MAY 1 – No Work, No School, No Shopping
Let’s do it!
As a strong follow-up to No King’s Day, we have many hundreds of actions across the USA. See the map at May Day Strong.
Something you can do now is follow this link to show your support for CodePink’s reasonable demands:
- ICE and US Military out of everywhere!
- No New Detention Centers or Military Bases!
- Cut the $1 Trillion War Budget and invest in our communities!
Health Care refusal strikes again
California could lead the nation toward a world-class healthcare system if the Democratic super-majorities and governors would implement it in the most populous state in the country.
A bill to accomplish that goal before the end of Newsom’s term just met with refusal. The CalCare bill was not allowed to go to the floor of the legislature for a vote.
I received a long email about the process from Health Care for US, and I wanted to share the information with you via a link, but I see that this news has not made it to their still-hopeful website hc4us.org. I wonder if they were too disheartened to update it. Here’s a key part of the email.
Why do you think some Democratic assembly members are against CalCare?
- They don’t believe Californians are experiencing negative health outcomes, earlier deaths and medical debt.
- They don’t want to lose campaign contributions from health insurance companies, hospital associations and pharmaceutical companies.
- They believe the profits of corporations are more important than the health of Californians.
- They knew they had enough votes for CalCare to pass in the Assembly but…..they took orders from Governor Newsom who didn’t want a strong single-payer bill brought to his desk to sign or reject.
- All of the above.
Meanwhile, a friend questioned my recommendation to vote for a Green or Peace and Freedom candidate for California governor since the two front-runners are Republican. While I abhor the top-two primary system, and would not want to see a choice of only Republicans in November, I did think of one benefit. The Democratic super-majorities in the legislatures would again put a bill to implement world-class healthcare on the desk of the governor, knowing he would veto it, as they did with the last Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (2003-2011) and have not done since, with the two Democratic governors Jerry Brown (2011-2019) and Gavin Newsom (2019-2027).
Butch Ware and Health Care
Governor candidate Dr. Butch Ware would implement a world-class healthcare system. But, the Green Party candidate was removed from the ballot for flimsy and insubstantial reasons that were not at all a danger to voters. Something that IS a great danger to voters is the legal corruption of getting millions of dollars of corporate campaign contributions from insurance, weapons, finance and other industries. Green candidates and the Green Party do not accept corporate donations. (Real people donations are welcome!) The powers-that-be stood firm on removing this dynamic alternative from the ballot.
Now Butch Ware is running a write-in campaign. Check out his website. As he says, “Let’s fight to bring California’s wealth back to all people so everyone can thrive.”
Butch Ware’s removal from the ballot underscores why we need to escape the jail of “There Is No Alternative” (TINA) that a pal of Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pronounced in the 1980s. In the US political system TINA translates into “only two political parties CAN WIN.” Now in the UK, despite Thatcher’s dictum, the Green Party is gaining in the polls and winning seats as Members of Parliament!
“Sí se puede.” The US can break out of TINA too.
WE are the alternative, which leads us back to the top of this blog, a national shutdown. General strikes are in order. When we the people show our power by refusing to go along with unjust systems and status-quo expectations, we can win.
Graphic at top from the HealthCareForUs.org website