Health & Healthcare
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Helping the Poor Quit Smoking
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Time for a Little Thanks
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Long-term Unemployment Worst Since the Great Depression
Swine Flu Driving Paid Sick Leave Laws
Published November 15, 2009 @ 11:39AM PT
President Obama is urging anyone showing symptoms of swine flu to stay home for at least four days - a nearly impossible task for the 50% of working Americans who lack any paid sick leave. With legislation stalled in Congress to mandate paid sick leave, 15 states and several cities around the US are proposing their own sick leave laws. Sen. Dodd (D-CT) has proposed mandatory sick leave just for those diagnosed with swine flu, a rather pathetic compromise, in my book. (And I already know people who likely had swine flu earlier this year only to have it missed by their docs.)
I wrote about this issue less than 2 months ago (first link above), and not too much has changed. Unsurprisingly, many lawmakers resist the reality that public health and labor issues can be intertwined as is the case here: ill workers showing up to their jobs cost businesses roughly $180B per year, more than the cost of absenteeism. (Also of note: how many women's policy institutes are providing the data on worker/labor policies - gee, I wonder why...)
We have a window of opportunity here to pass some long overdue laws. I commend Democrats for using swine flu to raise awareness of this issue, and states and cities for responding to the very serious reality of a pandemic sweeping through their populations. Now if only people could actually get access to the vaccine...
(Photo of mask, liquid soap and paper tissue bfishadow)
Going on Strike in a Recession
Published November 12, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT
After nearly a year of negotiations with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99 in Arizona, two of the state's largest grocery store chains -- Fry's Food Stores and Safeway -- are bracing for a strike amid an ongoing labor dispute.
Key factors in the dispute include discrepancies over pay increases and a proposal from the companies that would have workers pay a health care premium (up until now, the companies have covered the entire cost).
With no resolution in sight, and a work stoppage looming as early as Friday, the companies have started to place advertisements for temporary employees to take over for unionized workers when/if they go on strike.
In addition, Fry and Safeway have now entered into a collaborative agreement to take "defensive measures" if the union workers strike against one company and not the other. Although neither store has said it would lock out unionized workers at the company that is not affected, that is exactly what happened in a similar situation in California during 2003-04.
Putting Veterans To Work
Published November 11, 2009 @ 10:46AM PT
This blog title is likely to ruffle a few feathers, as it implies an epidemic of layabout retired servicemen and women, when the reality for millions of Vets, as we know it, is much harsher. Every Veterans Day, amidst the tributes and thank yous, are the tireless activists pointing out* how difficult life can be for veterans after military service - due especially to the psychological and disruptive impacts of combat and deployments and the relatively low remuneration for service. Now, under President Obama, the Administration and civil society organizations are working to reduce veteran unemployment and poverty.
On Monday, the White House introduced a new initiative to recruit and hire more veterans into the federal government, citing their distinct preparation for careers in public service. Through the Council on Veterans Employment, the Homeland Security, Labor, and Veterans Affairs will work with WH personnel management to increase the number of veterans employed through the federal government.
Stimulus funds are supporting the American Legion Auxiliary's national Call to Service Corps VISTA project that puts volunteers to work fighting poverty among veterans and military families. The project will provide economic and social support to over 100 military families and enlist almost 2,000 veteran families in anti-poverty community service projects.
House Healthcare Bill Effectively Prohibits Abortion
Published November 10, 2009 @ 08:41AM PT
I took a lot of flak yesterday from commenters for celebrating the passage of the House healthcare reform bill. Like many feminists (and unlike many others), I celebrated some of the specific advances towards equalizing healthcare coverage for women and men. And like most feminists, I am floored, sickened, and outraged that House Democrats have passed the most restrictive policy on abortion since it was legalized in 1973.
I'm trying to get how the Stupak-Pitts Amendment works correct here, so bear with me. This bill creates insurance exchanges for "individuals and small employers to comparison shop among private and public insurers, including new health insurance co-ops." Included here are federal subsidies "to help low- and middle-income individuals and families purchase insurance." The Stupak Amendment prohibits any insurance companies that enroll these subsidized individuals and families from covering elective abortions. It is anticipated that eventually the majority of all companies and individuals in the US will be covered through these exchanges. FDL leads us to the Amendment's inexorable conclusion:
House Bill Expands Medicaid to 15M more Americans
Published November 08, 2009 @ 11:34AM PT
Update, 11/10/09: I made an error in the # of Americans newly eligible for Medicaid via this bill. It is 15M Americans; through Medicaid expansion, subsidies, and insurance exchange options, 36M Americans overall will be newly covered through this legislation.
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Congrats to House Speaker Pelosi, President Obama, the American people, and other elected leaders for their efforts to pass this historic healthcare bill. I'm always up for celebrating any social policy that is the next big victory since LBJ's achievements forty years ago.
Gay Rights blogger Mike Jones has some terrific info on one key Medicaid expansion in the bill that permits states "to cover early HIV treatment...a departure from a current policy that only allows states to use Medicaid funds once a patient develops full-blown AIDS." Let's take a look at the other wins for low-income Americans in the bill:
1 in 10 Americans Unemployed
Published November 06, 2009 @ 06:48AM PT
10% unemployment is here. The worst unemployment rate since 1983; for those of you who weren't in elementary school then - how does this recession match up in your mind to that one? Given the rising cost of living compared to the declining value of wages over the last two decades, how are households getting by in this bleak reality relative to 26 years ago? Will Obama and Congress get us out of this mess?
More than 7M Americans have lost their jobs in the last two years, and remember, official unemployment rates only count people actively looking for work. The # of people out of the workforce through no fault of their own is likely much higher - they've given up looking for work at this point.
Should we rejoice that layoffs are happening more slowly? Education and health services are actually adding jobs, and government employment is stable - stimulus funds are likely contributing to this. But even government programs can't prop up the construction industry, as our anemic real estate markets cancel out the need for construction work.
Housing Instability Hurts Kids
Published November 06, 2009 @ 05:07AM PT
I'm tired of being subtle. In this world of attention-grabbing headlines and screaming issues, little kids are being trampled as crowds of media rush to cover "issues" which often have the importance of a mosquito bite, or um, a silver balloon. Left to fend for themselves are millions of little kids and their families in this country, mired in deep poverty, teetering on or swallowed up by homelessness.
So I made this 4-minute video, "Life is But a Dream," to remind viewers of the cost as we continue to abandon the wee ones in this country. Would be great if you view it and share it.
A new report issued by the Institute of Children in Poverty provides strong data to support my premise that little kids suffer by our national neglect. Among the findings...
Existing research provides a link between housing instability and a range of child and adolescent challenges, from lower school achievement to poorer social and emotional adjustment.
