Daily Archives: August 26, 2007

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Bring Ken Calvert Home from Washington…Permanently!

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(Thanks to Bill Hedrick for coming by to interact with us. As a candidate, per our informal rules, he goes to the front page. – promoted by David Dayen)

My name is Bill Hedrick.  I am a school board member and a teacher, and a candidate for Congress in California’s 44th district.  I want to go to Washington to represent you.  Help me bring Rep. Ken Calvert home to Corona…permanently. 

Ken’s record speaks for itself.  Ken opposed increasing the minimum wage (H.R. 2, 1-10-07) and he opposed allowing the government to negotiate for better prices for Medicare prescriptions (H.R. 4, 1-12-07).  He opposed equal pay for equal work (H.R. 2831, 7-31-07), and voted against affordable housing for Katrina victims (H.R. 254, 3-20-07).  He has opposed reasonable conservation measures and voted against the Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act (H.R. 6, 1-18-07).

Ken has supported George Bush’s war every step of the way-most recently supporting the deployment of additional tens of thousands of soldiers to Iraq (H. Cong. R. 63, 2-16-07).  Ironically, he has voted against a military pay raise (H.R. Call 554, 10-17-03).

Against this appalling record, I can say that my family supports the troops-including my son and daughter-in-law, both stop-lossed, and currently serving second deployments.  But I believe Americans cannot resolve the Iraqi civil war-Iraqis need to settle it themselves, and I believe this is the view of most residents of the 44th.  I support a timeline for withdrawal, and I will work hard to bring all our troops home.

Moreover, unlike Ken, I will support trade policies that safeguard the interests of working Americans.  The lax environmental and labor requirements for foreign-based manufacturers in current trade agreements have placed Americans at a tremendous disadvantage.  Speaking of labor, you will probably not be surprised that Ken also voted against easing Labor’s right to organize (H.R. 118, 3-1-07).

With this kind of record in Congress, what’s there not to like?  Plenty!

Please help us “Bring Ken Home!”  We need him in Corona so that he can stop hurting us in Washington!

Check us out at hedrickforcongress.com, at DFA Campaigns or MySpace, or help us out at ActBlue.com! 

Health Care

Health care options on the table at next Pension Commission meeting

by Randy Bayne
X-posted at The Bayne of Blog

At least two health care options, AB 8 (Nuñez) and SB 840 (Kuehl) will be part of the discussion when the governor’s Pension Commission meets in San Jose on Thursday.

The commission has been holding monthly meetings around the state and taking in testimony from stakeholders in the pension debate. They are due to present recommendation to the Governor by January 1, 2008.

Besides discussions on the process by which its report will be developed, the Commission will also have health care on the San Jose agenda.

Sumi Sousa, health-care policy adviser for Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles, is also expected to give testimony Thursday. Núñez’s AB 8 is the primary legislative vehicle for health-care reform this year. The measure is co-sponsored by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland.

I would argue that AB 8 is only considered “primary” because Speaker Nuñez says so, and it is the only bill that has been allowed to see sunlight.

Also on the agenda is the only real solution to the health care crisis, SB 840, Senator Sheila Kuehl’s single payer plan. Sara Rogers, chief of staff to Sen. Sheila Kuehl, will be making the presentation.

Commission spokeswoman Ashley Snee said the commission will be looking at how the various proposals in the Capitol may specifically impact post-retirement health-care benefits. Snee said health care is “inextricably linked” to the discussion of governmental obligations to former employees.

I can tell you how single payer will impact post-retirement benefits. A universal single payer health care system would take health care for retirees out of the retirement system and wipe out the underfunded/unfunded liabilities that currently exist. The solution to the retiree health care issue is before us. All that is needed is the will to take on the insurance industry and do what every other industrialized nation in the world has done successfully — stop tinkering with half solutions like AB 8 and pass a universal, single payer health care system like the one proposed in SB 840.

Single payer would eliminate the need for post-retirement benefits to be provided through retirement systems. Single payer eliminates the underfunded/unfunded liabilities that post-retirement benefits have caused.