Health Care Reform ~ Now !

The Cost of ‘No’ and Other Health Care Perspectives
by Seth Michaels, Nov 25, 2009

Here’s the latest news from the fight for real health care reform:

• In the Baltimore Sun, Tom Schaller looks at how the nation’s broken health care system is undermining our economy. The cost of doing nothing to reform health care would be trillions of dollars, he says.

• In a great new piece at the Huffington Post, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) explains why he’s saying “Yes” to health care reform. We’re at a defining historical moment, Bennet says, and we can’t afford to continue the status quo.

• Think Progress looks at how insurance company bureaucrats are standing between patients and their doctors.

• The National Farmers Union has come out in support of health care reform, saying rural families need lower costs, more choices and better access to care. Senators from heavily rural states like Arkansas, Maine and Nebraska should pay attention.

• According to a new poll, 71 percent of the public agrees that reform needs to include an investment in preventive care.

• In new TV ads, Health Care for America Now (HCAN) thanks senators who voted to open debate on health care and criticizes those who tried to block debate.

• Steve Benen takes a look at the all-too-widespread tragedy of medical bankruptcy.

Contact your senators to demand real reform that expands coverage, cuts costs, holds employers accountable, doesn’t tax our health benefits and offers a public health insurance option.

Tennessee Senator`s can be contacted by clicking on the title of this article !

Union City TN Goodyear ~ Is The following Their Epitaph ?

Clock Runs Out for Spring Hill's GM plant
Wednesday's switch to standby eliminates thousands of jobs
By Jill Cecil Wiersma • THE TENNESSEAN • November 24, 2009

Goodyear, Union City Tennessee ? Epitaph ?

SPRING HILL — At its peak, about 7,800 people clocked in daily for work at the Saturn plant."Now we're down to 630 people," said Darren Tonoli, a General Motors employee of nearly three decades. The plant goes on standby Wednesday, turning away about 2,000 hourly employees who are laid off now that production of the Chevrolet Traverse has moved to Michigan. Roughly the same number among local suppliers to General Motors are losing jobs.Tonoli is among those with enough seniority to keep a job at the plant, manufacturing four-cylinder engines and several components for the corporation.
Related
Final day at GM plant in Spring Hill
GM plant shaped Spring Hill history
History of Saturn plant in Spring Hill
It's an unpleasant milestone for the plant, which produced its first vehicle — a red, four-door Saturn sedan — nearly 20 years ago.Tonoli and co-worker John Gallegos say the mood has been strained over the past several weeks, especially as people with seniority have been transitioning into their new positions, working side by side with people who will soon be laid off. "I'm there to fill their spot and they don't like it," Tonoli said. "I don't blame them at all." "There's nothing we can do," Gallegos said. "We've got no control. And I don't want to move again."
Some will move for work Gallegos said he feels lucky to be able to stay but wonders how long it will last. He knows others who are moving elsewhere for work, some among the 840 jobs offered at the Lansing, Mich., plant. He said some plan to keep their families here with hopes that the economy improves before they try to sell their homes."I did that for five months when I moved here. That was hard enough," he said. Gallegos said he and most of the employees are "GM gypsies" — slang for workers who have transferred from other plants. Gallegos and Tonoli both worked at the plant in Van Nuys, Calif., before it closed. "It's a mall now," Tonioli said. "I heard Tom Selleck owns it," Gallegos said. Close, but not exactly. Redevelopment on that property began in the late '90s by The Selleck Group (owned by Tom Selleck's brother, Dan Selleck) and Voit Companies. Now known as The Plant, the 127-acre site is home to restaurants, a 16-screen movie theater and several retail stores including a Home Depot, Babies "R" Us and an Office Max. As a project, The Plant represents more than a decade of work and a more than $100 million investment, Dan Selleck said. He said it doesn't seem that Spring Hill is in the same situation the Van Nuys plant was in at that time. "We were in a pretty deep recession at that point in time. After two years, they didn't have any success in finding another automobile or manufacturer to step in," he said. "I wouldn't give up hope that maybe (Spring Hill) could have another automobile there.
Gallegos said he hopes the Spring Hill plant will resume full production soon and that he can stay on long enough to feel it is safe to retire."They'd like to get rid of people like us who are earning top dollar," he said. "But I think they will get another car. I really do."Plant still viable Just what will happen to the Spring Hill plant remains unknown.
Related
Final day at GM plant in Spring Hill
GM plant shaped Spring Hill history
History of Saturn plant in Spring Hill
Spring Hill Economic Development Commission Chairman Dustin Dunbar said it's all up to GM, which spent more than $700 million in 2007 and 2008 remodeling the plant so it can quickly be retooled to build any car in the automaker's lineup.
"GM feels like it's a great plant and they want to keep it, but they've not given any indication of what they want to build there," Dunbar said. "We get people asking about it all the time in terms of what's next. I really wish I had an answer for them."Meanwhile, the EDC is working on a plan to identify and recruit new companies that would hire the former GM workers. The impact of the layoffs will be felt regionally as well. Roughly 500 employees live in Spring Hill while some others commute from Kentucky and Alabama. The plant's opening helped pave the way for growth in Spring Hill, which was just 1,464 people when the first Saturn rolled off the assembly line in 1990. Today, Spring Hill's population is estimated at 25,000. The EDC already has been approached by a Chicago-based realty company about the GM property. Circle Realty Advisors gave it a presentation a few weeks ago. But Dunbar said he feels confident that GM intends to keep the plant, even if they haven't decided what they'll do with it.
"That's what we basically told them," he said. "Number one: The plant is not for sale. Number two: They will hopefully decide to build something there. We're just waiting in limbo until they decide what that is."

Contact Jill Cecil Wiersma at 790-7207 or jwiersma@tennessean.com.

Seven Health Care fixes, That Would Work !...11/24/09

Seven Quick fixes to Health Care
What would happen soon if the health-care overhaul passes.
By Ryan Teague Beckwith

To hear the rhetoric on both sides, you'd think the health-care overhaul in the Senate would change the U.S. system overnight. In reality, most of the changes — such as the new health insurance exchanges and insurance mandates for individuals — would not take place until 2014 (or 2013 in the House version).
Still, a few provisions are set to begin next year, if the legislation passes. Some of the most significant changes would extend existing programs and rules in order to immediately reduce the number of uninsured Americans. Others would end unpopular practices in the private insurance industry.The measures are designed to build immediate support for the longer-term provisions in the bills, which could still be changed by future legislation. They will also provide President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats with talking points going into the 2010 elections. If the bill passes, expect to hear a lot more about these provisions in the near future.

Below, a few of the immediate changes:

* Insuring high-risk citizens. Both bills would create a $5 billion fund for temporary insurance for citizens with pre-existing conditions who have not been insured for at least six months. The program would end once the insurance exchanges begin in 2013 or 2014.

* Extending insurance for adult children. The House bill would allow parents to keep unmarried adult children on their health insurance until their 27th birthday; the Senate bill, until their 26th birthday. This would reduce the number of uninsured young adults.

* Extending insurance for the recently unemployed. Under current law, laid-off workers are allowed to continue buying their existing insurance through the COBRA program for up to 18 months. The bills would extend that coverage until the insurance exchanges begin.

* Ending lifetime limits on benefits. Both bills would end the lifetime caps on insurance coverage which have sometimes been used to deny payments to consumers with particularly expensive treatments. Both bills would also restrict annual limits on health-care benefits.

* Ending rescission. Insurance companies often cancel policies for consumers who require expensive medical care because they made honest mistakes on their medical histories. Both bills would prohibit insurance plans from canceling coverage except in cases of fraud.

* Starting to close the doughnut hole. Both bills would begin closing the so-called "doughnut hole" in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage by providing an additional $500 in coverage starting in 2010. Over several years, the gap would be reduced until it was closed entirely.

* Taxing plastic surgery. The Senate bill would include a new 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery. The tax is estimated to raise $5.8 billion over the next 10 years. It does not apply to cosmetic surgery to fix problems caused by accidents, disease or birth defects.

Ryan Teague Beckwith is deputy editor of Congress.org.

Tennessee Senator`s Alexander & Corker Oppose Health Care Reform...11/23/09

Senate Health Care Debate ?
Tennessee`s Lamar Alexander(R) & Bob Corker(R) Oppose Health Care Reform...WHY ?

Late Saturday night, the Senate agreed to begin debate on their health care bill, with a vote of 60-39.1By beginning debate, the Senate is took a crucial step towards passing a health care bill that guarantees quality, affordable health care for all, with the choice of a public health insurance option.Click here to find out how your Senators voted, and tell them what you think of their vote.Debate on the Senate health care bill will start after Thanksgiving. The bill will face amendments - some that will make it stronger and some that will make it weaker - before it comes up for a final vote. And along the way, the insurance industry will be working to kill the bill any way they can.We'll need your help to fight for what we all believe in - quality health care, a price we can all afford, and the choice of a public health insurance option to keep the insurance industry honest. And we'll need your help making sure the health care bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced - and nothing less - gets a fair, majority vote in the Senate. Not from Tennessee Click here to find out how your Senators voted. Alexander & Corker Voted NO ! That`s a Vote Against Tennesseans !

Click on the link below or title of this article to find out how all of the Senators Voted ?

http://tools.advomatic.com/8/proceed/totals?

Underdogs Blog=Don Jones !....11/21/09...You Bet !

UnderDog`s Blog ?
By Don Jones = Underdog

I publish this blog, called Underdog almost daily. I write about things, I think, I know about ? For instance, I write about Organ/Transplantation. I write about Unions. I write about healthcare. I write a little about Pulmonary Hypertension. At times I am very opinionated. I do not ask that you agree with me, I do ask however that when you disagree with me, that your comments on my blog be without curse words. I do not use them in my blog. I must insist that your comments be curse free. If they are not without curse words, that`s your prerogative. However, that particular comment will be deleted. That's my rule ! I am a Democrat most of the time. Although, I have voted Republican. I am a voter of platforms and programs. Thus, the platform of the Democrats, usually fit my needs. I feel that if you are a Republican voter, you are mostly with and not without, you are white collar not blue collar. I feel if you are opposed to health care reform, you are both with and have great insurance ! I`m a Democrat who opposes gun control. I am a Democrat who opposes abortion. If you want to carry a gun, and I do ! Get licensed. I am ! You don't want or believe in abortion, don`t have one ! As for myself and my family, I view it as our decision, not your`s ! I believe in Free Democratic Trade Unions ! I belong to one. In my state of Tennessee, we have a law called (Right to Work) You are not required by law to join a union. If you do not wish to join, don`t ! You must understand, that I do not agree with that law, but, I am a law abiding citizen, thus I do abide by it ! I believe we should have term limits for our politicians. Congress was never intended to be a life-time occupation. We have them for our President and in Tennessee we have them for our Governor. Why not Congress and the Senate ? I once had a politician tell me, he could`nt be bought, but, he could be rented for a little while. I had a problem with that statement. I am a practicing Christian. I believe in separation of church and state. I have seen my church lose members over the years, because they turned into a political action committee(PAC). Let your conviction be tempered by your love for your fellow man. Let your example be that of Love, Hope and Charity ! I am a Freemason, Do not ever give up on our democracy. Vote ! Demand that your voice be heard and that you stay in touch/contact with your elected Representative`s. When you do disagree with someone, disagree with kindness, not hate or disgust. My e-mail address is on my blog. You can contact me via e-mail. donjones90@gmail.com/ or donjones@charter.net . You can make comments on my blog, I encourage you to do so. Just be agreeable or disagreeable, not ugly ! If you have items of interest you would like to see published, just forward them to this writer. Now, understand, I am the publisher, I will decide what is published and what is not ! If you wish to save my web-address for my blog, just click on the title or the following link. > http://wwwsecondchance.blogspot.com/ <

and put it in your favorites.With warmest regard, I remain

Stick a Fork in Me, I`m Done !

UNDERDOG = Don Jones !

Medicare & Healthcare reform !...Check it Out !

Medicare & Healthcare Reform...H.R. 3962

A report requested by Republicans and released on Saturday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services drew attention from health reform critics this week. The report questioned the expected savings from the House-approved health care overhaul. However, CMS's analysis is not an apples-to-apples comparison to the cost estimate conducted by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), because CMS did not review tax provisions, which help offset the price tag of the Democrats' measure. It is certain that the House health care reform bill will extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by five years, significantly longer than any other recent proposal. The legislation will also cut out-of-pocket spending by more than $200 billion by 2019. "We must separate fact from fiction to avoid being alarmed unnecessarily," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "Overall, national spending on health care would increase by less than 1.3% over the next decade with the House bill, even though millions of additional people will gain coverage. Without health care reform, health care costs are expected to rise at rates double that of inflation, growing every year as a larger share of the Gross National Product." To learn more facts about the financial benefits of H.R. 3962 to retirees, go to http://bit.ly/jV9Ml.

______________________________________________________ Donut Hole...Sucking Sound ! $$$

Rising Drug Costs in Face of Health Reform The New York Times reported early this week that the drug industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years - this year by 9%. The rise has caused speculation about price increases in advance of health reform legislation. Those increases will add more than $10 billion to the nation's $300 billion drug bill this year, and led Democrats in Congress to request two investigations of drug industry pricing http://bit.ly/1NcGtz on Wednesday.

Contacting Congress, Here`s How !...11/19/09

Contacting YOUR Congressman ~ How to Do It !

by Don Jones

I have provided for my Tennessee readers in the past, how to contact our/your Tennessee Congressman/woman ! I am now getting hits from Maine to Alaska, so, I thought it time to provide those readers the same information. Here it Is ! Just click on this link and follow directions, it will get to your Congressperson. > > >

> http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ <

Oh, by the way Tennessee readers can use this link also, or Tennessee can go to > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html <

I hope this not only helps, but that you use it to contact your elected representatives.

Prescription Drugs, The High Cost...11/18/09

The High Cost of Rx. Drugs...

by Don Jones

I`m beginning to wonder if I can afford to die ? It may not matter ? I am at the point of no return. Prescription Drugs are/have become a huge deficit on the average Americans back. When I retired, my drugs were a co-pay deal, I paid $2.00 two Dollars for most prescription drugs. I`m a Heart-Transplant patient and I have a disease called Pulmonary Hypertension. I take a bunch of drugs. I am with Express Scripts, for my mail to me drugs. The cost for most drugs through my insurance carrier (Volunteer Eemployee's Benefits Association) is now as low as $15.00 for drugs and $1,900.00 for another. Hey Folks, I can`t pay that. If You work at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and are covered by the VEBA, I suggest you go on-line and checkout Wal-Mart`s Drug cost. I did. 5 five of the Rx. drugs I take are now on Wal-Mart`s drug list. I can actually purchase these drugs at Wal-Mart cheaper than I can get through my insurance ! I can a (90) supply of Lisinopril for high blood pressure for $10.00 ten dollars. If I go through my VEBA it is $15.00. Something wrong with this picture ? Oh yes, I will begin a new drug the last of this month called Tyvaso, for my (PulmonaryArterial Hypertension,) Sit down, the cost is going to be $30,000.00 per month, yes my insurance will pay for this, most of us cannot pay these kind of bill`s. Yet, my Congressman John Tanner, District#8-Tennessee, voted against the health care reform bill ? What`s wrong with this picture ? My whole point to this? Go to Wal-Mart Pharmacy on-line. You might save a little money ? The link below will take you there and you need pdf. to read it. Wal-Mart updates this site on occasion, so check back if your drug is not there. They made add it.

http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list_6-5-08.pdf

We made be trading one problem for another ? Wal-Mart is the great China Connection.

Tennessee U.S. Senators Need to Support Health Care Reform...11/17/09

Let’s Have a Real Senate Debate on Health Care
by Seth Michaels, Nov 13, 2009

Alliance for Retired Americans members protested insurance companies’ anti-reform scare tactics. Next week, the U.S. Senate is expected to begin debate on long-promised health care reform legislation. We’ve waited decades and fought hard for this moment—but progress could be blocked if a minority of senators refuses to allow a fair debate and a fair vote. That’s right: Despite huge wins for pro-working family, pro-health care reform candidates in the House and Senate and the election of a pro-health care reform president, a few senators can do the bidding of insurance companies and prevent a bill from getting to the floor or getting a vote. Now is the time to contact your senators and tell them: Health care can’t wait. It’s time for action. Here’s more news from the fight for real health care reform: The Alliance for Retired Americans offered thanks to members of the U.S. House who voted to pass a health care reform bill that will improve Medicare and help the young and seniors alike. Alliance members also are protesting insurance companies like Humana that have used scare tactics and falsehoods to try and stop reform. At Open Left, Mike Lux runs down the benefits we will see from health care reform and the big fights still ahead to make reform the best it can be. Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is launching new ads urging senators in two key states—Arkansas and Nebraska—to allow a Senate vote on health care reform. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) looks at the employer’s role in health care and finds that the just-passed House bill does well at ensuring that employers can provide high-quality coverage. The Center for American Progress notes that the House bill will have big benefits for unmarried women, who are too often uninsured in our current system.

Editorial : Contact your U.S. Senators in Tennessee, Lamar Alexander(R) http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/

and Bob Corker(R)http://www.corker.senate.gov/public Tell them to support Health Care !

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ~ This Writer Has It !...11/14/09

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
By Don Jones, PAH Patient...11/14/09

I have not written about my Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension disease lately. I have been doing a drug called Ventavis 5.0 inhaled six(6) times a day and a drug called Revatio(20mg.)The cost of these two drugs are appoximately $12,000.00 per month, my insurance pays, or I could`nt pay ! I do not believe these drugs have made a marked difference. I do not believe I`m any worse. Vanderbilt is going to stop these drugs and put me on a new drug called Tyvaso. I am affraid to ask the cost. Tyvaso is form of Remodulin. Tyvaso, (inhaled treprostinil) is an inhaled form of Remodulin®, which is a synthetic form of prostacyclin. It is produced by United Therapeutics, Inc and received FDA approval in 2009 for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in WHO Group 1 patients with NYHA Class III symptoms. Tyvaso is administered using the Tyvaso Inhalation System. The product is to be administered by oral inhalation, 4 times daily, approximately 4 hours apart during waking hours. The effects on a persons ability to exercise will decrease over the course of the minimum recommended dosing interval of 4 hours but treatment timing can be adjusted for planned activities in order to accommodate individual schedules of activity. I must say that I can`t wait to begin this new drug ! Shortness of breath is not much fun. I cannot do very much strenuous activity and walking is a nightmare at times. Being a Heart-Transplant, this disease puts a heavy burden on my heart. I`m not sure if I will continue the Revatio, Vanderbilt`s Dr. Hemnes(Picture Above) has not said at this point. As I learn more, I will write more in regard to this new treatment. I would ask what anyone`s experience is with this new drug, but, it is so new, there are`nt any. I have learned that as a PAH patient, I have good days and bad days. I find it extremely difficult to keep a positive outlook. I do know, that without my family, I could`nt make it ! Studies have shown that Tyvaso is a very effective treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is much less invasive than the current subcutaneous or intravenous formulation of treprostinil (Remodulin) and since it is administered less frequently than Ventavis®, it makes it a very desirable option for PAH patients. For additional Information, visit the Tyvaso Website.

Unfair Trade, Ya Think ?

U.S. Taxpayers to Give Over $425 Million to Create Over 2,000 Jobs in China...

Chinese Manufacturer Claims "This is Just the Beginning"

Recent news revealed that the developer of a planned Texas wind farm is seeking – and expects to receive – more than $425 million in stimulus funds for the project. The wind farm is estimated to create a few-hundred temporary construction jobs along with about 30 ongoing jobs in the United States. Meanwhile, it is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs in China. That’s because a Chinese firm will be the exclusive supplier of the wind turbines for the project. China Artificially Lowers the Cost of their Exports, While U.S. Producers Struggle In case after case, China is continually found to provide massive subsidies to its domestic manufacturers along with other tactics to undercut U.S. producers. Consider that while China’s wind-turbine producing industry grows, in the first three quarters of 2009, there were 33 percent fewer announcements of U.S. wind turbine factory expansions compared to 2008.China plans on continuing their investments in the U.S. renewable industry in order to create a market for their manufacturers. Lu Jinxiang, an executive involved with the West Texas deal, was recently quoted as saying that “this is just the beginning” and the U.S. is “an ideal target” given our desire to promote renewable energy. We Can’t Afford to Give Up Good-Paying Manufacturing Jobs Unemployment now stands above 10 percent. Adding in those who have stopped looking or are not working as much as they would like takes the rate above 17 percent. Now is the time to make a real commitment to American jobs through a solid policy to promote manufacturing, as so many other nations already have. We need to get our country and our communities back on track. Green jobs can help reinvigorate the U.S. manufacturing base and provide quality, sustainable jobs for millions of Americans while promoting a cleaner environment. The stimulus bill was supposed to spark this activity – not create green jobs overseas. These wind turbines, their main components and other “green” products, can be made in the US – at least for the moment. It’s time to rethink our policies and renew our commitment to quality jobs in the U.S. Get Ready To Act ! We will NEVER just sit by and quietly watch this happen! Rapid Response will let you know how you can take action within a few days to help us try and stop this further export of U.S. jobs and taxpayer dollars to China!

Health Care Critical to Seniors...Life & Death !..11/13/09

Alliance Leaders Join First Lady as Part of Health Reform Effort

Several Alliance leaders are scheduled to be with First Lady Michelle Obama this afternoon at a White House health reform event focused on senior women. Ms. Easterling, Alliance Executive Vice President Judy Cato and Executive Board member Barbara Matteson of Tucson, Arizona, are planning to attend the event, which will shine a light on the difficulties older women face getting insurance and how health reform will help them.
______________________________________________________________

Senate Works to Pass Its Own Health Care Bill :

The narrow margin in the House vote suggests enormous challenges in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is struggling to hold on to all 58 Democrats and two independents in his caucus. Sen. Reid has merged two bills into one. The fine print is not public, but according to The New York Times, the broad outlines are known. Unlike the House bill, which pays to extend coverage by taxing individuals who earn more than $500,000 a year and couples who earn more than $1 million, the Senate bill would impose a tax on higher-end insurance policies, which could have a detrimental effect on coverage for retirees and older workers. And unlike the House bill, which includes a national public plan, the Senate measure would allow states to opt out. White House officials realize that the closer the final vote comes to the November 2010 midterm Congressional elections, the more difficult it will be to pass legislation. "Senators must remember that many workers gave up other benefits in order to maintain their right to good health care benefits," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "To tax those workers? health benefits now would be unfair."

Goodyear Raising Tire Price`s ! You Bet !..11/13/09

Associated Press

Goodyear increases Tire Prices to offset Costs

11.12.09

Goodyear is raising tire prices.

Spokesman Jim Davis says Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will raise the price on all consumer replacement tires sold in North America by 6 percent starting Dec. 1.
Davis says higher raw material costs are behind the move. The increase is the company's first since September 2008, when it raised prices more than 10 percent. The higher prices will be felt by the company's dealers and distributors, who buy replacement tires directly from Goodyear. Davis says it is up to them whether they pass the increase onto consumers. Goodyear posted a higher third-quarter profit last month, though it is forecasting an operating loss in its key North America market.

Editorial : Poor ole Goodyear, they can`t give Kramer and Keegan a bonus, unless they raise prices. North American operations, translated = Employees making too much money !

Tennessee Valley Authority, Join IFPTE Union...11/12/09

TVA Engineers Join IFPTE
by Seth Michaels, Nov 10, 2009

By a nearly 10-to-1 margin, members of the Tennessee Valley Authority Engineering Association (EA), employees at the nation’s largest public power supplier, voted to affiliate with the Professional and Technical Engineers union (IFPTE) today. The EA includes more than 2,600 scientists, engineers, technicians and other professional TVA employees. EA President Gay Henson says joining IFPTE will make EA a more effective advocate for its members: “We are extremely excited about moving forward together with the IFPTE. This partnership provides us with new connections to Washington, to the labor movement and to other engineers and professionals. IFPTE also will lend expertise to help us with legislation and negotiations. As a result of today’s vote, it’s a new day for the EA.”
IFPTE represents more than 80,000 professional employees in both the public and private sector, including technical experts and skilled workers at power-generation facilities across he country. IFPTE President Greg Junemann says he’s honored that EA, first formed in 1937, decided to affiliate with IFPTE.

Editorial : This can only help. Perhaps they can keep CEO Tom Kilgore from more bonus/raises ?

Health Care & Trade Our Two Most Important Economic Indicators...11/12/09

It`s Health Care & Trade, Stupid !

By Don Jones

As most of you know, I am a strong believer in our middle class. I think that without Unions, Fair Trade and reformed Health Care our middle class is lost. I do not believe that Wall Street will save us ! I do not believe that unfair commerce will save us ! I do not believe that a few people with all of the money will save us ! Our political system has divided into two factions, the Republicans represent the rich and powerful. The Democrats represent the middle class and the not so powerful. If you do not believe or like that statement, where on earth have you been ? Unfair Trade is absolutely killing off all of our manufacturing base. Without descent paying jobs, America is lost ! Health Care is one of the factors in moving off shore and manufacturing that same product and send it here to the United States for sale. Health Care is part of our manufacturing cost. If say, Goodyear Tire & Rubber builds a plant in China and they have and are. They can pay their employee`s 0.42 cents per hour and no benefits/health care ! They send tires back to USA for sale, They cannot sell them in China for (5) five years ! Price does not come down. Now, that's fair, sure it is ! Workers here cannot compete with that kind of unfair trade. I picked on Goodyear because that is exactly what is going on, plus, I worked there before my retirement. Unions have been rendered almost powerless in the last decade or longer. It is tough to organize workers, when there are no jobs. Can we all sit in front of a computer and make a living ? I think not. It is jobs, jobs, jobs and as our President says, we must make products here ! We no longer make shoes, clothing, electronic`s. Buy American, sounds great, but where do you find American made products, you sure cannot find them at Wal-Mart ! They are the great China importers. Do not believe the party of NO that we cannot have fair trade. I have heard that crap, until I`m sick. We must have fair trade, trade that equalizes are workers. Without it, we become a third world country. Our very rich, move their money off-shore to avoid paying tax`s. That leaves just the middle class to tote the note. Soon there will not be enough of us remaining to pay. Stop the bleeding of our manufacturing base now, or pay dearly later...and not much later either. So, it is Trade and Health Care...fix it !

Contact Your Senators...Health Care Now !...11/10/09

First Hurdle Cleared: House Passes Healthcare Reform! Fight Now Moves to the Senate; Keep the Calls Going...

Late Saturday evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed an historic healthcare reform bill by a vote of 220-215. The legislation contains the key provisions our union sought: a strong public option to increase competition and lower costs, requirements for employers to either provide coverage or pay into a system to ensure employees can get coverage, and NO TAX on benefits.

HOW THEY VOTED:

All Republicans voted WRONG (against the bill) except for: Joseph Cao (LA-2).



All Democrats voted RIGHT (for the bill) except for the following :: Adler (NJ-3), Altmire (PA-4), Baird (WA-3), Barrow (GA-12), Boccieri (OH-16), Boren (OK-2), Boucher (VA-9), Boyd (FL-2), Bright (AL-2), Chandler (KY-6), Childers (MS-1), Davis (TN-4), Davis (AL-7), Edwards (TX-17), Gordon (TN-6), Griffith (AL-5), Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL), Holden (PA-17), Kissell (NC-8), Kosmas (FL-24), Kratovil (MD-1), Kucinich (OH-10), Markey (CO-4), Marshall (GA-8), Massa (NY-29), Matheson (UT-2), McIntyre (NC-7), McMahon (NY-13), Melancon (LA-3), Minnick (ID-1), Murphy (NY-20), Nye (VA-2), Peterson (MN-7), Ross (AR-4), Shuler (NC-11), Skelton (MO-4), Tanner (TN-8), Taylor (MS-4) and Teague (NM-2).



Please Call Your Senators: The Senate will begin debate shortly on their version of a reform bill. Their bill is not as strong as the House bill. A key concern is that it contains a tax on benefits that needs to be removed.



1 - Dial Toll-Free, 866-203-4960
2 - Ask for your Senators. Note: Make two calls, one to each Senator.
3 - Tell him or her that you are a voter in their state and they need to:
Support healthcare reform that:



Has a strong public option, Ensures employers provide care or pay into a system to ensure everyone can get care, and Does not tax benefits. You can contact


Senator Lamar Alexander(R) Tennessee > http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/


and you can contact Senator Bob Corker(R) Tennessee > http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/ <


All other Tennessee elected officials may be contacted by clicking on the title of this article !

How Health Care Reform Would Help YOU !...11/10/09

Here’s How the House’s Health Care Reform Would Help You
by Seth Michaels, Nov 9, 2009

With successful passage of a historic health care reform bill this weekend, experts are weighing in on the benefits that the bill would bring to working families.
Maggie Mahar, a longtime observer of health care policy, says the progress Congress has made on health care is “astounding” and the House bill would move millions of families to less expensive, more comprehensive health care coverage, protecting them from medical bankruptcy, lifetime coverage caps and other consequences of our current flawed system. A study by MIT health care economist Jonathan Gruber suggests the changes in the House proposal will lower premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for middle-class families who are looking to buy insurance.This legislation includes numerous benefits for working families, immediately and in the long term, whether you have insurance now or not: It will end the national scandal of medical bankruptcy—the number one cause of personal bankruptcy—by eliminating lifetime caps on insurer payments and limiting annual out-of-pocket costs. Medical bankruptcies affect up to 4,000 families every day in the United States—and 78 percent of them are fully insured.
It ends abusive insurance company practices, including the denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions and “rescissions”—the practice of canceling coverage when patients file claims.

It provides subsidies to help middle-class and lower-income families afford coverage. Through an exchange, it offers people a wide range of choices of insurance, including a public health insurance option that competes with private insurers.

It narrows the “donut hole”—the gap in Medicare coverage for prescription drugs.

It creates incentives to increase the number of doctors and boosts funding for community health centers.

It allows young people to be covered by their parents’ insurance up to age 27.

It creates a new fund to help employers give health coverage to early retirees.

It provides for efficient, computerized medical records and other tools to streamline medical care and increase quality.

It cuts costs to the federal government as well as to families, reducing the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years—thanks, in part, to the existence of a public health insurance option, which lowers costs across the system.
Ad it’s fairly funded—through employer responsibility and a surtax on the very highest earners, not a tax on middle-class health benefits.

That’s a huge, historic win that will make a real difference in the lives of people of all ages. Here’s a two-page fact sheet that explains more.
Meanwhile: President Barack Obama praised the House members who showed courage in taking this critical vote.
Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and other reform supporters are thanking representatives who voted “Yes.” You can thank your member of Congress here. They showed courage by fighting against insurance companies and for working families—and they need to hear from you to know that they did the right thing.
And the Senate could begin debate on its own health care legislation next week.

Lamar Alexander(R)Tennessee...Out of Touch...11/10/09

Alexander: Health Care Reform Should Lower Costs, Not Add to Debt...

November 7th, 2009 - WASHINGTON

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today released the following statement regarding the Senate’s upcoming consideration of health care legislation and after House Democrats passed a health care bill that will increase costs: "This bill is indeed historic in its combination of higher premiums, higher taxes, Medicare cuts and more federal debt. Millions of Americans will be forced into government plans when their employers stop offering health plans. I do not see how Tennessee can pay for its part of the Medicaid expansion without a new income tax or seriously damaging higher education, or both. "Health care reform is supposed to be about reducing, not increasing, costs. Instead of this 2,000-page bill, we should start step-by-step to reduce costs by allowing small businesses to combine their health plans, permitting individuals to buy insurance across state lines and reducing junk lawsuits against doctors."

Editorial : What a load of crap ! Remember, Senator Alexander is a business owner ! All the Republicans have is, buy insurance across state lines and passing laws so you and I cannot sue Dr.`s or The Health Care system. Senator Alexander, we know, who you are representing, and it is not middle class Tennesseans. Tennesseans just want what you have Senator, We pay for your`s ! The Best our Tax /Money can buy YOU !

Vice-President Joe Biden ~ Unions Needed to Build Middle Class

VP Biden : Strong Unions Needed to Build Middle Class
by James Parks, Nov 5, 2009

The nation cannot rebuild its middle class without strong unions, Vice President Joe Biden said today. Biden said he and President Obama believe it is impossible to grow the middle class without growing unions. Biden, who chairs the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families, met with a panel of scholars assembled by the Center for American Progress (CAP) and Economic Policy Institute (EPI) to discuss the challenges facing America’s middle class in the 21st century economy. At the live webcast event, EPI President Lawrence Mishel said unions set standards in the workplace. Decent standards help ensure “employers are not competing to see who can make the jobs worst, but who can make the products better,” Mishel said. Heather Boushey, CAP’s senior economist, said unions are important for workers so they can approach employers about sharing the benefits of productivity and about the ways to have more workplace flexibility. And it can’t just be about one worker. These are challenges for everyone. I don’t think we can overestimate the important role of unions in building a middle class and what they can do if we help them grow again. Biden said middle-class life is much more fragile than it should be with families struggling to pay medical bills. In America today, it is more than likely that both parents work long hours but find it harder to buy a decent home and send their children to college, he said. It’s not just about a paycheck, it’s about a standard of living. [It's about] any family that can’t afford to go without two paychecks in a row without finding themselves really up against it and having to make really difficult choices.The panel identified several trends that affect middle-class families, including a steady erosion of good manufacturing jobs, corporate attacks on unions, the growing economic role of women, the need for a work-and-life balance in today’s economy, economic inequality and mobility, and the increased gap between productivity and wages. University of Massachusetts professor Ralph Whitehead and Mishel pointed out that although U.S. workers are more productive and better educated than workers of previous generations, they do not share in the benefits of the economic growth that results from their efforts. Other panelists included Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Jim Kessler, vice president of the nonpartisan think tank Third Way.

Seniors for Health Care Reform...11/07/09

Alliance Formally Endorses House Health Care Bill

On Tuesday, the Alliance sent a letter supporting the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, to all members of the U.S. House. The letter urges prompt passage of the health reform legislation, saying it makes important, positive changes in the health care needs of older Americans - none more important than Medicare improvements. “The bill closes the Part D doughnut hole coverage gap beginning in 2010,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Medicare beneficiaries will immediately see that gap closed by $500, in addition to 50% price discounts for name brand drugs for seniors in the gap until it is fully closed. The elimination of co-payments for Medicare preventive services is also a major improvement.” In addition, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries, a position long advocated by the Alliance. Eliminating Medicare Advantage overpayments will extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund. Companion legislation to H.R. 3962 will improve how physicians receive Medicare reimbursements, allowing older Americans the ability to keep their choice of doctor. Many Alliance members are not yet Medicare eligible, and H.R. 3962 helps them as well. The provisions creating a reinsurance fund for retirees ages 55-64 and insurance reforms on age rating, the elimination of pre-existing conditions as a basis for denial of coverage, and the creation of an insurance exchange, as well as a public option, will all benefit pre-Medicare eligible retirees. Alliance members had the chance to speak with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about health insurance reform on a conference call on Thursday. In her remarks, Secretary Sebelius mentioned the Alliance’s work in support of health care reform and gave her thanks. That same day was a national call-in day for Alliance activists to contact Congress about health reform priorities. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) said she expects the House to consider H.R. 3962 during a rare Saturday session on November 7. She predicted a final vote would come about 6 p.m. All of the votes will have to come from Democratic ranks, since Republicans are expected to unite in opposition to the bill. In an analysis released Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office said a separate GOP plan would reduce the number of uninsured by 3 million, compared with the Democratic bill that would reduce the number by 36 million.

Editorial : I suggest you contact Rep. John Tanner(D),(Blue Dog) District#8-Tennessee and inform him that you are asking him to help aid and vote for H.R. 3962 ! his web-site > http://www.house.gov/tanner <> If you do not live in the Congressman`s District#8, but do live in Tennessee, Click here > http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html <> I also urge you to call your Congressman/woman at > (call your Rep. at 202-224-3121)

Republicans Represent The Rich !...11/04/09

'Very, very close to zero' GOP`ers will vote for House health bill
By Molly K. Hooper - 11/04/09

Republicans will overwhelmingly reject the Democrats' healthcare reform measure when it is reaches the House floor, according to a key lawmaker. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), who serves as deputy GOP whip, told The Hill that the number of Republicans supporting the sweeping legislation will be “very, very close to zero.” “I don’t know of a Republican out there advocating it," the lawmaker said. Every House Republican rejected the Democrats' stimulus bill earlier this year while eight GOP lawmakers backed the climate change measure that passed 219-212.Three centrist GOP lawmakers have told The Hill that they will likely vote against the Democrats' 1,990-page healthcare measure.Republican Reps. Mark Kirk (Ill.), Mike Castle (Del.) and Joseph Cao (La.) all say that without significant changes, they will oppose the bill.Kirk and Castle, who are both running for the Senate, were two of eight House Republicans who supported climate change legislation. Cao, who voted against the climate bill, is being targeted by Democrats in the 2010 cycle.Cao has said he would oppose a bill that does not have strong prohibitions against abortions. He says that the current bill does not meet his standard.House Democrats may amend the abortion-related provisions before the floor vote in an effort to attract more Democrats to support the bill.Castle said that he doesn’t trust the cost estimates of the Democrats' bill.He added, "I’m not sure that the public option is truly workable at this point.”Kirk said the Democrats' bill would allow the government to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship.

Editorial : Surprise, surprise . As if we did`nt know that Republicans represent BIG INSURANCE ! The Government will interefere with doctor-patient relationship, "ROFLMAON" ! These republicans are sick, or maybe it is just greed...You betch`a ! The GOP has no credibility. It would be a different if they could make their case on not supporting these bills. They are showing themselves as being ideologues and just wanting the current Administration to fail. They are not even considering what the American public may need.