betterpolitics
09/03/09 by David Arthur Smithers
REPORT FROM IOWA AFL-CIO CONVENTION:
Just a few lines from my perspective on the AFL-CIO convention August 26-29,
in Altoona. The high point, I thought was a monologue series of skits by Vicki
Vuranch, "Bringing History to Life". She illustrates, with enacted folk
histories the lives of ordinary workers. Worries about putting food on the
table, raising a family, and living life with a purpose are everyday struggles
that are a constant background amid the currents and singular events of
history. History is not about Presidents and Generals, but about real everyday
people.
The convention voted to endorse single payer health care (HR 676), but there
was no discussion from the floor about it or much of anything else. Meanwhile
all the speakers, including HR 676, only spoke about "affordable health care
with a strong public option" in the massive HR 3200 bill. HR 676 cosponsor
Representative Dave Loebsack never mentioned single payer even to a friendly
audience. He did however say that a public option was necessary to make the
rest of HR 3200 work because the regulation of the health insurance industry
would be inadequate for reform without a competing public option.
The linkage between success or failure for healthcare reform and passage of
the employee free choice labor law reform was made abundantly clear by most
every speaker. these two issues are like dominoes which will affect the
direction of American Labor and the American Dream during this political era.
PRISON DISCUSSION
I have been attending meetings of a prison discusion group which has been
discussing such topics as unionization of prisoners and prison abolition. We
are discussing Angela Davis' book : "Are Prisons Obsolete". Another topic has
brought in another group of folks wishing to discuss the Iowa City police
shooting of Sudanese refugee John Deng. In general the meetings are being held
at the Iowa City Library on Sundays from 1pm. The next meeting is about the
police shooting only:
Police shooting meeting
May be small for Labor Day
Host: Iowa Prison Discussions
Type: Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Network: Global
Date: Sunday, September 6, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Iowa City Public Library meeting room B
Street: 123 South Linn Street
City/Town: Iowa City, IA
http://wildroserebellion.wikispaces.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8711795786
http://groups.myspace.com/WildRoseRebellion
IOWA LABOR TASK FORCE (see on FACEBOOK)
Nikolous Miller, a University of Iowa student has been forming an Iowa Labor
Task Force with membership from local labor unions and college students. The
wage theft of workers by contracters doing flood recovery work for the
University of Iowa was an initial reason that Nikolous and other students
wanted to pursue the forming of the group. At the last meeting (spring
semester) several members of the carpenters union, Nikolous, and myself
talked-- but no other students were present. Nick is trying again this
semester:
Nikolous Miller sent a message to the members of Iowa Labor Task Force.
Subject: Official Meeting Day 9/9/09
Due to everyone's plans for Labor Day and conflicting arrangements, the Iowa
Labor Task Force will have its first open meeting of the academic year on Iowa
City Public Library Room D for 6:00 pm. Wednesday, September 9th.
If anyone would like to meet Saturday and help distribute information on Labor
Day please let me know.
I hope to see you all at the The Iowa City Federation of Labor & AFL-CIO
annual Labor Day picnic on Monday, September 7, starting at 12 Noon at Upper
City Park, shelter 2.
-Nick
MAD AS HELL DOCTORS TOUR
http://www.desmoinescatholicworker.org/madashelldoctors.html
What: Mad as Hell Doctors speaking in Des Moines, Iowa
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
For more info contact:
Mona Shaw <MonaShaw@aol.com>
Phil Berrigan CW House
713 Indiana Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50314
(515) 282-4781 www.DesMoinesCatholicWorker.org
WORKER JUSTICE FOR ALL
I attended the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement convention last month in Des
Moines. Ken Sagar, president of Iowa AFL-CIO spoke of the alliance of Iowa
AFL-CIO and the work that CCI does, Among the concerns of CCI is family
centered immigration reform and to seek bonding of workers beyond race,
ethnicity, and citizenship.
What: Worker Justice for All
Where: September 26 at 5pm CCI Headquarters, 2001 Forest Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
This is billed as for the metro area of Des Moines, but it might be
instructive for those who might have the opportunity to go. For more
information: 515-282-0484
GREEN PARTY: SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE REFORM
You Can Help Make Single-Payer Health Care a Reality
What's wrong with the health care reform plans supported by President Obama
and Democratic leaders? The only winners under these plans are the insurance
companies, HMOs, and drug manufacturers. Democrats want Americans to spend
billions of dollars extra every year for health care, rather than just
eliminate the bureaucracy, paperwork, waste, and high CEO salaries of
for-profit insurance. The Democrats' proposed 'mandate' would mean massive
taxpayer subsidies for the insurance industry. The 'public option' won't
reduce health care costs, and would only cover 10 million people out of the 50
million without insurance. President Obama and the Democrats have already
caved in to drug industry pressure on re-importing Canadian drugs, on
negotiating for lower drug prices, and on generics.
WE DEMAND universal health care under the SINGLE-PAYER NATIONAL HEALTH CARE
PLAN (HR 676)!
WE DEMAND that single-payer be placed on the table in the health care reform
debate. (Senator Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, says that
single-payer is "off the table.")
WE DEMAND that Democrats, Republicans, and the media stop telling lies about
single-payer universal health care. (Single-payer is NOT "socialized
medicine"!)
WE DEMAND a televised national debate between advocates and opponents of
single-payer, so Americans can hear the truth about universal health care.
WE DEMAND new studies by the GAO and Congressional Budget Office on the cost
of single-payer. In the 1990s, analyses by these offices showed that
single-payer would save billions of dollars in health care expenses.
For more information on Single-Payer go to the Physicians for a National
Health Program website.
David Arthur Smithers
smithers@netins.net
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