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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