HHS awards $40 million to boost public health infrastructure, prepare tomorrow’s public health workforce

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today over $40 million in grant funding, partly supported by the Affordable Care Act, to state, tribal, local and territorial health departments and several schools of public health to enhance the nation’s public health infrastructure and strengthen the public health workforce. Awarded in nearly every state, this funding will improve the delivery of necessary public health services in communities, cities and states across the country.

“These funds will help health departments around the country maximize the impact of the essential services they provide every day, and build the public health workforce to ensure we’re ready to meet the public health challenges of tomorrow,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Strengthening our nation’s public health system is critical to protecting the health of all Americans.”

The grants will fund key state and local public health programs supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Most of these grant dollars come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. Additional HRSA dollars supplement this investment.

This is the second year of CDC’s 5-year program known as the National Public Health Improvement Initiative (NPHII) Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure for Improved Health Outcomes grant program. Over 100 people have already been hired through the NPHII and an additional 116 positions are expected to be filled through today’s awards.

The NPHII funding allows health departments to improve the delivery and impact of the public health services they provide by improving how they track the performance of their programs; fostering the identification, dissemination and adoption of public health’s best and most promising practices; building a network of performance improvement managers across the country that share strategies for improving the public health system; and maximizing cohesion across states’ and communities’ public health systems to ensure seamless and coordinated services for residents.

“A strong, efficient, and effective public health system is critical for building a healthy society,” said CDC Director, Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Investing in preventive services, system improvement and comprehensive interventions is essential to reducing the burden of health care costs in the future.”

Today’s awards will also support 10 Public Health Training Centers at accredited schools of public health and other public or non-profit institutions, bringing the total number of Public Health Training Centers to 37 across the country. HRSA’s Public Health Training Center (PHTC) Program provides our nation’s public health workforce education and training in areas such as environmental health, public health leadership, nutrition, and cultural competency. This expanded national educational network will provide highly-skilled training to nearly 500,000 public health and related healthcare practitioners.

“In a challenging economy, public health training and education are vital in our efforts to ensure access to affordable, high-quality health care,” said Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., HRSA administrator. “These grants provide learning opportunities that enhance technical, scientific, managerial, and leadership skills of public health workers, and help build a strong, well-rounded public health workforce for the future.”

Today’s announcement is another part of the Obama Administration’s broader effort to improve the health and well-being of our communities through initiatives such as the President’s Childhood Obesity Task Force, the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, the National Quality Strategy, and the National Prevention Strategy.

For a full list of grantees, please visit: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/08/state_workforce_grants.html

For more information on CDC’s National Public Health Improvement Initiative (NPHII), please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ostlts/nphii

For more information on HRSA’s Public Health Training Center (PHTC) Program, please visit: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/grants/publichealth/index.html

Victory! Santos Castaneda Rehired with Your Support

 

Victory!

Thanks to your support Santos Castaneda, the warehouse worker who was fired by Walmart subcontractor NFI Industries for speaking out about workplace conditions, has been rehired by the company and will return to work at the same rate of pay.

There is no question that the online efforts supporting Mr. Castaneda paid off, in no small part as a result of the actions of those of us who believe that all workers across Walmart’s supply should work under safe conditions at jobs that support healthy families and growing communities.

We will continue to keep you informed about how Walmart impacts all workers, not just those who work in its stores but across the whole spectrum of retail and manufacturing. Together, we are Making Change at Walmart.

In Solidarity,

 

Daniel Schlademan

Director, Making Change at Walmart

Is Tim Scott afraid to talk to you about jobs?

If Congress were listening, they'd be focused on jobs, not cuts.

Help us get their attention: Sign up to deliver stories from the unemployed before labor Day.

Summer recess is supposed to be when members of Congress return home and listen to their constituents.

If they were listening, they'd hear that we need jobs - not cuts. Poll after poll shows that Americans think job creation should be the #1 priority of our leaders.¹ And in the last few weeks alone, we've gathered over 1,000 stories from unemployed and underemployed Americans.

But Washington ISN'T listening. Most members of Congress are fixated on cutting spending, instead of investing in jobs. And to make matters worse, all across the country, Republican members of Congress are trying to avoid town hall meetings and open events where they have to face criticism and change their agenda.

Most Members of Congress are home in their districts until September 6th. That leaves us just one week to deliver the stories of USAction/TrueMajority members hit hard by the Great Recession, and shift the debate to job creation. Will you sign up to deliver this critical message for your district?

Just click here to get started.

That Congress wants to cut spending and lay off workers at a time when we need jobs is bad enough. But the cowardice of House Republicans who are avoiding their constituents is even worse: We've heard of Representatives blacklisting event attendees who ask tough questions, calling the police on people who try and take pictures or video at events, charging for admission to a town hall, or just plain not holding open meetings.²

Members of Congress must hear the stories from the front lines of the Great Recession. We need to remind them that they work for the people, not the corporate special interests. And the people want JOBS - NOT CUTS.

Click here to find a town hall event near you, or start one, and send Congress back to work with their ears ringing with the call for JOBS!

Sincerely,

David Elliot
USAction / TrueMajority
1 - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/opinion/sunday/kristof-did-we-drop-the-ball-on-unemployment.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
2 - http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/democracy-on-their-terms-republicans-lock-down-town-halls-to-stifle-critics.php

We Need 1000 Signatures To Help Walmart Supply Worker To Get Job Back

“I was fired moments after speaking out at a rally urging NFI Industries to correct workplace abuses,” said Santos Castaneda, a 24-year old Salvadoran man who has worked for the firm for three years.“I was fired because I left flyers promoting a safe workplace in the break room.”

Join us and Warehouse Workers United in calling for Santos Castaneda’s to be reinstated.

NFI Industries is a logistics company that provides shipping services to Walmart stores. According to a complaint that workers filed with the state Occupational Health and Safety Administration, NFI failed to provide workers industrial truck operator training, exposed workers to dust, fumes, chemical vapors and gasses, made employees work in poorly lit conditions or sometimes in the dark, and failed to provide hand protection when workers handled equipment that presents dangers including punctures, cuts and burns.

Castaneda has been an outspoken voice in his workplace, calling for better working conditions and has taken the lead in filing an OSHA complaint against the Walmart supplier.

Making Change at Walmart believes that all workers across Walmart’s supply chain should work under safe conditions at jobs that support healthy families and growing communities. This includes not only the Walmart Associates at retail stores, but also those who work for producers, suppliers, and shippers. 

Join us in demanding the rehiring of Santos Castaneda.

In Solidarity,

Dan Schlademan

Director, Making Change at Walmart 

Registered Republicans Should Be Denied Public Assistance

This is my opinion and my opinion alone.

It seems the latest fad is to jump on those who desperately need help supporting their families. Those people depend on public assistance to get be in tough times. Food stamps, welfare, Medicaid.

So, if Republican efforts lead to drug tests for those applying for public assistance, then let's do one better.

I know the system can be scammed. There are a few who get benefits who don't use them for what they are intended for. Many examples are out there, but if Republicans do not want to streamline the system, only weed out people then let's help them further.

I propose denying public assistance to registered Republicans. Force them to show their voter registration in the application process. Then, my friends, we'll see how many Republicans continually need public assistance when out in public they mock, ridicule and demoralize those who obtain it.

Republicans don't need it, right? So, let's slim the public roll and eliminate those who don't need it.

The GOP gets off lightly when they cut public assistance for those in need. Let's start holding them accountable and prove once and for all to the rich that even their supporters use government assistance.

Tim Scott, Nikki Haley Pal It Up With Politicians, Ignore Their Jobs

I guess you people who voted for Timothy Scott and Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley expected better?

Well, you didn't get it. But who cares, right? Doing the job of representing the people's interests pales in comparison to working up donations for political candidates - as well as for yourself. Much better than slumming it with workers, let's say, in Georgetown who have repeatedly asked and begged for port improvements.

 “All of us in Washington, D.C., are extremely proud of you for choosing the right man to send from Charleston up to Washington. We love Tim Scott!” Michele Bachmann declared here Thursday night, standing with Scott in an auditorium in front of a backdrop featuring his visage and an image of the White House.

Both Scott and Haley drum up support for a right-wing wacko. They excuse themselves from doing their job and still use taxpayer dollars in spite of us all.

He wasn't chosen, Michele. Big business money sent him there. As it did you.

And what all three count on the most, not your vote. 

Nikki Haley wants you to delete this email

Last fall, when Nikki Haley was elected governor and Republicans increased their huge majorities in the South Carolina legislature, we knew things could get ugly. But "ugly" is a polite word for what we've seen. 

South Carolina Republicans have gone on a right-wing binge, with a Jim Crow-style voter suppression law and budget cuts that are pushing us toward a double-dip recession. And Republicans are pushing the same far-right agenda in state capitols across the country.¹

The scariest part is, these right-wing extremists are pushing for even more. In states across the country, Republicans are calling "special sessions" to ram through even deeper budget cuts and partisan redistricting maps that will lock in GOP dominance for years to come.²

With so much at stake, we've launched a major effort to bring MoveOn's grassroots muscle and Internet organizing to state capitols all across the country. 

This is one of the biggest expansions we've ever taken on. Can you help give us the ongoing resources we need by making a donation of $10 per month? It's easy, and you can cancel at any time.

Yes, I can give $10 a month to fight Nikki Haley

Sorry, I can't

To take on so many battles at once, we've launched an innovative new online organizing platform called SignOn.org. SignOn brings MoveOn's grassroots muscle and Internet organizing know-how to the state level. And since local officials are so much closer to the people than Congress, grassroots campaigning can have an even bigger impact.

Here's a bit about how it works: 

• SignOn gives local progressives free access to the basic tools to run their own MoveOn-style actions—including great online petitions, email alerts, savvy media campaigns, and more.
• MoveOn staff provide expert advice on how to leverage the Internet for the most grassroots power—expertise a lot of local groups really appreciate.
• MoveOn sends emails about the most urgent campaigns to our list of 5 million members, giving local campaigns a boost of grassroots support they couldn't get anywhere else.

The tea party Republicans have already done enormous damage, and public opinion is turning against them. But with more than a year till the next election, we need to redouble our efforts to stop the next wave of budget cuts and far-right social policies.

It's only with the support of our members that we can take on such an ambitious project. Can you commit to kick in $10? Click here to donate:

Yes, I can give $10 a month to fight Nikki Haley

Sorry, I can't

Thanks for all you do.

–Steven, Michael, Adam Q., Elena, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1.  "State Budget Cuts in the New Fiscal Year Are Unnecessarily Harmful," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, July 28, 2011 
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3550

"2011 Mid-Year Legislative Wrap Up," Center for Reproductive Rights, August 10, 2011 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=263201&id=30285-18597597-nj6ca6x&t=6 [PDF] 

"Category Archive: Copy Cat Legislation," Immigration Impact, accessed August 19, 2011 
http://immigrationimpact.com/category/copy-cat-legislation/

"PSN 2011 Workers Rights Roundup: States Fight Back Against Unprecedented Attacks On Workers," Progressive States Network, August 18, 2011 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=263203&id=30285-18597597-nj6ca6x&t=7

2. "The GOP Redistricting Advantage," National Journal, June 22, 2011 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=263375&id=30285-18597597-nj6ca6x&t=8

SC Senate Democratic Caucus Files Objection to Voter ID Law with Dept. of Justice

Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus has formally objected with the US Department of Justice to South Carolina’s newly enacted Voter ID law. The objection, offered by Senator Gerald Malloy on behalf of the Caucus today, explains the South Carolina Voter ID is the most restrictive in the country and that it was introduced and passed by the Republican leadership only after the 2008 election where African-American voters voted in the same percentages as white voters for the first time ever.

“The new Voter ID law discriminates against many voters in South Carolina, and it violates the Voting Rights Act because it disproportionately targets and affects African-American voters. We respectfully ask the Attorney General to object to this voter suppression law,” said Senator Malloy.

In particular, the new burdens include a requirement that the photo ID is “valid and current”, which is affected by unrelated circumstances such as suspensions of a voter's driver's license. Voters who have simply failed to pay traffic fines or lost their insurance can be prohibited from voting under the new law because of a suspended license.

“These are legitimate reasons for the United States Attorney General to object to this law. It discriminates and undermines the precious liberty each citizen has, the right to vote. The Voter ID law sets South Carolina on the path to return to the ugly days of playing politics with our basic freedoms, and it should be stopped,” said Senate Democratic Leader John C. Land, III.

The deadline for Department of Justice’s decision on the Voter ID law is Monday August 29.

SC Forward Progress: The Bachmann Evolution Challenge

Support Paid Sick Days for Parents of Sick Children

We hope you are enjoying your last few weeks of summer. President Obama and Congress will be heading back to Washington DC in a few weeks and will resume working on the federal budget. Every Child Matters will keep you informed as they begin the hard work of determining the budget for children’s education and health programs this fall as well as make significant long-term changes to the budget as part of the deal to increase the debt ceiling made earlier this month.

Beyond protecting proven children’s programs from reckless cuts, there is plenty more Congress can do to benefit working families with children during these challenging economic times. Our friends at the National Partnership for Women and Families are leading the fight for the Healthy Families Act and raising awareness about the need for a common sense paid sick days standard in this country — building on laws enacted in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and the state of Connecticut.

Nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults say they have lost a job or been threatened with job loss because they had to stay home sick or care for a sick child or family member.   This explains why parents without paid sick days are more than twice as likely as parents with paid sick days to send a sick child to school or day care, where many will likely get sicker and spread contagious illnesses to the school community.

So this back-to-school season, we urge you to contact your elected officials and talk to other parents, teachers and school nurses in your community about the need for paid sick days.

The Partnership has put together a helpful back-to-school toolkit for you. Take a look, take action, and then speak out in your community.

We hope you enjoy your remaining days of summer

Michael Petit
President
Every Child Matters Education Fund

Boeing Receives $900 Million In Tax Breaks? Do You?

I wonder whether people ought to know what $900 million could do for a state that has a goofy governor telling people DOT is broke and it needs a cash reserve. Hmm?

So, like Amazon, we will sell our state's soul to get a company here. Why? Because merit and integrity alone can't do it. It's proven. Amazon was going to pack its bags and leave if it didn't tax breaks. Crybabies.

The fight is ostensibly over the NLRB's bid to prevent Boeing from opening a jet-manufacturing plant in South Carolina. But GOP lawmakers are portraying it as Exhibit A in their case against President Barack Obama's alleged regulatory overreach.

The dispute began in April when NLRB acting general counsel Lafe Solomon said there was potential merit in a complaint by Boeing's main union that the aerospace giant built the North Charleston, S.C., factory in retaliation for past strikes at its large plant in Everett, Wash., near Seattle.

Boeing says it decided to make 787 Dreamliner planes in South Carolina, a right-to-work state, because of legally protected business factors.

Among the factors Boeing cites are the South Carolina state government's granting of $900 million in tax breaks, and concerns over delays in completing deliveries to airlines around the world that have ordered more than 800 of the next-generation aircraft.

As if they needed those breaks. Or, maybe they do?

The Boeing Co.'s profits and sales both slid nearly 10 percent in the third quarter due mainly to nine fewer commercial jet deliveries in the period.

The company today reported profits of $364 million, or $1.07 per share, down from $401 million, or $1.17 per share in the third quarter of last year.

It was the lowest quarterly profit since the first three months of 1991 when earnings totaled $309 million, or 90 cents a share.

Aw, only $364 million. We need the government to help us.

I thought Republicans were against government help?

S.C. Dems Run From Principle, Become Republican Lite

This isn't surprising. In an effort to respond to South Carolina's GOP Chair Chad Connelly, Dems leader Dick Harpootlian pretty much sold the Party's principles down the road.

While I personally disagree with the NLRB’s position on Boeing, it is wrong to ask President Obama to intervene with an independent government agency. It would be like asking Haley to intervene with DHEC or meddling in a Supreme Court case.

The first comment is a shot in the foot. Personally, Dick, you are the chairman. You speak for the whole. What you did is this: Psst... I don't support the NLRB's investigation, but let me throw this out to divert.

Yeah, that comment proves we still suck up to the conservative base here in the state. We find it oh so hard to defend any principles our Party stands for.

Let me say something on it.

To throw the NLRB under the bus with this "personally speaking" jargon gives Republicans even more ammunition to say the Dems stand for nothing. Hey, look... even the state chair "personally" thinks NLRB has the wrong stance.

So, what do voters see? Republican Lite.

Bottle it and ship it, folks. I guess "winning on your knees, lips puckered" is the new motto.

...

I won't buy it.

GOP Price Tag

South Carolina Dems Unleash On Republicans

Scgop Apps

Solidarity and Progress with Verizon Workers

Today, 45,000 Verizon workers marched into work together unified as one with their brothers and sisters and community supporters. Our collective fight for the American Dream continues.


Send these workers a message of solidarity today:
www.cwa-union.org/verizonsolidarity

Our work is far from complete. Our strike objective from the beginning was a real collective bargaining process. Your support was essential to creating that opportunity. Now begins the hard work of negotiating a fair contract.

Too many Americans don’t have the opportunity to bargain. Collective bargaining in the private sector is at historic lows, far lower than other developed countries. As these rights have slipped away, American workers’ wages have stagnated. And without rising purchasing power for American workers, our economy has stagnated.

If wealthy corporations like Verizon continue to outsource jobs and hold down worker wages, there is no hope for an economic recovery. This is why our fight is your fight and why your support is so important.

Sign our solidarity message to Verizon workers today, and we’ll deliver your comments to them.

www.cwa-union.org/verizonsolidarity

Your support for our CWA and IBEW members was overwhelming. It’s what powered the picket lines, strengthened our show of solidarity, and boosted our case for a fair bargaining process. When our movement speaks out as one, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. But this is not the time to let up. Even with our contract back in force and bargaining beginning anew, Verizon workers are counting on all of us to stand up for middle-class jobs.

Show Verizon workers that you aren’t backing down by sending them a note today.

www.cwa-union.org/verizonsolidarity


In unity,

Larry Cohen
President

Affordable Care Act initiative to lower costs, help doctors and hospitals coordinate care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a new initiative to help improve care for patients while they are in the hospital and after they are discharged. Doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers can now apply to participate in a new program known as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative (Bundled Payments initiative). Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, it will align payments for services delivered across an episode of care, such as heart bypass or hip replacement, rather than paying for services separately.  Bundled payments will give doctors and hospitals new incentives to coordinate care, improve the quality of care and save money for Medicare.

“Patients don’t get care from just one person – it takes a team, and this initiative will help ensure the team is working together,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “The Bundled Payments initiative will encourage doctors, nurses and specialists to coordinate care. It is a key part of our efforts to give patients better health, better care, and lower costs.”

In Medicare currently, hospitals, physicians and other clinicians who provide care for beneficiaries bill and are paid separately for their services.  This Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative will bundle care for a package of services patients receive to treat a specific medical condition during a single hospital stay and/or recovery from that stay – this is known as an episode of care.  By bundling payment across providers for multiple services, providers will have a greater incentive to coordinate and ensure continuity of care across settings, resulting in better care for patients.  Better coordinated care can reduce unnecessary duplication of services, reduce preventable medical errors, help patients heal without harm, and lower costs.

The Bundled Payments initiative is being launched by the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center), which was created by the Affordable Care Act to carry out the critical task of finding new and better ways to provide and pay for health care to a growing population of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Released today, the Innovation Center’s Request for Applications (RFA) outlines four broad approaches to bundled payments.  Providers will have flexibility to determine which episodes of care and which services will be bundled together.  By giving providers the flexibility to determine which model of bundled payments works best for them, it will be easier for providers of different sizes and readiness to participate in this initiative.

“This Bundled Payment initiative responds to the overwhelming calls from the hospital and physician communities for a flexible approach to patient care improvement,” said CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D.  “All around the country, many of the leading health care institutions have already implemented these kinds of projects and seen positive results.”

The Bundled Payments initiative is based on research and previous demonstration projects that suggest this approach has tremendous potential. For example, a Medicare heart bypass surgery bundled payment demonstration saved the program $42.3 million, or roughly 10 percent of expected costs, and saved patients $7.9 million in coinsurance while improving care and lowering hospital mortality.

“From a patient perspective, bundled payments make sense.  You want your doctors to collaborate more closely with your physical therapist, your pharmacist and your family caregivers.  But that sort of common sense practice is hard to achieve without a payment system that supports coordination over fragmentation and fosters the kinds of relationships we expect our health care providers to have,” said Dr. Berwick.

Organizations interested in applying to the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) no later than September 22, 2011 for Model 1 and November 4, 2011 for Models 2, 3, and 4. For more information about the various models and the initiative itself, please see the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative web site at:
http://www.innovations.cms.gov/areas-of-focus/patient-care-models/bundled-payments-for-care-improvement.html.

To view a factsheet on the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative visit http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/bundling08232011a.html

Interested parties may obtain answers to specific questions by e-mailing CMS at: BundledPayments@cms.hhs.gov.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Obama Administration to improve health, improve care, and lower costs. A brief summary of other efforts, including those authorized by the Affordable Care Act, can be found at: www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/deliverysystem07272011a.html

For more information about the CMS Innovation Center, please visit: http://www.innovations.cms.gov.

Still Silent: Values Mean Nothing To Republicans!

In a third attempt to get any acknowledgment, I am sharing this in hopes of just one out the three Republicans mentioned will come out and support these values. Haley? Scott? DeMint?

• We stand for integrity in word and deed, holding our elected leaders accountable and advocating prophetically for what’s right. We do not tolerate the abuse of faith to score political points or using lies and smears to promote an ideological agenda.
• We believe the moral measure of America is judged by how those who have the least are treated, not Wall Street profits. It is not compassionate or responsible to expect wealth to “trickle down” while children go hungry and parents can’t pay their medical bills. The wealthiest should pay their fair share before struggling families are asked to sacrifice even more.
• We believe we’re all in this together, and that real leaders put the common good ahead of self-interest. Our communities and nation are strongest when we keep our promises to seniors, protect safety nets that save lives and create jobs that honor the dignity of work.

Maybe DeMint could discuss these values at his Labor Day "forum" - when he's not busy lying. How about it, Timmy? You down with these values? Nikki, you think these values are in common with the people who elected you?

The silence is deafening.

Jim DeMint Knows Nothing About Labor Day

So, it appears the king teabagger is having a Labor Day "forum" here in South Carolina.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain of Atlanta, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will appear at U.S. Jim DeMint’s Labor Day forum in Columbia for GOP presidential candidates.

But this forum is not meant to further workers' rights, produce jobs or help gain better benefits. No, it's about getting more donations for the already rich GOP presidential contenders. 

 

“Hopefully, this event will be an important part of the process to choose the next president of the United States,” said DeMint, a Tea Party favorite.

That's right. No mention of what Labor Day really stands for. Just another pathetic attempt to get the GOP masses together in order to shell out for the rich.

 

DeMint knows nothing about labor or Labor Day. 

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. 

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Is Barber The Only Dem On City Council To Support The Georgetown Port?

Seems so.

Georgetown City Council passed a proposal to piggyback onto yet another "study" to see what is causing our dismal growth rate. The cost? About $10,000.

Councilman Brendon Barber had another idea.

“Mayor, can I save the tax payers $10,000?” Barber asked. He pointed out that Georgetown has had studies done in the past and a simple look at Charleston and Savannah shows that Georgetown’s potential for future growth lies in the harbor. “So goes the port, so goes Georgetown,” Barber said. “We need to revitalize the port. I think we can do something else with that $10,000.”

What's more surprising is no other Dem spoke up for the port. If so, they sure aren't getting heard. Maybe one of them may read this and send me a statement - saying they will work their ass off to get the port revitalized.

Don't hold your breath, though.

Republicans Say Poor Kids Don't Have Enough Pain

Republicans Excuse Themselves On South Carolina's Jobless Rate

To hear and see Republicans in South Carolina tell it, it's all President Obama's fault.

South Carolina’s jobless rate jumped to 10.9 percent in July, up nearly half a percentage point over June and the highest it has been all year.

But if you’re jobless, particularly for the long-term jobless, the rate is 100 percent and holding — and people are frustrated.

“People around here, they’re struggling. People are stealing the manhole covers — it’s just that bad around here now,” said Purvis Richardson, 43, of Orangeburg, leaving the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce office here Friday afternoon with an updated resume in his hand. 

Comments on this story point blame towards Obama, leaving the Republican Regime of this state to be excused from any responsibility.

Allow me to stick it to them, since many Dems are afraid to piss them off.

A GOP sweep took place in 2010, right? There's NO Dem in statewide office. Story after story, we read about these "famous" GOP politicos who put them there, cashing in on the fad. However, when it comes to pure legislation, where the hell are the jobs?

Why are we seeing 10.9 percent in a state that repeatedly brags about being nonunion? You'd think companies would just rush here to put people to work for $4.00 an hour and no benefits. Right?

Well, how about the huge cuts to education. Since Republicans are wanting us to revert back to fielding crops rather than opening books, those people would now have time to work as well. No need for schooling, right?

Oh, and let's address the issue of "lazy people refusing to work" that's been trumpeted by lazy Republicans. Personally speaking, I know of a person who lives around me who wears a Fox News shirt daily, won't work and constantly hobbles around the neighborhood. So, give that shit a rest. People do want to work and, if they have any esteem or self respect, feel bad about NOT WORKING.

Unlike other municipalities in South Carolina, Miller said the city of Orangeburg has had no furloughs or job cuts as a result of the bad economy. He said the city has cut no services to residents, and this year even gave city employees their first raise in three years, as a result of cutting spending.

And Miller and Robinson said the county expects to make new job announcements totaling several hundred positions within two weeks.

But that is not likely to make enough of a dent. Even those fortunate enough to be working know someone who isn’t and the frustration between the difficulties associated with unemployment compensation and the lack of new jobs is growing.

“I have one friend who says he basically can’t live off of it,” said Al Brown, 38, a county resident who works for a heating and air-conditioning company. “My friend says they only want to give him so much a week in benefits, and he has to fight for that. He has a little child to take care of and things just are not working out for him.”

Yes, people independently fight for livable wages and benefits because of Republican policy, not Obama's.  But I guess people like begging for scraps. They vote Republican, right? How the hell did these jerks win? Fraud?

Oh, wait...

Republicans are fixing that, too. And they blame Obama, also.

USW: The Fighting Spirit

DeMint, Haley and Scott silent on supporting 'values'

I have repeatedly asked Senator Jim DeMint, Representative Tim Scott and Governor Nikki Haley whether or not they'd support these values below. As of today, no response. Typical.

• We stand for integrity in word and deed, holding our elected leaders accountable and advocating prophetically for what’s right. We do not tolerate the abuse of faith to score political points or using lies and smears to promote an ideological agenda.
• We believe the moral measure of America is judged by how those who have the least are treated, not Wall Street profits. It is not compassionate or responsible to expect wealth to “trickle down” while children go hungry and parents can’t pay their medical bills. The wealthiest should pay their fair share before struggling families are asked to sacrifice even more.
• We believe we’re all in this together, and that real leaders put the common good ahead of self-interest. Our communities and nation are strongest when we keep our promises to seniors, protect safety nets that save lives and create jobs that honor the dignity of work.

Gov. Perry, Don't Mess With South Carolina

Noble Calls on Perry to Apologize for ‘Unacceptable’ Attack on South Carolina Native Son Bernanke

In response to Texas Governor Rick Perry’s continuing suggestions that South Carolina born-and-bred Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke is not acting with America’s best interests at heart, SC New Democrats president Phil Noble is calling on the GOP front-runner to apologize.

“In the last few days,” Noble said, “Rick Perry has called our native son Ben Bernanke ‘treacherous’ and ‘treasonous’ and has questioned what his ‘true goal is for the United States.’ Somebody needs to tell Mr. Perry that we don’t talk that way about central bankers here in the South Carolina, and we certainly don’t talk that way about central bankers who happen to be Jewish.” 

Noble continued, “The stereotype of the ‘treacherous” or ‘treasonous’ Jewish banker is one of the most poisonous slurs in all of recent Western history. And whether Rick Perry is exploiting this anti-Semitic stereotype today out of true malice or simple ignorance of that long and tragic history doesn’t really matter. Either way, it’s completely unacceptable, and he needs to apologize to Mr. Bernanke and all the people of our state for this grossly inappropriate attack on one of our most distinguished native sons before his Texas boot heel touches South Carolina soil again. 

“Or, to put this in terms that even the Governor should understand: Gov. Perry, don’t mess with South Carolina.” 

Noble is not the only who has noticed the unusually harsh tone of Gov. Perry’s rhetoric toward the Federal Reserve Chairman. One-time Perry consultant Karl Rove, the architect of President George W. Bush’s bruising 2004 reelection campaign and not a man known for shying away from tough political talk, said of Perry’s attacks on Mr. Bernanke, “You don’t accuse the chairman of the Federal Reserve of being a traitor to his country…. [T]hat is not a presidential statement.” 

Like Noble, Rove was responding to a string of recent comments by the Texas governor that have raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. 

At a Monday appearance in Iowa, Perry said, “If this guy [Bernanke] prints more money between now and the election. I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we — we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous — or treasonous in my opinion.” 

Also on Monday, Perry told an Iowa State Fair crowd, “I think you want a president who is passionate about America — that’s in love with America.” Asked later whether he was implying that President Obama does not love America, Perry said, “You need to ask him.” 

And yesterday, speaking in New Hampshire, Perry called for greater Fed transparency, then added, “But until they do that, there will continue to be questions about their activity and what their true goal is for the United States.” 

With these comments in mind, Noble said he that didn’t particularly like the Perry’s chances in the crucial South Carolina primary early next year, despite the his current front-runner status. 

“First, in 2009, Rick Perry talked about seceding from the union. Then, just the other day, he questioned whether our nation’s first African American president loves this country. And, now, he’s suggesting that the country’s central banker may be disloyal. I don’t know what’s in Rick Perry’s heart, but I do know this — the people of South Carolina aren’t likely to vote for a presidential candidate who is running around the country saying these sorts of outrageous things, not to mention gratuitously insulting one of our state’s leading native sons,” Noble said.

Can Haley be any more hypocritical?

Republican Nikki Haley says NO to federal funding for education but YES for the SCDOT.

 

Columbia, SC -- In the same week that Republican's Nikki Haley and Superintendent Mick Zais turned down the $144 million dollars for public education, the Republican Governor asked and received a federal bailout for the Department of Transportation, an agency that she heads up.

South Carolina Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian released the following video and statement denouncing the continuing hypocrisy of Haley's statements and actions:

"Nikki Haley hates Washington's free spending ways until she needs a loan to cover her financial mismanagement.

Instead of being the "accountant" financial watchdog she promised the voters last fall, she has spent her time traveling to Tea Party rallies and political fund raisers in New York, Washington and Texas.

She wasn't home minding the state when her Department of Transportation went broke and couldn't pay highway contractors. She then didn't hesitate to go to Washington and ask President Obama's Federal Highway Department to float her a $52 million dollar taxpayer funded loan.

Nikki Haley says she hates federal handouts...until she needs one."

 

USW: Now is our time

Every generation has its moment, its moment to stand up and fight for a better world and brighter tomorrow.

Now is our time.

As United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard said to open our Constitutional Convention: “We can only win the future if we’re willing to fight for it!”

Our union’s fighting spirit has been on display all week at the convention, where thousands of USW members and guests have recommitted themselves to our movement for an economy that works for everybody, for fair trade, the right to collectively bargain, safer workplaces and a dignified retirement.

You don’t have to be a delegate to join us in this important battle for our future.

Click here to watch our convention theme video, “The Fighting Spirit,” then send it to your friends and family. This is the fight of our lives – of our children’s and grandchildren’s lives – and we need everyone to stand up.

Tell us what you’re standing and fighting for on our convention Web page and stay tuned for future information on how Steelworkers are leading the way as we Stand Up and Fight Back!


“I’d rather fight to my last breath than let the fate of my children and grandchildren be dictated by billionaires on Bay Street and Wall Street.” – USW International President Leo W. Gerard, 2011 Convention Opening Speech, Aug. 15, 2011.

New Political TV Ad On Helping Kids

To hear some politicians tell it, times are so tough that America can’t afford to take care of its kids. Cut proven health programs, they say.  And child protection. Schools, too. They’re wrong.

All across America, millions of children, youth and families have seen their lives improve thanks to smart investments by earlier Congresses and presidents. Today, many of these gains are at risk. This new TV ad is a reminder that we’ve had hard times before, but we never stopped making better lives for our kids. Today should be no different.



You also can learn more about what earlier generations did for today's children by watching a Ken Burns-style video ‘Presidents Helping Children’, and by downloading a short booklet of the same name.



Check out the ad, the video, and the booklet. Pass this e-mail along to friends and families. And then tell your members of Congress to stop cutting programs for kids!

To learn more about what you can do visit www.everychildmatters.org

Thanks for your help.

Michael Petit
President
Every Child Matters Education Fund

Values

The so-called "values voters" dominated the headlines in Iowa. Let's tell our side of the story. Endorse the Real Values Agenda today. Last week, Religious Right groups descended on Iowa in anticipation of the Ames straw poll – a big event for the Republican presidential primaries. When Michele Bachmann won, we started hearing a lot more about the "values voters" who propelled her to victory -- so we perked up and listened in. We heard a lot from these groups and the candidates about protecting corporate tax breaks and fearing Muslims and LGBT people -- but not so much about shared sacrifice and the common good. Help the rich and forget the rest? That's not what I was taught in Sunday school, and I bet it's not what you were taught either.  Endorse the Real Values Agenda today. We’ve heard this story before, the one where only the extreme Right has “values” and the rest of us don’t count. The good news is, this time we can change the ending. We’re trying to get 12,000 people of faith – that’s more than the vote total of the top 3 finishers in the Ames poll combined – to endorse the Real Values Agenda. If enough of us speak out, we can show the media – and the presidential candidates – that there’s more to “values” than the same tired old stereotypes. We already have a track record of making an impact. Last week, we sprang into action to mobilize a counter-witness to the Religious Right’s kick-off event. We turned out a bigger crowd than the Religious Right groups did and got great press coverage: Faithful America member Julie West was even interviewed on TV! We’ve got big plans to keep up the momentum – in Iowa and across the country. To really make an impact we’ll need an integrated, multi-level approach: advertising, events, media outreach and advocacy mobilization. But before we can launch our campaign, we need to know how many of you are standing up with us. Will you endorse the Real Values Agenda today? Here’s what we stand for: We stand for integrity in word and deed, holding our elected leaders accountable and advocating prophetically for what’s right. We do not tolerate the abuse of faith to score political points or using lies and smears to promote an ideological agenda. We believe the moral measure of America is judged by how those who have the least are treated, not Wall Street profits. It is not compassionate or responsible to expect wealth to “trickle down” while children go hungry and parents can’t pay their medical bills. The wealthiest should pay their fair share before struggling families are asked to sacrifice even more. We believe we’re all in this together, and that real leaders put the common good ahead of self-interest. Our communities and nation are strongest when we keep our promises to seniors, protect safety nets that save lives and create jobs that honor the dignity of work. If this sounds more like your values than what you heard coming out of Iowa this weekend, endorse the Real Values Agenda today. Together, we can change the story about faith and politics this year. Thanks for all you do, Beth, Nick and the entire Faithful America team

2011 KIDS COUNT Reveals Striking Poverty for SC's Children

One in every two children in South Carolina are living in some form of poverty. South Carolina remains at 45th in overall rankings for children.

COLUMBIA, SC - August 16, 2011 -On Wednesday, the Annie E. Casey Foundation will release the 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book (http://datacenter.kidscount.org/) which takes a special look at the impact of the Great Recession on the nation's children.  South Carolina continues to rank 45th in the nation for child well-being based on their 10 key indicators.  Most startling is that approximately 260,000 children, one of every four, are poor; (approximately 520,000) half of all South Carolina's children, live in low-income families below twice the poverty line.    As a result of the Great Recession, the annual KIDS COUNT data also examined two additional indicators:  unemployment and foreclosure.  For South Carolina, "the results are startling," according to Baron Holmes, project director for KIDS COUNT South Carolina.  Some key highlights include the following:  140,000 children in South Carolina are in families with one or both parents unemployed. 11 percent of children (113,000) in South Carolina had at least one unemployed parent during 2010.   South Carolina had the 2nd highest percentage in the nation (6.6%) of children with all resident parents unemployed and the 3rd highest percentage in the nation (13.6%) with at least one resident parent unemployed in 2009. The foreclosure numbers are also troubling. 3 percent (53,000) of children were affected by foreclosure during 2007 through 2009, ranking South Carolina tied for 14th in the U.S.  South Carolina's worst rankings are for low birth weight (47th), infant and child deaths (47th), single parent families (47th), and child poverty (41st).  Since the release of the KIDS COUNT data books beginning 20 years ago, South Carolina has consistently ranked 45th.  "Increased child poverty resulting from the Great Recession highlights long-existing curses of low education, low employment, and persistent poverty. Until education and employment are improved dramatically in South Carolina, the wellbeing of children in South Carolina will remain in the bottom 6 or 8 states, as it  has been over the past two decades," reports Mr. Holmes.         A coalition of organizations supporting children and families across South Carolina is reviewing the economic data and mitigation efforts in order to identify opportunities for improvement.  Sue Williams, chief executive officer of the Children's Trust of South Carolina, adds, "South Carolina can not afford continue to languish in the bottom 10%. As revealed in the kids count report, we must have a greater focus on a comprehensive, coordinated plan for the betterment of our children. Our state and our children deserve better."       Harry Davis, director of the Children's Law Center, University of South Carolina School of Law,  stated, "During the recession of the past two years, over 38,000 children have joined the 220,000 children who were already among the poorest of the poor in South Carolina.  Our state cannot recover and move forward while one-quarter of its children live in such severe distress.  Kids Count calls our attention to the fact that adequate nutrition, health care, and education are the building blocks that children need to grow into productive citizens."      The annual data shows for South Carolina that since 2000, four of the 10 key indicators of child well-being improved, three indicators got worse, and three did not change. Improvements in child well-being that began in the late 1990s stalled during the current decade with family and economic strengths declining in the wake of the current recession.  Four areas have improved significantly: the teen death rate, the teen birth rate, and the percent of teens not in school and not working declined moderately; also, the percent of teens not in school and not high school graduates declined substantially.  Three areas have worsened: the child poverty rate, the percent of children in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment, and the percent of children living in single-parent families. Three areas have not changed significantly: low birthweight, infant mortality, and child deaths (ages 1-14).  South Carolina ranks 45th just ahead of New Mexico, Arkansas, and Alabama and substantially ahead of Mississippi and Louisiana. South Carolina ranks in the bottom ten states on half the indicators: at 47th for low birthweight babies, infant mortality, and children in single parent families; and at 44th for the child death rate and 41st for child poverty.  Only slightly better are the 39th ranking of South Carolina for the teen death rate and the teen birth rate, and the 38th rank for children in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. The best rankings are: 33rd for teens not in school and not working; and 29th for teens not in school and not high school graduates. Notably, child wellbeing in South Carolina is not in the top half of states on any indicator  In addition to the 10 key measures tracked in the KIDS COUNT Data Book, the KIDS COUNT Data Center (http://datacenter.kidscount.org/) provides easy, online access to the latest child well-being data for hundreds of indicators by state, county, city, and school district.

Harpootlian: South Carolina Democratic Party is back and kicking

The South Carolina Democratic Party is back and kicking! Not only with great news coverage but we have launched our new and improved website. Over the past four months, I've made good on my promise not to give Republicans a moments rest. Including in yesterday's issue of The State newspaper.  You can read the article here. 

And why should we? Republicans have a 10 year record of failure in South Carolina. They've been exposed as hypocrites and criminals, living large off your tax dollars.

 

Last week a large crowd of South Carolina Democrats gathered to welcome President Obama senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett to Columbia. Next week the SCDP is announcing another visit from another national Democrat. As I explain in this yesterday's edition of The State, we're creating momentum for change in South Carolina by "defining the Republicans as bad and bring(ing) in (national Democratic leaders) ... who have national impact." It's just that simple. 

Republicans like Mitt Romney believe corporations are people and in return their corporate benefactors reward them with campaign cash. We don't have corporate special interests funneling cash because Democrats believe your government should be accountable to you. But that makes your financial support essential to our continued success. 

The SCDP's future is in our hands. We need your financial support today to keep pressing forward toward 2012.  Please make a contribution now.

 

Thanks, 

Dick Harpootlian, Chair