Let's make this November a referendum on public education.

During last century’s Cold War, Great Britain’s Winston Churchill said: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of wealth; the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”

Let's take a spin off those words, and compare the equal sharing of ignorance, lack of education, void of job skills and the current state of opportunity for young people and working age people in Arizona and consider what can be done.

It doesn't have to be that way!  We can change things and bring jobs, opportunity and brighter futures for everyone by determined effort to change course and set a new direction for everyone by making the November General Election a referendum on candidates holding positive attitudes and sincere principles in public education for all.

Candidates for public office must be masters of words, they are coached and practice sure-fire buzz phases designed to win favorable impressions from voters.  "School choice", and similar statements of support for educational opportunity are easy to express,  but what is the real meaning of their words?  

Education vouchers, privately owned charter schools sucking up public funds under the guise of being public schools need close review as alternatives to "district schools" which are  operated by locally elected boards of education.  Open meetings with time and place for public participation leading to real give and take on local school decisions. 

What is the real public input into these for profit education facilities called Charter Schools?  Do they really have "open enrollments"?   Do they offer special educational opportunities for handicap and students with special needs or disabilities?  The Charter Schools seek equal public funding, trust us finances with no public recourse on how or where the money is spent.

Starting with the "troubled" Pima Community College do we have candidates seeking election prepared to turn the direction around and bring quality back and solve the issue of accreditation?

Worth investigation seeking election to an open position on the board is Mark Hanna.  Is he for real or just a good song and dance candidate?  Sounds worth a second look.  Quoting from public material:

The best way to ensure a prosperous future for Tucson is through education. For 40 years the Pima Community College has been providing this education to our youth who are the leaders of tomorrow. By voting for Mark Hanna, you are helping to ensure that the Pima Community College continues as a leader in education for the next 40 years and beyond.

Pima Community College has such an important roll as a first stop for education after high school we need to elect new leadership committed to providing the community a learning center with skill building programs to ensure employment quality graduates.  

The success of Pima Community College is paramount as a resource for education in our  community, we must not put it on a back burner to just do the best it can.  Top priority to its governance and public support and financing needs our full attention.

This November election are we watch dogs of the candidates from both parties and their proven records of support for education.  

The candidates know the words, but what are their records?  Not the campaign blowing smoke, "protect the border", "bring jobs", "save the environment", "cut taxes", "balance the budget stuff" but the real issues like money for education, replacing lost gas tax revenue for transportation.

We need to hear where the candidates plan on getting funds for transportation projects, maintaining our streets and highway.  Where are local governments are to find money for the programs mandated by the state for their operations?   

Do we have a sluggish job market, stagnant wages, lazy people looking for welfare subsidies?  Across the country the employment picture has shown some improvement, more people are finding jobs but problems still exist.  Arizona is no exception, but reaching out and ready to lead is a fresh change in the climate of politics old school.  

Arizona has a very unique opportunity to elect a real in your face a savvy educator that is making his way as a good politician.  Without any doubt, with no reservations our chance of an election cycle to put education back on the front burner where it belongs. Show all ninty legislators, the to be elected governor we care about our kids, we care about jobs, we are tired of educating our children to move to other states for decent jobs, we want education improved.

Our vote for one of the most important posts in state government, a leader who not only knows but cares about education, a new Superintendent of Public Instruction with a 4th generation Arizonan who knows the state, ready and prepared to move us ahead, DAVID GARCIA

DAVID GARCIA  Experienced with Vision who knows the classroom, our children and someone we all can be proud to follow, for our future education systems and strong public schools.  

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country

Now is time to resist fear, prejudice, stand tall for Progressive Ideals, Values that all Liberal-Progressives believe and carry forward into the fray we call an election.

Certain things are evident, President Obama is our first Black President.  He has more than proven his leadership and reaffirmed our trust in him for his second term as our President.

All across this country North, South, West and East there are people who have a reservoir of prejudice and will not be willing to accept his leadership in these times.  Any person of color would have that problem.  People really like President Obama and his family, but are not willing to accept him as the elected leader of our country.  

Someone said, Money is made round to roll around.  Greed and the seeking of financial benefit is a fact of life.  [**Corporate Greed]  People of great wealth never seem to have enough.  There are people willing to exploit that seeking to fill their own wallets.  Just a fact of life we cannot take money out of politics--this year!

The real patriots are those folks against some odds who are willing to become summer soldiers and march forward gathering as many as we can to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and elect those candidates willing to support President Obama and his last two years as our leader.

I firmly believe President Obama fully deserves to be placed in history along side the great Presidents not limited to but in my lifetime, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, yep, Jimmy Carter the under-credited humanitarian of our time.

President Obama is leading the United State in the worst set of global turmoil, no leader outside actual war has faced such world conditions.  Coming out a Great Recession, standing firm with responsible advisers President Obama has been a steady force at the wheel moving forward to renewed prosperity for our country.

Coming off the Great Recession who is the steady hand?

Put this is your book of the world today, Europe is still suffering from recession, China the second biggest economy in the world is in a worse struggle.  Japan and Germany's economies are shrinking, Italy's economic and political structure is in full decline, most of economies of the world are basket cases of financial ruin.  

Russian troops on Ukraine's border feeding rebels trying to topple Ukraine's government after having moved into part of Ukraine declaring it part of Russia.  Islamic militants seized Iraqi territory, attempting to create its own state out of Syria and Iraqi.  In punishment of Russian expansionism US sanctions are disrupting trade and creating problems for our European allies.

Ebola outbreak spreading fear and death over Africa.   World poverty, pitting nation against nation, Israel's war in Gaza upsetting the simmering powder keg of the Middle East.  No peace there for another piece of time.

Constant political harping against President Obama, if it rains too much on the East Coast and fires rage on the draught ridden West Coast, it was the lightening caused by President Obama visiting the West Coast to possibly do a little political fund raising to help Democrat candidates who are being buried by dark money political action packs. 

President Obama remains a steady hand at the wheel of state, and I am darn happy he is!  Progressives it is our assignment to become the soldiers, electioneers for this fall's elections. This mission and the short time we have to turn things around means, all hands on deck!

Give Up and Give Credit - President Obama is a success!

Our  future Health Care with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act another of the great achievements of the President Obama needs to be added.  Open enrollment for this year with nearly 14 Million more Americans under some Health Care program is a reality.  

Another 5 million plus denied health care coverage because the politicians in Republican controlled states refused to expand the Medicaid programs offered with Federal funds.  The citizens of those states are cheated the basic need of health care because for political reasons their elected representatives would rather make them suffer than see another crowning success given to President Obama.

The pressure is building as more and more citizens realize just across the border in another state with more progressive government leaderships health care is offered and more folks are now under a health care program.  How long before those Republican politicians can no longer withhold Medicaid expansion and by popular demand join the ranks of millions of other Americans offered health care?

How much longer before the medical professionals, hospitals, insurance companies and employers revolt against picking up the tab for emergency and other medical treatment for the uninsured? 

Update on Affordable Care Act (OBAMACARE) More Success

UPDATE
Time is working for providing Health Care to yet more millions of Americans.  States led by Republican Governors and Legislatures are feeling the heat for turning down expansion in their states of Federal Funding offered by the Affordable Care Act through Medicaid.

Millions of citizens in progressive states have been able to join state programs for health care at NO COST to them or their state governments.  Tax dollars returned in the form of federal payments for individual Medicaid health programs.

Millions of people eligible for health care still not covered.  Low income people in some states are signed up for health care using the tax dollars of their neighbors across the nation in states not accepting the Medicare expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act.

The elections in many states in November may switch power to adovates of expanded health care providing even more millions of people covered by some form of health insurance.  With the election and many candidates pledging to expand Medicaid in their states another rush of new enrollments looks highly likely.

Massive numbers of people will find additional programs and more health care options when the program opens for a new enrollment year this fall.

In a sign of the growing potential under the federal health care law, several insurers (Insurance Companies) that have been sitting on the sidelines say they will sell policies on the new exchanges in the coming year, and others plan to expand their offerings to more states.

“Insurers continue to see this as a good business opportunity,” said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “They see it as an attractive market, with enrollment expected to ramp up in the second year.” 

Eight million people have signed up for coverage in 2014, and estimates put next year’s enrollment around 13 million.  With more options, more health insurer competition and broader competition in insurance exchanges the growing acceptance of "Obamacare" continues to march forward.

The Affordable Care Act did deliver to seniors giving them solid benefits not commonly recognized.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare outlines benefits made available to seniors.
Read More-Click Here

Call it by it's real name, "Earned Benefits Program"

Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits, paid for with our payroll taxes.  We paid for them at the same time we got our pay checks.  Don't be mislead or felt to think it is welfare or some kind of government giveaway.  

This constant push to "privatize" or "voucher" the system and change benefit ages, do away with cost of living adjustments or otherwise pull off some way to restrict corporate contributions just doesn't wash.  Of course big money donations from secret contributors to the GOP are looking for ways to make more money, fatten their "bottom line".  One of those would be making changes to Social Security and Medicare employer payroll taxes.

A wedge is attempting to be built pitting older generations against younger ones and trying to convince our grand kids to settle for less than what they deserve, which is a secure retirement that they earn through their work.

Every effort to curtail the onward existence of Social Security comes with the pitch to younger people, "it won't be there when you are ready to retire".   AND they are absolutely right if the Republicans in Congress have their way with their proposed changes.  The Republicans have been at it so long very few working people believe them.  Just ask any person on wages, when was the last time the GOP proposed enhancements to Social Security or Medicare?  When was the last time Republicans voted to increase the minimum wage?

The question, if so many people recognize and understand that by not increasing the minimum wage (most propose to $10.10 an hour) it is draining state and federal poverty programs keeping full time workers incomes so low they can't even support themselves let alone a child or a family, why is the Republican opposition so furious?  Do the Republicans really want people on "the dole" instead of working for wages not receiving government assistance?

The key, the GOP money backers don't like the matching payroll taxes associated with higher wages. 

Originally "the dole" was considered a government program for the unemployed, today the Republicans think any government program directed to combat poverty levels and help feed poor people such as food stamps or school free lunch programs are being wasted on people lacking initiative and just plain lazy "folk".

Of course government corporate assistance, special tax breaks, government subsidies, farm programs for corporate farms are not the dole!  Money directed to private businesses and corporate, even foreign corporations, represented by millions of dollars paid to unregulated lobbyists and front groups is not government welfare.

So what does the minimum wage have to do with Social Security and the Republican opposition?  The GOP dependence on the financial favors of a few huge campaign money machines and shadow "unconnected not for profit advocate groups" may have a little bit to do with their opposition.  How many elections would the GOP win without the dark money blasting and distorting Democrat policies and values? 

Time after time every poll and expression of public opinion supports and favors Democrat ideals and positions of issues.  Yet the confusion, and constant negative rhetoric has taken a toll on election results as in Statehouses, State Legislatures and the Halls of Congress itself. 

Changes advocated for Social Security, Medicare and opposition to lifting the minimum was all have to do with profits, the amount of money the fat cats get to keep.  Payroll taxes in the percentage of paid wages are lower with lower minimum wages, increase the minimum wage more taxes would be collected for the Social Security Trust Fund for Medicare, and maybe extending the life of the Trust Funds. 

It's the payroll taxes!  Think about it, higher pay, less people on the government dole, cut spending on government assistance programs, more chance to balance the federal budget, bring down the deficit, more money for the expanding Medicare rolls,  and protecting the earned benefits of Social Security.

Voucher out Medicare, or adopt snake oil solutions for future Social Security benefits and maintaining high corporate profits all the while pointing, yes, giving the finger to the working poor!  No solution to immigration without allowing low wage guest workers, no path to citizenship for millions living under the cover of darkness, and absolutely blocking every effort to empower people's right to vote.

All of those ideas might increase the Democrats numbers in Congress to hold back the Republican Budget offers that would revamp our Earned Benefits.

OPEN LETTER to my fellow Arizona Progressives and Liberals

Originally Published in March--Worth Repeating Again

What are you doing getting ready to throw another Democrat under the bus, found a Democrat not pure enough?   Can we afford the luxury tossing away a Congressional seat so we can demonstrate the power we exercise in the Democrat party?  Do you really think acting like the obstructionist Tea Party members of the GOP is the way to go?

Let's stop taking Congressman Barber to the woodshed every time we don't agree with him 100%.  The most powerful way to build or tear something apart is word of mouth.  You like something, tell your neighbors, your recommendation has meaning.  

When you are unhappy, even just a little bit and you go around with stinging questions and making qualified statements of support, your words will be ringing bells long after you come back into the fold.  Careful all of a sudden what you have is better than the alternative, how do you undo the damage?   Can you put your words back in the bottle?

I hear some of my friends words and they hurt deep down just as much as GOP rocker Ted Nugent calling our President Obama a "subhuman mongrel".  Words can hurt and to the casual non political observer stick in their mind.   Coming from you, your words have more meaning after all you are the main stay of the Democratic party to your friends and family.  You are sowing seeds creating destroying results that you never intended.

Talk is cheap, but to put something behind it, you need to walk the walk too. Take the Republican National Committee and their big talk about diversity, inclusion, reasonable and mainstream forms of gun regulation, sensible immigration reform. What spin, what nonsense.  Republicans have learned talk a good line, sell a bill of goods after all snake oil salesmen got away with it, why not them?

I am worried that we are failing ourselves and have become a Presidential year party.  Every four years we wake up with the political itch, fight a good fight maybe even make a few worthy gains then go into hiding not to wake up for another four years.  Our voters only see the importance of voting in Presidential years, too often they ignore the bottom of the ballot and concede many elections.  Know what, it is not enough just to win the top of the ticket.

All we have to do to see the errors in that is follow the Koch brothers around the country as they buy one election after another.  We might win the Presidential election, but who is enacting the laws, who is winning one legislative battle after another?  Don't just look at Congress, the action is taking place in state legislatures, city halls, school boards all across the country.  

The Kochs are spreading their money around in places giving them the most results for their dollars.  Look at another Congressional race in Arizona.  The talk is $963,000 against Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick in District 1.  Step back a minute, almost one million dollars in one Congressional race and the primary for the Republican nomination is months off.  That's planting a lot of crops before the neighbors even started plowing.

While lots of big money flows into Presidential campaigns, the Koch brothers are counting on making money talk in local and district races all around the country.  Governorships, Legislatures, County Commissions that's where Presidents come from.  Building up their triple AAA farm clubs, the Koch's are going to own the President's office when the likes of Governor Scott Walker move to the White House.

Progressives the question, who are we warming up in the bull pen?  You can't do it with the once every four year attitude and appearance.  

Face it the big political money is looking at the nettlesome regulations, control over state legislatures, having favors from county supervisors that are the targets of their money. Progressives we are letting them win by neglect and our involvement with pet causes losing sight of the real control and power.

Progressives we need political minor leagues, training ground for fresh new candidates, we need more action in the bull pens.  Let's work on preparations of candidates holding solid progressive values and build up for future elections.  Go a bit slower, build up more and tear down less.

Catch up time, Free at Last! Job Lock, Job Losses

May 29th Updates Available....click here

Up date with my take on where we go forward into this mid-term election year and the Affordable Care Act effects on the election.  Nothing counts if the Democrats react to this "off-year" election in their typical fashion, low interest and resulting low voter participation and predictable increase in Republicans elected to Congress.

With the gerrymandering of congressional districts and determined voter suppression efforts only a miracle could save the Democrats this election year.  Yet, the good news, President Obama's earth shaking health care program remains in tact and with another two years to go my take is it will be declared a smashing success by 2016.

Figures coming in for sign ups over 8 million at the closing of the first stage of enrollments to the Affordable Care Act.  President Obama points out "meeting expectations", hitting our estimates and proving the American people without health insurance answered the call for mandated health care.

Yet Republicans and their allies, most extremely wealthy money bags willing to spend huge amounts of money to run down the President and his accomplishments to the advantage of his political foes, broadcast not enough, it's not working and looking at the preliminary figures there is a lot to dispute.

The full story and the facts on how much of a success the new health care law actually becomes is yet to be determined.  With many of the states in control of Republican Governors and Legislatures portions of positive benefits never were enacted in a number of states.

Polls indicate wide spread disagreement exists with Obamacare, while the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has more acceptance.  The figures can be disputed, 31% opposed to the program come from people on Medicare, they got theirs and don't make any waves that might effect their health care. Misinformation on money transfers from Medicare savings are often cited and are designed to scare the elderly on Medicare about their own health care programs.

Another group listed as opposed to the Affordable Care Act are those people actually in favor of national health care but with a "single-payer" such as in Canada, the UK and most of the industrial world.  Some 28% say the Act doesn't go far enough!

Eight million people have made their decision, signed up for Obamacare and one way or another are counted in the results.  BUT, that is not the final result of the Law.  Part of the Affordable Care Act included provision for young people up to the age of 26 able to remain or be put on their parents health care plans.

Another part of the Law provided for full federal funding of expansion of Medicaid programs within the states.  Also expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) has added another 3 million to the rolls of newly health insured in the United States.  This number would have been even larger had more GOP controlled state governments chosen to participate.

Two more years of enrollments, additional states accepting federal funding opportunities for expanding health care coverage in their states and more shake out of the enrollment process should definitely change the whole composition of acceptance for Obamacare.  Seniors and already insured folks noticing the benefits will slowly become boosters of the Affordable Care Act under any name and some of the same Democrat politicans and Republicans shooting arrows at President Obama will be praising him within two years of his leaving office.

(Catch up time, Free at Last!  Job Lock, Job Losses     printed in 2013)
Back on January 3 I wrote in this blog about the secret benefit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) for early retirement.  { http://solidprogressiveview.blogspot.com/2013/12/secret-benefit-of-affordable-care-act.html }

This week, February 3 the Congressional Budget Office {CBO} put out a finding about possible 2.5 million "job losses" over the next decade as a result of the new health insurance availability law.  Shock! Shock!  Some people may take their time finding new jobs if they get laid off or their bosses down size their production lines and unemployment insurance is available while they "look" for work.

People may not be in such a hurry to find a new job with health insurance if they have the Affordable Care Act with possible government help with the premiums.  Older experienced workers won't have to crawl over to Walmart or a few other low wage employers when the years of experience and knowledge is not in demand in their local area anymore.  Taking the need for a health insurance program out of the employment picture can make the difference between desperation and pride.

People on unemployment insurance many times have to swallow a lot of pride in seeking new employment, after many years on a job stepping down to what is immediately available is hard to do.  Just take out a minute and think, would you take a demotion for whatever reason if that was your only choice?  Losing a job is even worse than taking a demotion.

This should not be news to anyone understanding the aspect of portability of health insurance.  Workers will no longer be locked into jobs simply because they will lose their health insurance if they move.  Companies will lose their hold on employees whether through retirement or just plain wishing to move on to explore new opportunities.  That was exactly the point I was attempting to make when I wrote how the ACA was giving workers new pastures to investigate or possible early retirement even  before a person becomes eligible for Medicare at age 65.

What the Congressional Budget Office is telling us is that over the next few years a couple million people many hold out jumping in to the work force while they move out of one job and seek another.  Those members of Congress {and you Libertarians) screaming about free enterprise and a free society should congratulate President Obama and his Democrats in Congress for another building block of American Freedom.

Now that the CBO confirms what we expected, OBAMACARE is even better!  Workers have the option to move on when they feel better opportunities for them exist in the employment marketplace.  The boss doesn't have a hold on a worker just because of health insurance.  Now workers are in a much better position to negotiate other aspects of their employment and may even with some less resentment become an even more productive and useful team member for their employers.

WOW, ACA puts everyone in a WIN-WIN situation!