and failures of our past.
Note: The SBOE is schedule to hear from the social studies advisory panel and from writing team members at a September meeting, and the SBOE is also schedule to have a public hearing on the social studies standards in January.
The SBOE appointed a panel of experts to advise the SBOE on the social studies curriculum, and points of debate include the role of the Bible and Christian influence on the founding of the United States; debates on which historical figures should be included in lesson plans, textbooks, and standardized tests. The debates about curriculum in Texas have been hyper partisan; a group of fundamentalist Christian social conservatives controls a majority voting block on the SBOE. This partisan divide has far reaching effects, as the curriculum standards, specifically the language used in text books, has a national impact because the text books purchased by Texas (the second largest purchaser of text books in the country) are often used as a model for other states text books.
The panel of expects is also divided along ideological lines; three of the six appointees have urged a greater focus on the religious influences on the origin of the country and political system. The social conservatives on the SBOE have attacked what they characterize as “multiculturalism” and a claimed “overrepresentation of minorities” in the social studies standards. According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman, appointee Peter Marshall, a Presbyterian minister from Massachusetts, states that it is his mission to “"restore America to its Bible-based foundations." Another appointee David Barton is founder of the religious organization Wallbuilders, whose purpose is to eliminate the idea of the separation of church and state.
The draft of purposed standards addresses the role that religion, including Christianity, played in the history of the United States, and the standards also includes the contributions that people of different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds have made in the formation of the United States. However, the Texas Freedom Network noted that one disconcerting part of the standards was the inclusion of “significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals” when discussing the nation’s transition to the 21st century but not including any significant liberal organizations and individuals in the same context.
Learning about the different cultures and people that have shaped America is vitally important to a students understand of this country; this country may have been founded by white landowning men but they are not the people who built this country. It is critically important that students learn the unvarnished version of history, that even though America has had great successes we have also had great failures. To paraphrase Howard Zinn: To emphasize the successes and to deemphasize the failure is not a necessity but an ideological choice. The point is not to accuse, to judge, or condemn because it is too late for that, but the easy acceptance of atrocities as the price for progress teaches us the idea of a moral proportion. In order to prepare for the future we must truly be able to understand all the successes and failures of our past.
Note: The SBOE is schedule to hear from the social studies advisory panel and from writing team members at a September meeting, and the SBOE is also schedule to have a public hearing on the social studies standards in January.
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