A privatization scheme that's a loser for taxpayers.
When the entertainers of the right aren't declaring their disgust with President Obama for groveling before foreign potentates, they're pretending to fear him as a left-wing thug, an exemplar of what they call "the Chicago way." As imagined by the right, the men in the West Wing are like a demonic cross between the antiwar demonstrators who gathered in Grant Park in 1968 and the Chicago cops who cracked their hippie skulls. Tremble, men of commerce, before this infernal combination. Read more »
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 22:10
Because of strong public support, The Health Care for All Illinois Act (H.B. 311) continues to move forward in the Illinois General Assembly. Help end the healthcare crisis in Illinois! Please ask your Illinois representative to co-sponsor H.B. 311, using the message below.
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.
Note! Link determines who your represntatives in the Illinois House and Senate are. Allows you to send a direct email message to your representatives, asking them to co-sponsor H.B. 311
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 21:59
written by, Bill Bianchi
We have a moral, social and financial responsibility to provide all residents of the US access to quality health care when needed. That was the message delivered to 21 participants at Ebenezer Lutheran church adult forum early Sunday morning March 9th.
Dr Anne Scheetz of Health Care for All Illinois (HCAI) invoked the biblical story of the Good Samaritan as a model for our moral responsibility to change the current health care system from one that allocates services unequally and arbitrarily-depending on the need to ensure corporate profits--to one that delivers comprehensive health care to all regards of employment, marital status or financial condition. That message is boiled down to one short statement: Everyone In; Nobody Out.
Other presenters included Jim Rhodes of HCAI and Metro Seniors and Bill Bianchi, PDA Chicago.
The presentation sparked much audience participation, in addition to Q & A. Several participants shared their experiences with health care abroad, which gave a means to compare with the US system. Questions from the audience included "What about wait times in a S-P system?" How will we pay for it? What can we do now to bring it about?
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 09:20
Members of PDA Chicago chapter teamed up with representatives from Metro Seniors and other activists Friday 9/25, to ask Illinois state representative John Fritchey to support the Illinois General Assembly bill HB 311. Know as the "Health Care for All Illinois Act", 311 establishes a Single Payer medical insurance system in the state. A single payer system would: Read more »
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 09:17
"Progressives Need to Think Strategically"
At the 2nd annual Progressive Festival of Illinois held at the Marvel-Davis Farm in Kendall county, heart of Dennis Hastert's 14th IL congressional district, John Laesch talked about how to grow the progressive movement in Northern Illinois. After noting some modest successes in local elections, John identified three strategic issues for growing the progressive movement:
Building alliances among progressives. Too often progressives groups are not moving together on issues or in elections. We need to build better alliances among partners so progressives can speak with one voice on issues and get behind one candidate in an election.
Vetting candidates. Labor continues to support DCCC candidates who don't support labor or support it in weak ways. Progressive candidates probably cannot count on labor support. Will have court individual labor leaders.
Defining ourselves. John advocates that progressive candidates should think hard about how to frame issues. For example:
Politics of Hope Vs Republican politics of fear
Health care for people instead of healthcare for profits.
During the Q and A period following, Christine Cegelis said that she believes she could have won her primary battle against Tammy Duckworth if she had better organization in the Cook County area of her district. In Cook County the regular Democratic party worked against Cegelis and for Duckworth.
Also debated was the role of money vs Grassroots organizing. The consensus was that strong grassroots organization and moderate amounts of money will beat a lot of money and weak grassroots. Read more »
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 09:13
On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, (10/20) two dozen members of Chicago Progressive Democrats of American (PDA) and allied organizations demanded that the Congressman, Rahm Emanuel (IL 5) start impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
Thousands of drivers along busy Irving Park Rd. saw dozens of signs asking them to "Honk for Impeachment". For nearly 2 hours drivers responded eagerly, filling the air around Emanuel's office with continual horn honking. It created a festive atmosphere in the warm October sun. At one point, neighborhood teenagers joined the demonstration, grabbing the attention from the older folks and enjoying themselves tremendously. According to PDA Chicago chair, Bill Bianchi, the response was fantastic. It demonstrates how deeply people support strong action against Bush and Cheney.
Ignoring Impeachment is Dangerous
"It is a dangerous mistake," according to PDA Chicago impeachment chair, Mike Kaufman, "to think that impeachment is a dead issue because Bush has only a year to go." If Bush and Cheney leave without at least being challenged by Congress for breaking our laws and trashing our Constitution, their misdeeds become precedents for future presidents. We've got to get the Democratic leadership to put impeachment back on the table. The people support impeachment. Why don't our leaders? Read more »
Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 09:10
December 6--On a cold wintry night in Chicago, over 50 supporters of PDA Chicago crammed into the side room of Brehon's Pub to welcome John Laesch, Democratic candidate for Congress, IL-14, a seat formerly held by Dennis Hastert. John Laesch is a true-blue grassroots progressive who supports all of PDA priorities. He's waging a four-way primary battle for the 2008 election and for a special election to fill the remainder of the retiring Hastert's term.
With little or no help expected from the national or state Democratic Party, John's success will depend a great deal on progressive democrats and Labor. PDA Chicago stepped up to the challenge by hosting the event to raise funds and recruit volunteers for John's campaign. The turnout exceeded expectations and demonstrated that the grassroots progressive movement in the Midwest continues to grow.
John was introduced by Dr. Quentin Young, a well-known progressive hero. Dr. Young is the former Head of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, medical correspondent for Chicago's public radio outlet, WBEZ, and National Co-Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program. Dr. Young reminded folks that the Laesch campaign has national implications for the Democratic Party. The victory of a true grassroots progressive will send a signal that the party's old ways of doing business-packaging corporate and conservative Democrats as representatives of the people-won't work anymore. Music was provided by DJ Charlotte Kaufman, and singer-songwriter Rick Muelder.
Arlene Gloria Hirsch, co-chair of Laesch Fundraiser with PDAChicago Chair Bill Bianchi M (not shown here)
A privatization scheme that's a loser for taxpayers.
At the 2nd annual Progressive Festival of Illinois held at the Marvel-Davis Farm in Kendall county, heart of Dennis Hastert's 14th IL congressional district, John Laesch talked about how to grow the progressive movement in Northern Illinois. After noting some modest successes in local elections, John identified three strategic issues for growing the progressive movement:
On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, (10/20) two dozen members of Chicago Progressive Democrats of American (PDA) and allied organizations demanded that the Congressman, Rahm Emanuel (IL 5) start impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
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