Human Rights

Related: Healthcare by the numbers

Leno’s single payer “Medicare for All” health bill passes Senate

The Destabilization of Haiti

"Washington seeks to reinstate Haiti as a full-fledged US colony, with all the appearances of a functioning democracy. The objective is to impose a puppet regime in Port-au-Prince and establish a permanent US military presence in Haiti. 

Edit: On second thought, the song I embedded, No Woman No Cry is too upbeat for the tone of the post. It's a great song with a positive message, but that kind of gives an excuse to the immoral and gluttonous elites who've ravaged these people for centuries. At the same time, I think this section of the song is a subtle political statement against the colonialist economic overlords. I think at the time, Bob Marley knew he couldn't be overt in this message, but the people who knew -- knew what he was saying

Youtube - No Woman No cry

Said, said, said, I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown,
Oba - obaserving the hypocrites as they would
Mingle with the good people we meet,
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
Along the way, In this bright future called life,
you can't forget your past

Below, is a devastating indictment by Chris Floyd on the economic elite's colonialist policies on the People of Haiti

Help Haiti: The Unforgiven Country Cries Out

(UPDATED BELOW)

Building a Progressive California Democratic Party Platform

The Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento (PDA) held a meeting on Saturday, Jan. 9th to discuss improvements to the CA Democratic Party (CDP) Platform. All area Progressive Democrats were invited by Wellstone President Tamie Dramer and Political Affairs Chair Chris Niehaus to help shape the Party's Platform. CDP Platform Committee member Christine Thomas started off with a brief overview of the committee. CDP Progressive Caucus Chair (and PDA NorCal co-coordinator) Karen Bernal spoke about the need for Progressives in California to change the Party and how we can use our numbers to improve our platform. The room overflowed with attendees that took on issues such as Health Care, the Environment, Energy, Labor, Economic Justice, Poverty Elimination, Education & Criminal Justice.

Before I share some incredible quotes from a profound article by Ted Rall, I just heard talk on MSM news about the depressing jobs situation. WH response is “muted” the reporter said. A clip of Obama was then shown speaking with “respectful” concern, reminding us of the slow trek to recovery. After all, all that money gone. That darn deficit.

Let’s see, best he had for Main Street was “Cash for Clunkers” and asks us now to use whatever is left of our “audacity of hope” for those eventual “green jobs”. Right! Best for Wall Street, however, here’s all our cash along with the national credit card and the power also to continue unencumbered to shake down the broken citizenry. Knock yourselves out as much and long as you guys want!

Obama is the post-partisan president, after all. The ultimate vortex of cronyism of the bi-partisan political and financial elites. A surreal amorality, since he is so sincere looking and the MSM is so craven in its blockade of insight into reality. But you gotta admit, Obama does a really well acted sound bite. He does calm and concern, the appearance of it, very well. If it's good television, it will ride. But the buck doesn't stop with you, Mr. President -- stop saying that -- you pass the buck on to the plutocracy. Each and every buck for all your crony plutocrats. Your headwaiter role with them continues.

Now, to Ted Rall in his article in Common Dreams, Rall mourns the loss of a spirit of bravery of the citizenry. The shift, 9/11.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/31Since 9/11, We've Embraced Our Inner Coward

All twelve links will open in this window, so be sure to click the back button to come back

Taser abuse videos

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=police+taser+abuse&search_ty...
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Federal appellate court limits cops' use of Tasers

A federal appeals court on Monday issued one of the most comprehensive rulings yet limiting police use of Tasers against low-level offenders who seem to pose little threat and may be mentally ill.

In a case out of San Diego County, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals criticized an officer who, without warning, shot an emotionally troubled man with a Taser when he was unarmed, yards away, and neither fleeing nor advancing on the officer.

Sold as a nonlethal alternative to guns, Tasers deliver an electrical jolt meant to subdue a subject. The stun guns have become a common and increasingly controversial tool used by law enforcement.

There have been at least nine Taser-related fatalities in the Sacramento region, including the death earlier this month of Paul Martinez Jr., an inmate shot with a stun gun while allegedly resisting officers at the Roseville jail.

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2425481.html
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Sacramento Sheriff McGinness defends Taser use after ruling

http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/2427227.html
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Why Are Cops Tasering Grandmothers, Pregnant Women and Kids?

http://www.aclusac.org/node/196
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Death reignites Taser debate

Over the weekend, a Sacramento man joined the growing tally of people who have died after police attempted to subdue them with Tasers.

[Click the picture for the 60 Minutes report on RAM]

Hundreds spend night at the Forum to get free medical care

August 12, 2009 | 6:47 am

Hundreds of people spent the night outside the Forum in Inglewood in hopes of getting free medical and dental care.

[See: Blue Cross praised employees who dropped sick policyholders, lawmaker says]

More than 2,000 sought services on the first day of the medical clinic -- and hundreds were turned away. People were lined up Tuesday night, hoping to get in. The MTA announced it was extending service of Line 115 because of "overwhelming demand" for service to the clinic, which runs for eight days.

The Remote Area Medical Foundation is a trailer-equipped service that has staged health clinics in rural parts of the United States, Mexico and South America. It brought its health camp to urban Los Angeles County on Tuesday to begin a stint that the group's officials described as its first foray into a major urban setting.

Organizers expected big crowds in a county with high unemployment and an estimated 22% of working-age adults lacking health insurance.


style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow">On Tuesday, the turnout was so large that hundreds had to be turned away.

Thom Hartmann reads John Gray's Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican. Click the pic for the youtube.
Plus Thank a liberal down below

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Who's Behind Lanny Davis' Putsch Paycheck?

Following the money trail in the Honduran coup

By Bill Conroy

July 22, 2009 "Narco News" -- (Lea en Español Aquí) -- Going to bat for an illegal coup used to be the job of shadowy CIA operatives back in the good ol' days of the Cold War.

But that is bygone era. Today’s junta-enablers no longer have to work in secret. In fact, illegal usurpers can now shop openly in Washington for a hired gun of their choosing to grease the wheels of Congress and commerce to assure their coup d'état remains a fait accompli.

Enter Lanny Davis — a long-time friend and Yale Law School chum of Hillary Clinton and former White House Counsel to Bill Clinton [as well as a consummate shill for their agendas].

Davis also is a lawyer and lobbyist now employed by the D.C. office of global law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. In that capacity, Davis was recently retained by the Business Council of Latin America (CEAL) to hawk for the coup in Honduras — or as is the preferred description among the pushers of simulation, the administration of “de facto” Honduran President Roberto Micheletti [elected by virtue of having cast the most bullets in deposing the people’s choice in Honduras, President Manuel Zelaya).

Davis is now scampering about the Hill setting up meetings with Congressional insiders and throwing money around on advertising and other such frills to build a case for supporting the new militarily elected Honduran regime.

Davis may be many things, but one thing he is not is cheap. So the question is begged: Whose paying for this charade?

The best way to get a peek under those covers most certainly should be to take a look at who is in bed with CEAL, Davis’ current contract employer.

Well, here’s the scoop on the pecuniary bedfellows:


Camilo Alejandro Atala Faraj, president of the Honduras chapter of CEAL, also happens to be a vice president of a major banking institution in Honduras, Banco Financiera Comercial Hondurena S.A [or Banco Ficohsa), which is part of the financial holding company Grupo Financiero Ficohsa.

Related: California's Vulnerable Protest, and Demand to See Governor

And: The California Budget Crisis: The L-Curve and the $11.3 BILLION in ANNUAL Tax Cuts for Corporations and Wealthy

And: Memo to Darrell Steinberg and Karen Bass: California Voters Set the Democrats Free: Will They Act?

[OK, I don't know if he was in his office, but he sure didn't come out to meet them, and he sure could have left word to leave them alone. ... Oh, I know where he was, he was in his jacuzzi smoking a cigar]

Dozens Arrested For Protesting At Capitol

Protesters Furious With Proposed Cuts To California Services

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- More than two dozen people were arrested for protesting at the Capitol Tuesday evening.

The caregivers and people with disabilities said they are furious that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is asking for more cuts to California's in-home support services.

Earlier in the day, about 100 protesters said they successfully blocked the entrance to the governor's office. The People's Day of Reckoning Coalition organized the protest.

The coalition sent a letter to Schwarzenegger in June, asking him to come up with a budget solution that includes new sources of income and not just cuts to services.

"We are calling for a budget solution that is based upon shared responsibility and shared sacrifice -- not a solution that falls squarely upon on the shoulders of children, people with disabilities, elders, the chronically ill, the unemployed and the impoverished," the letter said.

Schwarzenegger's office said it has asked the group to talk three times, but the protesters have refused.

[You notice how it doesn't say "he asked the group to talk"]

Click the link for video. And why the protest?

Governor Targets In-home Supportive Services while Speaker Boycotts Meetings

By Marty D. Omoto

Director/Organizer

California Disability Community Action Network

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a meeting with 5 county district attorney officials from Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and Ventura counties, and underscored that any budget agreement must solve the entire $26 billion budget shortfall problem and must include several of his proposed reforms, including a proposal to combat “waste, fraud and abuse” in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program that serves over 430,000 children and adults with disabilities – including developmental, the blind and low income seniors. Only one district attorney – Jan Scully from Sacramento County – was actually present, the others being deputy district attorneys or other district attorney officials.

The Governor said that “this is the perfect time” to bring up his program reform proposals because “…we have a huge budget problem. When you have this kind of problem, you look for the obvious in making cuts or raising taxes.”

Published on Sunday, June 7, 2009 by The Denver Post

Debunking Canadian Health Care Myths

by Rhonda Hackett

As a Canadian living in the United States for the past 17 years, I am frequently asked by Americans and Canadians alike to declare one health care system as the better one.

Often I'll avoid answering, regardless of the questioner's nationality. To choose one or the other system usually translates into a heated discussion of each one's merits, pitfalls, and an intense recitation of commonly cited statistical comparisons of the two systems.

Because if the only way we compared the two systems was with statistics, there is a clear victor. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to dispute the fact that Canada spends less money on health care to get better outcomes.

Yet, the debate rages on. Indeed, it has reached a fever pitch since President Barack Obama took office, with Americans either dreading or hoping for the dawn of a single-payer health care system. Opponents of such a system cite Canada as the best example of what not to do, while proponents laud that very same Canadian system as the answer to all of America's health care problems. Frankly, both sides often get things wrong when trotting out Canada to further their respective arguments.

As America comes to grips with the reality that changes are desperately needed within its health care infrastructure, it might prove useful to first debunk some myths about the Canadian system.

Myth #1: Taxes in Canada are extremely high, mostly because of national health care.

In actuality, taxes are nearly equal on both sides of the border. Overall, Canada's taxes are slightly higher than those in the U.S. However, Canadians are afforded many benefits for their tax dollars, even beyond health care (e.g., tax credits, family allowance, cheaper higher education), so the end result is a wash. At the end of the day, the average after-tax income of Canadian workers is equal to about 82 percent of their gross pay. In the U.S., that average is 81.9 percent.

Myth #2: Canada's health care system is a cumbersome bureaucracy.

The U.S. has the most bureaucratic health care system in the world. More than 31 percent of every dollar spent on health care in the U.S. goes to paperwork, overhead, CEO salaries, profits, etc. The provincial single-payer system in Canada operates with just a 1 percent overhead. Think about it. It is not necessary to spend a huge amount of money to decide who gets care and who doesn't when everybody is covered.