Obama’s health insurance legislation…

I don’t know who this is from or who said it; but, besides being hilarious it is sickeningly true:

Let me get this straight.....

We're seriously considering "ramming through" a
Healthcare Plan
that will put the government in charge of our health ...
Written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it,
Passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it,
to be signed by a president who smokes cigarettes and also hasn't read it,
with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes,
to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese,
and financed by a country that's nearly broke.

What could possibly go wrong?

Note:

I find it interesting that among all these “leaders” of the unions and these other organizations (whose memberships are liberal, progressive and left) for whom these leaders anything Barack Obama and the Democrats support is alright with them, there is a certain hypocrisy that goes along with this…

First they helped to kill single-payer universal healthcare and they refused to put socialized healthcare on the table for discussion.

For instance, at the Roseau County Democratic Farmer-Labor Party convention, the little clique from the teachers’ union who has decided they have a right to manipulate and control the Democratic Party to twist it’s activities to meet their own needs while selfishly excluding the concerns of others; they had a resolution on healthcare running in exactly the opposite direction as the MNDFL Party Platform which contains in its “Action Agenda” support for single-payer universal healthcare.

Now, this same teacher’s union is out telling everyone that we should support Obama’s Wall Street/AMA/Insurance company healthcare initiative even though these arrogant teachers who also passed a resolution opposing mandatory seat-belt use, passed a resolution demanding that tax-payers provide them with a better healthcare plan than what they are helping Obama and the Democrats shove down our throats; this is the epitome of hypocrisy.

Every single day I hear concerned teachers complaining about kids coming to school hungry, not having the proper winter clothing, not getting the healthcare required--- but, how is it this little handful of teacher union “leaders” did not offer one single resolution about improving the lives of these children living in poverty while bringing forward a very selfish resolution demanding that tax-payers provide them with a better healthcare program than the rest of us will get from Obama?

 
It is just this kind of self-centered selfishness that has left the American labor movement impotent. This does not lend itself to building alliances and coalitions… this kind of selfishness will end up being self-defeating in the short and long term to those who advocate such shameful approaches to politics.

 
Then, to think that this same group of teachers who didn’t have the consideration to bring forward resolutions dealing with poverty or war would actually support a resolution calling for an end to mandatory use of seat belts because it is “government interference in our lives!” What kind of message does this send to the youth and the community? Not to mention the huge increases in healthcare expenses that would result.

I would think that anyone who is trying to shove this outrageously regressive an d reactionary health insurance legislation designed to make the insurance companies richer, the doctors and pharmaceutical companies wealthier and designed to insure that Democrats receive the bulk of campaign contributions from this obscene healthcare complex which operates for no other reason than for maximum profits, should be willing to accept this for themselves, too.

The time has come for working people to let the Democrats know that a bunch of labor leaders whose incomes put them more in league with the bosses at their country clubs than with the needs of workers should go to hell.

Kill this legislation and the for-profit healthcare industry--- we need socialized healthcare; free for all.

This is what the American people want--- Jobs created in a healthcare system providing people with the free healthcare they are entitled to, paid for with the money saved from fighting these dirty wars:

Peace = Socialized healthcare + Jobs

These dirty wars are killing people and the real healthcare reform and the jobs people are entitled to in this country.

Here is the reality, this legislation brought forward by Barack Obama and the Democrats should be named the:

 
"Health Insurance Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010"
To top it all off, Brian Melendez, the Chair of the MNDFL, is trying to head off grassroots support for a resolution calling for Minnesota to divest from its support for the Israeli killing machine… when it comes to real healthcare reform the problem becomes one of “fiscal responsibility” and “affordability;” for the war machines and merchants of death and destruction there is no problem when it comes to money.

Yours in struggle and solidarity,

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

And

Alternate Delegate, Roseau County, MNDFL State Convention

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for real change.

What’s in a word: Progressive… a posting made in “In These Times”

Progressive is kind of a point where liberals and leftists come together.

For instance, it might be easier to simply state what a progressive alternative to the Wall Street agenda of war and attacks on the working class looks like.

The American people want three basic things right now:

1. Peace.
2. Real healthcare reform that includes single-payer and a vastly expanded public healthcare sector.
3. Jobs.

Progressives essentially advocate ending these dirty wars to pay for real healthcare reform which would create millions of new jobs.

The scientist and socialist humanist, Albert Einstein--- a progressive, probably would have used a mathematical formula which would look like this:

Peace = real healthcare reform + jobs

The only time real reforms in this country have ever been won is when liberals and leftists formed a majority progressive movement--- best example: The People's Front in the 1930's.

Want to know more? Read, "The People's Front" by Earl Browder, its primary architect and leader who brought together liberals and leftists as a great progressive majority which won the New Deal reforms.

The American Revolution could be cited as could the fight to end slavery or the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 60's where liberals and leftists successfully came together around a progressive agenda for real change.

Is Obama a liberal, leftist or progressive? Heck no, he is Wall Street's man all the way; just look where he and the Democratic Party stand in relation to the above equation.

Peace = Socialized healthcare + Jobs.

Alan L. Maki

I'm pretty much in agreement with most of what Chris says here except for where he disagrees with me... lol!

All joking aside; I think it is critical we push socialized healthcare/public healthcare out into the proverbial "public square" for vigorous dialog, discussion and debate.

The PNHP has stated that "single-payer" is the ONLY solution not on the table... in their view, I am sure they sincerely see this as a good tactic.

However, no one can deny--- supporters or opponents--- that socialized healthcare is not on the table... and in the interest of honesty, fairness and democracy the American people have the right to consider socialized healthcare/public healthcare... make no mistake, it is part of the historical record that socialized healthcare had been placed on the table in the 1930's by the same movements that won the other New Deal reforms and even many of Roosevelt's own administration vigorously pushed for, and defended, socialized healthcare--- especially FDR's Secretary of Labor who remained principled and unswerving even while under vicious, vicious attack from the conservatives in both the Democratic and Republican parties who went so far as to try to remove her as Secretary of Labor by leveling charges of "Communist" and "Bolshevik" against her for advocating Social Security, socialized healthcare etc.

Frances Perkins was publicly attacked for trying to make the Communist Manifesto government policy... to which she publicly responded: "I would rather see these good ideas as government programs helping people instead of remaining words on the pages of a pamphlet."

Perkins was good friends with Communist labor leader Harry Bridges and Minnesota's socialist Farmer-Labor Party Governors Floyd Olson and Elmer Benson... and John Bernard, the Communist from Minnesota's Iron Range, when elected to Congress on the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party ticket was greeted by Frances Perkins upon his arrival in Washington.

We now have 70 plus years of unfinished business to complete in Washington... winning socialized healthcare while defending the New Deal reforms like Social Security as we advance a complete progressive agenda aimed at solving the other problems working people are experiencing today.

It is only common sense that we look to socialized healthcare paid for with dividends derived from peace to provide the American people with the healthcare living in the wealthiest country in the world entitles them to; and, in the process this creates a massive public works jobs program... up to ten million new jobs, good paying decent jobs--- a National Public Healthcare System will require some 800 bases across the country serving some 30,000 community healthcare centers.

Few people other than Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh are actually stupid enough to think that private for-profit schools could teach a nation of 300 million people to read and write when we all know public education is required for this task--- so, why would anyone think anything less than socialized healthcare could provide us all with the healthcare we need, deserve and are entitled to... and, yes, the jobs created should have strict affirmative action policies that are vigorously enforced.

 
Every single American benefits from many socialized/public programs in this country without any complaints:

Public schools.
United States Post Office.
Police.
Fire.
Libraries.
Parks and recreation.
Water and sewer.
Public transit.
Courts.
Roads, highways and bridges.
Power lines.
Sidewalks.
Public forests and lands.
Public fishing accesses.
Public hunting programs.

Some public city, county and state public healthcare programs which are severely underfunded.

There is some public housing; we need much more.

Democratic government itself is a public institution the result of revolution.

Many working people are now talking about the need to bring the closed and shuttered 3,700 mines, mills and factories in this country under public ownership in order to create jobs producing what society needs rather than what Wall Street can profit from. The public works jobs programs often passed over and attacked as a bunch of lazy workers leaning on shovels as part of the CCC and WPA built roads, bridges, dams, schools, community centers and all kinds of public buildings while providing us access to great artists and writers like Howard Fast whose books about the American Revolution the Tea Partiers would do well to read.

And, like I previously pointed out, we already have a massive public healthcare system in this country in the form of VA, the Indian Health Service and the NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE--- all fine examples of socialized healthcare that work when properly funded.

The failing healthcare system we are dealing with is the private, for-profit, market-driven system that rations healthcare to the hilt by forcing the poor out.

Here is the formula for peace, providing healthcare while creating jobs... very simple:

Peace = Socialized healthcare + Jobs.

I am sure the socialist Albert Einstein would have supported this formula... by golly, he actually did when he wrote his famous article: Why Socialism?

Check it out:
http://socialismtheoryandpractice.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-socialism-byalbert-einstein.html

Alan L. Maki

Terri, you write--- in my opinion half correctly:

"This is why we must stand behind a MOVEMENT and not an individual --- even someone who has been mostly on the right side of the issues, like Dennis Kucinich."
I agree 100% with you, "This is why we must stand behind a MOVEMENT and not an individual."

I disagree with you 100% about Dennis Kucinich.

Personally I have had three run ins with him:

First, Kucinich refused to support the D. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday because his racist constituents in Parma, a racist white enclave surrounded by the City of Cleveland would have given him the boot... Kucinich provided no leadership in the struggle against racism.

Second, I was part of a NAACP delegation which he agreed to meet with when racist violence flared over the court ordered busing to end segregation in Parma's Public Schools; after making an appointment with many of us having traveled over six-hundred miles to meet with him--- Kucinich kept us waiting for over four hours and failed to appear... again, no leadership in the struggle against racism--- to the contrary, Kucinich demonstrated cowardice.

Third, I personally asked Kucinich not to participate in the presidential primary forum: "Prez on the Rez" out in California because the management of the casino sponsoring the event, like all the more than 350 casinos in the Indian gaming industry across this country force workers to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws--- Kucinich went right ahead and participated claiming during his presentation to be an advocate for: working people, the victims of racism and the down-trodden.
I have as much compassion for Kucinich as he has demonstrated towards others when it really would have counted.

It is not surprising to me that Kucinich has bowed, again, to the powers that be.
Wall Street is served well by a handful of gad-flies like Kucinich with claims to "populism" when it is politically expedient for them... this supposedly demonstrates to the world that the United States is the greatest bastion of democracy.

We not only need to focus on building movements rather than place confidence in individual candidates because when you think about this, the people in power always want working people to believe there is this or that person who will "help" them... when, in fact, if there are only a handful of "do-gooders" in the entire U.S. House and Senate who pick and choose based upon politically expediency what is good for their own political career, rather than what is good for the people, we are never going to make any headway when it comes to putting this country on a progressive footing and foundation.

Part of building these movements should be that we simultaneously are building a new political party to be the voice of this movement--- without doing this we are like a dog chasing its tail. Such politicians participating in this kind of movement will have to understand that deviating from the progressive agenda established by their grassroots and rank-and-file working class base (with or without the leadership of organized labor which for the most part is even worse than Kucinich when it comes to having the courage to stand up for what is right and just--- will have to understand they will be "primaried out."

Here in Minnesota we have three Native American Indian candidates who are leading the way and blazing new trails when it comes to what real people's politicians are supposed to be like--- and they are challenging the most useless and disgustingly racist Democrats presently holding these three state legislative offices.

 
If anyone would like to see what real people's politicians are like... I would encourage you to visit their websites:

Greg Paquin for Minnesota Senate District 4:
Candidate for Minnesota Senate
District: 4
1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
218-209-3157 h
651-503-9493 c

check out my blog:
http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/

and

Nicole Beaulieu for Minnesota House District 4-A:

http://anishinaabecandidate.blogspot.com

Also, Nicole Beaulieu was featured on the front page this past Sunday in the Bemidji Pioneer Press, the largest daily newspaper in northern Minnesota... you can read that article which I have posted on my blog:

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/nicole-beaulieu-opposes-persell-for-4a.html

If anyone wants to help these candidates in any way, I am sure they would appreciate hearing from you because they are standing up for ALL of us, not only the people in their own districts who will be voting for them.

At the present time there are no Native American Indians sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature even though Minnesota has one of the largest Native American Indian populations of any state.

Corruption in Tribal Governments and the State Legislature… the corruption has the same source…

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association…

 

Alan L. Maki

This is a fantastic video... but, can we all join together to defend our living environment when there are crooked and corrupt politicians in the state legislature and on tribal councils that have turned their backs on the environment? What will be the future of the Red Lake Nation be, and all of our future's be, as peat mining in the Big Bog proceeds? What will happen to this largest freshwater aquifer--- the Big Bog--- as peat mining proceeds?

I find it very interesting that none of the candidates at the Red Lake forum on the Governor's race so much as mentioned the peat mining in the Big Bog now getting underway.

Have smoke-filled casinos employing workers at poverty wages without any rights as mobsters who own the slot machines run off with all the profits from these casinos become more important than protecting our living environment and the health and well-being of human beings and air, water, land, plants and animals?

Floyd Jourdain and the Red Lake Nation Tribal Council line their pockets just like the other politicians in Minnesota who serve the interests of big-business.

The Red Lake Nation Tribal Council passed a resolution against peat mining in the Big Bog and stuffed the resolution in a filing cabinet hidden from the people.

Roger Jourdain said about peat mining and the Big Bog:

"This freshwater aquifer is the life-blood of the Red Lake Nation."

Why is Floyd Jourdain and the Red Lake Nation Tribal Council sitting in silence doing nothing as this peat mining proceeds... once these people get done draining the Big Bog for the peat, there will be no more Upper or Lower Red Lake.

Why don't you ask Floyd Jourdain to take you out to the peat mining site to produce a movie with him explaining why he is allowing this peat mining to continue?

Ask your State Representative Brita Sailer why she has refused to join the fight to stop this peat mining?

Ask your State Senator Rod Skoe why he does nothing?

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association has funded the campaigns of these candidates who come looking for campaign contributions from the casinos but then turn their backs on the real problems of the people and OUR living environment.

Here are the facts:

 

Peat mining in the Big Bog:

http://pineislandstateforest.blogspot.com/

 

 

The Red Lake fishery:

http://redlakewalleyefishery.blogspot.com/

Wars kill people and jobs.

Alan L. Maki

Russell; I agree with your take on single-payer. On the other hand I look at it this way... I support single-payer as a step towards socialized healthcare.

 
Obama and the Democrats knew right from the start (of his campaigning) that he would have to find a way to use single-payer advocates to get elected and he also knew he would have to destroy the single-payer movement once elected in order to keep the country from moving left.

The Democrats got the AFL-CIO to get its think-tank, the Campaign for America's Future to kill the single-payer movement--- Roger Hickey wrote an entire book about doing this and the book was distributed by the thousands throughout the labor and progressive movements and all of a sudden... wallah, out of nowhere appeared this high-powered movement for "the public option."

Now, the left has an opening to begin a dialog on socialized healthcare; but, will the left take this opportunity? It doesn't look like it.

There is no better jobs creation program than socialized healthcare which would bring almost ten-million new jobs as opposed to single-payer with just under three-million jobs.

There are only two places to get get the money from to finance socialized healthcare:

1. The military budget.

2. Tax the rich.

We can't find a more appropriate program to convince people to put socialism on the table.

Peace = Healthcare + Jobs

Wars kill people and jobs.

Put these two slogans into the anti-war demonstrations coming up and flood the demonstrations with a leaflet explaining all of this.

To me it seems like common sense---

People want peace, people want healthcare and people want jobs... people aren't getting any of it because Wall Street wants profits.

The Coffee Party movement

Alan L. Maki

Yes, we had a small gathering of 17 people here in Warroad, Minnesota--- we are a border community with Canada and three people from the New Democratic Party in Manitoba came to see what was going on. No one had any idea what was going to come out of this Coffee Party movement and there wasn't much confidence it would continue. I brought a sign that said:

Peace = socialized healthcare + jobs.

And another one that said:

Wars kill people and jobs.

We talked about what the Tea Party movement was all about quite a bit and determined the Tea Party people have three main points:

1. fiscal responsibility
2. limited government
3. free markets

They claim not to get into social issues but we know that is not true because they can't talk about these three points without getting into social issues and the three points themselves are social issues.

Actually, this information was from a radio interview with the head of the Tea Party movement in Minnesota that we listened to.

 
We also agreed that the Tea Party movement is not having much impact because their conservative ideas run in the exact opposite direction of what most people want and need to improve their lives.

We didn't see much hope for the Coffee Party movement either unless it can capture what the American people expect, and serve to galvanize people into action around solving their problems.

 
People were really upset that Moveon.org is attacking Dennis Kucinich for opposing the healthcare deal and they were extremely worried that this Coffee Party movement would evolve into a similar fiasco like Moveon.org.

Nobody saw any future supporting Obama because it has become obvious he never intended to deliver on the "change" he insinuated he was for.

We asked people to bring several things to share with each other so we could get better acquainted politically.

We asked everyone to bring a book that best reflected their own views, and we asked everyone to bring a book they had read which reflected best the views they opposed--- everyone brought a book that best reflected their own views but only two people brought books from opposing views--- the others said they don't bother reading books by conservatives.

We also asked everyone to collect and bring along newspaper and magazine articles that best reflected what they thought were the main problems in the country. We had quite a stack of newspaper articles--- over two-hundred; everyone brought at least 4. There were 11 issues reflected in the newspaper articles with the largest stack relating to the wars.

People were very leery of being used by the Democrats for 2010 elections and no one wanted any part in supporting candidates. One woman said the whole thing reminded her of the Howard Dean "Meet-ups."

We discussed how we characterized our political views which ran from a moderate Republican, most people calling themselves liberal or progressive with two people being communists and one a socialist.

A couple people wanted to get the entire group to go to the upcoming demonstration in Washington against the war. Everyone thought that was a good idea. Someone was going to find out about the costs.

You couldn't find a more "on the bottom" group of people than what we had.
The discussion about giving the Coffee Party movement direction was that this direction has to come from the grassroots.

There wasn't really much enthusiasm for the Coffee Party movement per se; but, there was a lot of enthusiasm for getting people together working on issues.

Get rid of Collin Peterson

Alan L. Maki wrote
at 1:30pm

Do we really need another Republican in Congress? We should nominate someone to run for Congress who clearly sees that as long as Obama's dirty wars continue we will be robbed of the kind of socialized healthcare we are entitled to. Socialized healthcare would create almost ten-million new jobs in this country. Collin Peterson doesn't seem to be able to understand simple mathematical formulas:

Peace = Healthcare + Jobs

Let's nominate someone who will stand up for better lives for working people... let Collin Peterson go fight his own wars.

Speaking of "jobs, jobs, jobs;" what's the deal with the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party refusing to support affirmative action so we can begin to end this racist poverty on the Indian Reservations. People getting paid poverty wages working in these smoke-filled casinos are going to be poor and sick.

 
The Bemidji Regional Event Center is going up without Executive Order #11246 being enforced even though it is the law of the land.

China reports on US human rights record

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/12/content_9582218.htm

 

My comment was comment #29…

 

It is good that China begins to inform people of human rights abuses in the United States.

Your publication and the Chinese government should investigate the shameful and disgraceful human rights abuses taking place on Indian Reservations here in the United States where at the conclusion of the "Indian Wars" the United States government herded Native American Indians like cattle onto these "Indian Reservations" where hundreds of thousands of people languish in poverty with not enough to eat, substandard housing often unfit for rats to live in, lack of proper schools and healthcare and where between 60% to 80% of the population lives in poverty generation after generation because racist employers refuse to hire and affirmative action is not enforced by local, state or federal governments.

Here in the State of Minnesota with one of the largest Native American Indian populations in the United States, in spite of all the boasts that this is the world's greatest democracy, not one single Native American Indian sits in the Minnesota State Legislature or among it's U.S. federal Congressional delegation.

I would suggest that your newspaper send a reporter to Minnesota and find out what life is really like for the Native American Indians forced to live on the eleven Indian Reservations here in Minnesota under these disgraceful conditions compliments of the racist genocidal policies intentionally inflicted upon Native American Indians in our country by the state and federal governments.

We are not talking about this or that instance of abuse of human rights; we are talking about the human rights of an entire people being violated day-in-and-day out.

The largest employer of Native American Indians is in the casino industry where workers have no rights in their places of employment and workers are fired for participating in union organizing activities.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Some of my comments about the Bemidji Regional Event Center

It as amazing how all these politicians who preach democracy try to stifle any discussion they disagree with.

VenuWorks, the private firm hired to manage the Bemidji Regional Event Center has established a FaceBook page ostensibly looking for public comments but they are deleting most of my comments so I am publishing some of my comments here:

 

Alan L. Maki

Why don't you publish a list of all jobs that will be available along with the pay scale and put applications on-line.

You could also publish the affirmative action policy on-line.
You do have an affirmative action program in place for your hiring; don't you?

 

Write a comment...

 

 

Alan L. Maki What happened to affirmative action on this project?

 

 

Belle Armstrong

Need a Human Resources lady?

February 25 at 1:08pm · Report

Alan L. Maki

If you want a job once the BREC opens and you want decent pay through a union contract; contact me.

Tue at 5:59pm ·

Alan L. Maki

Belle, there is only one qualification to get such a job at the BREC... you must be white. If you meet this qualification you are hired.

 

 

 

Alan L. Maki

All the people making big money off this project get a tour; did you get a good look at the $28.00 a day wheelbarrows tax-payers are paying for?

 

 

Write a comment...

Leo Obert Anderson III Did someone get paid to create a Facebook page for this thing?

February 10 at 6:51am · Comment ·LikeUnlike · View Feedback (6)Hide Feedback (6) · Report

John Ogren

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Bob LeBarron "got paid" to create it. You know, the Executive Director of the BREC? The guy who's "getting paid" to promote the BREC? The guy who likely understands that social networking is one way you market things in 2010?

February 11 at 1:40pm · Report

Bemidji Regional Event Center

Excellent guess John. It is me, Bob LeBarron, who is administering the Facebook Fan page. Just one of many duties in managing/promoting the Bemidji Regional Event Center!

February 12 at 8:32am · Report

Alan L. Maki

Mr. LeBarron, I look forward to negotiating a union contract with you for BREC employees. Do you intend to implement affirmative action policies in hiring workers to maintain and staff the BREC? Maybe you would like to share your company's affirmative action policies with the public. By the way, would you mind posting all the jobs you will be hiring for on this site and the pay scales?

Tue at 6:04pm ·

Jeff Erickson

Alan, he has made clear on this page above (maybe you missed it) that he will be posting employment opportunity here on Facebook as soon as it becomes available. I would be willing to bet that you can find all the info you want about policy at the VenuWorks website, and if it's not on the site, there is a phone number that would give you all the information. In my opinion, there is no need to be confrontational on a friendly social networking site. He clearly made this page to be open and to answer questions about the event center but your questions are worded in a way that, again in my opinion, are based on false premise. The city built the event center, not VenuWorks. The city contracted out the work(to many subcontractors)to be done which means they don't hire the individual workers. They have no control or say in who those contractors employ, nor should they. Maybe your beef is with the subcontractors about affirmative action. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for affirmative action, but we should aim it at the right people. Also, I'm all for unions but declaring it to be so (which is what you kinda did) might not be helpful at this early stage. Just my opinion.

Wed at 10:13am ·

Alan L. Maki

Jeff- I appreciate the words of wisdom you offer... however, you say you are for affirmative action; could you explain what you have done to make sure the City of Bemidji, Kraus-Anderson and VenuWorks are abiding by Executive Order #11246 which is the law of the land on such huge public works projects financed with ALL people's tax-dollars.

Right now before your very eyes and with your complete silence, the BREC is being constructed without a BREC specific affirmative action policy in place in complete violation of the law.

Now, you may find my truthful comments to be "confrontational" but you probably aren't among the 60% unemployed on an Indian Reservation living in poverty because Mayor Lehman and the racist "good ol' boys club" is enabling their friends to make all the profits and get all the good jobs.

By-the-way, are you aware that the Native American Indian population in the City of Bemidji is 25% and the only places where there seems to be some equal opportunities is in the Beltrami County jail cells and in the lines at the Beltrami County Food Shelf.

There is a reason Bemidji is known as "the most racist city in North America."
Perhaps the BREC should consider establishing a "Wall of Shame" to show tourists how the human rights of Native American Indians have been systematically abused in the region.

What makes you think I, or anyone else, has a "beef" about anything just because you make excuses for the systemic and institutionalized racism the BREC has become a symbol of?

Since you support unions so much I don't expect to see you crossing our picket lines since workers maintaining and staffing the BREC are entitled to real living wage jobs and not the poverty-wage jobs VenuWorks is accustomed to paying its employees who they treat like crap.

Here is what the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council views as a fair solution to the problem created by Mayor Lehman and the "good ol' boys club" intentionally violating affirmative action laws in planning and construction of the BREC:

The initial hiring shall comprise, according to Bemidji's Native American Indian Population:

1. 25% Native American Indian workers hired for administration, staffing and maintenance of the BREC.

2. Another 25% Native American Indian employment for violating affirmative action in constructing the BREC.

3. Another 10% Native American Indian employment as a penalty for the powers that be making a premeditated racist decision to evade and violate the law of the land, Executive Order #11246.

Now, Mr. Erickson; if you are not familiar with Executive Order #11246 and since you are a defender and supporter of non-discrimination, equality for all peoples and for affirmative action, I would suggest you "google up" Executive Order #11246 and check out what the problem is here because I just searched the City of Bemidji's web site, then I went to VenuWorks website as you recommended I do and I can't find one single reference to any affirmative action policy regarding the BREC.
However, I have noticed that the City of Bemidji, Krause-Anderson and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development are being sued right now in Beltrami County District Court for failure to develop and implement an affirmative action policy on this boon-doggle know so affectionately as "THE BREC" which is now mired in racism and corruption.

I'm not sure if the corruption has bred the racism or the racism has bred corruption on this BREC project; however, I do know that tax-payers are not going to be happy footing a bunch of legal fees for this atrocious racism and the racist discrimination and lack of affirmative action, and tax-payers are going to be even more enraged if they ever find out all of the wheel-barrows being rented for $28.00 a day, not to mention the cost of renting sledge-hammers.

Someone should explain why the City of Bemidji and the State of Minnesota are so inept they had to hire Kraus-Anderson and now VenuWorks to profit while feeding at the public trough.

You might have noticed all the public works projects built during the the period of the "New Deal" when government was competent enough to build its own buildings and operate them as public works without profiteers sticking their greedy little racist fingers in the pot.

By the way; you might want to know my concern about who is getting hired--- well, let me tell you, there are thousands of people employed in smoke-filled casinos receiving poverty wages while working without any rights--- I kind of figure that since people like you could sit in silence as this injustice has been perpetrated for so many years, you won't mind these casino workers getting a first shot opportunity to at least be working in a healthy smoke-free environment to start with as we negotiate a union contract providing real living wages according to the cost of living in the area--- would you mind telling me how much you make a year so we we can get an idea what kind of pay the BREC workers need to survive in this tourist town which was created by driving Native American Indians from what used to be their homes where the BREC is now being constructed with such fan-fare?
Confrontation, Mr. Erickson? Where?

For you, Mr. Erickson, people standing up for their human rights becomes "confrontation." What adjective do you use for herding human beings like cattle into Indian Reservations where you allow human beings to live in such disgraceful poverty? Ever hear of the word "genocide?"

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

57 minutes ago ·

Jeff Erickson

Alan, my comments had nothing to do with the issues you so elegantly describe. I was simply pointing out that this might not be the right place for it. My only point was this; what allowed you to post your grievances here was the fact that you clicked a tab at the top of the page that said " Become a Fan". Not, "Become a Detractor". You can always create a page for that.

 

 

 

 

Alan L. Maki

Maybe VenuWorks would like to hire me for this position. I have the perfect headline for your promotional brochures:

"Welcome to the Bemidji Regional Event Center located in the most racist community in North America."

 

 

 

 

Rita Hutchinson Albrecht Looking forward to the opening!

February 4 at 12:41pm  · Report

Bemidji Regional Event Center

Thanks Rita for being such a tremendous supporter of the project!

 

February 12 at 8:34am · Report

Alan L. Maki

Rita, I'm looking forward to seeing you and all your racist friends in government you helped to elect at the BREC's Grand Opening, too. To bad you aren't as big a fan for equality and equal employment opportunities as you are for making sure the right kind of shrubbery gets planted around the BREC.

 

Alan L. Maki

You know, Jeff; in Bemidji there never seems to be a good time and place to talk about ending racism and the need to enforce affirmative action... certainly there must have been ample time someplace between the time Native American Indians were driven from their homes along Lake Bemidji up until now when this discussion could have taken place... and, I don't imagine they were driven off in limousines.

Like every Minnesotan, I have quite a little investment in this racist boon-doggle know as the BREC and no one ever asked me to join a fan club for this project before they spent my money on it. But, there is no reason to discuss the merits of whether or not this project should have ever been started at a time like this when for most working people who are footing the bill are suffering during this economic depression.

There is going to be Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV, Phase V and so on with the same rotten racist hiring "standards" all the way down the line.

 

This little BREC "fan club" has been established for one, and one purpose alone, to try to hoodwink the public into thinking all is well in "tourist land."

Well, Jeff, as you can see we have some problems with this project the tax-payers are footing the bill for while business profits and a whole lot of poor people suffer even more.

90% of those being employed in this boon-doggle don't even live anywhere around Bemidji.

VenuWorks is an outside management firm coming in to profit while gorging at the public trough when public facilities just like this are being managed just fine by those on city, state and federal payrolls.
Now, to quote you Jeff, you have stated as the purpose for this "fan club:"

"The record can easily be set straight for those who really want to find out."

Well, Mr. Erickson, the record is being set straight; now the problem is "setting the injustices right."

Here is the point about "peace" and the AFL-CIO---

 

On the one hand Richard Trumka cannot continue to support the Israeli killing machine which is financed with OUR tax-dollars; while, on the other hand, saying he is for jobs because every dollar spent for war goes towards killing jobs--- unless of course, members of the AFL-CIO want to pay for these wars and pogroms killing off the Palestinian people.

Just understand, every penny spent on wars and militarism is money that is not available to fund projects creating jobs.

We can have jobs or wars--- we cannot have both.

Of course, you are correct, the best way to achieve peace when there is a war is through negotiation beginning with a handshake and concluding the the negotiation with another handshake confirming the peace.

However, there is another way of winning the peace; when one of the opponents is defeated in battle--- and right now, the entire Middle East can be described as people sitting atop a powder keg ready to blow, and the result might very well mean the end of Israel... a strange way to try to "save" the ones you claim to protect.

I don't think there has ever been any labor movement anyplace else in the world that has so slavishly and sheepishly supported the warmongering policies of it's government as has been the case with the AFL-CIO and then cried about unemployment and the need for jobs when the very support for these wars, in addition to killing and maiming people, results in killing jobs.

But, then again, what other labor federation supports the political party controlled by the same bosses it has to fight tooth-and-nail every single day?

A question about healthcare reform…

Kevin Morgan

Alan- What are the chances of single payer or any meaningful health reform initiative making it back to congress when in all likelihood, the dems will have a lesser majority? When do you see the next round happening?

 

My answer:

 

Kevin, I think the next "round" has  already begun. I think it is unfortunate that PNHP is leading the fight for single-payer universal healthcare by default because these docs just want in on some the action the insurance companies have been getting.

In my opinion, the next "round" in the struggle for healthcare reform will not begin in earnest until PNHP is willing to join efforts with some kind of coalition willing to do two things:

1. Make single-payer the first step towards socialized healthcare/public healthcare; and,

2. Insist that single-payer be part of a reform that includes a vastly expanded public healthcare sector along the lines of VA and the Indian Health Service--- both fine examples of socialized healthcare.

As a member of the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee and state convention delegate to the 2006 Minnesota Democratic-Farmer Labor Party's 2006 State Convention, I was the author of the resolution for single-payer universal healthcare which 72% of the delegates voted for and just about every single Democrat running for public office in Minnesota denounced--- including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar who, quite literally, walked out of the convention in a fit of rage announcing to the media she would never support such a resolution. The resolution only passed after two other attempts which saw it defeated. I took 6 years just to get one resolution passed. Over these six years I visited every single county in Minnesota at least two times--- once to find supporters of single-payer, then to bring its most ardent supporters together to win delegate positions at the State Conventions.

All of this began with one little leaflet distributed widely door-to-door followed up by dozens of gatherings in people's homes which led to a resolution passed unanimously at our Lake Township precinct caucus and then taken into the Roseau County Convention, where it again passed unanimously after a long extended debate where state officials of the MN DFL attempted to have it defeated to no avail.

This resolution stated very briefly what I think most people in this country are really looking for in healthcare reform if given the facts:

"No-fee/no-premium, all-inclusive, comprehensive, cradle-to-grave, single-payer universal healthcare as a first step towards public healthcare--- publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered paid for with funds cut from wars and the military budget with any other needed funding to come from taxes on the rich."

On our previous two state convention votes this resolution got a very narrow majority two times... however, to get a resolution passed requires at least 62%.

To achieve this 62% threshold, we needed to severely compromise our language and what we were advocating to support for outright single-payer universal healthcare based upon the Canadian model--- and, we found out real quick that we were not even going to get the language based upon the Canadian model so we had to omit that.

However, we were able to fight off attempts to include language suggesting "affordable" healthcare. Real single-payer has nothing to do with "affordable" because people pay on their income just like with Social Security.

I have tested the language in our very first resolution among the general population in Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan and the support is overwhelming.

One letter to the editor I wrote was published in 87 newspapers--- large and small--- with a number of editors asking me for permission to publish my letter at the time Obama started pushing his healthcare initiatives which I refuse to call "reforms" because reforms always make something better--- never worse like the Democratic Party initiatives will do.

Liberals, progressives and most importantly--- the left, have failed to become fully engaged in this struggle for healthcare reform with many of these people and the unions selling us out as they helped Obama kill single-payer.

Personally, I think single-payer by itself is dead; it will have to be combined in some way--- at least in a limited way--- with a vastly expanded public option because the reality is that these more than thirty-million people without access to healthcare right now, if placed on single-payer would probably bankrupt this country.

The Canadians definitely have the very best single-payer system in the world; but, keep in mind, their total population is less than the more than thirty-million people in our country without access to healthcare and the Canadian system is beginning to develop serious problems because too many profiteers have their greedy fingers in the till.

Tommy Douglas, the "father" of the Canadian healthcare system which was a compromise with what he wanted--- socialized healthcare--- warned the Canadian people in a speech he delivered to thousand after rising from his death bed for his last speech, that unless Canadians moved quickly towards socialized healthcare they were running into problems--- today, Canadians are beginning to have to confront those problems, and we should develop a movement with or without PNHP that gets us off on the correct path to real healthcare reform.

I have no illusions, this is going to be a fight which will most definitely require a new kind of political party in this country--- probably something along the lines of the New Democratic Party in Canada.

Consider this; if we continue to work inside the Democratic Party, it took us six years to get one resolution passed that the Democrats running for public office denounce... in my opinion, we are wasting precious time not "declaring our independence from the Democratic Party" as Terri DeMatteo has been suggesting.

Socialized health care would create almost ten million new jobs in this country; single-payer would create just under three-million new jobs. Socialized healthcare is more cost-effective than any other healthcare system while serving the healthcare needs of the most people.

Peace = healthcare reform + jobs...

A very simple formula the socialist Albert Einstein who was for peace and socialized healthcare would have appreciated 
The sooner we stop bending and bowing and caving to Barack Obama and the Wall Street interests the sooner we will win real healthcare reform.

Keep in mind, that Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor advocated that socialized healthcare should have been part of the New Deal reforms... Perkins was called a "communist" and a "Bolshevik" by the reactionary Democrats and the American Medical Association.

Are we going to let these Wall Street coupon clippers, vultures and parasites rob us of our chance to attain real healthcare reform, again?

We need to find a way to get socialized healthcare on the table where it belongs so the American people have all the choices on their plates... this is what democracy is all about.

Check out my blog:

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/united-states-hass-800-military-bases.html

Corrupt and racist union leaders in Minnesota don’t care about people, peace, healthcare or the environment

Theresa: Obama and the Democrats supported Bush in starting these dirty wars. People went to the polls anticipating their votes for Obama would end these dirty wars. Obama and the Democrats have willingly come to own these wars which the majority of the people in this country and around the world oppose.

Jackie: Yes, the Minnesota AFL-CIO and Change To Win affiliated unions are supporting PolyMet just like they support peat mining in the Big Bog.

And just the way they have opposed enforcing affirmative action.

These unions are coalition partners with the racist, corrupt and anti-labor Minnesota Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. The union big-shots only care about the dues; the MN DFL only cares about campaign contributions--- working people suffer and these union big-shots and the MN DFL profit from racism and the rape of Mother Nature.

These same building trades unions talking about "jobs, jobs, jobs" are on record supporting the demolition of the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant and the labor lobbyists never even turned out for the hearing to support the "Minnesota People's Bailout."

These unions tried to prevent passage of the single-payer universal healthcare resolution at the MN DFL State Convention and now they are working to kill the single-payer healthcare movement completely while supporting Barack Obama's health insurance legislation which is a reactionary piece of legislation that should be defeated.

These same building trades unions entered into criminal "sweetheart deals" with the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association... these crooked and corrupt union "leaders" cheated their own members working on casino construction--- their members purchased jobs in lieu of being protected by a union contract--- a vile, corrupt, criminal and racist deal.

One only needs to look at their sickening racist conduct in pushing for lack of enforcement of affirmative action on the Bemidji Regional Event Center where these unions colluded with Kraus-Anderson to exclude Native American Indians from employment on this massive public works project to understand just how corrupt and racist these union leaders" are... they only view the short-term benefits, just like the capitalist bosses they have become so cozy with.

"It's time to go back and fix the things we left behind so we can move forward in unity for a better Minnesota."

Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 11:03 AM
Mrs. Erwin Marquit, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom,

I noticed your excellent program on "water" mentioned in David Shove's, "Progressive Calendar," Item #10. "Women/water/poems" taking place tomorrow (3.10 5:30pm).

Had I received earlier notice I would have made plans to attend this event with information about peat mining in the Big Bog and several other related issues.

Hopefully in this program on water you will make some mention of the peat mining in the Big Bog which is destroying the largest freshwater aquifer in the "lower forty-eight."

You will find materials on my blog along with the numerous material I have sent you over the years.

Your efforts in educating people about "water" is very important; every single lake, river and stream along with the ditches are contaminated and polluted. Much of the problem comes from air-borne contamination--- which means our land is also polluted along with the air we need to breathe... not good; everything we need to sustain like on our planet is being destroyed in the quest for maximum corporate profits. Just imagine what workers in the environments creating this problem are being subjected to.

I would also note that this peat mining in the Big Bog is the result of a very crooked and corrupt racist deal worked out to allow Red Lake Gaming Enterprises the right to build a new casino in International Falls in return for the Red Lake Tribal Council dropping its historic opposition to peat mining in the Big Bog... the present Tribal Council has pointed out that this "agreement" which wasn't made public to members of the Red Lake Band violates the sovereignty of the Red Lake Nation and is a violation of Treaty Rights. Since this is a watershed that impacts the Leech Lake Band, also, involved are the violation of their Treaty Rights, too.

This dirty deal is a perfect example of how racism and political corruption go hand-in-hand as a Minnesota former Governor, Elmer Benson, was always quick to point out.

At present, another such racist boon-doggle is underway; this time placing the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi in jeopardy and, again, in violation of the Treaty Rights of the Leech Lake Band, Red Lake Nation and White Earth Band. This project is known as the Bemidji Regional Event Center and the development of the shoreline of Lake Bemidji which Native American Indians not long ago called "home" until their racist and forced "removal."

Not only were there wholly inadequate environmental studies conducted before this racist boon-doggle began without any consideration of Native American Indian Treaty Rights or the involvement of the large Native American Indian community; but, no affirmative action program was ever developed--- thus denying Native American Indians employment on this mega-project which will end up costing tax-payers, of whom thousands of Native American Indians are included, well over two-hundred million dollars by the time this project is completed in its many phases to escape close public scrutiny of the environmental impact.

In these two projects, we clearly see how our living environment is being destroyed by these racist boon doggles that are part and parcel of a very corrupt political system held in place by systemic and institutionalized racism which is the most significant part of Bemidji's and Beltrami County's "tradition." It is no wonder that the City of Bemidji, Minnesota is known as "the most racist city in North America."

As I am sure you are aware, not one single Native American Indian is among the more than 200 sitting state legislators; nor do Native American Indians have a seat among Minnesota's Congressional delegation.

I point all of this out because ending systemic and institutionalized racism along with every form of racism and discrimination is going to have to be fought if we are going to protect Minnesota's waters--- our source of life and livelihoods.

Because so many liberal and progressive minded Minnesotans have been led to believe by the misinformation and lies spread by the mobsters in charge of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association that all life and sovereignty for Indian Nations revolves around the development of the Indian Gaming Industry, our very right to freshwater, which is the source of all life, has been completely ignored by politicians and the public officials they appoint whose job it is to protect our lakes, rivers and streams--- thus protecting life itself.
 
It is no coincidence that the very same corporate domination of our economy now dominating and controlling our politics is responsible for the destruction of our fresh water in the many lakes, rivers and streams of Minnesota is what is also responsible for maintaining the systemic and institutionalized racism forcing Native American Indian people to live in shameful and disgraceful poverty as their rights, lands and resources have
been stolen out from under them by a government which now refuses to enforce affirmative action even though racism in employment is everywhere in public and private enterprises.

The mainstream media has largely been responsible for keeping people "dumbed down" about the inter-connections between racism and the destruction of our living environment--- air, water, land, plants and animals. As a result, our very existence as a human race as to how we will be forced to live as the Wall Street coupon clippers, vultures and parasites profit from this racism and the destruction of our living environment.

Our society is paying a terrible price for racism... the destruction of our freshwater aquifers is among the terrible price we pay as state monopoly capitalism has spun this pernicious and hideous web of raw greed held together by racism which keeps us all divided so we are unable to save our waters or provide a "level playing field" when it comes to education and jobs--- I find it interesting that the only place where we find "level playing fields" in our society is when we are all given the same and "equal opportunity" to drink from the same contaminated and polluted waters and breathe the same polluted air.

People cannot survive without adequate supplies of fresh water to drink or air to breathe; just as people cannot survive without jobs.

The contamination and pollution of our waters and air is also imposing a tremendous burden on our healthcare system as people are getting sick and dying--- often very long and lingering diseases which cause much pain and suffering as a result of drinking and breathing contaminated and polluted air and water and food grown on contaminated and polluted soil.

I hope your organization, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, will begin putting all of this in the proper perspective as you discuss: water.

Many of these issues are like water, itself... they are all so interconnected like our lakes, rivers and streams it does us no good to try to separate one from the other.

Here in Minnesota, not coincidentally, the destruction of our waters actually began with the genocidal campaign of driving Native American Indians from their homes, robbing First Nations Peoples of their land and resources; which, were, while under their care and protection, pristine and unpolluted--- it took a campaign of racist genocide--- a well-planned and orchestrated campaign of genocide designed to forcefully push, through warfare and other devious and deceitful means and methods, Native American Indians onto reservations, thus depriving them  of all rights in the decision-making processes--- today, with the continued and rapid pace of destruction of our freshwater aquifers, we are reaping what has been sown through centuries of racism.

Our very corrupt political system which we have today had its birth in the racist campaign of genocide carried out, and being carried out still, today.

I hope you might pass this e-mail along to those attending your "Women/water/poems" gathering.

Also, your gathering might be interested in knowing there are three Native American Indian candidates now vying for Minnesota State Legislative offices in Senate District 4 along with House Districts 4A and 4B up here in northern Minnesota; their Democratic and Republican opponents have all been a party to maintaining the racist status quo and a party to the destruction of our watersheds and freshwater aquifers... so, you see, racism really is Minnesota's most dangerous pollutant.

Minnesota: The Land Of Ten Thousand Polluted Lakes and many broken treaties where human rights are systematically abused.

I would encourage you and the members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom to familiarize yourselves with these three Native American Indian candidates now seeking public office and standing up for all of us--- for, as Nicole Beaulieu--- one of the three candidates--- the DFL candidate for House District 4A--- has so eloquently stated: "It's time to go back and fix the things we left behind so we can move forward in unity for a better Minnesota." 


Original from Progressive Calendar:

--------10 of 15--------
From: Doris Marquit <http://us.mc656.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=marqu001@umn.edu>

Subject: Women/water/poems 3.10 5:30pm

This Wednesday, at the Nash Gallery (East Bank, U of M, 405 21st Ave. S.)
Minnesota women poets will read their original poems inspired by water.
This promises to be an unusual & delightful event in the series of
successful programs associated with the record-breaking Exhibit: "Women &
Water Rights: Rivers of Regeneration" now ongoing.

See
http://www.womenandwater.net/ for other related programs & events.
WATER LIGHTS POETRY READING

Wednesday March 10, 5:30-8 pm.

Katherine E. Nash Gallery
Poets reading include well-known (Carol Connolly, Maureen Skelly, Susu
Jeffrey, and others) and new talents.
Sponsors of the Exhibition and Related Events, running until March 25, are
The Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, the Women's Caucus
for Art, and the U of M Department of Art.

Yours in struggle and solidarity,
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for real change.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Shove [mailto:http://us.mc656.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=shove001@tc.umn.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 6:57 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Progressive Calendar 03.09.10
             P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R   03.09.10
1. Digital inclusion  3.09 8am
2. Propaganda 2010    3.09 5pm
3. Conversation       3.09 6:30pm
4. Amnesty Intl       3.09 7pm
5. Rainforest film    3.09 7pm
6. Philippines 2010   3.09 7pm
7. Drinking Greenly   3.09 7pm
8. Alliant vigil      3.10 7am
9. Anthropocene       3.10 12noon
10. Women/water/poems 3.10 5:30pm
11. Shamus Cooke - The fight to save public education
12. Chris Floyd  - Breaking the fever of militarism
13. Bill Quigley - 15 reasons for a revolution/ When silence is betrayal
14. Chris Hedges - Calling all rebels
15. Peaceteam.net - Dem party's plan to THROW the next couple elections
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
   - David Shove             shove001@tc.umn.edu

   Shove, rhymes with clove        
Progressive Calendar
over 2225 subscribers as of 12.19.02
please send all messages in plain text no attachments

                          vote third party
                           for president
                           for congress
                          now and forever
                           Socialism YES
                           Capitalism NO

Posted to the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party FaceBook Page…

The ENTIRE process including the precinct caucuses, county and state conventions AND the primary is what democracy is all about... and everyone has a right to have their views reflected by candidates and parties of their choice--- if the DFL wants the votes it had better respond to the concerns and problems along with the solutions people are looking for.

People are legitimately asking, "Where's the change?"

Right now, there isn't one single Native American Indian sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature or among Minnesota's Congressional delegation... this is turning into a very big problem for the Minnesota DFL who has been going after casino money for campaign contributions to the point where it looks like the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association owns the MNDFL lock, stock and barrel.

People want peace and real health care reform.

The time has come to put socialized healthcare on the table.

Minnesotans are fed up with paying for these dirty imperialist wars as well as funding the Israeli killing machine. People don't want to hear that these are Bush's wars; people are not stupid--- these wars belong to the Democrats as much as the Republicans and when people went to the polls the last time they cast their ballots expecting these wars to end.

People have the right to expect real change; they voted for progressive change and unless the MNDFL begins to reflect what people want and expect rather than worrying about how much it will cost to have to go through a primary election contest the MNDFL risks a lot of losses at the polls.

A very strong and clear signal should be sent to Barack Obama on all of these issues from the Minnesota DFL. DFL activists at the grassroots level and voters are pretty darn fed up with this politics as usual as problems of everyday ling continue to mount for so many people.

People see the MNDFL sabotaging legislation brought forward by its own progressive candidates like legislation designed to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant and the refusal to back the "Minnesota People's Bailout" as signs that the MNDFL doesn't give two-hoots about their problems.

Speaking for Minnesota's more than 40,000 casino workers let me assure you that casino workers who the MNDFL abandoned and left working in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights, we are not "happy campers."

Make up your minds if you would rather have the campaign contributions from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association or our 40,000 votes.

Many Minnesotans are pretty darn fed up--- keep it up DFL and the working people will once gain chew you up and spit you out as they leave the DFL in droves to organize a new political party more in keeping with the original Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party.

No peace; no votes.
No socialized healthcare; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.

We can provide the people of this country with a world-class public healthcare system paid for with funds saved from ending these dirty wars; almost ten-million new jobs across this country would be created in the process.

Instead of 800 U.S. military bases dotting the globe, we should have a vast network of community-based healthcare centers strung out across our country.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Alternate State Convention Delegate, Roseau County

Former MNDFL State Central Committee Member

I got my violin out and am playing "Cry Me A River" for all the over-paid "underpaid" doctors.

This is exactly why we do need socialized healthcare.

Give kids a free education to become doctors and other healthcare professionals and then put them on the public public payroll with wages comparable to teachers in the public schools.

What we need in this country is "no-fee/no-premium, comprehensive, all-inclusive, pre-natal to grave universal healthcare; publicly funded, publicly administered and publicly delivered.

Everybody in; all the profiteers--- doctors included--- out.

Still no answer to my question about John Marty's Minnesota Health Act--- how much will people have to pay?

From: Alan L. Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 1:07 PM
To: David Swanson (david@davidswanson.org); bswenson@bemidjipioneer.com
Cc: David Shove (shove001@tc.umn.edu); greenpartymike [ollamhfaery@earthlink.net] (ollamhfaery@earthlink.net); Working_Class_Study_and_Action@yahoogroups.com; John Kolstad (jkolstad@millcitymusic.com)
Subject: Still no answer to my question about John Marty's Minnesota Health Act--- how much will people have to pay?
David,

John Marty has been endorsed by PDA-Minnesota and you are a board member of the National PDA.

Interesting how you have acknowledged people were going to have to pay into the fund; but, you, like John Marty, conveniently ignore how much people will have to pay… this is the exact same kind of deceitful, manipulative maneuvering that got Barack Obama elected--- apparently the intent to try the same maneuvers with John Marty who is about as “progressive” as Barack Obama.

Again, the thoroughly regressive and reactionary legislation Marty has authored, the Minnesota Health Act, is nothing like what most people have in mind when they think in terms of “single-payer universal healthcare.”

It is because of shenanigans and deceit like this that we got Barack Obama as phony liberals, progressives and those on the left painted a surreal picture of Barack Obama which has left people stuck in the middle of a bad dream unable to sort through all the confusion just like PDA leaders attacked me when I distributed the article written by Barack Obama for “Foreign Affairs Magazine,” published by the same group of CEO’s from Wall Street who unleashed the Tea Party movement.

Since you obviously have a direct line of communication to John Marty, why don’t you ask him to state exactly how much we are going to be mandated to pay for this Minnesota Health Act… this is such a simple question to ask and answer; one which honesty requires asking and an answer from John Marty.

By-the-way; how are people supposed to calculate what they might “save” if you refuse to tell how much this will cost them? People are able to calculate what Social Security or Medicare is costing them; why would it be any more difficult for people to figure out how much people will be paying under the Marty Minnesota Health Act? I don’t even understand how you have the audacity to claim people will save money without telling people how much this will cost them.

You and I both know the reason you and John Marty want to conceal these figures--- John Marty’s campaign for governor would go down just like one-third support in the Minnesota State Legislature for the Minnesota Health Act assures its defeat… good riddance to both.

John Marty is going down for a much needed defeat in his bid, again, to become Minnesota governor… another regular loser like Harold Stassen.

Alan 

From: David Swanson <david@davidswanson.org>
Date: March 3, 2010 12:03:23 AM CST
To: "activists@lists.mayfirst.org" <activists@lists.mayfirst.org>
Subject: [Activists] Single-Payer Healthcare Coming to Minnesota and Maryland
Reply-To: david@davidswanson.org
Single-Payer Healthcare Coming to Minnesota and Maryland
By David Swanson
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/50474
California keeps passing bills for state single-payer healthcare, but Ahhhnold won't sign em, and Jerry Brown who wants to be governor doesn't seem to want it badly enough to make a commitment on healthcare.  Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is encouraged that their current governor has said he probably will sign a single-payer healthcare bill, and the legislature just might pass one.  But Minnesota has an angle neither of these other states can claim: a serious candidate for governor who is the state's leading advocate for single-payer.
State Senator John Marty was the Democratic nominee for governor of Minnesota 16 years ago and is making another run for it.  My friend Vin Gopal, who's working on Marty's campaign, tells me "Senator John Marty is the real deal. If he gets elected Governor this year, which he has a good shot at, it's a whole new ballgame for the single-payer movement. No other statewide candidate in the country is as committed to the movement as he is."
Marty tells me he's optimistic about bringing single-payer healthcare to Minnesota, and that he has a third of the legislature on board with it at this point.  Marty's election campaign can be supported here http://johnmarty.org/ and the campaign for single-payer in Minnesota can be found here http://muhcc.org/ and here http://mnhealthplan.org/
The legislation currently moving forward is somewhat unusual.  Like any single-payer plan, it would eliminate the for-profit health insurance companies and all of their bureaucracy.  It would cover all medical needs of all Minnesota residents.  There would be no co-pays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket expenses.  All bills would be paid by the single plan.  Those who now have no coverage would be covered.  Those who do have coverage would, in most or all cases, save money in the new system which would be far more efficient, purchase drugs in bulk, etc.  All of that should be familiar to supporters of single-payer or visitors to civilized nations.  What's different is that the word "premium" would still be around.
Most single-payer healthcare plans raise funding through taxes.  The Minnesota plan would ask the same Department of Revenue that collects taxes to collect premiums from both individuals and businesses, but the premiums would go into a separate fund for healthcare that could never be tapped for anything else.  Premiums would be based on each person's ability to pay, but they would not be optional.  However, they would fund a public system developed by elected representatives, unlike the legislation being considered in Congress which would require people to fund for-profit corporations that come with the built-in motivation to provide as little healthcare as possible.
Will Minnesota be our Saskatchewan, the Canadian province that led the way on healthcare?  Not if Maryland can help it.  I asked Eric Naumburg, a doctor with the Maryland chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, where things stood in his state, and he told me:
"We have bills in both the Maryland Senate (SB-682) and House of Delegates (HB-767).  The Senate Bill has 12 co-sponsors and the House Bill 38; that's approximately 1/4 of each chamber.  So far we have only Democrats on board.  The leadership has not taken serious notice yet but there are some good signs and we are really just getting started.  Also, between the state's budget problems, the upcoming election and the health insurance reform mess in Washington, we hear lots of excuses for why not this year. 
"The reality is that our bill, which is modeled after the one that has passed twice in California, has only general language about funding.  We are raising money for an economic impact study on the effects of single payer.  Key areas would include the effect on the state budget and economic growth within Maryland.   This will help us with the best ways to fund the system.  We continue to build our grassroots movement.   This summer we are planning a concerted effort to talk to as many legislators as possible. 
"As you have probably heard we have been collaborating on a weekly basis with groups from California and Pennsylvania; learning from each other's experiences.  California and Pennsylvania are further along in this process than we are; but we're working to catch up.  Also, the knowledge that there are several states working on state level single-payer healthcare reform has had a positive effect on some of our legislators.  Down the road there is the possibility that a region could develop single payer reform, e.g. two or more adjoining states."
Maryland and Pennsylvania?  The Mason Dixon line crossed by a humane healthcare region?  Why not.  And who knows, maybe the nation someday!
The Maryland Senate bill is scheduled for a hearing March 10th at 1:00 p.m. in the Finance Committee. 
--
David Swanson is the author of the new book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by Seven Stories Press.  You can order it and find out when tour will be in your town: http://davidswanson.org/book.
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Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Jim Bunning is playing for Team Wall Street…

When Jim Bunning was pitching, he shook off the calls from management... now he takes the calls from management.

Jim Bunning is playing for Team Wall Street…

This would not be happening if the Democrats called for a full mobilization of the American people to put an end to this kind of treachery; or, if our union leaders and civil rights organizations called out their members as has been done in Greece.

Of course, if the Democrats and Republicans were to see a new progressive party rising on the horizon in full support of peace and real reforms this would not be happening either.

It should be obvious to everyone by now that Obama and the Democrats have kicked liberals, progressives and the left under the wheels of the Wall Street bus which is now headed to take those living in the suburbs and gated communities to the polls in 2010 and 2012 leaving the rest of us completely disenfranchised unless we start a new progressive party willing to stand up for peace, healthcare and jobs:

PEACE=Healthcare+Jobs

Tell Barack Obama and the Democrats:

No peace; no votes.
No healthcare; no votes.
No jobs; no votes.

We can pay for a national public healthcare/socialized healthcare system with money saved from ending these dirty imperialist wars which would create almost ten-million new, good-paying jobs with workers employed at over 30,000 community based healthcare centers across the country. Instead, we get to pay for wars and over 800 U.S. military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street's profits and investments in quest of cheap labor and resources.

If we had policies based upon the needs of the people rather than corporate profits before people, everyone would be working paying into Social Security and we wouldn't have to be worried about paying people unemployment benefits because with a full employment economy producing for human needs we could open up the more than 3,800 presently closed mines, mills and factories across this country.

People before profits!

We are paying a terrible price because we lack a progressive political party like the old Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party which had been set to go national when its leader, the socialist Governor of Minnesota, Floyd. B. Olson, died.

Come to think of it, we are paying a terrible price for failing to take the time to understand our real history, too.

When Jim Bunning was a baseball player and a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who I used to watch in awe as a kid... he was a leading advocate for the player's union and defender of the rights and livelihoods of auto workers in Detroit... now he is trying to deprive working people who are unemployed through no fault of their own of miserly unemployment benefits as he boasts of having become a "conservative" Tea Party supporter pitching against the working class. Bunning still tosses a wicked curve-ball, but for his Wall Street team versus the Working Class.

It's time to bring the heavy hitters on the Working Class team up to bat... the rank-and-file, because the leaders are striking out.

Someone in the dugout sure as hell better wake up and smell the coffee.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Does Obama = Bush?

This is a comment I made on FaceBook.

 

Alan L. Maki

Dan, I don't think this is a matter of Obama=Bush; although I think it in many ways does because Obama is continuing from where Bush left off--- in many, if not most ways, in spite of what you consider to be pluses for Obama--- all things most "moderate" Republicans like James Baker would support.

This is a matter of Bush and Obama both serve the same Wall Street financial interests... Bush had a neo-liberal agenda; Obama has a neo-liberal agenda; which very simply means Obama is going to try to solve the problems created by Wall Street on the back of the working class.

Or, put another way: working people are going to be forced to suffer as Wall Street profits from trying to solve the problems it created in the quest of greater corporate profits in the first place.

Let's be open and honest here... we are in this mess because those at the top have reaped such high profits most of us have no money left to spend for much of anything anymore so the economy is in a state of collapse--- there isn't one single solid economic indicator that this economy is "turning around... in fact, all the leading economic indicators point to a capitalist economy on the brink of complete collapse on the skids to oblivion dragging us all down a very treacherous and dangerous road to perdition with no stops in purgatory for a breather.

The well-paid and well-heeled apologists for this rotten capitalist system have no answers to these problems. There only answer to every single problem is doing what is right for business--- which means reaping profits.

Wall Street profits, working people suffer--- it's that old thing about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Immanuel Wallerstein, who has been one of the "Progressives for Obama," came out with this very interesting commentary today.

Note, I say he has been a supporter of Obama but in a recent e-mail exchange with me he seems to be backing away from his support for Obama in stating to me I should "not assume he supports Obama."

In general, I agree with much of Wallerstein's analysis. This one here I agree with him completely.

Check it out, see what you think. By the way, Wallerstein issues a bi-weekly "Commentary" which you can have e-mailed to you for free:

To correspond with the author, write immanuel.wallerstein@yale.edu.

 
To correspond with us about your e-mail address on the listserv, write dunlop@binghamton.ed

Thank you.

Commentary No. 276

Mar. 1, 2010

"Greek Mess, Euromess, Western Nations Mess, World Mess?"

Everyone is discussing what Fortune magazine is calling the "Greek maelstrom" and everyone is pointing the finger at someone else. Whose fault is it? The Greek government is accused of cheating and allowing Greeks to live beyond their means. The European Union is accused of having created an impossible structure for the euro.

Or is the fault with Goldman Sachs? It is accused of having enabled the Greek government to falsify its accounts when it sought to join the euro monetary system. It is accused today of engaging in "credit-default swaps" that make the situation of the Greek government even more vulnerable, but to the bank's profits.

The head of credit strategy at UniCredit in Munich says this is like "buying insurance on your neighbor's house - you create an incentive to burn down the house."

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany calls Goldman Sachs' actions in 2002 "scandalous" and Christian Lagarde, France's Finance Minister, calls now for greater regulation of credit-default swaps.

Niall Ferguson says that "A Greek crisis is coming to America." He calls this "a fiscal crisis of the Western world." Ferguson is preaching the evils of public debt and of the concept of a "Keynesian free lunch," which in the end is a "drag on growth."

Paul Krugman says it's a "Euromess" because Europe should not have adopted a single currency before it was ready to have political union. But now the euro can't be allowed to break up since it would trigger a worldwide financial collapse.

Meanwhile, it seems everyone is pressuring the Greek government to reduce its public debt as a percentage of GNP from over 12% to say 4% in say four years. Can it do this? Should it do this? The Greek government says it will do something. This "something" has been enough to bring about massive strikes of farmers, hospital workers, air traffic controllers, customs officials, and all those who are being asked to reduce their income in the middle of an economic crisis and increased unemployment.

Should Germany do something? The Germans don't want to for two principal reasons. The first is the prospective demand of other states in economic difficulty (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland) for the same thing. The second is the internal pressures of their citizens who see any help to Greece as money that is being taken away from them, when they too are feeling an economic squeeze.

On the other hand, if Greece (and other countries) squeeze their citizens to pay down the debt, it means reduced purchasing power for imports - first of all, from Germany. And this means in turn a downturn for the German economy. Josef Joffe, the editor of Germany's Die Zeit, groans: "Europe has become a huge welfare state for everybody, for states as well as individuals."

Meanwhile, the euro is slumping and the dollar is once again, for a moment, a "safe haven." Ferguson warns us that "US government debt is a safe haven the way Pearl Harbor was a safe haven in 1941."

When an analyst in the Financial Times suggested that Germany was going after all to bail out Greece, a German reader commented: "So what you're saying is give them your money to spend in your shop." But isn't that just what the Chinese do when they buy U.S. Treasury bonds?

What these multiple cross-cutting analyses of short-term blame and short-term gain miss is that the problem is worldwide and structural. Banks exist to make money. The games Goldman Sachs has been playing (and other banks as well) has not only been with Greece, but with many, many countries - even with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, even with the United States.

This is because governments wish to survive. To do this, they need to spend enough money to prevent a "maelstrom" and civil uprising. And if they don't take in enough taxes to do this (both because they don't want to raise taxes further and because a weaker economy means less overall tax income), they must "massage" their accounts by borrowing.

And covert borrowing (from banks, for example) is better than overt borrowing, since it enables governments to avoid criticism, until the day when the secret gets revealed, and there's a "run on the bank."

Greece's problems are indeed Germany's problems.

Germany's problems are indeed the United States' problems. And the United States' problems are indeed the world's problems. Analyzing who did what in the last ten years is far less useful than discussing what, if anything, can be done in the next ten years. What is going on is a world-wide game of chicken. Everyone seems to be waiting for who will flinch first. Someone is going to make a mistake. And then we'll have what Barry Eichengreen has called "the mother of all financial crises." Even China will be affected by that one.

by Immanuel Wallerstein

[Copyright by Immanuel Wallerstein, distributed by Agence Global. For rights and permissions, including translations and posting to non-commercial sites, and contact:

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To contact author, write: immanuel.wallerstein@yale.edu

These commentaries, published twice monthly, are intended to be reflections on the contemporary world scene, as seen from the perspective not of the immediate headlines but of the long term.]