HOW CLASS WORKS - 2014

PLEASE POST AND FORWARD WIDELY - DEADLINE DECEMBER 11, 2013

PLEASE SEND ALL QUERIES AND PROPOSALS DIRECTLY TO <michael.zweig@stonybrook.edu> 

DO NOT REPLY DIRECTLY TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

          HOW CLASS WORKS - 2014

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
A Conference at SUNY Stony Brook
June 5-7, 2014

The Center for Study of Working Class Life is pleased to announce the How Class Works –2014 Conference, to be held at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, June 5-7, 2014.  Proposals for papers, presentations, and sessions are welcome until December 11, 2013 according to the guidelines below.  For more information, visit our Web site at <www.stonybrook.edu/workingclass>.
Purpose and orientation: The conference seeks to explore ways in which an explicit recognition of class helps to understand the social world in which we live, and ways in which analysis of society can deepen our understanding of class as a social relationship. Presentations should take as their point of reference the lived experience of class; proposed theoretical contributions should be rooted in and illuminate social realities. Presentations are welcome from people outside academic life when they sum up social experience in a way that contributes to the themes of the conference.  Formal papers will be welcome but are not required. All presentations should be accessible to an interdisciplinary audience.
Conference themes: The conference welcomes proposals for presentations that advance our understanding of any of the following themes.

The mosaic of class, race, and gender. To explore how class shapes racial, gender, and ethnic experience and how different racial, gender, and ethnic experiences within various classes shape the meaning of class. 

Class dimensions of poverty. To explore why and how poverty is something that happens to the working class, not some marginal "other" at the bottom of society..  

Class, power, and social structure. To explore the social content of working, middle, and capitalist classes in terms of various aspects of power; to explore ways in which class and structures of power interact, at the workplace and in the broader society.

Class and community. To explore ways in which class operates outside the workplace in the communities where people of various classes live.

Class in a global economy. To explore how class identity and class dynamics are influenced by globalization, including experience of cross-border organizing, capitalist class dynamics, international labor standards.

Middle class? Working class? What's the difference and why does it matter? To explore the claim that the U.S. is a middle class society and contrast it with the notion that the working class is the majority; to explore the relationships between the middle class and the working class, and between the middle class and the capitalist class.
                                         

Class, public policy, and electoral politics. To explore how class affects public policy, with special attention to health care, the criminal justice system, labor law, poverty, tax and other economic policy, housing, and education; to explore the place of electoral politics in the arrangement of class forces on policy matters.

Class and culture: To explore ways in which culture transmits and transforms class dynamics.

Pedagogy of class. To explore techniques and materials useful for teaching about class, at K-12 levels, in college and university courses, and in labor studies and adult education courses.

How to submit proposals for How Class Works – 2014 Conference

Proposals for presentations must include the following information: a) title; b) which of the eight conference themes will be addressed; c) a maximum 250 word summary of the main points, methodology, and slice of experience that will be summed up; d) relevant personal information indicating institutional affiliation (if any) and what training or experience the presenter brings to the proposal; e) presenter's name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail address. A person may present in at most two conference sessions. To allow time for discussion, sessions will be limited to three twenty-minute or four fifteen-minute principal presentations. Sessions will not include official discussants.  Proposals for poster sessions are welcome.  Presentations may be assigned to a poster session.

Proposals for sessions are welcome. A single session proposal must include proposal information for all presentations expected to be part of it, as detailed above, with some indication of willingness to participate from each proposed session member.

Submit proposals as an e-mail attachment to michael.zweig@stonybrook.edu or as hard copy by mail to the How Class Works  - 2014 Conference, Center for Study of Working Class Life, Department of Economics, SUNY, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4384.

Timetable:  Proposals must be received by December 11, 2013. After review by the program committee, notifications will be mailed on January 17, 2014. The conference will be at SUNY Stony Brook June 5-7, 2014.  Conference registration and housing reservations will be possible after March 3, 2014. Details and updates will be posted at http://www.stonybrook.edu/workingclass.

Conference coordinator:

Michael Zweig

Director, Center for Study of Working Class Life
Department of Economics

State University of New York 
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4384

631.632.7536    

michael.zweig@stonybrook.edu                 

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The FBI makes an "error."

The Guardian published a list in spreadsheet form of the 2013 Mass Surveillance revelations. 

Among the revelations is this little gem:

"FBI monitored anti-war website in error for six years, documents show (November 6)"

An "error;" ya, sure; you betcha.

And no one gets canned.

Mark Dimondstein and the APWU

Check out the speech by Mark Dimondstein, the newly elected President of the APWU--- American Postal Workers Union:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UULwUiRV8200UoXTyRo77mUQ&v=CEJEgRRhvQE

Forum to be held in Duluth, Minnesota on January 11

TITLE:  PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL FORUM -- DULUTH -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH!

MESSAGE:  

To put it bluntly  — we are in crisis.  

In crisis with our economy, our climate, our environment, our system of government.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We've tried for years and decades . . .  to change things for the better . . .  but the trends only worsen.  

We've organized — we've demonstrated— we've worked on campaigns . . and nothing really changes.

We've voted for Democrats who promised progressive legislation . . . and little changes.

We keep on blogging and emailing and petitioning online . . . mostly talking amongst ourselves . . .  and still nothing changes.

Except the endless wars continue; the corporate subsidies continue; the corporate domination and corruption of our

government continues;  the environmental ravaging by mining and oil companies continues; the wealth/income disparities continue;  ---  

— all the while, human devastation caused by poverty, joblessness, homeless and inadequate healthcare continues to increase; 

and the quality of life and financial security for most Americans deteriorates. 

What to do?  . . . What to do?  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That's the basic question that will be discussed at a broad-based, political forum . . . scheduled for 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH . . . 

FIRST METHODIST (COPPER TOP) CHURCH, DULUTH

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  

We need to put our heads together . . . to figure out how we can bring our concerns  -- the progressive message --

into the public square in a way that it can't be marginalized . . . or ignored.

We, on the progressive Left,  need "more political clout."  How to build that political clout is the basic agenda for the forum.

The title is:  "Building Progressive Political Power in Minnesota 

                        Around the Politics and Economics of — 

                                   • Full Employment / Living Wage / Minimum Wage

                                   • Health Care for All

                                   • Environmental Sanity: Climate Change; Species Protection"

The format will entail panel presentations with audience dialogue.  Input from audience members

will be crucial in order to build support for the recommendations and action plans that are formulated.

I invite . . .  encourage . . . you to attend.  Please mark you calendar to save the date.

I'll send you updates in December and provide the names of the panelists, once we have everyone confirmed.  

If you have ideas to contribute even at this stage of the planning, please email me -- soon!

And, please spread the word to folks on your email lists!  

In common struggle,

Vern Simula

Mt. Iron, Minnesota

218.591.5722

Event Organizer for:Uniting People 

and the New Progressive Alliance

Like the discussion over the Minimum Wage, the over-paid pundits are feeding people a line of shit about health care.

I recently made this post on my FaceBook page and it stimulated a lot of discussion:

It has been suggested that I "stop bitching" about Obamacare with the question following: What did we get from the Republicans? The suggestion being that Obamacare is better than the Republican "plan."

Here is my response:

Obamacare is based on RomneyCare which is based on a scheme devised by right-wing think tanks. So, to answer your question: What did we get from the Republicans? We got Obamacare.

These are my responses to questions and comments:

 I was accused of being against single-payer.

 My response:

 I never said that single-payer universal health care was "bad." In fact, as an elected delegate and as an elected member of the State Central Committee I led the six year fight to get the best resolution in the United States passed by a 72% majority by the State Convention of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. (the resolution was later altered to conform to Obamacare but that is another story of how the Democratic Party is manipulated and controlled by big-business interests.)

But, in leading this struggle to get this resolution passed, I always made the point that single-payer universal health care like they have in Canada should be considered as a first step towards a national public health care system.

Had I not presented single payer in this way, we never would have recruited the huge number of delegates we needed to pass this resolution--- some 600 delegates; there were about 1,800 delegates at the state convention.

As Canadians are finding out, and as Tommy Douglas himself warned, single-payer is only a short-term fix for a problem which requires nothing less than socialized health care and from his death bed he repeated this message.

We need a health care system based on the same universal system as public education. If anyone suggested that we have education "privately delivered" in our public schools we would look at them as some kind of freaks and kooks.

Public education is is:

1. Publicly financed.

2. Publicly administered.

3. Publicly delivered.

Why wouldn't we have the exact same approach to health care?

In Canada, Tommy Douglas "settled" for single-payer as an important reform to health care but NEVER viewed single-payer as THE solution.

If the Democrats and Republicans want to agree to single-payer, fine; but, they don't. They are not as far-sighted as Canada's ruling elites were when they made Tommy Douglas the deal.

Francis Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor, insisted that a National Public Health Care System be part of the New Deal and she was allied with Communist labor leader Harry Bridges, Minnesota's socialist Farmer-Labor Party and liberals, progressives and leftists across the country on this point. She wanted a National Public Health Care System to be financed from a payroll tax placed on workers and employers just like Social Security (in fact, this is the way Canada finances its single-payer system.)

In fact, Linda, single-payer is not THE cheapest way to cover most people--- a National Public Health Care System is... with the added bonus that it creates more than four times the number of jobs!

If, in fact, you believe single-payer with private delivery of health care is the cheapest way out then you must believe that when it comes to public education private delivery of education is the cheapest way to provide public education and I seriously doubt you are prepared to make this argument... and we both know why you wouldn't try to do this.

And; the fact is, it is cheaper to provide people with health care than it is to provide them with education. This is FACT.

this is an important fact because I am always asked: But how much will such a National Public Health Care System cost?

My answer is: I don't know; but if we compare the amount spent on public education to the amount spent on militarism and these dirty wars, spending on public education comes in far behind that which is spent on militarism and wars so the cost of providing the American people with free health care shouldn't even be an issue--- just stop this military insanity and these dirty imperialist wars that no one but Wall Street wants just like Wall Street backs Obamacare because, like with wars, there are profits to be made.

And if Wall Street were forced to take its greedy hands out of public education we could provide public education much cheaper. One text book cost the public school systems as much as a visit to the doctor. Of course, the real comparison is how many visits to the doctor could be had for the cost of a drone. 

And the discussion continued...

It was pointed out to me, correctly, that this ACA scheme goes back to Nixon.

My answer is this:

I don't know how far back we can trace the ACA's history; but, one thing for certain: it is a thoroughly reactionary scheme. Every single reactionary scheme has to have some elements that make it appear to be good because otherwise these reactionary schemes couldn't be packaged and sold to the people.

Obama himself is an example of a reactionary being prettied up with progressive sounding rhetoric.

Can anyone imagine Obama getting elected pitching the kind of legislation he has brought forward? No. Obama is all lies. But lies fabricated in a way to make them sound appealing. Same thing with the ACA.

That we need to hire an attorney to find out just what we are entitled to with Obamacare should tell us everything we need to know.

An entire new and very lucrative industry has popped up teaching employers how to get out from under their health care obligations to employees under Obamacare.

Again; Obamacare is the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010." And doctors profit very handsomely from this legislation, too. 

 

I asked a question:

Have you ever sat for a day in a bankruptcy court? I have. About 80% of the cases I heard involved huge health care costs and every single one of the people had "health insurance." 

 

My response to a New York Time's article:

The ACA classifications of health insurance: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. What kind of shit do you call this? The rich get Platinum; the poor get shit called "Bronze."

My further comment:

Every reactionary scheme like ACA needs a few good things to suck people in. 

And this response from me:

Did you read the article from the New York Times that you posted, David, saying about 7 million poor would receive government subsidies?

"The bulk of these plans are so-called bronze policies, the least expensive available. They require people to pay the most in out-of-pocket costs, for doctor visits and other benefits like hospital stays."

Does this make sense? The poorest people will pay the most in out of pocket expenses.

 

 

 

 

It's about priorities and profits.

Has anyone else been reading the investment papers about the fortunes to be made from Obamacare?

Here are a few paragraphs typical of what is going around in investor circles:

"...The fact is Obamacare is one of the single biggest wealth creation opportunities to hit the markets in decades. That's because huge amounts of money - trillions - will be spent as Obamacare gets rolling.

And trillions more will be reallocated implementing, regulating, and enforcing Obamacare. Not all companies will benefit - but a select few are primed for higher returns on a scale that was simply unimaginable before this legislation was passed.

Investors who act now are set to make a fortune in the next several months - and years - as the full Obamacare plan gets underway..."

Like I keep saying, Obamacare is the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010."

We pay through the nose; Wall Street investors profit.

When do we see the kind of movement this country really needs?

A movement for a National Public Health Care System which is operated on the same principle as public education.

Publicly financed; publicly administered and public delivery... just like public education.

Free health care provided through a vast network of community and neighborhood health care centers creating twelve to fifteen million new jobs.

Solving the health care mess.

Solving much of the unemployment problem.

We can get it all for much less than these dirty wars are costing us.

It's about P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-E-S.

pri·or·i·ty
noun \prī-ˈȯr-ə-tē, -ˈär-\

: something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first

priorities : the things that someone cares about and thinks are important

: the condition of being more important than something or someone else and therefore coming or being dealt with first

What is more important to you? Wars or health care?

The Wall Street politicians have their priorities all f*&%#@-up.

Wall Street's priority is profits.

We need to put people before profits.

Support the "Black Friday Movement;" demand the repeal of "At-Will Employment."

By now I am sure most of you have heard of the "Black Friday Movement"... unorganized workers, with union staff in the background, standing up for their rights and improved livelihoods.

I recently sent this message to Shar Knutson, the President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO:

There should be a demand coming from the Minnesota AFL-CIO together with this "Black Friday Movement" that Minnesota Democrats with their super-majority repeal this thoroughly reactionary "Employment At-Will" legislation in the upcoming legislative session.

"Employment At-Will" is the primary obstacle to union organizing in Minnesota and the rest of the country... with the exception of Montana.

The "Employment At-Will" doctrine needs to be abolished. It is undemocratic and places employers in a dictatorial relationship to employees; it should be replaced with "just cause hiring and firing" legislation.

Hundreds of Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party Precinct Caucuses have already passed the resolution I wrote as has the Roseau County DFL.

About 30% of the DFL State Convention delegates voted for the resolution I introduced as a State DFL Convention Delegate and member of the DFL State Central Committee--- ever since, DFL Chairs Mike Erlandson, Brian Melendez and Ken Martin have worked to keep this resolution from coming forward again.

It is time for working people to stand up to these corporate Democrats and insist that unless "Employment At-Will" is repealed, the DFL will get no more support or votes from working people in Minnesota.

It is not too much to expect that a party which appeals to labor for votes would repeal the most Draconian legislation on the books attacking the unorganized working class majority.

With "At-Will Employment" repealed, we will see a dramatic surge in unionization here in Minnesota.

In solidarity and struggle with the Black Friday Movement,

Alan L. Maki, Director of Organizing, Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Looks like the Democrats have kicked off the campaign...

Will we allow ourselves to be bamboozled, again?

Looks like the theme for the 2016 Presidential race has begun. Check out the banner being used by the Democrats. We are in for another slick Hollywood-Madison Avenue snow-job financed by Wall Street.

Anyone still think Elizabeth Warren isn't part of the Wall Street crowd?

If Elizabeth Warren's vote, along with her other 97 U.S. Senators bribed by Wall Street, to approve Penny Pritzker to champion the Trans-Pacific Partnership didn't convince you--- then the above banner should do the trick.

Workers receiving the "kiss of death."

Alternative poverty measure finds 3 million more poor in US than government's official rate

Question: Why isn't poverty linked completely to all cost-of-living factors tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics?

Question: Why aren't we ever told in these stories on poverty what the percentages and numbers are for Native American Indian poverty? 

Question: Why aren't alternatives to poverty like full employment and a real living Minimum Wage being explored?

Comment: What we need are alternatives to poverty not alternative methods of figuring out how much poverty exists here in the wealthiest country in the world where multi-billionnaieres are being created as a direct result of paying people poverty wages with a huge pool of unemployed people forcing wages down. And no one seems to be looking at the fact that paying for militarism and these dirty wars are making us all poor.

Comment: I have news, pun intended, for this writer and the Associated Press... poverty in this country is worse than the government admits and poverty is worse than it is portrayed in this story.

Conclusion: Poverty can be solved but not as long as Wall Street dominates the political and economic life of this country. The solution to poverty will only be found by creating a working class based progressive people's party that would be representing a "grand alliance" of all working people in determined struggle to establish new priorities in this country which would put people before profits.


http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/230825521.html?page=all&prepage=2&c=y#continue

Alternative poverty measure finds 3 million more poor in US than government's official rate

• Article by: HOPE YEN , Associated Press
• Updated: November 6, 2013 - 5:15 PM

WASHINGTON — The number of poor people in America is 3 million higher than the official count, encompassing 1 in 6 residents due to out-of-pocket medical costs and work-related expenses, according to a revised census measure released Wednesday.
The new measure is aimed at providing a fuller picture of poverty but does not replace the official government numbers. Put in place two years ago by the Obama administration, it generally is considered more reliable by social scientists because it factors in living expenses as well as the effects of government aid, such as food stamps and tax credits.
Administration officials have declined to say whether the new measure eventually could replace the official poverty formula, which is used to allocate federal dollars to states and localities and to determine eligibility for safety-net programs such as Medicaid.
Congress would have to agree to adopt the new measure, which generally would result in a higher poverty rate from year to year and thus higher government payouts for aid programs.
Based on the revised formula, the number of poor people in 2012 was 49.7 million, or 16 percent. That exceeds the record 46.5 million, or 15 percent, that was officially reported in September.
The latest numbers come as more working-age adults picked up low-wage jobs in the slowly improving economy but still struggled to pay living expenses. Americans 65 and older had the largest increases in poverty under the revised formula, from 9.1 percent to 14.8 percent, because of medical expenses such as Medicare premiums, deductibles and other costs not accounted for in the official rate.
There also were increases for Hispanics and Asian-Americans, partly due to lower participation among immigrants and non-English speakers in government aid programs such as housing aid and food stamps.
African-Americans and children, helped by government benefits, had declines in poverty compared with the official rate.
"This is a real incongruity, when 1 in 6 people face economic insecurity here in the richest country in the world," said Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University economist and former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers who has argued for more government action to alleviate income inequality.
"When so many citizens are worse off year after year, with food insecurity and health care insecurity, there's no way you can say that's a successful economy."
Last week, more than 47 million Americans who receive food stamps saw their benefits go down, while Congress began negotiations on further cuts of up to $4 billion annually to the program.
Among states, California had the highest share of poor people, hurt in part by high housing costs and large numbers of immigrants, followed by the District of Columbia, Nevada and Florida. Under the official poverty rate, more rural states were more likely to be at the top of list, led by Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico.
Some other findings:
—Food stamps helped lift about 5 million people above the poverty line. Without such aid, the overall poverty rate would increase from 16 percent to 17.6 percent.
— Adults of working ages 18-64 saw an increase in poverty from 13.7 percent based on the official calculation to 15.5 percent, due mostly to commuting and child care costs.
—Child poverty declined from 22.3 percent to 18 percent under the new measure. Under both measures, children still remained the age group most likely to be living in poverty.
—By race, Hispanics and Asians saw higher rates of poverty, 27.8 percent and 16.7 percent respectively, compared with rates of 25.8 percent and 11.8 percent under the official formula. In contrast, African-Americans saw a modest decrease, from 27.3 percent to 25.8 percent based on the revised numbers. Among non-Hispanic whites, poverty rose from 9.8 percent to 10.7 percent.
"The primary reason that poverty remains so high is that the benefits of a growing economy are no longer being shared by all workers as they were in the quarter-century following the end of World War II," said Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan economist.
"Given current economic conditions, poverty will not be substantially reduced unless government does more to help the working poor."
Economists long have criticized the official poverty rate as inadequate. Based on a half-century-old government formula, the official rate continues to assume the average family spends one-third of its income on food. Those costs have declined to a much smaller share, more like one-seventh.
In reaction to some of the criticism, the Obama administration in 2010 asked the Census Bureau to develop a new poverty measure, based partly on recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences. The goal is to help lawmakers better gauge the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs.
For instance, the new measure finds that if it weren't for Social Security payments, the poverty rate would rise to 54.7 percent for people 65 and older and 24.5 percent for all age groups.
Refundable tax credits such as the earned income tax credit helped lift 9 million people above the poverty line. Without the credits, child poverty would rise from 18 percent to 24.7 percent.
In recent years, New York City as well California, Virginia and Wisconsin have sought to put in place a more accurate poverty measure. They were prompted in part by local officials such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who have argued that the official measure does not take into account urban costs of living and that larger cities may get less federal money as a result.

Is something missing from discussions surrounding what amounts to "fair wages" and establishing a real living Minimum Wage?

I saw this excellent question asked on FaceBook:

How is a "fair wage" determined? What factors should determine a "fair wage?" I'm just curious because I see people rushing to support the Democrats talking about a $9.50 minimum wage. Now I hear people talking about $15.00 an hour wages. Elizabeth Warren said that had the minimum wage kept up with inflation the minimum wage should be $22.00 an hour yet she is calling for a $10.00 minimum wage. Where do all these different figures come from? Isn't there some kind of way to establish a fair wage that is a real living wage? If so, what is it we compare wages to? I have always felt we are missing something in this discussion about wages. But what could we be missing?

The answer as to what is missing is really quite simple; I have stated the answer many times here on my blog.

There is only one thing wages can, and should be, compared to:

Cost-of-living.

The United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks all "cost-of-living" factors.

If a worker can't purchase the basic necessities of life for which prices are being tracked by this government agency, that worker is not being paid a real living wage; certainly nothing approximating a "fair wage." 

If a worker can purchase the basic necessities of life, those "cost-of-living" factors tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, that worker has a decent "standard-of-living."

Why would anyone except an employer refuse to talk about "cost-of-living" and "standard-of-living?" Probably because they don't understand or they are working for the employers.

 Workers need to bring "cost-of-living" and "standard-of-living" into this discussion about wages. 

If the Minimum Wage is going to be a real living wage it has to be legislatively tied to all "cost-of-living" factors, indexed to inflation with an annual increase to improve "standard-of-living."

A vigorous, united, militant struggle needs to be waged to win an improved "standard-of-living" for everyone.

Part of the struggle seeking real living wages must be a struggle for full employment. In a full employment economy it becomes easier for working people to win pay increases.

What we need is a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity" which would require, by an act of legislation, that Congress and the president be required to work together to attain and maintain full employment.

Workers without jobs are going to be poor; just as workers paid anything less than real living wages based on all "cost-of-living" factors are going to be poor.

 Politicians who talk about Minimum Wages of anything less than real living wages are not talking about "fair" or "decent" wages... These politicians, themselves, lack basic human decency.

It is unjust, unethical and immoral to advocate anything less than real living wages for working people.

We are living in the wealthiest country in the world where multi-billionaires have been created because they have been allowed by the government--- a government bribed by Wall Street--- to pay less than real living wages. 

Anyone who thinks this is fair needs to look up the word "fair" in a dictionary.

fair

adjective \ˈfer\ : agreeing with what is thought to be right or acceptable
: treating people in a way that does not favor some over others


When talking about wages, workers always need to consider two things:

"Cost-of-Living."

"Standard-of-Living."

Your wages are only relevant in relation to your "cost-of-living."

Your "standard-of-living" is determined by the relationship of your wages to your "cost-of-living."

It's all about the politics and economics of livelihood.

 

Why are people surprised Obamacare isn't providing them with health care?

Obamacare was never intended to provide people with health care.

I have read the more than 2,000 pages of the "Affordable Care Act." Anyone who has taken the time to read and understand what the "Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is knows that the intent of the Act is to bolster the profits of the health insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the hospitals and nursing homes while enabling doctors to get richer quicker.

And single-payer universal health care has had its day, too; the American people want no part of Obamacare or single-payer.

The American people want the real McCoy--- a National Public Health Care System.

If all options are explained to people and they have a chance to consider all options, most people will choose a socialized National Public Health Care System every time which would be run just like public education.

In fact, it is cheaper to provide people free primary health care through neighborhood and community health care centers than what public education costs.

And the real kicker is that we could create a national public health care system for far less than these dirty wars are costing us while getting 12 million to 15 million new jobs, which would go a long way towards putting America back to work.

Scarp Obamacare and bring forward a National Public Health Care system--- publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered just like public education.

The Indian Health Service is socialized health care--- and it works great when properly funded.

The VA is a socialized health care service--- and, it, too, works great when properly funded--- although it would work a lot better and be far less expensive if these wars were brought to an end.

Obamacare should become known to everyone as the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010." Like the insurance companies--- Obamacare needs to go.

We need a new working class based progressive people's party to replace all these members of Congress; then we will get the kind of health care much of the world already enjoys.

Racism raises its ugly head in Little Falls, Minnesota and the Democratic Governor with his super-majority does nothing.

Whenever tough economic times arise, the employers instigate racist campaigns of hate to divide the people. It was such a campaign of hate orchestrated by the Republicans, and egged on by the Democrats, that defeated the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party Governor, Elmer Benson.

According to these bigots--- who had as their spokesman, the racist, anti-Semitic and fascist-minded  Harold Stassen--- Benson's "crimes" were that he placed Jews in high government positions, insisted that Native Americans have equal access to New Deal programs and projects and he worked with socialists and Communists.

Like today, the Democrats---through their silence--- encouraged this campaign of hate spewed by the Republicans.

Why didn't Governor Mark Dayton step in and order the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Public Safety Commissioner to step in and put a stop to this hate-mongering in the Little Falls Public Schools? The Superintendent and all members of the school board should be arrested for enabling this spreading and spewing of hate.




How can equality ever be achieved when the population is being pumped up with hate? These people then go out and vote for a bunch of bigots for public office who will tolerate this hate and the hate grows from hate speech to racist violence.

One can't help but wonder why the Governor's top legal assistant, Micah Hines, did not advise Governor Mark Dayton to step in and take action against this use of public schools to spread hate?

How can we expect racist hate to be eliminated through education when our public schools are providing a platform and forum for this racism to be espoused?

We can only wonder what children attending the public schools in Little Falls must be learning? The Minnesota Department of Human Rights should be working with teachers and administrators to make sure the children attending Little Falls Public Schools are receiving lessons teaching them about the consequences of racist hate. 

Governor Dayton should be the featured speaker at this event...

From: Larry Fisk <fisksen@brainerd.net>; 
To: <brainerdpeace@lists.riseup.net>; 
Subject: [brainerdpeace] Please Attend LF Tolerance Event 12/4 
Sent: Thu, Nov 14, 2013 11:48:20 PM 

A few months ago an Islamaphobic speaker overflowed the Little Falls High School auditorium speading her message of fear and intolerance. Unfortunatlely this Tea Party Patriot sponsored speaker, Brigitte Gabriel, found a receptive audience among Central Minnesotans. In recent years Muslims, and even people who fit some Americans' stereotypes of Muslims or Arabs, have experienced violence and discrimination. This fear has also been used to promote the wars we in BACP have opposed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and the use of U.S.drone terror warfare throughout the Middle East.   Gabriel spoke in another Minnesota community and since her appearance two other Islamophobes have spoken in Minnesota, one in Chisholm and one for three consecutive nights in Bagley.   Please join in attending this important event of tolerance and community dialogue to help us show that not all Minnesotans buy into the fear and prejudice that are used to divide and manipulate us:   "A Community Discussion on Tolerance and the Fear of Islam.”  Wednesday, December 4, 6-8 p.m. St. Francis Hall, St. Francis Convent, 116 8th Avenue SE, Little Falls, MN Speakers : * Father Virgil Petermeier, St. Cloud Muslim-Christian Dialogue * Saly Abd Alla, CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director * Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN Outreach & Advocacy Director * Ian Norwood, Little Falls High School Student * Moderated by Jeff Odendahl, St. Francis Convent  Event sponsors: Little Falls Partners for Peace, Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace, Building Blocks of Islam, and the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). CONTACT: CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow, 612-327-6700, E-Mail: elongfellow@cair.com Press release: CAIR-MN and Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace to Cosponsor 'Tolerance and the Fear of Islam' Interfaith Dialogue in Little Falls Event prompted by appearance of anti-Muslim hate group leader earlier this year (MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 11/12/13) – On Wednesday, December 4, interfaith leaders and community members will gather in Little Falls, Minn., for a community dialogue on “Tolerance and the Fear of Islam.” Event sponsors include: Little Falls Partners for Peace, Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace, Building Blocks of Islam, and the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). WHEN: Wednesday, December 4, 6-8 p.m. WHERE: St. Francis Hall, St. Francis Convent, 116 8th Avenue SE, Little Falls, MN 56345 CONTACT: CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow, 612-327-6700, E-Mail: elongfellow@cair.com “Many individuals in the community have never met a Muslim in person and that allows fear to grow,” said CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow. “This event seeks to promote a positive discussion around tolerance, respect and community. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best- ‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.’” Speakers include: * Saly Abd Alla, CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director * Jaylani Hussein CAIR-MN Outreach & Advocacy Director * Ian Norwood Little Falls High School Student * Father Virgil Petermeier, St. Cloud Muslim-Christian Dialogue * Moderated by Jeff Odendahl, St. Francis Convent The event was organized after community leaders and activists considered the negative impact a speech by an anti-Muslim speaker had in the community earlier this year. On July 29, 2013, the Central Minnesota Tea Party featured anti-Muslim speaker Brigitte Gabriel from the hate group ACT! For America in Little Falls. Gabriel claims an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy." She once told the Australian Jewish News: "Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim." She also claimed that "Islamo-fascism is a politically-correct word. . .it's the vehicle for Islam. . .Islam is the problem." The New York Times stated: “[Gabriel] presents a portrait of Islam so thoroughly bent on destruction and domination that it is unrecognizable to those who study or practice the religion.” SEE: CAIR Islamophobia Backgrounder: ACT! for America and 'Brigitte Gabriel' https://cair.com/islamophobia/islamophobe-profiles/14-islamophobia/11824-cair-islamophobia-backgrounder-act-for-america-and-brigitte-gabriel.html The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. - END – CONTACT: CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow, 612-327-6700, E-Mail: elongfellow@cair.com; CAIR-MN Executive Director Lori Saroya, 612-327-6700, E-Mail: lsaroya@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com       Leaflet: on Tolerance and the Fear of Islam Wednesday December 4, 2013 6PM – 8PM St. Francis Hall St. Francis Convent Father Virgil Petermeier, osc St. Cloud Muslim/Christian Dialogue Saly Abd Alla CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director Jaylani Hussein CAIR-MN Outreach & Advocacy Director Ian Norwood Li!le Falls High School Student moderated by Jeff Odendahl Franciscan Center 116 8th Avenue SE Li#le Falls, MN 56345 A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION WHEN: WHERE: SPEAKERS: Li#le Falls Partners for Peace Building Blocks of Islam Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota SPONSORS: Cost of A#endance: FREE Coffee & Cookies provided

MoveOn.org wants you to contribute money to help save Obamacare.

Just pathetic...

First they helped Obama destroy the single-payer universal health care movement, and now we are supposed to help Obama save the "Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010?" (ACA-Obamacare)

Where do these people get this kind of arrogance?

And they have the unmitigated gall to call me a "MoveOn member" when I have never even been a member of this group that is just as phony as Obama himself...

Dear MoveOn member,

There's no sugar-coating it: Obamacare is in serious political trouble. And progressives need to step up and start fighting to save it right now.

Obviously, the law itself is still really good. But it's clear to everyone that rollout has been badly botched—and now Republicans smell blood in the water. They think this is their chance to undo the whole thing. Worse yet, some Democrats in Congress are starting to waver too.

To fight back, we need to push hard on Republicans trying to undermine the law—as well as Democrats thinking about caving. We also need to hold media outlets accountable for spreading false reports about the parts of the law that are working just fine.

But we don't have much time. The House is voting tomorrow on a bill that would gut the whole law, and according to news reports some Democrats might vote for it as well. We're aiming to raise $175,000 to make sure we have enough resources to turn the tide. Can you chip in $3?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help save Obamacare.

There's no excuse for the problems with the website. We all know that. But the website will be fixed.

And we can't let a bad website undercut the most important expansion of the social safety net since the 1960s.

Already, millions of young adults, people with pre-existing conditions, and low-income Americans have health coverage today because of Obamacare. And millions more will get coverage soon if the law is allowed to keep working.

We'll start by calling out Republicans as well as Democrats who support efforts to delay, defund, or roll back key parts of the law. We'll also counter the Republicans' misinformation campaign by petitioning media outlets to correct their false reports. We're also running ads on Facebook and in college newspapers to reach young people—who are so important to get registered for health insurance.

But the clock is ticking. If we don't shift the momentum soon, it could be too late to save this law we fought so hard for.

Can you contribute $3 to help debunk the right-wing lies about Obamacare?

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Alejandro, David, Linda, and the rest of the team


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