FREE SPEECH ZONE | Golden Bush Award to Governor Tim Pawlenty – A Gala Affair!

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Minnesotans for Personal Responsibility—PawLenty for Us!—present Governor Tim Pawlenty with a Golden Bush Award
The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. On Tuesday, May 5, 2009, Minnesotans for Personal Responsibility(MPR) presented Governor Tim Pawlenty with a Golden Bush Award in honor of his continuation of George W. Bush’s policies of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, not social services to families, children, the elderly or disabled. It was a gala affair! MC Georgette Murdoch presided, with speeches by Mrs. I.M. Rich, Education Chair of MPR, dripping in diamonds, of course, Falinda River, Transportation Chair of MPR, who complemented her Christmas red hair with a red feather boa and dress and a red, white and blue hat), and M. Antoinette Sans Tete, Head (so to speak) of the MPR Erase Entitlement Committee (in a che’ che’ lace-adorned dress, with pompadour. Continue Reading

Minnesota is no place to be sick and poor

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Tough times make it hard enough to live, much less afford health care. Yet, there it is. Everybody needs to be healthy. President Obama is wrestling with the U.S. Senate over the issue. While they battle it out, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is free and clear to completely ignore low-income taxpayers’ needs. Continue Reading

Poll: Half of Americans cut back on health care

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As President Obama and the Minnesota Legislature both look at ways to reform health care, a new poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation last week found that a majority of Americans are scrimping on health care to make ends meet. Some are skipping dental visits; others are cutting pills in half to stretch out prescriptions. A significant minority of respondents are going broke because they cannot pay their medical bills. The poll found that 53 percent of American households have cut back on health care in the last year. Thirty-five percent used home remedies instead of seeing a doctor for illness, 34 percent skipped dental care, 27 percent put off medical care they needed, 21 percent skipped filling a prescription and 15 percent cut pills in half. Continue Reading

Single-payer health care reform advances in Minnesota

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As senators and business association spokeswomen debated the merits of Sen. John Marty’s proposed Minnesota Health Care Act (SF 118/HF 135) last week, more U.S. companies were announcing tens of thousands of lay-offs. Mounting job losses were claimed as a talking point by both supporters and opponents of the plan. The bill passed out of the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee, chaired by Marty, on an 8-5 vote. Its next hearing will be by the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. The universal single-payer plan would require a major shift in the administration and budgeting of health care. Continue Reading

No progress in Hastings labor dispute

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Since a two-day strike last month, there has been no progress in the contract dispute between Regina Medical Center and 230 workers represented by Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota. No talks have been held since the works stoppage and none are scheduled. “They continue to tell members of the media they’re willing to meet, and yet they have not called us,” says Ryan Nagle, communications director for the labor union. “We’d be happy to meet anytime, anyplace.”
Next Wednesday union members will hold a vote on the current contract proposal from Regina Medical Center, which the Hastings facility has characterized as its final offer. If the proposal is voted down, the union will then vote on whether to authorize a five-day strike over unfair labor practices. Continue Reading