Health Care Reform Will Help Everybody

Enjoy this Guest Blog by Barbara O’ Brien

Many Americans assume the new health care reform act will benefit mostly the poor and uninsured and hurt everyone else, according to polls. As Matt Yglesias wrote, “Basically, people see this as a bill that will take resources from people who have health insurance and give it to people who don’t have health insurance.” Those who still oppose the reform say that people ought to pay for their own health care.

We all believe in the virtues of hard work and self-reliance, but these days it’s a fantasy to think that anyone but the mega-wealthy will not, sooner or later, depend on help from others to pay medical bills. And that’s true no matter how hard you work, how much you love America, or how diligently you take care of yourself. The cost of medical care has so skyrocketed that breaking an arm or leg could cost as much as a new car. And if you get cancer or heart disease — which can happen even to people who live healthy lifestyles — forget about it. The disease will not only clean you out; it will leave a whopping debt for your survivors to pay.

And the truth is, we all pay for other peoples’ health care whether we know it or not. When people can’t pay their medical bills, the cost of their health care gets added to everyone else’s bills and insurance premiums. When poor people use emergency rooms as a doctor of last resort, their care is not “free.” You pay for it.

Another common fantasy about medical care is that the “free market” provides incentives for medical companies to develop innovative new drugs and treatments for disease without government subsidy. It’s true that private enterprise is very good at developing profitable health care products. But not all medical care can be made profitable.

For years, the U.S. government has been funding medical research that the big private companies don’t want to do because there is too much cost for the potential profit. This is especially true for diseases that are rare and expensive to treat. An example of a recent advance made possible by government grants include new guidelines for malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment developed by Sloan-Kettering mesothelioma cancer researchers. Another is a blood screening test developed by mesothelioma doctors like thoracic surgeon Dr. David Sugarbaker. The health reform act provides for more dollars for such research, from which even many of the tea party protesters will benefit.

The biggest fantasy of all was that people who had insurance didn’t have to worry about health care costs. But the fact is that in recent years millions of Americans have been bankrupted by medical costs, and three-quarters of the medically bankrupt had health insurance. And yes, insurance companies even dumped hard-working, law-abiding patriots. But the health care reform act will put an end to that, and now America’s hard-working, law-abiding patriots are more financially secure, whether they like it or not.


The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Take the 2010 Ask a Working Woman Survey

The Great Recession has hit American workers in the gut—unemployment is up, jobs are scarce, foreclosures are occurring at record rates and health care costs are skyrocketing. Even if you are working, wages are stagnant and many seniors will have to work past retirement age just to pay bills.

In this brutal economy, what is on the minds of today’s working women?

The AFL-CIO’s community affiliate, Working America, is providing a chance to share those concerns through the just-launched online 2010 Ask a Working Woman survey. The biennial survey enables working women to share workplace concerns.

The Ask a Working Woman survey runs through the end of July.

More than 12,000 women responded to the survey in 2008, when they said the top item that would make their lives easier is a 10 percent raise. While issues such as affordable health care and quality child care were major concerns for working women, paying the bills, buying the groceries, filling the gas tank and paying the rent and mortgage were the concerns women said worried them the most.

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Take the 2010 Ask a Working Woman Survey

The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Which Religion Should You Follow: Handy Flowchart Provides Divine Guidance

See the original chart on Rachel Baker's Blog

Why There's Still A Wage Gap (With Apologies To Peggy Olson)

Blog reposted in part, with permission from author Doree Shafrir. Originally posted on Jezebel.

A couple weeks ago on Mad Men, Peggy got recruited to go to another, much larger ad agency. Instead of saying yes right away, she went into Don Draper's office to see if she could get a raise.

She's a copywriter, but she gets paid much less than the other copywriters, all of whom happen to be male. And so she invokes the recently passed Equal Pay Act. "It's a law now," she says. "Equal pay for equal work." Don looks at her as though she's speaking another language. "Peggy, it's not a good time," he tells her. Then he asks her if she wants a drink.

When Peggy confronts Don, it's 1963, and the median annual income for women was around 60 percent of men's. Today, it's around 77 percent—a gain, to be sure, but hardly anything to be thrilled about. While some of the so-called gender gap can be explained by the fact that women tend to work in lower-paying fields—such as education and child care (I'm going to bracket the debate about whether these deserve to be lower-paying fields at all)—there's still a five percent wage gap for male and female college graduates, even after controlling for things like age, race and ethnicity, region, marital status, children, occupation, industry, and hours worked, according to testimony given in April to the United States Joint Economic Committee. The conclusion? "It is reasonable to assume that this difference is the product of discrimination."

But it's slightly more complicated, I think, and it raises uncomfortable questions about the differences between men and women—whether they're socially determined or not. A couple years ago, there was another study that focused on men vs. women in negotiations; men, it showed, will take the initiative and ask for things like more money or a promotion, while women will wait to be asked.

It's hard not to look at these studies and think about anecdotal evidence from my own life. At my first job out of college, I was offered just that salary: $25,000 a year. I didn't even think about negotiating. Sure, you could argue that I wasn't exactly coming from a position of strength, as a 22-year-old college graduate with little experience who was desperate for a job. But over the years, I saw how certain people—and nearly all of them were men—were able to ask for things that I wouldn't even have thought of to ask for: Extra vacation days. Bonuses. When I was in graduate school, better teaching schedules (and better professor assignments). A few years later, I was offered another job at what I now considered a laughable salary, $35,000 a year. I countered at $65,000. We settled on $57,000, with a guaranteed raise to $60,000 after three months. And I came up with a new motto: "You don't ask, you don't get."


Read the full blog and comments here.

It's time to update the Equal Pay Act, untouched since its passage in 1963. Go here for more information and to write a letter to your Senator -- The Paycheck Fairness Act has passed the House, but is stuck in the Senate and needs your voice.

Guest Blog: A View from Detroit on the Eve of the Unveiling of the Big-3's Restructuring Plans

Editor's Note: The automakers will be handing over their restructuring plans this week, at the same time the Obama Administration has just made it clear there will be no "Car Czar." Instead, several senior administration officials will oversee the restructuring of the Big Three of the American car manufacturing industry.

This seems like a good time for a Guest Blog from someone who knows the American auto industry -- the good the bad and the ugly. Read on for an Insider's View of Detroit from hard-working friend, Grumpy Bear. I think you'll find it illuminating. And, in the interests of full disclosure, I drive a cute little 1999 Ford ZX2 Escort. Yep, it's 10 years old and going strong -- it's a great car, and never broke down until a few months ago, at the ripe out age of nine -- which it was polite enough to do in my own driveway. When I buy again, I'll be looking at Fords.

It has been with more than casual interest that I have tracked the process which Detroit’s Big-3 automakers have followed in their attempts to secure the financial means to a more stable future. Rest assured, if you were an engineer located in Detroit who worked for an organization whose balance sheet is roughly 70 percent dependent on the success or failure of these organizations, you would too. While it may seem preordained that my chosen vocation and geography would lend itself towards a bias in favor of Detroit I tend to think that I see a picture bigger than most, and most assuredly from a different perspective. The whole process of obtaining the bridge-loans brought forth a number of interesting points that, taken as a whole, seem to paint a picture within this country that from my vantage point is not very pretty.

The hearings themselves did seem a little bit like grand theater, with a DC twist. You had good-guy politicians (is that possible?) jockeying for the spotlight and in this era of "sound-bite" journalism, attempting to come across as more outraged than the next guy that anyone would dare to ask for help from the government. The scene also featured the bad guys –- the CEO’s of the Big-3. It almost appeared that they were prejudged by everyone outside of the Midwest as the source of all that is wrong with this country and emblematic of corporate America gone bad (private jets anyone?). So what did we learn from these hearings. In my case a great deal, and like many issues what you took away from these hearings sure seems to be a combination of your perspective mixed with any preconceptions that are brought to the table.

One big lesson I have taken from this entire affair is that many folks view the concept of good pay and manufacturing as an unworkable, almost undesirable, combination. I got the impression that the politicians sitting up on that bench during the hearings think you should expect low pay when you work in manufacturing. It was as if they felt that if you worked in manufacturing you must not be qualified for anything better. My best guess is that they think the preferred occupations folks in this country should aspire to are lawyers, bankers, and economists, and based on the amount of questioning the banking and financial industry received from congress prior to checks being sent in their direction, my guess may be closer than we all think.

But what is it about manufacturing in general, and it would seem the manufacturing of cars in particular (or at least American cars), that seems to bring this out in folks? Having been involved in the assembly of products for my entire professional career (I’m 44) I seem to have not gotten the word that having the skill, desire and ability to think on your feet, solve problems on a continual basis, and end the day knowing you had produced something tangible for your efforts wasn’t honorable and worthy of compensation. But I digress…

The automotive sector in this country has a long and colorful history to say the least. From innovators and inventors (think Henry ford and Thomas Edison) to the flamboyant and charismatic (think Lee Iacocca and John DeLorean) there is no shortage of characters or scoundrels. Also, the business has never been for the faint of heart what -- with the inherent long-lead times to bring product to market mixed in with the fickle nature of the buying public and overlaying government polices. For a more up close and personal feel, talk with anyone who has dealt with any of the Big-3’s purchasing agents (I don’t know how Original Equipment Manufacturer's [OEM] buyers sleep at night -- but that's another blog).

Of course, intertwined in this entire hodge-podge are the folks that actually do the heavy lifting and produce the cars that the majority of Americans still drive. Since about 1935, these folks have been represented by a union we now know as the UAW, or United Auto Workers. To say that it has been an historically love/hate relationship between the automakers and the UAW would be putting it mildly, but other industries (steel and rubber come to mind) have had their own rocky roads as the American labor movement progressed. And like these other industries, the Big-3 would often buy labor peace with lucrative agreements that made these union workers the envy of the world. Some would argue that they helped to create and then expand the middle-class. This model of ever expanding benefits worked as long as folks bought cars. However, as the only constant in this world appears to be change, even this model eventually failed.

So the world changed, and like many companies, the Big-3 tried to change with it. It did not help that their management teams were more than a little slow on the uptake. An oil embargo in the 70’s drove customers initially to smaller foreign cars; the same small foreign cars that had been languishing on dealer lots six months prior. This is a good example of the buying public voting with their wallet and asking an organization to move faster than they were capable. It was not as if the Big-3 did not have smaller cars to choose from during the embargo (think the Chevy Vega or the, in my opinion, exonerated Ford Pinto). But as can be read about in great depth from other sources, this period started a multi-year game of catch-up for the Big-3, as market share slowly fell and build quality and product design came into question. Depending on whom you ask, the Big-3 may still be playing catch-up.

So did this sudden shift towards smaller cars -- combined with other corporate faux pas, poor build quality, and a growing perception that the UAW and corporate America were out of touch -- lead to a backlash against the Big-3? Or did we have a generational event occur where folks would buy anything as long as it was not the same choice as their parents'? Perhaps the 1980’s brought on buying habits that changed as folks sought out new and different ideas, and discovered that your personal wealth might grow at a faster rate if you did not work with your hands -- other than to shuffle paper. Or perhaps since a car often represents the second-largest consumer purchase most folks make, they wanted the most perceived value for their money.

But the world kept changing and the UAW and Big-3 slowly changed with it. One must give credit where credit is due: the UAW and Big-3 have worked together, improved product design and productivity, avoided a major strike for many years (longer than some teachers' unions), and recently hammered out contracts that nearly put them on par with other non-unionized auto workers in this country (I have to wonder, though -- is it a crime to earn just a bit more than the other guy?). Today, the Big3's build quality and productivity is on par, if not better, than many overseas companies. In short the Big-3 are really back, and have gone through very painful changes in the process. But, of course, it is never enough -- and none of their detractors want to believe it or give them credit for it.

This brings us back to the hearings in DC and the almost venomous thoughts many folks seemed to have for the automotive industry. I’m not questioning folks' patriotism, or the fact that they might actually prefer to "Buy American" products when it's possible. It just seems that folks' do not want to buy American cars, come hell or high water -- to the point that people would refuse a family member’s offer to use a domestic discount plan in favor of paying sticker (or higher) for a foreign car. Some actually wished the entire industry would just go away.

From my perspective I find this whole turn of events rather disheartening. Of course, I don't have the answer. But knowing folks' perceptions about those of us in the automotive industry, even if I did have the answer I doubt it would be believed. I’m even willing to bet that folks believe and support the nuclear power industry more than the Big-3 auto and its executives -- and after Three Mile Island that is saying something.

Perhaps I do feel a bit of nostalgia for the home team; my family growing up drove American cars for as long as I can remember, and I eventually spent six years working for an OEM before I switched to working in support of them. I will be the first to say that the Big-3 have made mistakes and are more than a little difficult to work with. However I thought Americans traditionally liked to root for an underdog. Unfortunately in the case of the American auto industry, that does not appear to be the case -- and that makes me more than a little sad.


This blog has been nominated for the Bloggers' Choice '09 awards. Vote for The Zaftig Redhead!

Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Guest Blog: Gunfighter on the Israel/Hamas Conflict

You know something? Despite what I think about my broad foreign-policy experience, there is no one in the world who is looking for my advice in diplomatic matters. Now, that could be for a number of reasons, the first and foremost would probably be that I have no experience in foreign relations… I have never been trained as a diplomat, you see, so I suppose that you could (if you were an uncharitable soul) say that my opinions don't really mean much in this arena. Having said that, whether it is true or not, I still have some things to say about the things that I see happening in the world. In this case, I am talking about the current Israel/Hamas conflict.

You see, I don't need to be a diplomat, or a General, or a Senator, or an academic to get right down to the elements of what's going on there. Why not, you ask? Because it isn't very complicated… that's why not.

From where I sit, this little fracas (well, it's little if you ain't under fire) is a lot like two kids who live on the same street. One of the kids is bigger, stronger, and more capable than the other kid, who is scrappy, full of fight, and determined to be out of the other kid's shadow. This little kid demands respect, even though nobody likes him. No one likes him because he is the local criminal, thug, hooligan and all-around pain in the ass. This doesn't mean that the bigger kid is a saint… far from it, but at the end of the day, the bigger kid usually leaves people alone unless they threaten him.

Well, eventually, the smaller kid decides that he needs to get the attention of the big kid. He seems to have forgotten that the last time he made a real pest of himself; he took a good smacking…. So what does this kid go and do? He takes a sharp, pointy stick, and starts jabbing the big kid (I told you, this kid wasn't very bright). The little kid figures that the big kid will just take it, since the last time the big kid got a lot of grief for smacking the little kid around.

He was wrong.

In this instance, most of the people on the block, except for the real idiots, figured that the little kid really earned his beating this time, and while they weren't happy that the little kid was getting his a$$ kicked, they figured he had it coming, and kept silent.

The moral of this story is that smaller countries shouldn't pick on their bigger, stronger neighbors, unless you want to bring a beating (or air strikes) down on your own heads.

I'll tell you what: If I were in charge of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) in this little fracas, there wouldn't be two bricks standing in formation in Gaza. Nor would there be anyone capable of carrying an AK-47 left standing.

It's time for this crap to end.


When he isn't pontificating about world events, teaching combat firearms for a federal law enforcement agency, or cooking, Gunfighter can be found blogging about other things that he knows nothing about at Gunfighter: Life of a Modern Warrior

Alice Walker: An Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama

This letter was circulated to me via email, but I traced its origins back to The Root. This site "is a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives...[that] aims to be an unprecedented departure from traditional American journalism, raising the profile of black voices in mainstream media and engaging anyone interested in black culture around the world." A truly wonderful site to explore.

Walker's letter is a heartfelt letter from the legendary Alice Walker, and has some simple words of wisdom we'd all do well to heed in our own lives. Read on.

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

Guest Blog: Michelle Obama -- Partner in Leadership

Hello readers. Enjoy this guest blog from my friend Gunfighter. It's worth the read.

Everyone who has five spare minutes to listen to me talk, knows that I am devoted to the task of getting Barack Obama elected President of the United States. I am proud to support Senator Obama because of his clear thinking, and the sound, cogent, policies that he plans to pursue when he is elected. I am prouder still, to support Senator Obama because of his family. Yes, because of his family.

Senator Obama has a great family, and by any indication that I can use, he seems to be a great husband and a great dad... and you all know that Gunfighter is all about being the best dad in the world.... but, that's enough about Barack Obama for the moment. Where I really want to go in this post is to point out that no man is an island. This statement is particularly true if the man in question is vying for the Presidency of the United States. This is no less true of Barack Obama.... and isn't he a lucky dog to have Michelle at his side?!

Michelle Obama is a treasure. A National Treasure. She is an inspiration to people across political lines, across generational lines, and across racial lines. Michele Obama is the quintessential American woman. She has achieved great professional success on her own intellect and merit. She is a loving wife and mother, and she is a tireless campaigner for her husband.

My friends over at Momocrats, are particularly fond of Mrs Obama because she is one of them, a sister, a kindred spirit. Not only are they fond of her because of the things that she has said, and the things that she has accomplished, they also love her for recently guest posting at their blog... which, I have to say, was pretty cool.

Mrs. Obama, I salute you. As the father of two daughters, I can't tell you how pleased I am that you, and other women like you (and Mrs. Gunfighter, and all of the other strong, intelligent and accomplished ladies that I am privileged to know) are there as great examples and role models to the young women of our country, not because of the men that you graced with your partnership in marriage, but in your own right. I am also pleased that you are there at Barack's side during this long campaign. I know that both you will continue to be assets to each other, to your children, and to our entire country.

GF

Arte y Pico Award for The Zaftig Redhead

At the end of September, The Zaftig Redhead was honored, flattered, and thrilled to receive the Arte y Pico Award for my humble blogging efforts. The award was bestowed by my blogging mentor, Gunfighter -- he'll be surprised to hear me call him that, but it's true. GF, as he is affectionately referred to, is the brains behind the blog Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life. He has been wonderfully encouraging to me in this blogging adventure, and I can't thank him enough -- not only for the personal support but also for his efforts to help me spread the word about The Zaftig Redhead. This award is just one example of that support.

What is the award about? It's perhaps best explained by looking at the meaning of the expression Arte y Pico. According to the Arte y Pico website, which started all the mutual blogger love through this award, "basically, ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, 'lo maximo.' It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, 'Wow. The Best Art. Over the top.'"

In passing the award along to me, which GF himself has received, Gunfighter wrote: "The Zaftig Redhead is a resident of our nation’s Capital and writes about politics and public policy. Although her blog is fairly new, ZR (as I call her) has jumped right into the fray with both barrels blazing. She is super busy because of the political campaigns, but she has promised that she will continue our interview when it is all said and done." Thanks, GF, and we will do that interview -- I promise!

The rules of the Arte y Pico Award are as follows:

1. You have to pick five blogs that you consider deserve this award in terms of creativity, design, interesting material, and general contributions to the blogger community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each winner has to show the award and give the name and link to the blog that has given him or her the award itself.

4. Each winner and each giver of the prize has to show the link of Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. To show these rules.

Now, by the power vested in me, it is my turn to share the blog love. I hereby happily designate the following 5 blogs (in no particular order) as Arte y pico winners:

The Political Voices of Women, a great community of more than 500 women's political bloggers, organized by Catherine Morgan. According to Morgan, "This is a blog answering the question, 'Where are all the women political bloggers?' The answer is ... They are here. It began simply as my response to a New York Times article on the lack of women political bloggers. What started as a list of 100 women bloggers grew to 200 (and now over 500), and then I decided to take a leap of faith and start a blog as a spin-off to the list. Now the blog and the list have taken on a life of their own, and each day they are growing and changing, mostly due to contributions of other women bloggers." I'm proud to have my blog on this list.

Contrarienne, the blog by fellow Washingtonian and former reporter JulieMac, is always a fun read, with straight news and quirky tidbits too. The blog is a "diary of random thoughts about found, shiny objects from the intertubes." The Contrarienne herself is "A woman 'of a certain age' with a certain attitude [who] writes for others of similar persuasion. Men allowed."

The Feminist Law Professors blog is a great resource on legal issues affecting women and families. While the goal of the blog is to build a stronger feminist law professor community across scholarly subject areas, it's a great resource for anyone with a progressive bent -- lawyer or not. It's written by a professors from across the country, too, which means you never know what topic will be next. The blog also proves something I have know all along: feminists DO have a sense of humor, dammit!

The HeartFeldt Politics blog, written by noted feminist Gloria Feldt, is a great read and a great resource. An author, and also the former president of Planned Parenthood, Feldt is connected to the inner circles but makes the world accessible. She has a great love for grassroots, community organizing, and that in and of itself makes her worthy of the award.

And the fifth blog upon which I'm bestowing the Arte y Pico Award is... up to you, my readers. What blog do you love? Share them with me, either by email or by commenting below, and help me complete my list... I simply could not settle on my final entry. And thanks again, Gunfighter. You're the best.


Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

The Gibberish Decoded: Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart

I got this little ditty from Penny Ronning's Blog via the Political Voices of Women Community site, where I sometimes cross-post my blogs. As you can see, it was too good not to pass along. Enjoy!

The Conservative Palinguage Guide, Vol. 1

I found this article on That Minority Thing, and it gives a wonderfully fresh perspective on the whole "Palin Effect," not to mention an intelligent way to reframe the crap the McCain spinmeisters are trying to sell us. Does anyone else find it ironic that the Maverick is now afraid to campaign on his own, because he can't draw the kinds of crowds his running mate inspires? Serves him right for mocking Barack Obama's "rock star" appeal. Anyway, read this thought-provoking list for yourself, and let me know what you think.


If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “token hire.”

If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”


If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you’re a “baby daddy.”

If you’re the same in Alaska you’re a “teen father.” (Actually, according to your own MySpace page you’re an F’n redneck that don’t want any kids, but that’s too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to take out of context and flog morning noon and night).


Black teen pregnancies? A “crisis” in black America.

White teen pregnancies? A “blessed event.”


If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.”

Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re the quintessential “American story.”


Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.”

Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”


If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fulling vetting the individual you’re “reckless.”

A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”


If you say that for the “first time in my adult lifetime I’m really proud of my country” it makes you “unfit” to be First Lady.

If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that advocates secession that makes you “First Dude.”


A DUI from twenty years ago is “old news.”

A speech given without proper citation from twenty years ago is “relevant information.”


And, finally, if you’re a man and you decide to run for office despite your wife’s reoccurrence of cancer you’re a “questionable spouse.”

If you’re a woman and you decide to run for office despite having five kids including a newborn with Downs Syndrome… Well, we don’t know what that is ‘cause THAT’S NOT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK!


There are even more examples of the hypocritical spin into which this presidential campaign has suddenly devolved. Visit That Minority Thing for Vol. 2, which includes some insightful reader comments that make great food for thought.

An Open Letter from Someone Who Knows Gov. Sarah Palin

This letter from Wasilla, AK resident Anne Kilkenny is making the rounds, and I thought I would post it here as well for your reading pleasure. I found it on the blog Mudflats: Tiptoeing through the Muck of Alaskan Politics, but its also been posted on The Nation and other sites. The validity of the Kilkenny letter was also confirmed by the blog Fairly Conservative, which had at first claimed it was a fake. The letter is a compelling read, for anyone who wants to know about the woman who could be president.


I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.

She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.

Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.

Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.

She’s smart.

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a
regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.

These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.

In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.

She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the
Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).

As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a
gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).

As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.

As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant
she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.

She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.

Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.

As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.

Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s
lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.

McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.

There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.

However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.

CLAIM VS FACT
•“Hockey mom”: true for a few years
•“PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
•“NRA supporter”: absolutely true
•social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
•pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
•“Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation
•“Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
•political maverick: not at all
•gutsy: absolutely!
•open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
•has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
•”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
•fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
•pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
•pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
•pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
•pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.

WHY AM I WRITING THIS?

First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.

Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.

Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.

Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.

Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.

CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are
swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.

You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000″, up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.

Anne Kilkenny

McCainCare: Bad Medicine for Consumers and an Ailing Economy

Last week was "Cover the Uninsured Week." Ironically enough, presidential wannabe John McCain spent the week pushing his new health care plan -- a plan that would actually make it harder to get health insurance. Go, Maverick!

Enjoy this guest blog on the topic, written by my learned friend Hygeia, the Goddess of Health.

McCain’s health care plan is a disaster waiting to happen. It would not only hurt America’s working families, but also would lead to huge cuts in critical employer-based health benefits -- benefits workers have earned and count on to make ends meet. McCainCare is a lethal combination of bad policies and poor judgment, highlighting a stunning lack of comprehension about how to solve our nation’s health care crisis. This is truly alarming coming from a man who wants the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Right out of the box, McCainCare fails the litmus test for any serious health care reform proposal: a central focus on strategies that improve the health of the American people -- not just shortsighted strategies aimed at only cutting costs. Let’s look at why this matters.

Chronic diseases -- such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and arthritis -- affect the quality of life for 133 million Americans. These chronic diseases are responsible for seven out of every ten deaths in the U.S., killing more than 1.7 million Americans every year. Chronic diseases are also the primary driver of our nation’s health care costs, accounting for more than 75 cents of every health care dollar (as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2005); this amounted to a staggering $1.5 trillion of the $2 trillion spent on health care. The good news is that these diseases are also among the most preventable.

It is important to realize that improving health requires a broad perspective that also includes the environments in which people work, live and play. A person’s health is a result of both individual actions and the context or environment within which those actions are taken. Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, achieving optimal weight, and avoiding tobacco use can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. We also can avoid or reduce the costs associated with these preventable conditions by offering coverage for—and promoting the use of—clinical preventive services including immunizations, screening for chronic diseases, and providing behavioral counseling. These services can help the public prevent and detect diseases when they are the most treatable and least expensive.

However, McCain’s plan overemphasizes actions that individuals can take -- also known as “personal responsibility.” While Americans should be personally responsible for the choices they make, policy makers also must support prevention programs that foster healthy behaviors. For instance, people can’t eat nutritious foods if they don’t have access to grocery stores that offer fresh fruits and vegetables; and people won’t exercise if the communities in which they live aren’t safe or don’t have connecting streets and sidewalks.

What’s also at issue in McCain’s plan is who’s paying for health care in this country. Under his plan --We the People – are going to be paying even more for our health care. According to a recent report from the Commonwealth Foundation, U.S. consumers already spend $45 billion a year on health care and insurance. We are increasingly footing the bill for health care because employers are failing to provide full-time workers with health insurance.

McCainCare would all but ensure the further erosion of employer-sponsored health coverage by offering consumers ridiculously small tax credits ($2500 for individuals and $5000 for families) to off-set the cost of buying health insurance. These tax credits don’t come close to matching the $11,000 year (average cost) most employers spend on an employee’s health insurance policy. Employers have been trying to find a way out of paying for employee health care expenses, and McCain just gave them a great exit strategy. Most experts agree that employers will use the tax credits provided to working families as an excuse to drop worker health insurance coverage altogether – and it’s workers who will pay.

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to understand what this mockery of a health care plan will do to our country. As employer-sponsored health insurance becomes a distant memory, corporate America will get rich and the cost burden will increase on taxpayers, public health insurance programs, and workers themselves. As far as I’m concerned, McCain’s already failed a critical test of any presidential candidate – caring more for the nation’s people than for business’s bottom line.

Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.