Sep 10
1
Operation Iraqi Freedom Is Over
Tuesday, August 31st, President Obama declared an end to combat operations in Iraq, officially drawing the seven year, five month-long war to a close. Around 50,000 troops will remain in the country to “advise and assist” the Iraqi forces. According to the President, those troops will come home by the end of 2011. This war has killed over four thousand Americans, wounding over thirty thousand. Iraqi losses have been projected as high as a hundred thousand.
The conflict in Afghanistan, nearing its ten year mark, will still continue, though the President reaffirmed his earlier statements about a timetable of withdrawal starting in summer 2011. “He said that American forces in Afghanistan “will be in place for a limited time” to give Afghans the chance to build their government and armed forces” (Cooper, and Stolburg, New York Times).
Markedly un-triumphant, this war did not end with parades in the streets of New York, or iconic photographs of sailors kissing swooning nurses. President Obama, unlike his predecessor, did not declare victory, only credited the American troops for their immense sacrifice and bravery overseas. In his 18 minute Oval Office address (only the second of his Presidency), he made it clear that domestic issues will take precedent over the conflict in the Middle East.
While the President’s speech itself avoided partisan sentiments (he praised Mr. Bush for his devotion to and love of this country), some critics in Washington are faulting Mr. Obama for opposing the 2007 troop increase, an action that many give credit to for bringing about some measure of stability to the troubled region.
This official end to the combat mission in Iraq is an important first step towards pulling the curtain on the struggle in the Middle East, but this war will only truly be over when the 50,000 men and women still deployed return home.
Sources:
- Obama Declares an End to Combat Mission in Iraq
- Gates, in Iraq, Takes the Long View
- Boehner Assails Obama on Iraq
- A Fragile Turning Point
- President Obama’s Address on Iraq
The Big Double Dip: Not One But Two Tax Breaks for the Wealthiest Michiganders
Economists and newspapers are reporting that the recession may be heading for a double dip. Well, it might interest you to know that while most working families are in the economic struggle of their lives, the wealthy are asking for a double dip, and it’s not of chocolate ice cream.
Despite what you might have heard in the media, the tax debate in Washington is not about a tax increase on working and middle income families like yourselves– it is about whether the wealthiest Americans will receive not one, but two huge tax cuts.
Let’s take a minute and look at how this works. Although some in the Senate are balking, most observers think that sometime between now and the end of the year, Congress will vote to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for working, middle-income Americans permanent. If Congress does this, it’s also a tax cut for the wealthiest one percent of Americans. That’s because the middle-income tax cut applies to the first $200,000 in income for individuals and the first $250,000 for married Michiganders filing jointly.
In Michigan, for example, the wealthiest one percent – an individual making more than $962,999 – will receive an average of $24,721 in 2010 as a result of middle-class tax cuts being made permanent, which President Obama has proposed. But if the upper-income tax cuts are extended as well – something almost all Republicans and a few Democrats favor – the upper one percent of Michiganders will receive a total tax break of $61,912 – a difference of $37,192 between the Obama approach and the Republican approach.
Interestingly enough, even rank-and-file Republicans are weary of this proposed largesse. A recent CNN poll found that exactly 50 percent of Republicans surveyed oppose giving those who make more than $250,000 this huge break (among independents, it was 65 percent; among Democrats, 87 percent. Overall, 69 percent want the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.)
By contrast, almost everyone favors continuing the middle class tax cuts – 82 percent overall, 80 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of independents, 90 percent of Republicans. And remember: the wealthiest Americans still will benefit under Obama’s proposal – an average of $24,721 each for the wealthiest Michiganders.
Michigan Citizen Action supports making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. Michigan Citizen Action is a member of Americans for Responsible Taxes, a national coalition of more than 80 national groups. Americans for Responsible Taxes represents concerned communities and working families united to repeal the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest, reinstate the estate tax to at least 2009 levels, close tax loopholes, and protect working families by rewarding their work with tax relief.
Aug 10
24
Help For Michigan’s Uninsured
LANSING – The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) announced yesterday that an agreement has been reached that will offer coverage to uninsured Michigan citizens who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. Coverage will be offered through Michigan-based HMO Physicians Health Plan of Mid-Michigan (PHP). PHP has contracted directly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to administer this program.
OFIR will have regulatory oversight over the state-implemented pool, which will be funded entirely by subscriber premiums and an estimated $141 million in federal subsidies. The temporary pool will operate until January 1, 2014, when federal law requires all insurers to accept individuals regardless of pre-existing conditions. Coverage provided by the pool will be more comprehensive and the offerings will be, in many cases, less expensive compared to products currently available in the individual market. Enrollment is scheduled to begin August 31, 2010 and coverage is scheduled to start October 1, 2010.
Information for Consumers: Michigan residents with pre-existing conditions who have been uninsured for the previous six months will be eligible to enroll. Consumers interested in this program should begin collecting the documents that will be required for enrollment, including:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (i.e. birth certificate) and Michigan residency (i.e. state driver’s license).
- Certification by a physician (i.e. doctor’s letter), issued within the past six months, demonstrating that the individual suffers from a medical condition found in the pool’s list of pre-existing conditions, OR
- Evidence that, for health reasons, a carrier has refused to issue coverage to the individual within the previous six months (i.e. health insurance company denial letter).
For a list of the pool’s pre-existing conditions, visit: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/Pre-Ex_330602_7.pdf Michigan consumers interested in detailed enrollment, benefit and eligibility information should contact PHP weekdays from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST at 877-459-3113.
Aug 10
23
One Nation March
For Jobs, Justice and Education for All
WHO WE ARE
We are One Nation, born from many, determined to build a more united America – with jobs, justice and education for all.
We are young people, frustrated that society seems willing to spend more locking up our bodies than educating our minds, yet still we find ways to succeed and shine.
We are students and newly-returned veterans – persevering in the face of mounting debt – determined not to be the first generation to end up worse off than our parents.
We are baby boomers and seniors – who saw hope killed in 1968 and will not let the dream of a united America be taken from us again.
We are conservatives and moderates, progressives and liberals, non-believers and people of deep faith, united by escalating assaults on our reason, our environment, and our rights.
We are workers of every age, faith, race, sex, nationality, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and ability – who have suffered discrimination but never stopped loving our neighbors, or our nation.
We are American Indians and Alaska Natives – citizens of Native nations – who maintain our cultures, protect our sovereignty, and strength America’s economy.
We are the new immigrants, raising our children in the torchlight of the Statue of Liberty, while confronting the shadows that are bigotry and mass deportations.
We are the native born. We inherited the divided legacies of settlers and American Indians, black slaves and white and Asian indentured servants. And yet, in this moment of shared suffering, we rejoice in newfound friendships and new alliances.
We are people who got thrown out – thrown out of our jobs, schools, houses, farms and small businesses – while Wall Street’s wrongdoers got bailed out. We are families who pray every day – for peace and prosperity; for deliverance from foreclosures; for good jobs to come back to urban and rural America.
We are unemployed workers – forced to watch hopes for bold action dashed – because some Senators threaten filibusters, and other would-be champions fold in fear.
And yet, we are the majority – fueled by hope, not hate. We have the pride, power and determination to keep ourselves – and our country – moving up and out of the valley greed created.
And most importantly – from ensuring women are treated fairly at work, to expanding health care coverage for millions– we have been victorious whenever we worked together. We have proven the only thing we need to succeed is each other.
And so, on 10-2-10, we come back together – to march.
Aug 10
23
Disaster in Pakistan
Wed Aug 18, 10:23 AM ET
The South Asian country of Pakistan is undergoing immense flooding, and is one fifth under water. Currently, over 1600 lives have been claimed by the disaster, and over 20 million people have been affected. The United Nations says that this is a worse crisis than both the 2004 tsunami and the recent earthquake in Haiti. Despite this, Pakistan has been slow to recieve aid from the international community. MoveOn and a sister organization, Avaaz, have been trying to raise funds, and you can help.
Donate here or click here for more information.
Healthcare remains a key concern for voters ahead of the November midterms, a new CNN poll says, even if the issue is less potent than jobs and the economy.
Eighty-three percent of respondents said healthcare was “extremely” or “very” important in determining their vote for Congress. Only five other issues — the economy, unemployment, the deficit, terrorism and government ethics — were deemed more important.
The latest results mark a substantial 14-point increase since January in the percentage of people who rated healthcare as “extremely” or “very” important. The question was phrased significantly differently before the law was passed, however — the poll back then asked respondents how important it was “that the president and Congress deal with [the issue] in the next year” — so extrapolating is difficult.
The latest round of telephone polling was conducted Aug. 6-10 by Opinion Research Corporation among 1,009 adult Americans. In regards to healthcare, 13 percent of respondents said the issue was “moderately important” and 4 percent judged it “not that important.”
Aug 10
18
Patient Care Over Profits
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) yesterday took an initial step toward comprehensive federal rules that determine whether health insurance companies spend an appropriate share of premium dollars on patient care rather than profits, CEO pay, lobbying and administration. The association approved a set of disclosure forms that will be filed by health insurers. Still, much remains to be done to ensure that the NAIC’s final product and subsequent federal rules are not weakened by the health insurance industry, which has spent more than $769 million on lobbying since 2007.
Yesterday’s vote affects how companies calculate the medical-loss ratio (MLR), which is the percentage of premium revenue spent on actual medical services. The Affordable Care Act, enacted on March 23, 2010, requires insurers to spend on patient care and quality improvement at least 80 percent of health plan premiums collected from individuals and small employers and 85 percent of premiums from large employers.
Many challenges remain before we can declare victory in the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) fight. Pivotal aspects of the technical rules discussed yesterday remain unresolved, including crucial decisions on how to treat federal taxes and agent/broker fees. The NAIC still has work to do, and it should finish its deliberations soon so the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can swiftly develop final rules that take effect on schedule for 2011 health plans.
Aug 10
11
New Report on Healthcare CEO Pay
Washington, DC – Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the 1,000-member coalition that led the successful fight for health reform, released a report today showing that in 2009, while America’s families struggled with skyrocketing health insurance costs and the worst economy since the Great Depression, chief executives of the 10 largest for-profit health insurance companies collected total pay of $228.1 million, up from $85.5 million the year before. The CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, Aetna, CIGNA, Humana, Coventry Health Care, Health Net, Amerigroup, Centene and Universal American took $944.1 million in compensation from 2000 through 2009, according to the report, entitled “Breaking the Bank.”
View the report at: http://healthcareforamericanow.org/ceosbreakbanks
Read the full press release here.
The U.S. House approved $26 billion so that teachers, firefighters, police officers and others can continue to educate our children and keep working to ensure the safety of our families and communities. The House’s action today provided $380 million to Michigan’s Medicaid program and $318 million to the state’s education funding. Because of the House vote, immediate layoffs of teachers and first responders were avoided. Michigan Citizen Action applauds the legislation but opposes the cuts to food stamps that begin in 2014 that pays for it.
Fact Sheet on the emergency state assistance bill Congress passed today:
1. Saves and creates 290,000 American jobs (140,000 teacher jobs saved and 150,000 jobs created or saved, including police officers, firefighters and nurses).
2. These funds are needed immediately to prevent layoffs or actually rehire teachers and prevent law enforcement officers from losing their jobs.
3. Completely paid for, in part by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas.
4. Cuts the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years, according to the CBO.
SOURCE: http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=2439
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