Underdog

Health Care Reform ~ Now !

2009-11-30T17:25:00.005-04:00

The Cost of ‘No’ and Other Health Care Perspectives
by Seth Michaels, Nov 25, 2009

Here’s the latest news from the fight for real health care reform:

• In the Baltimore Sun, Tom Schaller looks at how the nation’s broken health care system is undermining our economy. The cost of doing nothing to reform health care would be trillions of dollars, he says.

• In a great new piece at the Huffington Post, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) explains why he’s saying “Yes” to health care reform. We’re at a defining historical moment, Bennet says, and we can’t afford to continue the status quo.

• Think Progress looks at how insurance company bureaucrats are standing between patients and their doctors.

• The National Farmers Union has come out in support of health care reform, saying rural families need lower costs, more choices and better access to care. Senators from heavily rural states like Arkansas, Maine and Nebraska should pay attention.

• According to a new poll, 71 percent of the public agrees that reform needs to include an investment in preventive care.

• In new TV ads, Health Care for America Now (HCAN) thanks senators who voted to open debate on health care and criticizes those who tried to block debate.

• Steve Benen takes a look at the all-too-widespread tragedy of medical bankruptcy.

Contact your senators to demand real reform that expands coverage, cuts costs, holds employers accountable, doesn’t tax our health benefits and offers a public health insurance option.

Tennessee Senator`s can be contacted by clicking on the title of this article !

Goodyear Scrooge of the Year ! You Bet`Cha !

2009-11-30T13:48:00.003-04:00

Goodyear~ Scrooge of the Year !

Each year, national Jobs with Justice gives an "Award" to the greediest, most cold-hearted company or person of the year. Past winners of this dubious honor include: Wal-Mart, George W. Bush, and Goodyear Tire & Rubber. National Jobs with Justice is now accepting nominations for the 2009 "Scrooge of the Year"Contest. We are collecting nominations this week and will start the election on December 7th. SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION TODAY!http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Z7vTimY1vQ_r/------------------------------------------------

--Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.http://www.unionvoice.org/join-forward.html?domain=jobswithjustice&r=C1vTimYqGk3N

Editorial : I have already voted. I voted for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Have you voted ?

Union City TN Goodyear ~ Is The following Their Epitaph ?

2009-11-25T19:30:00.007-04:00

Clock Runs Out for Spring Hill's GM plant
Wednesday's switch to standby eliminates thousands of jobs
By Jill Cecil Wiersma • THE TENNESSEAN • November 24, 2009

Goodyear, Union City Tennessee ? Epitaph ?

SPRING HILL — At its peak, about 7,800 people clocked in daily for work at the Saturn plant."Now we're down to 630 people," said Darren Tonoli, a General Motors employee of nearly three decades. The plant goes on standby Wednesday, turning away about 2,000 hourly employees who are laid off now that production of the Chevrolet Traverse has moved to Michigan. Roughly the same number among local suppliers to General Motors are losing jobs.Tonoli is among those with enough seniority to keep a job at the plant, manufacturing four-cylinder engines and several components for the corporation.
Related
Final day at GM plant in Spring Hill
GM plant shaped Spring Hill history
History of Saturn plant in Spring Hill
It's an unpleasant milestone for the plant, which produced its first vehicle — a red, four-door Saturn sedan — nearly 20 years ago.Tonoli and co-worker John Gallegos say the mood has been strained over the past several weeks, especially as people with seniority have been transitioning into their new positions, working side by side with people who will soon be laid off. "I'm there to fill their spot and they don't like it," Tonoli said. "I don't blame them at all." "There's nothing we can do," Gallegos said. "We've got no control. And I don't want to move again."
Some will move for work Gallegos said he feels lucky to be able to stay but wonders how long it will last. He knows others who are moving elsewhere for work, some among the 840 jobs offered at the Lansing, Mich., plant. He said some plan to keep their families here with hopes that the economy improves before they try to sell their homes."I did that for five months when I moved here. That was hard enough," he said. Gallegos said he and most of the employees are "GM gypsies" — slang for workers who have transferred from other plants. Gallegos and Tonoli both worked at the plant in Van Nuys, Calif., before it closed. "It's a mall now," Tonioli said. "I heard Tom Selleck owns it," Gallegos said. Close, but not exactly. Redevelopment on that property began in the late '90s by The Selleck Group (owned by Tom Selleck's brother, Dan Selleck) and Voit Companies. Now known as The Plant, the 127-acre site is home to restaurants, a 16-screen movie theater and several retail stores including a Home Depot, Babies "R" Us and an Office Max. As a project, The Plant represents more than a decade of work and a more than $100 million investment, Dan Selleck said. He said it doesn't seem that Spring Hill is in the same situation the Van Nuys plant was in at that time. "We were in a pretty deep recession at that point in time. After two years, they didn't have any success in finding another automobile or manufacturer to step in," he said. "I wouldn't give up hope that maybe (Spring Hill) could have another automobile there.
Gallegos said he hopes the Spring Hill plant will resume full production soon and that he can stay on long enough to feel it is safe to retire."They'd like to get rid of people like us who are earning top dollar," he said. "But I think they will get another car. I really do."Plant still viable Just what will happen to the Spring Hill plant remains unknown.
Related
Final day at GM plant in Spring Hill
GM plant shaped Spring Hill history
History of Saturn plant in Spring Hill
Spring Hill Economic Development Commission Chairman Dustin Dunbar said it's all up to GM, which spent more than $700 million in 2007 and 2008 remodeling the plant so it can quickly be retooled to build any car in the automaker's lineup.
"GM feels like it's a great plant and they want to keep it, but they've not given any indication of what they want to build there," Dunbar said. "We get people asking about it all the time in terms of what's next. I really wish I had an answer for them."Meanwhile, the EDC is working on a plan to identify and recruit new companies that would hire the former GM workers. The impact of the layoffs will be felt regionally as well. Roughly 500 employees live in Spring Hill while some others commute from Kentucky and Alabama. The plant's opening helped pave the way for growth in Spring Hill, which was just 1,464 people when the first Saturn rolled off the assembly line in 1990. Today, Spring Hill's population is estimated at 25,000. The EDC already has been approached by a Chicago-based realty company about the GM property. Circle Realty Advisors gave it a presentation a few weeks ago. But Dunbar said he feels confident that GM intends to keep the plant, even if they haven't decided what they'll do with it.
"That's what we basically told them," he said. "Number one: The plant is not for sale. Number two: They will hopefully decide to build something there. We're just waiting in limbo until they decide what that is."

Contact Jill Cecil Wiersma at 790-7207 or jwiersma@tennessean.com.

I Get Letters~ State Senator Roy Herron(D)Tennessee

2009-11-25T18:16:00.007-04:00

Don,

Two weeks ago, on Veterans Day, I shared with you a story about my father. Dad was severely wounded in World War II and barely survived. After ten months in hospitals in England and Virginia, he finally returned to Tennessee.Though Tennessee was the Promised Land, the land my father had sought for so many months, and though the joy of being home was great, so also was the pain. It was constant, unrelenting. He told Mother his legs felt like they were on fire every waking moment. And there were not enough other moments.At times, Mother still recalls Dad would say, “I’d just be better off dead. I can’t take this anymore.”Infections still frequently raged in his legs, and the family physician treated him with the penicillin that repeatedly saved his life. But the doctor also treated him for more than his physical injuries, for Dad talked with Dr. Wilson about suicide. The physician later told my mother he counseled Dad this way:“Don’t you have something to be thankful for every day?”“You have Mary and the children. Think of what it would mean to them if you did what you’re thinking about.”Then the doctor added a more hopeful note, “Maybe someday we can get rid of this pain.”With the love of my Mother and older brother and sister (I was not yet born), and with the encouragement and friendship of other veterans, family, and neighbors, somehow Dad endured. Eventually more than endured.He went to law school on the G.I. Bill. He continued working three days a week in West Tennessee and attended classes four days a week almost 200 miles away in Middle Tennessee.I was born about the same time he got the news that he had passed the bar exam. He hung out his shingle, a 41-year-old disabled veteran and father of three, and started over again.I’m thankful for Dad’s courage and Mother’s strength. For their seeing the blessings in life and enduring the hardships. For their hope that helped them through the pain. So many Tennessee families are struggling. These are difficult days, in some ways the most difficult many of us have ever known.Many older Tennesseans, however, bring historical perspective and hope. Tom Brokaw with good reason called them, “The Greatest Generation.” They overcame The Great Depression and the most powerful militarises in human history. So many of that greatest generation were also the most thankful generation. They were thankful for their blessings. Countless were the times Mom or Dad would say, “Aren’t we blessed? We have so much to be thankful for.”And we also have so much to be thankful for. May this Thanksgiving be a time when we count our blessings, give thanks to our Creator and to those who love us, and renew the hope that will help us through the hardships, the hope that can come as we overcome these hardships.If you’ll tolerate this former minister sharing a favorite verse, consider from Romans 5 words that Paul seems to have written for such a time as this: “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us…”

May you and yours have a blessed Day of Giving Thanks.

Your friend, Roy

District#8~Tennessee-Recent Votes !...11/25/09

2009-11-25T11:44:00.006-04:00

How Your Representatives Voted ?

District#8~Tennessee

Recent Senate Votes:

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010 - Vote Passed (100-0)The Senate unanimously passed this $133.9 billion bill funding military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Senate and House will now go to conference to work out differences between their versions of the bill. Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Bob Corker voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (98-0, 2 Not Voting)The Senate passed this bill intended to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans and to improve veterans’ health care. It now goes to the House. Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Bob Corker voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed; Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 - Vote Agreed to (60-39, 1 Not Voting)The Senate voted to proceed to debate on this bill, which is being used as the vehicle for health care reform legislation. The Senate will begin debate following the Thanksgiving recess. Sen. Lamar Alexander voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Bob Corker voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes:

Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (395-31, 8 Not Voting)The House approved this legislation that would reauthorize FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters grants and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program through FY2014. The bill now goes to the Senate. Rep. John Tanner voted Not Voting......send e-mail or see bio

Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (243-183, 8 Not Voting)The House passed this bill to change the formula that determines the Medicare physician fee schedule, with the intention of preventing a 21 percent reduction in Medicare payments to physicians. It now goes to the Senate. Rep. John Tanner voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Editorial : As you can see, Rep. Tanner Voted Correctly on Medicare ! Our Two Senators voted against Health Care Reform, thus, against Tennesseans !

Seven Health Care fixes, That Would Work !...11/24/09

2009-11-24T11:18:00.004-04:00

Seven Quick fixes to Health Care
What would happen soon if the health-care overhaul passes.
By Ryan Teague Beckwith

To hear the rhetoric on both sides, you'd think the health-care overhaul in the Senate would change the U.S. system overnight. In reality, most of the changes — such as the new health insurance exchanges and insurance mandates for individuals — would not take place until 2014 (or 2013 in the House version).
Still, a few provisions are set to begin next year, if the legislation passes. Some of the most significant changes would extend existing programs and rules in order to immediately reduce the number of uninsured Americans. Others would end unpopular practices in the private insurance industry.The measures are designed to build immediate support for the longer-term provisions in the bills, which could still be changed by future legislation. They will also provide President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats with talking points going into the 2010 elections. If the bill passes, expect to hear a lot more about these provisions in the near future.

Below, a few of the immediate changes:

* Insuring high-risk citizens. Both bills would create a $5 billion fund for temporary insurance for citizens with pre-existing conditions who have not been insured for at least six months. The program would end once the insurance exchanges begin in 2013 or 2014.

* Extending insurance for adult children. The House bill would allow parents to keep unmarried adult children on their health insurance until their 27th birthday; the Senate bill, until their 26th birthday. This would reduce the number of uninsured young adults.

* Extending insurance for the recently unemployed. Under current law, laid-off workers are allowed to continue buying their existing insurance through the COBRA program for up to 18 months. The bills would extend that coverage until the insurance exchanges begin.

* Ending lifetime limits on benefits. Both bills would end the lifetime caps on insurance coverage which have sometimes been used to deny payments to consumers with particularly expensive treatments. Both bills would also restrict annual limits on health-care benefits.

* Ending rescission. Insurance companies often cancel policies for consumers who require expensive medical care because they made honest mistakes on their medical histories. Both bills would prohibit insurance plans from canceling coverage except in cases of fraud.

* Starting to close the doughnut hole. Both bills would begin closing the so-called "doughnut hole" in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage by providing an additional $500 in coverage starting in 2010. Over several years, the gap would be reduced until it was closed entirely.

* Taxing plastic surgery. The Senate bill would include a new 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery. The tax is estimated to raise $5.8 billion over the next 10 years. It does not apply to cosmetic surgery to fix problems caused by accidents, disease or birth defects.

Ryan Teague Beckwith is deputy editor of Congress.org.

I Get Letters~Cong John Tanner, District#8-Tennessee

2009-11-23T19:23:00.006-04:00

November 23, 2009

Mr. Donald Jones
Martin, TN 38237

Dear Mr. Jones:

Thank you for contacting our office to express your concern that there will be no Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2010. I appreciate your thoughts in this very important issue. Current law allows for an automatic adjustment in Social Security benefits from year to year to keep up with inflation. Inflation for the purposes of calculating the Social Security COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due in large part to last summer's dramatic increase in oil prices, the Social Security COLA for 2009 was 5.8 percent, the largest increase since 1982. In addition to this historically large COLA increase, Social Security beneficiaries also received a one-time $250 payment as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the "Stimulus Bill." Due to falling oil and gas prices and a struggling economy, the CPI has actually fallen this year, thus for the first time since 1975, a COLA for government benefits will not occur in January 2010. In fact, according to these numbers, there would actually be a negative COLA if Congress had not protected seniors from benefit cuts resulting from situations like this one. It is also important to note that if there is no COLA and Medicare Part B premiums increase, most affected beneficiaries' Part B premiums are reduced to ensure that their Social Security checks do not decline from one year to the next. I supported legislation recently passed by the House of Representatives to extend that "hold harmless" provision to all Medicare Part B enrollees. Furthermore, eligible low-income seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D can receive assistance in paying their premiums by signing up for the "low-income subsidy" through SSA. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, I am particularly aware of the strain on Social Security beneficiaries in these tough economic times. I would also like to point out that Congress has canceled any COLA increase for Members of Congress in 2010, a move that I strongly support. Members of Congress are currently studying this unprecedented issue of no Social Security COLA for 2010. Again, thank you for your comments. Please do not hesitate to contact our office if I Can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

John Tanner(D) Blue Dog, M.C. District#8-Tennessee

Tennessee Senator`s Alexander & Corker Oppose Health Care Reform...11/23/09

2009-11-23T16:22:00.009-04:00

Senate Health Care Debate ?
Tennessee`s Lamar Alexander(R) & Bob Corker(R) Oppose Health Care Reform...WHY ?

Late Saturday night, the Senate agreed to begin debate on their health care bill, with a vote of 60-39.1By beginning debate, the Senate is took a crucial step towards passing a health care bill that guarantees quality, affordable health care for all, with the choice of a public health insurance option.Click here to find out how your Senators voted, and tell them what you think of their vote.Debate on the Senate health care bill will start after Thanksgiving. The bill will face amendments - some that will make it stronger and some that will make it weaker - before it comes up for a final vote. And along the way, the insurance industry will be working to kill the bill any way they can.We'll need your help to fight for what we all believe in - quality health care, a price we can all afford, and the choice of a public health insurance option to keep the insurance industry honest. And we'll need your help making sure the health care bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced - and nothing less - gets a fair, majority vote in the Senate. Not from Tennessee Click here to find out how your Senators voted. Alexander & Corker Voted NO ! That`s a Vote Against Tennesseans !

Click on the link below or title of this article to find out how all of the Senators Voted ?

http://tools.advomatic.com/8/proceed/totals?

Underdogs Blog=Don Jones !....11/21/09...You Bet !

2009-11-21T13:40:00.007-04:00

UnderDog`s Blog ?
By Don Jones = Underdog

I publish this blog, called Underdog almost daily. I write about things, I think, I know about ? For instance, I write about Organ/Transplantation. I write about Unions. I write about healthcare. I write a little about Pulmonary Hypertension. At times I am very opinionated. I do not ask that you agree with me, I do ask however that when you disagree with me, that your comments on my blog be without curse words. I do not use them in my blog. I must insist that your comments be curse free. If they are not without curse words, that`s your prerogative. However, that particular comment will be deleted. That's my rule ! I am a Democrat most of the time. Although, I have voted Republican. I am a voter of platforms and programs. Thus, the platform of the Democrats, usually fit my needs. I feel that if you are a Republican voter, you are mostly with and not without, you are white collar not blue collar. I feel if you are opposed to health care reform, you are both with and have great insurance ! I`m a Democrat who opposes gun control. I am a Democrat who opposes abortion. If you want to carry a gun, and I do ! Get licensed. I am ! You don't want or believe in abortion, don`t have one ! As for myself and my family, I view it as our decision, not your`s ! I believe in Free Democratic Trade Unions ! I belong to one. In my state of Tennessee, we have a law called (Right to Work) You are not required by law to join a union. If you do not wish to join, don`t ! You must understand, that I do not agree with that law, but, I am a law abiding citizen, thus I do abide by it ! I believe we should have term limits for our politicians. Congress was never intended to be a life-time occupation. We have them for our President and in Tennessee we have them for our Governor. Why not Congress and the Senate ? I once had a politician tell me, he could`nt be bought, but, he could be rented for a little while. I had a problem with that statement. I am a practicing Christian. I believe in separation of church and state. I have seen my church lose members over the years, because they turned into a political action committee(PAC). Let your conviction be tempered by your love for your fellow man. Let your example be that of Love, Hope and Charity ! I am a Freemason, Do not ever give up on our democracy. Vote ! Demand that your voice be heard and that you stay in touch/contact with your elected Representative`s. When you do disagree with someone, disagree with kindness, not hate or disgust. My e-mail address is on my blog. You can contact me via e-mail. donjones90@gmail.com/ or donjones@charter.net . You can make comments on my blog, I encourage you to do so. Just be agreeable or disagreeable, not ugly ! If you have items of interest you would like to see published, just forward them to this writer. Now, understand, I am the publisher, I will decide what is published and what is not ! If you wish to save my web-address for my blog, just click on the title or the following link. > http://wwwsecondchance.blogspot.com/ <

and put it in your favorites.With warmest regard, I remain

Stick a Fork in Me, I`m Done !

UNDERDOG = Don Jones !

Medicare & Healthcare reform !...Check it Out !

2009-11-20T18:45:00.005-04:00

Medicare & Healthcare Reform...H.R. 3962

A report requested by Republicans and released on Saturday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services drew attention from health reform critics this week. The report questioned the expected savings from the House-approved health care overhaul. However, CMS's analysis is not an apples-to-apples comparison to the cost estimate conducted by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), because CMS did not review tax provisions, which help offset the price tag of the Democrats' measure. It is certain that the House health care reform bill will extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by five years, significantly longer than any other recent proposal. The legislation will also cut out-of-pocket spending by more than $200 billion by 2019. "We must separate fact from fiction to avoid being alarmed unnecessarily," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "Overall, national spending on health care would increase by less than 1.3% over the next decade with the House bill, even though millions of additional people will gain coverage. Without health care reform, health care costs are expected to rise at rates double that of inflation, growing every year as a larger share of the Gross National Product." To learn more facts about the financial benefits of H.R. 3962 to retirees, go to http://bit.ly/jV9Ml.

______________________________________________________ Donut Hole...Sucking Sound ! $$$

Rising Drug Costs in Face of Health Reform The New York Times reported early this week that the drug industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years - this year by 9%. The rise has caused speculation about price increases in advance of health reform legislation. Those increases will add more than $10 billion to the nation's $300 billion drug bill this year, and led Democrats in Congress to request two investigations of drug industry pricing http://bit.ly/1NcGtz on Wednesday.

John Tanner(D)District#8~Tennessee...Finally Gets a Vote Correct !

2009-11-20T15:16:00.004-04:00

Seniors & Medicare ~ H.R. 3961

Our Congressman from District#8-Tennessee, finally Votes to help Tennesseans ! Yes, John Tanner Voted for, That's a YES for H.R. 3961...At last, at last a correct vote. Congressman Tanner has not had a great record for voting for Tennesseans lately, perhaps that pattern is about to change ? I hope so ! If you are not in District#8-Tennessee, click on the title of this article or the link below. It will carry you to the (How Congressman Voted on H.R. 3961 Bill ! H.R. 3961 was the bill to keep the medical coverage for Senior Citizens, as it presently is. How did your Congressman vote ?

If you would like to acknowledge Rep. Tanner for his vote, click on the following link.

> http://www.house.gov/tanner <

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll909.xml

Contacting Congress, Here`s How !...11/19/09

2009-11-19T18:34:00.005-04:00

Contacting YOUR Congressman ~ How to Do It !

by Don Jones

I have provided for my Tennessee readers in the past, how to contact our/your Tennessee Congressman/woman ! I am now getting hits from Maine to Alaska, so, I thought it time to provide those readers the same information. Here it Is ! Just click on this link and follow directions, it will get to your Congressperson. > > >

> http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ <

Oh, by the way Tennessee readers can use this link also, or Tennessee can go to > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html <

I hope this not only helps, but that you use it to contact your elected representatives.

Prescription Drugs, The High Cost...11/18/09

2009-11-18T19:09:00.006-04:00

The High Cost of Rx. Drugs...

by Don Jones

I`m beginning to wonder if I can afford to die ? It may not matter ? I am at the point of no return. Prescription Drugs are/have become a huge deficit on the average Americans back. When I retired, my drugs were a co-pay deal, I paid $2.00 two Dollars for most prescription drugs. I`m a Heart-Transplant patient and I have a disease called Pulmonary Hypertension. I take a bunch of drugs. I am with Express Scripts, for my mail to me drugs. The cost for most drugs through my insurance carrier (Volunteer Eemployee's Benefits Association) is now as low as $15.00 for drugs and $1,900.00 for another. Hey Folks, I can`t pay that. If You work at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and are covered by the VEBA, I suggest you go on-line and checkout Wal-Mart`s Drug cost. I did. 5 five of the Rx. drugs I take are now on Wal-Mart`s drug list. I can actually purchase these drugs at Wal-Mart cheaper than I can get through my insurance ! I can a (90) supply of Lisinopril for high blood pressure for $10.00 ten dollars. If I go through my VEBA it is $15.00. Something wrong with this picture ? Oh yes, I will begin a new drug the last of this month called Tyvaso, for my (PulmonaryArterial Hypertension,) Sit down, the cost is going to be $30,000.00 per month, yes my insurance will pay for this, most of us cannot pay these kind of bill`s. Yet, my Congressman John Tanner, District#8-Tennessee, voted against the health care reform bill ? What`s wrong with this picture ? My whole point to this? Go to Wal-Mart Pharmacy on-line. You might save a little money ? The link below will take you there and you need pdf. to read it. Wal-Mart updates this site on occasion, so check back if your drug is not there. They made add it.

http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list_6-5-08.pdf

We made be trading one problem for another ? Wal-Mart is the great China Connection.

Goodyear CEO Bob Keegan Rakes in Big Bucks !...11/17/09

2009-11-17T12:34:00.007-04:00

CEO/President & Chairman of the Board Bob Keegan

Robert J. Keegan Chief Executive Officer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (The)Automotive Products In 2008, Robert J. Keegan raked in $16,311,550 in total compensation.* In the previous year the CEO of this company made $23,592,034. Total CEO compensation has decreased by 31%. I am certainly sorry that he only makes 16 million dollars and and petty cash of $311,550.00 per year ! I know, we can have a gate collection for poor ole Bob ! Or, I know, we can give up our pensions and health care and move production to China ! Ya Think ?

Click on this link below for other CEO Salarys !

http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/ceou/database.cfm?tkr=GT&pg=1

Tennessee U.S. Senators Need to Support Health Care Reform...11/17/09

2009-11-17T11:53:00.007-04:00

Let’s Have a Real Senate Debate on Health Care
by Seth Michaels, Nov 13, 2009

Alliance for Retired Americans members protested insurance companies’ anti-reform scare tactics. Next week, the U.S. Senate is expected to begin debate on long-promised health care reform legislation. We’ve waited decades and fought hard for this moment—but progress could be blocked if a minority of senators refuses to allow a fair debate and a fair vote. That’s right: Despite huge wins for pro-working family, pro-health care reform candidates in the House and Senate and the election of a pro-health care reform president, a few senators can do the bidding of insurance companies and prevent a bill from getting to the floor or getting a vote. Now is the time to contact your senators and tell them: Health care can’t wait. It’s time for action. Here’s more news from the fight for real health care reform: The Alliance for Retired Americans offered thanks to members of the U.S. House who voted to pass a health care reform bill that will improve Medicare and help the young and seniors alike. Alliance members also are protesting insurance companies like Humana that have used scare tactics and falsehoods to try and stop reform. At Open Left, Mike Lux runs down the benefits we will see from health care reform and the big fights still ahead to make reform the best it can be. Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is launching new ads urging senators in two key states—Arkansas and Nebraska—to allow a Senate vote on health care reform. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) looks at the employer’s role in health care and finds that the just-passed House bill does well at ensuring that employers can provide high-quality coverage. The Center for American Progress notes that the House bill will have big benefits for unmarried women, who are too often uninsured in our current system.

Editorial : Contact your U.S. Senators in Tennessee, Lamar Alexander(R) http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/

and Bob Corker(R)http://www.corker.senate.gov/public Tell them to support Health Care !

I Get Letters...Senator Bob Corker(R)Tennessee on Health Care and Public Option...11/17/09

2009-11-17T11:40:00.003-04:00

Dear Don,

Thank you for taking the time to contact my office about supporting a public health insurance plan option in comprehensive health care reform. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts. I strongly believe that no issue requires an innovative cure more than our country's ailing health care system. No matter whose statistics you believe, millions of Americans, including 800,000 Tennesseans, lack adequate health insurance. Beyond the chaos this causes to our health care system and the American economy, the human and emotional toll is enormous. I believe, as you do, that all Americans, regardless of medical history or preexisting conditions, deserve the opportunity to have access to high-quality health insurance coverage that is both affordable and transferrable between jobs. I also agree with you that increasing efficiency, reducing fraud, and maximizing competition between health insurance plans is the best way to achieve the best health insurance system. I want you to know that I am meeting regularly with doctors, hospital representatives, the insurance industry, and patients like you to get a well-rounded perspective on every option available that presents a possible solution. As the Senate debates comprehensive health care reform, I assure you that I will be working with my colleagues to craft legislation with the best possible balance of choice, quality, and affordability among health insurance plans. The insight you have provided in your letter will certainly help my staff and I more effectively look in to this issue.
Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely, Bob Corker(R)

United States Senator~Tennessee

Editorial : Huh ?

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ~ This Writer Has It !...11/14/09

2009-11-14T17:28:00.009-04:00

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
By Don Jones, PAH Patient...11/14/09

I have not written about my Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension disease lately. I have been doing a drug called Ventavis 5.0 inhaled six(6) times a day and a drug called Revatio(20mg.)The cost of these two drugs are appoximately $12,000.00 per month, my insurance pays, or I could`nt pay ! I do not believe these drugs have made a marked difference. I do not believe I`m any worse. Vanderbilt is going to stop these drugs and put me on a new drug called Tyvaso. I am affraid to ask the cost. Tyvaso is form of Remodulin. Tyvaso, (inhaled treprostinil) is an inhaled form of Remodulin®, which is a synthetic form of prostacyclin. It is produced by United Therapeutics, Inc and received FDA approval in 2009 for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in WHO Group 1 patients with NYHA Class III symptoms. Tyvaso is administered using the Tyvaso Inhalation System. The product is to be administered by oral inhalation, 4 times daily, approximately 4 hours apart during waking hours. The effects on a persons ability to exercise will decrease over the course of the minimum recommended dosing interval of 4 hours but treatment timing can be adjusted for planned activities in order to accommodate individual schedules of activity. I must say that I can`t wait to begin this new drug ! Shortness of breath is not much fun. I cannot do very much strenuous activity and walking is a nightmare at times. Being a Heart-Transplant, this disease puts a heavy burden on my heart. I`m not sure if I will continue the Revatio, Vanderbilt`s Dr. Hemnes(Picture Above) has not said at this point. As I learn more, I will write more in regard to this new treatment. I would ask what anyone`s experience is with this new drug, but, it is so new, there are`nt any. I have learned that as a PAH patient, I have good days and bad days. I find it extremely difficult to keep a positive outlook. I do know, that without my family, I could`nt make it ! Studies have shown that Tyvaso is a very effective treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is much less invasive than the current subcutaneous or intravenous formulation of treprostinil (Remodulin) and since it is administered less frequently than Ventavis®, it makes it a very desirable option for PAH patients. For additional Information, visit the Tyvaso Website.

Unfair Trade, Ya Think ?

2009-11-13T18:07:00.004-04:00

U.S. Taxpayers to Give Over $425 Million to Create Over 2,000 Jobs in China...

Chinese Manufacturer Claims "This is Just the Beginning"

Recent news revealed that the developer of a planned Texas wind farm is seeking – and expects to receive – more than $425 million in stimulus funds for the project. The wind farm is estimated to create a few-hundred temporary construction jobs along with about 30 ongoing jobs in the United States. Meanwhile, it is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs in China. That’s because a Chinese firm will be the exclusive supplier of the wind turbines for the project. China Artificially Lowers the Cost of their Exports, While U.S. Producers Struggle In case after case, China is continually found to provide massive subsidies to its domestic manufacturers along with other tactics to undercut U.S. producers. Consider that while China’s wind-turbine producing industry grows, in the first three quarters of 2009, there were 33 percent fewer announcements of U.S. wind turbine factory expansions compared to 2008.China plans on continuing their investments in the U.S. renewable industry in order to create a market for their manufacturers. Lu Jinxiang, an executive involved with the West Texas deal, was recently quoted as saying that “this is just the beginning” and the U.S. is “an ideal target” given our desire to promote renewable energy. We Can’t Afford to Give Up Good-Paying Manufacturing Jobs Unemployment now stands above 10 percent. Adding in those who have stopped looking or are not working as much as they would like takes the rate above 17 percent. Now is the time to make a real commitment to American jobs through a solid policy to promote manufacturing, as so many other nations already have. We need to get our country and our communities back on track. Green jobs can help reinvigorate the U.S. manufacturing base and provide quality, sustainable jobs for millions of Americans while promoting a cleaner environment. The stimulus bill was supposed to spark this activity – not create green jobs overseas. These wind turbines, their main components and other “green” products, can be made in the US – at least for the moment. It’s time to rethink our policies and renew our commitment to quality jobs in the U.S. Get Ready To Act ! We will NEVER just sit by and quietly watch this happen! Rapid Response will let you know how you can take action within a few days to help us try and stop this further export of U.S. jobs and taxpayer dollars to China!

Health Care Critical to Seniors...Life & Death !..11/13/09

2009-11-13T17:55:00.004-04:00

Alliance Leaders Join First Lady as Part of Health Reform Effort

Several Alliance leaders are scheduled to be with First Lady Michelle Obama this afternoon at a White House health reform event focused on senior women. Ms. Easterling, Alliance Executive Vice President Judy Cato and Executive Board member Barbara Matteson of Tucson, Arizona, are planning to attend the event, which will shine a light on the difficulties older women face getting insurance and how health reform will help them.
______________________________________________________________

Senate Works to Pass Its Own Health Care Bill :

The narrow margin in the House vote suggests enormous challenges in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is struggling to hold on to all 58 Democrats and two independents in his caucus. Sen. Reid has merged two bills into one. The fine print is not public, but according to The New York Times, the broad outlines are known. Unlike the House bill, which pays to extend coverage by taxing individuals who earn more than $500,000 a year and couples who earn more than $1 million, the Senate bill would impose a tax on higher-end insurance policies, which could have a detrimental effect on coverage for retirees and older workers. And unlike the House bill, which includes a national public plan, the Senate measure would allow states to opt out. White House officials realize that the closer the final vote comes to the November 2010 midterm Congressional elections, the more difficult it will be to pass legislation. "Senators must remember that many workers gave up other benefits in order to maintain their right to good health care benefits," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "To tax those workers? health benefits now would be unfair."

Goodyear Raising Tire Price`s ! You Bet !..11/13/09

2009-11-13T12:50:00.007-04:00

Associated Press

Goodyear increases Tire Prices to offset Costs

11.12.09

Goodyear is raising tire prices.

Spokesman Jim Davis says Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will raise the price on all consumer replacement tires sold in North America by 6 percent starting Dec. 1.
Davis says higher raw material costs are behind the move. The increase is the company's first since September 2008, when it raised prices more than 10 percent. The higher prices will be felt by the company's dealers and distributors, who buy replacement tires directly from Goodyear. Davis says it is up to them whether they pass the increase onto consumers. Goodyear posted a higher third-quarter profit last month, though it is forecasting an operating loss in its key North America market.

Editorial : Poor ole Goodyear, they can`t give Kramer and Keegan a bonus, unless they raise prices. North American operations, translated = Employees making too much money !

Tennessee Valley Authority, Join IFPTE Union...11/12/09

2009-11-12T19:53:00.002-04:00

TVA Engineers Join IFPTE
by Seth Michaels, Nov 10, 2009

By a nearly 10-to-1 margin, members of the Tennessee Valley Authority Engineering Association (EA), employees at the nation’s largest public power supplier, voted to affiliate with the Professional and Technical Engineers union (IFPTE) today. The EA includes more than 2,600 scientists, engineers, technicians and other professional TVA employees. EA President Gay Henson says joining IFPTE will make EA a more effective advocate for its members: “We are extremely excited about moving forward together with the IFPTE. This partnership provides us with new connections to Washington, to the labor movement and to other engineers and professionals. IFPTE also will lend expertise to help us with legislation and negotiations. As a result of today’s vote, it’s a new day for the EA.”
IFPTE represents more than 80,000 professional employees in both the public and private sector, including technical experts and skilled workers at power-generation facilities across he country. IFPTE President Greg Junemann says he’s honored that EA, first formed in 1937, decided to affiliate with IFPTE.

Editorial : This can only help. Perhaps they can keep CEO Tom Kilgore from more bonus/raises ?

Health Care & Trade Our Two Most Important Economic Indicators...11/12/09

2009-11-12T18:48:00.006-04:00

It`s Health Care & Trade, Stupid !

By Don Jones

As most of you know, I am a strong believer in our middle class. I think that without Unions, Fair Trade and reformed Health Care our middle class is lost. I do not believe that Wall Street will save us ! I do not believe that unfair commerce will save us ! I do not believe that a few people with all of the money will save us ! Our political system has divided into two factions, the Republicans represent the rich and powerful. The Democrats represent the middle class and the not so powerful. If you do not believe or like that statement, where on earth have you been ? Unfair Trade is absolutely killing off all of our manufacturing base. Without descent paying jobs, America is lost ! Health Care is one of the factors in moving off shore and manufacturing that same product and send it here to the United States for sale. Health Care is part of our manufacturing cost. If say, Goodyear Tire & Rubber builds a plant in China and they have and are. They can pay their employee`s 0.42 cents per hour and no benefits/health care ! They send tires back to USA for sale, They cannot sell them in China for (5) five years ! Price does not come down. Now, that's fair, sure it is ! Workers here cannot compete with that kind of unfair trade. I picked on Goodyear because that is exactly what is going on, plus, I worked there before my retirement. Unions have been rendered almost powerless in the last decade or longer. It is tough to organize workers, when there are no jobs. Can we all sit in front of a computer and make a living ? I think not. It is jobs, jobs, jobs and as our President says, we must make products here ! We no longer make shoes, clothing, electronic`s. Buy American, sounds great, but where do you find American made products, you sure cannot find them at Wal-Mart ! They are the great China importers. Do not believe the party of NO that we cannot have fair trade. I have heard that crap, until I`m sick. We must have fair trade, trade that equalizes are workers. Without it, we become a third world country. Our very rich, move their money off-shore to avoid paying tax`s. That leaves just the middle class to tote the note. Soon there will not be enough of us remaining to pay. Stop the bleeding of our manufacturing base now, or pay dearly later...and not much later either. So, it is Trade and Health Care...fix it !

I Get Letters ~ AFL-CIO...Tanner Let Us Down...11/12/09

2009-11-12T18:29:00.004-04:00

Congressman Tanner, District#8~Tennessee, Let Us Down !

Dear Don,

Last weekend, 219 Democrats and one Republican in the U.S. House voted to pass the health care reform bill. Your representative, Rep.John Tanner, was not one of them. Rep. Tanner let you down, let all of us down, by voting 'No' on health care reform. But your voice still can be heard in Washington. The House has voted, but the Senate still is working on its health care reform bill.
Please write your senators and ask them to vote for the health care fix our country needs. We need to make sure your senators don't make the same mistake your representative did. Write your senators, today, urging them to support health care reform that works for America's working families by: Including a strong public health insurance option to break the stranglehold of insurance companies and bring down costs;
NOT taxing our health care plans; and Guaranteeing that employers pay their fair share.
Please write your senators and ask them to lead where your representative has failed.
And since the House of Representatives will have to vote on this important issue at least one more time, send that letter to your representative to leave no doubt that you are paying attention and want to see real health care reform.

You can click on the items above or the title of this article, to contact your Senators ! and if you live in Tennessee, I urge you to contact Senator`s Alexander and Corker (R`s) They both oppose health care reform. Just tell them, you would like to have what you buy them, the best health care insurance, your tax money can buy !

Contact Your Senators...Health Care Now !...11/10/09

2009-11-11T18:30:00.006-04:00

First Hurdle Cleared: House Passes Healthcare Reform! Fight Now Moves to the Senate; Keep the Calls Going...

Late Saturday evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed an historic healthcare reform bill by a vote of 220-215. The legislation contains the key provisions our union sought: a strong public option to increase competition and lower costs, requirements for employers to either provide coverage or pay into a system to ensure employees can get coverage, and NO TAX on benefits.

HOW THEY VOTED:

All Republicans voted WRONG (against the bill) except for: Joseph Cao (LA-2).

All Democrats voted RIGHT (for the bill) except for the following :: Adler (NJ-3), Altmire (PA-4), Baird (WA-3), Barrow (GA-12), Boccieri (OH-16), Boren (OK-2), Boucher (VA-9), Boyd (FL-2), Bright (AL-2), Chandler (KY-6), Childers (MS-1), Davis (TN-4), Davis (AL-7), Edwards (TX-17), Gordon (TN-6), Griffith (AL-5), Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL), Holden (PA-17), Kissell (NC-8), Kosmas (FL-24), Kratovil (MD-1), Kucinich (OH-10), Markey (CO-4), Marshall (GA-8), Massa (NY-29), Matheson (UT-2), McIntyre (NC-7), McMahon (NY-13), Melancon (LA-3), Minnick (ID-1), Murphy (NY-20), Nye (VA-2), Peterson (MN-7), Ross (AR-4), Shuler (NC-11), Skelton (MO-4), Tanner (TN-8), Taylor (MS-4) and Teague (NM-2).

Please Call Your Senators: The Senate will begin debate shortly on their version of a reform bill. Their bill is not as strong as the House bill. A key concern is that it contains a tax on benefits that needs to be removed.

1 - Dial Toll-Free, 866-203-4960
2 - Ask for your Senators. Note: Make two calls, one to each Senator.
3 - Tell him or her that you are a voter in their state and they need to:
Support healthcare reform that:

Has a strong public option, Ensures employers provide care or pay into a system to ensure everyone can get care, and Does not tax benefits. You can contact

Senator Lamar Alexander(R) Tennessee > http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/

and you can contact Senator Bob Corker(R) Tennessee > http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/ <

All other Tennessee elected officials may be contacted by clicking on the title of this article !

How Health Care Reform Would Help YOU !...11/10/09

2009-11-10T13:07:00.004-04:00

Here’s How the House’s Health Care Reform Would Help You
by Seth Michaels, Nov 9, 2009

With successful passage of a historic health care reform bill this weekend, experts are weighing in on the benefits that the bill would bring to working families.
Maggie Mahar, a longtime observer of health care policy, says the progress Congress has made on health care is “astounding” and the House bill would move millions of families to less expensive, more comprehensive health care coverage, protecting them from medical bankruptcy, lifetime coverage caps and other consequences of our current flawed system. A study by MIT health care economist Jonathan Gruber suggests the changes in the House proposal will lower premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for middle-class families who are looking to buy insurance.This legislation includes numerous benefits for working families, immediately and in the long term, whether you have insurance now or not: It will end the national scandal of medical bankruptcy—the number one cause of personal bankruptcy—by eliminating lifetime caps on insurer payments and limiting annual out-of-pocket costs. Medical bankruptcies affect up to 4,000 families every day in the United States—and 78 percent of them are fully insured.
It ends abusive insurance company practices, including the denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions and “rescissions”—the practice of canceling coverage when patients file claims.

It provides subsidies to help middle-class and lower-income families afford coverage. Through an exchange, it offers people a wide range of choices of insurance, including a public health insurance option that competes with private insurers.

It narrows the “donut hole”—the gap in Medicare coverage for prescription drugs.

It creates incentives to increase the number of doctors and boosts funding for community health centers.

It allows young people to be covered by their parents’ insurance up to age 27.

It creates a new fund to help employers give health coverage to early retirees.

It provides for efficient, computerized medical records and other tools to streamline medical care and increase quality.

It cuts costs to the federal government as well as to families, reducing the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years—thanks, in part, to the existence of a public health insurance option, which lowers costs across the system.
Ad it’s fairly funded—through employer responsibility and a surtax on the very highest earners, not a tax on middle-class health benefits.

That’s a huge, historic win that will make a real difference in the lives of people of all ages. Here’s a two-page fact sheet that explains more.
Meanwhile: President Barack Obama praised the House members who showed courage in taking this critical vote.
Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and other reform supporters are thanking representatives who voted “Yes.” You can thank your member of Congress here. They showed courage by fighting against insurance companies and for working families—and they need to hear from you to know that they did the right thing.
And the Senate could begin debate on its own health care legislation next week.