COVID-19 & Healthcare

Of austerity and cookies (video)

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Tax-wallstby Pamela Powers Hannley

These days, you can't turn on the TV or radio without hearing a "news" story or pundit "analysis" about the battle over deficit reduction by budget cuts or revenue generation.

Republicans want to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class and the poor by cutting "entitlements" (ie, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment, Pel Grants, food stamps, and whatever programs are left of Johnson's War on Poverty). Heaven forbid that they would consider taxing the rich, taxing financial transactions, raising the income cap for Social Security benefits, or anything like that. 

Austerity is their battle cry. After the jump, watch this video featuring John Nichols of The Nation explaining the hoax of austerity.

PDA People’s Inauguration live– NOW

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by Pamela Powers Hannley The People's Inauguration– sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)– is live streaming now here. Great stuff– War on Poverty, immigration reform, organizing the unemployed, Robin Hood Tax, eminent domain for economic development. Jesse Jackson, Randy Parraz, Congressman John Conyers, and labor leaders just spoke. Randy Parraz: "Change is coming to … Read more

PDA sponsors ‘People’s Inauguration’ in DC on Jan 19: Watch live streaming

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Pc iii logo-1by Pamela Powers Hannley

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is hosting Progressive Central: The People's Inauguration on January 19 in Washington DC. 

Progressive pundits and politicians from around the country– including our own Congressman Raul Grijalva– will be there. If you're like me and will be in Tucson tomorrow, check out the live streaming of Progressive Central on the PDA home page, beginning at 8 a.m. (Eastern Time).  Bisbee's own Loneprotestor will be in DC– so look for video from her on this blog. I attended Progressive Central in Charlotte while attending the Democratic National Convention, and it was inspiring. More details from after the jump.

Today’s Buckmaster Show: AHCCCS expansion and other topics

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by David Safier I was the final guest on today's Bill Buckmaster Show — audio here. The newsworthy event of the show came from Ethan Orr, the first guest. He's the new Republican LD-9 state rep who tries to come off as something of a moderate until he's pressed for details, when his conservative leanings … Read more

The flaw in Jan’s Plan to expand AHCCCS

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Kudos to Governor Jan Brewer for finally doing the right thing and supporting Arizona's participation in the expanded Medicaid provisions of the Affordable Care Act (aka "ObamaCare").

The Great OzOr more accurately I should say, kudos to Arizona's "shadow governor" Chuck Coughlin and his HighGround lobbying firm, the man behind the curtain, for carrying the day by whispering in Jan Brewer's ear on behalf of its hospital and Medicaid doctor clients.

The expanded Medicaid provisions are simply a deal too good to pass up, and it comes with the added benefit of a "multiplier effect" of economic growth.

Announcing support for expanded Medicaid (AHCCCS in Arizona) was the easy part, however. Now comes the heavy lifting of convincing a radical extremist Tea-Publican Arizona legislature to vote for (1) the hated ObamaCare, and (2) violating their pledge to the Tax Fairy, Grover Norquist, to never, ever, ever vote for any tax increase — ever! Pinky swear!

These Tea-Publicans also live in fear of a primary challenger financed by the billionaire bastard Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity, and the billionaire bastard hedge fund managers at Club for Growth.