http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/group_rss/DenverCounty Stay connected to other progressives in Denver County. Click on the "Join Group" button near the top of the page. You think I'm kidding? It could have happened to me. A few winters ago I let my new neighbor--a woman who had just escaped from an abusive relationship--borrow my car. She knocked on my door in the middle of the night, crying. Her newborn baby had a 105 degree fever, and she had to get to the emergency room. Everything went fine until she was pulled over because one of the brake lights had burned out. As it turns out, her license had been suspended due to an unpaid ticket, and she didn't even know it. It was no big deal--the police called me, I put on my moon boots, and trudged half a mile to drive her and her baby home from the spot where she was pulled over. The police were nice, considering the circumstances: no tickets for her or for me. If I-300 had been law, the police would have been required to impound my car, and I would have been forced to pay the $2,700 in bonds and fees to retrieve my car from the impound lot. And that doesn't even include the cost of towing. That's why I'm asking you to vote No on Denver's Initiative 300 before 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. It's deceptive. It's scary. It's expensive. And it's unnecessary. Police officers already have the ability to impound vehicles if they are concerned about public safety. The Denver Post , Mayor Hickenlooper, ten members of the Denver City Council, House Speaker Terrance Carroll, and a long list of Denver community organizations and individuals oppose Initiative 300. And the proponents of this nightmare are counting on low turnout in an off-year election to sneak this one past us. You can get more details on Initiative 300 by visiting http://www.VoteNoOnImpound.com . Three Things You Can Do Right now Vote . Turn in your ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. You can drop it off at the Webb Building downtown (201 W Colfax) or do a drive-through dropoff at the Denver Elections Division office. (3888 E. Mexico Ave. at Colorado Blvd.). It's too late to mail it--you need to hand deliver it. Forward this e-mail to 5 friends in Denver. Share this information on Facebook status, Twitter, and other social networks to remind people to vote and vote no on I-300. If you haven't received your ballot yet, or if you lost it or spoiled it, go to either the Webb Building or the Denver Elections Division before 6:00 p.m. today, or between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. If you have any questions about the process, dial 311 to contact the Denver Elections Division . http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZRT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZRT/commentary#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:27:26 EST http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZRT Michael Ditto http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/f660dc8ce688a8bfdc_5fmmv2i99.jpg Michael Ditto 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZRT/   There's an election on Tuesday!  If you vote by mail and haven't turned your ballot in yet, hand-deliver your ballot to your County Clerk's office Monday or Tuesday to ensure that it's received in time for your vote to count. Your county may have more than one possible drop-off location for your convenience. If you haven't received your ballot yet, contact your county clerk to find out how to obtain a replacement ballot. Below, we've included some other information that may help. Whether you're liberal, conservative, progressive, libertarian, or a completely unaffiliated free spirit,  vote . The elections in odd years involve local issues from school boards to city council to county commissioner. There may also be bond issues, initiatives, and referenda--all very local to your city or county. Although elections call to mind voting for President, Governor, and legislature, the fact is that most of what affects our daily lives happens locally. Our schools, our city streets, our zoning boards, even our trash collection are all local issues. If you don't exercise your right to vote in these local elections, you will miss the best opportunity you will have this year to affect change for yourself and your family. Helpful Information According to the Secretary of State, there is an election in every Colorado county except Archuleta, Hinsdale, and Phillips. Most Colorado counties have an all-mail election this year. If you have not received a ballot or information on where to vote, contact your county clerk right away. Your ballot must be  received  by your county clerk no later than 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd for your vote to be counted. Postmarks don't count. If you already voted by mail, you can make sure your ballot was received on the Secretary of State's secure voter lookup website: https://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/secuVoterHome.do If your county has a polling place election, your polling place may not be in the same location as last year. Contact your County Clerk if you are not sure where you should vote. If you need to contact your county clerk for any of the above reasons, you can find your county clerk's contact information here: http://www.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspx?PageMenuID=1397 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZR8 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZR8/commentary#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:58:07 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZR8 Michael Ditto http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/f660dc8ce688a8bfdc_5fmmv2i99.jpg Michael Ditto 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZR8/ If Initiative 300 in Denver passes, and you forget your wallet and get pulled over, police officers will be forced to impound your car leaving you stranded. Which is why we're asking for your help. We need you to vote  No on Initiative 300 if you live in Denver County. It's deceptive. It's scary. It's expensive. And it's unnecessary. Police officers already have the ability to impound vehicles if they are concerned about public safety. The Denver Post , Mayor Hickenlooper, ten members of the Denver City Council, House Speaker Terrence Carroll, and a long list of Denver community organizations and individuals oppose Initiative 300 . And the proponents of this nightmare are counting on low turnout in an off-year election to sneak this one past us. What can you do? Send an e-mail to 5 friends in Denver and ask them to vote no. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers in person about how important it is for them to return their ballots, and ask them to vote no on Initiative 300. Sign up to volunteer . As for voting, the 2009 Election will be Mail-In Ballot only. Voting couldn't be easier-- it just takes 2 stamps to return, or you can drop it off to the Denver Election Commission in person. So please Vote NO on Initiative 300 and help spread the word. If you live in Denver, you should have received your ballot in the mail. To check on your voter registration and on the status of your ballot, click here to look it up at the Secretary of State: http://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter If you believe you are registered to vote and you have not received your ballot, call 311 today . http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZnR http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZnR/commentary#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:34:37 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/michaelditto/CZnR Michael Ditto http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/f660dc8ce688a8bfdc_5fmmv2i99.jpg Michael Ditto 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZnR/ This is bad for democracy because it gives ESS monopoly power for controlling elections in the US. The voting irregularities in past elections concerning equipment manufactured by ESS and Diebold should be ample warning that giving monopoly power to one electronic voting machines manufacturer should never be tolerated in a democracy. McClatchy News' Washington Bureau scoop of the day: " WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Camden, N.J., agreed late Friday to hear a request for an emergency injuction that could halt Election Systems & Software's announced acquisition of Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions. The quietly arranged shotgun wedding between the two voting-machine giants would give ES&S control of election systems in use in almost 70 percent of the nation's voting precincts. Federal Judge Robert Kugler agreed to hear Tuesday the request for immediate injunction brought by a small competitorm, Hart InterCivic Inc...." http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/76093.html http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZS2 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZS2/commentary#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:48:21 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZS2 Ken Ken 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZS2/ Religious Leaders Urge Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy Jobs As leaders from Colorado’s faith communities, we call for dramatic action to avert the most drastic effects of global climate change as one of the dominant moral imperatives of our time. The earth, our home, is a gift—we did not create it or earn it, and we do not own it, but we do have a sacred responsibility to be good stewards of that gift. The earth's resources are finite, and with our technological prowess we have the ability to upset the ecological balance which supports our life on this earth. We must be attentive to the impacts of our activity on the environment, and not foolishly pretend that we are immune from those impacts. We believe that our planet is in great peril from the threat of climate change. We believe it is real, and that it is to a significant extent human-induced. We accept the vast body of scientific evidence which forecasts severe consequences for the Earth and all its inhabitants—including rising sea levels, increased drought and desertification, more frequent and more severe extreme weather events, ocean acidification, new disease epidemics, massive population relocation and attendant conflicts-- if we fail to act. Our thirst to consume the earth's natural resources, and our reliance on old energy sources which emit greenhouse gases, has led us to a both a spiritual and environmental crisis. In view of this, for us as spiritual leaders to remain silent would be an abdication of our responsibilities. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZSJ http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZSJ/commentary#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:49:18 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZSJ Nelson Bock http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/4b519578d91f18752b_efm6b4e7n.jpg Nelson Bock 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZSJ/ It seems the Supreme Court is poised to rule that corporations are truly “people” under the law and as such, are protected by the First Amendment’s right to free speech. This will overturn over one hundred years of legal precedent and create a political imbalance of seismic proportions. The current ability of large corporate interests to influence legislators through their lobbyists will pale in comparison to the ability to directly participate in partisan politics that a Supreme Court ruling would allow. Literally billions of dollars could flow into efforts to defeat legislators who do not toe their line, thus drastically changing our nation’s political landscape. The voices of average citizens, non-profits and even labor unions would be buried under an avalanche of corporate cash. If the Supreme Court decides that a corporation has First Amendment rights, protected by the Constitution the same as a natural born person, then it follows that a corporation should be extended all other rights a person has under the Constitution. This should include the right to vote in local, state and federal elections, in addition to the individual voting rights of the officers and stockholders of the corporation. If and when the Supreme Court issues the expected ruling, a sympathetic corporation should attempt to register as a voter and when registration is denied, file a federal lawsuit. A creative mind could imagine many more rights that personhood would bestow upon corporations. Such actions would be viewed as frivolous by Federal Courts but would be newsworthy and serve to draw attention to the issue and hopefully spur an expanded debate. The time has come for a Constitutional Amendment that would redefine the status of corporations. A campaign to advance such an amendment would have the advantage of the simple sound bites and simple mantras that every voter could understand. After our near financial collapse caused partly by corporate greed, now may be the perfect time to introduce such a measure. Support may never be this high again. Something must be done quickly. Such a ruling would effectively usurp the current moderate, liberal, progressive voting majority in this country and replace it with a permanent right wing majority in Congress and a permanent “lock” on the White House…beginning as soon as 2010 and 2012... all bought and paid for by major corporate interests. The establishment of a corporate state was a central tenant of our enemies in WWII. The threat to our Representative Democracy should be apparent to all. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZNR http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZNR/commentary#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:00:29 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZNR Darryl Eskin http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/078fe461d1d51def72_wwnmv2yq7.jpg Darryl Eskin 1 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZNR/ It is a fact that every day, health insurance companies wrongfully deny claims, deny coverage to those with preexisting conditions and cancel policies when policyholders get sick. The only point that could be debated is how many...hundreds each day, thousands? There are millions of Americans who idolize Rush Limbaugh. They believe all his lies and the lies of the right wing mouthpieces on Fox News. Many of them have been incited to disrupt townhall meetings and some have even been incited to intimidate health care reform supporters and Democratic legislators by brandishing loaded pistols and assault rifles at those meetings. Logic dictates that a certain number of them have since joined the ranks of those whose claims have been denied or whose policies have been canceled. There must also be some who now face financial ruin as a result. How many of these souls have changed their tune? How many have seen the light? It would certainly be interesting if some of these folks could be identified and consent to be interviewed on camera for the purpose of relating their tales of woe. For those moderate Americans who are still on the fence concerning health insurance reform, it would be a most enlightening experience to see and hear such interviews. Just a thought. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZSC http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZSC/commentary#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:08:15 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/DarrylEskin/CZSC Darryl Eskin http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/078fe461d1d51def72_wwnmv2yq7.jpg Darryl Eskin 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZSC/ Professor Jacob Hacker originally defined the concept of an ideal 'public option' as part of health care reform a decade ago. He evaluates current health care proposals in his recent report Public Plan Choice in Congressional Health Plans: the Good, the Not-so-good, and the Ugly . On page 20 Hacker includes a chart comparing 4 of the current federal proposals based on 5 criteria against his definition of the ideal public plan. Hacker writes, "The simplest public option is to let people without employer-provided health insurance to buy into Medicare, or a similar program, at cost." Democrats started with a compromise position, failing to make the best case for health care reform as key to economic recovery -- a single public-payer model with full choice of private providers (unlike private insurances that limit provider access). Instead, Democrats have promoted a largely undefined 'public option,' and permitted the political right to define the terms of the debate using distortion and distraction. As Hacker notes, a strong public plan at the very least must be built on Medicare's existing provider network and payment methods, and not weakened by requiring the plan to create a provider network from scratch, or to negotiate rates individually with each provider across the nation. Access to a 'public plan' should not be restricted to only the smallest firms. The best way for President Obama and Democrats to reclaim the issue is by making their 'public option' an optional Medicare buy-in for anyone. Medicare is known and liked by most people, and not so easily distorted. Medicare has low overhead costs for built-in cost containment, and its structure is in place -- it could be up and running relatively quickly, with no need to create a whole new program at additional cost. Enlarging Medicare's risk pool by permitting younger people to buy in on a sliding scale would improve its financial stability. Additional improvements to Medicare would encompass eliminating costly high subsidies to privatized Medicare Advantage plans, and permitting negotiation of drug prices as is done in other countries, while improving provider reimbursement. See also: 'Public Option' a Shadow of Its Original Intent - Dr. Marcia Angell Advises Optional Medicare Buy-In STATE & LOCAL SAVINGS WITH SINGLE PAYER Share with legislators the 6-page Summary of State and Local Savings of Single Payer in the 2007 Lewin Report as a remedy to strained local and state budgets. Some public policy people are beginning to consider these savings as states become more distressed. NUMBERS OF UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED IN COLORADO A Denver Post editorial recently repeated the error of attributing all unpaid medical bills to the uninsured. "If we only insure the uninsured, runs the thinking, cost-shifting in the form of rising premiums for the insured will be ended" -- completely ignoring the link between growing numbers of underinsured and the increased unpaid medical costs over the past decade. In addition to denial or delay of care, insurance companies make money by shifting more costs to families and individuals by moving them to "catastrophic" or "consumer-driven" health plans with less coverage and high out-of-pocket costs. A 2008 Study   by doctors at the University of Colorado School of Medicine revealed that of those with insurance for a full year, <b> 36.3% were underinsured</b> -- that is, they reported the delay or omission of recommended care because of their inability to afford it; half felt that their health suffered because they could not afford recommended care. A 2009 Study by Families USA reported that <b> 32.4% of Coloradans were uninsured</b> - nearly 1 out of 3 people under age 65 had no health insurance all or part of the 2-year period 2007-2008.  Combined, the numbers indicate that at any point in time, as many as 68.5% of Coloradans may be under- or uninsured. RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF SINGLE PAYER Denver Democrats Executive Committee voted 44-4 for a resolution urging our state and federal legislators to support single payer health care reform. Read about it . Other Colorado county Democrats have also expressed support of a single-payer system, including Montrose, Boulder, Costilla, Hinsdale, La Plata, Arapahoe counties, and recently Jeffco. The nation's mayors passed a Resolution in support of single payer, HR 676, at their gathering last summer. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZNS http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZNS/commentary#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:20:54 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZNS Michele S Michele S 1 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZNS/ Another small window of opportunity for a congressional debate and vote on the single payer bill (HR 676) will open next month. In response to Rep. Anthony Wiener's (D-NY) proposed amendment for HR 676 in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Speaker Pelosi agreed to have a debate and a vote on the single payer bill on the House floor after Congress reconvenes in the Fall. Please urge your representatives to support the single payer proposal - more suggested talking points below. The "public option" has been diluted from its original intent - see piece below. Fearmongering around "government-controlled" health care has been used to distract from our Wall-St. controlled health care. See  The Tyranny of Wall St.-Run Health Care: No CEO Left Behind .  Genesis of the Public Option & Its Dilution The "public option" has been diluted – testament to the influence of the monied lobbies. It is a rule of negotiation not to start with compromise, and, instead to make the best case for reform upfront. The best case for comprehensive coverage and cost containment is a single public payer model with full free choice of private providers -- from that position, compromise would at least be a stronger "public option." The Public Option feature of health care reform was conceived by political science professor Jacob Hacker, whose most recent iteration in 2007 is named the "Health Care for America Plan." Hacker envisioned it as a "Medicare-like" program that would sell health insurance to the non-elderly in competition with the 1,000 to 1,500 health insurance companies that sell insurance today. Kip Sullivan, member of Minnesota Physicians for a National Health Program, recently evaluated the "public option" features of House and Senate Democratic proposals, and concluded that they are faint shadows of Hacker’s original proposal. Read the full piece about the genesis of the public option & its dilution. The  5 original criteria that Hacker and the Lewin Group (which evaluated it) said are critical to the success of the "public option": •• The Public Option had to be pre-populated with tens of millions of people, that is, it had to begin like Medicare did representing a large pool of people the day it commenced operations (Hacker proposed shifting all or most uninsured people as well as Medicaid and SCHIP enrollees into his public program); •• Subsidies to individuals to buy insurance would be substantial, and only Public Option enrollees could get subsidies (people who chose to buy insurance from insurance companies could not get subsidies); •• The Public Option and its subsidies had to be available to all nonelderly Americans (not just the uninsured and employees of small employers); •• The Public Option had to be given authority to use Medicare’s provider reimbursement rates; and •• The insurance industry had to be required to offer the same minimum level of benefits the Public Option had to offer. Concluded Sullivan, of Hacker’s five criteria, only one is met by the Democrats’ proposed bills – i.e., both proposals require the insurance industry to cover the same benefits the "public option" must cover. None of the other four criteria are met . As Robert Kuttner writes ( Faint Praise ): "...the likelihood is that whatever finally makes it through this session of Congress will reinforce and further bloat the current disaster of a health insurance system rather than fundamentally changing it. And if the decent elements of the plan are blocked, Obama should have the courage to pull the bill and take his case to the people....The satisfaction of a Rose Garden signing ceremony is not worth it, if the plan is more thorn than rose." Talking Points to take to Legislators Legislators need to hear from constituents in order to counter the $1.4 million/day spent by insurance, PHRMA & other special interests steering the health care reform debate to benefit their bottom lines. Some things we might tell our senators/represenatives: Eliminate For-Profit Insurances – The U.S. is the only country that continues to build its health insurance system around for-profit insurances. Most other industrialized nations prohibit for-profit insurance for primary health care; private insurance is reserved for supplemental coverage (e.g., private hospital room with TV, cosmetic surgeries, etc.). Underwriting should be eliminated, and true universal coverage provided. Extend Medicare to All – As Dr. Marcia Angel says, the simplest way to expand health coverage to all (even in stages) is to expand Medicare coverage to all. It can be expanded by decade - lower the qualifying age to 50, then 40, etc. The infrastructure for Medicare billing, etc. is in place; it only needs to be improved, e.g., to permit negotiation of bulk drug and medical equipment costs; and the more costly privatized Medicare plans eliminated. Support the amendment offered by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), which would effectively replace the entire existing health plan with the text of H.R. 676, Rep. John Conyers' single-payer legislation. Speaker Pelosi has agreed to permit debate and a vote on Weiner's Single Payer Amendment sometime after the House reconvenes in September . A True Public Option – must include the 5 main criteria listed by Hacker above. The "Public Option" won’t save much money, but it may provide the competition to keep private insurances "more honest." CBO Report of Single Payer Savings – The Congressional Budget Office should report the cost savings of the single-payer proposals (HR676 & SB703) side-by-side with the cost analysis of every other proposal. Over 20 federal and state studies since 1990 show considerable cost savings with the single-payer model. If the Blue Dog Democrats are serious about cost containment, they should demand the full CBO Report – see Blue Dogs Should Demand CBO Report of Single Payer Savings Means-testing for subsidies adds a high "non-benefit" cost. It is less costly to simply cover everyone (like Medicare) instead of making folks jump through hoops to prove eligibility (for subsidies, etc). Read the comments of Merton C. Bernstein , leading health insurance expert and law professor emeritus at Washington University, who notes that private health insurance non-benefit costs range from about 12% to as much as 30% of outlays – compared to Medicare overhead of 3%. Kucinich Amendment in Support of State Single Payer – Urge our senators and representatives to assure that the Kucinich Amendment is part of any health bill that passes, to help states pass single payer reform without federal ERISA challenges. At least 10 states have written single payer proposals thus far. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZRt http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZRt/commentary#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:03:56 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZRt Michele S Michele S 4 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZRt/ Two-hundred and fifty people gathered on the steps of the Colorado Capitol Saturday, May 30 as part of a "National Day of Action" to advocate for a single-payer model of health care reform. People came from Colorado Springs, Buena Vista and Ft. Collins as well as metro Denver to share stories and data about the utter failure of U.S. health care, which has become a profit-center for multi-payer insurances and hospitals at the expense of health care access for the people of Colorado. Roya, a rally organizer from Health Care for All Colorado, related the story of a friend, repeatedly denied health care due to a "pre-existing" condition of cancer, until she died. Mike, a leader of ArapaHope Community Team, another rally organizer, told of continuous denial of health care coverage since he had a mild heart attack 14 years ago. Fort Collins physician, Dr. Cory Carroll expressed the frustration of primary care providers whose care for patients is often complicated or obstructed by for-profit private insurances that assume the right to deny or delay claims. Sen. Morgan Carroll observed that insurance companies make their profit by over-charging premiums, which rose 98% from 2000-2007, and by denying necessary health care. In Colorado, unlicensed and unqualified insurance industry folks deny necessary medical treatment. Asking "Where are our priorities?" Sen. Carroll noted that we have spent billions more on wall street bailouts than it would cost to provide health care to every single American for decades. Read more of Sen. Carroll's remarks . Single-Payer has been declared "off the table" by Sen. Baucus and others in Washington. When Gov. Howard Dean visited Denver last week to promote a parallel public health care option, he drew gasps from his progressive audience when he suggested that Medicare Part D was "good" reform --perhaps a mark of the insularity of Washington culture, and a disconnect  on the part of some of our leaders. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxY http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxY/commentary#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:48:52 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxY Michele S Michele S 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZxY/ Talk about double-speak. One sign I saw carried by a Tea Party supporter said, "If you like socialism, you'll love fascism". That ditto-head obviously does not understand what either of those terms means. Fascism (rule by corporations, which requires the supression of democracy and civil rights) is what we had for the last eight years and got us into the mess we have now. Fascism is antithetical to democracy. Socialism is not. There is such a thing as democratic socialism. You may not like socialism, but don't equate it to fascism. The real fascists are those who will tell any like and will not stop at undermining democracy in order to preserve the rule of the corporate elite. That's what these "Tea-party" demonstrations were about. Don't be deceived, like many no doubt well-meaning but ill-informed participants were. Current tax rates are among the lowest in our country's history. How much lower do they want to go? As Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said, "Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society". If the sentiments of the Tea-Party demonstrators are any indication of our society's level of civilization, then less taxes is the last thing we need. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZxX http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZxX/commentary#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:08:36 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CZxX Nelson Bock http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/4b519578d91f18752b_efm6b4e7n.jpg Nelson Bock 2 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZxX/ Rep. John Kefalas has done a stellar job of shepherding the Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act (HB 1273) through two committees - Business Affairs & Labor and Appropriations - and a second reading in the House. The bill is scheduled for 3rd reading and final vote in the House on Monday, April 13, where it now has 32 votes. One more vote is needed or it will die. Six Democrats have yet to indicate they will vote affirmatively. Please call and email each of the following representatives before 9 a.m. on Monday morning. Speaker Terrence Carroll 303-866-2909 terrance.carroll.house@state.co.us Rep. Kathleen Curry 303-866-2945 kathleencurry@montrose.net Rep. Wesley McKinley 303-866-2398 mckinley@cowboywes.com Rep. Karen Middleton 303-866-3911 karen@karenmiddleton.com Rep. Jim Riesberg 303-866-2929 jim.riesberg.house@state.co.us Rep. Christine Scanlan 303-866-2952 christine.scanlan.house@state.co.us The Board of Directors of the Health District of Northern Larimer County wrote a 6-page objective analysis of HB 1273, and voted unaminously to endorse the bill - one of more than 60 group endorsers. Read their Analysis . The Northern Colorado Business Report, which has remained out in front in reporting on health care reform, on March 13 printed an editorial endorsement of HB 1273. Read their Endorsement . Opponents of HB 1273 have predictably focused on "free market" arguments invoking "competition" and "choice", though, honestly, people want a choice of health care providers, not minimum-benefit insurances that leave them at risk. Rep. Kefalas has consistently maintained that to move to a quality-centered health care system, competition should occur among providers, not among for-profit insurances. Kefalas rightly notes that we need a new health care paradigm that also permits greater transparency in order to facilitate determination of best practices and health care outcomes. Currently, thousands of different insurers each maintain secrecy around their own proprietary data. One of the oft-used arguments to foreclose debate of HB 1273 - used by Republicans and by the governor’s office - has been the notion that the 208 Commission studied the single payer proposal in depth and rejected it. Nevertheless, we who were present at most of the 208 Commission meetings witnessed the almost immediate dismissal of any consideration of the Single Payer model. There was true disbelief expressed by Commission Chair Bill Lindsay (among others) - "That can’t be!" - when the Lewin Group reported the cost savings of single payer. It was the only one of 5 proposals that showed cost savings for providers, businesses, families, hospitals, and a net savings for the state of $1.4 billion, as well as the ability to provide comprehensive coverage for all. There was never any attempt by the Commission to follow up with study of  the Single Payer model - rather, they dismissed it in 4 cursory sentences in their Final Report to the legislature, calling it "politically unfeasible." The Commission devoted most of their time to writing their own proposal of incremental reforms based on the Massachusetts model of a mandate for private insurances. So, debate around the Single Payer model has been consistently short-circuited at all levels, with an effective media blackout among the large Denver-area print media. It bears repeating that throughout the 208 Commission process, the Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain News rejected pieces related to the Single Payer model, preferring instead pieces by "free-market" advocates. The business editor of the News informed me that he did not want "to confuse his readers" with information about single payer. By comparision, the Ft. Collins and Pueblo newspapers excelled at presenting pros and cons of all aspects of the health care reform debate. We have yet to have a thorough honest debate of the Single Payer model of health care that has not been distorted by opponents’ framing, too often with capitulation from some of our Democratic leaders. As recently as April 7 when Rep. Diana DeGette gave her signature health care reform speech before the City Club of Denver, she conceded the issue by using opponents’ framing of health care reform. Promising "strong doctor-patient relationships - free from government interference...," DeGette disregarded the fact that only a single-payer model offers full choice of providers; nor did she mention the $20 billion annual interference of private insurance plans that daily breach patient-doctor relationships, gaming the system using "Denial Management" to deny, delay and renege on insurance claims. "...let there be no doubt: ‘socialized medicine’ is not coming to America," promised DeGette. Again, our Democratic leaders too often fail to define issues and inform people, but rather fall into the trap of letting Republicans and corporate interests define the terms of every debate. For the first time since Rep. Kefalas introduced the Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act (HB 1273) this legislative session, on Monday April 6 there was a relatively brief (1-1/2 hour) window for debate about the issue of single payer on the House floor. It was a powerful experience to witness  Democrats stepping up to present the case for a sytemic health care reform, countering the specious arguments presented by the opposition. I will summarize the April 6 HB 1273 House floor debate in a subsequent post. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxx http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxx/commentary#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:47:46 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZxx Michele S Michele S 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZxx/ The East Denver Neighborhood Volunteers for Change is excited to bring together three experienced and knowledgeable speakers to discuss Residential Alternative Energy. If you've ever considered the possibility of adding solar panels to your home or helping others in your community to do so, then you'll want to attend this event. Details: Date : Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 Time : 3pm Location : Greater Park Hill Community Office (2823 Fairfax St., Denver, CO 80207 map ) Speakers: Dr. Kenneth Lichtenstein, MD will be discussing the decisions, concerns, and results of the installation of the 5kw system at his home in Park Hill by Namaste (the company that President Obama highlighted during his visit here for the Stimulus bill signing). State Sen. Morgan Carroll will be discussing the bill she introduced -- SB09-51, which (among other things) provides financing of alternative energy installations for low-income households Mr. Jonah Fruchter from the Sierra Club will be discussing alternative energy, available rebates, and the need for grassroots involvement. A 20 minute question and answer session will follow. Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP so that we'll know how many people to expect. You can RSVP by going to http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpt4vl http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/davewolf/CZxB http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/davewolf/CZxB/commentary#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:55:07 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/davewolf/CZxB Dave Wolf http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/9b43c5b277561792ce_z037mvksc.jpg Dave Wolf 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZxB/ Media Blackout on Single-Payer Healthcare, a report by FAIR reveals that proponents of single-payer health care reform have been virtually shut out of the debate, despite polls showing strong public support - 59-to-32 over a privatized system in a New York Times/CBS survey (January 2009). In the week prior to President Obama’s health summit, two of only three mentions of single-payer on TV outlets were by guests who strongly oppose it. Full Report A May 2005 Pew Poll revealed that 65 percent agreed government should guarantee health coverage for every American "even if it means raising taxes." In a 2009 Lake Research Partners survey, nearly 7 in 10 voters expressed a desire for complete overhaul or major reform of the health care system. The April 2008 Annals of Internal Medicine reported that 59 percent of U.S. doctors supported "government legislation to establish national health insurance," an increase of 10 percent of doctors over 5 years. The debate continues to be short-circuited, an effective blackout in some media markets since the convening of the Colorado 208 Commission on Health Care Reform. Though the CHS single-payer proposal was the only 1 of 5 proposals demonstrating state cost savings of $1.4 billion and comprehensive coverage for all, it was buried in the Commission’s final report and dismissed as ‘politically unfeasible.’ Throughout the 208 Commission process, the Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain News printed only health care reform pieces by ‘free-market’ advocates. The  News business editor, Rob Reuteman backed out of his promise to give equal time to single-payer, saying that it is "pie-in-the-sky" and "I don’t want to confuse the readers." Media marginalization continues. The Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act (HB 1273) moved out of the Business Affairs Committee on March 18, with at least 100 supporters, many providers and small business owners testifying about the need to address the declining primary care infrastructure and the rising cost that make coverage prohibitive. It was noted that Massachusetts reform is a trainwreck, marked by taxpayer-subsidized private insurance and growing numbers on Medicaid rolls, doubliing Massachusetts health spending, from $630 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.3 billion in 2009. HCPF director and the governor’s spokesperson, Joan Henneberry spoke against HB 1273, calling it a "a new bureaucracy." In fact, the bill intends to address the unsustainable private and public health care bureaucracies. Multi-payer insurances are paper-intensive with high overhead costs; and the Colorado Medicaid bureaucracy maintains about 20 different categories of Medicaid, each with different means testing and annual reauthorizations that erect barriers to health care access and exponentially increase administrative costs. On March 27 Colorado State of Mind (ch 6) invited panelists to speak about Colorado health care reform, but failed to include anyone who could speak to the specious arguments raised against HB 1273. Pediatrician Larry Wolk asserted that single payer denies ‘choice,’ and that it represents ‘one-size-fits-all’ -- variations on the ‘free-market’ theme holding that people want a choice of insurances, rather than a choice of health care providers. A choice of minimum-benefit and catastrophic coverage is no choice at all - something employees are discovering as costs rise and more are moved into reduced-benefit policies with high out-of-pocket costs. Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Reginald Washington noted that even if more people have public or private insurance, there are not enough primary care providers in Colorado to care for everybody. In fact, more primary care providers are leaving private practice, overwhelmed by the burden of dealing with multi-payer networks, copious paperwork, preauthorizations and claims denials that take away valuable time from patients, and require them to hire extra staff. The Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act (HB1273) provides the structure for a long-term, systemic solution – simplified billing, quality-centered health care, and full choice of providers and hospitals. It addresses our degraded primary care system with investment in education to address provider shortages; and requires transparency for determining best practices, and incentives for improved health outcomes and costs containment. The bill passed out of Appropriatiions April 3 and will probably be heard in the full House the week of April 6. All of our legislators and the governor need to hear that there is grassroots support for HB1273. Appropriations members are below. Identify your legislators at www.vote-smart.org . Write an email to the governor at http://www.chcpf.state.co.us/governor/contact.html . To those who ask why we do this at the state level, there have been federal bills (which may be re-introduced this session) to fund state pilot projects for health care reform. At least one of our congressional delegation is willing to help us at the federal level, and we need to be ready. If you think comprehensive health care reform will happen quickly at the federal level, please read the following piece I wrote for Huffington Post:  Dems & Repubs on Health Care: 'Love a Lobbyist'  - we need to urge our federal senators and representatives to work for meaningful reform. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZgP http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZgP/commentary#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:32:17 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/micheleswenson/CZgP Michele S Michele S 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZgP/ There are national Petitions in process to ask Obama to appoint a Special Prosecutor to lead US Department Of Justice enforcement actions against the Bush appointee Lawyers that advocated felony violations of our Federal Laws on Torture, and Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Who have addmitted Ordering felony Click on the Image to Sign it Today. This website is a quick way to sign the Petition to have them Indicted and to ask Obama to appoint a Special Prosecutor Thanks for your assistance. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/CZg7 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/CZg7/commentary#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:45:06 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/CZg7 John H Kennedy http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/profile_picture/12e758207391a9b236_ggimv2s5d.gif John H Kennedy 2 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZg7/ Bloomberg reports : The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s...  The money works out to $42,105 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. and 14 times the $899.8 billion of currency in circulation. The nation’s gross domestic product was $14.2 trillion in 2008.  Look at the table: =========================================================== --- Amounts (Billions)--- Limit Current =========================================================== Total $12,798.14 $4,169.71 ----------------------------------------------------------- Federal Reserve Total $7,765.64 $1,678.71 Primary Credit Discount $110.74 $61.31 Secondary Credit $0.19 $1.00 Primary dealer and others $147.00 $20.18 ABCP Liquidity $152.11 $6.85 AIG Credit $60.00 $43.19 Net Portfolio CP Funding $1,800.00 $241.31 Maiden Lane (Bear Stearns) $29.50 $28.82 Maiden Lane II (AIG) $22.50 $18.54 Maiden Lane III (AIG) $30.00 $24.04 Term Securities Lending $250.00 $88.55 Term Auction Facility $900.00 $468.59 Securities lending overnight $10.00 $4.41 Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility $900.00 $4.71 Currency Swaps/Other Assets $606.00 $377.87 MMIFF $540.00 $0.00 GSE Debt Purchases $600.00 $50.39 GSE Mortgage-Backed Securities $1,000.00 $236.16 Citigroup Bailout Fed Portion $220.40 $0.00 Bank of America Bailout $87.20 $0.00 Commitment to Buy Treasuries $300.00 $7.50 ----------------------------------------------------------- FDIC Total $2,038.50 $357.50 Public-Private Investment* $500.00 0.00 FDIC Liquidity Guarantees $1,400.00 $316.50 GE $126.00 $41.00 Citigroup Bailout FDIC $10.00 $0.00 Bank of America Bailout FDIC $2.50 $0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------- Treasury Total $2,694.00 $1,833.50 TARP $700.00 $599.50 Tax Break for Banks $29.00 $29.00 Stimulus Package (Bush) $168.00 $168.00 Stimulus II (Obama) $787.00 $787.00 Treasury Exchange Stabilization $50.00 $50.00 Student Loan Purchases $60.00 $0.00 Support for Fannie/Freddie $400.00 $200.00 Line of Credit for FDIC* $500.00 $0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------- HUD Total $300.00 $300.00 Hope for Homeowners FHA $300.00 $300.00 ----------------------------------------------------------- he FDIC’s commitment to guarantee lending under the Legacy Loan Program and the Legacy Asset Program includes a $500 billion line of credit from the U.S. Treasury.Makes you proud? Or does it make you think...what a rip off?Remember the canary in the coal mine? Welcome to the future : MENDOTA, Calif. — The customer seemed interested in a black blouse offered for $1 at the thrift store. But instead of buying it, she set it on the front counter. Maybe tomorrow, she told the cashier, she would have the money. Or the next day. But not now. "That is the way people are now," said the cashier, Alicia Reyes, as she watched the middle-aged woman walk out of the store. "They just come in here and look. They just come in here to kill the time. And then they take off." Welcome to life in Mendota — the unemployment capital of California. With a 41 percent jobless rate, the town's social fabric is tearing at the seams. Alcoholism and crime are on the rise. To save money, some mothers wash and re-use disposable diapers. Unemployed men with nothing to do wander the streets and sit on benches.... The national Katrina is here and now.     http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZg8 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZg8/commentary#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:59:17 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CZg8 Ken Ken 1 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZg8/ This really, really cheeses me off when I read this McClatchy report : WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday will reject requests for almost $22 billion in new taxpayer bailout money for General Motors Corp. and Chrysler, saying the car makers have failed to take steps to ensure their viability. But..butt-boy Geithner wants this : March 30 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said some financial institutions will need substantial government aid, while warning against any attempt to tax investors who join a federal program to buy tainted assets from banks.  Right!  Just because AIG has lost almost 100 billion USD in the last six months and the American taxpayer has bailed out AIG to the tune of almost 250 billion USD in the last four months. Meanwhile... GM and Chrysler have already received $17.4 billion in government rescue money. The two companies faced a Tuesday deadline for the government to approve plans they'd submitted weeks ago in hopes of persuading the Obama administration that they could remain in business anad deserved additional money. I suggest reading " Why GM Matters " and " American Theocracy" to understand that what is happening is the collapse of American industry.  The collapse in no way should be happening except for the fact that the political and mass media systems has been utterly corrupted by the Wall Street Banksters. Why we can give the crooks and grifters on Wall Street trillions of dollars?  But when it comes to real jobs that create real products there is the "kick in the teeth" for GM and Chrysler? http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYh http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYh/commentary#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:34:09 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYh Ken Ken 2 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQYh/ Why does the economic plans by Geithner trump the ideas that Nobel Prize winners Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz have?  Because President Obama picked "Timmeh" Geithner as Secretary of Treasury simply because he was "an insider"? [BTW- Some wag suggested that former New York governor Eliot Spitzer should be the new Secretary of Treasury!  Why?  Because then we would see real rules and rules that would be strictly enforced for the "Masters of the Universe" who are nothing more than WATB (see this ).  For example Spitzer just recently wrote about AIG and not the executive compensation but the billions of dollars that was being paid out by AIG to counterparty foreign banks.} So, the economists who have some ideas on how to handle the financial crisis are not the ones in charge (Krugman, Stiglitz, and Roubini) but the same people who created or had oversight on the financial " bucket " games going on. Will Obama fail his Katrina moment?   http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYJ http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYJ/commentary#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:18:26 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYJ Ken Ken 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQYJ/ The Roosevelt Institution is currently seeking applicants for the following full-time staff positions in Washington D.C.: Director Communications Director Policy Director About the Roosevelt Institution Click here for a full listing of these and other Opportunities with Roosevelt Director of the Roosevelt Institution Campus Network Position classification: Full-Time The Roosevelt network is in a period of rapid growth and requires a Director who can strengthen and sustain chapter operations while building network-wide policy capacity and leadership development programs. The Director will report to and work closely with the President of the Roosevelt Institute. The Institute, with offices in Hyde Park, NY, New York, NY, and Washington, DC, is itself in a period of significant expansion and will become more active in progressive idea development and national policy debates in 2009 and beyond. The director will oversee and advance the broad programmatic and chapter-building goals of the Roosevelt campus network by: * Managing a small full-time staff of recent graduates in Washington and part-time student staff distributed around the country; * Further developing its national leadership and career development programs; * Serving as a public figure for the campus network; * Representing the network in - and bringing student voices into - the progressive youth and policy sectors in Washington and beyond; * Communicating on behalf of the network and the campus chapters with stakeholders (policy makers, opinion leaders, and strategic partners within the progressive movement) and bringing student voices into stakeholder conversations; * Working with student leaders, including members of the Roosevelt Student Advisory Board, to ensure high levels of student participation in governance of the network; * Working with the Roosevelt alumni network to encourage alumni participation in ongoing programs; * Working with the Institute President to meet the campus network's funding needs and on the larger Institute's overall growth and direction. We encourage applications from candidates with experience in public policy research and advocacy, as well as from candidates with work experience in - and preferably management experience with - a chapter-based organization. Experiences in organizing, budgeting, and fundraising are also desirable. The position is based in Washington, D.C. To apply, please send by e-mail a cover letter explaining your interest, a resume, a writing sample (not to exceed five pages), and the names and contact information of three references to Rooseveltjob@feri.org, to the attention of: Andrew Rich President and CEO The Roosevelt Institute Applications should be received by Friday, April 3 to be considered fully. We hope that the successful candidate will be available to start work in June or early July 2009. The Roosevelt Institute is an EEO/AA/ADA/IRCA Employer. We especially encourage applications from women and people from diverse backgrounds. The Roosevelt Institute's website is www.feri.org. The campus network's website is www.rooseveltinstitution.org. National Director of Communications Position classification: Full-Time Summary The Roosevelt Institution has an opening for the National Director of Communications. The director will be responsible for maintaining internal and external communications for Roosevelt, developing its online and print narrative, creating and maintaining relationships with media outlets, writing press releases and amplifying Roosevelt's work, and organizing and supervising national and regional journal development, web and print material. The principal focus of work will include facilitating web communications and supervising policy journal creation. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: * Supervise and manage regional and national policy journals * Manage website and web communications (including monthly newsletter) * Write press releases for Roosevelt events and achievements * Facilitate blog, articles and op-eds written by students * Build relationships with and work in coalition with media outlets * Attend/represent Roosevelt at conferences and events * Some travel required Requirements: o Proven management experience o Excellent research, analytical, and written communication skills o Excellent web and computer skills + Proficiency in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator preferred o Ability to lead under pressure/tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment o Ability to multi-task and prioritize o Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work on a team To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to applications@rooseveltinstitution.org. No phone calls please. National Policy Director Staff reporting to this position: National Policy Strategy team Position classification: Full-Time Summary The Roosevelt Institution has an opening for the National Policy Director. The director will be responsible for planning, developing, and facilitating Roosevelt's policy work at chapters across the country. The principal focus of work will include leading the national policy team and guiding our policy priorities, developing relationships with legislators, policy makers and other partners, and speaking as a a voice for Roosevelt on a national level. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: o Supervise and manage National Policy staff o Supervise and support policy creation at chapters o Prepare articles and op-eds o Speak at panels, symposia, and other discussion events o Build relationships with and work in coalition with other organizations o Some travel required Requirements: o Proven management experience o Experience working with and managing students o Policy experience o Excellent research, analytical, and written communication skills o Ability to lead under pressure/tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment o Ability to multi-task and prioritize o Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work on a team To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to applications@rooseveltinstitution.org. No phone calls please. http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYG http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYG/commentary#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:23:35 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQYG Ken Ken 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQYG/ I caught this off Huffingtonpost.com about Jim Cramer and his boasting of what he did as a hedge fund manager: -On manipulating the market: "A lot of times when I was short at my hedge fund, and I was positioned short, meaning I needed it down, I would create a level of activity before hand that could drive the futures," -On falsely creating the impression a stock is down (what he calls "fomenting"): "You can't foment. That's a violation... But you do it anyway because the SEC doesn't understand it." He adds, "When you have six days and your company may be in doubt because you are down, I think it is really important to foment." Check it out     http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQst http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQst/commentary#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:48:24 EDT http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/post/kennethdebacker/CQst Ken Ken 0 http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQst/