PRESS RELEASE:

The California consumer group that pioneered the nation’s toughest property casualty insurance regulation called on President Obama today to use his federal regulatory authority and state ballot measure processes to stop health insurers from arbitrarily raising rates on Americans.

The fertile mind of Jeff Roby has lately come to openly ruminate about a DUMP OBAMA movement. This diary poses the open question as to what main points a DUMP OBAMA manifesto should make. What should a 5 minute elevator speech sound like? If you casually mentioned to a co-worker that you joined a DUMP OBAMA movement, and they asked you “Why?” or “What’s that about?”, what would you want to say?

One suggestion by yours truly below the flip.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all deduct our federal income and investment taxes from next year’s income? And if we could also deduct that stress-reducing trip to a spa in Bora Bora? And if the government would just take our word for it? Fantasy for us, but the health insurance industry think that’s what federal health reform ought to allow, on a corporate scale.

With financial reform now newly passed, politicians who supported it go into overdrive to exaggerate its likely effects. Their cultivated enthusiasms culminate in the same promises made by every president and congressperson after similar reforms were enacted in the wake of earlier capitalist crises. “This reform,” they all insist, “will prevent crises in the future.” That promise has been broken every time as our current global capitalist crisis proves yet again.

That Americans are not supportive of progressivism is largely a conjured up fear to excuse a failure to advance a progressive agenda and win support from Democratic Party leaders for progressive change. The American people support progressive ideas. They just need real progressive leadership that, independently from Democratic Party interests, promotes a vision and future where these progressive ideas are indeed viable and practical.

Some news media portray the financial reform deal as “sweeping” but is it?

corporate oppression

The President spoke today on immigration, and told us what He thinks is needed. He repeated much of what we have heard before.

The President goes through the benefits in health insurance reform that are already kicking in for young adults, retirees, and families, and says more benefits are coming down the pike.

An article explaining why Vermont’s and CA’s efforts for single payer aren’t going anywhere.