This is a reminder that we are discontinuing our debit card program with US Airways as of September 30, 2012. You can continue to use your card and earn Dividend Miles®1 until that time. You will receive your new Bank of America debit card in August.2 Be sure to activate it when you receive it. Activating your new debit card will not affect your ability to use your US Airways Debit Card through September 30 to continue to earn Dividend Miles. After September 30, only your new Bank of America debit card will work.Well check your cards folks... BoA has started de-activating cards ahead of schedule "accidentally" and they cannot turn them back on. So needless to say, the last 72 hours, when I have all my bills on autopay with my BoA card, is a nightmare... because I dont even have my new card yet...... This is just bad, but at least the service representative in the #cctr offered that when I have to call to get my payment information updated, that I could Three-way BoA, and they can tell them it wasn't my fault.... another day... another poorly executed program roll out in the world of #custserv
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Past 72 Hrs of a Bad #CustomerExperience - Important reminder: The US Airways® debit card program is being discontinued - They Just aren't going to tell you WHEN!!!!!
Remember getting this BoA email a few days ago?
Sunday, June 17, 2012
FUBAR – When Duct Tape and WD40 are not Enough - An open letter to US AIRWAYS
FUBAR – When Duct Tape and WD40 are
not Enough
An open letter to US AIRWAYS
RE: US Airways June
13, 2012 Flight 430
There comes a point when a plane is beyond gate repair, and
this flight was one of those occasions.
This was a flight from Philadelphia to Las Vegas - On this
plane for over 5 hours.
Never mind that when I was trying to buy up to my preferred
status during the scheduling process, there was no "grace period";
Never mind that the flight was delayed on my first segment;
Never mind that FLT430 was delayed because of mechanical
reasons;
Never mind that in an effort to be transparent, the pilot
scared the passengers, we had to let terrified people off the plane, and I had
to sit next to a panic stricken woman holding her hand because she thought the
engine, that had been worked on while we were on the plane, might fail while we
were in the air;
Never mind that the bathroom in first class was
inoperable.
THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER ON THE PLANE, AND THE PREVIOUS
CREW KNEW IT.
The Big IF…..
·
If the flight had been shorter
·
if we did not have to sit on the plane while
they tried to fix the engine
·
if it hadn't have been a full flight
I may have been able to manage through the situation. However, it was the longest most UNSANITARY
conditions that I have ever experienced on flight in the developed world. My boyfriend, who was traveling with me, a
Captain in the Marine Corp, said it was the worst flight conditions he had ever
experienced, and he fought in Iraq during Enduring Freedom.
The reason why this is inexcusable is that US Air had every
opportunity to change out the equipment, but in an effort to get that plane in
the air, at any cost, US Air failed to provide a safe environment INSIDE the plane for the passengers. I was totally disgusted, and unfortunately
disappointed with US Air, and was further disgusted that there was no back
up plan for the plane for this process, to ensure sanitary travel
conditions in the event of water failure, like wet wipes.
BUT WHAT IS TRUELY INEXCUSABLE IS THAT THIS UNSANITARY
TRAVEL CONDITION ON A LONG FULL FLIGHT WAS TOTALLY AVOIDABLE.
US Air had previous knowledge that the plane had no working
water, and since we were stuck at the gate, and then on the tarmac, while they
were trying to manually start the 2nd engine, the plane instead should have
been swapped out, and at the very least, some wet wipes given to the flight
attendants to put in the facilities.
This is not the customer experience that I have come to
expect from US Airways. But I want to
make one thing very clear, sometimes, a silo-ed approach to the cost analysis
to swap out a plane, is not a good process to continue in the future. The health and welfare of your passengers
should always in your decision process.
Please advise of what will be the process improvement plan for this use
case, as well as how US Airways is planning to compensate the passengers for
failing to provide the minimum standard of care.
Tanya Anne Callaway
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Modern Day Castrato – Today’s GOP Men
Modern Day Castrato – Today’s GOP Men
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. – I Corinthians 13:1
For a while I have been
silent, as I have watched so many things that were great vision become muddied
and sad in the execution. I have had a
growing number of sleepless nights, and with a heavy heart, I write this plea
to my fellow conservatives and moderates in the GOP.
I am an American. I am a born again Christian since I was
child. I have been a Republican as long
as I can remember. I am a fiscal conservative. A Reagan Alumni. I was one of the small group of people who
were on the first Tea Party conference call.
So I want to be clear, that I am not speaking against any fellow
Republican, but against the current temperature in the political atmosphere.
…and I am a woman...
I since I was very young
studied opera, as a coloratura soprano, and the only way I hope I can break
through to change to the dialogue is to provide an analogy that maybe the men
can understand. The way that the men are behaving as it relates
to Women’s issues, is as if they would rather castrate themselves, to play a
role that God, has no intention of them playing… The role of a woman.
By trying to be the
voice of the conservative women, and having no compassion or charity, our men voices
have become irritatingly high pitched and as sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal. We have already abandoned the
Reagan rule of 80%, and speaking ill of our fellow Republicans. Now we attempt to castrate ourselves by
speaking on behalf of women? Let us not
forget the 5W’s – When Women Work We Win.
We stand for
FREEDOM. Freedom to make a decision,
Freedom to speak. We even have the
freedom to be an ignorant idiot.
But what I like most
about America, is that we have the FREEDOM to SUCCEED and to WIN.
I don’t know about you,
but I want to win in 2012. So can we
please put down the scalpels, and stop castrating ourselves and our mission?
You know we women know
how to sing our own parts…. Can women have the freedom to be our own voice?
You
men, modern day castrati, are singing in the wrong key!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Big 'ole Bubbles, in Our Economy and Our Memories...
Okay, I took a break from politics for a while, some might say I fell off the edge of the earth, but I must say something....
I am watching Face the Nation, and I am sick of folks saying how good it was during Clinton's years in the WH. We were all paper rich. We were all getting paid in options. Then I seem to recall a "little something" called the Telecom and Internet bomb. Stocks were inflated, people bought stuff against their portfolio, just like the real estate game, and then the bubble burst. Hourly margin calls, business models falling apart, layoffs by the thousands, and stock values tumbling. I lost a cool million from my portfolio in two days...
Lets stop talking about prosperity that was held together with soapy water, and full of hot air. Very much like the pundits and politicians I heard on the Sunday circuit today.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
GULF AID (thejazzdiva) on Twitter
#didyouknow 69% of the domestic, shrimp are harvested in Gulf waters; help us clean up the #oilspill. Visit http://www.gulfaid.org today!
Friday, May 14, 2010
WSJ.com's Political Diary - How Scott Brown Changed Massachusetts
This week saw a special election for the state senate seat that Mr. Brown gave up when he became a U.S. Senator. The suburban Boston district has been competitive, with Mr. Brown first winning it in a 2003 special election with only 51%.
This time it wasn't even close. GOP State Representative Richard Ross defeated Democrat Peter Smulowitz, an emergency-room physician, with 62% of the vote. Mr. Ross even won Needham, a liberal bastion in the district, by over 200 votes. "The Democratic machine is striking out in Massachusetts," claimed Jennifer Nassour, the state's GOP chairwoman.
Not quite. The highly competitive race for governor has seen Democratic Governor Deval Patrick rebound somewhat from his recent dismal poll numbers. He now leads Republican Charlie Baker, a protégé of former GOP Governor Bill Weld, and state Treasurer Tim Cahill, who left the Democratic Party to run as an independent last year. In a new Rasmussen poll, Mr. Patrick scores 45% support against 31% for his GOP opponent Mr. Baker.
But Mr. Patrick's improvement appears to be based largely on the faltering of Mr. Cahill, who has lately been the subject of GOP attack ads. Mr. Baker, a former health-care executive, is still having trouble putting together the coalition of economic and social conservatives that Mr. Brown assembled. Much of Mr. Cahill's 15% support in polls represents social conservatives who remain put off by Mr. Baker's failure to make overtures to them.
-- John Fund
WSJ.com's Political Diary - FAIR Tax vs OBAMACare
But in the Pennsylvania coal-mining district once held by the late Jack Murtha, former Murtha aide Mark Critz appears to have made a comeback with a flurry of TV commercials accusing GOP businessman Tim Burns of wanting to raise taxes. A Democratic campaign committee ad accuses Mr. Burns of supporting "a 23% national sales tax" and "corporate tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas." The latest public poll shows Mr. Critz with a 45% to 40% lead.
Mr. Burns says his record has been distorted. He denies he wants to outsource jobs overseas. He also claims any quotes supporting a so-called FAIR tax reform were "taken out of context" and notes that Mr. Critz hasn't pointed out that advocates of a national sales tax want to completely replace the current federal income tax.
That may be, but Mr. Burns's plight shows just how tricky tax reform can be to raise in a hardscrabble blue-collar district where voters are deeply suspicious of change. Republicans have made progress in the race by calling for repeal of ObamaCare, which is viewed with hostility by many of the district's seniors. But the ads blasting Mr. Burns on a national sales tax have erased many of those gains.
Next week we will find out which set of attacks had the most resonance with voters and just how much the Obama health care bill will be a drag on Democratic prospects this fall.
-- John Fund
WSJ.com's Political Diary - Our Men in Baghdad
In a March 2009 letter to the President, the Kansas Republican slammed Mr. Hill for engaging in "evasive and unprofessional activities" as the U.S. representative to the Six Party Talks over North Korea. Mr. Brownback also noted that Mr. Hill spoke no Arabic and had never served in a diplomatic post in the Middle East. This was not, he wrote, "the time to appoint an ambassador who may need the equivalent of a crash course in Iraqi affairs."
Now the administration seems to have come around to Sen. Brownback's view. Word is that Mr. Hill will be leaving Baghdad after barely a year to become dean of the University of Denver's foreign service school. Supposedly, Mr. Hill took the job intent on spending only a year in Baghdad, but several sources tell me he had a particularly strained relationship with U.S. military commanders, including Gen. Ray Odierno. His lack of Arabic would also have made him poorly suited to play the role his predecessor Ryan Crocker did in easing tensions between Iraq's dueling political factions.
The good news is that Mr. Hill is to be replaced with Jim Jeffrey, currently the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. Mr. Jeffrey, a Vietnam vet, has already done one tour of duty in the Baghdad embassy as former ambassador John Negroponte's deputy. He was also George W. Bush's deputy national security adviser. The ambassador gets good reviews from his erstwhile White House colleagues, who think the New Englander's easy manner, Middle East expertise and military background will serve him well. His nomination is another reminder that, when it comes to Iraq policy, Barack Obama's presidency is little more than an extension of his predecessor's.
-- Bret Stephens
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Shaken to my core... Getting back to my center...
Music does it for me everytime. Of all the things that happened last year, so much of it seemed a dream, (or a nightmare), but getting back to my base, it took the Saints in the SuperBowl to remind me that recovery, while painful, is possible.
Geaux Saints...
Geaux Saints...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Participation, Transparency, & Accountablity - SaveOurDemocracy.org
Thomas Paine once wrote:
"There is too much common sense and independence in America to be long the dupe of any fiction, foreign or domestic. "
Democracy means literally rule by the people - and is grounded in the values of participation, transparency and accountability. It means that decisions are made from the bottom up.
What are you doing to educate your self on the issues of today?
How are you staying informed?
How are you holding your elected officials accountable?
You can start by joining http://www.saveourdemocracy.org/.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Nancy-Ann DeParle, She Knows Medicare Fraud - From WSJ.com's Political Diary
Obama's Expert on Medicare Fraud
It turns out that President Obama's Health Care czarina, Nancy-Ann DeParle, knows a lot about all that Medicare waste, fraud and abuse that Mr. Obama wants to weed out.
Mr. Obama says he can free up $500 billion to pay for an expanded middle-class health care entitlement by eliminating waste and fraud in Medicare. Many are skeptical, but at least he has an underling who knows all about the subject.
Ms. DeParle ran the Medicare program under Bill Clinton, then left to serve on the boards of several medical care companies that later were charged with Medicare fraud. Five of the companies subsequently paid out $566 million in fraud or product liability settlements, with Medicare often being the victim of the alleged fraud. Meanwhile, she earned millions of dollars in board fees.
We can thank Investigative Reporting Workshop of the American University School of Communication for this information. It conducted a multi-month investigation. In one case, Ms. DeParle joined the board of Specialty Laboratories Inc., a California medical testing company, just two months before "federal investigators suspended Medicare payments and threatened to revoke Specialty's license to operate. The company agreed to pay a $700,000 fine. . . . Specialty was also sued this year by the state of California which seeks to recover hundreds of millions of dollars for the state's Medicaid program for what [California Attorney General Jerry] Brown termed 'massive . . . fraud and kickbacks' over the past 15 years."
One should be careful in jumping to conclusions about true culpability for alleged Medicare fraud. It's not infrequent that regulators bully firms into paying penalties to avoid legal costs or remain in good standing as government contractors. In some cases, the DeParle-connected firms did not admit to fraud or the cases are still unsettled.
But the bottom line, according of the AU Reporting Workshop, is still hard to jibe with the Obama administration's verbal war on the evils of lobbying: "In touting DeParle's accomplishments when he appointed her in March, Obama didn't mention the lucrative private-sector career she built since September 2000, when she left her government job running Medicare for the Clinton administration. Records show she earned more than $6.6 million since early 2001 . . . And the public wasn't told that much of that corporate career was built at companies that have frequently had to defend themselves against federal investigations. Critics see DeParle's re-emergence as a classic case of Washington 'revolving door' syndrome, despite Obama's suggestions that he would shut that door."
By the end of the Clinton administration, Medicare fraud was estimated by the U.S. General Accounting Office to costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year. This happened on Ms. DeParle's watch. It makes one wonder how this czarina is going to root out waste when so much of it piled up the last time she was in charge.
It turns out that President Obama's Health Care czarina, Nancy-Ann DeParle, knows a lot about all that Medicare waste, fraud and abuse that Mr. Obama wants to weed out.
Mr. Obama says he can free up $500 billion to pay for an expanded middle-class health care entitlement by eliminating waste and fraud in Medicare. Many are skeptical, but at least he has an underling who knows all about the subject.
Ms. DeParle ran the Medicare program under Bill Clinton, then left to serve on the boards of several medical care companies that later were charged with Medicare fraud. Five of the companies subsequently paid out $566 million in fraud or product liability settlements, with Medicare often being the victim of the alleged fraud. Meanwhile, she earned millions of dollars in board fees.
We can thank Investigative Reporting Workshop of the American University School of Communication for this information. It conducted a multi-month investigation. In one case, Ms. DeParle joined the board of Specialty Laboratories Inc., a California medical testing company, just two months before "federal investigators suspended Medicare payments and threatened to revoke Specialty's license to operate. The company agreed to pay a $700,000 fine. . . . Specialty was also sued this year by the state of California which seeks to recover hundreds of millions of dollars for the state's Medicaid program for what [California Attorney General Jerry] Brown termed 'massive . . . fraud and kickbacks' over the past 15 years."
One should be careful in jumping to conclusions about true culpability for alleged Medicare fraud. It's not infrequent that regulators bully firms into paying penalties to avoid legal costs or remain in good standing as government contractors. In some cases, the DeParle-connected firms did not admit to fraud or the cases are still unsettled.
But the bottom line, according of the AU Reporting Workshop, is still hard to jibe with the Obama administration's verbal war on the evils of lobbying: "In touting DeParle's accomplishments when he appointed her in March, Obama didn't mention the lucrative private-sector career she built since September 2000, when she left her government job running Medicare for the Clinton administration. Records show she earned more than $6.6 million since early 2001 . . . And the public wasn't told that much of that corporate career was built at companies that have frequently had to defend themselves against federal investigations. Critics see DeParle's re-emergence as a classic case of Washington 'revolving door' syndrome, despite Obama's suggestions that he would shut that door."
By the end of the Clinton administration, Medicare fraud was estimated by the U.S. General Accounting Office to costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year. This happened on Ms. DeParle's watch. It makes one wonder how this czarina is going to root out waste when so much of it piled up the last time she was in charge.
-- Stephen Moore
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Specter Steamroller - From WSJ.com's Political Diary
All-Out for Specter
The big question since Sen. Arlen Specter switched parties was just how hard his new Democratic patrons would fight to get him re-elected next year. The early answer? Hard enough that Majority Leader Harry Reid is willing to shut down the nation's business on behalf of the Pennsylvania Senator this afternoon.
Mr. Reid announced on Friday that the Senate would hold no votes after 3 p.m. today. According to CQ Politics, "His office later said that the scheduling decision was meant to accommodate a long-planned fundraiser that President Obama is headlining in Philadelphia to benefit Specter's campaign," CQ reported. And not just any fundraiser: The event will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and feature many of the state's prominent Democrats, including Gov. Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
One of the organizers, Comcast executive and Democratic heavyweight David L. Cohen, circulated the details to potential guests in a widely reported email: The night will include a cocktail reception at $1000 per head, a special reception open to those who raise at least $10,000, and a super-special dinner for which "an individual must write (not raise) a minimum of $10,000 or raise $50,000 to attend." Attendees at the dinner, Mr. Cohen added, will get their picture taken with President Obama and Senator Specter. Organizers are hoping to raise $2.5 million.
One Pennsylvania Democrat not likely to show up is Rep. Joe Sestak. The party went to great lengths to dissuade Mr. Sestak from running against Senator Specter in next year's Senate primary. Gov. Rendell at one point promised that the Democratic congressman would "get killed" and "marginalized" and fade "into political obscurity" if he defied the party's wishes. But Mr. Sestak sensed an eagerness among the liberal base for an alternative to the party's Republican-turned-Democrat designee.
Yesterday, the now-candidate fired off a pointed response to the Reid announcement: "I urge Arlen Specter to speak with Harry Reid and ask that the Senate hold votes Tuesday afternoon, instead of delaying the public's business. This gets to a larger issue, and why I am running against the establishment's wishes, because too often it favors the powerful and well-connected who are also too often rewarded at the cost of those who are at the bottom. Can Arlen Specter -- or anyone in this fundraiser -- explain why it is okay to hold up the entire U.S. Senate to benefit his political campaign, but it's -- in Arlen's own words -- a 'court martial' offense for missing a few primarily procedural votes?"
That's a question some Pennsylvania Democrats are probably asking themselves. A Franklin & Marshall poll late last month showed Mr. Specter still leading his challenger by 26 points, even as his "unfavorable" ratings have also been rising steadily since his party switch. But party leaders appear to be doubling down. The fundraiser is part of a bigger Specter strategy to stockpile enough to cash to swamp his lesser known rival, whose greatest foreseeable challenge will be in raising enough money to remain competitive.
-- Kim Strassel
The big question since Sen. Arlen Specter switched parties was just how hard his new Democratic patrons would fight to get him re-elected next year. The early answer? Hard enough that Majority Leader Harry Reid is willing to shut down the nation's business on behalf of the Pennsylvania Senator this afternoon.
Mr. Reid announced on Friday that the Senate would hold no votes after 3 p.m. today. According to CQ Politics, "His office later said that the scheduling decision was meant to accommodate a long-planned fundraiser that President Obama is headlining in Philadelphia to benefit Specter's campaign," CQ reported. And not just any fundraiser: The event will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and feature many of the state's prominent Democrats, including Gov. Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
One of the organizers, Comcast executive and Democratic heavyweight David L. Cohen, circulated the details to potential guests in a widely reported email: The night will include a cocktail reception at $1000 per head, a special reception open to those who raise at least $10,000, and a super-special dinner for which "an individual must write (not raise) a minimum of $10,000 or raise $50,000 to attend." Attendees at the dinner, Mr. Cohen added, will get their picture taken with President Obama and Senator Specter. Organizers are hoping to raise $2.5 million.
One Pennsylvania Democrat not likely to show up is Rep. Joe Sestak. The party went to great lengths to dissuade Mr. Sestak from running against Senator Specter in next year's Senate primary. Gov. Rendell at one point promised that the Democratic congressman would "get killed" and "marginalized" and fade "into political obscurity" if he defied the party's wishes. But Mr. Sestak sensed an eagerness among the liberal base for an alternative to the party's Republican-turned-Democrat designee.
Yesterday, the now-candidate fired off a pointed response to the Reid announcement: "I urge Arlen Specter to speak with Harry Reid and ask that the Senate hold votes Tuesday afternoon, instead of delaying the public's business. This gets to a larger issue, and why I am running against the establishment's wishes, because too often it favors the powerful and well-connected who are also too often rewarded at the cost of those who are at the bottom. Can Arlen Specter -- or anyone in this fundraiser -- explain why it is okay to hold up the entire U.S. Senate to benefit his political campaign, but it's -- in Arlen's own words -- a 'court martial' offense for missing a few primarily procedural votes?"
That's a question some Pennsylvania Democrats are probably asking themselves. A Franklin & Marshall poll late last month showed Mr. Specter still leading his challenger by 26 points, even as his "unfavorable" ratings have also been rising steadily since his party switch. But party leaders appear to be doubling down. The fundraiser is part of a bigger Specter strategy to stockpile enough to cash to swamp his lesser known rival, whose greatest foreseeable challenge will be in raising enough money to remain competitive.
-- Kim Strassel
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Where Does the "WE" Come from in Health Care
I felt the need to share a post from the Black Conservatives Yahoo Groups Courtesy of NYCBlackAmerican
The collective 'we' are building up massive debt in trying to keep up with health care costs. Well, let me tell you a little something about this part of the 'we'.
- For 44 years, I contributed to my own health care insurance program. When I was dissatisfied with the program, I changed it at the once-a-year option I got to do so.
- I paid social security taxes.
- I paid for medicare, Parts A & B.
- I paid my co-pays which were not reimbursed by anybody and, in some cases, had to meet a deductible before I could even begin to claim benefits.
Now, where has all that money I and my employers paid into the Medicare system gone to? Here are some of the benefits distributed by Medicare Part B using my dime: physicians' services; home health care; services and supplies , including drugs and biologicals which cannot be self-administered, furnished incidental to physicians' services, diagnostic x-rays and other tests; surgical dressings, and splints, casts and other devices used for fractures and dislocations, etc., etc.
My private insurance, which I must keep, also provides me with all of these services. I am only eligible for Medicare Part A, hospital insurance. I hope my hospital takes it [many do not]. Why do I need Medicare? I don't and did not choose to have it.
So, when Obama speaks in terms of 'we', just who is he talking about? Not me. The federal government has squandered all the money it collected from me and my employer over 44 years, and now wants to make me a party to that mismanagement. I don't think so.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Launch of a Creative New eGrassroots™ Public Policy Organization
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009
Contact: Travis Fitzwater – Media Relations
Phone: (314) 227-1145
Email: info@saveourdemocracy.org
Web Address: www.saveourdemocracy.org
Launch of a Creative New eGrassroots™ Public Policy Organization
St. Louis, MO - A new eGrassroots™ public policy research organization formed for the purpose of promoting dialogue and discipline of the principles found in the United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and additional Founding papers.
The group, SaveOurDemocracy.org, is a cutting-edge collaborative operation which will provide resources for the development of a well-organized educational system of advanced, factual, information-gathering techniques into mediums that are fresh, applicable and user-friendly to accommodate today’s tech savvy public. “Our goal is to provide simplified technology that allows the general public to learn and engage as their schedules permit,” says Board Chairman, MG Paul E. Vallely, US ARMY (ret) and former Fox News Channel Military Analyst.
The first order of business for SaveOurDemocracy.org will be the soft launch of its website to provide a centralized point for information for the anywhere constituent™.
"It's time take a page out of the private sector marketing playbook and start getting educational materials to the anywhere voter™" Vallely said. "SaveOurDemocracy.org will be the primary organization that will provide the tools that enable the voter to vet policy initiatives."
During their recent monthly meeting, the organization elected a board and developed an organizational plan. The mission of the group is to provide factual and usable information that is consumable and accessible to the people of the United States. Please join in our journey to Save Our Country, to Save Our Republic and to Save Our Democracy.
For more information about how to become involved in the organization, please visit www.SaveOurDemocracy.org.
Save Our Democracy.org, Inc. is a Missouri not for profit, nonpartisan organization. Contributions or gifts to Save Our Democracy.org are not tax-deductible. Funds contributed to Save Our Democracy.org will not be used to support or oppose any candidate for state or federal office and Save Our Democracy.org does not support or oppose any political party. Save Our Democracy.org is a public policy research organization formed (and existing) for the purpose of promoting discussion of the principles found in the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence and application of these principles to present public policy issues.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Focus on the BIGGER HealthCARE Picture
Insurance is only a small part of the problem. The bigger issue is ACCESS to care. Which is the real challenge of preventive and primary care. Lot's of people have coverage, and still cannot get care, because of lack of medical personnel, the attack on the nurse practitioner (including midwifery), and advanced or modern facilities. Even those who do not have coverage, still in an emergency get CARE, IF THEY CAN GET TO IT.
A few years ago, I suffered a miscarriage. I had EXCELLENT INSURANCE. however the town where I live although has many doctors and hospitals, only one facility has an OB/GYN unit and a handful of OB/GYNs and only one taking new patients, after a 5 week wait list. There are many places across America with this same phenomenon.
I like to say that Health care today, is lacking localized medicine, and like WALMART has killed the neighborhood retailer and grocer, BIG BOX hospitals with its Hospitalists have killed the neighbood clinic! A Hospitalist, is a hospital employed doctor, so instead of having his own practice, 0r is a partner in a practice of other doctors, this doctor just gets a salary from the Hospital. In this model, the hospital worries with the basic business operations of insurance, billing, staffing, etc. related to caring for the patient. It is not necessarily like a HMO, but could at times feel like one. This model is encouraged by the lack of tort reform. Without that, then the malpractice insurance makes it unsustainable for the local health care facilities to exist.
So can we please get back to the issue of CARE, and ask our elected officials how is providing insurance going to fix this umbrella problem!!!
My $ 0.02
Tanya Callaway Crews
A few years ago, I suffered a miscarriage. I had EXCELLENT INSURANCE. however the town where I live although has many doctors and hospitals, only one facility has an OB/GYN unit and a handful of OB/GYNs and only one taking new patients, after a 5 week wait list. There are many places across America with this same phenomenon.
I like to say that Health care today, is lacking localized medicine, and like WALMART has killed the neighborhood retailer and grocer, BIG BOX hospitals with its Hospitalists have killed the neighbood clinic! A Hospitalist, is a hospital employed doctor, so instead of having his own practice, 0r is a partner in a practice of other doctors, this doctor just gets a salary from the Hospital. In this model, the hospital worries with the basic business operations of insurance, billing, staffing, etc. related to caring for the patient. It is not necessarily like a HMO, but could at times feel like one. This model is encouraged by the lack of tort reform. Without that, then the malpractice insurance makes it unsustainable for the local health care facilities to exist.
So can we please get back to the issue of CARE, and ask our elected officials how is providing insurance going to fix this umbrella problem!!!
My $ 0.02
Tanya Callaway Crews
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Under 40 Grassroots GOP We Are doing It for Ourselves!!! We are not Waiting!!!!
Sooner or later it was bound to happen! The way we get our message out Peter Cowman!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPF9-o-YHGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPF9-o-YHGM
BREAKING: A Honeymoon Cut Short - from WSJ.com Political Diary
Fractured Fairytale
A surprising development in off-year races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia is just how much trouble the Democratic nominees have had in nailing down African-American voters.
Yesterday, Sheila Crump Johnson, the billionaire co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, endorsed Republican Bob McDonnell for governor of Virginia. Ms. Johnson has been a prominent contributor to Democrats for years -- boosting Barack Obama's candidacy and serving as the second-largest donor to sitting Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine.
Ms. Johnson told reporters yesterday she was backing Mr. McConnell because "he understands that we have to help businesses in our state -- both big and small -- thrive so that we put Virginians back to work."
Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, is worried about other potential Democratic defectors. Former Gov. Doug Wilder says he hasn't responded to appeals from aides to President Obama to endorse Mr. Deeds. "I told them, 'You need to tell me why,'" Mr. Wilder told reporters, noting that he's had differences with Mr. Deeds during the latter's 18-year-career in the legislature.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine continues to struggle to nail down black support despite a fly-in appearance by President Obama last week. A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Mr. Corzine winning African-American voters by only 66% to 29% -- well below normal numbers for a Democratic nominee. Republican Chris Christie has some appeal to minority voters because of his reputation as a crusader against public corruption.
The Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, leader of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, says Mr. Corzine could bolster his inner-city support by backing a pending bill in the legislature that would allow companies to use tax deductions to pay tuitions for poor kids to attend the public, charter or private school of their choice. "If you announced today that you have $500,000 in scholarships in Orange tomorrow, people would line up in Orange tonight," Rev. Jackson, who heads a large church in Orange, told North Jersey News. But he says Mr. Corzine appears to be boxed in by his need to placate the powerful New Jersey Education Association, which represents the state's public school establishment.
It would be a rich irony if a year following the election of the nation's first black president, Republicans might be elected in two key Obama states this fall on the strength of their minority support.
-- John Fund
A surprising development in off-year races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia is just how much trouble the Democratic nominees have had in nailing down African-American voters.
Yesterday, Sheila Crump Johnson, the billionaire co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, endorsed Republican Bob McDonnell for governor of Virginia. Ms. Johnson has been a prominent contributor to Democrats for years -- boosting Barack Obama's candidacy and serving as the second-largest donor to sitting Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine.
Ms. Johnson told reporters yesterday she was backing Mr. McConnell because "he understands that we have to help businesses in our state -- both big and small -- thrive so that we put Virginians back to work."
Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, is worried about other potential Democratic defectors. Former Gov. Doug Wilder says he hasn't responded to appeals from aides to President Obama to endorse Mr. Deeds. "I told them, 'You need to tell me why,'" Mr. Wilder told reporters, noting that he's had differences with Mr. Deeds during the latter's 18-year-career in the legislature.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine continues to struggle to nail down black support despite a fly-in appearance by President Obama last week. A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Mr. Corzine winning African-American voters by only 66% to 29% -- well below normal numbers for a Democratic nominee. Republican Chris Christie has some appeal to minority voters because of his reputation as a crusader against public corruption.
The Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, leader of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, says Mr. Corzine could bolster his inner-city support by backing a pending bill in the legislature that would allow companies to use tax deductions to pay tuitions for poor kids to attend the public, charter or private school of their choice. "If you announced today that you have $500,000 in scholarships in Orange tomorrow, people would line up in Orange tonight," Rev. Jackson, who heads a large church in Orange, told North Jersey News. But he says Mr. Corzine appears to be boxed in by his need to placate the powerful New Jersey Education Association, which represents the state's public school establishment.
It would be a rich irony if a year following the election of the nation's first black president, Republicans might be elected in two key Obama states this fall on the strength of their minority support.
-- John Fund
Northeastern Pennsylvania 10th & 11th Congressional Updates July 21, 2009
Upcoming Votes
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 - S.1390
The Senate is scheduled to continue work on this bill to set funding levels for the military and authorize Department of Defense programs.
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009 - H.R.2920
The House is scheduled to vote on this bill intended to reinstitute and update the Pay-As-You-Go requirement of budget neutrality on new tax and mandatory spending legislation.
Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 - H.R.___
The House is scheduled to work on this bill funding transportation and housing programs for the next fiscal year.
Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, 2010 - H.R.___
The House is also expected to work on this funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and other related agencies and programs.
Recent Senate Votes
Cloture Motion; Nomination of Robert M. Groves, to be Director of the Census - Vote Agreed to (76-15, 9 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to this procedural vote allowing a vote on the nomination of Robert Groves to be the Director of the Census, who was later confirmed by a voice vote.
Sen. Arlen Specter voted YES
Sen. Robert Casey Jr. voted YES
Cloture Motion; To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes - Vote Agreed to (63-28, 9 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to end debate on this amendment to the Military Construction authorization bill that would include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability in the definition of hate crimes. The amendment was later approved by voice vote.
Sen. Arlen Specter voted YES
Sen. Robert Casey Jr. voted YES
Recent House Votes
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010 - Vote Passed (219-208, 1 Present, 5 Not Voting)
On Thursday, the House voted on this $24.1 billion bill funding the Treasury Department, the executive branch, the judicial branch, the District of Columbia and independent agencies.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted NO
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
Restore Our American Mustangs Act - Vote Passed (239-185, 9 Not Voting)
On Friday, the House passed this bill that intends to improve the management and long-term health of wild free-roaming horses and burros.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted YES
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 - Vote Passed (320-97, 16 Not Voting)
The House approved this $33.3 billion bill funding the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers and related agencies and programs.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted YES
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 - S.1390
The Senate is scheduled to continue work on this bill to set funding levels for the military and authorize Department of Defense programs.
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009 - H.R.2920
The House is scheduled to vote on this bill intended to reinstitute and update the Pay-As-You-Go requirement of budget neutrality on new tax and mandatory spending legislation.
Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 - H.R.___
The House is scheduled to work on this bill funding transportation and housing programs for the next fiscal year.
Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, 2010 - H.R.___
The House is also expected to work on this funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and other related agencies and programs.
Recent Senate Votes
Cloture Motion; Nomination of Robert M. Groves, to be Director of the Census - Vote Agreed to (76-15, 9 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to this procedural vote allowing a vote on the nomination of Robert Groves to be the Director of the Census, who was later confirmed by a voice vote.
Sen. Arlen Specter voted YES
Sen. Robert Casey Jr. voted YES
Cloture Motion; To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes - Vote Agreed to (63-28, 9 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to end debate on this amendment to the Military Construction authorization bill that would include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability in the definition of hate crimes. The amendment was later approved by voice vote.
Sen. Arlen Specter voted YES
Sen. Robert Casey Jr. voted YES
Recent House Votes
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010 - Vote Passed (219-208, 1 Present, 5 Not Voting)
On Thursday, the House voted on this $24.1 billion bill funding the Treasury Department, the executive branch, the judicial branch, the District of Columbia and independent agencies.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted NO
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
Restore Our American Mustangs Act - Vote Passed (239-185, 9 Not Voting)
On Friday, the House passed this bill that intends to improve the management and long-term health of wild free-roaming horses and burros.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted YES
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 - Vote Passed (320-97, 16 Not Voting)
The House approved this $33.3 billion bill funding the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers and related agencies and programs.
Rep. Christopher Carney voted YES
Rep. Paul Kanjorski voted YES
Monday, July 20, 2009
Please Call Your PA Legislature in Support of HB 1588
Today, HB 1588, is set for a vote on the House Floor. This bill allows for $35.00 from Marriage Licences and $25.00 from Divorce Fees to be allocated to a fund to help victims of Domestic Violence.
Please contact your State Legislature and tell them to VOTE YES on HB 1588.
Here is the summary Courtesy of Pennsylvania Legislative Services
HB 1588 - (PLS Summary)(PN 1969) Amends Titles 23 (Domestic Relations) and 42 (Judiciary) by stating that the fee for issuing a marriage license or declaration and for returns to the department shall be $38, of which $2.50 shall be retained by the county where the license is issued and $35.50 shall be remitted to the State. The money remitted to the State would be transferred to the State Treasurer and be placed in the General Fund. Of the money remitted to the state, $35 shall be forwarded to DPW for use for victims of domestic violence. The bill also charges a $25 fee for the commencement of an action for divorce or an action for annulment of marriage. The money collected shall be made available for use for victims of domestic violence.
Please contact your State Legislature and tell them to VOTE YES on HB 1588.
Here is the summary Courtesy of Pennsylvania Legislative Services
HB 1588 - (PLS Summary)(PN 1969) Amends Titles 23 (Domestic Relations) and 42 (Judiciary) by stating that the fee for issuing a marriage license or declaration and for returns to the department shall be $38, of which $2.50 shall be retained by the county where the license is issued and $35.50 shall be remitted to the State. The money remitted to the State would be transferred to the State Treasurer and be placed in the General Fund. Of the money remitted to the state, $35 shall be forwarded to DPW for use for victims of domestic violence. The bill also charges a $25 fee for the commencement of an action for divorce or an action for annulment of marriage. The money collected shall be made available for use for victims of domestic violence.
A Health Care Bay of Pigs? - WSJ.com's Political Diary
Stuck on Health Care
President Obama is getting a clear message from his allies that he may have to scale back his health care goals in order to win passage from Congress. Even his own Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told NBC's "Meet the Press:" "Our Democratic friends are having a hard time selling this to their own members, a very difficult time."
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, one of Mr. Obama's earliest supporters in his 2008 campaign, has also weighed in with some advice not to demand too much from Congress, based on his own experience inheriting implementation of his state's "universal" health care plan -- which was passed in 2005. Mr. Patrick recently had to impose cuts in the program, which has seen large cost overruns.
"The untold story about the Massachusetts experiment has been that we finally recognized that there were more than just the usual two choices, which were to have a perfect solution or no solution at all," Gov. Patrick told ABC News at the National Governors Association meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. "There is a cautionary tale for Washington because people are going to fret over a perfect solution and because there isn't one, we're going to get stuck -- or we are at risk of being stuck."
Concern about the floundering Obama health care plan is rooted in memories of HillaryCare, the Clinton administration's bold attempt to remake health care in 1993. First Lady Hillary Clinton was offered several compromise solutions that would have gotten her much, but not all, of what she wanted. She insisted on "all or nothing." The result was a plan that never made it to a Congressional vote and resulted in a political debacle for Democrats.
Mr. Obama is smart enough to scale back his ambitions to win passage of something from Congress and then declare "victory." From the comments of his allies, I detect the first effort on their part to prepare liberal diehards for the fact they may end up with less than a full loaf this year.
-- John Fund
President Obama is getting a clear message from his allies that he may have to scale back his health care goals in order to win passage from Congress. Even his own Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told NBC's "Meet the Press:" "Our Democratic friends are having a hard time selling this to their own members, a very difficult time."
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, one of Mr. Obama's earliest supporters in his 2008 campaign, has also weighed in with some advice not to demand too much from Congress, based on his own experience inheriting implementation of his state's "universal" health care plan -- which was passed in 2005. Mr. Patrick recently had to impose cuts in the program, which has seen large cost overruns.
"The untold story about the Massachusetts experiment has been that we finally recognized that there were more than just the usual two choices, which were to have a perfect solution or no solution at all," Gov. Patrick told ABC News at the National Governors Association meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. "There is a cautionary tale for Washington because people are going to fret over a perfect solution and because there isn't one, we're going to get stuck -- or we are at risk of being stuck."
Concern about the floundering Obama health care plan is rooted in memories of HillaryCare, the Clinton administration's bold attempt to remake health care in 1993. First Lady Hillary Clinton was offered several compromise solutions that would have gotten her much, but not all, of what she wanted. She insisted on "all or nothing." The result was a plan that never made it to a Congressional vote and resulted in a political debacle for Democrats.
Mr. Obama is smart enough to scale back his ambitions to win passage of something from Congress and then declare "victory." From the comments of his allies, I detect the first effort on their part to prepare liberal diehards for the fact they may end up with less than a full loaf this year.
-- John Fund
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