On May 25th, 2010 members of the Bus Riders Union continued their hunger strike in downtown Los Angeles to protest a 20% fare increase and cuts in bus services.
The BRU is one of the largest civil rights and environmental justice organizations in the country. In the mid-90s, they succeeded in a massive lawsuit against the MTA, winning billions of dollars in damages for discriminatory practices against low-income minorities for–you guessed it–rate hikes. The money was then used to not only vastly expand bus services to working poor, but also to create one of the largest compressed natural gas fleets in the United States.
Distributed by TubeMogul: http://www.TubeMogul.com.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Historic Health Care Reform Legislation Passes the House (w/videos)
On Sunday, March 21st the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3590, a landmark legislative package with a multitude of health care reforms. Two pieces were passed: One, the package of reforms, which came from the Senate, is now on its way to President Barack Obama's desk for his signature; and the other a reconciliation measure that makes fixes to the first piece, and will now go on to the Senate for a vote.
From The Huffington Post: "It is with great humility and with great pride that we tonight will make history for our country and progress for the American people," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before the vote to a standing ovation on one side of the aisle and silence on the other. "Just think--we will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare, and now tonight, health care for all Americans."
The House debates leading up to the vote last night were lively and, well, colorful:
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a former civil rights activist who faced racial epitaphs from angry Tea Party protestors outside the House chamber, told reporters he felt "more than gratified."
"I feel a sense that we're on the side of the angels," he said. "When historians pick up their pen and write about this period, they will have to say that the majority party forgot about the politics and did the right thing."
The legislation will do a number of things:
The law will immediately clamp down on the insurance industry habit known as "rescission" -- dropping policyholders when they get sick -- but the major reforms will happen in 2014, when consumers will be able to choose an insurance policy among several available on an "exchange." There will be caps on out-of-pocket costs and subsidies depending on income. And insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions.
The measure mandates all Americans hold health insurance and does not provide for a public option.
Some reforms will take effect almost immediately: Within 90 days of the president putting his signature on the bill, the Department of Health has to set up a $5 billion "interim high-risk pool" for people who are essentially uninsurable because they're sick. Within six months, insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage to children because of preexisting conditions.
"This isn't radical reform, but it is major reform," President Obama said in a statement after the vote. "This is what change looks like."
President Obama gave his remarks following the passage of the bill:
For more information on other aspects of this new legislation, visit the White House blog.
Stay tuned for the fight for Single Payer health care here in California, as Ramblin' Man Films will be covering activists attempts to bring this to all Californians.
From The Huffington Post: "It is with great humility and with great pride that we tonight will make history for our country and progress for the American people," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before the vote to a standing ovation on one side of the aisle and silence on the other. "Just think--we will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare, and now tonight, health care for all Americans."
The House debates leading up to the vote last night were lively and, well, colorful:
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a former civil rights activist who faced racial epitaphs from angry Tea Party protestors outside the House chamber, told reporters he felt "more than gratified."
"I feel a sense that we're on the side of the angels," he said. "When historians pick up their pen and write about this period, they will have to say that the majority party forgot about the politics and did the right thing."
The legislation will do a number of things:
The law will immediately clamp down on the insurance industry habit known as "rescission" -- dropping policyholders when they get sick -- but the major reforms will happen in 2014, when consumers will be able to choose an insurance policy among several available on an "exchange." There will be caps on out-of-pocket costs and subsidies depending on income. And insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions.
The measure mandates all Americans hold health insurance and does not provide for a public option.
Some reforms will take effect almost immediately: Within 90 days of the president putting his signature on the bill, the Department of Health has to set up a $5 billion "interim high-risk pool" for people who are essentially uninsurable because they're sick. Within six months, insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage to children because of preexisting conditions.
"This isn't radical reform, but it is major reform," President Obama said in a statement after the vote. "This is what change looks like."
President Obama gave his remarks following the passage of the bill:
For more information on other aspects of this new legislation, visit the White House blog.
Stay tuned for the fight for Single Payer health care here in California, as Ramblin' Man Films will be covering activists attempts to bring this to all Californians.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Organizing for Education as a Human Right
On March 4th, 2010, students from all education backgrounds converged on downtown Los Angeles, as well as nationwide, to rally with faculty to protest the slashing of education spending--as well as a 30% rate hike at state colleges. This short documentary also illustrates why the 2/3 supermajority rule is crippling the future of so many California youth. Visit http://www.DefendEducation.org to see how you can get involved and http://www.CaliforniansforDemocracy.com to join the movement to repeal the 2/3 supermajority rule. Distributed by http://www.TubeMogul.com.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Paying Back Not Giving Back: The Fight for Student Loan Justice
Paying Back Not Giving Back: The Fight for Student Loan Justice is the first in a series of short docs showing the plight of untold numbers of student loan debtors, the movement for reform, as well as an intro to some statistics and other details surrounding this issue.
For more information, visit Johannsen's blog at All Education Matters. Distributed by Tube Mogul.
For more information, visit Johannsen's blog at All Education Matters. Distributed by Tube Mogul.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
One Last Push for Health Care Reform
On the heels of a 39% rate hike on premiums, protestors took to the streets outside Anthem Blue Cross' downtown L.A. office to voice their disapproval--as well as galvanize the Senate into finishing health care reform with a public option. For more information on this ongoing campaign, visit Health Care for America Now and and Bold Progressives. This short documentary was produced by Lyn Goldfarb in association with Ramblin' Man Films. For more in this reform series, visit here.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Highlighting the Struggle for Student Loan Justice
As the above news report shows, student loan debt is crippling an intergenerational, generally broad swath of Americans. While Wall Street and the rest of the financial sector have received bailouts despite their wreckless behavior, average Americans who are trying to attain a slice of the American Dream are struggling just to stay afloat.
Within the next week, Ramblin' Man Films will be launching a short introductory video about the student loan borrower crisis this country is facing. RMF is joining the growing movement for student loan justice, but we need your help. I've compiled student borrower stories from the Web but need men and women to read these aloud so that they can be included in the short film. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please contact me.
And if you live in the Los Angeles area and have a student loan story you'd like to share, please read this.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Senate Passes Health Care Reform Bill, 60-39
The Senate passed an historic health care reform bill, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, at 7 A.M. today. The final vote was 60-39.
According to Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, this bill includes some of the following:
1) 30 million Americans will gain access to affordable health care.
2) 10,000 additional communities will get community health centers.
3) A new Health Care Bill of Rights will:
4) Ban the practice of barring health insurance to citizens with pre-existing conditions;
5) Ban the practice of dumping policy holders who get sick or injured;
6) Enable children to stay on their parents' policies through age 25;
7) Ban discrimination based gender or health histories; and
8) Ban lifetime coverage caps.
9) Insurance purchasing pools (exchanges) will give individuals and small businesses access to fair rates.
10) Insurance companies must spend at least 80%-85% of premiums on health services (higher than the current national average).
11) America will invest far more in prevention and disease management.
The passage of the $871 billion bill was enabled due to heavy compromises, including the jettisoning of Medicare expansion to people 55 and up (to gain the support of independent Senator Joe Lieberman, who months ago signaled he was in favor of such a provision.) In order to win the support of more conservative Democrats, like Ben Nelson of Nebraska, an amendment (sponsored by Senator Nelson) was added that would bar low-income women from purchasing affordable insurance plans that include assistance for abortion, forcing these women to pay out of pocket for the procedure instead. The Constitutionality of such a provision is already being called into question.
This amendment is similar to the Stupak-Pitts amendment that was added to the House of Representatives bill in order to get that version of health care reform passed. RMF produced a short advocacy piece on this amendment which can be found here.
President Obama welcomed the vote as bringing America "toward the end of a nearly century-long struggle." The last significant attempt at overhauling the health care system was President Theodore Roosevelt's attempt in 1912.
The president has also pledged to take a much more hands on approach in crafting the final version of the bill, the details of which must be worked out in conference between the House and Senate. Stay tuned and have a safe and happy holiday!
According to Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, this bill includes some of the following:
1) 30 million Americans will gain access to affordable health care.
2) 10,000 additional communities will get community health centers.
3) A new Health Care Bill of Rights will:
4) Ban the practice of barring health insurance to citizens with pre-existing conditions;
5) Ban the practice of dumping policy holders who get sick or injured;
6) Enable children to stay on their parents' policies through age 25;
7) Ban discrimination based gender or health histories; and
8) Ban lifetime coverage caps.
9) Insurance purchasing pools (exchanges) will give individuals and small businesses access to fair rates.
10) Insurance companies must spend at least 80%-85% of premiums on health services (higher than the current national average).
11) America will invest far more in prevention and disease management.
The passage of the $871 billion bill was enabled due to heavy compromises, including the jettisoning of Medicare expansion to people 55 and up (to gain the support of independent Senator Joe Lieberman, who months ago signaled he was in favor of such a provision.) In order to win the support of more conservative Democrats, like Ben Nelson of Nebraska, an amendment (sponsored by Senator Nelson) was added that would bar low-income women from purchasing affordable insurance plans that include assistance for abortion, forcing these women to pay out of pocket for the procedure instead. The Constitutionality of such a provision is already being called into question.
This amendment is similar to the Stupak-Pitts amendment that was added to the House of Representatives bill in order to get that version of health care reform passed. RMF produced a short advocacy piece on this amendment which can be found here.
President Obama welcomed the vote as bringing America "toward the end of a nearly century-long struggle." The last significant attempt at overhauling the health care system was President Theodore Roosevelt's attempt in 1912.
The president has also pledged to take a much more hands on approach in crafting the final version of the bill, the details of which must be worked out in conference between the House and Senate. Stay tuned and have a safe and happy holiday!
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