LGBT/Pride Week
June is LGBT pride month. We have a variety of queer AAPI's, friends, families and allies posting about their experiences. Thanks to Be DeGuzman, one of APAP's 2009 Unsung Heroes, for coordinating this special week of posts.
To help with our upcoming hate crimes/Vincent Chin week (June 21) or Pacific Islander week (Aug), please let us know. If you have a topic you or your agency would like to coordinate, email us.
Just came back from a luncheon with Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-02) in LA's Koreatown hosted by the Korean American Democratic Committee of Los Angeles. About twenty people gathered on the second floor of a Korean restaurant to hear Hirono speak about health care reform, EFCA, the stimulus package and other issues they are tackling in Congress.
After speaking about her own immigrant past and how her mother brought her to this country at a young age, Hirono pointed out her twenty-odd years in public service and her involvement with the Congressional Asian Pacific American and Progressive Caucuses in Congress. She said that Obama was right to be pushing ahead on so many issues and that it was funny how so many Republicans are now touting the success of such stimulus programs like Cash for Clunkers when none of them voted for it.
As noted earlier, Hirono signed the recent letter from a group of 60-some Congressmembers to Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisting on a public option. (I had heard there were 57 members signed on, so maybe a few additional names have come up since.) Anyway, I asked her if the three remaining AAPI Democrats who have not signed would be joining her, David Wu (OR-01), Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Doris Matsui (CA-05), and she said it was going to be hard enough keeping the sixty progressives together.
I asked her how we could help and she pointed out to this article in the NY Times from Paul Krugman. She said it was excellent and she would be forwarding it to her constituents. Here's an excerpt.
Right-wing opponents of reform would have you believe that President Obama is a wild-eyed socialist, attacking the free market. But unregulated markets don’t work for health care — never have, never will. To the extent we have a working health care system at all right now it’s only because the government covers the elderly, while a combination of regulation and tax subsidies makes it possible for many, but not all, nonelderly Americans to get decent private coverage.
Ultimately, Hirono said she was a progressive who firmly believes in the public option, but that she was also someone who counted votes and that the White House would be pressuring them to make a deal. It will be up to us grassroots activists to make sure she has our support.
We'll be following up with Congressmember Hirono on this and other issues in the future. Thanks to Laura Shin for inviting me!
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| User | Points |
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| Intern | 120 |
LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Thomas Paine)
We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 of you dies each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don't die from. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of healthcare means.
I know that many of you are angry and frustrated that REPUBLICANS! In congress are dragging their feet and trying to block TRUE healthcare reform. What republicans want is just a taxpayer bailout of the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry, and the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry. A trillion dollar taxpayer funded private health insurance bailout is all you really get without a robust government-run public option available on day one. Co-OP's ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION. They are a fraud being pushed by the GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry that is KILLING YOU!
YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE A DISASTER AND UNETHICAL, CORRUPT, AND MORALLY REPUGNANT. AND PROBABLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL.
These industries have been slaughtering you and your loved ones like cattle for decades for profit. Including members of congress and their families. These REPUBLICANS are FOOLS!
Republicans and their traitorous allies have been trying to make it look like it's President Obama's fault for the delays, and foot dragging. But I think you all know better than that. President Obama inherited one of the worst government catastrophes in American history from these REPUBLICANS! And President Obama has done a brilliant job of turning things around, and working his heart out for all of us.
But Republicans think you are just a bunch of stupid, idiot, cash cows with short memories. Just like they did under the Bush administration when they helped Bush and Cheney rape America and the rest of the World.
But you don't have to put up with that. And this is what you can do. The Republicans below will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010. Just a little over 13 months from now. And many of you will be able to vote early. So pick some names and tell their voters that their representatives (by name) are obstructing TRUE healthcare reform. And are sellouts to the insurance and medical lobbyist.
Ask them to contact their representatives and tell them that they are going to work to throw them out of office on November 2, 2010, if not before by impeachment, or recall elections. Doing this will give you something more to do to make things better in America. And it will make you feel better too.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you find people to call and contact. For example, many social networking sites can be searched by state, city, or University. Be inventive and creative. I can think of many ways to do this. But be nice. These are your neighbors. And most will want to help.
I know there are a few democrats that have been trying to obstruct TRUE healthcare reform too. But the main problem is the Bush Republicans. Removing them is the best thing tactically to do. On the other hand. If you can easily replace a democrat obstructionist with a supportive democrat, DO IT!
You have been AMAZING!!! my people. Don't loose heart. You knew it wasn't going to be easy saving the World. :-)
God Bless You
jacksmith — Working Class
I REST MY CASE (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
* Bob Bennett of Utah
I agree with some of the sentiments, but I might want to point out that it's the Democrats that are the key impediments to having a robust Healthcare Reform Bill. In fact, things have gotten so bad that Democrats have been rolling out a new strategy for this attempt. It's called Health Insurance Reform.
Quite frankly, the Republicans will phase out on their own. What's even worse are Democratic Senators like Max Baucus, Ben Nelson, and Kent Conrad. Or even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for insisting on the 60 vote majority even when Democrats have a filibuster proof majority.
If anything, people in Nevada should call Harry Reid and tell him to get a spine. "Please use the budget reconciliation process to push healthcare legislation that only needs 50 votes."
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