just signed onto HR 676. I ran against Norm Dicks in 1990 and in that campaign argued for such a plan and no one would listen. Last month we had a "Health Care For All" Rally and March in Tacoma and were able to muster 22 elected officials including US Congressman Adam Smith, 11 different faith systems and 26 congregations, labor leaders, education leaders and health professionals. We had 300+ people which was good for Tacoma and we were covered on the Seattle news station KIRO 4 times that day. I would like to think that some of this was a final nudge to get Dicks on board!

Anyway, I don't care, but I do care passionately and deeply about this issue. I had cancer twice...the first time I was insured and I was able with a struggle to keep up financially. The second time I was with out health insurance and racked up 168K in bills and our family lost everything we had. We are just now recovering.

GO UNIVERSAL SINGLE PAYER!!!!!!!

The murder of Dr. George Tiller yesterday brings into focus once again how we have let hate groups fester as a simmering boil of rhetorical puss that erupts in some ones mind and gives them the notion that it is their right to kill.

Pundits and activists such O'Reilly and Randall Terry stoke the fires of hatred and in a subtle way encourage and provoke the fringe lunatic of our society to do such things. Granted it is aided and abetted by the likes of the Roman Catholic Church and the Fundies. All of you should be ashamed, all of you should apologize and all of you should be held accountable!

Right now in the US there are 50 million uninsured, 45 million under-insured...health crisis events is the leading cause of all personal bankruptcies...we must do something and do it quickly.

As a response, the MICAH Project of First United Methodist of Tacoma, Washington, America in Solidarity, Community Health Care and Health Care For All is sponsoring a rally and march this Saturday (May 30, 2009) to bring this issue to the awareness of our State and National Representatives. This is being held in conjunction with rallies and marches all across the US on the same day.

I am bringing this up because I want to people to check in their town or state where their rally will be held.

The Tacoma rally is at 621 Tacoma Avenue South Tacoma, Washington Refreshments are at 9AM and program with US Rep Adam Smith, State Reps. Larry Seaquist and Dawn Morell begins at 9:30 with a 10;15 March.

This event is endorsed by the Washington Association of Church, League of Women Voters, Korean Woman's Association, Tacoma Connecting Mission, Lutheran Public Policy Office, UFCW #367, ILWU Puget Sound Council, Progressive Democrats of America, Tacoma Urban League, St. Mark's Lutheran GSA, Rainbow Center and many others.

If you live in the South Sound please join us, if not: please initiate such an event. For more info: contact Mike Collier MICAH Project Chair pgtsndr@yahoo.com

Have a great Memorial Weekend!

Yes, I disparaged him, but only because he was a Republican and he supported messing over Central America America...just because he croaked doesn't make him right...he's still a repuke!

Many have asked what they can do for the family or for DK the 14 year old who was hit by the powerboat as he was kayaking and then left floating face down in the lake...DK's mom has said besides prayers or positive thoughts, the one concrete thing we can do is to donate blood in his name. She is thankful that there was blood available for him and would like to make sure there is enough blood available for those who have such needs in the future. From the latest blog from his mom, he's hanging in there...
thanks for your good wishes and concern! Please K & R this thread if you wish...the more who are able to take part in giving blood..the better! Thanks!

I'm not sure which forum this belongs in, so if it doesn't belong here, please forgive me and direct it to the right forum.

Last Sunday February 28th the 14 year old son of a DU poster was kayaking on a lake in Pierce County and was hit direct on by a powerboat. The boater who him, fled the scene of the accident and it took an undetermined time for a fisherman to find him floating face up in the water. By the time he was brought into the hospital his core temperature was 82 degrees. The signs have not been very good since then and he is still very critical in a Tacoma hospital.

I ask DU'ers to either pray or think positive thoughts for this young man who has already in his short life worked for progressive causes and I ask prayers and good thoughts for his mom that she has the suppport and strength to make it through this.

Peace

I don't know if this is the place to put this, if not please forgive me and send it somewhere else.

America in Solidarity is a very liberal organization made up mainly of folks from unions, churches and progressive causes in the Western Washington area. They did much this year to advance the cause of liberal/progressive candidates in the 2008 election and did quite well with the slate of candidates that they endorsed, including putting out an email action alert in which millions took part in.

Last Sunday afternoon the 14 year old son of one of our board members was kayaking on a lake in Pierce County. While kayaking, a power boat came speeding by and hit directly on, left him in the water floating face down and took off. An undetermined amount of time later, a fisherman found him still floating face down and by the time he was taken to the hospital his body temperature was at 82 degrees.
He is till in a coma and floating between life and death.

I ask those of you who are religious to pray to your higher power and those of you who wish, to think positive thoughts for this young ma and his family.

Peace!

Just these past couple of days, testimony has borne out just how close to losing all our civil rights, we came to be. To me, this is one of the worst things to happen to the country since the civil war. Nothing could be worse than not being able to express, or live in fear that if the state is angry with you they can dispose of you how they see fit.

When this was happening there were many who down played it and soften the ugliness of it. There were those who went right along with and then there was the vast majority...those whose lives were not DIRECTLY and IMMEDIATELY affected by it who didn't care, didn't know or didn't want to know.

We must do something to bring this further into the light of day. IMHO we need to have a national day of action. I would suggest a weekday (Wednesday) in which everybody calls in sick, or economically if that can't be done, a Saturday...during the time we are not at work...we need to be protesting (or vigiling)...at the State, County and City Republican Headquarters.

This would IMHO accomplish a few things:

1) maybe put pressure on Congress to push for prosecution a little more aggressively
2) alert some people to what actually was going on around them for the past 8 years
3) lay the blame squarely where it belongs..on the Republicans doorstep

I would appreciate some discussion of this...if it is done, it needs to be done a massive scale...let me know what you think..Peace Mike C

This is typical of most cops. A 15 year old girl arrested on suspicion of auto theft, was book into a private holding cell..as the cop was leaving she yelled at him, he yelled back and then she flipped her shoe at him. The response? Both cops flew at her slammed her against the wall, knocked her to the ground, punch her, handcuffed her and then pulled her up from the floor by her hair.

The bigger problem with this is that this in not the first, nor the second, nor the third time that one of these cops was involved in a violent act. In 2000 he shot some one in the line of duty. In 2004 he got into an altercation while on duty and in 2005 was in a traffic altercation while off duty, pulled his service revolver and shot the person he was arguing with. It was ruled justifiable by a lemming like star chamber inquest.

I only hope the county gets rid of people like him..but they won't...fucking cops all stick together and cover for each other.

Wow...to once again have a president who has a brain...to once again have a vice president who has a heart...to once again have an administration that has integrity and to once again have a nation that has hope!!!!!! Thank you DU for all the opposition to the current nightmare of Bush, thanks DU to all the electoral work these past few years and thank you America for waking up and seeing what is going on! The sun is peaking behind the clouds and new warmth of compassion and justice is burning through!!!!!!

This isn't about the serious stuff (like lying us into a war, causing a depression and eliminating civil rights) that didn't annoy...that infuriated me...this is about the quirky things....

In 1990 I ran for US Congress from the left against an entrenched opponent...my cheapest means to getting name familiarity was through the use of yard signs. We put them in spite of a city of Tacoma ordinance that only allowed signs up for 60 days before and 30 days after an election on private property. The city came to people told them to get their signs off the lawn and out of the windows or face criminal legal penalties. We took the city to the Washington State Supreme Court and got the sign laws overturned in the State of Washington. It is one of the text cases dealing with election sign law. We won on the fact that political speech is protected above all other forms of speech. Realtors were allowed to keep their signs up on houses all year long. Either they had to take the signs down or we needed to be allowed to keep our up. If you want more information please contact me..it was my case...my email is pgtsndr@yahoo.com Peace Mike Collier

what resolution if you made one or were to make one is most likely to be yours?

at Warren when he gives the invocation!!!