May 20, 2009
Health Care, Obama, U.S. Law and Policy
1 Comment
Dear MoveOn member,
Breaking news on health care: The Washington Post is now reporting that
insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield “is putting the finishing touches
on a public message campaign aimed at killing a key plank in Obama’s
reform platform.”1
The Huffington Post sums it up as “Insurers Planning on Double-Crossing
Obama.”2
We knew the insurance companies would eventually turn on the president,
but this is much sooner than expected. And they’re targeting the public
health insurance option–the crucial piece that will help cover everyone.
So we’re immediately launching a rapid-response campaign to go toe-to-toe
with Blue Cross Blue Shield and win quality health care for all
Americans.
We need to raise $150,000 in the next two days. It’s a lot, but we’ll need
every penny to take on Goliath. We’ll run ads, hold events, and work like
crazy to get the real truth out to voters. AND we’ll keep the pressure on
Congress to make sure they don’t get bullied into gutting the president’s
plan to guarantee health care coverage for everyone. Can you chip in
$20 right now to make it happen?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/blueshield.html?id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=9
The public health insurance option is a key provision in Obama’s plan to
help cover all of us. It would finally give everyone the choice between
keeping our current insurance or switching to a new, high-quality public
plan. And under a public health insurance plan our premiums wouldn’t
subsidize CEO salaries or stockholder profits (or in this case, misleading
attack ads), so we’d all save a lot on health care costs.
Plus, if we had the choice of a public plan, private insurers would have
to lower rates and improve quality to compete, so they’re dead set against
it. Today’s news just confirms that fact.
In the past, Blue Cross Blue Shield has been sued for underpaying doctors
and fined for refusing to cover necessary medical treatments for their
customers.3 Now, with what watchdog group Media Matters calls a “desperate
attempt to deceive,”4 they’ve gone one step too far.
Can you chip in $20 to help stand against Blue Cross Blue Shield and
pass health care reform with a strong public option?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/blueshield.html?id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=10
Thanks for all you do.
–Patrick S., Joan, Michael, Ilyse and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “North Carolina’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Trying to Kill Key Plank of
Obama Plan,” Washington Post, May 18, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51432&id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=11
2. “Harry and Louise Are Back: Insurers Planning on Double-Crossing
Obama,” Huffington Post, May 18, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51433&id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=12
3. “BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina’s Desperate Attempt to
Deceive,” Media Matters, May 19. 2009
http://mediamattersaction.org/factcheck/200905190001
4. Ibid.
References
Visible links
. https://pol.moveon.org/donate/blueshield.html?id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=9
. https://pol.moveon.org/donate/blueshield.html?id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=10
. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51432&id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=11
. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51433&id=16165-9659800-wO2Gsex&t=12
. http://mediamattersaction.org/factcheck/200905190001
May 13, 2009
Health Care, Obama, U.S. Law and Policy
No Comments
Just landed in my inbox a letter from the president of the United States:
Pretty cool.
Good afternoon,
You are receiving this email because you signed up at WhiteHouse.gov. My staff and I plan to use these messages as a way to directly communicate about important issues and opportunities, and today I have some encouraging updates about health care reform.
The Vice President and I just met with leaders from the House of Representatives and received their commitment to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31.
We also have an unprecedented commitment from health care industry leaders, many of whom opposed health reform in the past. Monday, I met with some of these health care stakeholders, and they pledged to do their part to reduce the health care spending growth rate, saving more than two trillion dollars over the next ten years — around $2,500 for each American family. Then on Tuesday, leaders from some of America’s top companies came to the White House to showcase innovative ways to reduce health care costs by improving the health of their workers.
Now the House and Senate are beginning a critical debate that will determine the health of our nation’s economy and its families. This process should be transparent and inclusive and its product must drive down costs, assure quality and affordable health care for everyone, and guarantee all of us a choice of doctors and plans.
Reforming health care should also involve you. Think of other people who may want to stay up to date on health care reform and other national issues and tell them to join us here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/EmailUpdates
Health care reform can’t come soon enough. We spend more on health care than any country, but families continue to struggle with skyrocketing premiums and nearly 46 million are without insurance entirely. It is a priority for the American people and a pillar of the new foundation we are seeking to build for our economy.
We’ll continue to keep you posted about this and other important issues.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
P.S. If you’d like to get more in-depth information about health reform and how you can participate, be sure to visit http://www.HealthReform.gov.
Not sure, but the way hat $2500 is worded may only break down to $250 per year per family. Not the Big reform I’m looking for, but getting every American Insured is what needs to happen.
Maybe with a $250 deductible along with more taxes taken out of our checks to pay for health care instead of being ok with borrowing more from other countries. We as Americans should start paying for the things we want and not using credit or other nations’ “goodwill” policies.
March 20, 2009
Fun & Jokes, Obama, Sports
No Comments
I know the madness has started already on the courts (and in the economy) and it’s nice to see the Leader of the Free world take a moment to show his pleasure of sports.
In these hard time finding distraction to keep your mind off the big problems for just a little while is a good thing.
So take a few minutes (if the president has a few minutes, you must too) and watch what the Big O is picking for the Playoffs.
No real surprise for his overall winner of the Championship….Enjoy the entertainment!
March 13, 2009
Energy, Obama, Solving Global Warming, Taxes
No Comments
This email showed up yesterday.
I know I have been slow with the general updates, but the news was making me a bit crazy.
On the advice of a family member I took a news sabbatical, and am now only slowing getting back to paying attention in more detail.
Ok here is newsletter:
Sign the petition
Dear MoveOn member,
Think oil companies should pay their fair share of taxes? So does
President Obama.
In his budget, the President has proposed cutting billions of dollars in
unfair subsidies and tax loopholes for oil and gas companies, to help pay
for critical priorities like clean energy and green jobs.1 After all, they
don’t exactly need the help: ExxonMobil made a record profit of $45.2
billion last year.2
But Big Oil is already fighting back. Like other corporate special
interests, they’re lobbying heavily to gut Obama’s budget. The American
Petroleum Institute has announced plans to fly top executives into
Washington to help save their tax breaks.3
And they’ve got a lot of friends on Capitol Hill, thanks to millions in
campaign contributions over the years. So we’ve got to be louder than Big
Oil, and remind our elected representatives that they work for us, not
ExxonMobil. Click here to sign our petition:
http://pol.moveon.org/stopbigoil/?id=15729-9659800-2a_4aix
The petition reads: “Congress should stop the giveaways and tax loopholes
for oil and gas companies–and invest in green jobs and clean energy
instead.”
President Obama has a bold vision for switching America to a clean-energy
economy and putting millions of people back to work in good, green jobs.
His proposed budget is full of important provisions to make it happen:
investing in wind and solar power, retrofitting buildings to make them
more energy-efficient, and helping working families cope with rising
energy costs.4
To help pay for it, oil and gas companies need to start paying their fair
share in taxes. For years, they’ve been receiving generous subsidies–and
taking advantage of loopholes that let them avoid paying royalties from
drilling on federal lands and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Unsurprisingly, the industries that make their profits from producing and
burning oil, coal, and natural gas are spending millions of dollars
working to undermine the president’s plans for a clean-energy economy.
So we’re organizing a massive grassroots campaign to get his back and take
them on. Can you help out by signing our petition? Click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/stopbigoil/?id=15729-9659800-2a_4ai
Thanks for all you do.
–Adam, Justin, Michael, Ilyse and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Obama seeks repeal of industry tax breaks, subsidies,” Greenwire,
February 26, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51230&id=15729-9659800-2a_4aix
2. “Exxon 2008 profit: A record $45 billion,” CNNMoney.com, January 30,
2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51231&id=15729-9659800-2a_4aix
3. “A backlash against Obama’s budget,” BusinessWeek, March 5, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51232&id=15729-9659800-2a_4aix&t
4. “Obama budget boosts green spending,” CNNMoney.com, February 26, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51233&id=15729-9659800-2a_4aix
Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million
members–no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny
staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
________________
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
January 22, 2009
Obama, Politics
No Comments
Donors to the Presidential Inaugural Committee
In keeping with President-elect Obama’s commitment to changing the way business is done in Washington, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is taking unprecedented steps to insure transparency in the public reporting of donors to a Presidential Inaugural Committee. This chart will allow you to view, sort, and search virtually real-time information on all donors contributing over $200 to the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Unlike previous inaugural committees, the 2009 PIC does not accept contributions from corporations, political action committees, labor unions, current federally-registered lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents and does not accept individual contributions in excess of $50,000.
http://www.pic2009.org/page/content/donors/
and
Unlike previous inaugural committees, the 2009 PIC does not accept contributions from corporations, political action committees, labor unions, current federally-registered lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents and does not accept individual contributions in excess of $50,000. Bundling is also capped at $300,000 per donor.
http://www.pic2009.org/page/content/bundlers/
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