the New PA 16th

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2007

Profit For Some Or Health Care For All

Diane Archer, founder and past president of the Medicare Rights Center, in a column for Tompaine.com writes, "The health insurance industry is full of surprises, but history and experience show that insurers will never surprise us with a good, affordable health care system for America. No cocktail of regulations, subsidies and tax credits will provide health security to the uninsured, underinsured and anxiously insured—virtually all Americans." Read more for Tompaine.com...

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2007

P4P Plans Health Care Forum...

Progressives for PA (P4P) is arranging for a health care reform forum scheduled for April 4 from 7 - 10 PM at the F&M Sports & Fitness facility. The main thrust is a presentation of Rendell's plan and a competing bill for universal, single-payer health insurance. There will be panelists representing different interests: Lancaster General's VP of Finance, an economics professor, a doctor who works a lot with uninsured patients, and, we hope, a rep of the insurance industry and business community. Read more...

Read more from HelpFundPA...

Contact Progressives for PA...

Frazer Mennonite Church Presents: A Lenten Series:
FORGIVENESS IN A VIOLENT WORLD

The Fraser Mennonite Church is presenting a series of lectures and a film on forgiveness during the month of March. The series is presented on each Sunday of the month. The first lecture is by Sister Sheila Galligan, Professor of Theology at Immaculata College, entitled Forgiveness: The Name of Love in a Wounded World". Click here to go to the newPA16 calendar for a list of all events.

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007

Patriotism Requires Economic Nationalism
Written by Stephen Crockett, co-host of
Democratic Talk Radio

If you consider yourself a patriot and are not concerned about the ballooning trade deficit, the huge national debt and the loss of 3 million manufacturing jobs since the current Bush first occupied the White House, you are lying to yourself. If you are a political figure, you are likely lying to the American public, as well. Read more...

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Gil Smart will be the guest of Democracy for Lancaster.

Gil Smart, Associate Editor of the Lancaster Sunday News, author of Perspective’s “Smart Remarks,” and recipient of Democracy for Lancaster’s “Progressive Voice of Lancaster County” award 2006, will be offering his uniquely progressive perspective of reporting on the County Commissioners, the upcoming elections, and other topics of interest.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 7, 6:30 – 9 P.M. in the Windolph Room of the Lancaster Public Library at 125 North Duke Street in Lancaster. Bottled water will be provided. Attendees may bring refreshments. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Democracy for Lancaster meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. For more information about DFL, visit www.democracyforamerica.com, click on “DFL link,” and enter your zip code in the search field. You can also contact Democracy for Lancaster’s Chair, Don LeVasseur, at 717-475-8592.

Friday Feb. 23, 2007

Pitts Introduces a Resolution...

Congressman Joe Pitts introduced a resolution commemorating the end of the slave trade and honoring William Wilberforce, today. The resolution coincides with the release of Amazing Grace a movie about William Wilberforce and his fight to end the slave trade in Great Britain.

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Monday, Feb. 19, 2007

Martial Law Made Easier...

In the last session of Congress, a provision was placed into the enormous defense budget bill at the Bush administration’s behest that makes it easier for a president to override local control of law enforcement and declare martial law.

The provision, signed into law in October, weakens two obscure but important safeguards of of the Bill of Rights. One is the doctrine that bars military forces, including a federalized National Guard, from engaging in law enforcement. Called posse comitatus, it was enacted into law after the Civil War to preserve the line between civil government and the military. The other is the Insurrection Act of 1807, which provides the major exemptions to posse comitatus. It limits a president’s use of the military in law enforcement to putting down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion, where a state is violating federal law or depriving people of constitutional rights.

There is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and Christopher Bond, Republican of Missouri, and backed unanimously by the nation’s governors, that would repeal these stealth revisions.

Read more from the website Toward Freedom...

Read Senator Leahy's press release opposing (9/19/2006)...

Read Senator Leahy's remarks in the Congressional Record (9/29/2006)...

Senator Leahy's repeal legislation (2/7/2007)...

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Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007

Congressman Pitts Votes to Prolong the War...

Read Representative Pitts comments in the debate on Friday on the House resolution to oppose Bush's surge plans.

"I don't question the proponents of this resolution's patriotism. I question their judgment. What we are debating this week is called a nonbinding resolution. What that really means is that this is nothing more than a political statement. It is designed to send a message to the voters and to the media to score political points, I guess. But this resolution is not about President Bush or failures of his administration, this is about America, it is about our future, it is about our kids and our grandkids. And, unfortunately for them, this resolution offers no plan to win the war, no plan for the future."

Read the Congressman's remarks in there entirety...

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Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

Tell Pitts to Bring Our Troops Home...

The U.S. House of Representatives is debating the resolution against escalation in Iraq. On Tuesday, February 20th, everyday people will be meeting with Representatives at their district offices to tell them that the people expect them to act now to start bringing our troops home.

Set up a meeting with Representative Pitts. It's a lot easier than it sounds. Click here to get all the information you need to start setting up a meeting with your Representative about Iraq.

Representatives will be home from Washington all next week and it's the perfect time to start talking to them about the next steps in Iraq. Congress has the power to stop the escalation once and for all and it's up to us to hold them accountable.

TrueMajorityACTION is an on-line organization dedicated to social justice, giving children a decent start in life, protecting the environment, and America working in cooperation with the world community.

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UFP Adds 4 New Stations...

Since Labor Day 2005, United For Progress, a live, interactive talk show with Rick Smith and Don LeVasseur has been sending truth shock waves throughout South Central PA.

Now UFP is reaching out to new listeners. Starting March 4, 2007, UFP will air on 4 additional stations. Read more...

Solidarity Concert with Anne Feeney on March 10th...

Not many women have chosen to walk the path of Woody Guthrie, but Anne Feeney has made a career of it for the past 35 years. A self described "activist, organizer, songwriter, folksinger, and troublemaker ..." from Pittsburgh, her songs draw on Irish, bluegrass, traditional, labor, pop, folk and contemporary material. Click here...

Anne Feeney's website...

Monday, Feb. 12, 2007

Where Did All the Money Come From?
Jerry Policoff

The 2006 Congressional race in the 16th District (PA) was the most tightly contested than any other race in recent memory. Lois Herr made major inroads into Representative Joseph Pitts' majority with the help of increased Democratic voter turnout and a large number of Republican crossovers. One of the possible reasons for Lois's increasing grassroots support may be the way that she raised campaign funds. Read more...

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Massachusetts 'Universal' Health Plan Already Falling Short...

Less than a year after Massachusetts’s controversial healthcare initiative was first revealed, evidence is accumulating to bolster critics who said the system is faulty by design. Read more...

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February 7th Quinnipiac Poll
Jerry Policoff

A Quinnipiac Poll released on February 7, 2007, appears, on the surface, to suggest widespread support for Governor Rendell’s Health Plan. In fact, when you match up the responses to the questions it is clear that the Governor’s plan falls far short of public expectations for health care reform, and that it is the single payer solution that will best meet those expectations.

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Fetal Pain Legislation Introduced in This Session of Congress...

This legislation, which died in the House of Representatives Dec. 6 when it failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed to break a procedural impasse, would require that women undergoing an abortion at least 20 weeks into their pregnancy be informed that an abortion causes pain to the fetus. The linked news article is published by Catholic Online. Read more...

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Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007

Of Loose Canons and Oxymorons
Sam Mecum

Courts of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania are made up of judges who are required to engage in the partisan political election process, in their initial effort to obtain a seat on the bench. In an essay published here, Sam Mecum advocates for the non-partisan election of judges in Pennsylvania.

Read Sam's essay...

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Monday, Feb. 5, 2007

Good Schools Pennsylvania...Get Involved with Pennsylvania's Education Cost-Study Process
Janis Risch

Good Schools Pennsylvania promotes improvement in the way the Commonwealth funds and supports public education. The State Board of Education is required by the state legislature to undergo a costing-out process to aid the development of a new public school funding formula.

The goal of a costing-out study is to determine the base cost of educating a student who has no special needs, attending a district with no special circumstances, to meet state requirements.

Equitable funding of Pennsylvania's 501 public school districts has been an issue for over forty years. More than 35 other states have undergone a costing-out process, frequently using the information to guide the creation of a new school funding formula that achieves greater equity among school entities.

The State Board of Education is now seeking nominations for professional judgment panels which will guide and evaluate the process. Good Schools Pennsylvania is promoting a campaign to get interested parties involved. Read more...

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Dems in U.S. House Pass Spending Bill...

The House passed a $463.5 billion spending bill on Wednesday that covers about one-sixth of the federal budget and begins to clear up the fiscal mess left over from the Republicans Congress. Read more...

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Sunday, January 27, 2007

Local Peace Activist March at Peace Rally in D.C... by Lois K. Herr

Peace activists from Lancaster, Chester, and Berks counties joined tens of thousands of marchers for the Anti-War Rally held in D.C. on the 27th of January. Read more...