Just hours after Congress passed health insurance reform, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett joined a lawsuit to block it. He joined 10 other Republican attorneys general who are pledging to take it to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Tom Corbett is using our tax dollars to sue the United States in an effort to block health care reforms that offer huge benefits to the people of our state. Who is he representing?
We know Corbett isn't representing the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions who will be guaranteed coverage, or the 151,000 small businesses who will receive tax credits and other assistance to help them afford coverage, or the 2.2 million people who will receive improved Medicare benefits, or the 10.7 million residents with health insurance who are now protected from arbitrary premium hikes and insurance cancellations if they get sick.1
Does Tom Corbett represent you?
If you don't want Attorney General Corbett to file this suit in your name, now is the time to speak out! We need Tom Corbett to hear from thousands of people across the state: don't sacrifice Washington's health for partisan politics. Please click on the link below to sign our petition. Then forward this email to your friends and ask them to sign as well.
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pacorbett1
This reform will benefit nearly every family in Pennsylvania. A congressional analysis found that this bill will:
* Protect 10.7 million residents with health insurance from arbitrary premium hikes and insurance cancellations if they get sick.
* Provide tax credits and other assistance to up to 904,000 families and 151,000 small businesses in PA to help them afford coverage.
* Improve Medicare for 2.2 million people in PA.
* Extend insurance coverage to 1.3 million uninsured residents.
* Guarantee that the more than 500,000 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
* Reduce the national debt by over $1 trillion over the next 20 years.2
Despite these benefits for the people of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett is putting partisan politics above good policy by trying to maintain the status quo of our broken health care system.
Thanks to you and your hard work the Pennsylvania State Senate Judiciary Committee just voted 8-6 to table SB 707! SB 707 is the bill to amend the PA Constitution to ban same sex marriage. This is a huge victory for us, since the vote effectively kills the bill.
This is your victory. We had over 120,000 emails sent to senators, over 75,000 in the last 24 hours! In addition, our allies and friends generated thousands more phone calls, emails and letters.
We should celebrate, but we need to remain vigilant. It is unlikely, but it is possible that the bill could come to life again. Especially if they think we aren't going to act again.
Please encourage your friends and family to join us at www.keystoneprogress.org
Also, help us maintain our network with your financial contribution. Any amount can help. You can donate at http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/contribute/kspdonate
Congratulations on your incredible victory.
For Equality,
Michael Morrill
for the Keystone Progress Team
The PA State Senate’s Judiciary Committee is voting on Tuesday to take away your rights! Anti-LGBT legislators plan to vote to put a ban on same sex marriage in the PA Constitution. If they succeed, it could take a generation before we LGBT people can have a chance to marry in Pennsylvania.
We can’t let this happen! Click here to send an email to all members of the Judiciary Committee NOW!
Anti-LGBT Senator John Eichelberger, who last year made headlines for saying that he is “allowing them (LGBT couples) to exist,” is the leader of this effort to put discrimination into the PA Constitution. If he wins, it will send a message throughout PA and across the nation that bigotry is acceptable and legal.
Take action now! Email the Judiciary Committee this simple message: “Vote NO on SB 707. Don't put bigotry in the PA Constitution.”
Then send this to everyone you know RIGHT NOW! We need thousands of emails TODAY to stop this bill.
I love Keystone Progress. There, I said it. After my family, it's the most important thing in my life right now. And it's not just because it provides my paycheck. I could work somewhere else and make more money for a lot less work. I love KP because I love Pennsylvania and I love my country. I love Keystone Progress because it is one of the organizations making a real difference.
KP is helping to build a permanent progressive political majority in Pennsylvania. And it's providing hope for progressives, when despair is as deep as the snowfall from a one-two blizzard punch. Republican obstructionism in Congress, the rise of the regressive Tea Party movement and the Supreme Court's recent decision to give corporations free rein to buy our elections are enough to cause many to throw up their hands in surrender.
But Keystone Progress, and our allies, have refused to quit. Instead, we are audacious enough to believe that we can still win healthcare for every American, equal rights for LGBT people, a growing economy that guarantees a living wage for all, a clean environment, and a society that includes everyone in its common wealth.
KP has accomplished much in its brief existence:
I love Keystone Progress, what it has done, and what it can do in 2010-if we have the funding. We rely on our friends for our support.
That's why I'm asking you to send a Valentine gift today. https://secure.keystoneprogress.org/page/contribute/paval Make a contribution to Keystone Progress today and we'll send an email letting your Valentine know that not only are you thinking of him/her, you are honoring your Valentine with a gift that will help make Pennsylvania a better place to live and to love. Or you can just make a contribution without the Valentine.
Your contribution will help us continue our work as the communication hub for PA's progressive community. We'll use every dollar to make a difference on the issues you care about.
Show your love. Make the most generous contribution you can afford to help us build a progressive future in PA.
In Solidarity (and love),
Michael Morrill, Executive Director
www.keystoneprogress.org
| Congressional District | Incumbent | No. of Dead |
| Pennsylvania 5 | Glenn Thompson | 64 |
| Pennsylvania 6 | Jim Gerlach | 49 |
| Pennsylvania 9 | Bill Shuster | 83 |
| Pennsylvania 15 | Charles W. Dent | 54 |
| Pennsylvania 16 | Joseph R. Pitts | 77 |
| Pennsylvania 18 | Tim Murphy | 40 |
| Pennsylvania 19 | Todd Russell Platts | 51 |
While Republican Members of Congress oppose any meaningful healthcare reform, here are the numbers of people who will die in their districts this year.
Thanks to Rep. Alan Grayson (D,FL) for the list. To view the entire list, go to:
http://grayson.house.gov/Deaths%20by%20Congressional%20District.doc
Four months ago community organizations and health care advocates across the commonwealth stood side by side with the employees of ACME/Supervalu and their union, helping the parties to reach a fair agreement for both sides The agreement overwhelmingly supported by the 4,000 union members at ACME/ Supervalu gave the employer some economic relief and preserved health care benefits and pension rights for our union members.
Now ACME/Supervalu has reneged on their agreement and started to cut the hours of many part-time employees below the level required to earn benefits without regard to our long standing negotiated seniority provisions in our contract. Hundreds of workers would immediately lose their health care benefits if ACME has their way.
Local 1776 is fighting Acme on many fronts. However, we need your help and appreciate your efforts to tell Acme that you are not going to stand by while they deprive working Pennsylvanians’ of health insurance
At a time when we are so close to winning major health care reform for all Americans we cannot allow ACME/Supervalu to dump these hardworking women and men from our negotiated employer based health care plans.
You have helped these workers, your neighbors before, we are asking for your help again.
Please contact Judy Spires by email Judy.Spires@supervalu.com
by phone 610 889 4202, or write her; Judy Spires, President / Acme Markets Inc./ 75 valley Stream Parkway / Malvern PA 19355
We would also appreciate copies of your correspondence with Judy Spires or the staff at ACME Supervalu and if you could share this e-mail with your lists.
Thank you in advance for your help on behalf of the 4,000 members of UFCW 1776 working at ACME Markets and their President Wendell W. Young IV. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
John Meyerson
Director of Legislation & Political Action
United Food and Commercial Workers 1776
3031A Walton Rd
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
610 940 1811
Coalition of Progressive Groups Announces First Gubernatorial Debate
All five major Democratic candidates have agreed to face off on January 29, 2010
(HARRISBURG, PA)—A coalition of self-described progressive organizations is hosting the first debate of the 2010 race for governor as a part of the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit. All five Democratic candidates have agreed to participate.
Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, Philadelphia Businessman Tom Knox, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Auditor General Jack Wagner will face questions from an audience made up of progressive activists and leaders from across the state. Tom Corbett and Jim Gerlach were invited to participate but have not yet responded.
The debate will be held on January 29, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey on Lindle Rd. in Swatara Township. It will be hosted by a coalition of progressive organizations, including Keystone Progress, the Service Employees International Union PA State Council, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Alliance for American Manufacturing, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, Planned Parenthood PA Advocates, United Steelworkers, and PennAction. Dozens of other organizations are already part of the planning process for the debate.
“We are excited about the impact that our gubernatorial debate will have,” said Eileen Connelly, Executive Director of SEIU PA State Council. “Since this is likely to be the first debate, the progressive community will help to set the agenda for the entire campaign.”
Questions will come from the sponsoring organizations and from the audience, which will be made up of participants in the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit. Hundreds of progressive grassroots and netroots leaders and activists will be gathering the weekend of the debate to network and discuss the progressive agenda for 2010.
Rally For Single Payer Healthcare:
The Economic Solution:
PA 2009 / United States 2010
Join single payer supporters from all over Pennsylvania in the Capitol Rotunda, 100 N. State St., Harrisburg. Supporting State (HB1660 / SB400) and National (HR676 / S703) Health Care Reform Efforts
Tuesday, October 20, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
Speakers include:
Sen. Jim Ferlo (D, Allegheny)
Wendell Potte, former CIGNA Executive, turned whistle blower and single payer advocate.
Katie Robbins, Assistant National Coordinator, Healthcare-NOW
Donna Smith.………Political Organizer / California Nurses Assn; star of “SiCKO”
Tim Carpenter……...National Director, Progressive Democrats of America
Bill George………………..….President, PA AFL-CIO
Members of the Baucus 8…….Kevin Zeese, Russell Mokhiber, Margaret Flowers and Katie Robbins
For more information:
Visit: www.healthcare4allpa.org/rally.htm
Email: action@healthcare4allpa.org
Call: Eastern PA - Jerry at 717.295.0237
Western PA - Mary Pat at 412.421.4242
You have to check this out: Will Ferrell on health care reform, along with Jon Hamm from "Mad Men," Donald Faison from "Scrubs," Olivia Wilde from "House," and a whole cast of amazing, funny actors.
Click here to see the video—and if you like it, pass it along to your friends:
Thanks for all you do.
–Kat, Laura, Stephen, Marika, and the rest of the team
P.S. Special thanks to all the actors who participated in this video: Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm of "Mad Men," Olivia Wilde of "House," Thomas Lennon of "Reno 911," Robert Ben Garant of "Reno 911," Masi Oka of "Heroes," Jordana Spiro of "My Boys," Linda Cardellini of "ER," and Donald Faison of "Scrubs."
-MM
MEMORANDUM
To: Interested Parties
From: Celinda Lake and Daniel Gotoff, Lake Research Partners
Date: September 17, 2009
Subject: New Poll Results on the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary in PA
A recent statewide survey of likely Democratic Primary voters finds former Congressman Joe Hoeffel leading a field of candidates in the race for Governor of Pennsylvania.[1] This finding is all the more impressive considering that Hoeffel has not yet announced his candidacy. Despite a field of several announced candidates, Democratic Primary voters are clearly looking for a strong progressive leader to lead the state; Hoeffel is poised to consolidate the sizable progressive bloc of the primary electorate, as well as the all-important swing Philadelphia suburbs. Indeed, after simulating an engaged race, with voters hearing positive messages for all the candidates, Hoeffel expands his lead.
Key Findings
Ø Former Congressman Joe Hoeffel leads a crowded field of candidates in the Democratic Primary for Governor of Pennsylvania. Hoeffel secures 15% of the vote, with Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and State Auditor General Jack Wagner drawing 12% each, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty at 6%, and businessman Tom Knox at just 5%. Fully, half of the electorate (50%) is undecided, underscoring the wide-open nature of this race. Hoeffel’s early lead is especially impressive considering the fact that other major candidates have made their intentions to run for Governor clear for some time.
Ø Hoeffel is already consolidating a strong regional base in the Philadelphia suburbs, which together with the city constitute the largest region in the state – both in a Primary and a General election. Hoeffel holds a strong lead over Onorato, Wagner, and Knox—the only other Philadelphia-area-based candidate in the race—in the greater Philadelphia region. In Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, Hoeffel takes 30% of the vote, with Knox at 10%, Wagner at 6%, Doherty at 4%, and Onorato at 3%. Hoeffel’s lead is particularly strong in the Philadelphia suburbs, where he receives 41%, followed by Wagner’s 8%, Knox’s 7%, Onorato’s 3%, and Doherty’s 2%.
Ø The greater Philadelphia regions makes up 40% of the vote in the Democratic Primary statewide vote. Hoeffel’s 41% of the vote in the Philadelphia suburbs is comparable to Onorato’s strength in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania (42%) and far outpaces Wagner’s strength in Central PA (25%) and in Pittsburgh and Western PA (17%), and Doherty’s strength in Northeastern PA (25%). It bears repeating that Hoeffel’s strength in the Philadelphia suburbs affords him an enormous – and unique – advantage in a General election.
Ø While Hoeffel’s voters are solidly in his camp, the same cannot be said for Wagner, Onorato, and Knox – all of whom are sitting on relatively weak, contested bases of support. Fully 68% of Hoeffel’s voters would move to “undecided” if he were not in the race – significantly more than is the case for Onorato’s, Wagner’s, and Knox’s voters; no other candidate would pick up more than 11% of Hoeffel’s initial vote. In contrast, if Knox were to exit the race, Hoeffel would stand to pick up 31% of his vote. Wagner and Onorato supporters are also poised to switch should their first choice exit the field. Fully 37% of Onorato voters would vote for Wagner if Onorato were not running. And more than one in five Wagner voters (22%) would vote for Onorato if Wagner were not running.
Ø Voters who know Joe Hoeffel like him, and he is more popular than most of the candidates, including Onorato. By more than a three-to-one margin, Democratic Primary voters have a favorable opinion of Hoeffel (25% favorable, 8% unfavorable). Hoeffel’s image ratings are stronger than Onorato’s (22% favorable, 8% unfavorable), Knox’s (19% favorable, 11% unfavorable), and Doherty’s (16% favorable, 6% unfavorable). Only Wagner is better known than Hoeffel (29% favorable, 7% unfavorable), though he has trouble converting personal affect into votes.
Ø After voters hear each of the candidates’ positive messages, Hoeffel expands his lead. (The text of each of the messages is provided on the following page.) Voters respond strongly to Hoeffel’s progressive bona fides and his demonstrated commitment to fighting for good jobs with good wages, fair trade laws, clean energy technologies, and real health care reform. After this exercise, Hoeffel attracts nearly one-quarter of the statewide vote (23%), followed by Wagner’s 18%, Knox’s 12%, Onorato’s 11%, and Doherty’s 6%. About one-third (31%) remain undecided.
Ø The Democratic Primary electorate is looking for a progressive leader – which is good news for Hoeffel, the only candidate with a strong record of accomplishments on progressive issues, and bad news for the rest of the field, to whom few would apply the progressive label. Fully half of Democratic Primary voters (50%) describe themselves as liberal, compared to 29% who describe themselves as moderate and 17% who describe themselves as conservative. This figure is nearly identical to the 2008 Presidential Democratic primary exit poll in Pennsylvania, which showed 49% of Democratic Primary voters describing themselves as liberal.
| TEXT OF POSITIVE CANDIDATE STATEMENTS (Order of Statements Randomized in Survey) |
| Joe Hoeffel is the one true progressive leader in this race, not afraid to stand up for working families, even when it’s politically unpopular. He has been at the forefront of the fight for good jobs with good wages. Trade laws that benefit workers and small business, not corporations that outsource jobs. A health care plan that puts people ahead of profits. And a leading voice for investing in the clean energy technologies that are the key to our economic future. Joe Hoeffel is a leader who will take bold action to put people back to work and turn our economy around. The son of a mechanic and a school teacher, and the first in his family to go to college, Dan Onorato was raised on the importance of family and faith, and that when times are tough, everyone pitches in. As Allegheny County Executive, Dan has led the way, cracking down on waste and abuse, cutting taxes, and transforming Western Pennsylvania into a hub for 21st century jobs. As Governor, he’ll bring new ideas to reform government, clean-up Harrisburg, create new 21st-Century jobs, strengthen our education system & invest in new energy solutions. Jack Wagner is Pennsylvania’s state Auditor General. He has saved Pennsylvania taxpayers tens of millions of dollars by exposing waste, fraud, and abuse. He’s a Purple Heart-decorated Marine known for his integrity and ability to get results. Jack exposed millions of tax dollars in hidden bonuses spent by education loan executives and took steps to protect state and local pension plans. He’s already identified $1.3 billion in savings so we can keep investing in core services without raising taxes. As Governor, he’ll fix our budget mess. The son of a steelworker, Tom Knox grew up in a Philadelphia housing project & worked his way out of poverty–serving in the Navy, then going on to become a respected business leader. Never a career politician, at his own request, Tom was paid a salary of $1 per year when Ed Rendell asked him to balance Philadelphia’s budget—which he did & turned in a $10 million surplus. Knox has led the fight against utility deregulation and is the only candidate who has created jobs in the private sector. As Governor, his three priorities for the state are simple: jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Under Chris Doherty’s leadership as Mayor of Scranton, the city has been named one of the best places to raise a family in Pennsylvania by Business Week magazine and has seen more than 6,000 jobs created, a $500 million investment in new development, and acres and acres in new urban green spaces. As Governor, Doherty will lead the way on bringing investment dollars into the state to create jobs. |
| Regional Definitions Philadelphia: Philadelphia county/city. Philadelphia Suburbs: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. Pittsburgh/ Western PA: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Johnstown/Altoona: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Elk, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, and Somerset counties. Northwest PA: Clarion, Clinton, Crawford, Erie, Forest, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties. Central PA: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder, Union, and York counties. Northeast : Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Lehigh Valley: Berks, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton counties. |
[1] Lake Research Partners designed and administered this survey of 800 likely 2010 Democratic Primary voters in Pennsylvania. The survey was conducted by telephone, using professional interviewers, between September 8-13, 2009. The overall margin of error for this survey is +/-3.5%.
A simple resolution to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was halted by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican representing Butler. Why? Because, he said, “It has a homosexual agenda.”
No, I’m not making this up. Here is the rest of the quote from his remarks on the House floor, objecting to the resolution: “I protest, this is not non-controversial, and if you read the language it has a homosexual agenda.”1
On the same day, also on the House floor, he made matters worse. The House was about to vote on increasing marriage license fees from $3 to $28, with the increased amount going to a fund for victims of domestic abuse. Metcalfe opposed the measure, calling the funding a domestic violence programs “a slap in the face to family values.”2 The bill passed despite his outrageous claim.
Rep. Metcalfe clearly has a problem with preventing domestic violence in Pennsylvania. He also has a problem with LGBT people and other minorities trying to assert and protect their rights.
We say “Enough of Metcalfe’s bigotry and ignorance!” Join people from all over Pennsylvania is demanding that he allow a vote of the resolution recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month and that he should apologize for his insensitive remarks.
Click here to send him your message. http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/pametcalfe1
Domestic violence is a serious problem that needs our attention. According to the resolution that the House was considering3:
· One in every four women and one in every nine men will experience domestic violence in his or her lifetime.
· One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.
· Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States.
· Thirty percent to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the home.
· Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.
· The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services.
Please take action now to tell Rep. Metcalfe what you think. Then forward this to everyone you know and ask them to write to Metcalfe. http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/pametcalfe1
Michael Morrill and the Keystone Progress Team
1 CapitolWire, September 17, 2009
2 ibid
3 Here’s the entire text of the resolution that Metcalfe killed. http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2009&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=R&billNbr=0105&pn=0738
