Category Archives: Information

Single Payer Universal Health Care: Building a Pathway to Victory

Information, News, Opinion


Sandy Eaton, RN, Dialogue & Initiative, August 2018

This year is pivotal for shifting the balance of forces in the United States away from the proponents of austerity, racism, war and fascism. People are coming together not only to resist Trump and the Republicans but to fight for economic and social survival. Health care in the US is a raging cauldron of struggle to win justice as millions campaign for access, affordability, quality and equality. Single-payer financing is increasingly recognized as essential for a just healthcare system.

The drive toward “Building a Pathway to Victory” has begun and was the focus of this year’s national single-payer strategy conference. The Minnesota Nurses Association hosted this historic meeting in Minneapolis June 22-24. Initially funded by National Nurses United, this campaign seeks to make healthcare justice, including the enactment of expanded and improved Medicare for all, an essential ingredient in the 2018 and 2020 elections. Support for improved Medicare for all has already shown itself to be a winner in Democratic Party primaries across the country, North and South. Organizers have been hired to work in key presidential primary states. Regional meetings to launch this campaign have so far drawn hundreds more activists into the fray.

RED THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

POLL WATCHERS NEEDED FOR NOVEMBER 6, 2018 ELECTION

Information

Contact:  Diane Wood dianewood.ccnm@gmail.com  or  505-379-9470

Every election year the nonpartisan organization Common Cause New Mexico (CCNM), works to help voters cast their vote freely by fielding a team of volunteers “poll watchers” to help answer voter questions, locate their poll and make sure their votes are counted.   CCNM is now recruiting volunteers from all over New Mexico.

Poll watchers are an integral part of CCNM Election Protection project. CCNM recruits lawyers, students and ordinary citizens from across the state organizing them to take part in our democracy and make sure it works for everyone.

After reviewing an informational packet, Poll Watchers will have answers to voters’ frequently asked questions and have the websites and toll free numbers to direct voters for additional assistance.

Ready to volunteer?  Email Diane Wood at dianewood.ccnm@gmail.com

Voter Registration Deadline: October 9, 2018

Register online at the NM Secretary of State website:

https://portal.sos.state.nm.us/OVR/WebPages/InstructionsStep1.aspx

Toll Free Hot Lines for Voters’ Questions

1-866-Our-Vote (1-866-687-8683)

Spanish Language 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682)

Asian Voters 1-888-API-VOTE (1-888-274-8683)

Arabic Language 1-844-YALLA-US (1-844-925-5287)

About Election Protection New Mexico

Election Protection New Mexico is a nonpartisan project for the state of New Mexico.  This program seeks to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote can and that every vote is counted accurately. Election Protection NM is not affiliated with any party or candidate.

Additional questions about Election Protection NM?

contact:  Diane Wood, Voting Rights Director for Common Cause New Mexico

phone:  505-379-9470

email:  dianewood.ccnm@gmail.com

http://www.commoncause.org/states/new-mexico/

Congratulations Deborah Marez-Baca from PDACNM

Information


“RCFRC” Volunteer of the Month – Deborah Marez-Baca

In Deborah’s words, “volunteering, activism, and working towards social justice are in my DNA.” Over the past two months, Deborah has taken the lead to organize Legal Observers to help safeguard clinics, clients, and volunteers that have been experiencing heightened aggression from anti-abortion protesters. Legal Observers watch for activity that violates the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE).

How much is your health worth?

Information

Recent editorial comment from the Albuquerque Journal.

We must look to changes that will meet future needs

THE JOURNAL published an opinion column by R. J. Samuelson,” Our heavy investment in the past is shortchanging our future,” on June 14. His point seems to be that Medicare and Social Security payments are going to come close to bankrupting this nation and must be reduced both in dollars and coverage, particularly aimed at the over-65 population and the disabled.

Samuelson in his concern for the percentage of federal spending for Social Security and Medicare fails to take into account that every wage earner since the early 1930 s has contributed to these funds. Both of these programs are self-funding through payroll taxes and do not, and have not, impacted the deficit. Samuelson states “. taxes will have to go up, but some spending will have to go down, and this is virtually impossible.” without cutting Social Security and Medicare.

It is possible by raising the cap on Social Security – fully funded to 2034 – and significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for health care and health care costs in general by adopting Medicare for All legislation, e. g., HR 676.

Continue reading How much is your health worth? →

PDACNM NEWSLETTER May 17, 2018 – EMERGENCY ACTIONS

Information, Legislation

 

FARM BILL VOTE THIS WEEK!!!!!

VOTE ON FARM BILL IMMINENT.  WE UNDERSTAND REP. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM IS TO VOTE NO!  BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHERE REP. BEN RAY LUJÁN STANDS ON THIS VOTE.  Please call his office and ask him to vote no for the reasons below:

Rep. Ben Ray Luján:  DC office – (202) 225-6190; Rio Rancho – (505) 994-0499

Please thank Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her no vote.  DC office – (202) 225-6316; ABQ office – (505) 346-6781

Farm Bill: Republicans Want to Cut Food Assistance & MORE!
  • What’s the issue: The Farm Bill was last passed in 2013, and it must be reauthorized every five years. It’s a $100 billion legislative package that covers everything from farm subsidies and agricultural programs to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps). Typically, it is a bipartisan exercise-but in April, Republicans passed a partisan bill out of committee that takes away food assistance from people (over two million people could be kicked out of the program) and instead funds unproven, unscalable job training programs that will leave people hungry.
  • What to expect: The House is expected to vote on the Farm Bill the week of May 14; it will probably pass with few or no Democratic votes. The Senate will take it up after that; it’s likely they will start from scratch with their own version.
  • Bottom line: Only a few months after voting to give trillions in tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations, House Republicans are back to make life worse for families who rely on federal food assistance. The House vote in mid-May will only be the start of this fight; we’ll keep you updated as it goes forward.
Links to info about Farm Bill:
 Farm and Ranch Freedon  Here
Sierra Club here
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy here
AgMag here
Here are six strikes against H.R. 2, the Agricultural and Nutrition Act of 2018:
  1. The Rich Get Richer – The House farm bill creates new loopholes that further tilt farm subsidies toward the largest, most successful farm businesses and away from small family farmers. The bill would allow cousins, nieces and nephews of farmers to receive subsidies even if they don’t live or work on the farm. A recent report by the Department of Agriculture found that the share of subsidies claimed by the biggest farms has tripled since 1991, and H.R. 2 would make this problem worse.
  2. The Poor Get Poorer – The same bill that enriches the largest and most successful farmers will also cause more than 1 million low-income households – more than 2 million people, including working families with children – to lose their food-assistance benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or have them reduced. The bill includes unworkable job training requirements that will place new burdens on states and leave many poor Americans without food assistance.
  3. Drinking Water Gets Dirtier – The House farm bill cuts conservation spending by $800 million, including programs designed to protect drinking water from farm pollution. Although the bill includes some reforms, these provisions are outweighed by proposed cuts and new pesticide safety loopholes.
  4. Diets Get Less Healthy – While the House farm bill increases funding for SNAP recipients who shop at farmers markets, the bill eliminates funding for other programs that help finance farmers markets and help farmers build local markets for healthy products. The bill also cuts funding for programs that help organic farmers.
  5. Rural America Gets Left Behind – At the very same moment Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was hosting a conference on the importance of broadband internet to rural America, the House Agriculture Committee was voting to cut USDA rural development funding by more than $500 million. The House bill also cuts funding from programs to help farmers produce more renewable energy.
  6. States Get Sidelined – The House farm bill included a sweeping amendment from Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, that would broadly preempt state and local food and farm laws, including food safety and food labeling laws. Although intended to block a new California animal welfare law, the King amendment would wipe away thousands of state and local laws regulating everything from invasive pests to fishing.

Read more articles in the

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PDA CNM DIGEST May 17, 2018

Join an Adelante Caucus Committee!

Information


Dear Adelante Caucus member,

Caucus members are signing up to volunteer for various committees! Would you like to get in on the ground floor of helping build the caucus and carry out its mission? Together, we can build a strong statewide caucus.

We are just getting started, so you could help decide the structure and functions of committees. The time commitment is flexible. We are especially looking for leaders. Committee leaders will receive guidance.

Below are some examples of different jobs each committee might handle.

Communications
* Content for Digital Media
* Letters to the Editor
* Newsletters
* Press Relations
* Interpretation
* Visual Media

Diversity
Working with under-represented populations to:
* Register Voters
* Cultivate Leaders within the Caucus and the Party Structure and as Potential Lawmakers
* Serve as Liaison to Market the Caucus to those Communities and Bring their Concerns back to the Caucus

Finance
* Budgeting
* Developing Financial Controls
* Fundraising

Membership and Events
* Arranging Event Venues
* Arranging Event Guest Speakers
* Child Care at Events
* Data Entry
* Recruiting Members

Nominations for Caucus Officers
* Seeking candidates
* Evaluating candidates

Policy and Politics
* Candidate Recruiting and Development
* Candidate Research and Evaluation
* Developing Small-Donor Fundraising for the Party
* Lobbying Officials
* Party Rules Changes
* Supporting Candidate Campaigns
NOTE: The direction of this committee will likely depend on goals to be decided at an all-day goals session June 2, for which we have already reached capacity.

Technology
* Data Analysis
* Database Management
* Mapping
* Technical Aspects of Digital Media

No matter what your interests and skills, you can help build the caucus by volunteering.

PLEASE SIGN UP, by filling out the form at http://bit.ly/AdelanteCommitteesForm.

If you have any questions, please write to the interim volunteer coordinator, Maurreen Skowran, at maurreenskowran@gmail.com.

Adelante!

“Indian 101” Presentation

Information, Meetings

Our May 2nd evening program was honored by our two guests, LaDonna Harris and Kathryn Harris Tijerina, bringing the acclaimed Indian 101 presentation developed by the Americans for Indian Opportunity.

“We don’t study the history of America. We study the history of the Europeans coming to America.”
–  LaDonna Harris (Comanche) AIO President

Indian 101 BINGO challenged PDA members on their knowledge of American Indian and indigenous peoples’ history and contemporary experiences.  The origin of the word “caucus” is from the Iroquois language and means to assemble in order to make a decision. Kathryn pointed out that our new Adelante Progressive Caucus in the DPNM owes its origins to the Haudenosaunee 6-nation confederacy. BINGO winners received blue corn for planting from our tribal neighbors.

Play Indian 101 BINGO (download here) and read the answers (download here) .

The Americans for Indian Opportunity 4 R’s show how closely progressive values link with the heritage values of our native nations.Kathryn took us through “500 years in 50 minutes” covering key events, concepts and critical issues. AIO’s recommended reading list can be downloaded here so we can all learn more since much was left out of our formal educations and mainstream press does not adequately represent Native issues. The slide below formed the outline for the presentation and Kathryn added detail, indigenous lived experiences, and Indian rights legislative and legal successes and stories.

Click the image to enlarge

We were asked to consider cultural misappropriation and how we can all choose our words more thoughtfully like “… hold the fort down” and “low man on the totem pole,”and which sports teams to support like the Washington Redskins (a direct reference to bounty take from murdered Natives).  Continuing to support negative stereotypes attacks tribal identify and culture. The original Doctrine of Discovery used to conquer this land continues to resonate through our legal system and generational trauma impacts the health and lives of indigenous people today.

New Mexico has one of the highest populations of indigenous people living in both rural and urban areas. It is our responsibility to speak up in support of American Indians’ rights.  Here’s something we can each do – go to the National Congress of American Indians at http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe & read and watch the videos. Then act by contacting sports teams you support and current or former schools that have derogatory Indian mascots, imagery or names. Look here http://www.changethemascot.org/ for direct actions.

The resilience, self-determination and governance of Native peoples was the final focus of the presentation including:

If your organization or business would benefit from the Indian 101 presentation, please contact to schedule and discuss the fee:

Americans for Indian Opportunity
1001 Marquette Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 505-842-8677
Contact: Brittany Schulman at bschulman@aio.org