Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Please…think of the insurance companies
22 Sep 2009The following video is making the facebook/twitter/blog rounds. Um, instant classic?
Light the Night in honor of Richard Aponte
22 Sep 2009I got the following from fellow blogger, BFP.
Long time Latina blogger and much admired Angry Brown Butch is raising funds to fight cancer in the name of hir father, who is fighting cancer with grace and style.
Please head over to Jack’s donation page and send some love (and maybe a little cash!) their way!
My family, my partner Margarita, and I are walking on October 3, 2009, to honor my Dad, to show him our support and our love and our gratitude for his spirit, his fight, his humor, and his heart. We are walking with the hope that he might still find a treatment that will help him feel better, get healthier, and have more time to spend here with us. My dad makes friends wherever he is and in whatever state he’s in, and he’s made many friends at his cancer center. We’re walking for them and their families too. Margarita and I are also walking for her friend and coworker, Yajaira Mercedes, a young mom of three who is also battling leukemia. We’re walking for all of the other MDS, leukemia, lymphoma and cancer patients and survivors out there; for their families and friends with whom we empathize. We’re walking in the hopes that with more research, there will be more survivors who will live better, longer, happier lives.
I’m asking all of you – my friends, colleagues, acquaintences – to donate whatever amount you can spare so that we can truly honor my Dad and his fellow cancer patients and survivors. I’d also encourage folks to sign up for the national bone marrow donor registry and to donate blood if you’re able to; both are very important and potentially life-saving things to people living with MDS, leukemia, and other blood cancers.
Obama gave an interview to David Letterman earlier–and the follow has a few preview clips of the interview. Among some of the questions Obama faces: how long have you been a black man? A funny quip–what gets me, however, is the answer. Which seems to be “coded” remarkably well.
He’s saying what we all know–99% of the screaming teabaggers at the town hall meetings are white folks. And that there’s pretty much nothing he personally can do about it. So he might as well just go on about his business.
I can’t help it. I know that Mamita and others have said that they’ve gone their separate ways with Obama. And that’s a position I respect–but maybe it’s because I never had any hope for Obama to begin with that he still has my interest. I don’t see him doing anything amazing, I don’t see him changing the world, hell, I don’t even see him fixing immigration. But it is really interesting to me how he is negotiating racism. And it makes me wonder if his negotiating (rather than his policies or legislation) will make a difference for average people of color.
Health care debate gets worse and worse
11:38 am By la Macha · Health · 3 Comments
17 Sep 2009Mala already pointed out the horrible way this health care debate has turned on immigrants–even the “good” immigrants here legally that we all “don’t have a problem with.” Now, news if floating around about how the proposed legistlation that is most likely to pass through both houses of Congress just so happens to not have the public option, AND imposes pretty harsh fines on those who don’t have insurance:
With some exceptions for very low-income individuals and those with religious objections, the Baucus proposal would require that individuals buy health insurance every year.
The penalty for not buying insurance would be a fine running as high as $3,800 a year for a family that makes more than 300% of the federal poverty level. For families that forgo coverage and make less than that, the fine would be $1,500. The fines for individuals would be, respectively, $950 and $750.
I feel like I’m in bizarro world. At one time within the past few weeks, I desperatly wanted this health thing to pass. I very rarely get involved in mainstream politic-y type organizing because I feel it accomplishes so little–but health care for all? Even my oh, so, radical butt has been signing petitions and talking with family members about why they need this.
But now, as more and more bad news keeps coming in, the only thing I can think is that my family can’t afford to buy ANY insurance–we’re living on a shoestring budget as it is. We also can’t afford to pay any of those fines–and what’s more, we shouldn’t have to. This is where I am just libertarian enough to say, if I don’t won’t to buy fucking health insurance, ain’t no government on earth gonna make me.
Living in a state that has unemployment around 15% (and when you figure in underemployed and those who have stopped looking for work, it’s closer to 25%), that any elected official is even considering a bill like this is laughable–no, actually, it’s more criminal.
Because we all know who is benefiting off of requiring health insurance–with no public option. And I’ll give you a clue, it’s not me, it’s not you, and it sure isn’t the Grandma we were all so concerned about a week ago.
Health Care Reform : New and Improved Formula With More Barriers for All Immigrants
10:38 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Health| Immigration · 2 Comments
17 Sep 2009
President Obama’s original health care reform proposal was bad enough, but now the Democratic party is bowing to racist rhetoric and immigrant bashing by creating more barriers to access for immigrant families, even the “legal” ones with the Senate Finance Committee’s draft legislation.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to be on a press call regarding health care reform and immigrants. What I heard gave me disturbing background on how undocumented immigrants were thrown out of the debate by fellow Latinos from the get because of politics as usual and how now Obama is showing himself all too willing to sacrifice immigrants (browned as Latino) as pawns in negotiations, instead of as humans.
Read more…
Es Mentiroso Ese Hombre. Who Exactly Are the Liars? A Look At Reactions to Wilson.
2:10 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Health| Immigration| Politics · 2 Comments
13 Sep 2009Everyone and their mami is jumping on the outburst heard round the world. Let’s take a look at how organizations that claim to be progressive or at the very least Democratic, are repping what down during Obama’s health care plan pitch.
The Free Press Action Fund, an org whose mission according to it’s tagline is to “Reform Media, Transform Democracy”, took the opportunity to ask for funds. In their request letter, they focus on the failings of the mainstream media:
For the past 24 hours, the media have focused on the controversy surrounding Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst, but not on the substance of his claim — that the president lied about coverage for undocumented immigrants — which is demonstrably false.
As in nothing to see here folks. Undocumented (at least they didn’t use the word illegal) won’t be covered. Hmm I wonder how independent media makers such as myself can get in on some of that fundraising action?
Read more…
Obama’s Health Care Reform Pitch : Why Reform isn’t the Same as Change
6:37 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Controversia| Health| Immigration| Justice| Obama| Politics| Women · 5 Comments
12 Sep 2009In my interactions with the beltway over the past few weeks, be it via email or watching Obama’s speech to Congress and the “American” people on his health care reform package, I have been re-reminded of one fact. When D.C. speaks of reform, this has nothing to do with rights : human, civil or rights of any stripe.
I was interested in hearing Obama’s health care reform pitch for a number of reasons which cross that political/personal line. I am one of the millions of uninsured. My family has a history of cancer and I have personally seen what being uninsured and underinsured has meant for some of the most beloved members of my family (including death). My children are insured thanks to the public health system. Will Obama’s plan mean that I, who am poor enough to have my kids get medicaid but not poor enough to have myself covered (in large part because the government doesn’t accept my proof of income as an independent worker), finally will see a doctor? The last time I saw a health care provider was 2 and a half years ago when I was pregnant. Do I have to get knocked up again to get health care? And if there is no public option, will I be fined (money I don’t have) because health insurance is mandated and I still can’t afford it? What about my vecinos and members of my extended family who didn’t even bother watching Obama because as undocumented immigrants they have already been thrown under the bus? When the speech was over, when the heckling was quieted, and everyone stopped applauding, Obama had lost what tiny pedazo of support I had left for him.
Read more…
While Maegen covers all the serious parts of last night’s speech, I will study the gossipy hissy fits on display for the world to see.
The following is a statement released by Joe Wilson of South Carolina–the same man who yelled “YOU LIE” at Obama during his speech last night.
The reason he yelled? Obama stated that the health care package on the table right now would NOT cover “illegal aliens.”
I tried to do research on what Joe Wilson’s voting record and time in office has been like…and it was impossible. Pretty much every site I went to that was *reputable* (as opposed to the thousands of nativist sites congratulating Wilson) is down. What *is* known is that Wilson’s Democratic challenger, Rob Miller, has recieved thousands of dollars of donations since the outburst. And frankly, with Wilson starting off his apology by declaring he is doing it because Republican leaders asked him too–I only see things getting worse for him.
Obama’s Health Care Plan Pitch before Congress Last Night (Video)
7:34 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Events| Health| Immigration| Media| Obama| Politics · Comments Off
10 Sep 2009Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Via / Gothamist
Obama’s Health Care Plan Pitch before Congress Last Night (Full Text)
7:02 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Events| Health| Immigration| Obama| Politics| Washington DC · Comments Off
10 Sep 2009I was able to watch most of President Obama’s speech before Congress last night selling his health care reform package. Not surprisingly, I have quite a few thoughts on the speech, it’s contents and reactions to it (those that follow VivirLatino or me on twitter were able to read some of that commentary). Pero before I get into that here is the full text of the President’s speech.
Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, and the American people:
When I spoke here last winter, this nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month. Credit was frozen. And our financial system was on the verge of collapse.
As any American who is still looking for work or a way to pay their bills will tell you, we are by no means out of the woods. A full and vibrant recovery is many months away. And I will not let up until those Americans who seek jobs can find them; until those businesses that seek capital and credit can thrive; until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes. That is our ultimate goal. But thanks to the bold and decisive action we have taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink.
I want to thank the members of this body for your efforts and your support in these last several months, and especially those who have taken the difficult votes that have put us on a path to recovery. I also want to thank the American people for their patience and resolve during this trying time for our nation.
But we did not come here just to clean up crises. We came to build a future. So tonight, I return to speak to all of you about an issue that is central to that future – and that is the issue of health care.
Hola!
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