By Joshua Pugh on May 16, 2012 8:51 AM
National Women’s Health Week is an opportunity to encourage women to make their health a top priority and empower women by giving them the tools they need to take control over their own healthcare and family planning decisions. We all have a role to play in women’s health. Together, we can help the women we know take steps for longer, healthier, and happier lives. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women of all ages now have greater choice and better control over their own healthcare. The new law means no or low-cost preventive services, including mammograms and cancer screenings. This year, we have so much to celebrate on National Women’s Health Week in terms of great strides in women’s health and access to healthcare. As we celebrate National Women’s Health Week, it is clear that healthcare works—and we must protect the care of women from political games that will take...
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By Chad on May 15, 2012 10:40 AM
Each year in the United States, children as young as thirteen are sentenced to die in prison. No other country in the world locks up its young people for the rest of their natural lives for crimes committed before they can legally drive, join the military, vote, sign a contract, or quit school. In Michigan, children as young as fourteen, who are charged with certain felonies, are tried and sentenced, as if they are the same as an adult, to our harshest punishment, life without parole. Judges and juries are not allowed to consider the child’s age, troubled environment or lack of maturity before sending them to spend the rest of their lives in prison. To date, 371 young people in Michigan have been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison, without any opportunity to demonstrate rehabilitation and lack of risk to society. This includes more than 100 youth who did not themselves commit...
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By Jessica Tramontana on May 15, 2012 9:02 AM
Let’s face it - Michigan has been through the ringer. Since the collapse of the automotive industry, Michiganders have been working hard to redefine ourselves, and looking for new ways to grow and thrive. The beacon of hope and one constant that has threaded itself throughout Michigan’s history - what makes us different than just becoming another Ohio or Indiana - is undoubtedly the Great Lakes. Yesterday environmental groups stood together to demand that U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra reject any form of drilling in the Great Lakes. Hoekstra told a tea party audience on Friday, May 11th, that he supported slant drilling in the Great Lakes, despite previous votes to ban Great Lakes drilling. Clean Water Action and the Michigan Sierra Club are opposed to any type of drilling in our lakes. Hoekstra has flip-flopped on this issue, but this is a gamble Michigan can’t afford to make. As...
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By Chad on May 12, 2012 10:01 AM
While the 2012 Michigan Summit is already underway, you don't have to miss out! We'll be live streaming our keynote panel right here at 12:15 pm. Feel free to get involved and Tweet with the hashtag #MS12! Live video from your Android device on Ustream...
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By Jessica Tramontana on May 11, 2012 9:09 AM
Privatizing prisons is a bad move for Michigan - but especially when those introducing the legislation are the ones profiting. Prisons that are privatized lack oversight and threaten public security, especially when a for-profit company is at the helm. Take the example of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional facility in rural Mississippi. A report by the Justice Department describes “Systemic, egregious and dangerous practices” at the facility. The report also cited: • Prison staff allegedly had sex with incarcerated youth • Guards brutally beat youth and used pepper spray as a first response. • The prison showed ‘deliberate indifference’ to prisoners possessing homemade knives, which were used in gang fights and inmate rapes. GEO Group is the private company managing the prison and has since been ousted. It remains to be seen who will take their place in Mississippi, but the volatile and dangerous environment that was allowed exist in...
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By Joshua Pugh on May 7, 2012 12:32 PM
Mitt Romney is bringing his Etch-A-Sketch campaign back to Michigan.We all remember how Romney said he would “let Detroit go bankrupt.”Now Romney’s Etch-A-Sketch campaign team is trying to pull a fast one - claiming that the plan to rescue the auto industry was actually Mitt’s idea.The trees are the right height in Michigan, but we weren’t born yesterday.We’re going to remind Mitt Romney just how wrong he was to turn his back on Michigan, and we want your help.Click here to sign the online petition telling Romney that Michigan’s auto industry matters....
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By Joshua Pugh on May 7, 2012 9:09 AM
The following post was written by the newest member of our team, Communications Director Jessica Tramontana. The news media worked itself into a frenzy last week, after a Florida blog speculated that Mitt Romney may be considering Gov. Rick Snyder as a candidate for for Vice President. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Nobody really knew that much about the nerd when he was elected in November, 2010. The seemingly soft-spoken businessman discussed “shared sacrifice” and job creation as priorities - but his promises have fallen short for too many Michigan residents since taking office. Of course, now we all know the only “sacrifice” Gov. Snyder had in mind came at the expense of Michigan’s students, seniors, and middle class families. A sweeping $1.8 billion tax cut for corporate CEOs was paid for by slashing $1 billion from K-12 schools, and imposing $343 million in new taxes on...
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By Chad on May 3, 2012 11:51 AM
They’ve been nominated by co-workers and fellow organizers to be recognized for the long hours, hard work, and results they’ve achieved as community organizers. I’m excited to announce our five finalists for the 2012 Organizer of the Year Award are: Jim DeNardis, We Are The People Michigan and retired member of the American Federation of Teachers Jose Franco, One Michigan for Immigrant Youth Brandon Jessup, Michigan Forward Gail Spencer, American Federation of Teachers of Michigan Molly Sweeney, Detroit Action Commonwealth We have five great candidates, and the winner of the Organizer of the Year Award will be announced at a lunchtime ceremony during the Michigan Summit on May 12th. Who will it be?You still have time to register for the Michigan Summit and it’s easy as 1-2-3 to do it online!By the way, this year’s Michigan Summit will offer a Letter Carrier's Food Drive collection site. Anyone who makes a...
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By Chad on April 30, 2012 1:53 PM
From the manufacturing of solar panels and wind turbines, to updating commercial buildings and the weatherization of homes, to the production of cleaner, safer chemicals, the green economy is emerging in cities and towns across the country. This year, the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Regional Conferences will be heading to the states to bring the discussion of good jobs and a clean economy to our area. We’re a proud supporter of the Midwest Conference, taking place May 10-11 in Detroit. This is a chance for all of us to meet with community leaders, union members, environmentalists, business leaders and elected officials together to discuss how our region of the U.S. is, city by city and block by block, building the foundation for a green economy. The Conference will feature high-level keynote speakers, dynamic plenaries, and workshops at each of the four Regional Conferences, emphasizing local initiatives creating good jobs and...
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By Joshua Pugh on April 25, 2012 4:44 PM
Rep. Aric Nesbitt just doesn’t get it. He apparently wasn’t listening when we called him out last September for passing a resolution encouraging the federal government to kick farmers off their land to build the Keystone XL pipeline, even as cleanup of the tragic Enbridge oil spill in Southwest Michigan continued. And he definitely isn’t listening to the thousands of Michiganders who called on him and 25 other Lansing politicians to immediately drop their ALEC memberships. Last June he was named the chair of a brand new Natural Gas subcommittee, and the announcement said it would “focus on responsible ways to expand the use of natural gas...” He’s got the expansion of natural gas down, as well as raking in donations from out-of-state lobbyists and PACs - but the “responsible ways?” Not so good at that. Maybe this should be expected from someone who earned “0” scores on his voting record...
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By Joshua Pugh on April 24, 2012 4:18 PM
Republican politicians have been coordinating efforts since last year to make it harder for millions of Americans to vote. In Michigan, this process was kicked off by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, who still hasn't produced a shred of evidence that widespread fraud is a problem in Michigan, or that this legislation would have any positive effect. Today, citizens from around Michigan joined a coalition of voting rights advocates to send a message to Lansing politicians: keep your hands off our right to vote!...
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By Joshua Pugh on April 23, 2012 2:06 PM
In the six months since Secretary of State Ruth Johnson introduced her package of legislation aimed squarely at making it harder for people to vote, you would think she’d be able to come up with at least one example of voter fraud being committed in Michigan. Instead, committee hearings on the laws have found nothing but broad opposition from non-partisan voter registration groups and weak anecdotal evidence from Republican politicians. Why would Lansing politicians be so concerned with chipping away at our fundamental right to vote? Because it’s all part of a national movement to restrict voting for partisan gain. Republicans have been working for 30 years to hold voter turnout down, and now they’re betting the next election on a coordinated legislative effort intended to win elections by changing the rules. Republican politicians have introduced laws in at least 40 states that would make voting more difficult for everyone...
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By Chad on April 23, 2012 1:07 PM
Did you know that a dangerous bill is moving in the Michigan State Senate to allow guns in Michigan's public colleges and universities?The gun lobby and certain legislators are pushing legislation to make it easier for people with Concealed Pistol Permits (CPLs) to carry their hidden, loaded handguns into the dormitories and classrooms of Michigan's colleges and universities. The bill would even go so far as to allow loaded, concealed guns in day care centers, sports arenas, bars and hospitals. This, despite a new survey just released of 600 Michigan voters, which found that a total of 72% opposed SB 59, including 53% of concealed pistol permit holders. The move to force guns onto campus is part of a package of “model bills” being pushed by the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a state-level lobbyist organization that was also behind the now-infamous "Stand Your Ground" law in Florida that many argue is to blame...
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By Joshua Pugh on April 20, 2012 9:02 AM
Michigan didn’t get an “F” for voter fraud. No, Lansing politicians got an “F” from the State Integrity Project for risk of corruption and lack of transparency, a grade that put our state at 43rd. What was ALEC member and Chair of the House Redistricting and Elections Committee Rep. Pete Lund’s response to that? He said that voters don’t care about ethical politicians as much as they care about job creation. But Rep. Lund's committee isn’t talking about jobs - or about reforming Michigan’s broken campaign finance system. They’re talking about a package of bills that would impose a series of new burdensome and unnecessary regulations on voting rights. Stand up with thousands of Michiganders calling on Pete Lund and all other Lansing politicians to immediately withdraw from the corporate bill factory ALEC and reject these bills. Paul Weyrich, founding member of ALEC, said in 1980, “I don’t want everybody...
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By Joshua Pugh on April 19, 2012 9:27 AM
There has been much said about the way the Affordable Care Act supports individuals - by ensuring that no one can be denied coverage for a preexisting condition, men and women are finally treated the same by insurance companies, and bringing an end to lifetime coverage caps. But did you know that small businesses are already benefiting from implementation of the ACA? In 2010 when the ACA was enacted it made available a tax credit for small businesses. Small businesses with 25 employees or less can get tax credits of up to 35% of the cost of providing insurance to help provide health care to employees. The credits will rise to 50% in 2014. In addition, churches and other non-profit entities, with 25 employees or less, are also eligible to receive tax credits towards the cost of supplying insurance to their employees. For more information about how to claim a...
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By Chad on April 17, 2012 3:36 PM
This is a guest post from Michigan Summit Director Chong-Anna Canfora. Today, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, is the national observance of Equal Pay Day, the day when women and men around the country recognize the wage gap between working women and men, and offer remedies to address pay inequity. According to statistics released in 2011 by the United States Census Bureau, women are paid, on average, 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid -- a gap of 23 cents. It's shameful, but here in Michigan women's pay doesn't even measure up to the national average. We are paid just 74 cents for every dollar of men's pay. Women and our families are being shortchanged thousands of dollars a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime.In 2011, members of the Michigan House and Senate introduced a package of legislation that would address...
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By Jessica Kelton on April 17, 2012 9:31 AM
After publicly criticizing Ann Romney’s perspective on women and the economy, a Democratic strategist triggered a full-blown comeback of the “Mommy Wars” this week that included a revival of Hillary Clinton’s infamous declaration that she opted for a career over spending her days baking cookies.Some have defended the comments made by the strategist, though most, including the president and first lady, have distanced themselves from them. Others, however, have chosen to take the issue head-on as the fault line splits between working moms and stay-at-home moms.Despite the posturing, little of substance has really been said about the truth that is common for most women who are mothers - both employed and unemployed for pay. Whether it’s raising children and doing the laundry, caring for an aging family member, or volunteering at school, mothers do a disproportionate amount of unpaid productive work for the economy.But one must also consider the unfair...
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By Chad on April 16, 2012 9:53 AM
We’ve written about Pete Hoekstra’s record of hypocrisy before, and now he’s at it again. After agreeing to appear at Herman Cain’s Washington, D.C. rally and becoming the first Senate candidate to endorse his 9-9-9 plan, Pete Hoekstra called the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act a “nuisance,” and added “it shouldn’t be law.” Pete Hoekstra doesn’t think women deserve equal pay for equal work, and he has a history of voting against laws that protect workers from wage discrimination: In 2009, Hoekstra voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The bill allowed employees to sue employers for wage discrimination for a longer period of time. The measure was designed to overturn a 2007 Supreme Court decision that ruled a worker could not bring a wage discrimination suit more than 180 days after the initial discriminatory act. [Roll Call 37, S 181, 01/27/2009; CO House Action Reports Legislative Week, 1/26/09]...
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By Chad on April 13, 2012 9:36 AM
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Americans have more freedom and control in their health care choices. Americans have the freedom from worrying about losing their insurance, or having it capped unexpectedly if someone is in an accident or becomes sick. They no longer have to live in fear of double-digit premium increases from their insurance companies without recourse or accountability. It frees Americans from discrimination when insurance companies deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition. It reduces costs for families and businesses and it includes substantial new benefits and freedoms for all Americans. Historically, Latinos have faced significant barriers to accessing affordable health insurance and these barriers have contributed to significant health disparities: 32 percent of Latinos were uninsured in 2009—higher than any other racial or ethnic group--, and half of Latinos did not have a regular doctor, compared with only one-fifth of white Americans. Twenty percent of low-income...
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By Chad on April 12, 2012 10:19 AM
The new Federal healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), provides new benefits to seniors on Medicare that emphasizes preventative care. The following is a list of the new benefits to seniors.The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides relief to seniors who fall in the Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage) “donut hole” when drug costs hit a maximum coverage cap. At this point Part D no longer covers drug costs until the cost reaches a certain level. This means that seniors in this coverage gap struggle to pay for, or go without, their medications. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will eliminate the Donut Hole by 2020 in incremental steps.Under the Affordable Care Act, beginning in 2011 all Medicare recipients qualify for Preventative Care Benefits at no additional cost, including new procedures to diagnose potential problems early on. These preventive care benefits include: Bone mass measurement Cervical cancer screening, including Pap...
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Women's Health and the Affordable Care Act
Basic Decency: Protecting the Human Rights of Children
Pete Hoekstra: Too Reckless for Michigan
The 2012 Michigan Summit Keynote Live Stream
